Archive for January 2009

Several major retailers confirmed predictions for a poor holiday season, with reports of declines in sales in December and announcements that they would cut jobs and close stores, the Associated Press reported.

Even Wal-Mart Stores …

Principal Financial Group Inc. has been selected to be Community Health Systems Inc.’s (CHS) defined contribution and nonqualified plan service provider. The plan serves nearly 80,000 participants, with assets in the first year that will …

Meredith Corp. announced this morning that it will lay off 250 employees, close Country Home magazine and relocate the creative departments of its ReadyMade brand and Parents.com to Des Moines.

About 40 percent of the …

John Vratsinas Commercial Builders Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today, citing $13 million in assets and $9.9 million in debts.

The company was founded in 2000 and is commonly known as JVC Builders, …

Private-sector firms in the United States shed 693,000 jobs in December, far worse than expected, according to the ADP employment index released today, MarketWatch reported.

Employment in the services sector fell by 473,000, while employment …

St. Louis-based Monsanto Corp. more than doubled its net income and achieved record sales in its fiscal first quarter as demand for its agriculture technologies increased in Latin America.

Net income for the three months …

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded Wells Fargo & Co. on concerns about the additional risk the company is taking on with its acquisition of Wachovia Corp.’s loan book, Reuters reported. Moody’s cut Wells Fargo’s senior …

Greater Des Moines will fare better than most U.S. markets, but industrial vacancy rates will increase this year, according to Grubb & Ellis Co.’s 2009 real estate forecast.

Early 2008 reports suggested that the supply …

Zoning for Hy-Vee Inc.’s new 63,880-square-foot supermarket in Beaverdale is in place said Ryan Moffatt, a Des Moines city planner, but the grocer has yet to submit an official site plan.

“So far just the …

After a 37 percent decrease in U.S. sales in December, Toyota Motor Corp. will suspend production at all 12 of its Japanese plants for 11 days in February and March, the longest production halt in …