Kansas City Star: Business

Function Junction adds a demonstration kitchen

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Function Junction doesn’t want you to just buy its products. It also wants to make sure you know how to use them. So the Kansas City retailer has doubled the size of its Crown Center store to add a Viking demonstration kitchen/special-event space and expanded product lines.

GSA building's future depends on KC's leadership

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Chalk up another imperiled opportunity because of the city’s ongoing leadership problems, both public and private, according to U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The Kansas City Democrat believes a new federal office building that’s been proposed for downtown since 2006 would have been under way by now if the Kansas City Council had chosen a location when it had the opportunity two years ago.

AT&T workers approve four-year agreement that contains wage increases

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

After months of bargaining that included informational pickets, about 2,400 of the area’s hourly AT&T Inc. employees are under new contracts. Members of Communications Workers of America approved a four-year agreement last week that covered 27,000 workers in five states, including Missouri and Kansas. About 1,650 of the AT&T Southwest employees are in the Kansas City area.

College students lack health insurance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

To all of the numbers churned out in the debate over the nation’s health care system, add one more glaring statistic: 4 million. That’s the number of college students estimated by a recent study to be uninsured.

The biggest gripes of job hunters

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

In this column last week, hirers told what bugs them the most about job applicants. Yep. I got feedback. Job hunters asked for fair time to say what they don’t like about the way prospective employers are treating them.

A simple — and radical — solution to health care

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

If you have the gumption to read the House health care bill, you’ll find the words “employer” or “employers” 369 times.* Now take a look at the accompanying box …

Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:17 CST

Restored machine to explore mysteries of Big Bang

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:12 CST

Marillac's Enchanted Forest opens for three-week silent auction

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:25 CST

New Victoria's Secret SOHO Store in New York

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:18 CST

The new Dunkin' Donuts in Overland Park

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:59 CST

Business calendar: Nov. 24 and later

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

TUESDAY GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL DINNER: 5 p.m. Nov. 24, Hyatt Regency Crown Center, 2345 McGee St. Call 816-374-5489, go to www.kcchamber.com or e-mail nelson@kcchamber.com.

Business Highlights

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:48 CST

Reports on GDP and consumers signal modest rebound

Gold inches higher while other commodities decline

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:08 CST

Gold prices managed to carve out a small gain Tuesday, while other commodities fell after the latest economic data signaled that the recovery will be slow.

Lawmaker calls for restructuring Michigan taxes

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:48 CST

A veteran state lawmaker and Democratic gubernatorial candidate on Tuesday proposed swapping Michigan's flat income tax rate for a graduated one, eliminating a business tax surcharge and some business tax breaks, and lowering the sales tax rate while extending it to services.

Brighter Fed forecast helps market pare losses

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:58 CST

A brighter economic forecast from the Federal Reserve helped the stock market pare losses that followed uninspiring reports on consumer sentiment and housing.

Hunger on the rise in Vermont

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:23 CST

A federal government report ranking Vermont the sixth hungriest state in the country may come as a surprise to many, but officials say they have seen signs the problem is growing in Vermont.

Maine utility regulators dismiss solar firm's plan

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:54 CST

Maine utility regulators have dismissed a petition by a solar-power firm to become an electric transmission utility.

The Star now available on Kindle e-reader

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:28 CST

The Kansas City Star is now available daily on Kindle, the portable electronic reader sold by Amazon.com. The Star’s Kindle edition includes the staff’s daily coverage of local news, sports, business and entertainment, as well as some of the photographs that appear in the print edition.

Ad watchdog challenges Sprint's 'most dependable' claim

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:14 CST

A national advertising watchdog is asking Sprint Nextel Corp. to drop its ads calling itself “America's most dependable 3G network.”

Safety regulator promises swift action on mammoth crib recall

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:53 CST

The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission promised swift action to get dangerous products off the market, after acknowledging Tuesday that it didn't move quickly enough on a record recall of more than 2 million cribs linked to four deaths.

Ad watchdog challenges Sprint's "most dependable" claim

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:05 CST

The Associated Press A national advertising watchdog is asking Sprint Nextel Corp. to drop its ads calling itself “America’s most dependable 3G network.” The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus made the recommendation following a challenge to Sprint’s ads by rival Verizon Wireless. The division said the most recent tests by the researcher Nielsen Co. showed Verizon had fewer calls blocked or dropped than Sprint. Sprint argued that reviewers should look at more than one set of tests to avoid one-time events like weather or bad cell towers. read more

Virgin Mobile deal done

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:56 CST

The $483 million deal to add Virgin Mobile USA’s 5.25 million pre-paid subscribers to the Sprint Nextel family was completed today. Shareholders approved the deal that swaps each share of Virgin for 1.3668 Sprint shares, with a market value of $5.17 based on afternoon trading. Sprint shares were off 12 cents at $3.78. Some shareholders groups received different terms. Sprint plans to keep the Virgin brand along side its Boost Mobile brand, which sports 4.3 million subscribers. read more

AT&T launches prepaid mobile plan

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:39 CST

From Fierce Wireless AT&T Mobility launched its own prepaid mobile broadband plans, weeks after rival Verizon Wireless decided to jump into the prepaid broadband market. The new plans, called DataConnect Pass, work with all AT&T-certified netbooks and laptops. The pricing is identical to the plans that Verizon introduced earlier this month. AT&T is offering a daily plan for $15 with a cap at 75 MB of usage, a weekly plan for $30 with a cap at 250 MB, and a monthly plan for $50 with a 500 MB cap. AT&T said that users will receive a text and email message once either 30 minutes or 20 percent of their allotted data usage remains in a session. read more

Sprint expects to wrap up Virgin Mobile deal today

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:46 CST

From Dow Jones News Service Sprint Nextel Corp. Chief Executive Dan Hesse often refers to "doubling down" on the pre-paid market when he talks about the company's pending purchase of Virgin Mobile USA Inc (VM). The deal, expected to close today, remains a risky gamble because it increases the wireless carrier's exposure to the fast-growing--but increasingly competitive--segment. read more

Telecom analyst expects AT&T to lose its iPhone exclusive in 2010

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:34 CST

Analyst Brian Marshall has added his voice to the growing chorus predicting AT&T Mobility will lose its exclusive U.S. rights to Apple's iPhone next year, according to a report today on Fierce Wireless. During an interview Friday with Bloomberg TV, Marshall, of Broadpoint AmTech, said that AT&T will lose its exclusive deal with Apple in June. Marshall has been pushing heavily for Apple to begin selling the iPhone through Verizon Wireless, which has been floated for months as a possible partner. During the interview, Marshall also made a few other assertions. He said that Apple gets a $450 subsidy from AT&T for each iPhone it sells, but that after June the subsidy will drop to $300 for all carriers. However, he said expanding the number of carriers selling the iPhone would ultimately result in more sales and more revenues for Apple. read more

The Clark Enersen Partners Opens Office in Overland Park, Kansas

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:19 CST

Overland Park, Kansas – To better serve its clients and continue its distinctive work in Kansas, The Clark Enersen Partners has opened a new office in Overland Park, Kansas. Founded in 1946 in Lincoln, Jason MeierNebraska, the firm offers architecture, engineering, site planning, landscape architecture and interior design services. The firm's Kansas City, Missouri office opened in 1999. read more

Holiday Harmony Spectacular

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:58 CST

Heart of America and Kansas City Combined Chorus The Heart of America Barbershop Chorus and the Kansas City Chorus of Sweet Adelines are proud to present their 11th annual Holiday Harmony Spectacular on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Show times are 2 PM and 7 PM at Unity Village, 1901 NW Blue Parkway (highway 350 and Colbern Rd), Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The show will feature the Heart of America and Kansas City Choruses as well as headliner quartets High Definition and Zing! Zing! is now the 2010 International Champion Quartet; reigning Queens of Harmony. read more

CertificationSimplified And WIPP Announce National Affiliation On Minority And Women Business Certification Seminar

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:46 CST

Kansas City, Missouri (November 17, 2009) – The national organization of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and the Kansas City, Missouri Joint Venture CertificationSimplified, recently announced a national affiliation agreement designed to jointly sponsor a minority and women business certification and outreach seminar, the first event scheduled to be held at Kansas City’s Bartle Hall on Friday, February 19, 2010. read more

Good Samaritan Project Awarded $98,000 Grant for STD/HIV Prevention with Youth

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:39 CST

KANSAS CITY, MO – Good Samaritan Project was awarded a grant in the amount of $98,000 from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (HCF) for its Youth Prevention Project. Good Samaritan Project will engage 6,000 young people in STD/HIV prevention workshops in 2010. The project’s aim is to delay the onset of sexual activity among youth and to reduce pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. read more

Thanks to GINA, your genes can't affect your job

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Some people say it’s the most significant civil rights law of the new century. But you’re excused if the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which went into full effect over the weekend, isn’t on your radar screen.

The Closing Bell | Great Plains, KC Southern gain in light trading

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:10 CST

Kansas City Southern, Great Plains Energy, and H&R Block led a short list of regional winners Tuesday in pre-holiday trading. The railroad company and Great Plains each gained 18 cents while H&R Block added 11 cents.

GAO report raises red flags at Kansas City Plant

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The Kansas City nuclear weapons plant should do more to ensure that sensitive parts made by outside suppliers don’t fall into the wrong hands, a federal watchdog agency says. The report released Monday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office also suggested it may have been less expensive for the government to have owned the planned replacement facility for the Kansas City Plant, now at the Bannister Federal Complex, rather than enter a 20-year leasing deal.

KC chamber's new chairman, Peter deSilva, is optimistic for future of local economy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

By this time next year, Peter deSilva hopes his term as chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce will show “measurable progress — not just talk.” The new chairman, who will share his expectations at the chamber’s annual dinner tonight at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center hotel, wants his tenure to be marked by:

Entrepreneurship lagging worldwide, Kauffman-funded study says

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Here’s another indication of the depth of the economic slump. Entrepreneurship is on a slide across the world, according to a report funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Firm formation declined in 2008 and in early 2009 in all 23 countries evaluated, according to the report, which was released last week as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual celebration of entrepreneurship that is partly sponsored by the Kansas City-based foundation. Firms going out of business also increased.

MGP finds buyer for part of plant

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

MGP Ingredients Inc. found a buyer for half of the Pekin, Ill., alcohol plant it closed early this year. Seacor Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Florida-based Seacor Holdings Inc., agreed to pay $15 million, which MGP will use to pay down debts.

Dillard's to close Ward Parkway Center store

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

In mid 2008, Dillard’s converted its Ward Parkway Center store into a clearance center. Now it plans to shut down the store by the end of the year. “We are closing underperforming stores where appropriate: 21 in 2008, seven announced for 2009,” said Julie Bull, spokeswoman for Dillard’s. “Since we do have three other Kansas City locations in operation, including the new Zona Rosa location, our commitment to our Kansas City customers remains tremendously strong.”

Former Brooke Corp. officials Robert and Leland Orr agree to ban from banking industry

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Robert D. Orr and Leland G. Orr, the brothers who built and ran Overland Park-based Brooke Corp., have consented to federal orders banning them from the banking industry. Neither man admitted or denied the findings of fact involving their actions regarding the former Brooke Savings Bank that led the Office of Thrift Supervision to order their ban. The orders took effect Wednesday.

Noteworthy | Atchison company teams up with Tennessee distributor to buy Hardware House Products

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Label building Blish-Mize Co. of Atchison, Kan., has partnered with Tennessee distributor House Hasson Hardware to buy Hardware House Products Co., a private label brand of tools and building products. Jonathan Mize of Blish-Mize was appointed president and chief operating officer of what is now Hardware House LLC.

Local briefs | Potential sites for downtown convention hotel pared to four

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

A city steering committee has pared the number of potential sites for a proposed downtown convention hotel to four and has asked its consultant to help pick a finalist.

Guest commentary | Measures aim to avoid a repeat of mortgage-fraud crisis

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

In October 2006, I received a phone call from a subprime lender asking whether I appraised high-end properties in Kansas City. The call seemed pretty routine, as I had spent nearly 30 years as a real estate appraiser and completed about 20,000 appraisals in that time. Was I ever wrong about it being a routine call! That single phone call changed my life.

Letters

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Not so stimulating “We’re obviously going to need more stimulus” was the response of the director of the Institute of Labor Studies at UMKC to October unemployment figures (11/7, The Star). This faith in the redemptive power of stimulus strategies permeates both mainstream economics and popular discussion, but the faith rests on an unsound theoretical base.

Panel Discussion by Bob Unell

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Water, water, everywhere — even on the moon — but not a drop to drink.

Buy-In | Wireless Zone owners are working with their strengths

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Company: Wireless Zone, 7115 N.W. Barry Road, Kansas City; 816-746-4499; www.wirelesszone.com/nkansascity About the company: Wireless Zone, a franchise store, offers Verizon Wireless products and services such as phones, accessories and service plans.

Retirement readiness index says whether you're on track

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Are you going to be ready for retirement? Retirement-plan ratings firm Fiduciary Benchmarks on Monday unveiled a new index that measures how well 401(k) plans for thousands of companies are preparing their employees.

Getting organized is first order of business for Chip's Chocolate Factory owners

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Company:Chip’s Chocolate Factory is a premium confectionary company with a retail location in the Crown Center Shops. Ninety-five percent of the items for sale are made on the premises. About 90 percent of the company’s business is retail. Telephone: 816-421-0012

How I Got the Job | Phillip Brown

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The job: Civil engineer. The employer: Kansas City Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kan.

Home sales rise 10.1 percent

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

WASHINGTON | Home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2½ years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit. Home sales nationwide are now up nearly 36 percent from their bottom in January, though they are still 16 percent below their peak in autumn 2005. At the current sales pace, there is only a seven-month supply of homes on the market, and in some areas there are bidding wars.

Investors return to stock market

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

NEW YORK | The stock market on Monday ended a three-day losing streak, closing broadly higher as a weaker dollar and upbeat home sales encouraged investors to take on more risk. Volume was light as Thanksgiving approached, and that likely padded some of the market’s advance.

General Motors sues supplier over millions spent on steering repairs

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DETROIT | General Motors Corp. has sued a supplier, saying it has spent more than $30 million fixing steering systems in the Chevrolet Cobalt, its best-selling small car, and other vehicles. GM said customers had complained about unusual noises. It pinpointed the flaw to “excessive gear backlash,” which causes problems in the steering column while on rough roads.

News in brief | T-bill rates drop

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

T-bill rates drop The U.S. Treasury auctioned $30 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.040 percent, the lowest level in 11 months. An additional $31 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.140 percent, the lowest level on record. Separately, the Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year Treasury bills fell to 0.29 percent last week from 0.33 percent the previous week.

TV retailer QVC joins Black Friday frenzy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Television retailer QVC has made aggressive plans to keep shoppers watching — instead of mall-hopping — on Black Friday. The leading network for TV shoppers promises special deals and a healthy dose of new items for sale starting on Thanksgiving night. Program host Dave James plans to stay awake for 28 hours of telethon-like coverage.

Business jet sales to dip before rebounding, study says

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

A new study by Forecast International predicts that 11,297 business jets worth about $197 billion will be produced from 2009 through 2018. The business jet market study predicts production to reach 825 planes in 2009, followed by declines in the next two years.

The magazine rack

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Plenty of room The hotel business could be in for a long, slow, hard climb back, says PCMA Convene, the magazine of the Professional Convention Management Association. On the demand side, the convention and travel business is down, like nearly every sector, and businesses are wary of jumping back in full force until they see a longer economic recovery. On the supply side, although the number of new hotel rooms being built has shrunk, there were still nearly 142,000 new rooms under construction in July, according to Smith Travel Research.

Government issues a record recall of 2.1 million drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Government safety regulators say more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S. history. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday that the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based.

China moves to build another Disney park

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

SHANGHAI | China’s economic planning agency has formally approved a plan to build a Disney theme park in Shanghai, giving the city a new showcase following next year’s World Expo. The National Development and Reform Commission said in a notice today that the long-awaited park will be built, as expected, in Shanghai’s eastern Pudong district.

With Thanksgiving travel looming, be ready for fees, waits, hassles

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

For the infrequent flier who will be traveling for the holidays, here’s a tip: Keep Stacy Stuerke’s experiences in mind. Stuerke, a road warrior who works in sales for a big global firm, flies in and out of Kansas City International Airport’s Terminal B, the busiest of the three terminals. It is being renovated, and the construction means usually no parking is available at the adjacent garage by midweek.

Jobless rate falls in Kansas, Missouri

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The unemployment rate edged down in October from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent in Missouri and from 6.9 percent to 6.8 percent in Kansas, according to state breakdowns released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Missouri added 4,000 workers to its nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted, and Kansas added 2,800.

Moody's downgrades Sprint debt

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Sprint Nextel Corp. saw its debt rating cut Friday by Moody’s Investors Service, which said the wireless carrier’s turnaround is taking longer than expected. Moody’s lowered Overland Park-based Sprint’s corporate rating one level to Ba2, two levels below investment grade. Moody’s said its outlook on Sprint was negative, meaning the carrier could be subject to further downgrades.

Harley reaches accord to keep plant open, cut jobs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Harley-Davidson Inc., the biggest U.S. motorcycle maker, reached a tentative labor agreement that would keep open its York, Pa., factory while reducing the number of union workers by almost half. The seven-year accord calls for the plant, Harley’s biggest, to focus on assembly, metal fabrication and paint operations with an hourly work force of as many as 1,100 employees, a drop from 1,950 now, said spokesman Bob Klein.

Missouri public pension fund may sue over future losses

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Trustees of the $6.8 billion pension fund for Missouri public employees, which lost almost $2 billion in 2008, voted to consider lawsuits seeking damages if they suffer future investment losses. Trustees of the Missouri State Retirement System, MOSERS, voted Thursday to solicit reports from law firms about prospects for legal action.

Insider trading | Commerce Bancshares

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Each week, we highlight recent stock activity by insiders at an area company. Commerce Bancshares Inc.

Forced health insurance on shaky legal ground

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

PHOENIX | In 2006, long before there was an Obama administration determined to impose a command-and-control federal health care system, a young orthopedic surgeon walked into the Goldwater Institute with an idea. The institute, America’s most potent advocate of limited government, embraced Eric Novack’s idea for protecting Arizonans from health care coercion. In 2008, Arizonans voted on Novack’s proposed amendment to the state’s Constitution: “No law shall be passed that restricts a person’s freedom of choice of private health care systems or private plans of any type. No law shall interfere with a person’s or entity’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services, nor shall any law impose a penalty or fine, of any type, for choosing to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or plan.”