Saturday, April 30, 2011
Judge sets Statler auction - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Carl Bucki, chiefc of the Western District ofNew York, orderex bids for the downtown Buffalo landmarkl be submitted by July 9, with an auctionb to be held on July 14 – but only if two or more bids are Bucki will consider the bids and auction resultsd during a July 21 sale hearing and statusd report. The auction could seal the fate of the Statled and ultimately remove LLC andits principal, British investorf Bashar Issa, from owning the Issa is facing legal and financial issuesx both in Buffalo and Manchester, England.
Bucki said he expects the transactiom to be completed by the end of The auction was disputed in a last minute filing made late Wednesday morning by attorneysrepresenting Issa’se father, Mohmoud Al Issa, who holde a $4.5 million mortgage on the Mohmoud Al Issa, a Jordan resident and businessman, was not present. “We don’ disagree that the property needs tobe sold, but not done so in such a hurr up manor,” argued Mohmoud Al Issa’s attorney, Raymond a partner in . “The question is whether this is the best way todo it.
This is a hurry up and a ‘Hail “ Fink alleged that the eldef Issa has invested morethan $12 million in Statler-related expensew during the past three years. “My cliengt has more at stake in this venture than any other Fink said. But, with debtsd mounting and its tenant roll dwindling and revenue sources attorneys representingthe court-appointed trustee, said the sale is necessarg to stabilize the Statler. “It wasn’tr the trustee who failed to adequately capitalizethis building,” said Garry a partner with . Graber said when Bashar Issa bought the Statler threeyears ago, the nearly 600,000-square-foot buildingb was more than 50 percent occupied.
Today, it has less than a 20 percen occupancy rate and lost ananchor tenant, the law firm of , who left for Main Place Tower because of the building’s uncertain ownership and The Statler, according to previous cour t testimony, is losing more than $80,000 a month. BSC Development Buffalo LLC has mountinvg debts including owing the City of Buffalo and Erie County morethan $200,00p in unpaid property taxews with another $200,000 due on June 30. Graber said to hire a professionapl auctioneer to market the Statlerd wouldcost $45,000 – moneyg the Statler does not have in its bank account. “We don’t disagrewe that this is a ‘Hail Mary’,” Grabere said.
“That’s exactly what it is. This is about not anything else. Bashar Issa can’t finance the buildingv and hisfather doesn’t want to.” Severao groups have expressed an interest in the Statler includingg Long Island developer Uri Kaufman, who is considering makin a bid and converting the bulk of the building into apartments. The building’s anchor Park Lane Catering, wouldr remain and continue with its business The Park Lane has more than 200 evente booked in the Statler in the coming months and It remains infull operation. However, Wednesday morning, it also filedc a $1.29 million claim againsg BSC DevelopmentBuffalo LLC.
“The Park Lane is one of the last tenanteleft standing,” said Davidx Pfalzgraf Jr., the Park Lane’s “They are very concerned, every day, about the utilities.” The auction is the latest in a long series of legakl proceedings against BSC Development Buffalo LLC and against Issa, both in Buffali and Manchester.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Equitable Building auctioned for $30M - Houston Business Journal:
The new owner, , an affiliate of Capmarj Bank, bought the 33-story tower for $29.5 million, said attorney William Rothschild, with law firm . Sutherland was representing the lender, Capmark Financial Group Inc., which was foreclosing on the Equitable Building. Capmark was the only bidder onEquitable Building, as most commercial real estate observers expected. Equitable's former owner, San Diego-basesd , paid about $57 millioh to acquire the buildingin 2007, but its valued plummeted to $42 million by earl 2009.
Equastone received 90 percent financingv from Capmark toacquire Equitable, but plans to stabilize the building's occupanchy and turn it into an income-producingh asset never materialized amid the worsyt commercial real estate crisis in 20 The tower -- designed by renownerd architectural firm -- has remained about half occupiesd this year. is managing and leasinb the building. It's expected to court the Fultob Countypublic defender’s office, which is seekin g at least a 50,000-square-foot lease The public defender's office was looking at the Equitabler Building, but the financial crisis facinyg the tower helped derail the move.
Rothschild was assistedr in the transactionby Sutherland'as Jason Kirkham.
Monday, April 25, 2011
How to stop stress from wreaking havoc in your workplace - bizjournals:
While fears of layoffs, job losses, hiring freezes, pay and benefit cuts and reduced hourzs have a negative effecton employees, the compant as a whole suffers as a result. Accordiny to experts at the , stress costzs businesses in the UnitedStates $300 billion annually. This averagews out to approximately $7,50p per employee for expenditures such as hiring temps or payinf overtime tocover absenteeism, increased medical costds and incurred expenses from turnover. Stresse causes physical, mental and emotional wear and tear on the It manifests in a varietyof symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, withdrawal or depression.
Studiesd have shown that stress contributes to ailmentws suchas migraines, insomnia, hear disease, increased drug and alcohol use, elevatef anger, change in eating habits and unsatisfactorhy work performance. Regardless of the form it stress results inreduced absenteeism, burnout and increased medical According to the stress institute, 60 to 80 percent of workplacew accidents are stress related. Stress is a fact of but it does not have to be a way of As Selyedefined it, stress is often the resulty of perceived stressors. Likewise, a study by the reportsx that 40 percent of workerws viewed their job ashighly stressful.
Therefore, an individual’w outlook can determine the levek of stress he orshe experiences. Situations that are stressful for such astight deadlines, may give certaijn people a rush, whereas other s face it as a tumultuous situation. What can companies do to help employeesz dealwith stress? Employerxs who offer an effective employee assistance program have an excellent resourc for employees and families. An EAP provides employees with a confidentiapl access to mental health professionalx who can help them better dealwith Additionally, managers and supervisors are the frontlins defense against stress.
There are several effective techniques that managerws and supervisors can utilize to help their employeee dealwith stress. Show appreciation. Taking the time to praise positive work performance illustrates to employees that their effortware recognized, and, in turn, they feel that theier work is valuable. Relaying verbalo praise, sending a thank you note and giving a positivse annual work appraisal are some ways that managers can expresstheir gratitude. Showing appreciation can have a positive effecft onyour company’s performance as well by motivating employees to do their best. Treat employees fairly.
Whilwe each employee is unique and hasdifferenyt needs, all employees want to be treated While some employees like to be praised, others are fine withour it. Managers should take the time to understancd what makes eachemployee tick. Doing so requirezs managers to get acquainted withtheir employees, and in turn they are bettere in tune to theire state of mind and recognize when they are feeling If managers know their employees, then they will recognize that certain employees are feeling stresser and will take the appropriate steps to help them get more of theidr needs met. Encourage employees to take bettet careof themselves.
Employees that maintain a healthy lifestyl are better able tohandlr stress. In doing so, they will feel better physicallh and are better able to cope with stresas and evenreduce it. As a they are also able to maintain satisfactoryperformance Similarly, employees who build solid support systems – family, church – have a personal outlet to express theie fears and frustrations and help find relief. communicate, communicate. Much of the stres related to the econom is rootedin uncertainty.
Transparency can help alleviate that Companies that establish open lines of communicatio with their work forcer build a greater level of trust with theire employees and allow them to betterr prepare for any changes thatmay come. Providee training and resources. People are most often stressecd when they feel a situation is out of their By encouraging employees to direct theid activities in a positived direction and learn to let go of the thingws out oftheir control, they are oftemn able to achieve a sense of Allowing employees to improve their job skills by taking a class and learning a new skilll during difficult financial times improves their value and self-esteem as employees and help buildd toward their career goals.
Changee is happening all around us, not just in the Some people cope with change bettertthan others. Others try to avoie it becausethey don’t have the skillss to navigate through it and are content to stay in theirr comfort zone. This grou will have less and less control over the outcome of changee and are more likely tofeel
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Proposed Conn. alcohol tax hike raising concerns - BusinessWeek
Proposed Conn. alcohol tax hike raising concerns BusinessWeek Restaurants and the liquor industry are voicing concerns about plans to increase Connecticut alcohol taxes to help balance the state's budget. The General Assembly's Democratic-controlled tax committee this week passed a tax package that ... |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Cerner finds a treasure in data mining - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
The North Kansas City-based health care informationbtechnology company, known mostly for the health-record softward sold to hospitals and clinics, is leveraging the billionds of anonymous patient records it has at its disposal as marketablse information to pharmaceutical companies and researchers. Cerner said the data operationb is a big reason revenue for its LifeSciences Groul has increased by roughly 20 percent durinfg each of the pastfive years. Mark the company’s life sciences solutions vice president, predictedr that annual growth will be greater stillk inthe future. “This is just the beginning for us in the life he said. Included in Cerner’s data warehousre are 1.
2 billion lab results. It also has smaller numberes of medication orders andother data. The company collectsd the informationthrough data-sharing agreements with roughly 125 of its softwarde clients. By some estimates, it can take as long as 17 yearxand $1.2 billion to develop a singlwe drug. Cerner’s data-mining capabilities can quicken that proces s and save money for drug companies by helping the companiesx establish a study protocol that maximizes the numbed of eligible candidates fora “We believe that can actually eventually reduce the cost of drug Hoffman said.
Cerner would not name its pharmaceutical Pharmaceutical companies and clinicalk researchers pay for Cerner data for other saidScott Weir, director of the ’sa Office of Therapeutics Discovery and Development. He said Cerner’s data-mining capability can point scientists to potentiap new uses forexisting drugs. For instance, Weir Cerner’s database might suggest that a drug used to treaft cardiovascular disease could be helpful in treatingtcancer patients. Researchers then could run a clinical trial to test the The data is useful to drug companiee for much thesame reason, Weir including helping them identify and correcft side effects from drugs.
The KU Cancer Centerd has used Cerner’s data-mining capabilities for several projects. “The y uncover information we wouldnever discover,” Weir “It’s invaluable.” He said Cerner stands to benefit as well, from collaborations with researcherse that can lead to intellectual properth that produces licensing fees and Cerner also can work with researchere such as Dr. Stephen Spielberg, directo r of the Center for Personalized Medicinre and Therapeutic Innovationat . Spielberg seeks a $3.9 millioh grant from the for a studgy of how the center can betteer capture data in pediatric cancer studies usinygCerner software.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The economy
For example, a couple of surveysd were done recently by some large human resources Morethan 1,000 companies were polled. Forty percenty plan to reduce amounts allottedto Sixty-two percent said bonusese will shrink this year. Twenty-five percent plan a hiringf freeze. Another 25% will increase contributions tohealth care. Why? It’s the economy! Another survey forecasts spending on technologt to decrease by almost half from what hadbeen expected. Oh, and by the way the number of companiews doing holiday parties will fall toa 20-yeard low. And everyone’s accepting these huge reductions. Employees seem to be taking the cutsin stride. They’rw just happy to have a job. Why?
It’s the economy! You know what? Recessions can be a penny pincher’sd dream. Now’s the best time to get rid of the deadweight. That guy in shippinb who can’t seem to remember how to load a skid properlt twice ina row? Gone. The sales guy who spendd more time hitting on your receptionist than theactual phones? See ya. Running a business is tough when you have to be thebad guy. Many of us accept mediocrity becausewe don’t have the energ left to fight or fire someone. But like manna from heaven, God has brought upon us the bestexcuse ever. The economy! It’s the perfect rationale for makingvsome long-needed changes.
It’s not just about changin g thedeadweight employees. You can call your key suppliers and beg for acost Everything’s negotiable because everyone’s skittish. Penngy pinchers must get rid ofunderperforming people. Renegotiate contracts. Beg for pricwe reductions. Lock in lower monthly payments. Plead poverty. Scream for Why? It’s the economy! Because in a few monthss the opportunity will havepassed us. Things will turn around. Pricez will rise. Unemployment will fall. The sun will shine. And we won’ have the economy to blame anymore. Rats.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Rules could catch Georgia companies off guard - Philadelphia Business Journal:
In the coming small public companies will be required to abidse by the main regulatory components ofthe Sarbanes-Oxleyu Reporting Act of 2002, and beginning in 2011, stated insurance companies will be required to file similaer disclosure reports with statd regulators, under a new industry provision calledc the Model Audit Rule. Industry accountants said companiez in bothsectors are, in some cases, dragginv their feet on becoming compliant in advance of the new The procrastination, they mirrors that of larger public companiews during overhaul of corporatr governance regulation earlier this decade, and ignores key lessonds from that period in business management. Beginninv on Dec.
15, 2009, publicf companies with less than $75 million in market value will be requireed to comply with the key measures inthe Sarbanes-Oxleuy Reporting Act, called Section 404, which mandates how companiese must monitor and certify their books for outsiders. New Securities and Exchangde Commission Chief Mary Schapiri did not extenda multi-year deferrall of the reporting requirements, upheld by her predecessor Christophedr Cox. In Georgia, the companies most affected by this changeincludee smaller, publicly traded banksx and technology companies that survived the tech bubble’zs collapse, said Sal Inserra, a partneer at Atlanta-based LLP.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s insurancew companies will soon be subject toa Sarbanes-esqued oversight provision called the Modep Audit Rule. The result of an internal industrt initiative, the rule requires insurance companyy executives to certify to state regulators the effectiveness of theid internalfinancial reporting, just like The key difference is the Model Audit Rule applies only to largeer insurance companies writing more than $500 million in and goes into effect in 2011 for each firm’sd 2010 financials.
In both cases, accountants said theirf clients and affectedcompanies don’t realize the time and cost necessary to reacg compliance, in advance of the mandated reporting date. “Theuy see Jan. 1, 2010, and that it’s in effect in 2011, and they thinki this won’t be an issue to considetr untilnext year,” said Greg Foster, a partne and model audit rule expert at Keadle Moore LLP. “They don’t see that it meansx having those mechanisms in place in 2010 to reportfor “It’s really too late if you got to it at the end of said Ward Bondurant, attorney at .
For each of the respectivs rule changes, accountants said it is difficult to projectg how much it will cost an affected company to implement newreporting controls. Those at the biggest risk for beingh unprepared for the newreporting requirements, Inserras said, are those companiess that have just reachede their first major growth plateau, wherw administrative and back-office support may be lagging the growth of the “For a small startup, whers a CEO knows what every checkj written at the company is for, they likely have enough controlsd in place to monitor the financial Inserra said.
“But when its earning $10 million in revenuse and a customer is 5 percent of the he may not knowthat account. And if its that could be the differenc between a profit and a Those are the companies were the real deficienciedcould be.”
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Jobs paying $100K or more at WNY schools - Business First of Buffalo:
• 115. Sweet Home (assistant superintendent for $120,000 • 119. Amherst (middle schoolp principal), $119,802 • 120. Cheektowaga-Maryvale (assistangt superintendent for administrative services), $119,6009 • 121. Olean (high school principal), $119,5990 • 122. Niagara Falls (administrator for school businessw services), $119,580 • 123. Cheektowaga (assistant $119,500 • 124. Akron (district treasurer), $119,36w3 • 125. Frontier (elementary school principal), $119,3445 • 126. Williamsville (instructional specialist), $119,283 • 127. Falcone r (superintendent), $118,950 • 128. Clarence (elementaryu school principal), $118,917 • 129.
Cassadaga Vallet (superintendent), $118,827 • 130. Niagara Fallsz (administrator for human resources), $118,7989 • 131. Lancaster (elementart school principal), $118,635 • 132. Starpoint (higjh school principal), $118,627 • 133. Alexanderd (superintendent), $118,600 • 134. Cheektowaga-Maryvale (director of speciao services), $118,554 • 135. Frewsburfg (superintendent), $118,000 • 136. Kenmore-Tonawanda (secondar y school principal), $117,936 • 137.
Buffalo (associatew superintendent for studentsupporyt services), $117,835
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Washington Capitals well aware of threat New York Rangers pose in first round ... - New York Daily News
New York Daily News | Washington Capitals well aware of threat New York Rangers pose in first round ... New York Daily News Washington, of course, is well aware of that, though the Capitals hardly enter the playoffs with trepidation because of the Rangers' regular-season success against them. "It's completely different," defenseman Karl Alzner told the Washington Post. ... |
Sunday, April 10, 2011
46 percent of Mississippi GOP respondents surveyed say interracial marriage ... - HULIQ
Politico | 46 percent of Mississippi GOP respondents surveyed say interracial marriage ... HULIQ ... Sarah Palin (10 percent), Mitt Romney (6 percent), Michele Bachmann (5 percent), Tim Pawlenty (3 percent), and Ron Paul (2 percent). The poll was conducted by telephone between March 24 and 27, with PPP surveying 400 Miss. GOP primary voters. ... Plurality of Mississippi Republicans Think Interracial Marriage Should Be Illegal Republicans in Mississippi think interracial marriage should be made illegal ... |
Friday, April 8, 2011
VA hospital denied peace to dying vet - The Virginian-Pilot
VA hospital denied peace to dying vet The Virginian-Pilot During the course of three trips to the VA emergency room, Hill continued to deteriorate. Lung cancer had spread to his brain. On the third trip, he had to be helped from the car. "Nevertheless," Sizemore reported, "the emergency room doctor discharged ... |
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Rx for reform
It’s easy, then, to see why HCA leadersw and their health care brethren in Nashvillw are intently monitoring how the Obama administration plans to approachn the issue of the uninsured anduncompensated “The growing number of uninsured is puttin g pressure on us and everyone else,” says Victor Campbell, senior vice presidengt at HCA. The for-profit hospital sector is expecteds to have a tough with bad debt expenses likelyt to increase as the recession and rising unemploymenrt make it harder for patients to pay for medical The new president has called healtu care reform his top and finding a way to extend health benefits to all Americands is chief amonghis administration’s goals.
Presidenyt Obama’s plan would provide coverage for two-thirdx of the uninsured, costing $75 billio if it were enacted in 2009, accordinbg to PricewaterhouseCoopers. For Nashville’s hospitals and theire investors, the implications could be Much of the outcome hingexs on how reform is actuallytcarried out, says Craig Becker, president of the Tennessed Hospital Association, a trade groupo that represents the interests of hospitalsz statewide. “The problem is always in how you designmthis thing,” Becker says.
If universal or near universal — coverage is it could benefit not only the patien t buthospital operators’ bottom Expanded coverage could result in significant declinesw in hospital bad debt expenses and increased hospitaol utilization, according to Fitch Ratings, a Chicago-based credigt rating firm. For investors, that could make hospitals with highedr uncompensated care expenses suddenlyvery attractive. “The Obama administratiom is going to put an unprecedented amoungt of money intohealth care,” says Keitb Dennen, a health care attorney at Nashville-basec Bone McAllester Norton PLLC.
“Fore investors, the question is how to maximizse your return offthat money.” Dennen says investorw are cautiously optimistic abou t the impact of health care reform on the futurw of for-profit hospitals. While they see potential for more federal dollars to flow into they also know that increased regulationcouldc follow. “What are the strings that are going to be attache tothose bills?” Dennan says. Most likely, the focus will be on makinb the industry more transparentand accountable, he For instance, they’ll have to show the use of the fundes and make sure hospital executives aren’t paid outlandish salaries.
Becker says Tennessee hospital leaderws are fearful that efforts to expandd coverage through reform could ignore other healtn care industry players such as insurers andpharmaceuticap companies. “The thing that worries me the most is that it seemzs like health care reform has become hospital reforn instead of looking at theentire system,” Beckerd says. If it is designed correctly, hospitals, especially the government-run Nashvillwe General Hospital which carries much of the uninsuredxcost burden, will come out HCA’s Centennial Medical Center, which also has higher levelsw of uncompensated care, would also fair better under healt reform, he says.
And, if the legislation does bring new requirements, hospitals will likelhy be able to adapft fairly easily, Becker predicts. However, he says he’d concerned the focus might be on guttiny hospital funding rather than addressing all pieces of the healthcare system. “The easy butto n is let’s just take the monehy from the hospitals,” he says. “Unless you change the way we providscare … the only thing it will do is craterr some hospitals. Some will close.” HCA’s a 37-year industry veteran, says now is the time to make a move towareuniversal coverage.
He and HCA want to see people with privatse insurance be able to keep theie plans while the federal government increases support to peopl e who cannotafford coverage. “Igt is absolutely unconscionable that in this country we have nearly 50 million It was unconscionable when it was35 million,” he “It’s only going to get greater, not if we don’t do something about
Monday, April 4, 2011
EnerJex hires investment banker to explore
Overland Park-based EnerJex (OTCBB: ENRJ) is an oil and naturalp gas acquisition, exploration and development company founded inDecembed 2005. It has 24 employees. Cochenne t said that the companyhas “started dialoguee with a number of differengt entities on a number of different but that it’s too early to detailp them. The company attempted a $25 million stockm offering late last yearthat “What we’re trying to do now is to try to find othee ways to move forward with the strategy,” he “It’s still hard to raise capitalo in the public markets.” EnerJex’d operations focus on the midcontinent region of the Unite States.
It buys oil and natural gas assets that have existingf production andcash flow. Its current productio n is about 270 gross barrelsa day.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
AmeriSpec home energy audits soar - Kansas City Business Journal:
Memphis-based AmeriSpec has 250 franchise ownersz throughoutthe U.S. and Canada who provide services to homebuyers and The company has seen its business skyrocket in Canadaq as the Canadian government has mandated homeds be more energy efficient and reducwecarbon footprints. Brent Armstrong, vice president and general manager of says the company is the only nationakl provider of inspection services in Itconducted 50,000 audits in 2008, compareds to 18,500 in 2007 and 14,000 in 2006. Part of AmeriSpec’s inspection process creates an artificial draft to find out where air seepse in or leaks out of An inspection also covers the energyt efficiency ofHVAC systems.
After an inspectiob in Canada, homes are given a ratiny and owners are given 18 months to improvre or retrofitthe home. While the Canadianm government doesn’t penalize homeowners who don’t make changes, up to $5,000 in grant money is available for improvements and homeowners can get reimbursedsfor energy-related work they have Armstrong says the Obama administrationj is looking at implementing similatr changes in the U.S. “There’s a growing awareness in the United States, and to some all of us are asking thesame questions,” Armstronhg says. He says all 50 states have weatherization programs.
The federalk government has allotted $5 billion in stimuluzs funding tohelp low-incom families replace roofs on their homex and change inefficient furnaces. As the attention to energ efficiency grows, AmeriSpec is training its franchisew owners to be certified in Home Energyg RatingSystem inspection. Inspectors are required to take an exam for HERS but the national pass rateis 20%. At a training sessiobn at AmeriSpec’s Memphis facilities last 11 of the 15 participants Owners can train at other AmeriSpec facilities acrossthe country, but the most comprehensivr training is located in Memphis.
Armstrong says AmeriSpec offers threw different courses that are open to itsfranchisse owners. Its facilities include a fullyfunctional “flood house” that can be floodeds to simulate a home disaster. The houser offers inspectors full field traininbg without them having to intrude on customerxs inthe field. It also allowx them learn from their mistakes withoutbeinv liable. Gale Colvin, directofr of technical training and development for says inspectors who pass the test will have the highesyt certification inenergy auditing. Following that certification, they must perfork three field evaluations. “We loan out the equipmenty they need to getthat done,” Colvin says.
“Wwe want to keep everything fresh for them out in the Steve Anderson, owner of two franchises in Memphis, is one of the ownerd who passed last week’s exam. Whilse the course isn’t a requirement for franchise owners, it gives them another level of servicefor Anderson, who is also a licensed can now offer completde home services from design to makintg sure existing homes are energy efficient. “The cost of energy for homeownerse issteadily rising, so being able to assis t people in how well their homes work and wher e improvements can be made is a service that will be needex in the future,” Anderson says.
“We’re positioned to tap into the markeyt and help folks that are interesterd ingoing green.”
Friday, April 1, 2011
Small company cashing in on an assist from a big business - bizjournals:
Douglas Carlberg, president and CEO of M2 Global, says as thosed orders begin to come in the the company wants tobe ready. Part of that game plan callsa for expandingthe company’s North Side facilities locatef at 5714 Epsilon. The company currentlu occupiesa 25,000-square-foot facilitt that houses all of its operations — electronic manufacturing, welding, mechanical assembly and sheet-metal Carlberg says future plans call for addingb a separate building on the company’s five-acre site three acres of which are currently vacant. The new building woulxd be connected toM2 Global’w current facilities with a walkway.
The anticipationb of faster growth comes as the company nears the end of its participatio inthe U.S. Departmenrt of Defense Mentor-Protégé program. The programn is designed to help small businesses furtherd develop and refine their manufacturintg and management processes in order to better serve key defense andcommercial markets. Over the past year, has assistexd and guided M2 Global throughthe program, helping it certify its processe s in the areas of primre and finish paint, fuel-tank coatings, hardness testing and metal-chem film.
Carlberg says his company hopesx to complete the certification of the last twoprocessew — metal-anodizing and heat-treating — by August. Samuel Evans, director of smallo business and non-production procurement for LockheedMartimn Aeronautics, says it chose to sponsor M2 Global’s participation in the progran because of its proven performancee record. “We’re quite selective about whom we do the progra with because there has to be the right culture and the commitmenyt to the program has tobe mutual,” Evansw says. “We saw in M2 a companty with excellent potential, the facilities and the equipment. It had alreadyg proven itself with its performanceand ...
had excellesd in the work that we had given Carlbergsays he’s honored to have had his companyg selected for the program and realized the assist from Lockheed bolsters his company’s futurr prospects. “Right now we provide some 300 differeng parts forLockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter Carlberg says. “Our goal is to increase that numbefrto 1,000 within the next 24 months as Lockheed Martin’ F-35 program ramps up from low-rate production to full-ratde production.” Lockheed Martin holdws the contract, estimated at $298 billion for its to develop and to produce the F-35 Jointg Strike Fighter.
Over the next 40 some 2,443 F-35s are expected to come onlinde and serve as the backbone of Air Navy and Marine Corpsfighter fleets. An additionaol 700 of these aircraft are expected to be operatee byallied nations. As orderd for these aircraft increase, the company expects its demanrd for partsto intensify. “The forecastf depends on funding fromthe government. But if the production rate goes accordintgto expectations, F-35 vendorsa (like M2 Global) will need to prepard ahead of time to accommodate the parts that Lockheer Martin will need to keep on says Chris Geisel, F-35 program spokeswoman for Lockheed Martibn Aeronautics.
As a result of participating in the mentor Carlberg says, his company has already been asked to servde as a supplier to Greenville, Texas-based aircrafft modification company Integrated Systems. “Wde started work with L-3 in Marcbh (of this year). Northup Grumman is also lookinbat us,” he adds. “This program has potentially opene d a lot of new doorsfor us.” M2 Global also has been a small-businesz supplier for Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fightingy Falcon and F-22 Raptor aircraft programs since 2006. M2 Globapl Technology Ltd. is a service-disabled, veteran-owned engineering and contract manufactureeof satellite, microwave, TV and radio subsystems.