Old Time Pottery to Hold Liquidation Sale in 8 Store Locations

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Old Time Pottery, a leading home decorations discount retailer, will conduct a liquidation sale in eight of its store locations as part of the Company’s strategic reorganization plan, following its bankruptcy filing in August 2009. The sale, which is just in time for the holiday season, will begin on December 3, 2009 and will be managed by Hudson Capital Partners, LLC. Old Time Pottery’s additional 29 locations will remain opened and will continue to operate as usual.

In a sale that is expected to last around 8 weeks, inventory valued at approximately $15.5 million will be completely liquidated at below-market prices. Customers can expect to find a wide range of housewares, including glassware, dinnerware, framed art, linens, rugs and craft supplies, seasonal decorations, mirrors, wall décor, lamps, candles, silk plants and other home accents. The liquidation sale will take place at eight Old Time Pottery stores located in Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina.

“For nearly 25 years, consumers continue to look to Old Time Pottery for its exceptional selection of discounted home accessories and decorations,” said Jim Schaye, president and CEO of Hudson Capital Partners. “We are anticipating the merchandise to move quickly, as the sale offers consumers an excellent opportunity to buy great holiday gifts at discounts on already great prices.”

Old Time Pottery Store Locations to Hold Liquidation Sale:

3682 Ridgeway Road Memphis TN
3625 Sweetwater Road Duluth GA
7400 Douglas Blvd Douglasville GA
3601 S Elm Place Broken Arrow OK
10785 Lincoln Dr Fairview Heights IL
5880 E State St Rockford IL
651 Lyons Rd Dayton OH
3700 S. Holden Rd Greensboro NC

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NCR Opens New ATM Manufacturing Facility in Columbus, Ga.

(BUSINESS WIRE)--NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) today (October 29) opens its new ATM manufacturing facility in Columbus, Ga., rolling out its first NCR SelfServ™ ATMs and bringing innovative manufacturing back to North America. In less than five months after announcing plans to build a domestic manufacturing facility, NCR was able to open the 350,000 square-foot facility and begin production of ATM machines for its North American customers.

The company celebrated the opening at its Corporate Ridge Business Park plant with key officials and elected representatives from the City of Columbus and the State of Georgia, who participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony, a tour of the manufacturing plant and an opportunity to see the production of some of the first NCR ATM machines being built at the new site.

NCR has filed for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification—the Green Building Rating System that is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. The company has also reused and recycled materials throughout the building, from the initial demolition, such as cinder blocks and carpet.

“Our decision to bring our North American ATM manufacturing in-house was driven by our belief that as self-service ATM technology becomes more innovative and strategic to financial institutions, the ability to control manufacturing in key markets becomes a core and competitive advantage to our growth strategy,” said Peter Dorsman, senior vice president of Global Operations at NCR. “By in-sourcing the production of our SelfServ ATMs, we will decrease time-to-market, improve our internal collaboration, and lower our current operating costs.”

Approximately 870 jobs will be created at a new Columbus, Ga., site over the next three years. With the help of the state and local government, NCR has already hired and trained nearly 120 employees through Georgia’s Quick Start Program – a customized workforce-training program for businesses across the state. Quick Start has been instrumental in supporting NCR to drive comprehensive employee training plans, create assessment programs and establish a mindset in each employee to strive for continuous improvement efforts.

“Georgia’s strategic strengths in advanced manufacturing will help drive the success of NCR’s new facility in Columbus,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “We have an innovative edge here in Georgia that has enabled companies to thrive, and NCR is a perfect fit as it manufactures its next-generation ATMs and self-serve devices for the North American market.”

The City of Columbus offered a location with a talented workforce, close proximity to major transportation hubs such as Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and many of Georgia’s highly esteemed academic institutions. The new facility is also close to NCR’s innovation center in Duluth, Ga., and the company’s global customer service organization in Peachtree City, Ga.

In addition, NCR’s campus-like ecosystem between its partners, suppliers and Georgia’s academic institutions will help drive and improve cross-functional collaboration, training and innovation -- ensuring that NCR’s manufacturing process is cutting edge.

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Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Elects AGCO CEO Martin Richenhagen as 2009 Chairman

(BUSINESS WIRE)--AGCO, Your Agriculture Company, (NYSE: AG), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, announced today that Martin Richenhagen, AGCO Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, has been elected 2009 Chairman of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the North American-based international trade group representing the off-road equipment manufacturing industry. AEM, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the capitals of Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Beijing and a European presence in Brussels, represents more than 800 companies in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors.

Martin Richenhagen brings to this position a broad range of industrial and manufacturing experience, and, as an international business executive, perfectly complies with the association’s guiding principle of thinking and acting globally. Prior to joining AGCO in 2004, he served as Executive Vice President at Forbo International SA, a manufacturing firm specializing in flooring materials, headquartered in Switzerland. He also served as Group President for German-based CLAAS KGaA, a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, and as Senior Executive Vice President of Field Operations for Schindler Holding GmbH in Germany, where his responsibilities included the management of the entire sales force leadership, customer service and logistics.

Martin Richenhagen, the former First Vice Chairman of AEM, replaces the 2008 Chairman Glen Tellock. Together with the other officers and the association’s board, the new Chairman will set the guidelines and operating policies of AEM on behalf of its members in areas including technical and safety services, trade shows, market information and global public policy.

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DataPath Awarded SeaPort-Enhanced ID/IQ Prime Contract by U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center

PRNewswire/ -- DataPath, Inc., a leading provider of satellite and wireless communications networks around the world, has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) prime contract under the SeaPort-Enhanced (SeaPort-e) contract vehicle by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The SeaPort-e prime contract provides a streamlined electronic procurement process through which DataPath can submit bids and receive task orders to provide satellite and wireless communications network solutions, services and software to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. DataPath's award has a one-year base period and includes additional terms for up to 10 years total. Through this vehicle, DataPath will be able to provide products and services in all seven regional zones covered by the Seaport-e electronic procurement process.

"This award is the result of our efforts to continue to expand our offerings across key user communities within the U.S. Department of Defense and civilian government market," said Dave Helfgott, president and CEO of DataPath. "Based on our proven capabilities to deliver vital communications networks, software applications, and technical support services, we were selected as a prime contractor that will serve the U.S. Navy and our long-time customer the U.S. Marine Corps for years to come."

"Navy and Marine users of network-centric communications systems and advanced network control software will benefit greatly from this procurement vehicle," said Steve Lindeman, vice president of Business Operations at DataPath. "We will be able to deliver the right solutions very quickly into the hands of Sailors and Marines operating around the world."

The government estimates that a maximum of $5.3 billion of services will be procured per year via contracts maintained under the SeaPort-e contracting vehicle. The SeaPort-e contract vehicle was established to create a performance-based Navy-wide electronic procurement process. It is a multiple award contract with more than 1,000 contractors that deliver products and services for the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Military Sealift Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Strategic Systems Programs, Office of Naval Research, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Marine Corps.

Brightree Secures Significant Investment from Battery Ventures to Finance Growth and Extend Leadership Position

BUSINESS WIRE--Brightree LLC, developer of the fastest growing business management solution for the Home Medical Equipment (HME), Durable Medical Equipment (DME), Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) and Sleep Therapy markets, today announced that it has received a significant investment from Battery Ventures. Brightree intends to use the new capital to accelerate its growth, consolidate the markets it serves, and expand into new markets.

“Brightree has all of the elements we look for in our later stage investments: a profitable, fast growth business, a market-leading product with happy customers, and an experienced management team at the helm,” said Neeraj Agrawal, general partner at Battery. “The company is in an excellent position to continue to grow organically as well as to acquire complementary companies to extend their leadership position.”

Brightree was the first “Software as a Service” (“SaaS”) solution developed specifically for the HME/DME market, fully automating the unique workflows and complex requirements of the industry. The combination of its intuitive, easy-to-use Internet-hosted software and its superior customer service has driven it to a market-leading position. Since 2005, the company has enjoyed rapid growth, doubling revenues each year. In the last 3 years, Brightree has contracted with over 700 new customers and has systematically expanded into the O&P and Sleep markets.

“While we could continue our growth without outside investment, we see an opportunity to consolidate the markets we serve today by investing more in our customers’ success than our competitors do, and taking our successful business model into complementary markets such as Home Health, Retail Pharmacy, and Long Term Care,” said Dave Cormack, Brightree president and CEO. “We could not have picked a better partner than Battery to embark upon this next phase. Their investment is a ringing endorsement of what we have accomplished. My team and I are very excited and fully engaged to build upon the phenomenal success we’ve achieved.”

Independent surveys in 2006 and 2007 established Brightree as the fastest growing business management solution in the industry, outpacing all competitive products combined. Brightree is now the 2nd largest filer of Medicare claims in the USA. This year, Brightree users will process over 13 million claims totaling over $2.4 billion. As part of Brightree’s growth strategy, the company signed an exclusive 10-year partnership in 2008 with VGM Group, the preeminent member service organization in the industry, to deliver an array of revolutionary Internet-centric services to providers via a virtual ecosystem.