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    <title>Local Business News for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/</link>
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        <title>Local Business News for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
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    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-08T00:01:57-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>Stock news for Nov. 8</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/STOX08_20091107-185604/304320/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the week that ended Nov. 6. DIVIDEND Quarterly unless noted Increased Aaron&#8217;s Inc .018 from .017 Alliance Res Ptrs .76 from .745 Apollo Invest .28 from .26 Beckman Coulter .18 from .17 Buckeye GP LP .39 from .37 CH Robinson .25 from .24 Meadowbrook Ins .03 from .02 Mercury General .59 from .58           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:39 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>White&#45;collar jobless prevalent in Richmond area</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BLUE08_20091107-185604/304314/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The worst recession in 70 years has ended. But tell that to people trying to find jobs. &#8220;The recession is not over until everyone who wants to work is working and working at what they want to do,&#8220; said Walter Courtney of Montpelier. Courtney, 56, is an Internet technology professional who works as a security guard at a retirement home in Hanover County. He was a project manager at a bank, but was laid off early in the economic downturn.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings report: Insmed</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN07_20091106-212402/304146/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond biopharmaceutical company Insmed Inc. reported it lost $150,000 in the quarter ending Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $2.2 million in the same period a year earlier. On a per-share basis, the loss in the third quarter was break-even compared with a 2-cent loss in the year-ago period. Revenue for the third quarter was $2.5 million, compared with $4.1 million for the corresponding period in 2008.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 7</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB07_20091106-212402/304147/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Philip Morris USA and two other cigarette companies can stop making payments to tobacco farmers in Maryland and Pennsylvania through a decade-old settlement. North Carolina&#8217;s highest court ruled yesterday that Henrico County-based Philip Morris, Lorillard and R.J. Reynolds could stop making payments to those growers under a 1999 agreement, which stemmed from the national tobacco settlement with the states a year earlier.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:53 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The Jefferson Hotel again wins AAA&#8217;s Five Diamond Award</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-AAAA07_20091106-201804/304113/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Jefferson Hotel again has won AAA&#8217;s prestigious top rating for its guest service and accommodations. The Jefferson joins two other Virginia travel venues in receiving Five Diamond Awards: The Inn at Little Washington and the inn&#8217;s Dining Room, in the Rappahannock County town of Washington. The travel authority&#8217;s top rating for hotels and restaurants was released yesterday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:33 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond&#45;area jobless press hunt for work</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/JOBS07_20091106-222806/304232/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond&#8217;s unemployed workers did the best they could to shake off yesterday&#8217;s bad news that the U.S. unemployment rate hit double digits. They got back to the main task: finding work. The nation&#8217;s jobless rate rose to 10.2 percent last month from 9.8 percent. The unemployment rate is the highest in 26&#189; years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the number of people on employers&#8217; payrolls fell by 190,000&#8212;more than economists, who just last week were hailing the end of the recession, had forecast.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Hungary Brook Shopping Center in foreclosure</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-HUNG07_20091106-202008/304121/</link>
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The Hungary Brook Shopping Center in northern Henrico County is in foreclosure and on the auction block. The retail center, on Concord Avenue near Parham and Brook roads, is scheduled to be auctioned off on the county court steps next Friday at 3 p.m. The retail center, anchored by a Food Lion grocery store, was built in 1988. It contains 87,188 square feet of retail space on a 9.7-acre site. Dollar Tree Stores Inc. recently signed a lease for 10,548 square feet there.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Henrico&#45;based Markel looks to invest in privately held companies</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-MARK07_20091106-201804/304115/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Markel Corp. has been patient for the past four years, but the specialty insurer now is looking to make a bigger plunge in what it thinks of as the &#8220;patient equity&#8221; market. That&#8217;s the term some executives at the Henrico County-based company use for their ventures into the private equity market&#8212;buying into privately held companies, an investment many other insurers avoid.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:18 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Jefferson Hotel wins AAA&#8217;s prestigious Five Diamond Award again</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/jefferson_hotel_wins_aaas_prestigious_five_diamond_award_again/304070/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the 17th consecutive year, The Jefferson Hotel has won AAA&#8217;s prestigious Five Diamond Award, the travel group&#8217;s top rating for hotels and restaurants. 
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          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:12:38 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economic stimulus debated at Va. Asian Chamber</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-ASIA06_20091105-213204/303943/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The federal economic-stimulus plan is working for small businesses in Virginia, a senior SBA official told the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce&#8217;s procurement conference here.
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          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:43 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Nov. 6 Business Briefs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB06_20091105-220604/303970/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Martin Agency and five other agencies are competing to handle advertising for General Motors Co.&#8216;s Cadillac division. GM said it narrowed its list of candidates to six agencies, a month after announcing it was dumping boutique agency Modernista! as its longtime ad partner. GM said it will hold visits with the candidates in Detroit before Thanksgiving, with finalists making presentations to company executives in January.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Craigslist warns of job scams</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-JOBS06_20091105-220604/303968/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Job-seekers beware: There&#8217;s a new warning on Craigslist.com. The Web site recently posted a scam alert, telling applicants to be on the lookout for bogus ads that promise work that doesn&#8217;t exist. &#8220;The ones that sound too good to be true, they usually are,&#8220; said Kevin Jackson, chief investigator for Florida&#8217;s Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Universal Corp.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN06_20091105-220604/303967/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Higher prices for North American tobacco have boosted Universal Corp.&#8216;s earnings so far this fiscal year despite a drop in shipments of leaf. Volumes rose in South America and Asia, while Universal&#8217;s African operations got a boost from a better mix of leaf and increased income from processing. Richmond-based Universal&#8217;s profit for the second quarter ended Sept 30 rose 26 percent from the year before to $52.5 million, or $1.77 a share, despite a 17.5 percent drop in revenue to $647.9 million.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Request denied to halt enforcement on new tobacco rules</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-TOBA06_20091105-213204/303947/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A federal judge has turned down a request by the nation&#8217;s No. 2 cigarette-maker and others to immediately halt enforcement of new federal regulations on tobacco products. Their challenge to new U.S. Food and Drug Administration powers to regulate what tobacco firms say about their products has little likelihood of success, except on one point, Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Bowling Green, Ky., ruled yesterday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Oct. sales up, but shoppers still cautious</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-RETL06_20091105-213204/303946/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
October&#8217;s retail sales results, the best performance since April 2008, show that Americans are spending a little more. But will they be willing to pay full price this holiday season? Stores are heading into the period with slashed inventories, determined not to have the fire sales that characterized last Christmas. But shoppers still are facing tight credit and a weak job market and might wait for fat discounts or not buy at all. That game of chicken will determine the holiday winners and losers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>House OKs extended homebuyer, jobless aid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-HOME06_20091105-213204/303945/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Missed out on Cash for Clunkers? Congress has another deal for you: Buy a home before May 1 and collect up to $6,500 from the government. If you&#8217;re a first-time homebuyer, get up to $8,000. As part of efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted yesterday to expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Customers could get break on Dominion Virginia Power bills under deal</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/RATEGATER05_20091105-210601/303941/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A typical Dominion Virginia Power customers would save about $80 on next year&#8217;s bills under an agreement the state&#8217;s largest utility has reached with the state attorney general&#8217;s office and a group of large ratepayers. Dominion Virginia Power estimates that customers will get back more than $400 million if the deal is approved by the State Corporation Commission.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:06:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fannie Mae seeks $15 billion in US aid after 3Q loss</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EARNS_FANNIE_MAE?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;11&#45;05&#45;18&#45;05&#45;46</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Fannie Mae seeks $15 bln in US aid after 3Q loss 

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          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:33 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Four more deaths in Virginia related to swine flu</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/VLFUGATER05_20091105-164401/303871/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Flu-like illness in the state declined last week, suggesting H1N1 swine flu activity may be slowing. But four more people across Virginia have died from swine flu&#8212;with the number of deaths now up to 21, said Dr. Karen Remley, state health commissioner. Flu-like illness accounted for 11 percent of all visits last week to emergency rooms and urgent care centers, compared to about 14 percent the previous two weeks.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:44:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Federal official: Stimulus is helping Va.&#8216;s small businesses</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/ASIAGAT05_20091105-134001/303864/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The federal economic stimulus program is working for small business in Virginia, the chief of staff of the U.S. Small Business Administration said. The SBA has provided more than 2,000 loans worth nearly $280 million to the state&#8217;s small entrepreneurs, says Ana M. Ma. &#8220;Borrowers are reporting that these loans are saving or creating thousands of jobs around the state,&#8220; Ma said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:40:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Ball, Big Wheel, Game Boy make Toy Hall of Fame</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/TOYGAT05_20091105-112401/303851/</link>
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ROCHESTER, N.Y.&#8212;Bounce it, kick it, catch it. Chase, throw or smack it. The ball, arguably the most popular plaything of all time, has finally earned a place inside a glass case at the National Toy Hall of Fame in New York. Along with the Big Wheel and the Game Boy video device, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester chose the ball today to join its all-star lineup of 41 classics, ranging from the bicycle and the kite to the jump rope, the teddy bear and Mr. Potato Head.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:24:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Feds charge 14 in $25 million insider trading case</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/TRADGAT05_20091105-112002/303850/</link>
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NEW YORK&#8212;Federal prosecutors say criminal charges have been filed against 14 people, including attorneys and Wall Street professionals, in a widening $25 million insider trading case that has already snared one of the richest men in America. According to court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan against seven of the individuals, a man who worked at Galleon Group identified as Zvi Goffer operated an insider trading network in 2007 that included a lawyer who fed tips gleaned from his firm&#8217;s work on acquisition deals.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:20:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Productivity hits fastest pace in 6 years</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/PRODGAT05_20091105-091802/303842/</link>
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WASHINGTON&#8212;Productivity surged in the third quarter at the fastest pace in six years while labor costs continued to drop sharply, a combination that will bolster companies&#8217; profits but leave workers with stagnant incomes. The Labor Department said today that productivity, the amount of output per hour of work, was rising at an annual rate of 9.5 percent in the July-September quarter, much better than the 6.4 percent gain economists had expected. Unit labor costs fell at a 5.2 percent rate.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:18:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>New jobless claims drop to lowest level since Jan.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/JOBSGAT05_20091105-090401/303841/</link>
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WASHINGTON&#8212;The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits falls to the lowest level in 10 months, evidence that job cuts are easing as the economy slowly heals. Still, companies are reluctant to hire and economists expect the unemployment rate will tick up to 9.9 percent when October&#8217;s figure is reported tomorrow.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:04:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Retailers report mixed sales results for October</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/SALESGAT05_20091105-082802/303839/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW YORK&#8212;The nation&#8217;s retailers are reporting mixed sales results for October. Shoppers, enticed by cooler weather and holiday discounts, opened their wallets a bit more but were still restrained from splurging on apparel amid tight credit and a weak job market. As merchants report their figures today, Costco Wholesale Corp.&#8216;s sales at stores open at least a year rose 5 percent. Children&#8217;s Place Retail Stores and Stage Stores Inc. are reporting declines.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:28:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Time Warner Cable third&#45;quarter profit falls 11 percent</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/TWGAT05_20091105-065202/303833/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PHILADELPHIA&#8212;Time Warner Cable Inc. says its third-quarter profit fell 11 percent after paying higher interest expenses on debt incurred to separate from its parent, Time Warner Inc. But the nation&#8217;s second largest cable TV operator says it revenue rose 4 percent in part due to price increases. It says higher video programming and employee costs also hurt earnings.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:52:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Markel Corp. back in black in 3rd quarter</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN05_20091104-214003/303724/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A mild hurricane season boosted Markel Corp.&#8216;s financial results, helping the Henrico County-based insurer to swing into the black for the third quarter, after losing money the year before. Unlike last year, when claims soared above premium collections, Markel returned to a more normal ratio, with claims at 96 percent of premiums. Last year, claims were 124 percent of premiums, with 22 percentage points from hurricanes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:57 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Reproduction of Union Hill house wins praise</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-HOUS05_20091104-214203/303731/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The house was an icon in Richmond&#8217;s Union Hill, standing higher than street level in a neighborhood bordering Church Hill. But it also was an eyesore, vacant for 20 years. Preservationists spent more than two years trying to own the property free and clear and rescue the house at 2116 Cedar St.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fed again vows to hold rates at record lows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-FEDD05_20091104-214203/303730/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Federal Reserve pledged yesterday to keep a key interest rate at a record low for an &#8220;extended period,&#8220; signaling that the weak economy remains dependent on government help to grow. The Fed said economic activity has &#8220;continued to pick up&#8221; and that the housing market has strengthened&#8212;a key ingredient for a sustained recovery. But Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues warned that rising joblessness and tight credit for many people and companies could restrain the rebound in the months ahead.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Cash for Clunker deals faulted in sales analysis</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-CASH05_20091104-214203/303729/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The most common deals under the government&#8217;s $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program, aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press. The single most common swap&#8212;which occurred more than 8,200 times&#8212;involved Ford 150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford 150s.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Anthem warns of premium increases</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-ANTH05_20091104-214203/303728/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield says the problem with health-care reform is that people who avoid the proposed requirement to buy insurance won&#8217;t pay a big enough penalty for doing so. It&#8217;s a key reason why a new study the insurer gave Virginia&#8217;s federal legislators yesterday warns of premiums increasing by double-digit percentages.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 5</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB05_20091104-214003/303727/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Star Scientific Inc. said yesterday that it plans to introduce the CigRx nutraceutical product developed by its Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals subsidiary for worldwide marketing and sales in partnership with inVentiv Health Inc. &#8220;Our goal is to make CigRx available to adult smokers worldwide who wish to maintain a nicotine-free metabolism,&#8220; said Jonnie R. Williams, Star Scientific&#8217;s CEO.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Clothing brands shift stores seeking higher sales</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-TOGO05_20091104-214003/303726/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW YORK Some of fashion&#8217;s best-known names are playing musical chairs. Faced with a consolidating department store industry and eroding sales, some labels are cutting ties with retailers that sold their clothing and betting their future with one chain. Liz Claiborne Inc.&#8216;s announced last month that it&#8217;s moving its namesake line to J.C. Penney Co. from Macy&#8217;s Inc. Other stores have made similar moves with other major brands, like Tommy Hilfiger and Dana Buchman.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>MillerCoors third&#45;quarter profit climbs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BEERGAT04_20091104-090201/303592/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
DENVER&#8212;MillerCoors&#8217; third-quarter profit climbed on cost-control efforts as well as the strength of beer brands like MGD 64. MillerCoors&#8217; earnings rose 37 percent to $229.7 million compared with $168.2 million a year ago. Revenue grew 3 percent to $2.01 billion, partly on MGD 64&#8217;s strength, while sales of mainstay Miller Lite continued to soften.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:02:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Lumber Liquidators income up 42 percent</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/LUMGAT04_20091104-080201/303591/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TOANO&#8212;Lumber Liquidators Inc. today said third-quarter income was $7.8 million, a 42-percent increase over the same period a year earlier. The Toano-based hardwood flooring retailer said sales increased 14 percent to $140.5 million in the quarter. &#8220;We remained focused on delivering a unique combination of price, selection, quality and availability, and we are pleased to have returned to comparable store net sales growth during the quarter,&#8220; said Jeffrey W. Griffiths, the company&#8217;s president and chief executive officer.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:02:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Comcast third&#45;quarter income up 22 percent</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/COMGAT04_20091104-073201/303587/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PHILADELPHIA&#8212;Comcast Corp. says its third-quarter earnings rose 22 percent because of promotions of its bundled video, phone and Internet plans. But the nation&#8217;s largest cable TV provider didn&#8217;t sign up as many new phone and Internet subscribers as last year. Its investors are anxious for details on how the purchase of a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal would burden Comcast&#8217;s finances. A deal, valued at around $30 billion, could be announced soon with General Electric Co. which owns 80 percent of NBC Universal.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:32:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Kraft Foods and Richmond&#45;based Colfax</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN04_20091103-211405/303455/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Kraft Foods said slower sales, lower retail food prices and the comparison with a gain a year ago helped cut its third-quarter profit 40 percent, but the company raised its forecast for the year. The company said it remains interested in a possible offer for British candy company Cadbury PLC but did not disclose a time frame or price.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:46 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Brink&#8217;s payment to pension plan pays off</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-BRIN04_20091103-211405/303453/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sometimes, you need to spend money to make money&#8212;as The Brink&#8217;s Co. Inc. has done, breaking step with most American businesses by contributing funds to a pension fund when it didn&#8217;t have to. Brink&#8217;s, which makes its money toting cash for others, pumped $150 million into its then-underfunded pension plan in August. This week, the company disclosed that the move likely will end up boosting its profits this year and next&#8212;while freeing up some $94 million for acquisitions next year and the year after.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Stimulus funds sought for aerospace research center</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/AERO04_20091105-110601/303848/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are seeking federal economic-stimulus money to help build a manufacturing research center aimed at fostering growth in the state&#8217;s aerospace industry and related businesses. Officials with the universities said yesterday that they are seeking up to $15 million in stimulus-related funding, including a grant from the National Institutes of Science, to help build the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing near the Rolls-Royce North America aircraft-engines component plant now in development in Prince George County.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:19 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>REI, hhgregg to open outlets here this month</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-SHOP04_20091103-211405/303460/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two retailers are expected to open within a day of each other this month. Appliance and consumer electronics retailer hhgregg is scheduled to open its two area stores Nov. 19 while outdoor gear and clothing retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. (known as REI) is scheduled to open Nov. 20. Both are new to Richmond&#8217;s retail landscape.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:18 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Auto&#45;sales data shows industry beginning to stabilize</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-AUTO04_20091103-211601/303463/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
After months of fluctuating sales, the auto industry offered signs of recovery from its yearlong slump, as most automakers reported yesterday higher levels of U.S. sales in October. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, reported its first monthly sales gain in almost two years, while Hyundai and Subaru were huge winners thanks for their popular models and fuel-efficient sedans. Other top automakers&#8212;Toyota, Ford, Nissan&#8212;also posted higher sales.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 4</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB04_20091103-211405/303461/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commuters who drive alone on some of the most congested highways in the Washington region could earn $2 a day by carpooling to work. Commuter Connections, a network of transportation groups coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, launched a three-month pilot program recently. The program is open to commuters who currently drive alone on the Capital Beltway between Bethesda and Tysons Corner or between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Interstate 270 and on Interstate 395 from the District across the 14th Street bridge into Northern Virginia.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fed to release statement about interest rates</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-FEDD04_20091103-211405/303456/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Even with the Federal Reserve widely expected to leave interest rates at a record low today to nurture the fragile recovery, fissures are growing among policymakers about when to start boosting rates to head off inflation. Fed policy makers are slated to release a statement today about 2:15 p.m. The target range for bank lending rate now is at zero to 0.25 percent. If the Fed keeps the same rate, commercial banks&#8217; prime lending rate&#8212;used to peg rates on home equity loans, certain credit cards and other consumer loans&#8212;will stay at about 3.25 percent.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond radiology practice seeks bankruptcy protection</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-CANC04_20091103-211405/303454/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commonwealth Cancer Institute, a small radiology practice in Richmond&#8217;s Carver neighborhood, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Chapter 11 filing last week is intended to give the practice time to reorganize, by protecting it from its creditors&#8217; claims. The practice, operated by Dr. Marcus W. Brown, has seen referrals from radiation treatment decline, cutting monthly revenue to $60,000 from $80,000, said its attorney, Bruce E. Arkema.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Buffett buying Burlington Northern rail for $34 billion</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-BERK04_20091103-211405/303452/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Legendary investor Warren Buffett is making what he calls an &#8220;all-in wager&#8221; on the U.S. economy&#8212;$34 billion to buy a major railroad that hauls everything from corn to cars across the country. Burlington Northern, the nation&#8217;s second-largest railroad, is the biggest hauler of food products like corn, and coal for electricity, making it an indicator of the country&#8217;s economic health. The railroad also ships a large amount of consumer goods&#8212;including items imported from Asia&#8212;from big Western ports like Los Angeles and Seattle.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Colfax reports reduced income, sales</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/COLFGAT03_20091103-065802/303362/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Colfax Corp. today said preliminary results for the third quarter showed net income of $1.8 million and a sales decrease of 16.2 percent. &#8220;We are pleased with our performance in this challenging environment,&#8220; said John Young, president and chief executive officer of the Richmond-based manufacturer of industrial pumps. &#8220;While overall sales were down, our Navy and power generation businesses showed good growth over last year&#8217;s third quarter.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:58:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Top Virginia agricultural commodities mostly fare better in 2008</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/CROP03_20091102-211003/303233/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Among the success stories in Virginia agriculture in 2008 was wine grapes, which became one of the state&#8217;s top 20 agricultural commodities, according to new data. Of those 20 top-earning commodities, 12 produced higher cash receipts in 2008 than in 2007, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported yesterday.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:48 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Nov. 3 Business Briefs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB03_20091102-215603/303260/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The State Corporation Commission has authorized Dominion Virginia Power to sell up to $1.5 billion of its stock to parent company Dominion Resources Inc. The electric utility, which originally sought approval to sell up to $3 billion in stock, says it will use the money to retire short-term debt and pay for capital investments. The commission staff recommended that the SCC authorize the sale of $1 billion in common stock this year and an additional $500 million in 2010. Dominion Virginia Power agreed with the staff recommendation for the smaller offering.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economic gauges are good news</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-ECON03_20091102-215603/303258/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Hopes for the fledgling economic recovery got a boost yesterday from better-than-expected news on manufacturing, construction and contracts to buy homes. The surprisingly strong readings provided some comfort that the economy is packing more momentum than assumed going into the end of the year. Still, with jobs scarce, lending tight and consumers wary of spending, it&#8217;s unclear whether the gains can be sustained as government stimulus programs wind down.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings reports: Tredegar Corp., C&amp;F Financial, First Capital Bancorp</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN03_20091102-215603/303257/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Profit at Tredegar Corp. fell slightly in the third quarter as sales continued to decline. The Richmond-based maker of plastic films and aluminum extrusions reported a net profit of $10.99 million, or 32 cents per share, for the quarter, compared with a profit of $11.07 million, or 33 cents per share, in the prior year period. Revenue fell 23 percent to $175.7 million.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Ukrop&#8217;s changes its fuelperks! gasoline&#45;discount program</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-UKRO03_20091102-215005/303254/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Ukrop&#8217;s Super Markets Inc. has made changes to its successful fuelperks! program, making customers cash in rewards sooner and setting the bar higher for attaining them. The changes went into effect yesterday. Customers now have to spend $50 or more on a single transaction in order to earn a 5-cents-per-gallon discount, the company said yesterday on its Web site.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business lender might not survive bankruptcy reorganization</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-CITT03_20091102-215005/303251/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A Chapter 11 filing usually means the end of the road for financial companies since they rely so heavily on customer trust. CIT Group Inc. is hoping that its case will be different. The commercial lender&#8217;s trip through bankruptcy reorganization may well be speedy given that it&#8217;s already reached agreements with creditors on restructuring its debt. But the real test will come from CIT customers, who could decide to take their business elsewhere.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Midlothian&#45;based Bank of Virginia to enter written agreement with regulators</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-BANK03_20091102-215005/303250/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Bank of Virginia expects to enter into a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank in the current fourth quarter to improve its capital levels. &#8220;While we do not know the exact contents of the written agreement at this time, we expect that it will require us to implement plans to improve our risk management and compliance systems, oversight functions, operating and financial management and capital gains,&#8220; said Frank Bell, president and chief executive officer of the Midlothian-based bank.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. Hispanic chamber founder believes in building bridges</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/COVR02_20091030-203809/302675/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Helping others is a common thread in Michel Zajur&#8217;s life. It began at an early age for the soft-spoken son of immigrants who moved to the Richmond area from Mexico in 1960.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:05:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Henrico store Tweed looks to build on strong identity</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/NAME02_20091030-204004/302692/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Whenever Ava Deal needs an engagement gift, she knows exactly what to buy: Mariposa cocktail napkin holders from Tweed. Deal started shopping at the store when it opened in The Shoppes at Westgate in 2004. &#8220;I go there for almost every gift I need. The selection is a combination of whimsical and traditional. It&#8217;s unique,&#8220; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s an upbeat, fun experience.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:03:45 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Biz Buzz: Grandpa Eddie&#8217;s has school &#8216;Spirit&#8217; to share</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BUZZ02_20091030-203809/302669/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
On a recent Wednesday night in Henrico County, about 50 teenagers packed into Grandpa Eddie&#8217;s Alabama Ribs &amp; BBQ to listen to some local bands jam. Their parents, for the most part, sat in the back, noshing on fried okra and peanut-butter pie and watching from a safe distance. &#8220;It was a really good night. The kids got a chance to perform in front of their friends,&#8220; said Carey Friedman, who owns the restaurant on Three Chopt Road near Cox Road.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:02:08 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Henrico business licenses for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BIZH02_20091030-152403/302613/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The following are recently issued business licenses in Henrico County. Antiques Extravaganza (sales promotion); licensee Antiques Extravaganza of NC, 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Henrico 23233. Men of Standard Detailing Service (motor vehicles service); licensee Tonya Y. Askew, 1321 Hammerstone Court, Henrico 23223. R. Barrett Cleaning Co. (cleaning services); licensee Richard Barrett, 3232 Warm Springs Way, Henrico 23223.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:57 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>People &amp; Places for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BREF02_20091030-203809/302668/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ON THE MOVE ACCOUNTING &nbsp; Marie Sutton has joined Meadows Urquhart Acree &amp; Cook as a certified public accountant. She was previously a tax supervisor with Keiter Stephens Hurst Gary &amp; Shreaves. Before Keiter Stephens, she was with Frentz Dyer &amp; Associates in Louisiana. She earned a bachelor&#8217;s degree in accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:53 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Successful Investing:&amp;nbsp; Yahoo shows strength as recovery continues</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/LECK02_20091030-204004/302690/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Yahoo shows strength as recovery continues Q:I am confused about my Yahoo Inc. shares. What do you think the possibilities are?&#8212;P.V., via the Internet Answer: Despite its long-publicized troubles, this Internet giant with operations in more than 30 countries has lately had some kick in its get-along. Disciplined cost-cutting by CEO Carol Bartz helped it triple its earnings to $186 million in the third quarter. Revenues were down 12 percent, but the company has been seeing some improvement in advertising sales.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Keep clients happy to build long&#45;term business relationships</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/IRIS02_20091030-204004/302689/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Turn your angry clients into happy ones. Do it soon after a conflict arises, said Maribeth Kuzmeski, founder of the Chicago business consulting firm Red Zone Marketing LLC. Kuzmeski also is author of &#8220;The Connectors: How the World&#8217;s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life&#8221; (John Wiley &amp; Sons).           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond Business Licenses for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BIZR02_20091030-152403/302614/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The following are recently issued business licenses in Richmond. Terrie Pendleton, LCSW (professional service); licensee Terrie Pendleton, 5529 Snead Road, Richmond 23224. Swann Construction (contractor); licensee same, 10622 Looking Glass Road, Richmond 23235. Universal Mechanical Inc. (contractor); licensee same, 103 Indian Rock Court, Richmond 23834.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:43 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Decision Makers: Thomas Carr of SyCom Technologies</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/DMAK02_20091030-203809/302677/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Thomas A. Carr New position: vice president of Vertical and Emerging Markets for SyCom Technologies Previous position: director of sales at Packet360 Birthplace: Radford Education: bachelor&#8217;s degree in business administration, James Madison University; MBA, Virginia Commonwealth University Career: &#8220;My career began at Professional Medical Products, where I was responsible for sales efforts to hospitals in the Richmond/Tidewater region. . . . My health-care-sales career continued at Gambro Healthcare as major account manager, where I was responsible for sales-related activities involving hospitals and chronic dialysis units throughout Virginia and North Carolina. . . . I then used my health-care experience to move from a major account manager to . . . health-care business development manager at Cisco Systems.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:40 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Metro Business Calendar for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/MBCL02_20091030-203809/302683/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
MONDAY, NOV. 2 Greater Richmond Chamber offers &#8220;Starting a Business 101,&#8220; 11:30 a.m., Hanover Department of Economic Development, 9097 Atlee Station Road, Mechanicsville. Cost: $20. Details: Jackie Carter, (804) 783-9314 or jackie.carter@grcc.com.&nbsp; &#8220;Retirement Planning and 401(k) Rollover Options,&#8220; Merrill Lynch and William Kavanagh, noon, Eighth and Main Building, sixth floor. Registration: William Kavanagh, (804) 343-4226.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Lock in the best deal now on refinancing</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/WASI02_20091030-204004/302695/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
If you need to refinance your home mortgages, don&#8217;t wait. It&#8217;s not time to play chicken. Lock in the best deal now. Mortgage rates have climbed over the past two weeks, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. At a 1960s-like national average of 5 percent, the 30-year rate isn&#8217;t far from its historic low of 4.78 percent, reached in April. As the economy heats up, it&#8217;s far more likely that rates will climb.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:33 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>60 Seconds with: Craig Butterworth</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SECS02_20091030-203809/302686/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
CRAIG BUTTERWORTH Metro Business asked Craig Butterworth, spokesman for the National White Collar Crime Center, the Henrico County-based organization that provides cybercrime training to law-enforcement agencies, what consumers can do to protect themselves from Internet fraud. &#8220;Some of the things that consumers can do to protect themselves from online fraud include updating their firewalls and security software. That can go a very long way in helping keep the bad guys out of their machines.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Chesterfield Business Licenses for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BIZC02_20091030-152403/302612/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The following are recently issued business licenses in Chesterfield County. Ami Lashes (personal service); licensee Chante Alexander, 10617 Hull Street Road, Midlothian 23112. Balanced Body Massage Therapy LLC (personal service-massage clinic/practice); licensee same, 13622 Hull Street Road, Midlothian 23112. Papillon Promotions (business service); licensee Melissa L. Bybee, 11520 Prince Brians Court, Midlothian 23113.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:09 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Building permits for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/PERM02_20091030-152403/302615/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Audrey M. Harris; 10440 Cherokee Road, addition, $75,000. Tina R. Shiver, owner; Lifestyle Builders &amp; Development, contractor; 8707 Elm Road, addition, $59,500. NVR Homes Inc.; 5113 Glenbeigh Drive, $123,382. Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, owner; Better Homes Inc., contractor; 1300 Decatur St., $113,535. Bruce D. Adkins, owner; Hanover Interiors Inc., contractor; 1902 Conrad St., alterations, $84,850.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:05 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Downscaled party can still boost office morale</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/TALK02_20091030-204004/302694/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
An owner hoping for a great party should include employees in the planning. The camaraderie that results can make the planning as worthwhile as the event itself, and create goodwill. &#8220;The very coming together over a nonwork task is in itself delightful, delicious and engaging,&#8220; said Beverly Kaye, an employee retention consultant in Sherman Oaks, Calif.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Indicators for the week of Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SKED02_20091030-203809/302687/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Indicators MONDAY Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index.&nbsp; TUESDAY Major automakers report U.S. auto sales for October. Kraft Foods releases quarterly results.&nbsp; WEDNESDAY Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meets.&nbsp; THURSDAY Major retailers report sales results for October.&nbsp; FRIDAY Bureau of Labor Statistics releases monthly jobless report.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Insider Periscope for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/INSD02_20091030-203809/302682/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BANK OF AMERICA CORP. Robert W. Scully, a director, purchased 62,000 shares Oct. 21 at $16.79 per share, bringing holdings to 68,657 shares. CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP. Robert M. Alexander, chief technology officer, sold 7,452 shares Oct. 23 at $41.73 per share, bringing holdings to 113,837 shares. Gary L. Perlin, chief financial officer, sold 38,880 shares Oct. 26 at $41.03 per share, bringing holdings to 186,334 shares.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Company/Individual Honors for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/HONO02_20091030-203809/302680/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Nathan A. Kottkamp has received the 2009 Virginia A. Crockford Health Planning Award from the Central Virginia Health Planning Agency board of directors. He is an attorney at McGuire Woods. Susan Green has received the 2009 Presidential Citation for Distinguished Rehabilitation Service from the National Association of Rehabilitation Leadership. She is a human resource development manager with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Associations for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/GROU02_20091030-203809/302679/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
New officers for EWI of Richmond (Executive Women International) are: president, Christine Slate with Barrett Capital Management; vice president/president elect, Lauren Cordrey with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield; secretary, Denise Lavoie with Westminster Canterbury Richmond; sergeant-at-arms, Ann Bushey with Ukrop&#8217;s Super Markets Inc.; treasurer, Debora Honodel with Southern States Cooperative Inc.; membership director, Sherrie Farnsworth with W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S. &amp; Associates; program director, Andrea Carnes with ChemTreat Inc.; publications director, Melissa Martin with Integrated Business Systems Inc.; ways and means director, Angela Roisten with Virginia Credit Union Inc.; and director-at-large, Lynda Rowe with W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S. &amp; Associates.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Convention calendar for Nov. 2</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/CONV02_20091030-203809/302674/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Upcoming conventions, conferences, meetings, events and trade shows: DateMeetingAttendanceSite  Nov. 2Virginia Association ofN/AGreater Richmond  Independent SchoolsConvention Center  2009 Conference  Nov. 3-7Virginia Society of400Greater Richmond  American Institute ofConvention Center            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Upcoming meetings</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/CHEK02_20091030-203809/302672/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Coming up NOV. 10 National Association of Women Business Owners-Richmond meets at 11 a.m., Willow Oaks Country Club, 6228 Forest Hill Ave. Topic: &#8220;Increasing Your Bottom Line.&#8220; Cost: $25 for members and $30 for guests. Registration: (804) 346-5644.&nbsp; NOV. 11 Virginia Franchise Forum meets at 7:30 a.m., the Westwood Club, 6200 West Club Lane. Topic: &#8220;Moving from Survival to Growth.&#8220; Speaker: Kate Dunn with Digital Innovation Group. Cost: $20. Details/reservations: Jackie Carter, (804) 783-9314 or           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Seminar&#8217;s focus: how to leverage social media</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/CALN02_20091030-203809/302671/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Advertising and new media marketing executive David Saunders has a phrase to describe social media Web sites LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. He calls them &#8220;The Holy Trinity of Social Media.&#8220; LinkedIn, the oldest, and Facebook are the father/son, said Saunders, president of Madison + Main Advertising &amp; New Media. Twitter is the Holy Ghost, because &#8220;people are still mystified by it,&#8220; he said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Video: Franklins deals with loss of mill</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/video_franklins_deals_with_loss_of_mill/302998/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Franklin, Va. grapples with the loss of its paper mill and 1,000 jobs after International Paper announces plans to close.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:45 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Franklin ponders future without International Paper</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/MILL01_20091031-222608/302947/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
More than any other of the industrial cities and towns that dot Southside Virginia, Franklin is a company town. Just about everyone and everything in and around the city has a vital connection to the paper mill on the Blackwater River.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:31 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Architects&#8217; headquarters gets &#8216;green&#8217; seal of approval</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/LEED01_20091031-175203/302859/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Moseley Architects&#8217; reserved parking spaces aren&#8217;t for mothers with young children. They&#8217;re for people who drive fuel-efficient cars. The Richmond firm is all about energy efficiency. It used green building techniques to renovate a contaminated garage as long as a football field into its headquarters. The soot was so thick in the barrel-vaulted structure that wood ceilings, 28 feet high at the apex, had to be blasted, but not with sand. Sand would have damaged the wood, so peanut and walnut shells were used.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Make smart moves now to lower your tax bill</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/TAXX01_20091031-175403/302865/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It may seem an odd time of year to think about your taxes. But taking some steps before Dec. 31 can help minimize the amount you&#8217;ll owe or maximize your refund. The tax code has a few new items this year, including the well-publicized first-time homebuyer&#8217;s credit and a sales-tax credit for new-car buyers. There&#8217;s also time to use more traditional strategies for maximizing deductions and minimizing income to lower your tax bill next April.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:02 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>White House: 1 million jobs created or saved</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BARN31_20091030-223207/302792/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The federal stimulus plan to kick-start the economy into a recovery so far has generated or saved more than 1 million jobs, the White House declared yesterday. The Obama administration said it is on track to create or save 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year. &#8220;The basic number is that we&#8217;ve spent about a third of the money in a third of the time,&#8220; domestic policy adviser Melody C. Barnes told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Kaine meets with paper mill workers</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-MILL31_20091030-213403/302708/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine met privately yesterday with workers at the International Paper Co. plant in Isle of Wight County, pledging help for the 1,100 employees facing unemployment as the plant shuts down by next spring.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Business Briefs for Oct. 31</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB31_20091030-220402/302720/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A subsidiary of Markel Corp. has bought a privately held company in Texas that makes panels, wall systems, casework, furniture, and countertops and other stone-related products. Terms of the deal for Markel Ventures unit to acquire Panel Specialists Inc. were not disclosed. Henrico County-based specialty insurer Markel occasionally buys privately owned firms outside of its core insurance business as long-term investments.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Executive aims to raise Richmond&#8217;s historic profile</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-TOGO31_20091030-220402/302719/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Much like Don Quixote fighting for his lady&#8217;s hand, local advertising veteran Doug Burford is leading a one-man campaign to get the Richmond area known as America&#8217;s most historic city. &#8220;I may be the only one who believes it can be done, but we have the greatest product in America to sell, and that product is history,&#8220; he said. Burford, president of Richmond-based Burford Company Advertising, believes the area is underselling its historic significance.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Dominion reports 17 percent rise in third&#45;quarter net income</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-DOMI31_20091030-220402/302718/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A milder-than-usual summer cut the amount of juice Dominion Virginia Power shipped through its wires in the third quarter. But even so, the company&#8217;s parent, the Richmond-based energy giant Dominion Resources Inc., reported 17 percent higher profits during the July-to-September period. A rate increase late in the quarter and increased business with Virginia&#8217;s growing military bases helped. So did lower financing charges and income taxes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Martin Agency chief says ad industry must change approach</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-MART31_20091030-213403/302707/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The advertising world is in the midst of profound changes, and agencies will need to adjust the way they tell stories, the top executive at The Martin Agency said yesterday. John Adams, chairman and CEO of the Shockoe Slip ad shop, said the industry is moving away from an integrated marketing concept and toward a more unified approach.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Genworth eases some rules for homebuyers&#8217; coverage</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-GENW31_20091030-213403/302706/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Steadier housing markets across much of the country are leading Genworth Financial Inc. to ease some rules for writing the coverage buyers need to get into a home. In nearly 200 markets in 45 states, Henrico County-based Genworth has gone back to issuing mortgage insurance for homebuyers making 5 percent down payments, the company disclosed. Mortgage insurance, which homebuyers pay for, repays banks if homeowners stop paying their mortgage.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title></title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-ECON31_20091030-213403/302705/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Flat incomes suggest more weakness ahead in consumer spending, reinforcing concerns about a ho-hum holiday shopping season and a sluggish economic recovery. &#8220;This recovery is going to be very weak,&#8220; said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University&#8217;s Smith School of Business. &#8220;Consumers are in no position or mood to spend. Their wages are down, and they can&#8217;t get credit.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Looking beyond the white&#45;collar world for a job</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-BLUE31_20091030-213202/302703/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Have you traded in the white-collar business suit for a uniform or blue-collar profession? Are you willing to share your story for an article about skilled professionals who exhaust their job searches and look beyond the white-collar world? If so, contact Carol Hazard at chazard@timesdispatch.com or at (804) 775-8023.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Data suggest U.S. recession is over</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/ECON30_20091029-222404/302520/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The nation&#8217;s bouncing economic data shot up yesterday, leading politicians, economists and Wall Street to declare the recession over, though roughly one in 10 working Americans still is out of a job. The latest indicator: The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in July, August and September, according to the government&#8217;s first estimate of gross domestic product, the sum total of goods and services produced in the country.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Eight locally&#45;based firms named to Venture Forum list</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-VENT30_20091029-220405/302466/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Eight locally-based companies made the Venture Forum&#8217;s fifth annual list of companies to watch. The companies were chosen because they &#8220;have built solid foundations for success, job creation and [made] major contributions to the area&#8217;s economic vitality.&#8220; The Venture Forum is a Richmond-area networking group for investment professionals and entrepreneurs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Financial proposal gets wary reception in House</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-FINI30_20091029-220405/302464/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
An Obama administration plan to dissolve large, struggling financial firms rather than bail them out is encountering Republican resistance, Democratic doubts and only qualified support from regulators. At a House Financial Services hearing yesterday, lawmakers from both parties worried that the proposal would give regulators and the executive branch unprecedented power.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Philip Morris, Reynolds raising per&#45;pack prices</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-CIGS30_20091029-220405/302463/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The nation&#8217;s two top cigarette-makers are boosting per-pack prices by 6 cents to 8 cents. Though the companies won&#8217;t say why, analysts believe it is to cover new user fees charged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pay for the costs of its new assignment to regulate tobacco. The increase on what manufacturers charge wholesalers seems unlikely to have a big effect on smoking, as this spring&#8217;s 61.66-cent-a-pack increase in federal excise taxes did.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Looking beyond the white&#45;collar world for a job</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-BLUE30_20091029-220405/302462/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Have you traded in the white-collar business suit for a uniform or blue-collar profession? Are you willing to share your story for an article about skilled professionals who exhaust their job searches and look beyond the white-collar world? If so, contact Carol Hazard at chazard@timesdispatch.com or at (804) 775-8023.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Oct. 30</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB30_20091029-214207/302438/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Dominion Virginia Power and parent company Dominion Resources Inc. have asked the State Corporation Commission for permission to sell up to $1.5 billion of the power company&#8217;s common stock to Dominion Resources. The electric utility, which originally sought approval to sell up to $3 billion in stock, said it would use the money to retire short-term debt and pay for capital investments.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Genworth, Union Bankshares, Brink&#8217;s, Procter and Gamble</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-EARN30_20091029-214207/302436/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Genworth Financial Inc. swing back into the black after five straight money-losing quarters, as losses from its investments declined. The Henrico County-based insurance giant reported profit of $45 million, or 4 cents a share, in the third quarter, compared with a $258 million loss a year ago. Its net loss on investments was $122 million, well below the loss of $816 million it suffered a year ago, as worldwide bond and stock markets melted down.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Two cigarette makers boosting pack prices</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/CIGSGAT29_20091029-140201/302364/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The nation&#8217;s two top cigarette-makers are boosting per-pack prices by 6 to 8 cents a pack. Though the companies won&#8217;t say why, analysts believe it is to cover new user fees charged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pay for the costs of its new assignment to regulate tobacco. The increase on what Altria&#8217;s Philip Morris USA and Reynolds American&#8217;s RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. charge wholesalers seems unlikely to have a big effect on smoking, as this spring&#8217;s 61.66 cent-a-pack hike in federal excise taxes did.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:02:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Old&#45;fashioned shoe shop in step with Internet</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-SHOE29_20091028-215404/302214/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It&#8217;s a Richmond tradition: shoe repair, bail bonds and&#8212;now&#8212;Twitter. Even a nearly century-old shoe shop and bail bond company needs a Twitter feed and a Web site. Even if the owner doesn&#8217;t know how to log on to a PC.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:55 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Federal Club golf course, development, file for bankruptcy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-GOLF29_20091028-221604/302238/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Federal Club, with a $9 million Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, opened three years ago with high-profile promise. Today, the club and the surrounding upscale housing development known as Mountain Run off U.S. 33 in Hanover County is in bankruptcy protection. Mountain Run Golf Inc. and Mountain Run LLC filed for Chapter 11 on Tuesday afternoon in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond. Together they represent the golf club and course and unsold residential parcels.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Oct. 29</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB29_20091028-215803/302221/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Auto-castings maker Intermet plans to close its Archer Creek Foundry and lay off 192 workers. The company informed Campbell County officials of its plans yesterday, County Administrator David Laurrell said. Two Virginia electric cooperatives have received federal economic stimulus grants to help modernize their power grids. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, based in Fredericksburg, will receive $15.7 million toward a $31.4 million project to make digital improvements and upgrades in communication infrastructure, advanced meters, cyber-security equipment and digital automation to reduce peak demand and improve system reliability.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economic recovery will be tough, too</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-ECON29_20091028-215803/302219/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The recession may be over, but the recovery is just beginning&#8212;and it&#8217;s doesn&#8217;t promise to be much easier. While the Commerce Department won&#8217;t its release gross domestic product data until this morning, economists forecast that the nation&#8217;s total output grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent between July and September after contracting for a record four straight quarters.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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