Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Business briefs, September 3

The Rocky

Published September 2, 2008 at 9:05 p.m.
Updated September 2, 2008 at 10:13 p.m.

Text size  

More More Business

More stories »

NATIONAL

Apple event fuels rumors of updated iPod application

Apple Inc. plans to host a special event next week, feeding speculation that it may release updated models of the iPod media player to spur holiday sales.

An invitation for the Sept. 9 event in San Francisco, sent Tuesday, is titled "Let's Rock" and shows a silhouetted dancer holding an iPod below a "playing soon" banner. Apple shares fell 2 percent after a Thomas Weisel Partners analyst trimmed his sales and profit estimates for this quarter.

Lower prices, smaller models and more storage may bolster Apple's product line in the December quarter, its biggest sales period.

iPHONES IN RUSSIA MegaFon, Russia's third-largest mobile phone company, said Tuesday it will start selling Apple's iPhone 3G in Russia later this year.

MegaFon did not provide further details of the deal.

iPhones have not gone on sale officially in Russia, but are readily available on the "gray" market, selling for around $1,000, several times the current retail price in the United States.

Many Russians get them for considerably less by asking friends to buy them while on trips abroad, then paying another $100 to unlock the phones, so they can use them in Russia.

GM INDIA PUSH CONTINUES General Motors Corp. opened a second plant in India on Tuesday, boosting its production capacity in the country from 85,000 to 225,000 vehicles a year.

The factory is part of GM's aggressive push into emerging markets, which have helped cushion the beleaguered auto giant from falling sales in the developed world. GM invested $300 million in the new plant, which will start by producing the Spark for the domestic market.

AA HOLDS OFF ON BEIJING American Airlines has asked federal regulators for permission to delay its launch of new nonstop service between Chicago and Beijing for a year, citing the high price of fuel and other obstacles.

The Chicago-Beijing flights were scheduled to begin next April 9. American asked the Transportation Department for permission to begin the flights instead on April 4, 2010.

LOCAL

First Data: Atlanta to be 'key site' after acquisition

Greenwood Village-based First Data said Tuesday Atlanta will be a "key site" for the company thanks to its recent acquisition of InComm, a provider of gift cards.

First Data was responding to questions about rumors it would move its headquarters back to Atlanta, where it was based before its 2001 move to Colorado. The company also once used Omaha, where it has major operations, as a headquarters.

"The goal is to consolidate into three main locations (Denver, Omaha and Atlanta), which presents an opportunity for additional employees in Denver," spokeswoman Cara Taylor said. "There also may be a small number of positions that move to Atlanta. Denver remains the headquarters and our employment numbers may actually increase as smaller sites are consolidated into Denver."

BOETTCHER GIFT The Kempe Foundation for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect said it received a $300,000 capital gift from the Boettcher Foundation to help move The Kempe Center and Kempe Foundation's headquarters to the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The Boettcher Foundation awarded the gift as a challenge grant for the campaign supporting Kempe's move to the new facility.

Construction spending took a bigger-than-expected tumble in July as housing activity dropped to the lowest level in seven years and nonresidential activity fell for the first time in seven months.

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction spending declined 0.6 percent in July, double the 0.3 percent decrease analysts had been expecting.

Housing activity fell for a 16th consecutive month, declining 2.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $357.8 billion.

That was the lowest level since March 2001, the start of the last recession.

Nonresidential activity, which had been offsetting some of the weakness in the residential sector also fell in July, dropping 0.7 percent to an annual rate of $416.8 billion. It was the first setback in that category since December.

* U.S. manufacturing activity dipped in August amid sluggish orders, a private research group said Tuesday.

The Institute for Supply Management said its reading for the nation's manufacturers fell to 49.9 from 50 in July. The August number met economists' prediction of a reading of 49.9.

* Gov. Ritter appointed Tom Stone, education project executive for Adolfson & Peterson Construction, to the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board.

* Golden West named Emily Whitsett-Pickett as operations manager for the Mezzanine assisted-living apartments and Jill Moore as the resident programs manager.

* Polk Majestic Travel Group was named to the 2008 Inc. 5000's fastest growing companies in America.

* Denver's Wynkoop Brewing Co. hired Andy Brown as head brewer.

* CoBiz Financial named Douglas L. Polson and Mary K. Rhinehart to its board of directors.

* The Women's Vision Foundation gave Holland & Hart partner Anne Castle its Woman of Vision award.

* Destiny Lending added Mikell Benton and Sherri Knott as loan officers, and Jake Fajardo as a reverse mortgage specialist.

* Holme Roberts & Owen LLP hired Jody L. Kepler as an associate in its Denver office.

* Colorado-based White Construction Group received the Platinum STEP Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.

* The TiE Rockies MentorFest will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Sept. 24 at the PPA Event Center in Denver. Information: rockies.tie.org

* U.S. News and World Report named Colorado State University in its 2009 "America's Best Colleges" edition.

* Meg Austin and Harmina Mulder, independent travel consultants of Denver-based The Travel Society, were named one of the world's 128 Top Travel Specialists by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

* San Diego-based Red Door Interactive acquired Breckenridge Communications.

* The University of Colorado was ranked the second "greenest" school in the nation by Sierra magazine.

* nSpire Health appointed Robert Crapo as chairman of its scientific and medical advisory board.

* The Colorado Rural Housing Development Corp. will offer free monthly certified home buyer education workshops along the Front Range. The next workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 in Westminster at 7305 Lowell Blvd. Information: 720-542-6568.

* M.J. Smith and Associates was named to Wealth Manager magazine's Top Dog list of best national advisory firms serving high-net-worth clients.

* Bill Sterner, former Elevations Credit Union president/CEO, posthumously received the National Herb Wegner Lifetime Achievement Award.

* Patton Boggs LLP hired Robert Bearman as managing partner of its Denver office.