Michael Schwartz

Michael Schwartz is the editor of Richmond BizSense, and covers banking, lawsuits, finance, M&A and golf. He can be reached at [email protected] or 804-855-1037.

Charge it

Report shows growth in small biz credit card use

The meter’s running

Mike Scelzi hopes property owners are as obsessed with watching the meter as he is. His young company, Net Metering Inc., offers a system that allows commercial property owners to constantly monitor the electrical consumption of their buildings with the hopes of catching spikes in activity and ultimately saving money.

Making bank, plus a bonus

Fresh off a year of big losses, Community Bankers Trust Corp., a local bank holding company and parent of Essex Bank, increased the base salaries and total compensation of many of its top executives in 2009, according to its latest SEC filing.

High-energy happy hour

The driving force behind some of the most popular running races in Richmond is adding a new event for the corporate types.

Trading day: Inside the SEC filings of local public companies

BizSense’s new weekly data section “Trading Day” is a rundown of what local publicly traded companies have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This week, it includes the reelection of board members at Altria, stock awards at C&F Bank and the announcement that a vice president at Genworth plans to retire. Publicly traded companies must file certain information with the SEC, including when “insiders” buy or sell stock.

Fed report: It’s not easy being small

Small and medium-size banks continued to bear the brunt of the sluggish economy in the first quarter of 2010 compared with large banks.

Local bank’s holding company gets infusion

With its capital base still eroding from massive levels of loan losses, the Norfolk-based parent company of Gateway Bank said today it has entered into agreements with institutional investors who will infuse it with sorely needed capital.

Banking’s new world order

Despite some advantages, Richmond-based Xenith Bank isn’t tying itself to any outdated promises of profitability.