Jekyll Island Authority Board Boasts Bright Outlook at Annual Meeting

/PRNewswire/ -- The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) Board along with executive staff members of the JIA met for its regular monthly meeting. As the designated Annual Meeting, election of new board officers was held. Chairman Bob Krueger has been reappointed to an additional term as Board Chairman by Governor Perdue, Steve Croy was re-elected as Vice Chairman and Mike Hodges was reelected Secretary. Revitalization updates were briefly presented along with reports from the finance, personnel and marketing committees.

"I'm pleased to continue the important work of Jekyll revitalization," said Krueger. "We are in a critical stage, but with the support of this dedicated board, excellent staff and a superb plan I have no doubt that we will accomplish our goals and restore Jekyll Island to its proper place as a premier and unique public beach destination."

Revitalization construction plans on the Flash Foods gas and convenience store and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill restaurant are moving forward. Robert Williams, the Director of Maintenance and Construction for Flash Foods out of Waycross, GA, presented a revised construction plan at the board meeting. Construction has not progressed as quickly as planned due to construction priorities within Flash Foods. The construction is now slated for a completion by January 2011.

Good news was reported on the current state of the JIA's finances, giving this fiscal year a positive start. Revenues for July 2010 exceeded July 2009 revenues by 9% and hotel revenue was up 23%. The largest increases for JIA operations were achieved at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Summer Waves Water Park and the parking fees collected at the Greeting Station.

"July is a crucial month for Jekyll financially," said Mike Hodges, Chair of the Finance Committee. "I'm pleased to see such a significant increase in Jekyll Island's earnings in spite of tough economic times."

In addition to the solid financial report, two of Jekyll Island's resorts were acknowledged for their recent awards. The Jekyll Island Days Inn &Suites was the recipient of the Smith Travel Research (STR) Best Performing Award for the Economy Chain Segment as the number one hotel out of 10,000 in its class. Pinkerton & Laws of Georgia, Inc. received the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) Excellence Award in the commercial $5-$15M category for the construction of the Jekyll Island Hampton Inn & Suites.

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U.S. Economy Distancing Itself from Great Recession - BMO Economics

/PRNewswire/ -- U.S. real GDP rose a much stronger-than-expected 5.7 per cent annualized in Q4, building on a modest 2.2 per cent advance in Q3, and a far cry from the 5.4 per cent slide of a year ago.

"The advance in exports, personal consumption and business capital spending points to some positive momentum in the economy," said Sal Guatieri, Senior Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "First-quarter GDP growth should top 3 per cent, further distancing the economy from the Great Recession, and encouraging firms to resume hiring."

More than half of the quarterly increase reflected inventory rebuilding, with an assist from net exports. Exports soared 18.1 per cent, even topping the prior quarter's sharp gain, amid support from an upswing in global demand and a weak dollar. Final sales (GDP ex-inventories) strengthened to 2.2 per cent, though final domestic demand weakened a bit to 1.7 per cent. The latter reflected a moderation in consumer spending (2.0 per cent), after the cash-for-clunkers auto program boosted sales in Q3. However, the underlying rate of consumer spending, though still soft, looks to have picked up.

Government spending was also weak due to ongoing retrenchment at the state level and a pullback in defense spending. Non-residential construction remained in the dumps, sliding 15.4 per cent. The main upward surprise in the report came from a 13.3 per cent surge in business equipment spending, the fastest in nearly four years. Recent strength in capital goods orders, coupled with the President's proposal to provide investment tax credits, point to ongoing strength ahead. Residential construction also advanced further in Q4, despite a recent pullback in housing starts.

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Despite Warnings, U.S. Companies Remain Unprepared for Baby Boomers' Exodus

/PRNewswire/ -- With millions of Baby Boomers poised to age out of the workforce, U.S. companies remain unprepared for an imminent talent drain that threatens to alter the national economy, according to a new report by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College.

Nearly 70 percent of the almost 700 organizations surveyed do not yet know how old their workers are or how many are likely to retire. Forty percent reported that the aging of the workforce will have a detrimental impact on their businesses by 2012.

"The out-migration of a generation of workers will upset the entire balance of the workplace," said co-author Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, director of the Sloan Center on Aging & Work. "U.S. companies need to start planning strategically for workforce sustainability. The current abundance of older worker talent and experience is going to dry up, and businesses will very soon need to fill hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs."

The report -- The Pressures of Talent Management -- examined talent management practices at 696 organizations across the 10 leading sectors of the economy. The companies studied employ more than one million workers combined and represent businesses that account for roughly 85 percent of the jobs and payrolls in the U.S.

Additional key findings include:
-- 77 percent of employers surveyed had not analyzed projected employee
retirement rates or assessed employee career plans.
-- 56 percent of these businesses had not assessed the skills their
organizations need today and in the future.
-- About one-third of employers reported not having enough programs for
recruitment or training of older workers.

Though long-predicted, the workforce reduction has generated surprisingly limited responses. In 2000, Baby Boomers represented the largest portion of the U.S. labor force, at 48 percent. By 2010, they're projected to shrink to 37 percent of the workforce, leading some economists predict a shortage of 10-15 million workers in the coming decade.

"Workforce planning makes good business sense," said report researcher Stephen Sweet. "Changing age demographics don't have to disrupt a business -- they may present new opportunities or competitive advantages. Employers should take advantage of programs designed to meet the evolving needs of employees nearing retirement, while at the same time meeting business needs by keeping experienced talent longer and ensuring business continuity."

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Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Publishes 2007 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report

BUSINESS WIRE --Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE), the world’s largest marketer, distributor, and producer of Coca-Cola products, has published its third company-wide Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Report, Shape Tomorrow…Today. To access CCE’s 2007 Report in its entirety, please visit http://www.cokecce.com/assets/uploaded_files/2007_CRSReport.pdf. Comments and feedback related to the 2007 Report are welcome at crs@cokecce.com.

The Report follows the G3 guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and announces the company’s first-ever goals and commitments in its five strategic CRS focus areas: water stewardship, sustainable packaging/recycling, energy conservation/climate change, product portfolio/well-being, and diverse and inclusive culture. The Report is a comprehensive look at Coca-Cola Enterprises’ business in the communities in which it operates.

“For the first time, we are announcing a clear roadmap with targets and goals to help us deliver on our commitment to Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability,” said John F. Brock, chairman and chief executive officer. “As we continue to embed CRS throughout our business, it is playing an increasingly important role in helping us to capture operational efficiencies, drive effectiveness, and eliminate waste.”

CCE has established a goal and targets for each of its five strategic CRS focus areas, including:

• Water Stewardship: Establish a water sustainable operation in which we use one liter of water for every liter of product we produce – what we call water neutrality.
• Sustainable Packaging/Recycling: Maximize our use of renewable, reusable, and recyclable resources, ultimately recycling the equivalent of 100 percent of our packaging.
• Energy Conservation/Climate Change: Reduce carbon emissions in our manufacturing, fleet, sales and marketing equipment, and facilities.
• Product Portfolio/Well-Being: Offer every consumer the right product and package in the right place, at the right moment, in the right way.
• Diverse and Inclusive Culture: Establish a diverse, winning, and inclusive culture.

Highlights from the Report include:

• Achieving the company’s target of a three percent improvement in water use ratio over previous year, using 1.77 liters of water to produce one liter of product
• Launching Coca-Cola Recycling with a mission of recovering or recycling the equivalent of 100 percent of the packaging materials used by the Coca-Cola system in North America
• Installing more than 20,000 energy-saving devices in sales and marketing equipment, reducing CO₂ by 28,000 metric tons
• Adding glacéau, FUZE, and Campbell’s products to the company’s product portfolio
• Increasing the number of light sparkling and still beverages in the company’s portfolio to 47 percent of our sales volume
• Spending more than US$150 million with minority- or women-owned business enterprises
• Contributing US$31.5 million to community investment programs

Coca-Cola Enterprises will continue to improve its reporting capabilities and data-gathering systems. The company is committed to developing greater transparency in reporting and improving the quality and quantity of the data reported.

Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world's largest marketer, producer, and distributor of bottle and can liquid nonalcoholic refreshment. CCE sells approximately 80 percent of The Coca-Cola Company's bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, and the Netherlands.

Aiming High: Delta Air Lines Releases 2007 Path to Corporate Responsibility Report

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) 2007 Path to Corporate Responsibility Report, an overview of the airline's commitment to environmental protection, safety and social responsibility, is now available at delta.com. Delta continues to demonstrate this commitment through partnerships with employees, vendors, customers, civic and non-profit organizations that are designed to make a significant and lasting difference in the communities the airline serves worldwide. The report details the airline's ongoing programs and achievements in environmental conservation and stewardship, operational excellence in safety and compliance, and community stewardship.

"Delta aims high to achieve unsurpassed excellence in its commitment to safety and environmental health for the passengers, employees, vendors, investors, and communities we serve worldwide," said Michael Quiello, Delta's vice president of Corporate Safety, Compliance and Environmental Programs. "This Report recognizes milestones, including Delta's receipt of the prestigious National Safety Council's Green Cross for Safety Medal."

The report highlights accomplishments in 2007 including:

* Reducing the airline's fuel consumption by 40 million gallons in
2007 vs. 2006 through fuel conservation initiatives, with a
corresponding reduction in aircraft engine emissions;
* Partnering with The Conservation Fund to become the first U.S.
airline to offer customers a carbon offset program;
* Aggressively incorporating electric ground support equipment into
the airline's fleet;
* Expanding the airline's comprehensive onboard recycling program to
include 13 cities Delta serves within the U.S. Since its launch in
June 2007, the onboard recycling program has diverted more than 322
tons of materials from local landfills. The more than $80,000 in
proceeds from last year's program will be used to build an
EarthCraft-style home for community partner Habitat for Humanity
this Fall, the first Delta house ever to be funded entirely from
recycling proceeds;
* Continuing the airline's partnership with the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) to participate in Voluntary
Protection Programs (VPP) including 10 locations thus far;
* Demonstrating the airline's proven industry leadership through
Award-winning safety programs;
* Expanding and formalizing Delta's history of doing good and helping
others on a global scale with the creation of Delta's Force for
Global Good, the airline's program that unites Delta employees and
customers in philanthropic and social responsibility efforts
throughout the world. The program leverages Delta's global network
of employees who volunteer, as well as assets of The Delta
Foundation, the airline's charitable organization supporting
communities where Delta customers and employees live and work
worldwide.

The complete report is available at: http://images.delta.com.edgesuite.net/delta/pdfs/corporate_responsibility_report.pdf