CBC.ca | Flood threat approaches Fraser Valley CBC.ca Water levels on the lower Fraser River are expected to rise rapidly over the next 24 to 36 hours, resulting from a shot of warm weather through Friday that would ... |
четверг, 21 июня 2012 г.
Flood threat approaches Fraser Valley - CBC.ca
fusajacuxejilyp.blogspot.com
вторник, 19 июня 2012 г.
San Mateo-based Splice fuses Web services for small businesses - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
But for Andy Coan, founder and chief executive ofSan Mateo-based Splicer Communications, it has definitely paid off. Coan started Splice in after being in the telecommunications business for nine Coan started Splice as atelecokm broker. He served as a middleman between companies and providersz and took a commission onthe sales. at the insistence of his Coan stopped being just a broker and became a resellet of services from 26different companies. The bust actually “At that time companies were laying off a lot of he said. “They didn’t have the manpowed to manage. We allowed them to leverage our abilit to research different options for It was really kind of theright time.
” As a Coan’s revenue grew to $14.3 million in 2008, a 48 percent increase over 2006. The companyt employs 17 people and plans to add at least two more this maybe three. Splice charges a commissiojn on the services it sells to its roughlh150 clients. One invoice, many optiond So what’s Coan’s secret?? Variety. Because Splice offers services from a varietuof partners, the company can completely customizde a system for any one and they would still only have one invoice to pay and one support number to call.
And that’s how he’ss able to succeed, even when he’es competing against his own suppliers, like Verizon and “They place an order with they’re getting a Splicd invoice,” he said. “And behind the scenes it really doesn’t matterd that we’re designing a multi-carrier You have one throat to choke.” But Coan also ran into some luck in 2003 when he movefd Splice from being a broker to aservics provider. MCI Worldcom, which was a leader in networo solutions, had basically collapsed after it had been rocked by The company filed for bankruptchyin 2002, the larges t bankruptcy filing in the U.S.
up to that The company’s work force was and Coan, who had worked for MCI, was in a primwe spot to becomea partner. “At the time they had the biggesr network, the biggest footprint in the world,” he “And going with them made a lot of sensd given the fact that they hadjust re-organizex and came out of bankruptcy.” As the economy continues to Coan says Splice is incredibly well-positioned. Companies are finding it too expensivw to keep large IT staffds in house and try to deal with many When Splice bundlesplans together, he said, it can offer saving that customers can’t get if they were buying the service retail from every supplier.
Andy Dolich, chiefv operating officer of the SanFrancisco 49ers, agrees. He said that the team only has a staffc ofthree in-house IT personnel, and for everythinyg else, they use Splice. “They’re an excellent solution in any kind of especiallyone that’s as unpredictablde as this,” Dolich said. “They can take care of researchinh all the different carrier options and customize it to what ourneedss are.” Dolich also said that the service is reliabls — his IT director never has a complaint to make about the company. “There’s neve r a flashing red light,” he said.
He likener Splice to a referee — if you know the name of the refereew at the end ofthe it’s probably bad. With Splice, he said, that hasn’t been a But it’s not like Coan hasn’tr seen any effects of the down economy. His customeras are slashing budgets and puttinf offany upgrades. His biggestt fear is that his customerws will go outof business. But for now, Splicre is doing fine. March was one of the company’s best and they are conservatively projecting 20 percenf growthin 2009, Coan said.
But for Andy Coan, founder and chief executive ofSan Mateo-based Splicer Communications, it has definitely paid off. Coan started Splice in after being in the telecommunications business for nine Coan started Splice as atelecokm broker. He served as a middleman between companies and providersz and took a commission onthe sales. at the insistence of his Coan stopped being just a broker and became a resellet of services from 26different companies. The bust actually “At that time companies were laying off a lot of he said. “They didn’t have the manpowed to manage. We allowed them to leverage our abilit to research different options for It was really kind of theright time.
” As a Coan’s revenue grew to $14.3 million in 2008, a 48 percent increase over 2006. The companyt employs 17 people and plans to add at least two more this maybe three. Splice charges a commissiojn on the services it sells to its roughlh150 clients. One invoice, many optiond So what’s Coan’s secret?? Variety. Because Splice offers services from a varietuof partners, the company can completely customizde a system for any one and they would still only have one invoice to pay and one support number to call.
And that’s how he’ss able to succeed, even when he’es competing against his own suppliers, like Verizon and “They place an order with they’re getting a Splicd invoice,” he said. “And behind the scenes it really doesn’t matterd that we’re designing a multi-carrier You have one throat to choke.” But Coan also ran into some luck in 2003 when he movefd Splice from being a broker to aservics provider. MCI Worldcom, which was a leader in networo solutions, had basically collapsed after it had been rocked by The company filed for bankruptchyin 2002, the larges t bankruptcy filing in the U.S.
up to that The company’s work force was and Coan, who had worked for MCI, was in a primwe spot to becomea partner. “At the time they had the biggesr network, the biggest footprint in the world,” he “And going with them made a lot of sensd given the fact that they hadjust re-organizex and came out of bankruptcy.” As the economy continues to Coan says Splice is incredibly well-positioned. Companies are finding it too expensivw to keep large IT staffds in house and try to deal with many When Splice bundlesplans together, he said, it can offer saving that customers can’t get if they were buying the service retail from every supplier.
Andy Dolich, chiefv operating officer of the SanFrancisco 49ers, agrees. He said that the team only has a staffc ofthree in-house IT personnel, and for everythinyg else, they use Splice. “They’re an excellent solution in any kind of especiallyone that’s as unpredictablde as this,” Dolich said. “They can take care of researchinh all the different carrier options and customize it to what ourneedss are.” Dolich also said that the service is reliabls — his IT director never has a complaint to make about the company. “There’s neve r a flashing red light,” he said.
He likener Splice to a referee — if you know the name of the refereew at the end ofthe it’s probably bad. With Splice, he said, that hasn’t been a But it’s not like Coan hasn’tr seen any effects of the down economy. His customeras are slashing budgets and puttinf offany upgrades. His biggestt fear is that his customerws will go outof business. But for now, Splicre is doing fine. March was one of the company’s best and they are conservatively projecting 20 percenf growthin 2009, Coan said.
понедельник, 18 июня 2012 г.
Martin Marietta Materials CEO Zelnak signals more quarry purchases - Triangle Business Journal:
oryucyjofec1482.blogspot.com
That’s the message from Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerStephejn P. Zelnak Jr. the day after the firm said that it wasspendingh $65 million to buy three rock quarries and the remaining 49 percenft interest in an existing joint venture from Cemex Inc. “We’ve got a lot of fire power,” Zelnaok told Triangle Business Journal in a phoneintervie Tuesday. “We think this is a good time to be lookinbat acquisitions.” Economic downturns such as the currenft one can improve the prices on potentialo acquisitions. The problem, of course, is the ability of interested buyers toobtain funding.
Yet Zelnai says his firm stilp has the debt and equity capital resources that would allow it to spene in excessof $500 million if the right acquisitiojn opportunity came along. Any such deal probablty wouldn’t be local; Zelnak says he sees littlse opportunity for the company to grow by acquisitio inNorth Carolina. The Cemex deal, whichg dealt with operations in Nebraska, Wyoming and added 100 employees toMartim Marietta’s roster.
While the company expects to see modest improvemenrt in the North Carolina transportationm construction sector in the secon d half of the year due to federal stimulus MartinMarietta doesn’t have plans to add employeeds in the state at this There could be some good news for existinb employees though. Several of the firm’s North Carolinza plants have been operatin g 30 to 32 hours a If the economy picks up in thecominbg months, those plants could go back to operating at aroundd 40 hours per week. In really good the plants operate 50 to 60 hours a Zelnak says.
That’s the message from Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerStephejn P. Zelnak Jr. the day after the firm said that it wasspendingh $65 million to buy three rock quarries and the remaining 49 percenft interest in an existing joint venture from Cemex Inc. “We’ve got a lot of fire power,” Zelnaok told Triangle Business Journal in a phoneintervie Tuesday. “We think this is a good time to be lookinbat acquisitions.” Economic downturns such as the currenft one can improve the prices on potentialo acquisitions. The problem, of course, is the ability of interested buyers toobtain funding.
Yet Zelnai says his firm stilp has the debt and equity capital resources that would allow it to spene in excessof $500 million if the right acquisitiojn opportunity came along. Any such deal probablty wouldn’t be local; Zelnak says he sees littlse opportunity for the company to grow by acquisitio inNorth Carolina. The Cemex deal, whichg dealt with operations in Nebraska, Wyoming and added 100 employees toMartim Marietta’s roster.
While the company expects to see modest improvemenrt in the North Carolina transportationm construction sector in the secon d half of the year due to federal stimulus MartinMarietta doesn’t have plans to add employeeds in the state at this There could be some good news for existinb employees though. Several of the firm’s North Carolinza plants have been operatin g 30 to 32 hours a If the economy picks up in thecominbg months, those plants could go back to operating at aroundd 40 hours per week. In really good the plants operate 50 to 60 hours a Zelnak says.
воскресенье, 17 июня 2012 г.
Paladino OK'd for Court Street project - Business First of Buffalo:
ivyhofy.wordpress.com
Despite a series of tactical legal arguments from a lawyed representing the owners of theLiberty Building-Main Place Mall-Main Placr Tower complex, the planning board agreed to extend previouslhy approved plans for a multi-tenant office buildingg at 50 Court Street. The projectf been proposed by Carl Paladino and his The actiobn before the planning board was the latest salvo ina long-simmering legal feud between Paladink and , owners of the trio of Main Street Paladino first proposed the 300,000-square-foot building in 2004, but the projecy has been delayed by a series of lawsuits initiatefd by Violet Realty, a company headed by Patrick Hotung.
Hotung and Paladinlo have waged a series of legal battled over theyears -- many directlhy connected to the propose d office building at 50 Court St., whicu sits right behind the Liberty Building-Maibn Place Mall-Main Place Tower. Hotung has continually statedr he would like to buy the two Court Streer parcels that run between Pearkl and Court streets for additional parkinhg for his tenants and also expresseed concerns that a new officer building could potentially drive tenants from his complexs to thenew building. When Paladino firs t announced the 50 CourtStreet project, he was hopinb to land at least two majore law firms as anchor tenants.
The two firmes -- and ; Cellino & Barnes, will be moving to the Main Place Tower, while Damomn & Morey will be moving to the Avant buildinb on Delaware Avenuenext summer. Paul Gregory, an attorneh and senior executive with Ellicott told the planning board the officer building would have been constructed by now if not for the serieds of lawsuits filed by Hotung and Violet Ellicott Development has won virtually everhy legal battle withViolet Realty.
"W hope to pick up wherre we left off," Gregory The project, however, may not be of the same size and Laurence Rubin, Violet's attorney and a former development chief with both the city of Buffalol and Erie County, said he now believes the project will be 28 percent smaller, or roughlgy eight stories, and any modificatiojn will open the door for a new reviewe process. The extension, Rubin argued, was unprecedented and couldf opena Pandora's Box of issueas for the city down the road. "Iyt could have a chilling effect on the development Rubin said. "This is all simpl y too stale.
You don't make decisions sitting around the tablr without looking at thesalient facts." However, plannin g board members acknowledged the only reason that Ellicottt Development was seeking its extension was the delays caused by legal "Lawsuits specifically designed to stall projects should not be noted Cynthia Schwartz, a planning boardd member.
Despite a series of tactical legal arguments from a lawyed representing the owners of theLiberty Building-Main Place Mall-Main Placr Tower complex, the planning board agreed to extend previouslhy approved plans for a multi-tenant office buildingg at 50 Court Street. The projectf been proposed by Carl Paladino and his The actiobn before the planning board was the latest salvo ina long-simmering legal feud between Paladink and , owners of the trio of Main Street Paladino first proposed the 300,000-square-foot building in 2004, but the projecy has been delayed by a series of lawsuits initiatefd by Violet Realty, a company headed by Patrick Hotung.
Hotung and Paladinlo have waged a series of legal battled over theyears -- many directlhy connected to the propose d office building at 50 Court St., whicu sits right behind the Liberty Building-Maibn Place Mall-Main Place Tower. Hotung has continually statedr he would like to buy the two Court Streer parcels that run between Pearkl and Court streets for additional parkinhg for his tenants and also expresseed concerns that a new officer building could potentially drive tenants from his complexs to thenew building. When Paladino firs t announced the 50 CourtStreet project, he was hopinb to land at least two majore law firms as anchor tenants.
The two firmes -- and ; Cellino & Barnes, will be moving to the Main Place Tower, while Damomn & Morey will be moving to the Avant buildinb on Delaware Avenuenext summer. Paul Gregory, an attorneh and senior executive with Ellicott told the planning board the officer building would have been constructed by now if not for the serieds of lawsuits filed by Hotung and Violet Ellicott Development has won virtually everhy legal battle withViolet Realty.
"W hope to pick up wherre we left off," Gregory The project, however, may not be of the same size and Laurence Rubin, Violet's attorney and a former development chief with both the city of Buffalol and Erie County, said he now believes the project will be 28 percent smaller, or roughlgy eight stories, and any modificatiojn will open the door for a new reviewe process. The extension, Rubin argued, was unprecedented and couldf opena Pandora's Box of issueas for the city down the road. "Iyt could have a chilling effect on the development Rubin said. "This is all simpl y too stale.
You don't make decisions sitting around the tablr without looking at thesalient facts." However, plannin g board members acknowledged the only reason that Ellicottt Development was seeking its extension was the delays caused by legal "Lawsuits specifically designed to stall projects should not be noted Cynthia Schwartz, a planning boardd member.
пятница, 15 июня 2012 г.
JLS Properties duo closes $4M in new leases - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
esivyjifag.wordpress.com
What makes the accomplishment so unique in an industrtwhere multimillion-dollar deals are as featured in the Courier's "Deal of the Week" is the actual number of transactions 70. "The little ones add up," said director of leasing at JLS Properties. "Companies big and small are lookiny for alternatives to the hassles of Just look at the surge of new officesspace that's being built, and is leasinbg up fast, in the suburbs." Alley, an 18-year veteranj of the commercial real estatw industry, left the local office of Heitmanh Properties Ltd. of Chicago to work for JLS in mid-1998.
She was seeking a larger role within her workplaced as well as the opportunity to work for a instead of the cutthroat worle of the commercial brokerr at alarge company. Alley said JLS has been able to take advantages of some businesses cutting back on the amount of expens they want to pay as overhead for office space. "Companies are always interested in cuttinh costs and one great way to do that is to forgk that class A office space they are paying anywherrefrom $18 to $25 a square foot for. We offedr some great space, ranging anywherw from a gross rateof $9 to $15 per squares foot," she said.
JLS Marketing Manageer Josh Gerth, who joined JLS at aboutt the same timeas Alley, comprisesz the second half of the JLS leasing He cited a recent deal he completeds with a company that moved from downtown Cincinnati to a JLS propertyg in Roselawn as evidence of how the firm does "They are saving thousandse of dollars in rent, not to mention the savingsz in having free parking provided," Gertj said. JLS Properties is owned by John Stalnaker andhis Louise. The company maintains a portfolio of officed and retail space throughout Greater Cincinnatii and in theDayton market.
JLS is also on a fast tracok to purchase additional commercial properties throughoutthe Tri-State, said Stalnaker, a former Universitty of Cincinnati history professor who formed his own real estate company in 1981. The company is perhaps best known locallt for the 1994 purchase and renovation of the historif Cable House on Gilbert Avenue inWalnuy Hills. Recently, it also purchased The Bluffs Apartmenta in Covingtonfor $7.6 million and Crossgat e Square Office Park in Blue Ash for $2.
3 The company also manages and leases the 105,000-square-foot Mid City Executive Center, wherd it's based, as well as the 57,000-square-footy Roselawn Center in Roselawn and the 96,000-square-foot Corporate Towerd in Dayton. Neyer Propertiezs Inc. of Evendale was recently chosen to develop two new bank facilitie s for Provident Financial ServicesGroup Inc. in northeasternj Cincinnati. Neyer Properties worked with ArchitectaPlus Inc. of Blue Ash to secure assignments in Deerfiel Township on Union Cemetery Road and in Symmes Townshipon Loveland-Madeira Road.
Provident will be saving betweej 15 to 20 percent in constructioh costs from previously built facilitiews thanks to a prototype facility designed by Neyerr Properties PresidentDay Neyer. Both of the facilities will measurse 3,000 square feet. Neyer said he "engineeres the new site and reworked the design so that the new facilitiezs look similar to existing but aremore cost-effective." Neyerd Properties also helped Cincinnato Valve of Fairfax expand by 250 percenrt with a new $500,000, 10,000-square-foog facility on Deerfield Road in Sycamore The company, which is leaving a 2,000-square-footr office, will use half of the new facility and lease the rest, Neyer said.
Finally, Neyer Properties also landed two othet recent projects inthe Tri-State: Midwest Crane signed a five-yeaf lease to rent 4,500 square feet at Neye r Properties' headquarters on South Medallion Drive. Das Gym, a weight training and workout facilit y owned byRainer Hartmann, signed a 6,000-square-fooy lease to open in a Neyer Properties buildinv on Montgomery Road.
What makes the accomplishment so unique in an industrtwhere multimillion-dollar deals are as featured in the Courier's "Deal of the Week" is the actual number of transactions 70. "The little ones add up," said director of leasing at JLS Properties. "Companies big and small are lookiny for alternatives to the hassles of Just look at the surge of new officesspace that's being built, and is leasinbg up fast, in the suburbs." Alley, an 18-year veteranj of the commercial real estatw industry, left the local office of Heitmanh Properties Ltd. of Chicago to work for JLS in mid-1998.
She was seeking a larger role within her workplaced as well as the opportunity to work for a instead of the cutthroat worle of the commercial brokerr at alarge company. Alley said JLS has been able to take advantages of some businesses cutting back on the amount of expens they want to pay as overhead for office space. "Companies are always interested in cuttinh costs and one great way to do that is to forgk that class A office space they are paying anywherrefrom $18 to $25 a square foot for. We offedr some great space, ranging anywherw from a gross rateof $9 to $15 per squares foot," she said.
JLS Marketing Manageer Josh Gerth, who joined JLS at aboutt the same timeas Alley, comprisesz the second half of the JLS leasing He cited a recent deal he completeds with a company that moved from downtown Cincinnati to a JLS propertyg in Roselawn as evidence of how the firm does "They are saving thousandse of dollars in rent, not to mention the savingsz in having free parking provided," Gertj said. JLS Properties is owned by John Stalnaker andhis Louise. The company maintains a portfolio of officed and retail space throughout Greater Cincinnatii and in theDayton market.
JLS is also on a fast tracok to purchase additional commercial properties throughoutthe Tri-State, said Stalnaker, a former Universitty of Cincinnati history professor who formed his own real estate company in 1981. The company is perhaps best known locallt for the 1994 purchase and renovation of the historif Cable House on Gilbert Avenue inWalnuy Hills. Recently, it also purchased The Bluffs Apartmenta in Covingtonfor $7.6 million and Crossgat e Square Office Park in Blue Ash for $2.
3 The company also manages and leases the 105,000-square-foot Mid City Executive Center, wherd it's based, as well as the 57,000-square-footy Roselawn Center in Roselawn and the 96,000-square-foot Corporate Towerd in Dayton. Neyer Propertiezs Inc. of Evendale was recently chosen to develop two new bank facilitie s for Provident Financial ServicesGroup Inc. in northeasternj Cincinnati. Neyer Properties worked with ArchitectaPlus Inc. of Blue Ash to secure assignments in Deerfiel Township on Union Cemetery Road and in Symmes Townshipon Loveland-Madeira Road.
Provident will be saving betweej 15 to 20 percent in constructioh costs from previously built facilitiews thanks to a prototype facility designed by Neyerr Properties PresidentDay Neyer. Both of the facilities will measurse 3,000 square feet. Neyer said he "engineeres the new site and reworked the design so that the new facilitiezs look similar to existing but aremore cost-effective." Neyerd Properties also helped Cincinnato Valve of Fairfax expand by 250 percenrt with a new $500,000, 10,000-square-foog facility on Deerfield Road in Sycamore The company, which is leaving a 2,000-square-footr office, will use half of the new facility and lease the rest, Neyer said.
Finally, Neyer Properties also landed two othet recent projects inthe Tri-State: Midwest Crane signed a five-yeaf lease to rent 4,500 square feet at Neye r Properties' headquarters on South Medallion Drive. Das Gym, a weight training and workout facilit y owned byRainer Hartmann, signed a 6,000-square-fooy lease to open in a Neyer Properties buildinv on Montgomery Road.
четверг, 14 июня 2012 г.
Landscape business blooms in tough times - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
moakhamet84.blogspot.com
But in Adkins is not only doing it has been thriving since therecession began. Travis Burns, owneer of Burns Nursery, says his retail sales have climbee 35 percent since the start of the He credits this growth to the fact that more peoples are now staying home and investing in theird own yards rather than going onexpensiv vacations. “The economy has really helped us,” Burns “People want to fix theirf place up. More people than ever are stayingf home and doing landscapin g and putting invegetable gardens.
” Burns says his businesd has grown steadily over the last five years since he addedx the retail segment to his successful commercial landscapin business, but the company has seen a huge impactg on the retail side this past One reason the nursery has done so well, Burns says, is becausre it makes a point of reaching out to do-it-yourselferw — people who want to do most of the work themselvew but need a littl help getting started. “This is not a typicalk nursery,” Burns says.
People walkinfg into Burns Nursery will see many design elementss on display including nine different water The nursery is laid out much like a botanicalo garden and Burns says this is done to help showcas the work that is done by the buildingg and design segment ofhis business. Having both a retaip and a design business in the same location makes Burns Nursery a great placefor do-it-yourselfersa to go for Burns says. “We know the word gets arounfd about how uniquewe are,” he says. “We have the abilityu to take somebody into our officew and whip up a landscape designfor them. We are not afraixd to go the extra milefor them.
” Travis Burnss launched his landscaping business about 15 years ago shortly after he decided to hang up his spurx following a six-year career as a rodeo bull A native of Adkins, Texas, Burn grew up in a rodeo family and attended Howarcd Junior College in Big Spring on a rodeop scholarship. He became a professional bull rider in 1988 at age 18 and travelex the rodeo circuit for the nextsix years. He decidefd to give up bull riding after he was seriously hurt followinbg a bull ride that left him with a puncturer lung and atorn liver. “I was smartg enough to decide right then that I was not goingt to getback on,” Burns recalls.
“Ther e is not a day goes by thatI don’yt miss it, but when I was laying therse in the dirt with tubes coming out of me I knew it was Burns says of bull riding that it is not a question of “if” someone will get hurt but and “how bad.” After leaving the rodeo circuit in 1994, Burns got a job with a divisiobn of in San Antonio. While working there, he began doing landscape projectes on the side and by 1999 it had grown to the poing where he was able to quit his job with Ford and go into the landscaped design businessfull time. Today, Burns Nurserty employs 40 people and brough t inabout $3.2 millio in revenue last year.
The nursery is located at 13893 Highway 87 East in Adkinsz which is due east of downtown San Antonio and just outsids ofLoop 1604. The property sits on nine acres of land and is housed ina 9,000-square-foot building that was once a socialp club some 40 year ago. Burns says he knew abouft the property when he was growing up and decidef to purchase it from Grace Bible The church had owned the buildin g for about five years before agreeinh to sell it to Burns Burns previously focused his business on the commercial construction and design side up untilk fiveyears ago.
However, since branchingy out, the company has been able to pick up landscapiny and hardscaping jobs throughout South Texas and the TexaeHill Country. The company specializes in putting in water features such as pondsd andwater gardens, but also builds deckzs and patios and installs sprinkler systems and outdood lighting. Burns says he likes to hold socia l activities at the nursery in the evenings so that he can show off how well landscaped lighting can make theplace look. He regularly has wine and cheesde parties atthe nursery, complete with a jazz Burns Nursery also conducts numerous seminars and classes for do-it-yourselfers.
This fall, the company will invite expertsw to give talks and demonstrations on topice like organic gardeningand birdwatching. “If we can get peoples to come out and see the kindas of things that they can do it will just encourages them to do more businesdwith us,” Burns “We can help set them up and give them directionsw and some discounts. Lots of nurseries won’yt take those extra steps, but it has helper our business thrive.
”
But in Adkins is not only doing it has been thriving since therecession began. Travis Burns, owneer of Burns Nursery, says his retail sales have climbee 35 percent since the start of the He credits this growth to the fact that more peoples are now staying home and investing in theird own yards rather than going onexpensiv vacations. “The economy has really helped us,” Burns “People want to fix theirf place up. More people than ever are stayingf home and doing landscapin g and putting invegetable gardens.
” Burns says his businesd has grown steadily over the last five years since he addedx the retail segment to his successful commercial landscapin business, but the company has seen a huge impactg on the retail side this past One reason the nursery has done so well, Burns says, is becausre it makes a point of reaching out to do-it-yourselferw — people who want to do most of the work themselvew but need a littl help getting started. “This is not a typicalk nursery,” Burns says.
People walkinfg into Burns Nursery will see many design elementss on display including nine different water The nursery is laid out much like a botanicalo garden and Burns says this is done to help showcas the work that is done by the buildingg and design segment ofhis business. Having both a retaip and a design business in the same location makes Burns Nursery a great placefor do-it-yourselfersa to go for Burns says. “We know the word gets arounfd about how uniquewe are,” he says. “We have the abilityu to take somebody into our officew and whip up a landscape designfor them. We are not afraixd to go the extra milefor them.
” Travis Burnss launched his landscaping business about 15 years ago shortly after he decided to hang up his spurx following a six-year career as a rodeo bull A native of Adkins, Texas, Burn grew up in a rodeo family and attended Howarcd Junior College in Big Spring on a rodeop scholarship. He became a professional bull rider in 1988 at age 18 and travelex the rodeo circuit for the nextsix years. He decidefd to give up bull riding after he was seriously hurt followinbg a bull ride that left him with a puncturer lung and atorn liver. “I was smartg enough to decide right then that I was not goingt to getback on,” Burns recalls.
“Ther e is not a day goes by thatI don’yt miss it, but when I was laying therse in the dirt with tubes coming out of me I knew it was Burns says of bull riding that it is not a question of “if” someone will get hurt but and “how bad.” After leaving the rodeo circuit in 1994, Burns got a job with a divisiobn of in San Antonio. While working there, he began doing landscape projectes on the side and by 1999 it had grown to the poing where he was able to quit his job with Ford and go into the landscaped design businessfull time. Today, Burns Nurserty employs 40 people and brough t inabout $3.2 millio in revenue last year.
The nursery is located at 13893 Highway 87 East in Adkinsz which is due east of downtown San Antonio and just outsids ofLoop 1604. The property sits on nine acres of land and is housed ina 9,000-square-foot building that was once a socialp club some 40 year ago. Burns says he knew abouft the property when he was growing up and decidef to purchase it from Grace Bible The church had owned the buildin g for about five years before agreeinh to sell it to Burns Burns previously focused his business on the commercial construction and design side up untilk fiveyears ago.
However, since branchingy out, the company has been able to pick up landscapiny and hardscaping jobs throughout South Texas and the TexaeHill Country. The company specializes in putting in water features such as pondsd andwater gardens, but also builds deckzs and patios and installs sprinkler systems and outdood lighting. Burns says he likes to hold socia l activities at the nursery in the evenings so that he can show off how well landscaped lighting can make theplace look. He regularly has wine and cheesde parties atthe nursery, complete with a jazz Burns Nursery also conducts numerous seminars and classes for do-it-yourselfers.
This fall, the company will invite expertsw to give talks and demonstrations on topice like organic gardeningand birdwatching. “If we can get peoples to come out and see the kindas of things that they can do it will just encourages them to do more businesdwith us,” Burns “We can help set them up and give them directionsw and some discounts. Lots of nurseries won’yt take those extra steps, but it has helper our business thrive.
”
вторник, 12 июня 2012 г.
Target's Q1 profit beats estimates - Triangle Business Journal:
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The Minneapolis-based retailer, which has more than a dozenb locations inthe Raleigh-Durham area, reporterd net earnings of $522 million, or 69 centss per share, for the quarter ended May 2. That’e down from $602 million, or 74 cent per in the comparable quartelast year. Analysts surveyed by had projectede earnings of 59 centsper share. Target’w total revenue came in at $14.83 billion for the firs t quarter, up 0.2 percenty from $14.8 billion a year ago. Store sales increased 0.4 to $14.36 billion, as new store growth offset a 3.7 percent decline in same-stor sales. Credit card revenue declined 5.7 to $472 million.
In a statement, Targer Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said store performancwe improved thanks to strong food and commodityy sales andreduced expenses. The credit card results, were “stable, profitable and consistent with our he said. “Very importantly, we believes this improved stability and predictability in key aspectd of both our retail and credit card segments reflectd the resilience of our strategy and underscoress our ability to generate substantial value for our shareholders over Steinhafel said. At the end of the firsty quarter, Target (NYSE: TGT) operatec 1,698 stores in 49 states.
The Minneapolis-based retailer, which has more than a dozenb locations inthe Raleigh-Durham area, reporterd net earnings of $522 million, or 69 centss per share, for the quarter ended May 2. That’e down from $602 million, or 74 cent per in the comparable quartelast year. Analysts surveyed by had projectede earnings of 59 centsper share. Target’w total revenue came in at $14.83 billion for the firs t quarter, up 0.2 percenty from $14.8 billion a year ago. Store sales increased 0.4 to $14.36 billion, as new store growth offset a 3.7 percent decline in same-stor sales. Credit card revenue declined 5.7 to $472 million.
In a statement, Targer Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said store performancwe improved thanks to strong food and commodityy sales andreduced expenses. The credit card results, were “stable, profitable and consistent with our he said. “Very importantly, we believes this improved stability and predictability in key aspectd of both our retail and credit card segments reflectd the resilience of our strategy and underscoress our ability to generate substantial value for our shareholders over Steinhafel said. At the end of the firsty quarter, Target (NYSE: TGT) operatec 1,698 stores in 49 states.
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