In Biz
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Inc. (Big Brothers Big Sisters) welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors.
At a meeting on July 30, 2010, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors elected Peter Karpinski, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, SAGE Restaurant Group; and Jim Bickell, Audit Partner, KPMG LLP
Peter Karpinski Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Sage Restaurant Group, is committed to excellence in hospitality development and possesses a vision for redefining industry conventions. Karpinski is a veteran of high-profile restaurant and hotel companies that include Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts and Caesars Palace, and is focused on delivering results. Furthermore, Karpinski has made a pledge to support the communities in which Sage operates. Big Brothers Big Sisters is excited to have Karpinski’s enthusiasm of innovation represented on the Board of Directors.
Jim Bickell is an audit partner for KPMG and serves as the Denver Professional Practice Partner. In that role, he is responsible for managing risk and addressing difficult filing and reporting matters for clients of the KPMG partners in Denver. Bickell also participates in the audits and final filing reviews for many of KPMG’s large publicly help clients. In addition, Bickell has been a significant investor in Big Brothers Big Sisters through Mile High United Way for the past several years and has been an outstanding advocate to the organization, encouraging other KPMG employees to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission.
“We are very excited about the addition of these two capable leaders to our Board,” said Dave Stalls, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado. “They each bring unique talents and perspectives, and both are passionate supporters of our work.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the state’s leading youth mentoring organization, helping children reach their full potential through professionally supported one-to-one volunteer mentoring relationships with measurable impact. Big Brothers Big Sisters has been serving Colorado youth since 1918. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters, to donate or to volunteer, please visit us on the web http://www.BigLittleColorado.org or call 303.433.6002.
Associate professors Kai Larsen and Jintae Lee at the Leeds School of Business, as well as assistant professor Eliot Rich of University at Albany, SUNY, have received a grant of $350,000+ from the Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate the interaction of research methodologies across disciplines and to measure their effectiveness.
This is the largest federal grant for basic research received by the Leeds School of Business in 20 years of available records. A part of the Human Behavior Project, http://behavior.colorado.edu, this project will employ a team of between 20 to 30 part-time research assistants for three years.
The need for this project is based on the observation that as research disciplines have split into more specialized areas, it has complicated efforts to share the benefits of related research. For example, in many behavioral and social sciences, virtually identical research findings support unrelated theories, frequently under different names.
As a result, useful connections are missed, theories are reinvented, and little is known about the origins and sharing of findings among disciplines. This project aims to address this problem by investigating the following research question: Is it possible to identify closely related research findings, including those in different disciplines, and measure how well these findings are being utilized?
The Creative Alliance, a marketing, public relations and design firm based in Lafayette, has been retained by Neocase, of Winston-Salem, N.C, and Integrity Digital Solutions, of Belton, Texas, for public relations support including media relations, trade show support and event planning. Neocase specializes in modular design with particular expertise in healthcare, laboratory, commercial and educational facilities. Neocase products thrive in intensive use environments and because they are modular and easy to re-configure, they offer the most environmentally sustainable solution available. Integrity Digital Solutions created the Integrity EMR for Eyes, a revolutionary web-based electronic medical record with a user interface design that reduces learning curves, expedites implementation, improves the quality of patient care and increases practices’ productivity and profitability. For more information about The Creative Alliance, call 303-665-8101 or visit thecreativealliance.com. About The Creative Alliance The Creative Alliance is a strategic marketing, public relations and design firm specializing in helping entrepreneurial companies grow. Using a full spectrum of creative services, The Creative Alliance develops award-winning, innovative solutions that achieve their clients’ goals. thecreativealliance.com
Drahota has been selected as general contractor for the new fire station located in West Vail. The $4 million facility will accommodate two fire fighting companies, Engine and Aerial, with a goal of LEED Gold certification. Drahota will begin construction of the building in June with a completion date set for February 2011.
The 15,000-square-foot, two-story building, designed by Belford Watkins Group, LLC, will include an apparatus area, shift quarters for four firefighters, resident firefighters dorm for twelve residents and a administration/training area, as well as a variety features to reduce energy, including a more efficient building envelope and on-site renewable energy sources.
Additional techniques include low flow fixtures to reduce water usage, use of materials with recycled content, use of local materials and diversion of construction waste for recycling. Building occupant comfort approaches include increased outdoor air ventilation, low-toxic-emitting materials, enhanced controllability of lighting and thermal systems, and attention to daylighting and views.
Drahota is general contractor and construction management company serving the Front Range and Rocky Mountain region. With 37 years in business, Drahota is a leading general contractor in Colorado with offices in Fort Collins and Steamboat and expertise in municipal, resort, retail, commercial, industrial, medical and multifamily projects. For more information, please visit http://www.Drahota.com.
The Creative Alliance, a marketing, public relations and design firm based in Lafayette, launched a new website for Northwest Family Medicine of Superior, Colo. The website, http://www.nwfm.net, reflects the practice’s new visual branding efforts and corporate identity. Northwest Family Medicine is a medical practice focused on treatment of the whole body, recognizing the interdependence of lifestyle and physical health. For more information about TCA, call 303-665-8101 or visit thecreativealliance.com.
Aimee Miller Marketing & Communications, a marketing and PR agency, announces that it has been retained to provide public relations services for 30-year old Walters & Hogsett Fine Jewelers of Boulder. Aimee Miller Marketing & Communications provides strategic marketing and public relations services to clients across a variety of business sectors, including retail, real estate, design and construction, financial services and technology. For more information, please visit http://www.AimeeMillerMarketing.com.
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver is firmly opposed to Arizona Legislation SB 1070 and is urging its members to boycott any business, organization, or individual that supports the bill. Arizona Legislation SB 1070 allows law enforcement officials and agencies in the state of Arizona to investigate the legal status of any suspected foreigner in the United States if reasonable suspicion exists.
"Arizona Legislation SB 1070 is a misguided attempt to fix our immigration problems and will affect the safety and well being of the state of Arizona as well as have a huge affect on the state's economy," states Jeff Campos, President & CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver. "Many businesses affirm they will not operate under this new law. This will cause businesses to move out of Arizona, other organizations to stop doing business with or visit the state and result in job losses."
The Hispanic Chamber's Board of Directors will urge its members to boycott any business, organization, or individual that supports this law in Arizona or elsewhere. This also sends a clear message to any candidates for public office who have been vocal about signing a similar bill in Colorado if elected. The Hispanic Chamber will work diligently with Hispanic Chambers across the country as well as the state of Arizona to solve this issue. The Hispanic Chamber will not support legislation that would directly target Hispanic communities and endanger the safety of citizens in Colorado or any other state in the Union.
About the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver, established in 1978, is Denver's first minority chamber of commerce as well as the largest. During the Hispanic Chamber's 31-year history, it has led the way for minority business development and won local, regional, and national recognition for its achievements, innovations and leadership. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's mission is to promote and advance the growth of Hispanic business. Website: http://www.hispanicchamberdenver.org .
After 20 years of promoting international business in the Rocky Mountain region, World Trade Center Denver President & CEO Jim Reis has announced his retirement, effective May 31. Reis, who has served as the organization's President & CEO since October 1990, has made a profound and lasting impact on the community.
Under his leadership, the World Trade Center Denver has served a vital role promoting trade and investment, and more than 10,000 people have participated in WTC programs over the past two decades. With nearly 300 members, the WTC Denver has become one of the premier international business organizations in the Rocky Mountain region.
"Jim Reis is a true ambassador for Denver and Colorado," Gov. Bill Ritter said. "His leadership, enthusiasm and expertise are unmatched, and he will be missed."
In addition to his duties at the World Trade Center Denver, Reis is a current member and past Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Distric Export Council, serves on advisory committees for the International Programs at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, the School of Professional Studies at Regis University and the International Institute of Business at the University of Colorado Denver. Additionally, he serves on the World Trade Center Association's Committee on Education and the Committee on Public Relations and Information.
Reis has also helped to organize some of the largest international events in Colorado's history. He served as President of the Colorado Host Committee for the Western Hemisphere Trade Ministerial & Commerce Forum held in Denver in 1995, was a member of the host committee for the 1997 Denver Summit of the Eight and served as co-chair with Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb for the 2001 trade mission to China to open the City of Denver's Trade Office in Shanghai.
Prior to leading the World Trade Center Denver, Reis enjoyed a 26-year career in business as an executive with Denver-based Johns Manville. Reis received his Bachelor's Degree from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and also attended the Executive Development Program at the Johnson School at Cornell University. Reis currently serves as a member and past Chair of the Porter Hospital Foundation board and the Rocky Mountain Adventist Healthcare Foundation board.
Founded in 1988, the World Trade Center Denver is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to providing comprehensive international trade services to facilitate and expand international business throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. The World Trade Center Denver is a member of the World Trade Centers Association, a network of 330 centers in nearly 100 countries, linked through common international business interests and an Internet based WTCA On-Line communications system.
The Board of Directors of the World Trade Center Denver will be conducting a search for a new Executive Director. Information about the search will be posted on http://www.wtcdenver.com.
Greenway University, a nationally expanding medical marijuana organization, has received $1 million in venture capital from Trilogy Partners and $1 million from an angel investor in the month of April.
Greenway University is renowned for its compliance driven medical marijuana business administration educational services in California, Colorado and New Jersey. To become the nation's leading driver of compliance in the medical marijuana industry, the organization covers nearly every aspect of the business ranging from genetic strain development and insurance services to merchant solutions that ensure compliance and the highest quality of operational standards.
The investments made to Greenway University in April will enable the organization to continue to set the highest standards in education, technology, cultivation, distribution and compliance as the industry continues to expand and evolve.
About Greenway University
Greenway University is the industry's leading multi-spectrum medical marijuana business that is committed to the highest standards in education, technology, cultivation, distribution and compliance. From its MBA and industry leading advanced certification programs to its turnkey, point-of-sale system which tracks medicine from seed to sale, to its in-house botanist and geneticist, Greenway University is paving the way for ethics, safety and business acumen in the medical marijuana industry. Based in Los Angeles, California, Greenway University has campuses in Colorado and California. More information can be found at www.greenwayuniversity.com.
When it opens its huge location in Centennial, Colorado, on April 29, the new Weekends Overstock Warehouse ("WOW!") will bring a fresh concept to the retail furniture marketplace and will provide a huge value to consumers and the community.
WOW! is a huge new store (over 100,000 square feet) that will open near the Park Meadows Mall featuring top brand names in furniture, rugs, mattresses and other interior decorating merchandise. The WOW! concept is to have top tier merchandise priced so far below market and have it sell so quickly that the store is open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to allow time to replenish the ever-rotating inventory during the week. Names like Aspen Home, Bernhardt, Canadel, Drexel Heritage, Feizy, Henredon, Karastan, Sealy, Serta and Tempur-Pedic are just a small sampling of the high-end, top quality merchandise WOW! will carry on a regular basis.
While providing outstanding value in all interior decorating areas, one arena where WOW! especially stands out is the company's assortment of imported and domestically crafted rugs. WOW! buyers scour the world marketplace, doing all the legwork to create a selection of rugs that is unmatched in the Colorado market.
Beyond incredible pricing, WOW! will also offer top tier interior design facilities in a great design studio that is incorporated into the store. Interior decorators and designers will have the ability to partner with consumers on projects of any size and create solutions right on site either through existing inventory or the countless palettes, samples and catalogues WOW! has available.
At a time when the economy is desperately looking for signs of recovery, WOW! is poised to have a positive impact on Arapahoe County, the South Metro Area, and all of Colorado. WOW!'s opening has created over 60 new jobs in sales, marketing, accounting, management and warehousing. In addition, WOW! will make a donation of two percent of its sales from its first 30 days to support Girls, Inc. of Metro Denver, on top of a generous $10,000 donation that WOW! will make to Girls Inc. at its private opening reception on April 28.
WOW! is the brainchild of the same Colorado based team that brought the enormously successful Mattress King chain of sleep shops to the Front Range marketplace.
Hallador Energy Co., based in Denver with underground coal operations in Indiana, was recently named among Forbes 100 "Most Trusted Companies."
In light of recent scandals that have eroded trust in some of the country's largest public companies, Forbes sought to identify the most transparent and trustworthy businesses that trade on American exchanges.
Audit Integrity, an independent financial analytics company in Los Angeles, was enlisted to assess the quality of companies' corporate accounting and management practices.
Hallador made the list in the small-cap category. Founded in 1949, Hallador is thinly traded as an over-the-counter stock (ticker symbol HPCO) but expects to be trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol HNRG in the near future.
Read the full story here.
Colorado-based HomeSphere, Inc., the premier technology-leveraged service provider to the residential construction industry, has launched a new user interface and upgraded website for www.BestContractors.com, the company's unbiased directory of reputable home improvement and repair professionals. The improved site offers new features that appeal to the company's target contractor and homeowner markets.
BestContractors.com utilizes local search technology, online process management solutions and verified consumer ratings to aid homeowners in the selection of reputable contractors and home service professionals. Service organizations use the company's Web-based portal as a marketing tool to increase visibility, sales and profitability.
The enhanced site features a new interface with more defined search parameters that allow homeowners quicker access to pre-screened contractors in their area. Through BestContractors.com, homeowners can find and book service professionals approved as the best in their field for such projects as home remodeling, roof replacement, flooring, landscaping and painting services.
For the thousands of home improvement and repair professionals using BestContractors.com, the new site provides a streamlined online experience with further opportunities to improve their reach and develop relationships with homeowners.
About HomeSphere
Colorado-based HomeSphere offers sales effectiveness tools and supply chain services that combine Web-based technology, market intelligence and relationships to increase profitability for trading partners throughout the construction supply chain. More than 1,300 homebuilders and more than 70 building product manufacturers use HomeSphere's Web portal to connect, collect and compete, while remodeling and repair professionals gain market share and attract consumers. Please visit HomeSphere at www.homesphere.com for more information.
OCI, an organization committed to maximizing profits for oncology practices, centers and hospitals, and Elekta Software, a leader in oncology treatments and clinical solutions, announced today that they will work in partnership to provide consulting to cancer centers throughout the U.S.
The two companies will team OCI's revenue recovery products with Elekta Software market leading EMR solution, guidance and templates to assist oncologists in private practice and hospitals with the challenging aspects of revenue management and reimbursement.
ELEKTA Software will join forces to help oncology practices make non-medical process improvements that impact financial health. OCI's Radiation Revenue Recovery and Infusion Revenue Recovery technologies analyze client billing data to find missed insurance reimbursements and to identify opportunities for clients to maximize future reimbursements. ELEKTA develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for medical oncology, radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care.
About Oncology Convergence, Inc.
OCI is one of the nation's only providers of revenue management and revenue recovery consulting in the U.S., offering services to office, hospital and integrated cancer centers with medical oncology, radiation oncology, pediatric oncology and GYN oncology practices. With offices in Denver and Tempe, AZ, OCI's team has more than 100 years combined experience in the management of oncology practices, including direct experience with billing, revenue cycle management, clinical operations, IT project management, contracts negotiation. For more information go to http://www.oncologyconvergence.com
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today. Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group. Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTA. For more information about Elekta, please visit http://www.elekta.com.
A team of MBA students at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business won the Associaion for Corporate Growth'sregional case competition.
ACG Denver joined more than 24 ACG chapters around the country in sponsoring the ACG Cup in 2010. Ted Leonard, Chris Lathrop and Jud Whiteneck made up the DU team. A team from the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business came in second. The CU team included James Hathorn, Vy Nguyen, Jared Weber and Adam Wyatt.
The ACG Cup is a case study competition designed to give students from leading MBA programs valuable insights into mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. The first place prize for Denver's Cup is $2,000, and the University of Denver team will be formally recognized and presented with a trophy at ACG Denver's April 6th luncheon at the Denver Athletic Club. DU may keep and display the trophy for one year. Second place prize is $1,000, which goes to the University of Colorado team.
2010 is the first year for the Denver ACG Cup, although other ACG chapters around the country have been participating in the ACG Global competition for the past several years. The long-term vision is to create a national competition among winning teams from each ACG chapter. Rick Fort, ACG Board Member and CEO of ESM, initiated and managed the competition for ACG Denver. "Next year we hope to expand the regional competition to include CSU, UNC and CU Denver," says Fort. "The ACG Cup is a great learning opportunity for students and furthers ACG's mission to support growing Colorado businesses by preparing the next generation of business leaders with a real-life scenario."
In addition to the recognition and monetary awards, students benefited from exposure to leading finance professionals and organizations in the region; an opportunity to learn about corporate finance transactions from various perspectives; and a highly realistic case study providing unique and relevant experience in a team-oriented setting.
Students competed on an intra-school basis in the first round, held in early February. The winning teams from each school then competed against each other in late February and early March. Each team consisted of three to five MBA students. The case study was prepared by Houlihan Lokey with contributions from other ACG finance professionals. Houlihan Lokey is one of the nation's leading middle market investment banks, headquartered in Southern California.
Guest judges for the competition were: Adam Fiedor, Vice President St. Charles Capital; Patrick McFarlen, Senior Manager EKS&H; Angie MacPhee, Vice President O'neal Steel; Sean Odendahl, Holme Roberts & Owen M&A Partner; Jose Garcia, Associate with Green, Manning & Bunch, Ltd.; Murray Smith, Chief Marketing Officer ESM; Bill Heck, Managing Principal Harlon Group; Chris Wagner, HRO; Tony Carroll, Vicorps; and Jay Edgington, Green, Manning & Bunch.
DU's administrative representatives included: Patrick Orr, Director Graduate Student Operations and David Cox, Assistant Dean at Daniels College of Business. The CU administrative representatives were: Anne Sandoe, Director of MBA Programs; and Tracee DeAntoni, Assistant Director Student Services, MBA Programs.
About ACG. Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is a global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. Today ACG stands at more than 12,000 members from corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies in 53 chapters in North America and Europe. ACG-Denver was awarded Chapter of the Year in 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.ACG.org/Denver.
The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, an equity-based, luxury destination club, and Hall of Fame golfer, Annika Sorenstam, have entered a new partnership where Annika will serve as an ambassador for the brand. For the benefit of Club Members, this partnership presents the opportunity for elite experiences that mirror Annika's passions and growing lifestyle brand.
As part of the exclusive partnership, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club will create an "ANNIKA sense of place" at Club locations with branded products including everything from signature clothing and fragrances, to wines and autographed photography. Culinary events, wine tastings and golf outings with Annika. The ANNIKA Academy will also take the team on the road to select Club locations to inspire players of varying skill levels to reach their potential by transferring more energy and power from the gym to the golf course.
The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club created the "Lion & Crown Golf Series," a sequence of Member/Guest tournaments at key Club destinations, which Annika will serve as host in 2010. The finals for the "Lion & Crown Golf Series" will take place at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter the last week in September.
Depending on a Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Member's vacation aspirations, they may select a Home Club Membership which provides a one- to four-bedroom, titled residence and guaranteed usage at their favorite resort every year, or a deeded Portfolio Membership which affords the opportunity to discover a wide variety of locations, accommodations and experiences around the globe through the use of Club points. The new Hotel Exchange Program also enables Members who enroll in a Portfolio Membership to utilize a portion of their Club points at more than 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts.
Club Members benefit from an exceptional level of service as they are paired with their very own member experience manager who serves as their primary travel liaison. The member experience manager coordinates everything from airport pick-up and pre-arrival provisioning of the residence, to unpacking and pressing pre-sent garments and arranging a complete vacation itinerary. Membership pricing ranges from the low $100,000s - low $800,000s per membership. A typical membership is approximately $250,000.
About Annika
Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation and often regarded as the best of all-time. During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and changed the way women's golf was played, viewed, and covered. She amassed 89 worldwide professional victories, including 72 LPGA wins, ten of which are Major Championships.
Annika stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on her family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses, including the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, ANNIKA Course Design, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, signature high-end wines with Wente Vineyards, and an online retail shop, shopannika.com. In 2007, Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation as a way to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as only the second Ambassador of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation and aided in the successful bid for golf in the 2016 Olympic Games. More information can be found at http://www.annikasorenstam.com.
About The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club
Combining innovative membership options for luxury travel around the world with the legendary services of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club offers an inspirational vacation lifestyle tailored to each Member's needs and expectations. This year, on its 10th anniversary, The Club not only underwent a brand evolution, but was also awarded Robb Report's "Best of the Best" distinction. Additionally, Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members enjoyed an industry leading 49,000 vacations at Ritz-Carlton Destination Clubs and Ritz-Carlton Hotels worldwide in 2009. For information, please visit http://www.ritzcarltondestinationclub.com. The Club can also be found on Facebook and Twitter (@RitzCarltonClub).
Addressing the critical need to motivate Coloradans to be more proactive in their water conservation habits, Hughes & Stuart Sustainable Marketing teamed up with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (Colorado) to write and produce an educational video from an unusual point of view - aboard a space shuttle.
The video showcases water management in space, explains how technology and exploration (past and future) affects water resources on earth, and it offers specific tips everyone can do at home to reduce personal water use. Produced on behalf of 18 water providers (DCWater.org) serving 325,000 residents in Douglas County, Colorado, the "Out of This World Water Conservation" video features four time NASA astronaut (pilot and crew commander) Brian Duffy; U.S. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (chair of House Water & Power subcommittee); U.S. Commissioner of Reclamation Michael Connor.
Hughes & Stuart is now offering this video to be customized to any community, especially rural cities, or outside of the state to other drought affected western states to further promote water efficiency through water providers or municipal government.
The 8-minute video can be viewed, in its entirely, at the agency's website, http://www.hughesstuart.com (click on Environmental Marketing tab). The entire DVD can be downloaded by teachers for academic use suitable to all grades.
About the Aurora Awards: The Aurora Awards is an international competition designed to recognize excellence in the film and video industries. The Aurora Awards celebrates the ability of media creators around the world in recognizing theor ability to captivate audiences through visual messaging. (Hughes & Stuart also won the prestigious Telly Award for this same water awareness DVD.)
Media contact: Melanie Goetz or Esty Atlas (303.798-0601)www.hughesstuart.com
IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that contractors have been hired and a site-work permit is pending for its future Denver-area store. This progress allows for a Fall 2011 grand opening in Centennial, Colorado, increasing the Swedish retailer's presence in the western United States. Until IKEA Centennial opens, customers from Colorado and beyond can shop at IKEA stores in Draper, UT and Tempe, AZ or at http://www.IKEA-USA.com.
IKEA has retained Centennial-based Saunders Construction as the construction management firm. Other Colorado firms involved with this future IKEA store include: CLC Associates for civil design; Kimley Horn Associates as traffic consultants during the approval process; Ground Engineering providing environmental analysis and geotechnical services; Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti serving as local counsel; real estate brokerage firm Legend Retail Group assisting IKEA in the site selection process; Geothermal Systems of Colorado installing the geothermal component, and Miller Global selling the land. Atlanta-based GreenbergFarrow is architect responsible for store design, site planning and construction documents.
In addition to 10,000 exclusively-designed items, IKEA Centennial will present approximately 50 different room-settings, three complete model home interiors, a supervised children's play area and a 500-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries or salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children's IKEA' area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.
The 415,000 square-foot future IKEA Centennial, with approximately 1,500 parking spaces, will be built on 13.5 acres along the western side of Interstate 25 in the Park Meadows area, accessible from connections to Dry Creek Road and County Line Road exits, and will employ approximately 400 coworkers when the new store opens. The store will reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. Also, IKEA Centennial will be the first U.S. IKEA store to incorporate a geothermal component as part of the heating and cooling system, so heat will be pumped either from or into the ground, depending on weather conditions.
There currently are more than 300 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 37 in the U.S. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, Working Mother magazine's annual list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and Training magazine's annual "Top 100" ranking of companies that excel at human capital development. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business, and continually supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. For more information about IKEA, please go to http://www.IKEA-USA.com.
Two Colorado wineries will be pouring their wine in person at an American Wine Tasting at the American Ambassador's Residence in Paris, France, Wednesday, March 24: Boulder Creek Winery (Boulder) and Varaison Vineyards and Winery (Palisade). It is the first time that Colorado wines have been invited to one of the American Embassy's wine tastings.
The wineries represent two of five distinct wine regions of Colorado, and one of two federally designated AVAs, or American Viticultural Areas. The Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Paris organizes these tastings every other year, alternating them with their internationally-recognized wine and spirits tradeshow, VINEXPO, which is held in Bordeaux, France.
Four hundred attendees are expected at the American Embassy event this month, including importers/distributors, oenologists, wine store representatives, supermarket and food service buyers, chefs and sommeliers from top restaurants. Two hundred wine writers have been invited, mostly French.
Owners Jackie and Mike Thompson, from one of Colorado's award-winning wineries, Boulder Creek Winery, will be pouring their 2006 VIP Reserve, a Bordeaux-style red wine that recently won Colorado's first-ever Jefferson Cup, a double gold, at the 2009 Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition. More than 600 award-winning wines from across the U.S. were selected to participate in the prestigious invitation-only competition, and only 15 of those 600 were awarded a Jefferson Cup.
Ron West, Varaison Vineyards and Winery owner and oenologist, along with his son, Alex, assistant winemaker, will also attend the Paris event. Varaison produces single vineyard, single varietal wines that Ron West believes expresses "the unique terroir of the Grand Valley." Father and son plan to pour Estate Reserve Merlot (Bin 3115), Proprietor's Reserve Merlot (Bin 405) and Estate Reserve Creme Brulee Chardonnay.
The design-build team for the modernization of the Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building has been officially selected by the General Services Administration. The team includes: Mortenson Construction (serving as the Design-Builder); Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects (serving as Architect of Record); HOK (serving as the Design Architect); The RMH Group, Inc. (serving as the Mechanical and Electrical Engineer); Rocky Mountain Institute (serving as the High Performance Green Building Consultant), and Martin/Martin, Inc. (serving as the Structural Engineer and Blast Consultant).
Work on the 620,000-square-foot Byron G. Rogers government federal building, which is home to 11 federal agencies and is located at 1961 Stout Street in downtown Denver, will include complete design and construction for upgrades to the structural elements and all major building systems. The building upgrades are projected to reduce energy use by more than 80 percent over current levels and attain LEED Platinum certification.
Building upgrades will include the replacement of the mechanical, electrical, lighting, fire protection, and plumbing systems, as well as replacement of all exterior windows and complete renovation of all tenant spaces and most public spaces. Additionally, super-efficient LED lighting, high-performance building/lighting controls, and thermal storage tanks to preserve building energy will be installed. Additional sustainable features include:
• Solar thermal collectors on the roof are planned to provide all of the building's domestic hot water.
• Reduction of 15 percent in elevator transportation energy by utilizing regenerative drive technology.
The office tower will also be upgraded to comply with current building codes, GSA facility requirements, and current seismic and progressive collapse criteria.
The total project budget is $129.5 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, with $4.85 million in ARRA funds allocated for the Byron G. Rogers U.S. Courthouse energy efficiency window upgrades.
Work on the Byron G. Rogers government complex will result in the implementation of innovations in sustainable building design; creation of superior workplaces for civilian Federal employees; provisions for increased security and safety for tenants and visitors; and cost effective and reliable construction based on “best value” decisions. This high performance green building project will continue GSA’s legacy of outstanding public architecture by providing a balance between historic significance and current needs and aesthetics.
Work is scheduled to begin in October 2010 with construction completion in December 2012.
About Mortenson Construction
Founded in 1954, Mortenson Construction is a U.S.-based, family-owned construction company. As one of the nation's top builders, Mortenson provides a complete range of services, including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, and turn-key development.
Mortenson has offices in Chicago, Denver, Colorado Springs, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Seattle with international operations in Canada and China.
Mortenson has constructed some of Colorado’s most sustainable facilities including the Science and Technology Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Platinum), Pavilion for Women and Children at Denver Health (Silver), The Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center at Colorado College (Gold), and the company is currently constructing 1800 Larimer, a Pre-Certified LEED Core and Shell Platinum 22-story office tower in downtown Denver.
For the second consecutive year, Heartland Acoustics & Interiors has been selected for the 2010 Best of Englewood Award in the Acoustical Contractors category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
Nationwide, only 1 in 70 2009 Award recipients qualified as two-time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category.
The 2010 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
About Heartland Acoustics & Interiors, Inc.
Headquartered in Englewood, Heartland Acoustics & Interiors a full-service contracting firm specializing in suspended acoustical ceilings, specialty ceilings, acoustical wall panels and sound control, stretch wall/ceiling systems and raised access flooring. The company was founded in 1997 and services the entire state of Colorado and Wyoming, with an office in San Diego that services the Southern California area. For more information, please visit http://www.heartland-acoustics.com.
Metzger Associates has opened an office in Las Vegas and appointed Victoria Soares as managing director.
Soares has lived and worked in Las Vegas for more than 25 years with companies including R&R Partners, Sprint, EMBARQ and CenturyLink. Metzger's Las Vegas office has already been selected by author and speaker Shawn Rorick for a combined traditional and new media campaign to launch Emerging Marketer. Metzger has also been hired to consult for BLVDS Magazine, partnered with local advertising agency SCBG to offer a complete suite of creative services and has been invited to speak to various organizations about social media throughout Nevada.
About Metzger Associates
Boulder, CO.-based Metzger Associates is the Rocky Mountain region's premier integrated strategy and communications firm. Since 1991, Metzger Associates' strategic methodology and keen focus on business goals have created value for innovative growth companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to early stage technology companies. Metzger Associates remains the leader in new media strategies and programs. Please visit http://www.metzger.com or http://www.metzgerblog.com.
Students from 43 Colorado elementary, middle and high schools have officially harvested 5.3 million pennies, or $53,178.33, to benefit local charities through the Young Philanthropists Foundation's 2009-10 Penny Harvest. Since its inception in Colorado in 2007, Penny Harvest students have collected and donated more than $100,000 through the program.
Beginning this month, participating students will decide where that money can best make a difference in their communities. Issues like the environment, disaster relief, animals and homelessness will make the top of the list, and organizations like Children's Hospital, Max Fund, The Gathering Place and Denver Urban Garden will be amongst the grant recipients.
The Penny Harvest is a year-long service-learning program designed to teach children about their value as contributors to society. Each fall students gather idle pennies from friends and neighbors in their communities. Every penny the children collect is theirs to give away to charities of their choice in an educational group process that involves both grant-making and service throughout the year. Student donations and service hours will help hundreds of local and global charities and at the same time build skills and values that will last a lifetime.
Schools all across the greater Front Range are participating in this year's Penny Harvest, from districts including Denver Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools, Jefferson County, Adams County, Douglas County, Cherry Creek Schools, Colorado Springs District-11, St. Vrain Valley School District, and Holyoke Schools.
About Penny Harvest
Founded in 1991, the Penny Harvest is now the largest youth philanthropy program in the country, serving more than 500,000 students annually in more than 1,000 schools nationwide. In the past 18 years, children participating in the Penny Harvest have given away $7.7 million, awarded more than 16,000 grants and contributed more than 30 million service hours to their local communities. The Young Philanthropists Foundation administers the program locally in partnership with Penny Harvest creators, Common Cents. For more information, please visit http://www.pennyharvest.org/colorado <http://www.pennyharvest.org/colorado> .
About The Young Philanthropists Foundation
The Young Philanthropists Foundation (YPF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging youth in philanthropy by creating opportunities for kids and families to give back to their community. We believe that philanthropy is anything you do to make the world a better place, and base our programming on a simple philosophy: if you give kids the opportunity to make a difference now, they will continue to make a difference the rest of their lives. Our mission is to give kids the power to change our world through philanthropy and volunteerism. For more information, please visit http://www.ypfoundation.org <http://www.ypfoundation.org> .
Jack TerHar, President of Sill-TerHar Motors Inc., a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Aston Martin, Volvo, Jaguar and Mazda dealership in Broomfield, has been honored for his nomination for the 2010 TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award.
TerHar was one of a select group of dealers from across the country honored at the 93rd annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in Orlando. The announcement of this year's Dealer of the Year and finalists was made by Mark Ford, President and Group Publisher of TIME Magazine, and Johann Finkelmeier, Vice President & General Manager - Original Equipment N.A. Consumer Tire, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, at the formal opening of the convention, which is attended by more than 25,000 individuals involved in the automobile industry.
The TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry's most prestigious and highly coveted awards for new-car dealers. Recipients are among the nation's most successful auto dealers, but they must also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to effective community service.
TerHar, 55, was chosen to represent the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition--one of only 45 automobile dealers, from 17,000 nationwide, nominated for the 41st annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME Magazine in association with Goodyear, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan selects one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.
TerHar graduated from Broomfield High School in 1972 and started selling fulltime at the three-generation Sill-TerHar family store in 1973. The dealership was opened by Hugo Sill and Jack TerHar Sr. in 1960, back when Highway 287 was a two-lane dirt road, and 120th was the major throughway to Denver. Jack Jr. began his buyout of the dealership in 1978 and completed it in 1989.
In 2001, the company began growing into what it is today-adding Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda, and building a new $18 million facility. The first new building was a Ford service center, then a state-of-the-art new Ford showroom. In November 2002, TerHar completed its Premier Automotive Group building which now houses Aston Martin, Volvo and Jaguar as well as luxury pre-owned vehicles. The dealership now covers 38 acres, with four buildings and six showrooms.
In addition to his father, over the years, TerHar has been joined in the business by no less than seven family members, including his wife, Penny, and their two daughters. Now, after more than 30 years at the helm, TerHar has begun grooming his nephew, Beau Smith, to succeed him as the eventual owner of the dealership.
In the area of community service, TerHar has supported numerous civic and charitable groups for decades, including the Broomfield Community Foundation Legacy Committee, The Colorado Children's Chorale Broomfield, the United Methodist Church Finance Committee, the Broomfield Economic Development Committee, and the City of Broomfield Beautification Committee.
For his good works, TerHar has been recognized with numerous awards, including the "Heart of Broomfield Award" from the Broomfield Community Foundation, the Exempla Hospital Good Samaritan Award, recognition from Chorus America for his support of The Colorado Children's Chorale, and the "9 Who Cares Award" from the local NBC affiliate.
Jack TerHar was nominated for the TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award by Tim Jackson, President of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
Security Title Guaranty Company, United Title Company and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, (all three companies owned by Fidelity National Title Group), are merging forces in Colorado and will be known as Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.
This announcement comes on the heels of banner years of extreme stability and success for all three organizations. Security Title Guaranty Company has been serving the Colorado market since 1946 and United Title Company since 2004. Fidelity National Title Insurance Company has developed a growing presence in Colorado over the last 5 years as a direct operation with national origins that can be traced back 150 years.
Merging the tradition and financial strength of these operations will provide valued customers even stronger resources for innovation and support. The same people remain and the same products and services will still be available. Local and statewide management is not changing and the merging of these companies will continue to provide premier title insurance services locally and nationally through an expanded and significant network of offices throughout Colorado. Fidelity National Title Insurance Group (NYSE; FNF) is one of the nation's largest provider of title insurance and escrow services. Fidelity, through its underwriting subsidiaries, is the largest market share title insurance company in Colorado.
In a challenging economy, investing in the future, by bringing the talent, services and strength of all three companies together will provide customers one-stop shopping for all of their local and national title insurance needs. Local decision making, personal relationships, unparalleled customer service and expert escrow and title teams bring together hundreds of years of combined experience and best practices...and now little else will change other than the name. In the transition process, Security Title and United Title will operate as Fidelity Security and Fidelity United.
For more information, please visit http://www.stgco.com or call John Longo (303) 889-8080.
The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) officially launches this month with a statewide "Call for Proposals" from Colorado life science technologies in need of funding and active management.
The Institute's mission is to advance the life science industry in Colorado through active management and funding of projects, resulting in the creation of new companies and new jobs. The need for CID4 was initially outlined in the ‘Colorado Bioscience Roadmap 2008,' a study compiled by the national Battelle Technology Partnership Practice for the State of Colorado and its bioscience industry partners (http://www.cobioscience.com/stateplan08.pdf).
CID4 was formed through the collaborative efforts of all sectors of the Colorado Life Science community as reflected in the composition of its Board of Directors:
* David N. Allen - University of Colorado
* Denise Brown - Consultant & Former Executive Director of the Colorado BioScience Association
* John Collar - President and CEO, Colorado BioScience Association
* Richard C. Duke, Ph.D - President & CEO , CID4
* Terry Opgenorth, Ph.D. - CEO NeoTREX®, CSU Ventures, Inc.
* Kevin M. Smith - Executive Vice President & COO, CID4
* The Honorable Edward J. Tauer - Mayor, City of Aurora & Chair of the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority
Unlike a pure investment firm, CID4 will select technologies that have the ability to generate Colorado jobs, as well as financial returns. CID4 is headquartered at 12635 E. Montview Blvd., Suite 127, in the Fitzsimons Life Science District in Aurora.
About the First Solicitation
CID4 invites Colorado‐based Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), researchers and inventors from Colorado‐based public and private not‐for‐profit research Institutions, independent researchers
and inventors in Colorado, and private Colorado‐based Life Science Companies to submit technologies for consideration. Deadlines for response to the solicitation: February 15, 2010, letters of intent due; March 1, 2010, final submissions due. Note, this proposal solicitation is for drug, vaccine, device and diagnostic technologies poised to enter clinical development and available for exclusive license to the CID4. For complete information and submission form, visit: http://www.cid4.com/downloads/CID4_technology_012710.pdf
About The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development
CID4 is transforming life science innovation into commercial success by identifying and funding potential opportunities, and utilizing the talents of an advanced leadership team to ensure
ultimate market value. By actively promoting the real world application of cutting edge research, CID4 is a leader in the formation of new companies and the creation of high‐paying jobs. For more information, visit http://www.cid4.com.
The Boulder Chamber is pleased to announce the 2010 award recipients for its 105th Annual Dinner on Monday, Feb. 8 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at CU‐Boulder's Glenn Miller Ballroom in the UMC at 1600 Euclid Ave. Each year, the Annual Dinner honors business members and volunteers within our community. This year, U.S. Representative Jared Polis, a successful high‐tech entrepreneur, will be the keynote speaker and Nick Forster of etown will be the emcee.
"We were all very happy to hear that Namaste Solar is being honored with the Best Place to Work award. Our business model and mission have attracted the most amazing people and all of these things combined have led us to be Colorado's #1 solar company," says Blake Jones president & CEO of Namaste Solar. "We feel very blessed because when you absolutely love what you do, love how you do it, and love who you do it with, a great place to work is the natural result!"
The awards ceremony recognizes outstanding honorees including four new award categories: Frannie Reich Award for Lifetime Achievement, Tom Eldridge; The Virginia Patterson Businessperson of the Year, George Karakehian; Key Contributor of the Year, Dr. Richard Wobbekind, University of Colorado; Community Sustainability Leader, Elevations Credit Union; Best Place to Work, Namaste Solar; Boulder 2140 Young Professional, Matt Kolb, Pedal to Properties; Members of Distinction, People Productions; Peggy Goehringer, Home Based Business Group; and Elayne Oligschlaeger, The Pampered Chef.
The Annual Dinner title sponsors are Roche Colorado and BBVA Compass; patron sponsor is Pinnacol Assurance; bronze sponsor is Caplan & Earnest LLC; and media sponsor is the Daily Camera. The silent auction starts at 5:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $90 and corporate tables of eight are $650. Visit the Boulder Chamber's website for more information.
ABOUT THE BOULDER CHAMBER
The Boulder Chamber coordinates business events throughout the year, acting as a catalyst for business owners to network and grow their companies. Comprised of more than 1,600 businesses, representing 80,000 employees, we promote community sustainability, support and promote business, facilitate innovative business practices, create opportunities for peer interaction, and implement services that benefit our members. For more information about one of Colorado's largest chambers, visit http://www.boulderchamber.com.
a.i. solutions, which does work for the Air Force and NASA in Colorado Springs, has been awarded a $209 million contract to provide a wide range of design, evaluation and analysis support services to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Under the five-year engineering and support services contract with the agency's Quality, Safety and Mission Assurance Functional Capability Group, a.i. solutions and its subcontractors will conduct anomaly and mishap investigations; support design and change evaluations; perform independent verification and validation analysis; and ensure safety compliance. The award is formally known as the MiDAESS contract.
Subcontractors supporting a.i. solutions on the contract are ENSCO of Falls Church, VA; INTUITIVE of Huntsville, AL; Nelson Engineering of Merritt Island, FL; and Troy7 Inc. of Huntsville. The work will be performed in the Washington, DC, area, Huntsville and various other U.S. locations.
About a.i. solutions
Founded in 1996, a.i. solutions is a small-business provider of innovative mission-critical infrastructure that enables uninterrupted and reliable access to space. a.i. solutions' products and services span missile systems engineering, space operations, satellite ground systems, information assurance, and launch vehicle engineering in support of the nation's space and defense agencies. For additional information, please visit http://www.ai-solutions.com.
Doubletree Hotels has announced the opening of the Curtis, a Doubletree Hotel in downtown Denver. The 336-room, pop culture-themed hotel is located in the heart of downtown Denver, across the street from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and a short walk from the Colorado Convention Center.
The Curtis is operated by CPI Sage ETH Denver Operator, LLC, a subsidiary of Denver-based Sage Hospitality Resources, LLC, under a franchise agreement with a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide. The hotel also is managed by Sage Hospitality Resources, LLC. With more than 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event facilities, the Curtis features two spacious ballrooms and 15 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 250 people for banquets and up to 435 for theatre-style seating. State-of-the-art, audio-visual equipment and a fully-equipped Business Center also are available to cover business travel needs.
The Curtis is located within 15 minutes of all major sports venues and such exciting tourist attractions as historic Larimer Square, the LoDo entertainment and dining district, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Denver Art Museum, the University of Colorado Denver and more. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.thecurtis.com, call
1-800-222-TREE in the U.S. and Canada or contact the hotel directly at 303-571-0300 303-571-0300 .
About Doubletree Hotels
With a growing collection of contemporary, upscale accommodations in more than 200 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations worldwide, Doubletree Hotels are distinctively designed properties that provide true comfort to today’s business and leisure travelers. From the millions of delighted hotel guests who are welcomed with the brand’s legendary, warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in to the advantages of the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest reward program, each Doubletree guest receives a satisfying stay wherever their travels take them. To make reservations at any Doubletree hotel, travelers can visit our website at http://www.doubletree.com, contact their preferred travel professional or call 1-800-222-TREE in the U.S. and Canada.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 90 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our brands are comprised of more than 3,500 hotels in 81 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.hiltonworldwide.com.
In the wake of the earthquake disaster in Haiti, Americans are donating via text message more than ever before. Your BBB Serving Denver/Boulder advises donors that giving through text can be a safe and easy way to give -- but you should still use caution.
Within days following the disaster in Haiti, it was widely reported that more than $3 million was donated through text message to such organizations as the Red Cross and others.
Your BBB offers the following tips on giving through text messages:
• Confirm the number directly with the source. While BBB Wise Giving Alliance has not yet heard of any scams relying on text message donations, this emerging method for donating is ripe for exploitation by scammers.
• Do not reply to unexpected texts. It's the same as using caution when receiving unexpected emails; you may be a target for a scam. Also, use extreme caution when replying to texts that are forwards from someone familiar. Don't assume your friend or loved one vetted the charity.
• Be aware that text donations are not immediate. Depending on the text message service used by the charity, text donations can take anywhere from 30-90 days to be transferred to the designated charity. If you would like the donation to be received immediately by the charity, you can give online through the charity Web site, by calling the charity directly or by sending a check in the mail.
• Review the fine print; know all conditions. When you give to a charity through text message, you might also be signing yourself up to receive text message updates from the charity in the future. A charity should include the details of its text campaign on its Web site so you can see what you're signing up for and how you can opt out.
• Research the charity. Giving wisely to a charity isn't just about making sure that the solicitation isn't coming from scammers. Wise donors make sure their donations are going to charities that are best equipped to help in the relief efforts and will responsibly use the money for its intended purpose.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has compiled a list of charities which are seeking to provide assistance in response to the earthquake in Haiti and meet BBB Standards for Charity Accountability at http://www.bbb.org/us/haiti-earthquake-relief/
About BBB
The BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's high standards of ethical business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Reliability ReportsTM on businesses and BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM on charities, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers dispute resolution services for consumers and businesses. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 125 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada. Please visit http://www.denver.bbb.org for more information.
Prior to the record magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti, a 40-ft. container of medical supplies and equipment, prepared and shipped by Project C.U.R.E., was en route.
Now delayed by the closure of the port, the container, which is filled with gloves, dressings and suture kits, syringes, an anesthesia machine and other materials, will be among the first to arrive to assist with disaster relief efforts. It is not clear at this time when the container will arrive, but Project C.U.R.E. is working hard to ensure a speedy delivery.
Project C.U.R.E. will also deliver at least two additional 20-ft. oceangoing containers of medical supplies and equipment, valued at more than $175,000 each, to assist with disaster relief efforts in the country. Shipping expenses will be sponsored by Newmont Mining Corporation. The containers will hold, in addition to other items, bandages and dressings, syringes, IV starter kits, bone casting supplies and oxygen masks.
In addition to these actions, Project C.U.R.E. is accepting donations of first aid and hygiene supplies (list below) to help with preparation for future deliveries of medical relief to the country. Currently, donations can be sent to or dropped off at Project C.U.R.E. distribution centers in four cities nationwide: Denver, Phoenix, Nashville and Houston. In the upcoming days, the organization will coordinate with various other retail and community locations in these four cities to allow individuals and groups to make donations at their convenience.
To assist with transportation costs for medical relief supplies, Project C.U.R.E. seeks the support of individuals, groups, and organizations who are interested in contributing to relief efforts in Haiti. Donations can be made online at http://www.projectcure.org, or by cash, check or credit card.
Suggested donations for Help for Haiti:
Band-Aids
Gauze
Medical tape
Baby bottles and baby equipment
Baby diapers and wipes
Disinfectant and other skin-cleaning products
Crutches
First aid kits
Antibiotic ointments
Pain relievers
Leg and arm braces
Water purification tablets
About Project C.U.R.E.
The registered trademark of the Benevolent Healthcare Foundation, Project C.U.R.E. is a nonprofit, humanitarian relief organization that delivers donated medical supplies, equipment and services to medical professionals and the patients under their care in developing countries. Currently, Project C.U.R.E. is the world's largest organization of its kind, delivering on average two 40-ft. cargo containers of medical relief every week. Founded in 1987 to help meet the endless need for medical supplies and services in the developing world, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered medical relief to people in more than 120 countries. Project C.U.R.E. is headquartered in Centennial, Colo., outside of Denver. Distribution centers are located in Centennial, Colo., Phoenix, Ariz.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Houston, Texas. Project C.U.R.E. collection centers are located in Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Basalt, Colo., Brooklyn, N.Y., Grand Junction, Colo., Harrisburg, Pa.; Ithaca, N.Y., Lexington, Ky.; Portland, Ore., Sarasota, Fla., Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.projectcure.org.
Following the successful transition of the purchase of the public infrastructure and landscape management businesses from American Civil Constructors, ACC Landscape Services announces its name change to Terracare Associates effective January 1, 2010.
Terracare Associates focuses on serving the public works and commercial landscape management markets and has over 400 clients in diverse industries. The company is independently owned and operated and serves clients from multiple offices in the Front Range of Colorado as well as Northern California.
Pittman Development Group, a leading developer of land and commercial properties in Colorado, has partnered with San Diego-based Pathfinder Partners, LLC to launch the Pittman Pathfinder Colorado Opportunity Fund, a new private equity fund focused on acquiring distressed real estate assets throughout Colorado.
The Pittman Pathfinder Fund successfully completed its first acquisition at year-end, purchasing a portfolio of eight multi-family residential properties and completed single family lots from a locally owned bank.
The Pittman Pathfinder Colorado Opportunity Fund consists of eight residential real estate assets that were acquired at a 70 percent discount based on their stated loan value of approximately $12.7 million. Of these assets, 64 are finished condominiums and townhomes in the Denver metropolitan area and in Colorado Springs. The portfolio also includes 113 finished and nearly finished lots for residential development in these same areas, as well as in Greeley, Milliken and Pueblo, Colorado. The fund will be overseen by Pittman Pathfinder Realty Ventures, LLC, a new joint venture formed by the two companies.
About Pittman Development Group
Since 2000, Pittman Development Group, Inc. and its principals have collectively been involved in the development and acquisition of approximately 4,000 acres of land and 3 million square feet of office, industrial and retail buildings in Colorado. During this time, Pittman has built an extensive network of relationships with key commercial real estate brokers, lenders, investors, attorneys and appraisers.
About Pathfinder Partners
Pathfinder Partners is an early mover in distressed property investments. Since 2006, Pathfinder and its affiliates have acquired over $150 million in defaulted commercial real estate loans and REO properties. Pathfinder currently operates in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and California. The Colorado Opportunity Fund is the third such investment fund created by Pathfinder and the first to focus exclusively on Colorado.
Broomfield-based VisionTEK, a leading mobile applications software provider for law enforcement, will demonstrate its revolutionary new FrontLine Mobile Reporting software at the Western Regional APCO Conference 2010, January 20-21, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
The FrontLine Mobile Reporting System provides law agencies with a tool to create their own custom reports, for both handheld devices and mobile data computers. It gives them the power to develop their own mobile field reporting applications and to make changes on demand, without vendor assistance. The FrontLine Mobile Reporting System makes mobile field reporting technology a solid agency investment and a valuable tool for law enforcement personnel.
About VisionTEK
Since 1993, VisionTEK has provided public safety software solutions to law enforcement and public safety agencies across the nation. VisionTEK specializes in mobile data software; field based reporting, messaging, and mobile CAD solutions for law enforcement. Our solutions run on both handheld and mobile data computer (MDC) platforms and are designed to cost-effectively enable real-time information sharing within or across jurisdictional boundaries via wireless and wired networks. VisionTEK solutions are deployed in over 800 Public Safety agencies.
To learn more about FrontLine Freedom, FrontLine Field Reporting, UNITY Messaging or the Radix message switch please contact VisionTEK at (303) 554-8835 x271 or . Visit us at http://www.visiontekinc.com
Justin's, a leader in the all-natural nut butter industry, unveils its vibrant new branding at Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Jan. 17 - 19, 2010. The new design highlights Justin's core values of combining the best organic and natural ingredients to provide premium nut butters in palate pleasing flavors. Justin's will also be sharing the latest flavors including: Organic Chocolate Peanut, All-natural Chocolate Almond and All-natural Chocolate Hazelnut.
All three new flavors will be available soon in the 100-calorie, .6-ounce portion-control squeeze pack, the 1.15-ounce single-serve squeeze pack and the 16-ounce jar at Whole Foods Market and natural grocers nationwide. Justin's continues to manufacture its products using a special grinding process unlike any of its competitors. The products' texture and flavor along with the squeeze pack innovation has created unmatched demand for their line of nut butters.
About Justin's:
Justin's makes organic and natural nut butters using a small batch, proprietary grinding process. Justin's began in 2002 as Justin Gold, using a food processor in his home kitchen, began selling his homemade nut butters to natural food stores in Boulder, Colorado. Today, Justin's is available nationally at fine retailers including: Whole Foods Market, Vitamin Cottage, Toys "R" Us, REI, Jewel Osco, Alaska Airlines, King Soopers, HEB, City Market, Fairway Markets and many more. Justin's is availablein 16oz jars, 1.15oz squeeze packs and .6oz squeeze packs in eight delicious flavors: Chocolate Almond, Maple Almond, Honey Almond, Classic Almond, Chocolate Peanut, Honey Peanut, Classic Peanut and Chocolate Hazelnut. For more information please visit: http://www.justinsnutbutter.com.
Greeley-based EnviroTech Services Inc. and Vaisala have teamed up to install and launch the first Fixed Automated Spray Technology (FAST) bridge deck system in the United Kingdom. The system is located in Dover, England, below the White Cliffs of Dover and represents another milestone for EnviroTech's ESI-Spray division, which continues to expand its international operations since being formed in 2006.
The bridge spray system was commissioned on December 14, 2009 and runs approximately 1,140 feet and is three lanes wide. It uses advanced Vaisala Non-Intrusive sensors to measure depth of moisture (water, snow, or ice) as well as grip or friction factors, and air and pavement temperatures to determine if roadway treatment is required to ensure public safety. If the system deems treatment is necessary, 30 non-invasive spray nozzles apply liquid de-icer to the road at appropriate levels. The entire system is monitored remotely over the Internet and is owned by the Kent County Highway Authority.
The ESI-Spray division was responsible for the engineering, design and basic installation training of the system, while Vaisala oversaw the day-to-day installation and sold the system with a five-year maintenance contract. Vaisala also developed the non-invasive pavement condition sensors used with the system. The site was chosen due to the high volume of traffic on the East Cliff Viaduct, which provides access to Dover Harbor.
EnviroTech Services/ESI-Spray division and Vaisala have a longstanding partnership developing and launching automated spray systems in the U.S., as well as updating and maintaining existing spray systems throughout the country.
About EnviroTech Services/ESI-Spray division
EnviroTech Services, Inc. has been successfully providing products and services to improve road safety for 20 years. Based in Greeley, Colorado, it delivers innovative road maintenance and safety solutions with proven performance and personalized service for both natural and man-made environments. The ESI-Spray division was formed in 2006 in response to the needs of winter maintenance customers who owned outdated spray systems. The division partners with Vaisala to provide state-of-the-art, fully automated spray systems and also offers services to rebuild and update existing spray systems. For more information call 1-800-369-3878 or visit www.envirotechservices.com.
About Vaisala
Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on more than 70 years of experience, Vaisala contributes to a better quality of life by providing a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services for meteorology, weather-critical operations and controlled environments. Vaisala recently acquired US based road weather company Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc (QTT). Headquartered in Finland, Vaisala employs over 1400 professionals worldwide and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. http://www.vaisala.com
The Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance (CEBA) has announced 28 finalists for its annual awards, which honor Colorado's top ethical role models in business and non-profit organizations.
The finalists, which include 13 companies, eight non-profits and seven individuals, represent a wide range of industries and community organizations from hospitals and youth agencies to law firms and financial institutions. A number of the finalists are based in the Denver Metro area while others are located in Grand Junction, Pagosa Springs, Boulder and Parker.
Since its formation in 1991, CEBA's prestigious award program has recognized more than 79 Coloradans and businesses as outstanding role models for ethical business practices and leadership.
For the next few months, teams of students from the University of Denver, Daniels School of Business and the University of Colorado Denver will conduct research and interview the 28 finalists and then present their findings to an independent selection committee that determines the award winners. The honorees will be recognized at the 18th annual CEBA Awards Luncheon on March 18.
The 13 finalists for the CEBA Business Ethics Award honoring for-profit entities are:
Robinson Dairy, Denver; CH2M Hill, Englewood; Apartment Realty Advisors, Denver; First American Heritage Title Company, Denver; Mountain States Employers Council, Denver; Columbine Chiropractic Health Plan; Denver; Trammell Crow Company, Denver; Holland & Hart LLP, Denver; Kazoo& Company Toys, Denver; Growing Spaces, LLC, Pagosa Springs; Amadeus Consulting, Boulder; Deer Creek Animal Hospital, Littleton; and Mountain Crest Mortgage, Inc., Denver.
The eight finalists for the Samaritan Institute Award recognizing non-profit organizations are:
Denver Metro Chamber Leadership, Denver; YMCA of Metropolitan
Denver; AlloSource, Westminster; The Children's Hospital, Aurora; Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, Inc, Denver; The Jefferson Foundation, Lakewood; The Bridgeway, Lakewood; and The Daniels Fund, Denver.
The seven finalists for the Daniel Ritchie Award honoring individuals for outstanding ethical achievement are:
Ned Minor of Minor & Brown, PC, Denver; Dennis Niewoehner of Associated Property Brokers, Parker; Anne Warhover of The Colorado Health Foundation, Glendale; Jay Davidson of First America State Bank, Greenwood Village; Denny O'Malley of Craig Hospital, Englewood; Lee Palmer Everding of Denver Eclectics, Denver; and John Hopkins and Steve ErkenBrack both of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Grand Junction.
CEBA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to inspiring integrity and honoring high ethical standards in the Colorado business community. CEBA presents annual ethics awards to corporations, non-profits and individuals and hosts forums for the business community to discuss ethics in leadership. For more information about CEBA, contact http://www.ceba.org.
Eat In Eat Out, a new business-to-business publication from the American Forecaster, predicts consumers will find plenty of affordable options for food in 2010 as the effects of the recession linger. Supermarkets -- from Walmart to Krogers -- will continue to push discounts and restaurants -- from McDonalds to upscale steak houses -- will expand their use of bargain menus.
Another big story in food will be local sourcing. Now moving out of a specialized niche, local and national food stores and restaurants are rapidly expanding their use of food supplies created locally or regionally. Entrepreneurs are creating thousands of new start-up ventures that supply artisanal cheeses and sausages (salumi and other traditional preserved meats with a long history in European cuisine), olive oil, heirloom fruits and vegetables, and specialty breads, as well as natural and organic beef, pork, poultry, and lamb.
Community gardens and small truck farms are on the supply side in this trend, with record growth in the number of new ventures. Menus will increasingly reflect this trend, with ingredients singled out for their point of origin.
The fastest growth area for new cuisine in 2010 will be street food. Twin factors are behind this trend: economic necessity (chefs driven out of the market for conventional restaurants by high overhead) and foodies (consumers questing for unique culinary adventures without a high price tag).
Street food excitement in Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, and other large cities is evidence of this movement. New trucks and wagons, young and adventuresome chefs, and swarms of foodies converge with new and reconfigured cuisines from the American heartland, Asia, South America, and Africa.
Also for 2010, Eat In Eat Out points to fast growth for Kombucha (a traditional fermented tea backed by major new investments in RTD products), black garlic, lardo, home cooking, upscale burgers, and made-in-America artisanal distilleries.
ABOUT EAT IN EAT OUT
Eat In Eat Out is a new trade publication from the American Forecaster, a leading publisher of information about consumer and business trends, since 1984.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) announced today the selection of a construction management and general contracting firm for the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) project.
NCAR has selected Denver-based Saunders Construction, Inc. to provide pre-construction and, potentially, construction services for the $66 million, 150,000-square-foot building in Cheyenne, Wyo. The award to Saunders was made following a competitive selection process.
The project is undergoing a multi-step review process with the National Science Foundation, NCAR's principal sponsor. If approved, construction could begin in the spring, with the center opening in late 2011 or early 2012 in Cheyenne's North Range Business Park.
Saunders Construction, Inc. is a full-service general contractor and construction manager based in Centennial, Colorado. The firm provides pre-construction and construction services throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Other firms working on the project include design firm H+L Architecture and E-Cube, Inc., the firm responsible for commissioning.
The NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center is being developed in partnership with the University of Wyoming, the State of Wyoming, Cheyenne-Laramie County Corporation for Economic Development (Cheyenne LEADS), the Wyoming Business Council, and Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power. It will contain one of the world's most powerful supercomputers dedicated to improving scientific understanding of climate, severe weather, air quality, and other vital atmospheric science and geoscience topics.
SLATERPAULL Architects has been selected to design the new performing arts facility to be built in Mt. Crested Butte by the Crested Butte Music Festival (CBMF) in cooperation with the Mt. Crested Butte Downtown Development Authority.
Five architectural firms made extensive presentations to a committee comprised of CBMF board members and staff and representatives from the Town of Mt. Crested Butte. The conceptual design process will kick off in December and should be completed in May. The facility not only will house the Crested Butte Music Festival, it will be a hosting facility for other arts organizations as well.
SLATERPAULL Architects is a Denver-based architecture practice celebrating 37 years in business. SLATERPAULL is dedicated to creating community-enhancing environments that reflect the firm's commitment to ‘Design for a Sustainable Future.' For more information, visit http://www.SLATERPAULL.com.
Colorado will fare better in 2010 but will continue to shed jobs, CU's economist says.
The state's economy will return to stability, however, according to Richard Wobbekind of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Leeds School of Business.
Wobbekind's announcement was part of the 45th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum hosted Monday by CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business and BBVA Compass bank.
"We still have some serious kinks to work through, but we see 2010 as a stabilizing year that will put the state economy in a position for more sustained growth in 2011 and 2012," Wobbekind said in a statement issued with the release of the report.
The forecast calls for a loss of 3,200 jobs in 2010, compared with the 100,000 jobs the state lost in 2009. Job losses will continue through the first quarter, before leveling off in the second quarter and moving into positive growth in the third and fourth quarters, according to Wobbekind.
"I think people will be disappointed to hear that we think there will be continued job loss in 2010, but in relative terms it will seem like we're in recovery because the job loss is very small compared to what has happened in 2009," Wobbekind said.
The economist noted that the past decade has been marked by poor job creation, with just 117,900 jobs added since 2000, while Colorado's population increased by 870,000.
"Over the last decade we really haven't generated the number of jobs that we need for the growing population of this state," he said. "Our recent job growth is very low compared to the past three decades."
Unlike the 2002-03 recession - which hit urban centers hard - the current recession has been toughest on the state's rural areas, especially because of the decline of tourism, Wobbekind said.
"In addition it's hurt the energy industry, which is concentrated on the eastern plains and the Western Slope," he said. "The combination of those two sectors along with a slowdown in agriculture means many rural jobs lost."
Among the strongest sectors for projected job growth in Colorado in 2010, according to Wobbekind:
* Professional and business services -- including engineers, computer systems designers and scientific research and development groups. The sector is expected to add 6,500 jobs in 2010, compared to 16,100 jobs added in 2007.
* Education and health services -- expected to add about 6,600 jobs in 2010.
Construction, manufacturing and financial services sectors will lead in job losses next year, Wobbekind said. In 2010 construction is projected to lose 9,000 jobs, manufacturing 3,800 and financial services 2,900.
"In construction we do see a slight uptick in home building in 2010, but we don¹t see an increase in commercial development given the current vacancy rates," he said. "Overall, it's going to take longer for this sector to recover."
Retail sales are projected to grow by 3 percent in 2010, compared to a 12 percent decline in 2009. The trade, transportation and utilities sector, which includes retail trade, will add 2,700 jobs in 2010.
Even though many areas in Colorado have experienced a large number of foreclosures, other factors such as steady prices have led to a stable housing market for most of the state, and Wobbekind doesn¹t expect that to change in 2010.
"Colorado's housing market is very stable and is one of the reasons we could see Colorado returning to positive growth in sync with the national economy, even though the state went into recession later than the nation as a whole," he said.
Colorado's unemployment rate for 2010 is expected to increase from 7.3 percent at the end of 2009 to 8.1 percent, compared with a projected national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent.
Compiled by the Leeds School's Business Research Division, the Colorado Business Economic Outlook for 2010 features forecasts and trends for 13 business sectors prepared by more than 90 key business, government and industry professionals.
To view the entire report, including an overview of each of the state's major economic sectors, visit http://leeds.colorado.edu/ and click on The Economy: 2010 Forecast.
To view the Leeds School's Business Research Division blog visit http://www.cuboulderblogs.com/brd/.
To view a short video of Wobbekind discussing the economic outlook for Colorado in 2010 visit http://www.colorado.edu/news/.
Editor's note: This article was edited from a press release issued by the University of Colorado.
Denmark-based PMC Technology has completed lease negotiations for 43,320 square feet of industrial space in the Coors Technology Center at 16133 West 45th Drive in Golden. Scheduled to begin operations in February 2010, this will be PMC's first U.S. operational facility and will serve as the North American headquarters for its parent company, PMC Group, based in Sweden.
PMC Group is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic components for the windmill industry, offshore and marine, industrial and mobile equipment. Its new Golden headquarters is expected to employ up to 40 employees within its first five years of operation.
Several factors played into PMC's site selection in Golden, according to PMC Purchase and Planning Manager Mikkel Johnsen, future VP of Operations at PMC Hydraulics Inc. in Golden. "With 5,380 square feet of office space and 37,940 square feet of manufacturing/warehouse space, settled on 5.48 acres, this Class A building offers numerous area amenities and direct access to I-70, Golden, Downtown Denver and DIA."
About PMC Group
PMC Technology is a subsidiary of PMC Group AB. PMC Group conducts its business through a number of companies operating under their own trademarks. They are geographically distributed throughout the Nordic region as well as in the Baltic States and China. The Group possesses a vast fund of hydraulic and application know-how, which is the foundation of its business.
About Frederick Ross Company
Since 1888, Frederick Ross Company ● ONCOR International has built the region's largest full-service, independent commercial real estate organization, providing regional, national, and international services. Brokerage services include office, retail and industrial leasing, acquisitions, land and investment sales, site assembly and portfolio disposition. http://www.frederickross.com
UMB Bank has closed a transaction with American National Bank in Denver to acquire and transition American National Bank's corporate trust business over to UMB Corporate Trust and Escrow Services. Traditionally, American National Bank is the premier provider of corporate trust services in Colorado.
Terms of the deal are not disclosed but the transaction consists of more than 1,400 accounts with nearly $3 billion in assets under administration. American National Bank's corporate trust portfolio will be transitioned to UMB's Corporate Trust and Escrow Services office in Denver.
"We have made a commitment to be the leading corporate trust provider in the Rocky Mountain region," said Jon Robinson, chief executive officer of UMB Bank Colorado. "To date, our efforts in establishing our Colorado corporate trust business have been very successful despite the backdrop of difficult market conditions. The acquisition cements our leadership position in Colorado and helps establish a stronger position in the surrounding Rocky Mountain region."
UMB Corporate Trust and Escrow Services is currently the fourth largest municipal bond trustee and paying agent nationally (in terms of transactions) in the United States. UMB has been a committed provider of corporate trust services for more than 60 years by serving the corporate and governmental financial markets with offices in Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Wichita.
"We are excited about this expansion and look forward to serving our new clients while introducing them to UMB and our Corporate Trust and Escrow Services division," said Todd Duncan, UMB Corporate Trust division executive. "From a business standpoint, this agreement fits perfectly with our growth strategies and demonstrates UMB's dedication and desire to serve the Rocky Mountain corporate trust market."
About UMB:
UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., offering complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to both individual and business customers nationwide. Its banking subsidiaries own and operate 135 banking centers throughout Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona. Subsidiaries of the holding company and the lead bank, UMB Bank, n.a., include mutual fund and alternative investment services groups, single-purpose companies that deal with brokerage services and insurance, and a registered investment advisor that manages the company's proprietary mutual funds and investment advisory accounts for institutional customers. Visit umb.com for more company information.
Three of the largest Front Range health care organizations are taking an unprecedented leap forward in health care reform by improving care for more than a million Coloradans with an interconnected electronic patient record exchange system.
The Children's Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Colorado and Exempla Healthcare are now live with an electronic health record (EHR) "health information exchange" system. It allows patients to show up at any one of the organizations' hospitals and clinics and have their records instantly available to doctors with the click of a button.
Being able to see and share this information enhances the quality and continuity of care for patients, as doctors share vital patient medical information through secure, encrypted Internet connections. As a result, health information exchanges such as this one will allow doctors to more efficiently and accurately diagnose patients and recommend treatments.
The partnership is a pioneering example of three independent health care organizations sharing patient health records electronically, and is a concrete example of how health care reform is taking place in Colorado. All records are up-to-date and changes are logged in real time, helping the quality of patient care, no matter where and by whom they are seen.
Less than two percent of health care facilities nationally are using fully electronic health records, and only a handful are exchanging health information in this integrated manner -- highlighting the uniqueness of the relationship between the three providers.The three providers are in the process of an extended pilot program to test the system, and officially went online with the CareEverywhere electronic health care record software system this summer.
Access to patient records are secure and require authorization.
The foundational systems making this exchange possible are commonly referred to as EHRs or electronic medical records (EMRs), and can hold a wide variety of information including immunization records, blood type, lab results, X-rays, allergies, medical histories, current and past medications and dosages.
While investing in the switch from paper to electronic records costs millions of dollars, the result leads to more efficient, cost effective health care with improved safety, quality and communication.
Health Information Exchange at a glance:
• Enhances quality and safety by reducing the chance for medical errors that occur when information is written down inaccurately or illegibly, or is not available to care providers in a timely manner.
• Promotes efficiencies as physicians can quickly access patient care documents electronically right in the exam room, rather than ordering a repeat of that test or exam that may have been done recently at a partner facility.
• Supports clinical decision-making by providing clinicians prompt access to comprehensive, "continuity of care" patient and clinical information when needed.
About The Children's Hospital
The Children's Hospital has defined and delivered pediatric healthcare excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, The Children's Hospital is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and wellbeing of children. Continually recognized as one of the nation's outstanding hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, The Children's Hospital is known both for its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research and education programs as well as the full spectrum of everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. With more than 1,000 healthcare professionals representing the full spectrum of pediatric specialties, The Children's Hospital network of care includes its main campus, sixteen Children's Care Centers and more than 400 outreach clinics. For more information, visit http://www.thechildrenshospital.org.
About Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state's largest nonprofit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Denver, Boulder, and Southern Colorado area residents for 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to over 480,000 members through 20 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The health plan was recently named "Highest in Member Satisfaction" among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates for the second year in a row. Kaiser Permanente was also named the top-ranked commercial health plan and Medicare plan in Colorado by US News & World Report/NCQA. In 2008, Kaiser Permanente proudly directed more than $75 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/newscenter or follows us on twitter @kpcolorado.
About Exempla Healthcare
Exempla Healthcare, formed in 1998, serves metropolitan Denver through its three hospitals - Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital - and the Exempla Physician Network of primary care, occupational medicine and specialty physicians. Exempla's mission is to foster healing and health for the people and communities it serves. http://www.exempla.org
The public saw a glimpse of the future on Nov. 3 at the DaVinci Institute's 2009 Colorado Inventor Showcase. Here is the list of the winners, selected by a panel of more than 60 judges:
Inventor of the Year Award - Steve Schmutzer - Infusion Management System by Firefly Medical - The ‘Infusion Management System,' or IMS, is a disruptive new product category designed to replace the outdated and unsafe IV pole in hospitals.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Philip Hartman - A steam-cleaning windshield wiper.
Commercial Product of the Year Award - Pete Tovani - ET Squared - BioReactor is a waste to energy system which is part of the clean/smart energy grid design.
Consumer Product of the Year Award - Gordon Nuttall - Rocky Mountain Imaging - The Rocky Mountain Imaging mobile scanner is a portable and versatile scanning solution that simply and quickly converts photos, images, and pages to digital.
Software Product of the Year Award - Roger Toennis - Loyal2.ME by Liquid Media - The Worlds First "Personal Loyalty Program" designed for the Social Media generation.
People's Choice Special Award - Craig Jenkins - EZ Shot Basketball - a patented fully-automatic basketball return machine well suited for training, recreation and entertainment.
About the DaVinci Institute
The DaVinci Institute began as the brainchild of Thomas Frey, a seasoned entrepreneur and one of IBM's most decorated idea laureates. Launched in 1997 as a non-profit futurist think tank, the Institute has emerged as a center of visionary thought, attracting both a national and international following of idea junkies and business leaders alike.
The Institute has published countless papers and produced more than 100 events nationwide, ranging from the hands-on Twitter Boot Camps, to the interactive Inventor Boot Camp for Kids, to the international Forbes Magazine-sponsored Future of Money Summit.
Manhard Consulting), a civil engineering firm with offices nationwide, has entered into a regional partnership with Denver-based Carroll & Lange, Inc., a respected civil engineering firm with a long history in the Colorado market.
The new firm will operate in Colorado as Carroll & Lange-Manhard (CLM) (http://www.clmanhard.com/) beginning immediately.
Founded in 1984, Carroll & Lange has built its reputation on responsible and environmentally conscious land development in communities across Colorado and throughout the intermountain region. With the merger, CLM and its clients gain access to in-house water resources management engineers, water and wastewater engineers, environmental scientists, construction managers, LEED-certified professionals, and the rest of the nationwide Manhard Consulting network.
To learn more, please contact Mr. Richard Weed in Colorado at (303) 880-6591 or , or call Manhard Consulting toll-free at 866-MANHARD (866-626-4273).
About Manhard Consulting
Manhard Consulting, Ltd. has been named one of the Top 500 Design Firms in the nation by Engineering News Record, a comprehensive survey that ranks the 500 largest engineering, architectural and environmental consultants in the United States based on annual revenue. The firm provides civil-sanitary engineering, surveying, water resources management, water and wastewater engineering, environmental sciences, construction management, land planning, landscape architecture, supply chain logistics, and other services to more than 6,000 clients from its offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and Virginia. The firm's corporate headquarters are in Vernon Hills, Illinois.
SpireMedia, a Denver-based Web and mobile development firm, announced that it has signed contracts with new
clients including Applejack Associates, Breckenridge Ski Resort, First Data, Gee-2, MediaNews Group, Melco, SWFA, and Specialty Sports Ventures. The firm will be providing Web and mobile strategy, programming and design for extensive projects with each client.
About SpireMedia
SpireMedia is a Denver-based Web and mobile consulting firm providing programming, strategy, and user experience services for mid-sized to large organizations requiring integrated technology initiatives. SpireMedia has produced award-winning work for clients including A&E, Charter Communications, David Letterman, Echostar, Great-West
Healthcare, Qwest Communications, Thomson, TeleTech and Western Union. SpireMedia also develops iPhone Apps and integrates SpireESM, the Enterprise Site Management Platform.
Tthe University of Denver's Daniels College of Business Executive MBA Program has been named one of the top 100 EMBA programs in the world by the Financial Times of London.
Daniels, the sole Colorado school named to the list, joins the London Business School, Wharton, NYU, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Helsinki School of Economics, University of Chicago, Georgetown and Northwestern, among others.
The Daniels EMBA program has a rigorous, accelerated 18-month curriculum designed for students with at least 10 years of significant professional experience from small, medium and large organizations, entrepreneurial start-ups and non-profit organizations.
"At the core of our Executive MBA program are relevant academics, experiential education, and corporate partnerships," said Christine Riordan, Dean of the Daniels College of Business. "The working professionals in our EMBA program learn how to innovate even in the midst of uncertainty and change, finding solutions for the 21st Century."
In 2008, the College was ranked 90 and this year advanced to 85 in the 2009 rankings. The rankings are based on surveys of graduates and by business school EMBA directors. The methodology measures salary and career progression, diversity and faculty research.
The Daniels College of Business has also been honored as one of the top business schools in the world by BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report and the "Beyond Grey Pinstripes" ranking from the Aspen Institute.
In 2008, the College celebrated its 100th anniversary. As the eighth-oldest collegiate school of business in the country, Daniels has built a curriculum producing accountable citizens of the world who are business sharp, stakeholder savvy, and future ready. For more information, visit: http://www.daniels.du.edu<https://cherryhills.daniels.du.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=108ce99eac3d4f718e6ccc5169cf0d89&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.daniels.du.edu>.
Baxa Corporation, a medical device company based in Englewood, has signed an exclusive four-year distribution agreement with SINOPHARM, a China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation, to promote sales of its products in China.
The partners anticipate that Baxa Corporation's expertise in automation could greatly improve the existing processes in Chinese hospitals - making their pharmacy operations more accurate, safe and efficient. A key component of this partnership is the recent announcement of the China State Council to allocate 850 billion Yuan ($123 billion) to reform its medical and healthcare system. Technological advancement was cited as being vital to the plan's success in improving the quality of medical services to the country's 1.3 billion people.
Baxa Corporation was founded in 1975 by Brian Baldwin and Ronald Baxa. Through more than three decades of rapid growth and change in the healthcare industry, Baxa Corporation has become a leading global supplier of solutions for handling, measuring and administering fluid medications. In addition to its global headquarters in Englewood, CO, Baxa has subsidiaries and sales offices in Florida, Canada and the United Kingdom; direct representation within Europe and distribution partners worldwide.
The Seed, which connects women and resources around the world, has launched its online community.
"Our vision is to grow The Seed into a successful international organization, providing education and connecting women-in-business with the resources they need to succeed," says Erin Seabold, co-founder of The Seed.
The Seed helps women in business unite with pre-screened and profiled resources. The Seed also provides:
Social Networking. Members can integrate their profile from other social networking sites; Facebook integration is currently in place.
Platform. Women can establish their own networks, ask questions, find solutions, and form mentoring groups.
Education. Members have access to a comprehensive library of articles and recorded calls to gain insight into best business practices and how to successfully incorporate the latest technologies.
Consulting. Consultants provide live help and suggestions to plan for each phase of business growth.
For more information, visit www.TheSeedConnection.com.
Pedal to Properties, a Boulder-based real estate firm that lets buyers hunt for homes while riding distinctive cruiser bikes, has launched a new Web site at www.pedaltoproperties.com.
The Web site lets buyers access easy to use home search tools, sign up for property alerts, connect with individual realtors, and find up to date comparable pricing information on properties in their local community. The site will also include social networking tools for sharing information about properties, agents, neighborhoods, or simply experiences agents and consumers had while taking the optional Pedal to Properties' tour.
The Pedal to Properties Web site offers innovative ways for Pedal to Properties franchisees, agents and clients to interact online. In addition to standard home searches and detailed mapping options, the site offers information on neighborhood characteristics, local market research, nearby services and restaurants, and crime statistics. Consumers also have the ability to save preferences and store and share information through the Web site, much like other online social networks.
About Pedal to Properties (http://www.pedaltoproperties.com)
Based in Boulder, Colo., Pedal to Properties was founded by Matt Kolb as a full-service realty firm that provides a unique experience for home buyers. Pedal to Properties realtors focus on assisting clients with buying and selling homes through an optional service to view properties and homes from Pedal to Properties cruiser bikes. Former Australian businessman Tim Majors joined Kolb in May to help take Pedal to Properties national through franchising. Majors has successful experience in taking a business national in Australia. For more information, call (303) 579-8947.
ExecConnect, a group of Denver business and community leaders founded by dovetail solutions in early 2009, is partnering with Denver B-Cycle, the city's new green initiative to help make Denver a more bike-friendly city.
The citywide bike sharing program will make 500 bikes available to the public at 30 to 40 stations throughout the city beginning this summer. The members of ExecConnect will serve as advisors, ambassadors and connectors for Denver Bike Sharing to ultimately raise awareness about the program and its role in Denver's sustainability initiatives.
The B-Cycle Citywide Bike Sharing Program will focus initially on the downtown Denver business district, University of Denver campus and adjacent neighborhoods. The program is expected to double in size to more than 1,000 bikes by Spring 2010.
About ExecConnect
ExecConnect is a group of business and community leaders dedicated to exploring strategic solutions for Denver leadership challenges while developing initiatives that serve to enhance the viability of the community.
Massage Envy announced that it has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to host the one-day fundraising event, "Massage for the Cure," to help win the fight against breast cancer.
For the first time, Massage for the Cure, to be held September 15, 2009, will be conducted simultaneously throughout the nation with nearly 600 Massage Envy clinics in 40 states participating. It is the third time that the Front Range market will participate in this important fundraising program.
During the event, Massage Envy clinics will offer $35 one-hour therapeutic massage sessions, with $10 from each to be donated directly to various local affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Additional donations will also be accepted. This year, Massage Envy's goal is to raise approximately $500,000. It is expected that on this day, each clinic across the nation will perform about 100 massages for a total of 60,000, performed by 15,000 therapists.
For reservations call 877-330-ENVY (3689) or any of the local clinics directly.
About Massage for the Cure
Massage for the Cure is an annual, one-day event hosted by Massage EnvyR and benefiting Susan G. Komen for the CureR, a global leader in the movement to end breast cancer. Since the event's inception in 2005, Massage Envy has raised over $800,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure with 100 percent of the proceeds being used for education, screening and treatment programs in the community. Massage for the Cure will be held on September 15, 2009, at an estimated 590 Massage Envy clinics across the United States.
About Massage Envy
In Colorado, Massage Envy currently operates 21 locations including those in Highlands Ranch, Arvada, Broomfield, Centennial (SouthGlenn), Parker, Denver (one in Tiffany Plaza and one in Cherry Creek North), Boulder, Thornton, Colorado Springs (2), Ft. Collins, Lakewood (2), Westminster, Aurora (Southlands and Southwest), Greenwood Village, Castle Rock, Longmont and Englewood. Combined, these clinics represent a current membership base of more than 25,000 clients. Collectively, they perform nearly 32,000 massages per month.
State business and workforce development leaders announced that Alpine Access, Inc., a provider of virtual contact center solutions, is expected to bring about 100 “green” jobs to Wyoming over the next year.
The company, headquartered in Denver, Colo., employs home-based workers in more than 1,000 cities throughout the nation. First introduced in the 1990s, the at-home, virtual model is growing three times faster than the traditional brick and mortar industry. Known for delivering high quality service, home-based professionals are currently utilized by well known companies in all industries including communications, financial, retail, travel and leisure, healthcare and government.
Alpine Access trains at-home workers more effectively and efficiently through its virtual online university. The Workforce Development Training Fund will help the company fund employee training in Wyoming.
Alpine Access will initially create 50 jobs in areas of Wyoming with broadband access and then expand throughout the state. These full-time jobs offer access to a limited benefit program, paid time off, and a corporate matching 401(k) plan. Starting wages will range from $8-$12/hour.
LiveWell Colorado, a non-profit committed to reducing obesity in Colorado by inspiring healthy eating and active living, today announced that it has named Mary Ellen Williams, as chief financial officer and vice president of policy.
Williams will oversee all financial functions and provide overall management and evaluation of LiveWell Colorado's aggressive five-year strategic plan to reduce obesity in Colorado. LiveWell Colorado, which has been funding local community initiatives across the state since 2006, recently became a stand-alone 501(c)(3) and this is the first full-time seasoned senior executive.
Williams has more than 10 years of experience in business strategy development, governance, non-profit management, community building and public relations. Her focus at LiveWell Colorado will be to develop and implement an organizational business plan, develop and track metrics associated with LiveWell Colorado's strategic plan and develop a diversified funding strategy that ensures financial stability.
As director of finance and operations for Graland Country Day School in Denver, Williams directed strategic plan goals and led the school's financial and operational efforts. Previously, as tier III coordinator and district administrator of Denver's Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Williams led legislative efforts, directed grant making activities, managed organizational finances and established and implemented the District's first communications plan. She has also worked in public affairs, grants administration and programming for the Colorado Council on the Arts, the Arts & Humanities Assembly of Boulder and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
About LiveWell Colorado
LiveWell Colorado aims to provide every Coloradoan with access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity in the places they live, work, learn and play. This non-profit organization will realize its vision by elevating health and wellness awareness, augmenting funding for the most promising obesity reduction strategies and leveraging investments and resources. With the launch of Colorado's strategic plan, Fostering Healthy People and Places: The Power of All of Us, LiveWell Colorado and its board of directors will implement an aggressive, coordinated statewide intervention to address the human and economic tolls of overweight and obesity and improve the health and well being of all Coloradoans. Visit www.livewellcolorado.org for more information.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce board of directors ratified the selection of Kelly J. Brough as the new president and CEO of the organization.
Brough has been chief of staff for the City and County of Denver since 2005. Prior to that role, she served in the City and County as deputy chief of staff, director of the office of accountability and reform, personnel analyst and director of human resources. Brough created the first pay-for-performance program for Denver employees. Brough holds bachelorÕs degrees in sociology and criminal justice from Montana State University and a masterÕs of business administration from the University of Colorado at Denver.
About the Denver Metro Chamber
For more than 150 years, the Denver Metro Chamber has been a leading voice for ColoradoÕs business community. With a membership that spans the seven-county metro region and includes 3,000 businesses and their 300,000 employees, the Chamber is an effective advocate for small and large businesses at the local, state and federal levels. With its affiliates: the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center, the Colorado Competitive Council and the Colorado Space Coalition, the Chamber plays a vital role in defining the economic landscape of our state. For more information, go to www.denverchamber.org.
Armada Medical Marketing, specializing in marketing health care related products and services, has added two imaging centers to its current client roster. The two centers, Associated Radiologists of Clarkston in suburban Detroit, Mich., and Advanced Imaging Specialists of Dunmore, Pa., have chosen Armada Medical Marketing to develop and manage integrated marketing campaigns.
The campaigns will include physician communications and direct mail initiatives combined with consumer advertising, sponsorships and public relations activities.
About Armada Medical Marketing
Armada Medical Marketing is the medical marketing division of GD&A Advertising & Public Relations of Denver. Armada serves clients in diagnostic and preventive imaging and testing, outpatient services, retail medicine, medical equipment, supplies and devices and related products and services. Parent company GD&A was founded in 1975 and provides marketing, advertising and public relations services for local, national and international clients. For more information on Armada Medical Marketing, visit http://www.armadamedical.com or call 303-623-1190 x229. For more information on GD&A, visit http://www.gda-advertising.com or call 303-623-1190 x 229.
Glenwood Springs-based Alpine Bank was recognized as one of the healthiest companies of America by Interactive Health Solution, Inc. It was chosen for the award based on the company’s overall ‘health score’ determined from annual on-site health screenings. The award applauds Alpine Bank’s continued efforts and commitment to the health and well being of its employees with the creation for corporate culture that encourages employees to take responsibility for their own health and to take an active role in their preventative care.
About Alpine Bank
Alpine Bank is a $2.8-billion asset organization chartered in 1973 with headquarters in Glenwood Springs. Alpine Bank is locally owned and operated by 575 employees. With 37 western and southwestern Colorado banking offices, Alpine Bank serves over 130,000 customers providing retail, business, trust, asset management, mortgage and electronic banking services.
Allonhill, a mortgage service company launched in fall 2008 by Sue Allon, is holding a job fair Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.
The mortgage and credit risk management firm based in Denver is hiring to fill 52 positions. Positions include analyst, senior analyst and service manager and range from entry-level to management position requiring at least seven years of mortgage industry experience.
The fair runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days in Denver at 1515 Arapahoe St., Tower 1. Send resumes to:
.
Smashburger, funded with $15 million by private equity and concept development firm Consumer Capital Partners, has signed a 30-unit deal with BIGG Capital Holdings, LLC, a business development group based out of Dallas, Tex. Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Leonard Davis leads BIGG Capital Holdings, LLC.
BIGG Capital Holdings marks Leonard Davis’ entry into the restaurant franchise business in the Dallas area. Davis said his success in the NFL and his career with the Cowboys continues to drive him, but he wanted business opportunity that made sense after his football career.
About Smashburger
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., Smashburger is a fast-casual restaurant designed to be “every city’s favorite burger place.” In Texas alone, Smashburger already has franchise groups in San Antonio, Houston, West Texas and East Texas.
The Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado and the UNC Foundation have announced the creation of the Allen McConnell Distinguished Chair with current cumulative gifts of over $300,000 from former students, family, friends and other UNC alumni.
The Allen McConnell Distinguished Chair was created to recognize the contributions McConnell, director of accounting & computer information systems and professor of accounting, has made to the College of Business and its students during his 40 years of service.
The goal is to build a $1.5 million endowment to be managed by the UNC Foundation. The first gifts have come from former students Cheryl Wenzinger, retired audit partner, Deloitte & Touche, and Tim Bradley, partner, Bradley, Allen and Associates.
Distinguished Chairs have traditionally honored colleagues, friends, loved ones, and cherished educators, whose names become a permanent part of the institution while at the same time advancing the cause of knowledge and the education of students.
McConnell has been teaching accounting since the college was founded, after receiving a BS and a MS in accounting both from the University of North Dakota. He also taught in the areas of auditing, governmental and managerial accounting. He has served as department chair, as an advisor of Beta Alpha Psi and the Professional Accounting Association for many years.
Contributions to establish the endowed chair will either supplement state funding assigned to the position or create a new faculty position. Income from the endowment is intended to sustain the position and may cover costs of salary, travel and support.
About the Monfort College of Business
The Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado focuses on undergraduate business education. It has gained national and international recognition including becoming the first and only business program to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award from the Office of the President of the United States and the only undergraduate-only program worldwide to be accredited by AACSB International in both business and accounting. For more information, visit Monfort’s Web site at mcb.unco.edu.
About the University of Northern Colorado Foundation
The UNC Foundation is a private non-profit organization that focuses on soliciting and managing private gifts and grants to support the mission and goals of the University of Northern Colorado.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center recently chose Riverside, an 80-employee company specializing in water resources and environmental decision support system development, to work on the Corps Water Management System accelerated deployment project.
The HEC supports the USACE field offices in its water resources management responsibilities by increasing the USACE’s technical capability in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering. It also provides leadership in improving analytical methods for water resources planning and management.
The Corps Water Management System consists of current HEC computer models consolidated into a fully functional, streamlined, real-time decision support system. Riverside will lead the development, testing and deployment with HEC staff to install CWMS in three locations. CWMS will help these field offices in making decisions for reservoir management and water control systems. The majority of the work will be done by engineers in Riverside’s Fort Collins office.
R. W. Beck Group, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI), pending shareholder approval.
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® company serving customers in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure and health markets.
R. W. Beck is a group of technically based business consultants serving public and private infrastructure organizations and financiers worldwide.
MGA Communications accepted the Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America for Refuge Roundup 2008, a special event held at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City.
This is the third time MGA has received the PRSA Silver Anvil, the icon of best practices in public relations. Refuge Roundup is an annual event that showcases the Refuge’s many wildlife and cultural resources available to neighboring residents.
In addition to the PRSA Silver Anvil Award, MGA was selected as a finalist for The Holmes’ Report SABRE award for special events for its work on Refuge Roundup 2008 and also took home a Gold Pick Award from the PRSA Colorado Chapter in May.
About MGA Communications, Inc.
MGA Communications is a results-driven public relations and research firm. Founded in 1987 and based in Denver , MGA is ranked as one of the region's top communications firms and is nationally recognized for its work with long-standing clients, including Shell Oil Co. and the Colorado Education Association.
Veteran marketing and philanthropic development professional Alby Segall has launched Gemini Consulting Group.
Segall has been working with nonprofits throughout his career, most recently serving as national leadership development officer at National Jewish Health where he worked to expand major donor relationships across the United States. Previously, he served as major gifts officer at the Allied Jewish Federation, where he was responsible for cultivating relationships with all major donors. He has also served in other senior executive positions, including CEO of Children’s Museum of Denver, executive director of the Jewish Community Center in San Jose, Calif., and as a member of the board of directors for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Anti-Defamation League, Museum of Contemporary Art (Denver) and the Lowry Land Trust.
The firm launches with a portfolio of clients including The Jewish Community Center in Denver, Kalexiana Winery, and Hope for Generations.
Gemini Consulting Group
Gemini Consulting Group is a consultancy designed to help nonprofit organizations grow stronger operationally and financially through a suite of targeted services including sustainable strategic planning, organizational leadership and staff assessment, development and training, pre-campaign assessment, campaign development, implementation and management, foundation and corporate outreach, and planned giving program assessment and development. For more information, visit http://www.geminiconsultinggroup.net.
HotPress Web, a Denver-based online marketing firm, recently added three new clients to its roster. These local, regional and national organizations include:
Downtown Colorado, Inc., a membership-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building better communities by providing assistance to downtowns, commercial districts and town centers throughout the state. HotPress Web will produce a new micro-site for Downtown Colorado Inc.’s Colorado Main Street Heritage Tours.
Vesta Dipping Grill, the independent and locally owned LoDo eatery renowned for its world-grill cuisine and vast array of dipping sauces. Vesta has tapped HotPress Web for a complete redesign enabling email marketing, content management and online gift card purchases, all powered by the proprietary HotPress Platform.
Newport Beach, Calif.-based DynGlobal, a leader in water purification, arsenic and lead removal, as well as renewable energy products and services, has engaged HotPress Web for a website and branding overhaul.
About HotPress Web
Based in Denver, HotPress Web specializes in building high quality, easily managed websites for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit us at http://www.hotpressweb.com or call 303-825-0732.
Hands-On Labs, Inc., (HOL), producers of LabPaqs distance-learning laboratory science materials, has been named as a Colorado Company to Watch by the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade and government and business sponsors.
LabPaqs are collections of course specific science materials that are primarily used in conjunction with distance-learning lab science courses in biology, chemistry, geology, physics, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, plus environmental and forensic science. They allow higher education students to perform at home the same science experiments performed on college campuses.
HOL recently entered into a strategic alliance with McGraw-Hill Higher Education to offer a combined package of media, texts and LabPaqs that are cost effective for students.
For more information, visit www.labpaq.com.
Online qualitative research company iModerate has launched a new solution. The new version of Optimum!nsight answers the call of researchers, marketers and advertisers by providing a flexible, efficient and cost-effective option to harness the voice of the customer.
Optimum!nsight utilizes iModerate’s live, professionally moderated, one-on-one interview sessions to uncover focus group quality insights online. With this offering, iModerate maximizes the feedback from individual, personalized conversations to arrive at meaningful and holistic insights. The advent of this solution gives clients candid, in-depth feedback and simplifies the research process by removing the barriers commonly associated with qualitative – cost, turnaround time and geographic representation.
There is no set number of participants, no ticking clock to hinder organic conversation and no geographic boundaries. Optimum!nsight can accommodate both large and small base sizes, varying degrees of discussion complexity and a wide variety of stimuli. With a seat behind the glass, clients also have the ability to actively play a role in the insight gathering process by sharing ideas, redirecting or debriefing in real-time. Its new interactive platform allows iModerate's moderators to engage respondents with specific stimuli in a variety of ways or give participants the ability to create and share their own imagery.
About iModerate Research Technologies
iModerate Research Technologies listens, connects and digs deeper with consumers online to provide the research story organizations need to win in the marketplace. Years of research and development by veteran field experts, as well as analytical specialists, produced the concept, methodology and software that have allowed iModerate to help Fortune 500 companies, large and boutique research firms and prominent organizations strengthen their research results. Focused on providing customized qualitative solutions, iModerate is broadening online research capabilities by delivering essential qualitative insight. For more information, see http://www.imoderate.com.
The Evergreen Design Center, an association of local businesses led by Mountain Home and Pangaea Carpets, decorated a home for the Denver Luxury Home Tour, which runs through July 5.
The 7,500-square-foot Zen-inspired dwelling is located at 650 Golden Willow Rd. in the historic Upper Bear Creek area. The association also includes Mountain Kitchen & Bath and Rocky Mountain Log Furniture. The team incorporated original art and home furnishings to create a contemporary mountain living environment.
The home includes plush carpets of natural fibers; the signature reclaimed barn wood and hand-wrought iron pieces created by Evergreen-based Cocopa; and a bed made of wood from Bromwich Castle in England. The home features more than 50 pieces of art, all original and all created by local and regional artists. Betsy Buckner, Tricia Bass, Margaretta Caesar, Victoria Thomas, Mac McEldowney, Tom Ware, Laura Mehmert and Marin Dobson supplied oil and acrylic paintings, photographic art, and sculptures of bronze and wood. In addition, original rock 'n' roll posters from the '60s dot the recreation room.
Other local businesses, including Spirits in the Pines, Wendy Lami of Material Things, Stems and Budget Blinds also donated their time and creative expertise to the project and all bedding linens were custom made locally.
For more information about the 2009 Parade of Homes Denver Luxury Home Tour, which runs Fridays-Sundays, see www.denverluxuryhometour.com.
The Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office selected VisionTEK for their accident field reporting pilot project. According to Deputy Justin Casey of the Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office, the goal is to improve efficiency in their accident reporting processes.
Currently, it is necessary to travel back to headquarters to type out accident reports and store them in hardcopy format. Implementing the VisionTEK FrontLine Accident field reporting application will considerably reduce the time it takes to prepare accident reports.
About VisonTEK
Since 1993, VisonTEK has provided public safety software solutions to law enforcement and public safety agencies across the nation. They specialize in mobile law enforcement software: field based reporting, messaging, mobile data, and CAD solutions. To learn more, visit http://www.visiontekinc.com.
Arapahoe Park opened to live horse racing on May 23 and features Pace Pals for a second season. Pace Pals in the industry’s only icon-based handicapping tool specifically designed to make horse racing more accessible to fans new to the sport. InCompass Solutions Inc. has written software specifically designed to make Pace Pals available to every track in the country.
Pace Pals is an icon based handicapping format that uses graphics to enhance the betting experience for horse racing enthusiasts of all levels. It has been known to increase wagering and bring newcomers out to the tracks.
About InCompass
InCompass is a subsidiary of The Jockey Club Holdings Inc., and integrates diverse technologies required to manage modern racing operations efficiently and effectively. Visit http://www.incompass-solutions.com for more information.
GlobaLinks, a leading provider of study abroad programs for college students is partnering with the Colorado Carbon Fun to help green student travel overseas.
The Colorado Carbon Fund, a program of the Governor’s Energy Office, is the nation’s first statewide carbon offsetting program. The new partnership builds on existing green initiatives for students studying abroad. For example, students receive a departure package that includes “tips for traveling light,” a reusable shopping bag and reusable water bottle.
GlobaLinks chose to support the Colorado Carbon Fund because the clean energy projects that result from the program will all be developed in Colorado. The Portland, Oregon-based Climate Trust, one of the country’s most experienced offset project developers, has been enlisted by the GEO as a third- party organization to help select and manage Colorado’s offset projects.
About GlobaLinks
GlobaLinks, the parent company of AustraLearn, AsiaLearn, and EuroLearn, offers educational programs for university/college students in numerous destinations worldwide.
RNL was named among the top five sustainable design firms based in the U.S. RNL is the only Colorado firm to make the Top 10 sustainable firm list as published by Architect magazine in its May issue.
The rankings were based on several variables from the survey, such as percentage of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects and LEED Accredited Professionals on staff in 2008 as well as green policies, to come up with an overall score.
About RNL
RLN is a global, full-service design firm specializing in sustainable, integrated design. Founded in 1956, RNL offers a continuum of design services, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design and planning. For more information, please visit http://www.rnldesign.com.
Bridgeline Software, Inc., a developer of SaaS-based web application management software and award-winning interactive business technology solutions, announced it has received six Horizon Interactive Awards for the outstanding development of various interactive web applications and web sites.
The eighth annual Horizon Awards fielded more than one thousand entries from over 20 countries around the world. An international panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals with diverse backgrounds, as well as an end user panel, evaluated 18 different categories ranging from online advertising to business-to-business websites.
About the Horizon Interactive Awards
In its 8th year, the Horizon Interactive Awards was created to recognize excellence in interactive media production worldwide. Since 2001, the competition has received thousands of entries from countries around the world and nearly all 50 US States. For more information, visit http://www.horizoninteractiveawards.
The College for Financial Planning, a national provider of financial services education and professional certifications based in Greenwood Village, has cut the cost of its “Foundations in Financial Planning” course by more than half.
The entry-level course is designed to give students a sound understanding of the financial services industry, including budgeting, investing, taxes and insurance. Students learn the time value of money and risk management.
The course offers students basic, practical knowledge of key financial concepts. Classes are offered online and at night for six weeks. The online, instructor-led version is now $485, discounted from $985. The self-study course is now $385, discounted from $785.
"The Foundations course is a cost effective way for individuals to begin a career in financial planning and for firms to provide additional benefits to customer-facing employees and client associates," said John Sears, president of the Greenwood Village-based college, in a press release. "
Board Resource Services and The Board Institute, Inc. have partnered to meet the demands of an ever-evolving business climate among boards of directors. The combination of web-based, objective board evaluation tools facilitated by recognized, hands-on governance experts provide a unique solution to boards of directors who want to maximize their value to their corporations.
The partnership provides developmental expertise, regulation tracking and benchmarking. Consulting sessions help create and monitor an action plan to address board evaluation, director peer evaluation, succession planning and other key governance issues The TBI evaluation Indices are accredited by Risk Metrics, the standard in financial risk management, to satisfy director corporate governance education requirements.
Board Resource Services
Based in metro Denver, Colorado, provides board advisory consulting to optimize boards of directors, with a focus on leadership, strategy and risk management. Tracy Houston, 303.520.5235,
www.linkedin.com/in/tracyehouston
The Board Institute, Inc.
TBI provides director driven, comprehensive, educational board governance solutions that enable public and private corporations to enhance and assess their boards and committees. Susan Shultz, 480-998-1081. www.theboardinstitute.com
The Erie Airport Economic Development Council is hosting a variety of special, family-friendly activities on Saturday, May 16, as part of the Erie Town Fair.
The day begins with the 6:00 a.m. launch of 60 hot air balloons from the Colorado National (formerly Vista Ridge) Golf Club, www.coloradonationalgolfclub.com, which sits just east of the Erie Airport. There will be a pancake breakfast starting at 7:00 a.m.
Visitors can tour the Spirit of Flight Museum and enjoy a ride in a Beech T-42 transport/trainer plane. A WWII-era tractor will also be on hand, pulling a commuter shuttle to transport families back and forth between the airport and museum, which will be open between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.
About the EAEDC
The Erie Airport Economic Development Council was founded by a group of community leaders and local businesses with the mission of maximizing the value of the Erie Municipal Airport for taxpayers/owners and area-wide users. For more information, call 303.710.5005 or 303.887.8700, email
,
, or visit us at www.eaedc.com.
The University of Colorado Leeds School of Business undergraduate business plan competition April 29 resulted in four winning proposals.
Hosted by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the competition is the culmination of the “Business Plan Preparation” course that challenges students to generate an innovative concept for a product or service and to design a comprehensive business plan around it.
The winning proposals were:
• $2,000 First Place Dymotion/GlideCart - a T-shaped device that attaches to the back of a shopping cart allowing for a natural walking movement for those shoppers with mobility issues.
• $1,250 Second Place Click-And-MailCards.com – an online store that will send friends and family customizable greeting cards through the mail from your own computer.
• $1,000 Third Place The Chuckler - a seatbelt buckle attachment that will help to ease the buckling process of child car seats for both parents and young children.
• $750 Fourth Place Rocky Mountain Surf Park - an indoor wave riding facility in landlocked Colorado featuring three gigantic pools using wave technology designed to cater to varying skill levels of surfers.
Teams must present their plan in a convincing and compelling way as if the judges were actual investors. Judges included Deming Center board members: Joyce Colson, Art Dawson, Perry Evans, Dean Leffingwell, Linda Peotter, Misha Plam, Dave Rzasa, Bud Sorenson and Chris Wand. Also judging were Leeds alums Eric Gricus, Mark Haeg, Rick Silva, Kate Tallman and Jake Van Kessel who were joined by business colleagues Camberly Bates and Chris Morley.
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, a top 20 nationally ranked program, supports entrepreneurship studies at the graduate and undergraduate levels to maximize learning opportunities for entrepreneurially inclined students.
Castle Country Assisted Living was named “2009 Best of the Best” by the Assisted Living Federation of America.
Castle Country Assisted Living is a nonprofit company with three local assisted living communities, Cantril House at 221 Cantril St. in Castle Rock, Valley House at 255 S. Valley Drive in Castle Rock and Victorian House at 19600 Victorian Dr. in Parker. Castle Country was one of only 15 communities nationwide selected for this honor, the only nonprofit community selected and the only Colorado community to ever receive this prestigious national award.
ALFA’s annual Best of the Best Awards recognize senior living companies for the most innovative operational excellence strategies in the past year. Awards are given in operational excellence, resident services, human resources, and sales and marketing. Castle Country Assisted Living was one of four winners in the operational excellence category. This year’s Best of the Best Awards competition received the most submissions since the program’s debut three years ago.
About Castle Country Assisted Living
Castle Country Assisted Living, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, serving seniors in Douglas County since 1989. The first organization of its kind in Douglas County, Castle Country Assisted Living is committed to providing compassionate care and supportive assisted living communities for seniors, including those with limited incomes. For more information about Castle Country Assisted Living, call 303-688-5365 or visit www.castlecountryassistedliving.org.
EthicsGame, a developer of real-world ethics tools and training, has named Kathy Kelly and Joie Thorne Jensen as new managers of integrated sales. They will be responsible for expanding the sales of EthicsGame’s portfolio of decision-making tools and customized and on-site ethics training into academia, business, leadership, healthcare and other target markets.
Kathy Kelly brings to EthicsGame over 20 years of experience in the consultative sales of medical devices and technology. Her experience includes sales positions at major corporations, including IVAC Corp. and Eastman Kodak. She was also the executive director of a nonprofit education foundation. She holds bachelor's degrees in business administration–marketing and psychology from the University of Oregon
Joie Thorne Jensen joined EthicsGame after 12 years of sales experience at educational publishing and eLearning companies, including as publisher representative for Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma for Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; national accounts manager for Pearson Custom Publishing; and career account manager for Delmar/Thomson Learning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication/public relations from the University of Colorado.
About EthicsGame
Headquartered in Denver, EthicsGame, LLC is a developer of a portfolio of simulations-based online courses, as well as on-site and customized training, designed to teach ethical decision-making in everyday life. EthicsGame’s unique offerings are widely used in academia, business, leadership, healthcare and other markets. EthicsGame was founded in 2004 by Catharyn A. Baird JD. Based on her pioneering work in business ethics, Baird became the first woman to receive the title of full professor in the Division of Business at Regis University. Visit www.ethicsgame.com for more information.
First Western Financial's wholly-owned investment advisor has acquired the investment advisory business of GKM Advisers, LLC, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm.
An independent, fee-based investment adviser, GKM provides investment management services to high net worth individuals, pension funds, and foundations. In addition to discretionary accounts, GKM Advisers serves as investment adviser to the GKM Growth Fund reported $353 million in total assets under management as of the transaction's closing.
Originally formed in January of 2000 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gerard Klauer Mattison, GKM has been independent since July 2003.
Consistent with First Western's strategy, GKM will adopt the First Western name, and the existing staff will remain in place. The GKM investment team will continue to provide wealth management to high net worth individuals, pension funds and foundations.
For First Western, the addition of GKM represents an opportunity to extend its investment management and wealth planning services to California's affluent investors. Last year, Denver-headquartered First Western purchased Financial Management Advisors, LLC and Ryder, Stilwell Incorporated, both Los Angeles-based registered investment advisors.
Following the acquisition of GKM, First Western has over $2.5 billion in assets under management and approximately $475 million in consolidated assets, with locations in Colorado, Arizona, and California. First Western plans on continued expansion within Los Angeles, and throughout California and the western U.S.
About First Western Financial, Inc.
First Western Financial, Inc. is the holding company of First Western Trust Bank and First Western Investment Management. First Western Trust Bank is a private bank for the Western wealth management company providing comprehensive tailored solutions in the areas of wealth planning, private banking, investment management and trust services. With $2.5 billion in assets under management, FWF was recently ranked as one of Inc. 500's fastest growing private companies in the United States and the fastest growing bank/ bank holding institution in the country. Built specifically for the new economies of the West, the firm has First Western offices in Arizona, California, and Colorado. For more information, visit www.fwtb.com or call 303-531-8100.
TranslationLinks has received the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce 2009 Minority Business of the Year award.
About TranslationLinks
By leveraging language and technology, TranslationLinks offers a full range of customizable language services and solutions. TranslationLinks provides services including translation, interpretation, conference equipment, multilingual DTP, transcription, voice-over & subtitling, language testing and multicultural marketing.
VisionTEK, a mobile applications software provider for law enforcement, will exhibit at the 33rd Annual IACP Law Enforcement Information Management Section Training Conference and Expo, May 19–21.
VisionTEK will demonstrate their advanced FrontLine Handheld Mobile Reporting and FrontLine Mobile Applications software at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas.
The FrontLine Handheld Mobile Reporting System provides law enforcement agencies with a tool to create their own custom reports and query form types. It provides them the power to develop their own mobile field reporting applications and mobile data queries to local, state and national databases; and to make changes on demand.
About VisionTEK
Since 1993, VisionTEK has provided public safety software solutions to law enforcement and public safety agencies across the nation. VisionTEK specializes in mobile data software; field based reporting, messaging, and mobile CAD solutions for law enforcement. Solutions run on both handheld and mobile data computer platforms and are designed to cost-effectively enable real-time information sharing within or across jurisdictional boundaries via wireless and wired networks. VisionTEK solutions are deployed in over 200 public safety and law enforcement agencies.
Anne McGregor Parsons, a Denver-based associate of the Wyoming/Colorado boutique public relations firm WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations has won an award in the Best Travel, Hospitality & Destinations Campaign category from the 2009 Bulldog Awards.
McGregor Parsons, based at the company’s Denver satellite office, wrote the winning campaign, “The Country’s Newest Ecolodge: The Lodge at Sun Ranch.””The national awards competition is sponsored by Bulldog Reporter, which provides media news and intelligence for the public relations industry.
WordenGroup’s award-winning campaign was created in 2008 for the debut of the Lodge at Sun Ranch in Cameron, Mont. The multi-faceted public relations campaign positioned the lodge as a rare example of a true U.S. ecolodge.
About WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations
WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations is a boutique public relations firm representing companies in hospitality, tourism, ecotourism and architecture—many with eco-friendly components. Based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., the firm also has associates in Denver, Colo. Visit www.wordenpr.com or the company blog at http://prcred.wordpress.com.
Denver-based international consulting and engineering company ARCADIS has launched the ARCADIS Women’s Network, a grassroots initiative to help ARCADIS female employees establish successful professional relationships and share their resources, ideas, and experience.
The key missions of the Women’s Network include fostering a high-performing, inclusive workforce, promoting career equality, assisting with career development and making ARCADIS the employer of choice for talented women professionals.
The Women’s Network combines traditional networking elements such as seminars and conferences with social media initiatives like LinkedIn, Facebook, webinars and more. Monthly Women’s Network webcasts provide updates, networking information and tips. As a multidisciplinary social network, the ARCADIS initiative seeks to involve the members of professional organizations for engineers, scientists, and other specialized professionals, as well as diversity associations and local community groups.
The network is open to all employees of ARCADIS, including both men and women, who join by registering online and creating a personal profile.
About ARCADIS
ARCADIS is an international company providing consultancy, engineering and management services in infrastructure, environment and buildings, to enhance mobility, sustainability and quality of life. ARCADIS develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. With more than 14,000 employees and more than $2 billion in gross revenue, the company has an extensive international network that is supported by strong local market positions.
Englewood-based TeleTech was listed at No. 39 on the 2009 Global Outsourcing List. Evaluated on four key characteristics: customer experience, size and growth, depth and breadth of organizational competencies and management capacities, TeleTech was the only Colorado outsourcing company to make the list. The 2009 Global Outsourcing List is an independently-judged ranking of the world's best outsourcing service providers.
TeleTech was also recognized as a leader serving the telecommunications, technology and financial services industries and a top provider of customer relationship management, sales and transaction processing services. They manage more than 3.5 million customer interactions daily, helping companies expand their capabilites, increase operating efficiencies and improve their customers' experiences.
For more information about TeleTech, visit http://www.teletech.com.
Freedom Service Dogs , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit oganization that rescues dogs from shelters, custom trains them and provides them for service to people with disabilities, has been selected by Denver's Cranum studio as its charity of choice to receive a complete brand research, development and marketing plan at no cost. A project of this magnitude is often beyond the budgetry means of a nonprofit the size of Freedom Service Dogs.
Based in Englewood, Colorado, FSD was founded in 1987; for over 20 years, they have offered programs helping both dogs and people. Sharan Wilson, FSD executive director said the branding program will help to strategically position FSD, tell their story in a more cohesive way and generate much needed public awareness. To learn more, visit http://www.freedomservicedogs.org.
Zocalo Community Development – based in Denver – has been recognized by Environmental Defense Fund’s “Innovations Review 2009: Green Advances for a New Economy” for its solar mortgage program at RiverClay Condominiums.
Environmental Defense Fund’s report highlighted environmental innovations being made across the country that are helping companies cut costs, create business opportunities and carve out competitive advantage in a challenging economy.
Zocalo Community Development was honored for its mortgage program at RiverClay: a program that boosts sales by offering homebuyers lower interest rates if the elect to buy condominiums equipped with solar panels.
About Zocalo Community Development
ZCD focuses on building sustainably-designed and constructed multi-family and mixed-use projects. For more information visit http://www.zocalodevelopment.com.
About Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund is a leading national nonprofit organization, founded in 1967, which represents more than 500,000 members. It links science, economics, law and private sector partnerships to create solutions to serious environmental problems. For more information visit http://www.edf.org.
ExpecTees, a Denver-based T-shirt company, has announced it will expand a line of maternity shirts designed to last from the early stages of pregnancy through the transitional months following birth.
Tough economic times result in an increased number of people staying at home; and an increased number of people staying at home often results in more pregnancies, according to ExpecTees owner Carrie Alleman.
ExpecTees t-shirts sell at retail prices of $30 to $36, plus shipping. The shirts display sayings such as “Practice makes Pregnant,” “May Contain Nuts” and “What Happens in Vegas Doesn’t Always Stay in Vegas.” For more information visit http://www.expectees.com.
A partnership between McGraw-Hill Higher Education and Denver-based Hands-On Labs, Inc will soon result in a series of high quality, academically aligned take-home laboratory kits for students.
Due to rising tuition rates and the increasing costs associated with maintaining on campus labs, many students and educators are looking for effective alternatives. To address this need, McGraw-Hill science curricula will be combined with HOL-produced LabPaqs® to create a product package capable of allowing students to perform genuine science experiments outside of the traditional classroom. Instructors will be able to customize their lab kit so that it adheres exactly to the content of their course.
About Hands-On Labs, Inc.
HOL, Inc. designs, develops, produces and distributes LabPaqs, which are unique collections of science materials that allow college and high school students to safely and effectively perform course-specific laboratory assignments from anywhere. For more information visit http://www.labpaq.com.
About McGraw-Hill Higher Education
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, which is a leading provider of teaching and learning solutions for post-secondary and higher education markets worldwide. For more information visit http://www.mheducation.com.
Denver-based Inter-Global Exhibitions took home three top honors at Exhibitor2009 and the MOD Awards last month in Las Vegas.
The Third Annual MOD Awards honored the best portable modular designs of the past year for trade shows, events, indoor, outdoor, retail and museums. Inter-Global Exhibitions was selected as a finalist for its Toyota exhibit at the Jeddah Motor Show. The same exhibition won Inter-Global Exhibitions the Best 20x20 prize, as decided by the audience, at Exhibitor2009.
About Inter-Global Exhibitions
Founded in 1994, Inter-Global Exhibitions provides companies complete exhibit solutions. It serves clients in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Governor Bill Ritter’s Renewable Energy Technology Program is beginning to show signs of success, as many renewable energy and clean technology companies have sprouted in Colorado and are starting to make impacts on the global market.
State economic development grants, the Governor’s Energy Office and the Boulder Innovation Center’s Energy Program have all collaborated to generate a highly favorable renewable energy setting here in Colorado. Dozens of promising start-up companies have entered the RE market in just the last year, according to BIC Executive Director Tim Bour.
One of the big hurdles in renewables is transferring the knowledge derived from the laboratory into a successful business venture. Grants awarded to the BIC via the Governor’s Energy Office, the Office of Economic Development & International Trade and New Energy Economic Development have made this possible.
About the Boulder Innovation Center
The BIC is one of the nation’s top entrepreneurial support organizations. Located in the University of Colorado-Boulder, the BIC specializes in blending the resources of business and academia to optimize opportunities for the companies of the future. For more information visit http://www.boulderinnovationcenter.com.
Denver-based TeleTech (SASDAQ: TTEC), a global business processing outsourcing corporation, has selected SSA Public Relations, also based in Denver, as its agency of record.
SSA will provide domestic and international communications services for TeleTech, which specializes in helping companies target, acquire, retain and grow key customer segments. TeleTech also offers enterprise management programs, offering cost-effective management of numerous business operations.
About SSA Public Relations
SSA Public Relations was founded in 1998, and focuses on the integration of traditional media relations – such as press releases and personal communications – with modern social media – such as Internet communications. SSA has offices in Denver and Phoenix. For more information visit http://www.gotossa.com.
About TeleTech
TeleTech is a valued partner for clients that include Global 1,000 businesses and governments. The company was founded in 1982 by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth D. Tuchman.
Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects was awarded a Citation in Modernization by the General Services Administration for the renovation of the Byron Rogers U.S. Courthouse in Denver.
The Courthouse renovation was one of the first 50 projects designated for the pilot project for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings program. The GSA honors projects that contain examples of integrated work, and projects are chosen not only on the basis of architectural design, but also the integration of design, art and construction. The biennial awards are given to those projects deemed “the best of the best” of GSA’s work.
Martha Bennett, FAIA and Linda Wagner, AIA, attended the awards ceremony on March 19 in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington, D.C.
Bennett Wagner & Grody has also been recognized for work on the Courthouse project with a GSA Environmental Award, recognizing the project’s dedication to the environment through energy/water savings and renewable energy use. AIA Denver bestowed the 2006 Award of Recognition for the integration of sustainability and design excellence as well.
Commencing in 2002, the Byron Rogers U.S. Courthouse underwent a complete renovation of its 260,000 square feet. The new design introduced programmatic improvements and a more synergistic use of space. Design opportunities created by the modernization work resulted in significant functional and aesthetic improvements. This design included new public entry, lobby, courtrooms, jury rooms, judge’s chambers, marshal quarters, grand jury spaces, witness rooms, library and total mechanical, security and technology upgrades.
About Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects
Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects is a professional corporation specializing in public-sector planning and design throughout the Rocky Mountain West. The firm has demonstrated knowledge of the use and location of key green and sustainable design resources and tools. The firm is committed to and has a history of providing sustainable design services and expertise using technologies that are healthy, comfortable, energy efficient, and that help preserve and restore our natural environment for future generations. http://www.bwgarchitects.com/
Adventos LLC, a technology consulting firm that helps organizations achieve higher levels of business and client staff effectiveness, is pleased to announce that, in partnership with Microsoft, it has launched the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Catalyst Live Workshops program. This offering reflects Adventos’ industry-leading training and solution delivery expertise and deep commitment to Microsoft technologies.
The ALM Catalyst Live Workshops are free to attend and available on a weekly basis at http://www.almcatalyst.com. They are specifically designed to help teams of all sizes understand and implement Team Foundation Server (TFS) to help simplify and accelerate the software development process so they can create higher-quality, applause-generating software — with less time and stress.
About Adventos
Adventos LLC is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Gold Certified Partner for Learning Solutions and a technical advisory firm with expertise in Microsoft products and solutions. Since its founding, Adventos has prioritized client staff effectiveness and education alongside technical implementation assistance.
Local iPhone and tech developer Joe Keeley has joined forces with Pandas International in an effort to reach a broader global audience and provide an additional avenue of non-profit promotion and funding through the development of his new Panda Puzzle iPhone application.
Driving the development of the Panda Puzzle was Joe’s trip with his family to China during the devastating earthquake in May 2008. “We promised our two-year old daughter, Audrey, that she would be able to see the pandas while we were there,” says Joe. “We were all concerned about their livelihood – it was clear that with all the death and destruction, the pandas and institutes supporting them would be very low on the list for receiving aid.”
With a background in corporate systems development and integration, Joe set out to create a fun, easy-to-use and simple game that would provide him useful experience developing iPhone applications. Given the success of the App Store since the software development kit was opened to outside developers, Joe wanted to leverage this opportunity with the ability to provide charitable organizations an innovative method for reaching their audiences.
It is with this goal in mind, along with his desire to do something more for the earthquake victims in China, that led Joe to Pandas International, a Denver-based non-profit organization formed to ensure the preservation and propagation of the Giant Panda.
The Panda Puzzle aims to inspire similar organizations to embrace the capabilities of this technology and create unique and valuable applications that lend themselves to greater, more community-oriented goals than profitability alone.
For additional information on the Panda Puzzle visit http://www.explore-systems.com. For more information on how to donate directly to Pandas International, visit http://www.pandasinternational.org.
Kuni Honda has launched a new website that lets visitors get the “best offer” on a specific car without divulging their personal information. After a potential buyer gets Kuni Honda’s quote on a specific new or used vehicle, they can figure out actual payments and compare purchase payments versus lease payments in realtime.
Kuni Honda website will also feature a section called, “Kuni TV,” containing more than 100 videos; included are videos about each of Honda’s ten different models and customer testimonials. For more information about Kuni Honda, please visit http://www.kuni-honda.com.
Firestorm Franchising LLC has announced it is accepting applications for business continuity planning and consulting franchises. Franchisees will be able to utilize all capabilities and services of Firestorm including the Firestorm name and trademark; operational methodology including plans, policies, procedures and training, as well as access to its staff, expert council and online resource center.
Franchises will be awarded only to those individuals who can demonstrate senior leadership expertise, problem-solving skills, a commitment to help others and a desire to build a business based on a “culture of preparedness.’’
Among the distinguished members of Firestorm Solutions’ expert council is Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré (U.S. Army, ret.). He was widely praised for restoring direction and effectiveness to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. He has devoted his post-military career to bringing a “culture of preparedness” to America and believes a business-oriented approach is required to accomplish the mission.
For more information and a complete list of the states in which franchises are currently available, visit http://www.firestorm.com.
Westside Cycling, one of the oldest bicycle dealers in Colorado, has expanded and updated its Denver store.
Inspired by its 54th anniversary as an independent bicycle dealer, Westside Cycling will feature a spring anniversary event with ten days of store tours, sales, clinics and parties April 17 through April 26.
About Westside Cycling
Westside Cycling is a full service bike shop for cyclists of every age, fitness level and cycling interest. In business since 1955, Westside offers a hand-picked selection of bikes, accessories and apparel from leading brands such as Giant, Specialized, Haro, Sun, Shimano, Pearl Izumi and many more. The store improvements, made by a new ownership group led by Michael Gibson (an avid cyclist and successful bicycle retailer), hopes to continue Westside Cycling’s ongoing commitment to serve and expand Colorado’s unique cycling community. Visit them online at http://www.WestsideCycling.com to see a schedule of events or in person at 7310 W. Colfax Ave.
Employer Solutions Group, a human resources outsourcing company, has launched a new partnership with Renaissance Insurance Group. ESG clients will benefit from the arrangement, which gives them access to cost-effective workers' compensation insurance through Renaissance.
ESG’s plan allows clients to manage their money throughout the year, thanks to a unique payment model. Ryan Hicks, co-owner at Renaissance said workers' compensation premiums are usually based on projected annual payroll at the time of the last renewal and paid for in nine even installments. Businesses pay premiums on these projected payrolls and after the expiration of the policy, they either receive money back or pay additional premiums as a result of a premium audit.
However, under the plan provided to ESG clients, businesses will instead pay premium based on actual monthly payroll. This is particularly beneficial to seasonal businesses who may have drastic changes in payroll from month to month. It can help any type of business manage cash flow, since funds are not tied up in premiums that are not accurate. This can be a huge cash flow issue for the policy holder.
For more information, call (970) 612-2022 or visit http://www.esghr.com; or for more information on Renaissance Insurance Group, visit http://www.reninsurance.com.
CSIA, Colorado’s Technology Association, is seeking nominations for the 2009 APEX Awards. All technology people and companies are eligible to be nominated, and the forms can be accessed at www.coloradotechnology.org. There is no cost to nominate, and companies and professionals are encouraged to self-nominate or nominate other companies, colleagues or clients.
Since the program’s inception in 2000, the CSIA Apex Awards have expressed well-deserved recognition for the numerous technical advancements produced in Colorado. Presented in six categories, the awards celebrate outstanding support, unique innovations and noteworthy community contributions on the part of the people and companies operating within Colorado’s technology industry. Past notable award recipients include ViaWest, Envysion, EventVue, Webroot, Interlink Group/EMC, Integro, Statera, Confio, eCollege, Xcel’s Energy Utility Innovations Team, IHS, Brad Feld (Foundry Group), John Street (MX Logic) Bob Newman (Founder, CSIA), Spiremedia and Qwest.
The 2009 APEX corporate categories are:
Titan of Technology | Outstanding Tech Company of the Year | Most Innovative Technology Product | Distinguished Professional Services | CleanTech Innovation | Rookie of the Year
The 2009 APEX individual categories are:
Bob Newman Lifetime Achievement | Chief Tech Executive of the Year | Get IT Done | Top Tech Teacher | CSIA Champion of the Year
