07/03/2009

Fireworks vendors' business booms

COURTNEY PERRY/DMN

Colby Fireworks stands are decorated to grab attention from passers-by.

In Texas, fireworks vendors face a short sales period. They work 16-hour days during the hottest time of year, and they deal with growing competition, increasing regulations and the continuing recession. Yet profit margins are high.
Video: The Matzke family operates three fireworks stands
Fourth of July events

07/05/2009

Dallas agency Mediajuice wins 3 awards for video game ads
Six late 20-somethings in cargo shorts and T-shirts bound together under the name Mediajuice were recently awarded the advertising world's version of the Oscar.

Business books: 'Unlocking Your Rubber Room,' 'Instant Interviews'
Unlocking Your Rubber Room

Dallas law firms traveling a softer road than many national offices
While a painful recession has forced many big law firms nationwide to downsize, Dallas' law practices have dodged most of the bullets and are changing their tactics to fire back when the economy rebounds.

07/04/2009

Fuel cap theory is a gas; in fact, it's full of hot air
When my husband and I got married 18 years ago, I noticed that when his car was low on gas, he would remove the gas cap, saying it would make the gas last longer until he could get to a station. This seemed preposterous to me, but then I noticed other people doing it.

Infiniti G37 looks great, but its weight (and cost) add up
We would arrive in Austin at twilight, dappled by faint starlight and a tequila sunset.

Nothing more American than a Toyota Camry, according to cars.com index
Is there a better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than a list of our most American vehicles?

07/03/2009

Zale loses top marketing executive, controller
Zale's top marketing and e-commerce executive has left the Irving-based jewelry retailer. Steve Larkin entered into a separation-and-release agreement just 11 months after he was promoted into the executive vice president position, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

J.C. Penney names new chief for fine jewelry
J.C. Penney has named Pam Mortensen senior vice president and general merchandise manager of fine jewelry.

At 100, Shiner beer still barrels along
By all accounts, Shiner beer shouldn't have made it this long. The Spoetzl Brewery ferments its brew in a one-stoplight town that's not on the way to anywhere, and much larger regional brewers long ago succumbed to consolidation and the muscle of national brewers. But today, at 100 years of age, Shiner beers are more popular than ever.

Consumers buy merchandise, stay close to home for holiday

Getty Images

Retailers benefit from the holiday falling on a Saturday and cost-conscious consumers choosing backyard parties over getaways.
Events | Grilling ideas | Closings
How to fly the American flag
Fair Park Fourth to shine with gold

07/02/2009

Economy putting Dallas spec homes in check

STEVE BROWN/DMN

Jim Hurt of Texas Traditions Custom Homes “had to go through a lot of hoops” to finance a speculative home just off Henderson Avenue.

A few years ago, the sight of a house going up near Lower Greenville Avenue wouldn’t have prompted a second look. But these days, a foundation being poured or lumber being raised is a lot less common in Dallas. The recession and lousy housing market have put a lid on most teardown home building.

07/03/2009

Suburban Dallas chain Today Newspapers ceases publishing
Today Newspapers, which publishes community newspapers serving the southern Dallas suburbs, succumbed to the pressures of the economic downturn and delivered its last editions Thursday.

Texas not pursuing online sales tax
While other states have escalated sales tax turf battles with Amazon.com and other online retailers in recent years, Texas has adopted a more passive role.

07/02/2009

U.S. jobless rate rises to 9.5%

File/AP

A job-seeker talks on her cellphone at a job fair in San Jose, Calif.

Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy.
Claims for jobless benefits fall
Search job listings
Link: Apply for benefits
Map: Jobless rates across the country
Economy Watch blog: What do the numbers mean for Texas?

Suburban Dallas chain Today Newspapers to cease publishing
Today Newspapers, a family of community newspapers serving the southern Dallas suburbs, is succumbing to the pressures of the economic downturn and will be printing the last edition July 2.

D/FW Airport gets two new cargo flights
Starting July 15, Lufthansa Cargo will fly a MD-11 freighter from Frankfurt to D/FW Airport and then on to Guadalajara, Mexico, and it will also return to Germany thorough D/FW.

Wells Fargo to help fund research into Asian American business ownership
Wells Fargo & Co. on Thursday said it will invest $208,000 in the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation for a national research study about the characteristics and interests of business owners in the six largest Asian American ethnic groups: Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese.

Exelon raises hostile bid for NRG to $8 billion
Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe called it a "best and final offer." The new bid ups the price for NRG by about $1 billion.

U.S. Marshals seize Madoff penthouse property
The U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday took possession of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff's $7 million Manhattan penthouse, an action that forced his wife to move elsewhere.

Lawsuit accuses Dallas-based Stream Energy of operating a pyramid scheme
Dallas electricity retailer Stream Energy has been accused in a lawsuit of operating a pyramid scheme.

Pier 1 Imports CEO putting house in order
Pier 1 Imports Inc. chief executive officer Alex Smith has spent 2 ½ years putting the house in order.

7-Eleven offers veterans a reduced franchise fee
If you're a military veteran, 7-Eleven wants you – and it'll give you financial help.

Boeing nears purchase of Vought Aircraft facilities in South Carolina
Boeing Co. is reportedly close to announcing the acquisition of Dallas-based Vought Aircraft Industries Inc.'s facilities in South Carolina where it helps build the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Heelys hires new accounting firm
Heelys Inc., the Carrollton-based maker of wheeled shoes for kids, has retained Grant Thornton LLP as its independent public accounting firm, according to a filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Charges filed against Beazer Homes; Settlement reached
Federal prosecutors in North Carolina filed criminal fraud conspiracy charges against Beazer Homes USA on Wednesday, but they agreed to dismiss the case if the company complies with an agreement accepting responsibility for certain wrongdoing and pays millions to victims.

07/01/2009

Apple stayed the course while Jobs was gone

YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Agence-France Presse

Apple's latest iPhone drew long lines of eager buyers last month. Hundreds waited outside a store in downtown Tokyo, including a few decked out for the occasion.

After taking a six-month medical leave, Steve Jobs returned to a place that hasn't skipped a beat since he left. Longtime observers say Jobs has built an institutional mirror of himself in Apple with senior executives who share many of his values and outlook.
Review: Apple adds bevy of features in new iPhone OS

AT&T, Comerica make list of best companies for diversity
Black Enterprise analyzed responses from surveys given to executives of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies and the 50 leading global companies with strong U.S. operations.

Solo Cup moving distribution center to Grand Prairie
Solo Cup Co. leased more than 600,000 square feet of warehouse space at 1803 W. Pioneer Pkwy.

U.S. auto sales declines show signs of stability

AP

A 2010 Fusion hybrid sedan sits on a lot in Centennial, Colo. Ford has seen its market share grow while rivals Chrysler and General Motors struggle.

U.S. sales at Ford and Chrysler last month offered sharply different views on the downtrodden U.S. market for cars and trucks.
Official: Feds won't fund GM after July 10
Interactive graphic: Detroit's Big 3
Map: Find a Dallas-Fort Worth auto dealer

Government foreclosure help will reach more homeowners
Housing secretary Shaun Donovan says borrowers who owe up 25 percent more than their home's market value will qualify for government help refinancing their mortgages.

Affiliated Computer Services buys pharmacy auditing firm
Affiliated Computer Services Inc., an information technology and outsourcing company, said Wednesday it bought pharmacy auditing company Pharm/DUR Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Dallas Morning News parent invests in online real estate broker Sawbuck
A.H. Belo Corporation, publisher of The Dallas Morning News , is investing in Sawbuck Realty, an online real estate broker that will bring its services this year into A.H. Belo's territories in Southern California, Rhode Island and North Texas.

Hyundai's latest promotion: Buy a car, get gas at $1.49 a gallon for a year
Hyundai said Tuesday that customers in the U.S. who buy or lease its vehicles by Aug. 31 will receive a gas card that lets them buy fuel at $1.49 a gallon for a year, a promotion to win over consumers worried about volatile prices at the pump.

D/FW Airport expects more passengers in 2010
In a cautiously optimistic nod, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's staff projects that passengers for its 2010 fiscal year will increase to 55.5 million, up slightly from this year's 55.3 million.

AT&T plan for green vehicles under way
AT&T Inc. said Tuesday that its plan is under way to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions by converting 15,000 vehicles to alternative fuel, with 600 compressed natural gas vehicles ready by the end of the year.

'Onshoring' trend brings outsourced jobs back to the U.S.
Even Snapple, an American iced-tea maker with a homespun image, is outsourcing work to an Indian company. But in a twist, the deal may increase jobs in the United States.

06/30/2009

Recession's aftershocks may last for years

RICHARD DREW/AP

Traders Ben Willis (left) and Peter Tuchman closed the second quarter Tuesday at the New York Stock Exchange. The recession could have a far-reaching impact on investing in the future.

Many of the people who didn't see one of the worst recessions in 70 years coming in December 2007 are the same ones now proclaiming it all but over in 2009. They may be right, but perhaps they are searching for an answer to the wrong question.

Dallas-Fort Worth home prices drop 5% in new report

FILE/Getty Images

The rate of U.S. home price declines has improved slightly from earlier this year.

Prices fell 18.1 percent across the 20 U.S. metropolitan markets included in the latest Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index.
Avoid mortgage modification scams
Sell your home in a crowded market
Map: Dallas-area home sales and prices

Judge revokes bond for Texas financier Allen Stanford
U.S. District Judge David Hittner on Tuesday approved a request by prosecutors to overturn a magistrate judge's decision to allow Stanford freed on $500,000 bond pending his trial.

Dallas-Fort Worth apartment rents fall 1.7%
Dallas-Fort Worth area renters are getting a break thanks to a growing supply of apartments and the weak economy.

Construction starts on Dallas Cowboys retail building

Bandera Ventures

Construction has started on a new warehouse complex for the Dallas Cowboys. Real estate firm Bandera Ventures is building the 400,000-square-foot facility to house for Dallas Cowboys Merchandising, Dallas Cowboys Pro Shops and Blue Star Graphics & Design.

Ernst & Young announces regional Entrepreneur of the Year winners

Dallas-area office construction slumps to lowest level in 4 years
More than 90 percent of the office space still being built in North Texas is in three markets: Uptown, the Telecom Corridor and the West Plano-Frisco area.

Consumer confidence falls in June
The New York-based Conference Board says its Consumer Confidence Index stands at 49.3, down from its revised May level of 54.8. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters were projecting a reading of 55.

GM seeks court approval to become 'New' company
General Motors Corp., hoping for a quick exit from Chapter 11, on Tuesday will ask a bankruptcy judge to approve its plan to refashion itself as a leaner automaker owned mostly by the government.

FDA says E. coli found in Nestle sample
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday a sample of raw cookie dough collected at a Nestle USA manufacturing plant last week has tested positive for E. coli.

Oncor to request stimulus funds for smart meters
The funds, available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, could lower the fees consumers ultimately pay for the new meters.
Blog: Texas energy and environment

Irving-based Brinks Home Security changing name
Irving-based Brink's Home Security Holdings Inc. is expanding from home security to other areas of security and will announce today that it's changing its name to Broadview Security.

For retailer buyers, a tall order for the holidays

KYE R. LEE/DMN

Bradley Hilton, a senior merchandise manager from Gump's in San Francisco, checks out furniture at the Dallas Market Center.

Thousands of retailer buyers are putting the final wrap on holiday 2009 at the Dallas Market Center's home and gift market. They're challenged to respond to the new frugal consumer, knowing that this may be the third consecutive holiday shopping season in a long and deep recession.

Residential tower capitalizing on access to Katy Trail
Dallas' popular Katy Trail wasn't open yet when developers kicked off construction on the Travis residential tower. So the 17-story apartment building all but ignored the recreational route along the eastern edge of Highland Park.

AT&T updating plans to convert vehicles to run on natural gas
Dallas-based AT&T Inc. is updating its plans to spend $350 million over the next five years to convert 8,000 vehicles to run on compressed natural gas at a news conference on Tuesday.

Retailers dish out deep discounts to salvage summer sales
As consumers get ready to celebrate July Fourth, many merchants already have dismissed summer as a washout.

American Airlines parent to sell debt to finance planes, gain cash
AMR Corp., parent of Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc., plans to sell more than a half-billion dollars of debt to finance 16 new planes and bolster its balance sheet.

Act swiftly to recover money if you've been scammed
The sentencing of swindler Bernard Madoff provides a reminder that investors can't be too careful with their money.

Madoff joins growing list of white-collar criminals
Bernard Madoff's 150-year prison sentence for masterminding the largest Ponzi scheme in history puts him in a whole different league than most of those who have come before him. But he's not the only high-profile executive to have run afoul of the law.

06/29/2009

Madoff gets 150 years, apologizes
The 71-year-old former Nasdaq chairman was arrested late last year after confessing to his sons that his secretive investment advisory business was a "big lie."
Link: Why did Madoff choose prison (The Daily Beast)
Stocks rise along with oil, commodities prices
Stocks: Check your investments

Funeral planning assistance is a new perk at workplaces
Companies don't roll out new employee benefits in recessions. But one exception to that rule can be found in some employer-provided group life insurance plans this year.

Sprouts Farmers Market planned for Cedar Hill
The store is scheduled to open in February 2010 in the Plaza at Cedar Hill Shopping Center in the southwest quadrant of Highway 67 and FM 1382.

Prosecutor: Foreign ties make Texas financier R. Allen Stanford a flight risk
Texas financier R. Allen Stanford's bond should be revoked because his international ties make him a serious flight risk, prosecutors told a federal judge Monday.

Heelys dismisses its accounting firm

Office workers at Bell Helicopter agree to new contract
Office workers at Fort Worth's Bell Helicopter agreed to a new three-year contract Sunday, avoiding joining Bell's production workers who remain on strike.

Mortgage firm management stymies foreclosure program
Somewhere on Earth, there must be a more difficult task than this: persuading American mortgage companies to lower payments for homeowners who can no longer afford their loans.

Dallas restaurant community struggling through tough times
Though there are some glimmers of good news, particularly for lower-priced restaurants, the Dallas restaurant community overall continues to slog through one of the worst economic environments in a generation.

06/28/2009

Collectibles, memorabilia can be more than just another hobby

VERNON BRYANT/DMN

Richard Neal, owner of Zeus Comics and Collectibles, stands between an action figure and bobble head in his store.

Collecting is a big business, and it's become even more so as the recession has led many consumers to rummage through their attics and basements to see what can be sold and turned quickly into cash.
Link: Heritage Auction Galleries

Southwest launches service to LaGuardia Airport in New York

TIM GRUBER/Special Contributor

Richard Vasquez (left) and co-worker John Partinico install Southwest’s logo at the airline’s new gates at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

Southwest is like the many other newcomers who decided that they needed to get to New York because that's where the people and money are, and, in Southwest's case, they've run out of better places to go.

Southwest Airlines eager to prove it loves N.Y.
Yes, that was Southwest Airlines Co. chairman and chief executive Gary Kelly outside the New York Stock Exchange early on the morning of June 18, handing out muffins and coffee.

Fading small-town auto dealers leave big void
Upset that General Motors Corp. was planning to "wind down" the dealership where they had loyally bought their Chevys for years, schoolteacher Marie Kohr and her husband, Kevin, went to GM with a message: "You are killing America."

Letters
A ho-hum convention hotel?