Business News from Southeast US – bizjournals.com
Southeast News
N.C. youth ump, 16, punched by coach
Oh great. If we could just keep parents out of youth sports, the kids would probably be better off. Case in point: An assistant youth league baseball coach in Fletcher, near Asheville, has been charged with punching a 16-year-old umpire. The youth coach didn’t see the incident because he’d already been…
Ballmer says Windows 8 coming. Or is it?
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer apparently let it slip this week that a new version of his company’s operating system, to be called Windows 8, will be released next year. Microsoft’s PR department then immediately sent out a statement backtracking…to a degree. Ballmer made his comments at a conference in Tokyo. CNNMoney.com quotes a transcript in which he says: “We’re obviously hard at work on the next version of Windows,” said Ballmer said, according to a transcript. “As we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there’s a whole lot more…
OptimumBank director Jerry Grace resigns after seven months
Jerry Grace resigned after spending seven months as a director of OptimumBank Holdings, which is seeking to raise capital for its “undercapitalized” bank. He lasted slightly longer than Jack Calloway, who resigned as an OptimumBank director in January after only four months. The Fort Lauderdale-based company (NASDAQ: OPHC) was recently warned by the NASDAQ that it could be delisted because its capitals level have fallen too low. It is also in violation of the capital requirements of an order from federal bank…
BankUnited plans three branches, including Orlando
BankUnited filed plans for three additional locations – including one in Miami and its first branches in Orlando. The Miami Lakes-based bank (NYSE: BKU) has had its sights set on the Central Florida city of nearly 186,000 people since September, when it opened an office there. With the branches, BankUnited could start conducting all types of banking transactions there. BankUnited’s May 19 application to the Office of Thrift Supervision said it planned to open branches at 44 E. Central…
Daily stock report: EGN, VMC, PL
Energen Corp. (NYSE: EGN) was the leader on a strong day for local stocks. The company gained 2.3 percent to close at $60.67. Other local stocks of note include: Vulcan Materials Co. (NYSE: VMC) rose 1.1 percent to close at $39.53. Protective Life Corp. (NYSE: PL) increased 1.1 percent to finish at…
BankUnited plans three branches, including Orlando
BankUnited filed plans for three additional locations – including one in Miami and its first branches in Orlando. The Miami Lakes-based bank (NYSE: BKU) has had its sights set on the Central Florida city of nearly 186,000 people since September, when it opened an office there. With the branches, BankUnited could start conducting all types of banking transactions there. BankUnited’s May 19 application to the Office of Thrift Supervision said it planned to open branches at 44 E. Central…
Panel: Mexican trade with Miami ‘vital’
WorldCity hosted a discussion Friday morning on U.S.-Mexico trade, with panelists revealing how businesses can break into the market. In 2010, Mexico ranked third, behind Canada and China, for overall trade with the U.S. and, for the first time, ranked in the top 10 for trade with South Florida. “Miami is the shopping cart for Latin America,” said panelist Griselda Hernandez, UPS Americas director of north zone operations. As the Mexican economy continues to grow, businesses on both sides of the Rio Grande have sought ways to increase…
SPX leads gains in Charlotte-area stocks
Most Charlotte-area stocks performed well Friday, with SPX Corp. gaining 2.25 percent. The Charlotte-based industrial manufacturer (NYSE:SPW) closed at $81.45, up $1.79. The Dow gained 38 points on the day and closed at 12,442. These local stocks increased in value: •Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) closed at $11.69, up 23 cents. •Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) closed at $28.14, up 44 cents. •Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) closed at $18.62, up 2 cents. •Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE) closed at…
Florida Hospital: No patient disruption after shooting
Florida Hospital Chief Administrator David Banks said May 27 that while the hospital is mourning after a transplant surgeon was shot and killed May 26, no patient disruptions will happen as a result. Dr. Dmitriy A. Nikitin, a multi-organ transplant surgeon, was shot and killed in the evening May 26. Police say 53-year-old Nelson Flecha, a patient, targeted Nikitin in a parking garage on the main campus and then killed himself. In a brief press conference May 27, Banks said the hospital is focusing on taking care of Nikitin’s family, its staff and patients: “Clinical care has to go on even in dramatic situations like…
Brown surprised the media twice — shame on us
The historic election of Alvin Brown as mayor of Jacksonville is a terrific news story. To newshounds like me, Brown’s election reaffirms our career choice because it is fresh, unexpected, and shifts the conventional wisdom in a way to prove, once again, that in the course of human events, anything can happen. But there is a cautionary side to Brown’s election for the Jacksonville news media. And that is, Brown’s election should not have been so much of a surprise. Not after how his campaign tossed aside two well-funded and well-respected Republican candidates in the March 22 election to get into the runoff with Mike…