FAORD Blog

The Sterling Group, L.P. Completes the Sale of Hudson Products Holdings, Inc.

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:30:16 +0000

HOUSTON, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ — The Sterling Group, L.P., a middle-market private equity firm based in Houston, Texas, today announced that they have finalized the sale of Hudson Products Holdings, Inc. to Riverstone Holdings LLC.
Since 1939, Hudson Products () has designed and manufactured air-cooled heat exchanger equipment to serve the oil, gas, and petrochemical processing industries. Through continuous innovation, Hudson became the pioneer in this field, developing internationally recognized trademarks such as Fin-Fan(R) Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers, Hy-Fin(R) Extruded Finned Tubing, and Tuf-Lite(R) and Tuf-Lite II(R) FRP Axial Flow Fans for Air coolers, cooling towers, condensers, chillers, and HVAC applications. Hudson’s premier products and reputation for supplying the highest quality, reliability, and service in the industry has resulted in an installed base of over 35,000 ACHE’s and 200,000 fans throughout the world.
“Hudson exemplifies our investment philosophy — to partner with management and employees, focusing on strategic initiatives to grow the business and create value for all the shareholders. Hudson, under the leadership of Chris Yunkun, has focused on these initiatives and improved performance significantly since our acquisition of Hudson in December 2006,” said Kevin Garland, a Partner of The Sterling Group.
The Hudson sale represents the first sale of a portfolio company in Sterling Group Partners II, a $470 million fund controlled by The Sterling Group, L.P.
About The Sterling Group, L.P.
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group () is a private equity investment firm that targets controlling interests in basic manufacturing, industrial services and distribution companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies range from $100 million to $500 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of over 30 portfolio companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of approximately $8 billion. Currently, Sterling has $600 million of committed capital under management through two funds, including Sterling Group Partners II, L.P. Current portfolio companies include North American Energy Partners Inc., Propex Inc., Panolam Industries International, Inc., CST Industries, Inc., Roofing Supply Group, LLC, BTEC Turbines LP, and Universal Fiber Systems.
About Riverstone Holdings LLC
Riverstone Holdings LLC, an energy and power-focused private equity firm in 2000, has approximately $14.8 billion under management across six investment funds. Riverstone conducts buyout and growth capital investments in the midstream, exploration & production, oilfield service, power, and renewable sectors of the energy industry. With offices in New York, London and Houston, the firm has committed approximately $8.5 billion to more than 50 investments in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit .
The Sterling Group, L.P.

Host Hotels & Resorts and GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd Announce Hiring of Peter Meyer as Managing Director of its Asian Joint Venture

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:15:30 +0000

BETHESDA, Md. and SINGAPORE, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and RECO Hotels JV Private Limited (an affiliate of GIC real estate Pte Ltd) today announced that Peter Meyer has been appointed the Managing Director of the Companies’ Asian joint venture, effective August 18, 2008. Mr. Meyer will be based in Singapore.
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Mr. Meyer brings a wide range of lodging, real estate investment and development experience in countries throughout Asia including Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Micronesia, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines and Fiji. He has developed extensive relationships during his 18 years of business experience in the region. Mr. Meyer was most recently with New City Corporation (NCC) as Group Executive Vice President. In addition, he has served in many financial and investment capacities throughout his career including executive positions with J.P. Morgan & Co., Ripplewood Lodging, and The InterPacific Group.
About Host Hotels & Resorts
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company that is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 117 properties with approximately 64,000 rooms, and also holds a minority interest in a joint venture that owns 11 hotels in Europe with over 3,500 rooms. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands such as Marriott(R), Ritz-Carlton(R), Westin(R), Sheraton(R), W(R), St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Hyatt(R), Fairmont(R), Four Seasons(R), Hilton(R) and Swissotel(R)* in the operation of properties in over 50 major markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at .
* This press release contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners. None of the owners of these trademarks has any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this press release.
About GIC Real Estate
GIC real estate is the real estate investment arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. GIC real estate manages a multi billion dollar portfolio of direct and indirect property investments with close to 300 investments in more than 30 countries. It is one of the largest institutional investors in Asia and currently ranks amongst the world’s top 10 global real estate investment firms. For more information on GIC real estate please visit .

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

2009 International Gay Lesbian Football Association Soccer World Championship to be Held in Washington, D.C.

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:15:29 +0000

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The International Gay Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) () has awarded the Federal Triangles Soccer Club (FTSC) of Washington DC the 2009 Gay Soccer World Championships (). The tournament is scheduled to take place June 14th - June 21st, 2009.
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The 2008 Gay Soccer World Championship is being held in London starting on August 24th () and is expecting close to 40 teams representing 13 countries. The London tournament is the first major sporting event being hosted in the city as the Olympic torch is being handed to London 2012 from Beijing. The 2009 tournament in Washington, D.C. will be the first time the IGLFA is hosting the tournament in North America, outside of the Gay Games, since 2004. This will also be the second time that FTSC is hosting the tournament, as it was previously held in Washington, D.C. in 1997.
The organizing committee for the 2009 tournament is feverishly working to set up the tournament sites with games expected to be played in and around the Washington, D.C. area, culminating with the Championships to be played on Sat. June 20th. FTSC working with strong support from the city government and services, as well as from the IGLFA and the gay community.
Quotes:
“On behalf of the residents of the District of Columbia, we look forward to hosting this prestigious event. In addition to promoting good sportsmanship it affirms our city’s reputation as being inclusive and tolerant. We look forward to welcoming the world to our nation’s capital.” Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty
“IGLFA 2009 will put the international spotlight on DC’s dynamic sports scene and vibrant GLBT community. Both international and GLBT markets have proven to be big spenders when traveling, so the image and economic benefits are significant for the city.”
Bill Hanbury, president and CEO of Destination DC
“We are thrilled to have the prestigious IGLFA tournament returning to our wonderful city. We are confident that the world class fields and facilities we are providing will make the experience a memorable one for players and fans alike. The men and women traveling to our city to take part in the Championship will find a city rich in history, a region full of exciting sights, and a culture of acceptance that will make them feel welcome.” Jim Ensor, 2008 President, Federal Triangles Soccer Club
“We are very pleased to be having Washington, D.C. and the Federal Triangles Soccer Club hosting the 2009 IGLFA Tournament. The city and the club have showed tremendous support throughout the bid process. We are also very happy to be bringing the tournament back to North America for the first time in five years and are sure the next WC2009 will be one of the best.” Tomas Gomez, IGLFA President.
About The Federal Triangles Soccer Club
Federal Triangles Soccer Club (FTSC) () is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to promote the growth of soccer and foster a sense of community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and GLBT-friendly players. We pursue these goals by providing a venue for the play of soccer where we encourage players of all levels to participate and improve their skills through club-sponsored (and free) soccer academy sessions, pick-up play, teams to compete in local soccer leagues, and in local, national, and international tournaments. FTSC proudly maintains membership in the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) and is host to the 2009 IGLFA World Championships. ()
About the International Gay Lesbian Football Association
The International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) shall foster and augment the self respect of gay women and men throughout the world, and engender respect and understanding from the non-gay world, through the medium of football (soccer). Additionally we work to establish an international network of football clubs and to promote physical and tactical understanding of the game of football. ()
/PRNewswire-USNewswire — Aug. 22/

Federal Triangles Soccer Club

Gooding & Company Posts Record-Breaking Results of $64.2 Million at 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Auctions

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:15:20 +0000

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the 58th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance(R), captured total sales of $64.2 million including several of the world’s rarest and most spectacular automobiles during its two-night auction on August 16 and 17. An international crowd of collectors and spectators were captivated as 140 lots crossed the auction block including top private collections, vintage racing cars and individual automotive objets d’art such the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe, which sold for a stunning $7.92 million — setting a record for the highest price ever paid for an automobile at a North American auction.
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“Our auctions at Pebble Beach this year represent the finest grouping of cars we have ever had the honor to offer, and the strong sales results reflect that exceptional quality,” said David Gooding, president and founder of Gooding & Company. “We’re proud to have set the North American auction record with the $7.92 million sale of the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe, and to have reached noteworthy milestones in a host of other categories as well.”
The Gooding & Company auction on Saturday and Sunday included 20 cars that sold for more than $1 million — 5 of which sold over the $2 million mark.(1)
Above the $2 million mark, in addition to the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe which sold at $7.92 million, highlights include the legendary 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB “California” Spider which sold at $3.63 million, the famed 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia “Sleeping Beauty” at $2.585 million, and a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans that fetched $2.2 million.
Gooding & Company also auctioned chassis 001 of the 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport benefiting the Pebble Beach Company Foundation which delivered an impressive $3.19 million.
The world’s finest collection of Bugattis ever to come to auction, the Dr. Peter and Susan Williamson Collection, comprised of twelve significant collectibles, sold for more than $15.5 million with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Dartmouth Medical School. In addition to the record-setting sale of the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe, the 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster sold for $1.76 million and the 1927 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix sold for $1,457,500.
Other noteworthy cars that beat the one million mark over the weekend included: 1931 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre “Blower” ($1.76 million); 1962 Chevrolet “Gulf Oil” Corvette ($1.485 million); 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 ($1.43 million); 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Long Nose ($1.375 million); 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Spider ($1.32 million); 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS ($1.265 million); 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500k Cabriolet B ($1.045 million); and 1907 Thomas Flyer Model-36 60 HP Touring “Blondie” ($1.028 million). The 1914 Stutz Series E Bearcat, one of six known to exist, scored a record at $1.375 million.
The Carl J. Schmitt Collection of eleven Brass Era automobiles sold for nearly $2.2 million including the 1901 Packard Model C Dos-a-Dos Runabout, which set a record for its type at $214,500. Another highlight of the evening was the sale of Oprah Winfrey’s Charity Car Collection, which sold for $716,000 including her 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing with proceeds to benefit the annual Arts and Culture Workshop at The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa.
About Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company provides unparalleled service for those in the collector car market, offering a wide range of services, including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management. As the official Pebble Beach Auction House for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the company sold more than $61.3 million worth of collector automobiles in August 2007. Gooding & Company will be conducting its annual Scottsdale Auction on January 17, 2009 in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, please contact (310) 899-1960 or visit .
Gooding & Company also lends its auction expertise for the live intellectual property auctions of Ocean Tomo, a fully integrated intellectual capital merchant bank specializing in understanding and leveraging intellectual-property assets. The most recent Summer 2008 live intellectual property auction in Amsterdam produced record-breaking $12.6 million results from the sale of patents, management lots and digital media systems.
(1) The prices are in US Dollars, include the buyer’s premium and are
rounded to the nearest dollar. Gooding & Company is not responsible
for typographical errors or omissions.

Gooding & Company

Rodale Leverages Coremetrics Explore(TM) for On-The-Fly Analysis, Segmentation and Reporting

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:30:14 +0000

SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Coremetrics, the leading provider of digital marketing optimization solutions, today announced that Rodale Inc. has implemented Coremetrics Explore to enable its marketers to segment customers, analyze behavioral data and generate detailed custom reports on the fly with no IT involvement. With Coremetrics Explore, marketers are able to quickly gain visibility into the online visitor experience and fine-tune websites and marketing campaigns to engage consumers more effectively, increase user satisfaction and drive up visitor acquisition, conversion and retention rates.
Rodale is the authoritative source for trusted content in health, fitness and wellness. The company reaches more than 70 million people around the world through its category-leading media properties, trade books, subscription online properties and integrated marketing solutions. The company is also a leader in direct-response marketing and has more than 26 million active customers in its database. Rodale publishes some of the best-known health and wellness lifestyle magazines, including Men’s Health, Prevention, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Best Life, Bicycling, Running Times, Organic Gardening and Mountain Bike.
“Because we run ad-supported content sites, increasing page views per session and getting people to come back on a regular basis are critical for driving advertising revenue,” said Seth Holladay, manager of web analytics at Rodale. “The dynamic grouping and segmentation capabilities in Coremetrics Explore give us tremendous flexibility in looking at our data. We can accommodate a wide range of reporting needs that don’t neatly fall into existing reports. As a result, we can create custom views of data on the fly to get actionable data in minutes. That data guides us in optimizing our site to achieve business goals.”
Since 2005, Rodale has been using Coremetrics digital optimization solutions to understand the channels that drive the most traffic to its sites and the content that generates the most interest. Marketers are now complementing the standard Coremetrics reports with ad hoc reports using Coremetrics Explore. This approach is significantly faster than requesting custom reports or manually merging data from multiple reports into spreadsheets. Coremetrics Explore is enabling Rodale to build out keyword lists for paid search terms, investigate onsite search term abandonment rates to improve site search effectiveness and expand visibility into page view distribution, looking beyond sitewide averages to analyze visitor segments with above-average page views and compare them with other segments.
“Through Coremetrics, Rodale has amassed a rich set of visitor data that it can leverage to create a compelling visitor experience,” said Jeff Schmidt, senior vice president of worldwide sales and services at Coremetrics. “Coremetrics Explore makes it easier than ever to get to that data, slicing and dicing it in different ways to analyze unique business needs and take immediate action to improve results and ROI.”
About Rodale
Rodale has been passionately committed to health and wellness since the company’s founder, J.I. Rodale, introduced the organic movement to the United States more than six decades ago. Rodale publishes some of the best-known health and wellness lifestyle magazines as well as highly acclaimed books on health, fitness, cooking, gardening, spirituality, nature and the environment. Rodale reaches consumers through retail and direct response channels, and its products span multiple media formats and platforms, including print, video and the Internet. With annual revenues of approximately $600 million and poised for further growth through acquisitions of new properties, brand extensions and multimedia partnerships, the company will continue to lead the way as the mission to Live Your Whole Life resonates with a growing audience around the world.
About Coremetrics
Coremetrics is the leading provider of digital marketing optimization solutions. Its solutions generate high return on online marketing investment and continue to pay daily dividends in improved marketing performance. Over 1,000 online business sites, transacting over $15 billion this year, are now using Coremetrics’ Software as a Service (SaaS) solution to optimize online marketing efforts. Coremetrics’ solutions encompass advanced online analytics and precision marketing applications, including search engine bid management, email marketing and cross sell applications to acquire customers more cost effectively, increase conversion rates, and increase lifetime customer value. The company is privately held with funding from 3i, Accel Partners, FTVentures and Highland Capital Partners, is headquartered in San Mateo, California and competes with Omniture and Webtrends. To learn more about Coremetrics, visit or call 877-721-CORE.
Coremetrics has strongly supported online privacy since its inception. To learn more, visit .
Coremetrics

Sierra Wireless USB Modem to be introduced to Switzerland by Swisscom

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:15:16 +0000

VANCOUVER, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sierra Wireless and Swisscom today announced the availability of the Sierra Wireless Compass(TM) 885 usb Modem to customers in Switzerland. The Compass 885 usb modem offers Swisscom customers mobile broadband connectivity on the go, with fast, simple installation, a sleek and durable usb design, and the latest 3G wireless technology for optimal data speeds. Sold under the brand name “Unlimited usb Modem 885,” the Compass 885 is now available for as low as CHF 1.00* through Swisscom Shops, the company’s Web shop online at , and other third party channels.
Swisscom offers customers a high-performing HSPA mobile broadband network that covers 92 percent of the Swiss population. Swisscom customers can browse the Internet almost everywhere in Switzerland at up to 7.2 Mbps (megabits per second), comparable to current speeds in the wired world. In addition, Swisscom offers its customers broadband coverage via UMTS (90 percent) or EDGE (99.8 percent) technology where HSPA is not yet available - anywhere and at anytime - and the Compass 885 usb modem seamlessly transitions to EDGE connectivity outside of HSPA-covered regions.
The Sierra Wireless Compass 885 usb modem offers TRU-Install(TM) automatic software installation, which makes startup quick and simple, allowing users to get online faster, as well as Swisscom’s own user-friendly Unlimited Data Manager (UDM) software. The Compass 885 usb Modem also includes a connector for an optional external antenna, sometimes preferred by customers to provide extended and strengthened connections in remote areas or fringe network coverage. Additionally, the Compass 885 usb Modem is sold with a 1 GB microSD memory card already inserted into the modem, providing Swisscom customers with the convenient option of increasing data storage and transfer without any additional efforts required.
The Compass 885 usb Modem offers users the ability to roam globally, with tri-band HSPA/UMTS support and quad-band GSM/EDGE support, making it compatible with networks in most countries around the world.
“The quick and easy setup, the sleek and durable design, and the convenience of having a high-speed connection wherever it’s needed makes the Compass 885 an ideal choice for mobile professionals and frequent travelers,” said Christian Neuhaus, a spokesperson for Swisscom.
“The Compass 885 usb Modem is designed to be convenient, reliable, and fast, providing the latest high-speed mobile broadband technology and global compatibility,” said Jim Lahey, vice president, EMEA for Sierra Wireless. “With the widespread availability of a high-speed mobile broadband network, the Compass 885 offers mobile professionals access to the information and connections they need wherever they need them, and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to deliver this to Swisscom customers.”
For more information about the Sierra Wireless Compass 885 usb modem please visit . To contact the Sierra Wireless Sales Desk, call 1 (604) 232-1488 or e-mail .
* Upon conclusion of a new subscription NATEL(R) data basic Data
Option 1.5 GB, 24 months. Price without contract is CHF 299.00.

Note to editors:
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To view and download images of Sierra Wireless products, please visit .
About Swisscom
Swisscom is Switzerland’s leading telecoms provider, with 5 million mobile customers, around 5.3 million fixed lines including 1.6 million broadband connections. The company has a presence throughout Switzerland and offers a full range of products and services for mobile, landline and IP-based voice and data communication.
For more information on Swisscom Mobile please visit

About Sierra Wireless

Sierra Wireless modems and software connect people and systems to mobile broadband networks around the world. The Company offers a diverse product portfolio addressing enterprise, consumer, original equipment manufacturer, specialized vertical industry, and machine-to-machine markets, and provides professional services to customers requiring expertise in wireless design, integration, and carrier certification. For more information about Sierra Wireless, visit .
“Compass” and “TRU-Install” are trademarks of Sierra Wireless. Other product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Sierra Wireless Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply conditions, channel and end customer demand conditions, revenues, gross margins, operating expenses, profits, and other expectations, intentions, and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact. Our expectations regarding future revenues and earnings depend in part upon our ability to successfully develop, manufacture, and supply products that we do not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words “plan”, “expect”, “believe”, and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in the wireless data communications market. In light of the many risks and uncertainties surrounding the wireless data communications market, you should understand that we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will be realized.
Sierra Wireless, Inc.

Golf & Tennis Pro Shop Appoints Dick Sullivan President and Chief Executive Officer

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:15:11 +0000

ATLANTA, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Golf & tennis Pro Shop, Inc., owner and operator of PGA TOUR Superstore, today announced the appointment of Dick Sullivan as president and chief executive officer of the company. The appointment is effective September 1, 2008.
Sullivan joined the company on February 21, 2008, as president and as part of a significant financial and resource investment committed by Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons. Prior to joining Golf & tennis Pro Shop, Sullivan was executive vice president of marketing for the Atlanta Falcons, where he was a key leader in driving the Falcons brand and building sponsor affinity. Before joining the Falcons, Sullivan worked with The Home Depot for 10 years, most recently as its senior vice president of marketing.
“Since February, Dick has played a key role in our stores and in further solidifying the company’s foundation for future growth,” said Bill Hamlin, who remains chairman of the board of Golf & tennis Pro Shop. “I am in full support of this move, it’s a natural next step in building our business, and I’m confident that Dick’s leadership will continue to have a positive impact on the company.”
“I’m honored to be leading this exciting retail concept,” Sullivan said. “Bill and his team have made great strides in building this business over the last four years, and I’m looking forward to working with them as we continue our growth.”
ABOUT PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE
PGA TOUR Superstores are owned and operated by Golf & tennis Pro Shop, Inc. (GTPS), headquartered in Atlanta. The Superstores are up to 75,000 square feet in size and dedicated to providing customers with exceptional selection, services and prices within an entertaining, interactive store environment. GTPS is the PGA TOUR’s exclusive partner for off-course/off-airport and online golf retailing.
Two Superstores operate as Martin’s PGA TOUR Superstore in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, S.C. All other store locations operate as PGA TOUR Superstore, including the four locations in Atlanta, Georgia (Roswell, Kennesaw, Duluth and Buckhead); two locations in Dallas, Texas (Plano and Frisco); and two locations in Phoenix, Arizona (Chandler and Scottsdale). All Superstores are focused on improving and growing the game of golf. Each store offers swing simulators and analysis, golf instruction by professionals, club fittings and indoor practice greens, as well as golf apparel, golf-themed home furnishings and a vast selection of golf equipment. The stores also offer tennis instruction, equipment and apparel, and many feature an indoor tennis court. The PGA TOUR Superstore’s Web site address is .
ABOUT THE PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. The mission of the PGA TOUR is to expand domestically and internationally to substantially increase player financial benefits while maintaining its commitment to the integrity of the game. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, PGA TOUR events also generate revenue for charitable causes in their communities.
Contact:
Kim Shreckengost
404-367-2140

Golf & tennis Pro Shop, Inc.

Aroos Magazine Announces Their Second Annual Bridal Show to Be Held February 1st, 2009

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:15:17 +0000

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Aroos Magazine has announced the date of their second annual bridal show, and it will be just in time for Valentine’s Day, the year’s most romantic holiday. With their continuing mission being to support brides and grooms, the wedding experts at Aroos Magazine will be hosting a bridal show to help these love-struck couples plan for their big day.
The first Aroos Bridal Show was a huge success, and Aroos Magazine’s publisher, Navid Soheilian, has doubled the size of 2009’s event to be bigger and more exciting for visitors. The first event recorded over 2,500 guests perusing the 25 booths lining the Hyatt Regency Irvine’s ballroom, and kept it packed during the five-hour event. The Aroos Bridal Show 2009 will be held in a larger room with over 30 booths and 25 tables for 55 vendors, all of which will offer Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego’s best services and products for brides-to-be, including formalwear designers, florists, caterers, hair salons, jewelers, event planners, musicians, photographers, videographers, lighting designers and wedding stationers. As an exciting twist, Aroos Magazine will also present a live catwalk show with models showcasing top designers’ and salons’ wedding gowns, hair design and makeup.
Navid Soheilian has pulled together these elite companies through his years of being one of Los Angeles and Orange County’s most talented wedding photographers. “Last year’s event was more successful than I ever thought it could be,” explains Navid. “I had so many brides tell me how helpful it was to have everything they needed in one place, it is my pleasure to make the next one even better for our Aroos couples.”
Aroos Magazine is Orange County’s only Persian/American bridal and events magazine, with beautiful production quality, in-depth articles and interviews, plus a readership of over 100,000 per issue. This quarterly title is excited to be heading into its third successful year of production.
Aroos Magazine’s Bridal Show from 2:00-7:00 p.m., February 1, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. 17900 Jamboree Road, Irvine, California, USA 92614 Tel: (949) 975 1234
For more Aroos Magazine Bridal Show information and booth reservations, call Navid Soheilian on (310) 753-9622 or (949) 735-6952. For more information on Aroos Magazine, visit or email:
Aroos Magazine

Bristow Group Announces Agreement to Sell Aircraft

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:45:14 +0000

HOUSTON, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Bristow Group Inc. , a leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, today announced it has executed an agreement to sell 53 single-engine aircraft and related assets operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to Rotorcraft Leasing Company, L.L.C. for $65 million. The sale is anticipated to result in a pre-tax gain of roughly $40 million or $0.75 per diluted share, after tax.
This sale of assets is a continuation of Bristow’s growth strategy to redeploy capital into newer, high technology aircraft capable of operating further offshore and in harsh environments. The agreement is the next step in the previously announced plan to dispose of certain types of single-engine aircraft operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico serving production management companies. The assets to be sold pursuant to the agreement include the 53 aircraft, related inventory, spare parts, and offshore fuel equipment. In addition, certain customer contracts which these aircraft support will be assigned to the buyer. These assets and contracts represent our entire business serving production management customers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Revenue of $42.6 million and $11.3 million were generated by these contracts in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 and the quarter ended June 30, 2008, respectively, representing 18% of revenue for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico business unit in such periods.
The sale, which is expected to close by September 30, 2008, is contingent upon several items being completed, including the buyer obtaining financing, customer consent of affected commercial contracts, regulatory clearance and other customary conditions. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the sale will be completed.
William E. Chiles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bristow Group, said, “We are very pleased to announce the pending sale of these assets as it represents a major step in Bristow’s strategic transformation, allowing us to increase our focus on our customers’ deeper-water drilling, exploration, and production activities already underway as evidenced with the commencement last week of our first S-92 contract in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.”
Bristow was advised by Parks Paton Hoepfl & Brown, an energy investment banking firm.
About Bristow Group Inc.
Bristow Group Inc. is the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated. Through its subsidiaries, affiliates and joint ventures, the Company has operations in most of the major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including in the North Sea, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Nigeria and Australia. For more information, visit .
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS DISCLOSURE
Statements contained in this news release that state the Company’s or management’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2008 and the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2008. Bristow Group Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, including financial estimates, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
Linda McNeill, Investor Relations
(713) 267-7622

Bristow Group Inc.

Mondialogo School Contest: Fifty Schools Chosen as Finalists

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:45:18 +0000

STUTTGART, Germany and PARIS, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ — The finalists for the Mondialogo School contest 2007/2008 have been decided. Daimler and UNESCO have announced the 50 best schools at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Participants from a total of 36 countries will be represented at the final, among them three schools from the USA. The A. W. Beattie Career Center, the Greenbrier East and the Conserve School have made it to the final with its partners from the Syrian Arab Republic, Benin and Egypt. The teams with American involvement (see list below) have been working on projects dealing with the topics of cultural diversity and war & peace. In each team students from two schools in different countries have been working together.
Key criteria for the nomination were the intensity of the intercultural dialogue between the partner teams and the creative implementation of the projects. Areas of special focus in the current competition are “sport and fair play,”"sustainable future” and “cultural identity.” The 50 nominated teams are invited to Beijing/China from 25 to 28 September 2008. Here, the partner teams will meet in person for the first time and present their projects to an international jury. The jury will select the best three and announce the winners at a festive Award Ceremony.
This year 2,740 school teams with a total of 36,000 school students between the ages of 14 and 18 from 144 countries took part. More than one third of the project groups come from Europe (980 schools, 35%) followed by 596 teams from the Asia and Pacific region (22%), 524 schools from Latin America and the Caribbean (19%), 356 schools from Africa (13%) as well as 237 schools from the Arab states (8%) and 47 schools from North America (2%).
The contest, initiated by Daimler and UNESCO in 2003, is the largest global contest on intercultural dialogue. The aim of this global contest is to encourage dialogue between school students of different cultural origins, who work together across continents on a joint project: examples include musical works, plays, collages, photographic documentation, sculptures or Internet pages. Through the intercultural project work, school students are intended to develop understanding, tolerance and respect for people with different cultures, religions, languages and origins.
The Mondialogo School contest takes place this year for the third time. Since 2003, a total of 60,000 school students around the world have participated. Ambassadors of the initiative include the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho and Swedish writer Henning Mankell. In addition to the school contest, the Mondialogo initiative includes the Mondialogo Engineering Award to encourage intercultural dialogue among engineering students and promote knowledge transfer between industrialized and developing countries.
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Nominated teams with US-participation:

Team: Kinder Surprise
City: Lewisburg, West Virginia
School: Greenbrier East High School

Team: Beattie
City: Allison Park, Pennsylvania
School: A.W. Beattie Career Center

Team: Internation Conservation
City: Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin
School: Conserve School

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