Business Generation

After several unexplained delays, the Federal Reserve on Tuesday approved a $9 billion acquisition by Capital One of ING Direct USA, paving the way for creation of the fifth-largest bank in the United States. The move also puts into question the future of about 550 ING Direct workers in Central Minnesota.

Brian Myres, head of sales for ING Direct with offices in downtown St. Cloud, would not comment on the deal late Tuesday and referred inquiries to Capital One.

In response to a message left by the Times, Capital One spokeswoman Tatiana Stead said via email: We are very pleased that the Federal Reserve has approved our acquisition of ING Direct. …

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Media company Gannett Co. Inc. said Monday that its fourth-quarter revenues fell 5.1 percent, mostly because of declining sales in its publications and broadcasting units.

The company reported net sales of $1.39 billion during the quarter, compared with $1.46 billion during the same period last year. Profit for the quarter was down 32 percent to $116.9 million, compared with $174.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2010.

The drop in revenue came from $52.4 million less in political advertising that was achieved in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Publishing revenues in the quarter were down 5.3 percent, while broadcasting revenues were down 14.2 percent.

Strong revenues at Gannetts CareerBuilder site helped the companys digital segment increase revenue 9 percent.

For the full year, revenue was down 3.7 percent to $5.4 billion.

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An amazing fact is that this new groundbreaking all-electric Model S sedan by Tesla Motors not only starts at almost $50,000 (and that is after taking advantage of a large tax break) and can double in price when fully loaded, but it also has over 8,000 advance orders with a deposit of $5,000 each even though this fascinating car has not even been test-driven!

It will be this summer before the Model S goes into production. An exciting feature is the promise of being able to go 160 miles on a full charge of electricity, and, if a buyer wants to upgrade to an expensive special battery, the car will be able to go as much as 300 miles. Do you think this will really be possible? If so, it may be a major factor in the decision of so many buyers to show their faith with orders that represent a major investment.

Recharging a car on household current takes many hours, and high-speed recharging stations may not be available in a nearby area as there are so few of them, so what will those buyers really do when they finally have these cars in their possession?

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Clint Zweifel, the Missouri State Treasurer has granted a record $410 million in low interest disaster loans in 2011 through the Missouri Linked Deposit Program. The recipients of the dollars are 14,000 small businesses and farmers. The year 2011 saw 40 percent increase in loans as compared to 2010.

These loans impacted 7,600 jobs and farmers. The previous record was $356 million in loans in 1992. Missourians are also being provided the capital that is much required to grow their farms. The result of it is that unemployment in Missouri is continuing to decrease and entrepreneurs are adding more new jobs. Farmers are also building up the confidence that the family farm is there for generations to come.

Community Lenders in Missouri are working to provide Missourians investment dollars that is much required for the economy to expand.

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« CES 2012: Absolute Software Reveals the Most Shocking, Outrageous and Unusual Laptop Recovery Stories By jason | January 9, 2012

On-line video is the fastest growing media type in history, and for good reasons. There’s nothing more powerful than video to capture the moment and tell the story – whether it is personal, business or professional.

WeVideo is redefining video editing relative to both traditional desktop and newer online video-editing offerings. By ta

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SARTELL Sartell now has a one-stop shop for those items that might seem hard to come by and yet make your kitchen complete.

The Pantry opened in late November at 1001 Second St. S, Suite 200, as the latest enterprise of owners Bob and Linda Feuling, who also own Westside Liquor in six locations around Central Minnesota and several other Sartell businesses.

To run The Pantry, which is next to the Sartell Westside location, the Feulings tapped Sandy Wolter to be manager. She had worked at another of the Feulings businesses, Liquid Assets, for nine years.

They dreamed of a place for Sartell people to find items that you just dont find anywhere else, Wolter said of the Feulings motivation for opening The Pantry. We carry candles, salsa, baking products and everything from jellies and baked goods to lotions and bath products.

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