Category Archives: Business

Top Grade Construction Acquisition by Goodfellow Bros., Inc. Promises New Growth Potential Throughout the Northwest

As a Goodfellow Bros. Company, Top Grade Construction Gains More Resources, Increased Bonding Capacity, and Access to New Markets.

LIVERMORE, Calif. – October 17, 2012 — Top Grade Construction, Inc., a premier general engineering contractor, and Goodfellow Bros., Inc., a fourth-generation, family-owned construction firm with headquarters in Hawaii and Washington, today announced completion of an acquisition agreement under which Top Grade Construction will operate as a Goodfellow Bros. Company. With the acquisition by Goodfellow Bros., Top Grade Construction will be able to expand its operation using Goodfellow equipment and fiscal resources, and Goodfellow Bros. will further strengthen its Pacific Northwest presence by leveraging Top Grade’s highly skilled employee base and excellent reputation in the California marketplace.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Top Grade’s daily operations will remain unaffected. The company will continue to operate as Top Grade Construction, a Goodfellow Bros. Company, with headquarters in Livermore, California. However, Top Grade will be able to take advantage of Goodfellow Bros. resources, including staff, equipment, and a proven design-build support team, and Top Grade will have increased bonding capacity due to Goodfellow Bros., Inc.’s financial strength. At the same time, Goodfellow Bros. will be able to gain access to the California construction market without having to start from the ground up.

“We felt the opportunity to work with the team at Top Grade Construction was quite attractive when it became evident that they have exactly what we were looking for – an exceptional group of high-performing employees, a respected name with strong relationships in the communities in which they live and work, and most importantly, similar values and corporate cultures,” said Steve Goodfellow, CEO of Goodfellow Bros.

“What makes this partnership so perfect is the cultural alignment between our two organizations,” said Bill Gates, founder of Top Grade Construction. “We are both family-owned firms with a commitment to providing superior customer service. And we are committed to our most dedicated asset – our people. Each company also is well-diversified in both public and private works, and maintains close client relationships.”

Goodfellow Bros. has been interested in the California market for some time, but the mature nature of the California construction market made expansion challenging. In addition, Goodfellow and Top Grade recognize the need for strong client relationships, and both companies can build on those relationships in their respective markets. The firms also share much of the same expertise in three-dimensional modeling and the use of Global Positioning systems. The two companies will be able to compete more effectively, using economies of scale to provide lower cost/higher quality bids for their clients.

Goodfellow Bros., Inc. is a family-owned construction firm with more than 100 office and supervisory employees and 450 union trade employees and operates in Canada, Washington, Oregon, and throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Top Grade Construction has more than 80 full-time office and supervisory staff and more than 300 union trade employees, with headquarters in Livermore and offices in Lodi, California.

Following the acquisition, the Top Grade executive team will remain largely unchanged. Brian Gates will remain as Executive Vice President; John Copriviza as Vice President, Estimating; Frank Williams as Vice President, Field Operations; and Scott Blaine as CFO. President and CEO Bill Gates will assume a consulting capacity, assisting in customer development and complex projects. Steve Goodfellow will assume the role of CEO and Chad Goodfellow as President.

About Goodfellow Bros., Inc.
Established in 1921 in Wenatchee, Washington, Goodfellow Bros. is a fourth-generation, family-owned business with more than 90 years in the construction industry. The company has a reputation for professionalism and integrity that reflects its longstanding commitment to the individuals, businesses and resources of the communities in which they live and work. Goodfellow Bros. has headquarters in Wenatchee, Washington, and Kihei, Hawaii, and maintains offices in Canada, Washington, Oregon, and throughtout the Hawaiian Islands. For more information, visit http://www.goodfellowbros.com.

About Top Grade Construction
Top Grade Construction, Inc. is a premier California-based general engineering contractor with projects spanning from Riverside to Sacramento. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Livermore, Calif., the company specializes in heavy highway and civil engineering construction services, including general site preparation, earth moving, excavation, grading and paving. Top Grade’s clients include many of the major commercial builders, various developers as well as virtually all of the local city, county, state and federal contracting agencies. Top Grade Construction has earned its stellar reputation within the construction industry through its commitment to providing superior customer service, competitive pricing, quality workmanship, state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled, professional employees on every project. For more information, visit http://www.topgradeconstruction.com.

Media Contact:
Lee Myhre
Marketing Director
TOP GRADE CONSTRUCTION, A Goodfellow Bros. Company
50 Contractors Street
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 245-2191
lee.myhre@topgradeconstruction.com
http://www.topgradeconstruction.com

NanoMarkets Issues Latest Report on Materials for OLED Lighting Applications

NanoMarkets today announced the release of its report titled “OLED Lighting Materials Market Forecast 2013.” In this new report, NanoMarkets analyzes the opportunities for OLED lighting materials suppliers over the next eight years.

Glen Allen, Virginia – October 15, 2012 — Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets today announced the release of its report titled “OLED Lighting Materials Market Forecast 2013.” In this new report, NanoMarkets analyzes the opportunities for OLED lighting materials suppliers over the next eight years. The report estimates that the total market for materials and technologies used in OLED lighting markets will surpass $1.3 billion (USD) by the year 2018. Additional details about the report are available at: http://www.nanomarkets.net/index.php/market_reports/report/oled_lighting_materials_market_forecast_2013.

About the Report:
Within the report NanoMarkets also examines the product development and marketing strategies of the major players in the OLED lighting materials sector, including UDC, Novaled, BASF, DuPont Displays, Merck/EMD, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and others. The report indicates which firms are the “companies to watch” and which will be the likely winners and losers in the OLED materials space.

The report also contains detailed, eight-year forecasts for the materials used for OLED lighting applications, in both value ($ millions) and volume (kg or area of material) terms, broken out by product type and application.

OLED materials covered include:

– Emissive Layer Materials — Emitters and Hosts
– Electron and/or Hole Injection, Blocking, and Transport Materials
– Electrodes – Anodes and Cathodes
– Encapsulation Technologies, and
– Substrates – Rigid glass, flexible glass, plastics, and metal foils

The report also breaks out the core, functional OLED materials (emitters, etc.) by deposition method:

– Vapor-Deposited Small Molecules
– Solution-Processable Small Molecules, and
– Polymeric Materials

OLED lighting application sectors covered are:

General Illumination – Residential and Commercial
Specialty OLED Lighting, and
Vehicular OLED Lighting

From the Report:
The past year has brought big changes to the OLED lighting market. Pioneering OLED lighting firms are now, finally, poised to move beyond luxury luminaires and designer kits and into larger, general illumination applications. As the industry moves out of its infancy, these new general illumination applications will not only increase the number of OLED lighting panels sold, but will also demand larger panel sizes, thereby greatly increasing the total OLED materials needs.

With these trends, OLED lighting will eventually emerge as the largest addressable market for OLED materials, eclipsing even that of OLED displays, and materials suppliers will soon be able to point to tangible, commercial OLED lighting products, and to growth projections with much more confidence than in the past.

However, the commercial momentum will only be sustained if materials suppliers can help to close the remaining technology related to improved OLED lighting efficiency, lifetime, and total cost of ownership, all of which are needed to enable the fabrication of low-cost, large-area, long-lifetime panels.

NanoMarkets believes that the next three or four years will be critical for manufacturing and market development in advance of real growth, which will start to occur in about 2015 – 2016. During this period, materials suppliers to the OLED lighting industry can carve out competitive advantages in the following areas: materials that simultaneously increase efficiency and provide longer lifetimes, better encapsulation and substrate technologies that boost panel lifetime and expand design capabilities, and high performance solution-processable materials that enable low-cost/large-area manufacturing.

About NanoMarkets:
NanoMarkets tracks and analyzes emerging market opportunities in solid-state lighting, energy, electronics and other markets created by developments in advanced materials. The firm is a recognized leader in industry analysis and forecasts of this kind and has been covering the OLED and OLED materials space for more than six years.

Visit http://www.nanomarkets.net for a full listing of NanoMarkets’ reports and other services.

Media Contact:
Robert Nolan
NanoMarkets, LC
PO BOX 3840
Glen Allen, VA 23058
(804) 938-0030
rob@nanomarkets.net

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Rocksmith to revolutionise karaoke parties for budding rock stars, say allfancydress.com

In the next stage in evolution of guitar games such as Guitar Hero™, Rocksmith is expected to take the world by storm with its combination of authentic guitar techniques and killer soundtracks making it an ideal way for budding rock stars to strut their stuff, replacing the karaoke microphone for a Rickenbacker.

While karaoke parties are still incredibly popular to host with friends and family, this new generation of musical entertainment is expected to sweep the nation, with an appeal to newbies and experts alike, says Mark Heaton, of allfancydress.com.

“Whether it’s a fun-filled birthday, a long-awaited hen night or an impromptu night in with friends, for years karaoke has filled the void for wannabee pop stars across the world,” he said.

“But for those who have always wanted to be in a band, Rocksmith is a great way for friends to get together and rock out to their favourite hits.

“Whether it’s a riff from the Rolling Stones or a high note by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the ability to practice songs and play venues gives people a real sense of achievement in a way karaoke has never managed to grasp.”

A number of leading guitarists were invited to Gibson Guitar Studio in London to trial Rocksmith and ascertain whether it could really develop guitar playing technique. The general consensus was encouraging, with many believing the game to be a genuinely innovative way of introducing people into guitar music.

The UK’s leading online fancy dress retailer, All Fancy Dress has a number of novelty rock star outfits that would be the ideal accompaniment to any Rocksmith party with friends, with costumes modelled on greats such as Freddie Mercury, Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper.

Rocksmith is now available to buy across Europe following its release on September 28th and is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Contact Details: All Fancy Dress Ltd
Unit 7 Capitol Industrial Centre
Fulmar Way
Wickford, Essex
SS11 8YW
Email: info@allfancydress.com.
Tel: +44 (0) 1268 574170
Fax: 01268 578199

Bill Ringle Interviews Chris Zane on My Quest for Best

Bill Ringle, America’s Business Growth Strategist, talked with Chris Zane, author, bicycle retailer, and entrepreneur, on My Quest for the Best about business success through responsibility and customer service.

Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2012 – Business growth strategist Bill Ringle interviewed Chris Zane, author, bicycle retailer, and award-winning entrepreneur, for My Quest for the Best. In this interview series, Ringle speaks with successful industry experts and outstanding business leaders about their strategies for reaching and influencing significant target audiences, innovative business leadership, breakthrough moments in their career, and the important business and life lessons they’ve gained along the way.

Chris Zane is a veteran of the retail bicycle industry who bought his first bike shop at age 16 and built Zane’s Cycles into largest bicycle shop in Connecticut by the age of 30. Today, Zane’s Cycles is one of the largest retail bicycle stores in the nation. He has positioned himself at the forefront of the industry by continuously setting standards in customer loyalty and creative marketing. Chris is a sought-after speaker and the author of Reinventing the Wheel: The Science of Creating Lifetime Customers. His cutting-edge marketing techniques have been used as case studies in more than a dozen college textbooks worldwide. Since 1985, Chris has been accumulating awards and accolades such as the Better Business Bureau’s “Award of Recognition for Customer Service and Outstanding Business Practices,” Fast Company magazine’s “Customer First Award,” and North American Bicyclist magazine’s “North America’s Best Bicy cle Retailer” Award.

Zane’s conversation with Bill Ringle on My Quest for the Best offered a window into that award-winning business philosophy. Zane discussed the impact that taking full responsibility has on the culture of Zane’s Cycles, including why free lifetime service is included with every bicycle they sell. He also shared some of the factors his company uses to successfully differentiate from competitors, how the “magic number” helps his team members remember to treat customers with great care and respect, and how adopting his commitment to being in the customer service business – not the bike business – can benefit your company, too.

“Chris has achieved uncommon success as an entrepreneur during one of the toughest economic periods in history through his commitment to create great experiences for his customers, his method of empowering his staff to make significant decisions that reflect the values of his company, and his insights into effective marketing and management,” notes Bill Ringle. “Once you understand how Chris thinks about the drivers in his business and industry, you can combine that thinking with your own ideas in order to steer your business into the fast lane for greater customer loyalty and higher profits.”

Bill Ringle, America’s Business Growth Strategist, is founder of the Rapid Rise Business Growth SystemTM, the proven step-by-step system that shows you exactly how to connect and do business with your ideal customers in record time. He works with high performing entrepreneurs and CEOs who want to overcome the five big challenges to business growth so that they can run profitable and rewarding business rather than become stuck and overwhelmed in unfulfilling and draining roles. He has worked on four continents, is the author of four business books, and inspires and educates thousands of business leaders each year through his speaking, coaching, interactive programs, and products.

To listen to Bill Ringle’s interview with Chris Zane, visit www.BillRingle.com/MQ4B-interview-Chris-Zane . To learn more about Chris Zane, visit his website, www.reinventingthewheelbook.com .

Contact:
Meredith Hegg
My Quest for the Best
491 Baltimore Pike, Suite 209
Springfield, PA 19064
610-626-0175
pr@learnwell.com
http://www.BillRingle.com/MQ4B-interview-Chris-Zane

FRA Welcomes Positive signs in US House Building Market

Industries that benefit from a boom in house building, such as forestry, are likely to welcome news that the US housing market is still in recover and that lumber prices are increasing as a result, claims FRA.

Bainbridge Island, WA, October 12, 2012 – Industries that benefit from a boom in house building, such as forestry, are likely to welcome news that the US housing market is still in recover and that lumber prices are increasing as a result, claims Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

The forestry investment research group said that news of soaring US house builders’ publicly traded stocks in is most welcome among forestry management firms. “Businesses that run plantations producing timber for house building, such as Greenwood Management, will be excited to hear that the recovery in the US housing market is going from strength to strength,” said FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins.

Senior analyst at ERA Forest Product Research, David Elstone, told The Globe and Mail in Canada: “The outlook for the softwood sector in general is quite positive over the next few years as we go through a growth cycle.” His views are echoed among forestry analysts all over the Americas, who predict increasing timber prices and yields for those investing in plantations.

Most of the wood that will be used in the construction of US homes will need to be sustainably sourced. This is why projects like those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil are so attractive to investors. Collins explained, ”Plantations that are run on a cyclical basis are sustainable as new growth always replaces trees that are felled.

“Plantations in regions where there is natural forests, like Brazil, can also help to reduce the pressure to use native timbers and instead produce a source of fast-growing, sustainable timber appropriate for use in a number of construction projects and for furniture making, or even turning into coal,” added Collins.

Investing in alternative asset classes like forestry has become increasingly popular among those who want to diversify their portfolios against risk and make an ethical choice.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Rosendin Electric Names Keith Douglas Director of Operations for Mid-Atlantic Operations

New Appointment Sets the Stage for Rosendin Electric to Expand Its East Coast Operations from Ohio to the Carolinas.

STERLING, Va. (October 12, 2012) — Rosendin Electric, one of the nation’s largest private electrical contractors and a 100% employee-owned company, today announced the appointment of Keith Douglas to the newly created position of Director, Mid-Atlantic Operations reporting to Vice President Mike Greenawalt. Under Douglas’s direction, Rosendin Electric plans to expand its east coast operations, identifying new general contractor partners who will benefit from Rosendin Electric’s expertise in mission-critical design-build and data center construction projects.

Douglas brings more than 20 years of electrical contracting and construction experience to the Rosendin Electric team. In the past, he has managed construction contracts worth more than $250 million per year spanning markets such as health care, government, school districts, and other large-scale projects. With Douglas’s regional industry expertise, Rosendin Electric plans to expand the market reach for its mid-Atlantic operation from the Carolinas to Ohio.

“After nearly two years we have built a strong reputation for service and expertise in the metro Washington market, especially with mission-critical projects and data center construction,” said Greenawalt. “With Keith’s assistance and market knowledge, we are ready to expand our east coast operations, working with more general contractors who need our expertise in large-scale and mission-critical design-build projects.”

About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power and communications provider and is one of the largest privately held electrical contractors in the United States. With over 2,500 employees and experience nationwide, Rosendin Electric has built upon a 90-year reputation for quality design and installations. For additional information, visit http://www.rosendin.com.

PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Contact:
Shelly Goulart
Marketing Manager
Rosendin Electric, Inc.
880 Mabury Road
San Jose, CA 95133
(408) 534-2819
sgoulart@rosendin.com
http://www.rosendin.com

AAA welcomes news that Investors are interested in Tasmania Plantations

AAA, an alternative investment advocacy group, has announced that it is welcoming the news of potential buyers for plantations owned by a collapsed forestry firm in Tasmania.

Boston, MA, USA, October 12, 2012 — Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA), an alternative investment advocacy group, has announced that it is welcoming the news of potential buyers for plantations owned by a collapsed forestry firm in Tasmania.

The 100,000 hectares of plantation space is thought to still be managed by the insolvent Tasmanian firm, called Gunns. The firm entered administration in late September and potential buyers for the plantation land, which could be very lucrative and attractive to investors, are being looked into by receiver KordaMentha.

There is already interest from clients of the New Forests investment fund in Sydney, manager David Brand has claimed. Brand stated that the price of the plantation land is still unclear, however, with prices ranging from a few hundreds Australian dollars to as much as A$8,0000 per hectare being mentioned.

He added that the value of the plantation that will be manageable under the new certification from the forestry Stewardship Council, which shows that the plantations are managed sustainably.

AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, said that the news that FSC-certified plantations are more attractive and possibly more valuable than forests that are not managed sustainably is great news for the environment. “Not only is it good news from an environmental perspective, but it also means that sustainable management may become increasingly popular in countries like Brazil, where the future of the local communities can rely on the industry.”

The government of Tasmania is, in the meantime, hoping that an investor from china may pay up to A$2.3 billion for the pulp mill that was owned by Gunns.

The popularity of sustainable forestry as an alternative investment choice is growing all the time, claims AAA, which supports plantation projects like the ones operated by Greenwood Management in Brazil. These projects provide alternative timber products to those produced using native forests, which are vulnerable and extremely valuable from a ecological point of view.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Safeguarding Sustainable Forestry is Vital, claims FRA

A recent article in The Guardian’s blog by Peter Holmgren, director general for the Center for International Forestry Research, has been warmly welcomed by FRA for providing some useful ideas on how we can further promote sustainable forestry.

Seattle, United States, October 11, 2012 — A recent article in The Guardian’s blog by Peter Holmgren, director general for the Center for International Forestry Research, has been warmly welcomed by Forestry Research Associates for providing some useful ideas on how we can further promote sustainable forestry.

Mr Holmgren cited the results of a study by his organization, which recently found that people living near forests rely on forest income for a fifth of their total household income, on average. “This research illustrate how incredibly important the forestry industry is for those living in these regions,” explained FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins.

He added, “Holmgren points out how forestry provides so much for so many people and that safeguarding its future is vital for communities all over the world, but especially in developing countries.”

Forestry as a means of reduce climate change through carbon absorption is now very much in the public consciousness. Carbon trading means that wealthy, industrial countries can pay developing countries with large amounts of forestry land to keep their forests standing to offset the impact of their industrial practices. In addition, Mr Collins and Mr Holmgren both point out that forestry is not disconnected from other industries. Holmgren explained to Guardian readers: “Forestry is not an isolated sector disconnected from the world beyond the trees. For local people, the forest is a source of renewable energy, food and livelihoods.”

Holmgren claims that there is a strong link between forestry and food security and that this, alone is a good reason to keep forests standing.

FRA claims that investing in sustainable plantations projects in countries like Brazil, that have large amounts of vulnerable natural forests, can help reduce deforestation. Mr Collins concluded: “Projects like the eucalyptus and teak plantations run by Greenwood Management in Brazil and Canada are lucrative choices for alternative investors, while being an ethical choice for those who want to safeguard the future of forestry.”

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

AAA Welcomes Oxfam’s First Foray into Impact Investing

UK-based charitable organization, Oxfam, is moving into the world of social investment with a loan worth some £1 million to a Mongolian business that specialises in machinery leasing. The move has been welcomed by AAA as further indication that social impact investment can benefit communities all over the world.

Boston, MA, USA, October 11, 2012 — UK-based charitable organization, Oxfam, is moving into the world of social investment with a loan worth some £1 million to a Mongolian business that specialises in machinery leasing. The move has been welcomed by Alternative Asset Analysis as further indication that social impact investment can benefit communities all over the world.

The loan is being offered through Oxfam’s Small Enterprise Impact Investing Fund, which it has set up with Swiss microfinance specialist Symbiotics and the City of London Corporation.

The response to the news of the loan has been interesting and has prompted investment experts to take the growth of impact investing seriously. As more and more charities move into the commercial sector by funding social projects and businesses that can benefit wide sections of society in developing countries, they are highlighting this type of investment.

Impact investing is growing in popularity among regular investors who are looking to make healthy returns over the medium to long term, while doing their bit to help vulnerable communities or reduce climate change.

AAA advocates many types of alternative investment, but focuses its support on ethical projects like those backed by impact investing. “Helping people to work their way out of poverty and to create jobs and opportunities for large number of people within a community is an extremely productive use of an investor’s wealth,” claimed Anthony Johnson, AAA’s analyst partner. AAA claims that a growing number of investors are now looking for ethical choices when deciding where to invest their cash, after being left with a bad taste in their mouths after the banking crisis.

Barbara Stocking of Oxfam told the Financial Times that it hoped its decision to invest in a socially responsible project will encourage other investors to do the same. “We are determined to prove to the investment industry that its scale and influence means it could play a significant role in eradicating poverty.”

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com