| AlphaGraphics seeks investors to open stores in EP
Salt Lake City-based franchising company AlphaGraphics is in the midst of a major expansion effort and has its sights set on El Paso. The company, which provides marketing and visual communications solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses, plans to open its first El Paso location in the next six months to a year, said Art Coley, senior director of franchise development. The company hopes to have three to four El Paso stores, all of which will be franchises, within three years, he added. "The shortest and simplest way (to describe us) is we are a solution provider," Coley said. "We provide marketing and visual communications for small- and medium-sized businesses. What does that mean? Everything from Web sites, e-mail campaigns, direct mailing, printing services for business cards and letterheads.
Report Subscriptions, ACH Processing, and Payment Updates Mark Summer Upgrade of Travis Software's WebCOBRA.com
Travis Software Corp., a market leader of Advanced Employee Benefits Software Administration, announced today the Summer 2007 upgrade of its WebCOBRA.com system. The new version offers more enhanced features, including Report Subscriptions, ACH Processing, and a Payment Schedule of Qualified Beneficiary (QB) premiums for easy review of upcoming payment amounts. Houston, Texas (PRWEB) August 7, 2007 -- Travis Software Corp., a market leader of Advanced Employee Benefits Software Administration, announced today the Summer 2007 upgrade of its WebCOBRA.com system. The new version offers more enhanced features, including Report Subscriptions, ACH Processing, and a Payment Schedule of Qualified Beneficiary (QB) premiums for easy review of upcoming payment amounts. The newly enhanced version of WebCOBRA.com allows for more control over reporting capabilities.
Sustainable Ballard hears about legislative environmental record
Local non-profit Sustainable Ballard celebrated its fourth birthday recently by reviewing several energy and environmental successes of the past state legislative session.Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, was the key speaker at the event held at the Sunset Hill Community Club. She applauded the organization for its grassroots efforts in promoting a more sustainable community.Though Kohl-Welles hasn't served on any environmental committees since the mid-1990s, she said it was still an issue she paid a lot of attention to."I'm not an authority on this," she warned the audience, "but I love these issues. I feel passionate about the environment in this state, country and the world and I want to do everything I can."When Democrats took over the majority in the House last November, it did more than anything else to advance environmental legislation, Kohl-Welles said.
Watch List (July 15-21): More Aggressive Loans, More Defaults
In this week's issue we report: that commercial loan defaults should start increasing soon; that the outlook for subprime backed bonds has also turned decidedly negative; and update you on the mounting cost of the alleged fraudulent Penland project in North Carolina and the forced bankruptcy of an office campus owner in Philadelphia. Plus we give you news you'll find only here and the latest facility closures, mass layoffs and properties on The Watch List. Office Loan Defaults Likely To Rise Loan defaults for U.S. CMBS are likely to begin ticking up as deals issued over the last few years contain larger concentrations of interest-only (IO) loans and loans with a higher amount of debt, according to the latest CMBS loan default study by Fitch Ratings. Though CMBS loan defaults fell 15% by balance last year to $1.57 billion, cumulative CMBS loan defaults increased to $13 billion (3.29% of Fitch's default study universe).
'Turn to West Memphis,' City Urges Logistics World
Ward Wimbish has a message for companies thinking about moving part or all of their logistics and distribution operations to the area: West Memphis is open for business. Bolstered by a slick new Web site (www.westmemphis.com), robust infrastructure and competitive incentives, the city has launched a full-scale campaign to lure the type of commerce that helped its much larger neighbor across the river earn the tagline "America's Distribution Center." Leading the charge is Wimbish, who has served as director of West Memphis' Office of Economic Development since October. His position had been vacant for a year and half, which Wimbish said he believes hindered the city's chances of becoming a key distribution link in the global supply chain. "We've been out of the market for a while," he said.
At at Glance: Regional News of Note
The Untapped Source, an online art gallery dedicated to up-and-coming and established artists, has launched a Web site with global appeal, right out of Arroyo Grande. The all-encompassing gallery can be found at www.theuntappedsource.com and includes artwork from a variety of genres and a number of artists from around the world. The unique idea behind The Untapped Source is to offer customers a wide array of artwork at reasonable prices and to help the featured artists gain exposure, said a gallery spokesman. Artwork is available for purchase either through various types of high-quality prints or handcrafted oil reproductions and comes from artists from 16 countries, and the list is growing. Artists are welcome to join and share their artwork with the world by e-mailing artists@theuntappedsource.com with their portfolio.
Auto insurance without car
You might not have a car, but that doesn't mean you don't need auto insurance. Take Sandy, a Baltimore resident who occasionally rents a car but finds insurance from rental agencies cost-prohibitive. She writes in an e-mail: "I usually rent a car about twice a month for a day or a weekend, sometimes longer. The loss damage waiver offered by the car rental companies often costs as much as the rental fee - and sometimes even more. I know that many credit card agreements provide insurance coverage for car rentals, but this does not always mean full coverage. Is there a policy available from any insurance company that would provide coverage on a yearly basis for people in this situation?" .
|
