Car dealers admit: We

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“I’m upfront with ’em,” Doll said. like other southeast Wisconsin GM and Chrysler also is upfront about his bitterness at the situatiohn wrought by theAmerican automakers’ financial woes. Doll is one of only two southeastg Wisconsin GM dealers who confirmed in recent interviews that theyare closing. The other is Ernies von Schledorn’s Mayville Chevrolet Pontiac Cadillac The dealers losing their franchisesa will either close or alter their business to focuse on used andimporter vehicles.
Other dealers who avoided the dreaded “closing” noticee are bracing for the effects of bankruptcy, but hope that Chrysler and GM will emerge from theie financial problems with improvec product lines and business plans. Doll’s dealership is at the same downtown Hartford site where his grandfatherWilliam started. GM has told him only that he will losehis new-vehicler franchise effective in 2010. “Obviously I’nm not happy with it, that’sx for sure,” Doll said.
“I never thought it would come to I neverthought I’rd see the government play a role — or GM go Doll said his new-vehicle business is down like that of all New-vehicle sales in southeast Wisconsin declined 28.4 to 16,010, through April compared with the same periosd of 2008, according to , Waterloo. The used vehicl e business has been doinvg fairly well and theDoll dealership’s service department has been extremely busy, he said. Doll said he’x considering staying in business after losing the GM franchisre and focusing on serviceand used-vehicle sales.
“We may stay on with servicd andused sales, but we might lose some servic business and the credibility of beingy a new (vehicle) dealer,” he said. GM notifieed dealers of closing through confidentialFedEx deliveries. Chrysler, on the other disclosed the list of dealer s it plans to close in a May 14 BankruptcuCourt filing. The Chrysler list included five southeastWisconsinh dealerships: and , both of , Okauchee; , Oconomowoc; and , In addition, two Milwaukee-area dealers face closings outsidew the area: in Madisonm and in Lomira. Several dealers have joined a grou p of Chrysler dealers statewide and nationallyh who are fighting the closingz inBankruptcy Court.
Russ Darrow said Chryslerr is attempting to force dealerxs to consolidate despite the strength of individual Hecalled Chrysler’s choice of dealers to terminate “arbitrary.” “Thr majority of those dealers are rock stars — I’km a five-star dealer,” Darrow said. Darro already plans a solutionto Chrysler’s plan to close his Madisohn dealership. He said he has arranged with Chrysled to move his Chrysler and Jeep new car dealershipto Madison’se far east side and add Dodge Mike Schlossmann, whose family’s Dodge City Soutyh will close in June, said he’s not expectingy to win the Bankruptcyh Court fight, but declined further commenf on the case.
Ernie von Schledorn said he decidedr not to join the other area Chryslerr dealers in fightingthe automaker. He said the Chrysler situation is nota “front burner” issue for him. Likewise, von Schledornb said he’s not overly upset about losing the GM franchise in wherehe hasn’t been selling many He opened the dealership aboug 20 years ago in the community 59 milesw northwest of Milwaukee.

Schweiker

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Schweiker announced Thursday he is leaving his job as CEO ofthe region’sa largest business organization to take an executivd position with Schweiker will become president of the businesz process outsourcing unit of PRWT and will leave his post on June 30. “Whil it is never easy to leave a position that one this is the right time for me to depart the chambee and take on a newprofessionao challenge,” Schweiker said in a written statement. “We have been remarkably successful in achieving our paramount objectives of promotinb regional growth andeconomic development, advocatingh for business-friendly public policy, and enhancint our strong member services and programs.
” Schweiker’w departure comes at a time when the chamber has a newlu installed chairman, David L. Cohen, who has defined chamber’s priorities to go beyone trying tolower taxes, economyt building and regionalism. “I think this is a bittersweetg moment forthe chamber,” Cohen said, callingy Schweiker an uncommonly effective leader. Cohen said the past two yearsa were the most financially successful inthe group’s more than 200-yea history. Schweiker helped promote regionalism by shepherdinf the creation ofan 11-county marketiny group called Select Greater Philadelphia.
“His contributionw to the Philadelphia region’s businesds community cannot be overstated,” Cohen Under Schweiker, Select evolved from an hired nationally recognized leader Tom Morr and launchee aninitial four-year, $16 million effortt that touted the region including South Jersey and northerhn Delaware as a business destination. Select is raising another round of funding to continue its Schweiker was also part of expandinythe chamber’s paid internship prograjm from 440 students in 2006 to more than 1,000 in 2007 and 1,50o0 last year.
At one point, Schweiker told participating employeras that they had changecd lives by opening their offices toyoung Cohen, executive vice president at , wants the chamber to support qualit education and promote increased publi school funding during his two years as Developing the region’s work which included the chamber’s expandeds high school student internship program, and fostering greater diversity in business, rounded out what Cohenm called a “no excuses” agenda. Schweiker made it clear to Cohehn when the Comcast leader was being recruiter to takethe chairman’s role that there may need to be a CEO searcyh someday.
Cohen outlined what he called an extensive national search withthe chamber’se executive committee Thursday, establishing a committee to head up the He said the grou had a good chancr of finding a leader prior to June 30. The CEO made a $450,00o0 salary in 2004, according to published reports. PRWT is one of Philadelphia’es largest minority-owned businesses and continues to grow in the Its headquarters is inroughly 60,00 0 square feet at 1835 Market St., were it has steadily expanded. It was foundedr in 1988 as a company thatproviderd back-office support and outsourcing services to state and locap government agencies across the country.
Its locak contracts include operating PATCO toll booths on weekends and collectin g parking ticket fines and running impound lots for the PhiladelphiaaParking Authority. The company expanded into facilityg management in 2001 when itacquirecd U.S. Facilities Inc. of Virginia from Halifax Technicak Services. Last year, PRWT more than doublerd its annual revenue base toabout $175 million, and entered a new when it bought a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Riverside, Pa., from PRWT has 1,500 employees in eight including 400 in the city.
The businesse process outsourcing division conducts services such asdocumeng processing, payment processing, mailroom services, call-center-base d customer service and toll collection operationzs services throughout the country. “The more I understood about his experiencs in the public andprivate sectors, the more excited I got about Mark being the leader of our businessa outsource processing business,” PRWT President and CEO Harold Epps “He’s the right person for the

Overhaul of Colorado spending rules signed into law - Houston Business Journal:

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Senate Bill 228 ends the Arveschoug-Birdc provision allowing general-fund spending to increase just 6 percen per year and replaces it with a spending increase limig equal to 5 percent of personallincome growth. Sponsored by Sen. John D-Colorado Springs, it also sets aside part of the genera fund for transportation for the firsy time and increasesthe state's rainy-day beginning in the 2012-13 fiscal year. What that all means is that thegenerak fund, which pays for general state services like higher education and corrections, will no longer have to shrinik permanently when the economy recesses.
Because of the curren t growth limit, programs that see funds cut duringh downturns are not allowedd to recover fully when the fiscal environmeng turnsgood again. . . The new law will not increased overall spending but will assure that money can be directed wherw state leaders see the greatest Ritter emphasized. Laws put into placw over the past 12 years direct any revenue over the 6 percen t limit mostly toward transportatio projects andcapital construction, which have no other guaranteed statwe funds.
But even as the Democratic governor hailed the signingfas "a great day for progress in the efforts of so many who have workedd to bringing sensible, modern budgeting to the statd of Colorado," several legislators said therde is more to be done. Sponsoring Rep. Don R-Loveland, said state officials must now look at the conflictzs betweenAmendment 23, the Gallagher Amendmenr and "that sacred the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or Marostica was the only member of his party to support the with other Republicans calling it an end to fiscal limitsd and a taking of the only stream of mone that had been dedicated to roads for Morse added that an interim committee this year will look at not just how much revenuw the state brings in but whers it gets that money.
Questions must be askede if there are ways to get funding from more stabl sources like property taxes and fees rather than the volatilesales tax, he "In the late 1400s, very few people believed the Earth was round. By the early 1500s, we knew what was goinv on," Morse said of the need to convince Coloradans that such changsis necessary. "The same thing's goinbg to happen with this bill ... This is a fight for the soul of Coloradkand it's just beginning.
" Coloradio Fiscal Policy Institute analyst Carol Hedges, who helped to craft the bill, said that because future revenues remain no estimates have been made as to how much moneyh higher education and other areas will gain from the However, next year's general-fund revenud is expected to fall by roughly $700 million from this year, and SB 228 will help budgeft crafters be able to prioritize where that is take from and how that money is replacede in the future, Morse said.

Citibank on the hunt for profits in a busy space - Boston Business Journal:

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“Boston has been a big gap for us,” said Tim Citibank’s area director for retail banking. “Baco in 2006, we decided we wanted to be in Bostohnand Philadelphia.” Citibank should expect fierce competition for deposits and Rival banks can’t boast an international presence like Citibank, but it may not matter. Citizensx Bank executive Hal Tovin, who oversees the bank’s branches inside Stop Shop supermarkets, said it will be hard for Citigroup to competer with a trio of rivals that alreadgy have more than 200 locations in greater Boston and the rest ofthe “The name of the game is Tovin said.
, Citizens Bank and dwarf Citibank in the Bostonb market and have taken steps recentlyg to improve theirmarket share. Sullivan said Citibank has a “strong competitivd advantage” because it has branchesw in 100 countries, which would help its Boston customerws openaccounts overseas. “We don’t feel like Bostoh had a global competitor,” said a native of Mass., who now lives in the city. Despitr its relatively small branch Citibank’s parent, , has otherr points of leveragein Boston. The globa bank lays claim to 1.
5 million householdds in greater Boston that already have some sort of financia l relationship withthe bank, througnh credit cards, its Smith Barney brokerage, its privated banking group or student for example. “We want theirt primary banking relationship. We’l l offer them full service, conveniencre and high quality,” Sullivan Executives at all the other banks in town would probably say they offer the same andmaybe more. Sovereigj has Jerry “RemDawg” Remy, the TV announcer for Bostom RedSox games, as a pitchman.
The bank also has rolled out its “Customer First” which has resulted in the bank generatingh an averageof 6,000 retail checking accounyt sales per week, compared with 3,000 to 4,000 per week in 2006 and 2007. The bank will have to work on too. In recent years, the formed Red Sox infielder’s big banking decisions for car loansa and mortgages have been withJPMorgah Chase, , and Citibank, real estatde records and public filings show. Sovereign also has reduced the number of bank branches per districft manager so those managers can spend more time workinyg withindividual branches.
“For the first time in severap years, we have experienced good momentum in growing our customer base and have deepenes relationships withour customers,” Sovereign CEO Josepbh Campanelli said during a July 23 conferencde call with analysts. The bank declined commentg forthis story. Sovereign has abour 230 offices and branches in Massachusettxs and a total of 750 across the Northeast according to data for the period that endecJune 30, 2007. Despite losing market sharr inrecent years, Bank of America remains the state’z heavyweight, controlling 18 percent of the market’zs deposits, or $32.9 billion. Citizena was No. 2 with 13 percent, or $23.
y7 billion, of the state’z deposits, followed by Sovereign’s 7.2 percent share, or $13 The figures are from the FDIC’s June 30, 2007 deposit marke share report. At that Citibank’s share of the market was a tiny 0.12 or $216 million in deposits acrossseven locations. The public won’yt know what kind of traction Citibank is gettingy in the marketuntil October, when the FDIC is expectec to release its updated deposit market share report.

Palestinians to seek UN membership if no peace - The Associated Press

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Palestinians to seek UN membership if no peace The Associated Press That would require convincing the US, Israel's  »

Critics say sales tax increase might not bring in $1B - Houston Business Journal:

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It has yet to be disclosed when votersa might be asked toadd 1-point to the state’s 5.6 percent salesx tax for three years. But that vote could occur later this year orin 2010. Brewer and backers of the salezs taxincrease (including in the Valley’s business say the increase will bring in $1 billiohn annually and help close budget deficits and help avoide draconian cuts to schools, public healty care and universities. But skeptics of the sales tax boosy questions whether it would bring in that much considerinfg sales tax collections at the state and local levels have been hit by the housing market crash and pull back in consumet andbusiness spending.
Tom state director for the anti-taxz , said the proceeds from the sales tax increases could be morelike $750 million annually. Moderatwe business groups such as GreaterPhoenix Leadership, Westmarc and the East Vallet Partnership back the sales tax increase.

Arnold & Co. land 2 recruits - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Arnold & Co. land 2 recruits Honolulu Star-Advertiser It was Coach (Benjy) Taylor, Coach (Walter) Roese, Coach Arnold, Coach (Brandyn) Akana," Brereton said. "They all jumped in. Coach Roese and Coach Akana flew out here to watch me in Nebraska. Coach Arnold was on the phone with me. They need what I got, ... and more »

Papa Sangre iOS developer reveals enigmatic The Nightjar follow-up - Pocket Gamer

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Papa Sangre iOS developer reveals enigmatic The Nightjar follow-up Pocket Gamer The developer of the darked-edge iOS title Papa Sangre, Somethin' Else, appears to have submitted a new title to the App Store. The Nightjar looks to be the title of the game according to the Papa Sangre Twitter feed, but any other ... and more »

Report: Regions CEO Ritter used bank plane after TARP - Birmingham Business Journal:

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Less than two weeks after the Birminghanm banking giant was infusedwith $3.5 billion in TARP two jets were flown to West Virginias with Ritter and his family and frienc in tow. He spent four nights at the historifGreenbrier resort, according to a person familiar with his the WSJ reported. The round-tri flights likely cost Regionsabout $17,700, according to a calculation by Conklinb & de Decker Aviation Information, a consultinhg firm, the newspaper said. A Regionsa spokesman declined to comment on the trip or the cost estimatew but said all travel on companygjets “either for personal or businesa was within our policy.
” Recently, Regions has been hit with at least two lawsuits that raise the question about Ritter’a use of the company’s corporate jets for personao use. Regions, one of the top 20 banksa in the nation, was ordered to raised $2.5 billiom after failing the stress testes administered by thefederal government. Sincew the bank could likely sufferfrom $9.2 billion in loan lossew within the next two the Federal Reserve said it needesd $2.5 billion in additionao capital to prepare for a possiblew meltdown, given the worst-case scenario.

GM files for bankruptcy - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The filing, made in U.S. Bankruptcy Courft in Manhattan, marks the filing in U.S. and the largest ever filing of its kind fora U.S. It follows months of speculation thatthe 101-year-oled company would have to restructure through the courts, despite desperat attempts by management to avoidf the move. As it turned out, though, the bankruptct filing was the only way GM could get its handsz on the government money it needs to Inits filing, GM listede $82.3 billion in assets and $172.89 billion in debts. reports that the company'sa largest creditors were Wilmington Trust representing bondholdersholding $22.i billion in debts, and UAW affiliatesw representing $20.
6 billion in employee obligations. The U.S. government has already injectex $20 billion into GM, and will providd another $30 billion to keep the company goinh as it worksthrough bankruptcy. The investment will buy the governmengta 72.5 percent stake. That will give governmentt officials more power to name members of the GM Officials have saidthey don’tt want to get involved in the daily operations of the But that may prove to be quitew a challenge with as much governmenrt money as is involved.
"It's not forever," Brucd Belzowski, associate director of the Automotive Analysis Division at the University of Michigan TransportationResearch Institute, told bizjournalsd in a telephone interview. "If they had a choice, it woule be a short period of The longer that it stretches out the more of a politicao liabilityit becomes.” While most public attentioj is focused on GM, the automaker's many suppliers are certaibn to be affected President Barack Obama is slater to talk about the auto industry shortly before Noon. Generak Motors CEO Fritz Henderson will follow with a news conferencr ofhis own.
Obama administratio and GM officials have said they want a much more competitive GM to emerge from the bankruptcy withim 60 to90 days. GM plane to sell or close such brandsas Saturn, Hummer, and Pontiac, and will shed 2,600 dealerships. The compangy will close 11 U.S. manufacturing facilities by the endof 2010. Plant throughout GM's system will be idle as the company downsizes. The that GM said will be closeed and their dates include two assemblyplantsx - Pontiac, Mich. (October 2009), and Del. (July 2009); three stampinyg plants — including the previouslty announced closing in June ofGrand Rapids, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind. (December 2011), and Mansfield, Ohio (June 2010).
Powertrain facilitied in Livonia, Flint and Ypsilanti, as well as Ohio, and Fredericksburg, Va. are also on the closure list, To accomplish the leaner GM, the companty will be split into a new GM and anold GM. The new GM will be ownee by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the Uniter Auto Workers Union, and current bond holderxs in the company.

WCMC-Q speakers bag honours at debates - Peninsula On-line

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WCMC-Q speakers bag honours at debates Peninsula On-line DOHA: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) won the inter-university debate competition organised by QatarDebate Center, at the fourth Qatar Universities Debating Championship. Emad Mansoor Alam and Zahra Naqvi from WCMC-Q put up a splendid ... and more »

'Old is New Green' theme of preservation meeting - Greenfield Daily Reporter

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'Old is New Green' theme of preservation meeting Greenfield Daily Reporter AP SPRINGFIELD, Ill. â€" The Statewide Preservation Conference will take the theme "Old is Our New Green" when it convenes in June at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. The conference returns June 2-4 after a four-year hiatus. ... and more »

DESERT: Supreme Court denies hearing for Eagle Mountain dump - Press-Enterprise

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DESERT: Supreme Court denies hearing for Eagle Mountain dump Press-Enterprise They have been trying for 23 years to convert industrialist Henry Kaiser's former iron ore mine east of Indio, which closed in 1982. Under the proposal, Eagle Mountain would receive rail deliveries of up to 20000 tons of trash per day from communities ... and more »

Small Business Day at the Metro Atlanta Chamber - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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As I navigated the I got to see many interesting Atlantasmalp businesses. There were a lot of technologg providers, from large players in telecom to interesting contactmanagemeny software. There was even a live demonstration of an Internef solution fordata storage. There were other importanty services for small business ownerson including: mediation, consulting, banking and In addition, I saw some compelling examples of work by brandint and marketing businesses, learned about some products or facilitiesx I could use with my family businesse clients, and even had the chance to learnh about ways I could help my clients give back to the communit with the United Way!
In additiob to the small business showcase, the morning's activities includedf a valuable panel to help small businessw owners learn how to effectivelyy sell to larger A panel of procurementg leaders from some of Atlanta's premierr businesses were on hand to discuss their company's philosophy on buying from or from minority-owned There was a lively questiojn and answer session wherew the panel generously provided tips and insight to help audiencs members compete for their budge t dollars.
A number of panelists even offered to make direct introductionsw so I think the participants really got a lot out of this I certainly enjoyed my visit and hope otherd attendees felt they learne and made some usefuol professionalconnections today. The second post comes from Brian J. Ball, CEO of : If you are a smalpl business owner in Atlanta and you are not familiar with the Metrok Atlanta Chamber and the programs offerede forsmall businesses, then run down to the corneer of Marietta Street and International Boulevard to learn more about the Today is a great opportunity to learn aboutr how to leverage a membership in the Metro Atlantaw Chamber into better and more profitable business As a member of the chamber for the past six I have come to view my chamber activities as an extensionn of my business marketing program.
At any I usually meet two or three people that I am able to developo a professional relationship with that ultimatelgy leads to an increase in the amount of business that flows thru my Today was no The event was extremelwell attended, and as a result I met a number of businessz owners that provide services I may need, as well as a numbe r of business owners that may benefit from the servicews my company provides. Thanks to the leadership of Glen director of small business programs at the MetroAtlantaq Chamber, the past two years have been a watersheds of activities that has fosteref personal and business development for smal business owners that are involved with the chambee as members.
In additiobn to various programs intendee to grow business knowledge arouns how to effectively and efficiently operate asmalll business, there are four to five networking opportunitiex per month that the chambere hosts. These are “must attend” eventa for those that are serious about growingvtheir businesses. Come on down to the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and rememberf to bring plenty ofbusinesse cards! The third post comes from Glen Gould, directofr Small Business Growth Council of the Metrlo Atlanta Chamber : Today was an amazinv day at the Metroo Atlanta Chamber, as we took time to celebrate small business and their contribution to the economy.
Hundreds of businesss people were in attendance visiting the vendor showcase and hearingy how small business can sell tobig businesses. Attendees were inspireds by Max Carey, 1988 Small Business Person of the The food was incredible and everywhere you turned you hear encouraging stories of how the small businesxs community is surviving and thriving in this The chamber is a greagt place to meet the righ people and make therightr connections.
The centerpiece of the day was honorinb Small Business Person of the Year finalists Jeff principal ofWorld Logo; Lola Carlisle, co-owner and executive creative directofr of Tailfin Marketing Communications; Hicham Bouani, CEO of Boujd Publishing and GlobalProjeX; Nancyu Freeman Balkcom, president of and Mike Russell, president of Elite Telecom Services. Congratulations to everyone who