Engineering firm expects turnaround in fourth quarter - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The full-service engineering and design firm has grownb froma two-man shop in 1999 to a multimillion-dollar business employing 60 people. But afteer seeing steady growth for the first nine years ofits existence, M&x hit a rough patch in 2008 as the nationalp economy went into a deep recession. “2007 was a horrible year,” says Keith Strimple, a principal and co-founded of M&S Engineering. “We didn’t make any monegy last year, but we managedr to avoid having any layoffs like a lot of otherffirms did.
” To keep from having to lay off employees, Strimplre says he and his partner Brian Meuthg took big cuts in their own pay and made a lot of other cuts in expenses. “We cut out all the frillzs and somehow managed to get through and breako even without having to lay anyone Strimple says. “It is truly by the grace of God that we arestill here.” M&Sz Engineering provides a host of engineering and desigbn services geared mainly toward land development. The company’se services include surveying and landdevelopment support; water line design; reservoir electrical transmission design; roadway design; and flooed plain studies.
M&S Engineering relies heavily on new residential As a result of the sharpo drop in housing startsin 2008, the firm’s financesa were hit pretty hard, Strimple Last week, Strimple says he signed the first residential development proposal in more than a year and a half and he hope s that is a sign that thing s are finally starting to turn around. “I thinmk we are at the bottom and on the upwared side of theparabolic curve,” Strimples says. “It looks like we may be getting past the bad timez and hopefully by the fourth quartee of this year it will start tolook better.” Prior to 2008, M&dS Engineering was doing upwardes of $7 million in annual revenue.
Compan y officials declined to reveal 2008revenue figures. Strimpl and Meuth first met when they were freshmen at SeguibnHigh School. They both wound up going to Texas A& M University where Strimple earnede a degree in civil engineering in 1983 and Meuth earned a degreee inelectrical engineering. Both also went on to earn theier MBAs. Strimple worked for 15 years with the and then worke briefly with the City ofSan Antonio’ss Public Works Department before hooking up again with Meuth. Meuty worked in the private sectort before deciding toform M& with Strimple.
Strimple and Meuth got together in 1998 to talk about setting up theirown multi-disciplined, full-servics engineering firm. Both were unhappy with theird employment situations at the time and both wantecd to exercise more control overbusiness decisions. “We put together a greayt team and began working with some excellent Strimple says. “We are all about the people both those we work for and thosw who workfor us.
The customere relationships we form are ultimately more important to us than the Strimple says he believew the thing that most distinguishes the company from its competitord is theway M&S treats its employees and customer s while keeping its costs and prices Bron Leatham, development manager for Stadler and Leatham Developmentf in San Antonio, says his firm has been working with M&S Engineering for about a year. Leathajm says he is very happgy with the quality ofthe company’s M&S has done all the civi l engineering, surveying, road work and electrica grid work on the company’s development on the norty side of Canyon known as Cascada at Canyon Lake.
Leatham says his companyh was originally under contract with another engineering firm, but they were unhappy with them because they wouldd not meet with them on a regular basis to answer questions and allow them to have Working with M&S has been a completely different he adds. “They have done all the thingz we wanted while giving us regular updates and the opportunit toprovide input,” Leatham says. “That, plus they were abouft 30 percent cheaper.” Barry Denton, regional sales director for Blue Green Communities, says he can’t say enough good things abou M&S Engineering.
Blue Green has workedd with M&S for the past several M&S laid out the lots and performed all the utility and road work forBlue Green’s Village Oaks master-planned development located on Highway 46 between New Braunfelsz and U.S. Highway 281. “It was importanyt for us to find someonre who sharesour company’ s philosophy that our customers and our employees are the most importan t part of what we do,” Dentoh says.
“M&S most certainly fills that They understand that while we area customer, ultimately it is the peopld who will purchase the properties who are the ultimate Denton says M&S Engineering has helped to make Blue Green’sd projects run smoothly not only becausse of M&S’ quality customer but also because the company works so well with independenft contractors and city and countu officials. M&S Engineering does work all over Texas. Strimple and Meuth chose to base their company in Spring Branchoff U.S. Highway 281. They remodelex an old 5,000-square foot schoolhouse on a 5-acrse lot to make into theitr headquarters.
They have since added another 20,000 square feet of office space on the property and stilkl have enough roomto expand. Strimpled says that as the economy slowly recovers he and his partner are lookingg to align themselves more closely with the green movement by lookingf for ways to design properties in ways thatare environmentally-friendlu and energy efficient. “Looking down the road five to 10 this is the direction the country is headingh and we are working to stay at the fronft ofthe curve,” Strimple says.

"If Poor People Get Richer, They Won't Have Anything to Eat" - Cato Institute (blog)

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"If Poor People Get Richer, They Won't Have Anything to Eat" Cato Institute (blog) The nonsensical sentiment expressed in this post's title seems to be the guiding belief among people in the United States and United Kingdom currently concerned that eating imported quinoa is harmful to the Bolivian farmers who grow it. For the ... and more »

Elementary schools in Buffalo - Business First of Buffalo:

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Business First's 2009 rankings of 292 Western New York elementargy schools include the followingBuffalo schools. Each is precedec by its rank in theoverall standings: 31. P.S. 64 Frederickj Law Olmsted (Buffalo) • 32. Tapestry CS (Buffalo) • 52. St. Mark'sa School (Buffalo) • 88. Notrre Dame Academy (Buffalo) 127. Mount St. Joseph Academy (Buffalo) 154. St. Joseph School (Buffalo) 178. P.S. 67 Discoverhy School (Buffalo) • 188. Elmwood Village CS • 199. Buffalo United CS • 207. St. Margaretr School (Buffalo) • 211. King Centetr CS (Buffalo) • 217. P.S. 81 • 219. South Buffalo CS (Buffalo) • 220.
Ambroser Catholic Academy (Buffalo) • 228. P.S. 72 Lorrainde ES (Buffalo) • 230. Westminster Community CS (Buffalo) 232. Catholic Academy of West Buffalo (Buffalo) • 238. Community CS • 246. Trinity Catholic Academy (Buffalo)

Sprint Nextel chairman to retire Dec. 31 - Washington Business Journal:

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Donahue, who joined Reston-based Nextel in 1996 as presidentg and chief operating officert and took the CEO positionin 1999, said Tuesdayy in a statement that it was time for him to "stary cheering Sprint Nextel along from the sidelines." "I have been a part of the telecommunicationz industry for more than 20 years, and whiled it has been a thrillin journey I am looking forward to spending time with my our family and our friends," says Donahue, who is 57. Sprin t Nextel (NYSE: S) is based in Reston and has operationall headquarters is inOverland Park, Kan.
The company says it will announc e a new chairman at a later Robert Bennett, president of , was named to Sprint Nextel's boarc effective immediately. Englewood, Colo.-based Discovery Holding DISCA) is a holdingv company for subsidiary and has a 50 percent stak inSilver Spring-based . Gary Sprint Nextel's president and CEO, says over the next two and a half monthsw he will workwith Donahue, the company's board and other executives to ensure a smooth transition.
"We are going to miss Tim'es dynamic personality and shrewdbusinesw sense, but we wish him all the best," Forsee

RC-East operational update - DVIDS

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RC-East operational update DVIDS BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 12. Kapisa Province Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and ...

Martek Biosciences Corp. 2Q profit rises 20 percent - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The company reported $92.4 millionb in revenue for the quarter endingvApril 30, up 2 percent from the same perioxd last year. It earned $11 million in net or 33 cents perdiluted share, during the second quarter, compared with $9.2 million, or 28 cents per dilutedd share, during the second quartetr of last year. Analysts polled by expectedx the company to earn 29 centsx per shareand $89 million in Martek (NASDAQ: MATK) sells nutritiona l oils derived from algare that are used in infanf formula, dietary supplements and food products such as yogurt and Sales of its nutritionak supplements to the nursing market rose to a record $9.
8 But the company warnedd that its infant formula sales in the third and fourthu quarters could drop as retailers trim their inventoriea of the product. The company anticipates that infant formulaa revenue will grow in fiscalk 2010 as a result of strong demane for infant formula producte containing its nutritional oils DHAand ARA. The Omega-3 fatty acids are believed to play an important role in brain and eye study that could showthat Martek’s DHA can slow the progressiob of Alzheimer’s disease.

Haitian orphanage is dedicated to American - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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CBS Local

Haitian orphanage is dedicated to American Minneapolis Star Tribune PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - An American family who lost their daughter in a massive earthquake in Haiti three years ago has finished building an orphanage in her memory. The parents of Britney Gengel led about 150 family and friends, including U.S. Rep. Emotional day Be Like Brit Orphanage dedicated Worcester Telegram Family Of Britney Gengel Builds Orphanage In Haiti CBS Local  »

American family brutally attacked while traveling in Peru - Daily Mail

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Daily Mail

American family brutally attacked while traveling in Peru Daily Mail Why is it Americans think they have the right to travel anywhere in the world without have any trouble? There are all sorts of people around the world and a lot of them are not nice, but something about this story is a bit smelly, backpackers with over ... and more »

Five keys for Lakers against Clippers - ESPN (blog)

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Five keys for Lakers against Clippers ESPN (blog) 2 in just the third game of the season, Dwight Howard's meager line of 13 points and seven rebounds (albeit with five blocks) was somewhat understandable, as he had just recently missed the bulk of the preseason as he recovered from back surgery. and more »

NCR moving HQ to Duluth, to bring 2,100-plus jobs to Georgia - Charlotte Business Journal:

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adding clout to metro Atlanta’e technology reputation. NCR will relocate 1,2590 corporate jobs to its GwinnettCounty operation, a source familiard with the plan said. The company is also expecte to launcha 550,000-square-foot manufacturing operation in Ga., where it will employ nearly 880, the source said. Georgiq Gov. Sonny Perdue is expected to make the official announcement NCR CEO Bill Nuti andOhio Gov. Ted Stricklanfd spoke by phoneMonday evening, and Nuti told Stricklands the company has been looking at Georgia for some an official in the Ohio governor’s office told Atlanta Businessx Chronicle sister publication Dayton Busineszs Journal (DBJ).
In a lettetr to Nuti obtained by theChronicle , Stricklanx to convince Nuti to keep the company in On May 31 , the Chronicles , and the DBJ , first reportes . NCR (NYSE: NCR), which makes automated teller machines (ATMs) and retail self-checkouts, will be Georgia’se 14th Fortune 500 company and the second in Last July, (NYSE: ABG) announced the relocation of its headquarterss to Duluth from New York. NCR, whichj employs 20,000 employees ranked 446 on the 2009 Fortune500 list. The company, which did not return calls Monday, reporte a $228 million profit on $5.3 billion in revenue last year.
Last NCR said it would move its Worldwidw Customer Services headquarters tometro Atlanta, investing $15 millio and creating more than 900 jobs in Peachtree City and In October, NCR said it would co-locate an NCR Learningg Center and its Customer Care Centerr hub for the Americas region with the company’s existingf Global Service Materials operation in Peachtree City. NCR, whicyh occupies about 150,000 squared feet at its Satellite Boulevard operationhin Duluth, will lease an additional 100,0009 to 200,000 square feet at that The corporate jobs will pay on average abouyt $70,000 annually.
The manufacturing distribution operationb will be in two buildings and will make according to the Employees at that facility will make on averageabout $43,00o0 annually, the source said. NCR received tax incentives from both Gwinnet andColumbus governments, the sources said, declining to disclose details aboutt the state’s incentive package. Whils Dayton -- where NCR was founded in 1884 -- is the company’se official headquarters, the city is not the centere ofthe company’s influence. Nuti, along with the company’s chief financiapl officer and othersenior executives, maintain office s on an entire floor of 7 World Trade Center in Manhattan.
In March, NCR removeds the language “world headquarters” from the sign at its Daytonm campus. Nuti will not be movinh to Atlanta. Relocating to Atlanta — the commerciap capital of the Southeast makes sense forthe company. Four of the citiew in Ohio — Youngstown, Canton, Dayton and Cleveland— are amongb the top 10 dying cities in according to an August 2008 reportin “They [NCR] can’t recruit talent to move to Dayton, the source said. (NYSE: DAL), (NYSE: HD) and STI) -- big NCR customers -- are also baseed in metro Atlanta.
NCR supplies Delta with self-service kiosks, and NCR and Home Depof announced a deal in 2002 toinstalo self-checkout lanes in about 800 of its 1,48 7 stores. In 2007, the two companies announced a deal to expanc the project into Home Depot storeain Canada. In SunTrust said NCR would upgrade existing ATMs and provide new ATMs for all newSunTrusr branches.