The former chief executive of S&K Menswear has found a new home as the president of locally based RetailData. Joe Oliver, a California native, tells BizSense that his few years at S&K were instructive, especially at the end, but he’s happy to be at a growing business. And check back tomorrow for a BizSense story about a new startup founded by other displaced S&K executives.
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Retail vacancy continues to rise
Vacancy for retail space in Richmond rose to almost 7 percent at the end of the second quarter. And that could mean banks might soon start taking back some retail properties if tenants don’t start signing leases soon. Meanwhile tenants who do sign leases are getting bigger discounts than six months ago.
So far stimulus saves 160 jobs
The U.S. Recovery Act has saved or created 160 jobs in Richmond so far, according to the city’s newly launched stimulus tracker.
GVA Advantis closing some Virginia offices
The Richmond office of the commercial brokerage firm GVA Advantis apparently has escaped the ax. On Monday the company said it will close offices in Newport News and Northern Virginia. And unlike at the Norfolk office, where brokers have left for other firms, GVA’s Richmond brokers are staying put — for now.
Sticker shock for drug dealers
Even drug dealers are dealing with the recession. And some are flabbergasted at the price increases of their product.
Richmond: The city of new beginnings?
Richmond is a top ten city for starting over, according to BusinessWeek. The city was picked as number six, between Omaha, Nebraska and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The rankings were based on the percentage of companies planning to hire in the third quarter, according to an April survey by Manpower. Twenty-two percent of Richmond companies are… Read more »
Google it ain’t
Bing, schming. If you need to search the Web, Google is still your best bet. It’s still the easiest to use and handles the dozens of searches most of us perform better than Bing, which Microsoft launched May 28. And for business owners, why mess with a good thing?
What’s on tap? Beer-tracking technology
Forget Big Brother. From its headquarters in Powhatan County local startup InteliTap, tracks kegs of beer from the brewery to the moment its contents are poured into a customer’s frosty glass. The company can notify a bar owner anywhere in the world when a barkeep is a little too generous with a pint of the good stuff. And business is set to grow 80 percent this year.
Businesses seek tourniquet for health care costs
Insurance agents in Richmond who help businesses select plans say they are hearing from every one of their clients as the recession forces business owners to find savings.