Governor Perdue, Johnson Controls Celebrate Grand Opening in West Point

Top-tier Kia supplier creating 300 jobs in Harris County

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue joined with executives from Johnson Controls and a host of local officials today to celebrate the official grand opening of Johnson Controls’ West Point plant. Johnson Controls is a global leader in automotive seating, door and instrument panels, and interior electronics. As a leading supplier for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, the Johnson Controls West Point facility will manufacture seats and door panels for the Kia Sorento. This company location was initially announced in 2008, and currently employs approximately 300 workers.

“I am pleased to officially welcome Johnson Controls to Georgia,” said Governor Perdue. “The 300 jobs here at Johnson Controls are part of the more than 3,600 jobs Kia suppliers have created in West Georgia. Georgia continues to foster a competitive business environment that makes growth opportunities a reality for industry-leading manufacturers like Johnson Controls.”

The Milwaukee-based company occupies a 127,000-square-foot plant in West Point near the Kia Motors assembly plant, and ships products to the Kia facility on a just-in-time basis. The plant receives 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources including hydro, biomass, solar and wind. Compared to traditional energy, these renewable energy sources will save the emission of nearly 7,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next six years, which is the equivalent of planning nearly 200,000 trees.

“Johnson Controls is pleased to support our customer Kia in West Point and bring new jobs to the community,” said Jeff Williams, group vice president and general manager for the Automotive Experience business of Johnson Controls. “We appreciate all of the support we have received from the state of Georgia, the local community and the Valley Partnership in establishing this new plant.”

The Johnson Controls West Point plant is located in the Northwest Harris Business Park in Harris County.

“We are proud to welcome a strong automotive company like Johnson Controls to Harris County,” said Harry Lange, Harris County Commission Chairman. “I know they will provide terrific opportunities for our citizens, and I look forward to their continued success in our area.”

Mark Lytle and Yoonie Kim, project managers with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, assisted the company with its location.

About Johnson Controls Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in over 150 countries. Our 130,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to shareholders and making our customers successful.
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RUE21 to Open at Arbor Place

Arbor Place Mall announced today that Rue21, a leading specialty fashion retailer, will soon open inside Arbor Place mall. The 4,500 square foot store will be located on the upper level next to Regal Cinema. “We are looking forward to Rue21 joining our growing number of Arbor Place merchants,” said general manager of Arbor Place Mall, Bill Ball. “They are a welcome addition, as we strive to continually improve the shopping experience at Arbor Place.”

Rue21 strives to provide the best selections while offering a competitive pricing strategy, making a specific, unique statement by offering fashion, quality and value. As new goods arrive daily, the choices of style are always fun and affordable for that fashion-conscious customer.

Rue21 has more than 500 stores, a figure that could jump to more than 1,000 if its growth plans, which include doubling the number of stores over the next four to five years, come to fruition. Last year, the company opened 88 stores and plans to open 100 additional stores in 2010.

Additionally, Charming Charlie, a unique fashion accessory retailer which features thousands of fashion jewelry and accessory pieces as well as a wide assortment of handbags, shoes and apparel merchandised by color, not category, recently opened at Arbor Place. The new 7,900-square-foot store is located on the first floor between Bed, Bath & Beyond and RadioShack.

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Senate Extends Vital SBA Programs

/PRNewswire/ -- The United States Senate unanimously agreed to extend the Small Business Administration (SBA) and vital programs that fall under the Small Business Administration Act and the Small Business Investment Act, such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs, which have been operating under a temporary extender and were set to expire on April 30, 2010, will continue with a three-month extension through July 31, 2010. The bill now heads to the House for approval. United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship made the following comment on the passage of the extension:

"The extension of these programs that fall under the Small Business Administration, such as the SBIR and STTR, will allow the nation's innovators and entrepreneurs to continue their work as we continue negotiations with the House for a longer, more comprehensive agreement. Over the next three months, I encourage the entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers looking for jobs, or waiting for a chance to explore a promising and innovative idea, to apply for research projects through these programs. SBIR and STTR entrepreneurs start businesses, create jobs and account for 25 percent of our nation's innovators, and we are ready to support them and their businesses."

Small firms employ 41 percent of the nation's high-tech workers and generate 13 to 14 times more patents per employee than large firms. The SBIR program alone has generated more than 84,000 patents and millions of jobs. Eleven federal agencies participate in the SBIR program -- including the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation -- allocating 2.5 percent of their extramural research and development dollars for the program.

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GE Center of Excellence will Make Atlanta Worldwide Hub for Smart Grid Breakthroughs

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The leading worldwide resource for clean, reliable, efficient energy delivery will be headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with the opening of GE’s (NYSE: GE) Digital Energy business’ new Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence (COE), the company announced today. The center is another demonstration of GE’s commitment to discovering and deploying clean, sustainable and economically viable energy solutions to satisfy ever-increasing worldwide energy demand.

“Research on smart grid technologies and their related systems is important at Georgia Tech, so there are limitless opportunities to collaborate with GE”

“Atlanta is an ideal location for us to continue to grow our smart grid business,” said Bob Gilligan, vice president—digital energy for GE Energy Services. “This new center of excellence will strengthen our green workforce and help GE continue to create solutions to better address our 21st century energy needs.”

The center is expected to add about 400 new jobs over three years. It will combine the world headquarters for GE’s Digital Energy business, a world-class smart grid engineering laboratory and a world-destination smart grid customer solutions showcase.

To help develop and deliver the leading-edge technologies and solutions planned for the COE, GE will need a highly trained “green” workforce. Funding from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is being used to train and build a solid, energy-savvy human resource that will benefit the Atlanta area for years to come.

In addition to federal government cooperation, the Georgia Economic Development Office and the Georgia governor’s office worked with GE to help secure the green jobs for Atlanta.

“GE Energy’s decision to expand its presence in Georgia through the opening of the Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence supports our state’s strategic growth as a global leader in the energy sector,” said Governor Perdue. “The solutions that will be developed at the Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence not only benefit GE’s customers, but also will serve as a model for smart and responsible energy production throughout this industry.”

The smart grid lab features collaboration between GE and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), one of the nation’s top research universities. The partnership will work to develop and test new smart grid technologies that can help improve the efficiency, reliability and environmental impact of energy transmission, distribution and consumption—from integrating more renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, to lowering the peak power demand that lowers the need for new power plants, to improving the ways consumers manage their power usage.

“Research on smart grid technologies and their related systems is important at Georgia Tech, so there are limitless opportunities to collaborate with GE,” said Greg King, Strategic Partners Office at Georgia Tech. “We look forward to working with GE in this latest area of technology and innovation.”

The smart grid customer solutions showcase will feature hands-on interactive displays that can help visitors from throughout the world understand the challenges and opportunities inherent in delivering electricity over the power grid. Visitors will see how changes in the ways power is generated, delivered and consumed can improve the ways they live—from plug-in car charging and home energy management to renewable generation and automated grid communications networks. The showcase also will feature in-depth demonstrations to help educate grid engineers about the proven energy-saving solutions available.

“Georgia and metro Atlanta’s relationship and experience with GE is solid. The Chamber is proud to have partnered with the state to help GE with this new headquarters project,” said Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “GE has steadily grown its presence in Atlanta for a number of years and has had success in managing their worldwide energy and infrastructure organizations from Atlanta. The high-paying jobs this new facility will create are the kinds of jobs where the Chamber’s New Economy Task Force recommended we focus our efforts. Atlanta has everything GE needs to continue to succeed: talent, quality of life and access to market.”

GE will move into the new headquarters in July, and the customer showcase is scheduled to open in September.

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Delta Air Lines Accelerates Employee Pension Funding

/PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today announced the addition of $558 million on an accelerated basis to four pension funds covering most of the airline's U.S.-based employees. With the accelerated contributions, Delta will complete its required contributions to these plans for 2010 approximately seven months ahead of schedule. Delta's pension funding is normally distributed throughout the year, with the majority of contributions added near the end of the year.

"Putting this money into our pension plans earlier means it will start working for employees sooner, by earning returns that add to the plan assets," said Mike Campbell, Delta's executive vice president - Human Resources. "Delta is committed to funding these plans, which provide an important part of the retirement benefit for many of our employees."

By the end of this month, Delta will have contributed $665 million to its traditional pension plans in the first four months of this year, in addition to $100 million that has been contributed to employees' defined contribution 401(k) plans. With another roughly $200 million scheduled to be contributed to 401(k) plans during the balance of the year, Delta is on track to contribute nearly $1 billion towards employees' retirement security in 2010.

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Equifax Signs Agreement to Sell APPRO

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Equifax Enabling Technologies LLC unit, consisting primarily of the APPRO suite of loan origination software ("APPRO"), to CRIF Corporation, an affiliate of CRIF S.p.A., an Italian credit reporting firm. The sales price is $72.4 million, subject to adjustment. The transaction is expected to close in April, upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Equifax intends to use the net proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes. The divestiture is not expected to have a material impact on adjusted EPS for full-year 2010.

APPRO is a leading provider of comprehensive loan origination systems for financial institutions and is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. CRIF Corp., with headquarters in Tampa, is a provider of decision support systems, business information solutions, credit management, direct marketing and credit collection services. CRIF S.p.A., is based in Bologna, Italy, and is a leading provider of banking credit information in Europe, including business and commercial information and credit and marketing management services.

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SCORE and Experian Team Up to Help Small Businesses Build Healthy Credit

SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” and Experian, the leading global information services company, join forces to offer “how to” resources that help entrepreneurs better understand their business credit profile and strengthen their credit score. As a newly recognized National Corporate Sponsor of SCORE, Experian will help promote financial health by sponsoring SCORE Expert Answers and a new eGuide on www.score.org.

The new eGuide, “Growing and Maintaining a Healthy Business Credit Score,” is now available for download under the “Financing Your Business” section at www.score.org. The eGuide is designed to educate business owners on the basics of their credit profile, as well as provide tips and resources about how business owners can effectively manage their credit.

SCORE CEO Ken Yancey says, “Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are looking for ways to increase financing to start and grow businesses as the economy recovers. Thanks to Experian, SCORE can offer new resources to support the success of small businesses across America.” Yancey adds, “SCORE counselors can help guide entrepreneurs through the process of reviewing their finances, getting loans and building their businesses.”

“Experian is committed to helping people and businesses understand their credit so that they can be better equipped to make wise financial decisions,” said Allen Anderson, president, Experian’s Business Information Services. “Making sure that your small business has a solid credit report is as important as maintaining a positive credit history in your personal life. In fact, when creditors are reviewing the creditworthiness of a small business, having a solid business credit history becomes critical to that business' success.”

SCORE Expert Answers is a monthly eNewsletter reaching more than 100,000 small business owners with small business and industry experts sharing secrets of success to help small businesses become more successful and profitable.

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 8.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through mentoring and workshops. More than 12,400 volunteer business counselors in 364 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE on the web at www.score.org and www.score.org/women.

About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2009, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.
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Senate Extends Small Business Loan Changes to Boost Job Creation

/PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today praised the Senate's extension of two important Recovery Act provisions: increased government guarantees and eliminated fees on small business loans. The measure - as well as a tax credit to help reservist employers - passed as part of the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, the second in a series of bills that are part of the Senate's jobs agenda.

"Not only are the increased government guarantees and eliminated fees on small business loans being extended through the end of the year, but to ensure the programs do not run out of funding prematurely, I have worked hard to fully fund these programs at $620 million," Sen. Landrieu said. "While the provisions have already helped provide $18.2 billion in lending to more than 40,000 small businesses and helped to create more than 500,000 jobs in the last year, there are still many more small businesses that need loans. Funding the programs through the end of the year will help meet that demand and also help create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs. I'd like to thank Senators Baucus and Durbin for working with me to make sure this important provision was fully funded in this jobs bill."

Chair Landrieu, along with Ranking Member Olympia Snowe, included an extension of these provisions as part of S. 2869, The Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act, that was voted out of Committee in early December. To read more about the bill, please click here.

The bill also included a provision that extends through 2010 a tax credit for small businesses that pay the salary differential to reservist employees called up for active duty. This small business tax credit provides incentive for small employers to eliminate any pay gap between civilian and military pay.

"As our soldiers serve far from home, they often take a cut in pay by switching from civilian to military payroll, leaving families to tighten their belts at an already tough time," Sen. Landrieu said. "This is not right. Our brave soldiers should not be penalized for serving America, nor should the small business owners who want to help their employees but are already suffering in these harsh economic times. With the extension of this important tax credit, our soldiers, their families, and the small businesses they work for will be protected from the fiscal burdens that come with active duty."

Senator Landrieu was a co-sponsor of the measure, originally introduced by Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., in November 2009.

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Isakson Votes to Help Small Businesses Create Jobs

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today criticized the Senate’s rejection of an amendment he co-sponsored that would have created and expanded a number of tax incentives designed to help small businesses create jobs.

The amendment was defeated by a vote of 38-61.

“Having run my own small business for over 30 years, I recognize the tremendous impact that federal policy can have on American business owners,” Isakson said. “It is important we enact policies that strengthen and stabilize our economy. I’m disappointed the Senate rejected this commonsense approach to helping the people and small businesses that make up the heart of the American economy.”

The amendment, which was offered by Senator John Thune, R-S.D., would have redirected unused stimulus funds to pay for several small business tax incentives, including a provision that would have allowed small businesses to pay off large expenditures for manufacturing equipment and other physical capital more easily.

The amendment also would have eliminated capital gains taxes on small business investments and provided a 20 percent deduction for small business income.

Isakson is a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and he spent more than three decades in the real estate business, beginning his business career in 1967 when he opened the first Cobb County, Ga., office of a small, family-owned real estate business, Northside Realty.
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Postal Service Outlines 10-Year Plan to Address Declining Revenue, Volume

/PRNewswire/ -- Facing unprecedented volume declines and a projected, cumulative $238 billion shortfall during the next decade, Postmaster General John E. Potter today outlined an aggressive plan of cost cutting, increased productivity, and an array of legislative and regulatory changes necessary to maintain a viable United States Postal Service.

"The crisis we're facing gives us an historic opportunity to make changes that will lay the foundation for a leaner, more market responsive Postal Service that can thrive far into the future," Potter said, stressing that there is no one single answer or quick fix to the crisis.

The Postal Service examined revenue, volume and consumer trends; analyzed revenue and product opportunities employed by foreign posts; and examined more than 50 possible actions to realistically address volume declines that will not return, increasing health care and delivery costs, and dramatic changes to consumer behavior.

"The future depends on a suite of solutions that takes a balanced and reasonable approach, one that cuts across every aspect of our industry but one that, in the end, does the greatest possible good for our stakeholders and the American public," Potter said.

Mail volume is projected to fall from 177 billion in 2009 to 150 billion in 2020. That represents a 37 percent decline in First-Class Mail alone. Revenue contributed by First-Class Mail will plummet from 51 percent today to about 35 percent in 2020.

"Ensuring a Viable Postal Service for America," the Postal Service business plan, addresses these challenges, and describes a flexible, agile Postal Service that can adapt to America's changing mailing habits and preferences.

If the Postal Service takes no action, it will face a cumulative shortfall of $238 billion by 2020. But Potter outlined a number of actions that could amount to as much as $123 billion in savings during that same time period. These actions build on the Postal Service's record of saving more than $1 billion every year since 2001 and include continuing to aggressively control costs and eliminating hundreds of millions of work hours.

Despite these efforts, an estimated $115 billion shortfall will remain. The business plan identifies actions to close that gap:

-- Restructure retiree health benefits payments to be consistent with
what is used by the rest of the federal government and the majority of
the private sector and address overpayments to the Postal Service
Civil Service Retirement System pension fund.
-- Adjust delivery days to better reflect current mail volumes and
customer habits.
-- Continue to modernize customer access by providing services at
locations that are more convenient to customers, such as grocery
stores, pharmacies, retail centers, and office supply stores. Increase
and enhance customer access through partnerships, self-service kiosks
and a world-class Website.
-- Establish a more flexible workforce that is better positioned to
respond to changing demand patterns, as more than 300,000 employees
become eligible to retire in the coming decade.
-- Ensure that prices of Market Dominant mailing products are based on
demand for each individual product and its costs, rather than capping
prices for every class at the rate of inflation.
-- A modest exigent price increase will be proposed, effective in 2011.
-- Permit the Postal Service to evaluate and introduce more new products
consistent with its mission, allowing it to better respond to changing
customer needs and compete more effectively in the marketplace.


"Lifestyles and ways of doing business have changed dramatically in the last 40 years, but some of the laws that govern the Postal Service have not. These laws need to be modernized to reflect today's economic and business challenges and the dramatic impact the Internet has had on American life," Potter said.

The business plan is a path to the future, the Postmaster General said, a future where the Postal Service remains a vital driver of the American economy, an integral part of every American community and continues to deliver the greatest value of any comparable post in the world.

"If given the flexibility to respond to an evolving marketplace, the Postal service will continue to be an integral part of the fabric of American life," Potter said.

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