May 2, 2014

Briefcase – May 2, 2014

BRIEFS

Boulder-based Amicus Solar Cooperative will use New Jersey-based Locus Energy as its preferred vendor of solar monitoring hardware, software and solar-data analytics. Amicus was founded in 2011 by a group of small solar-installation companies to share best practices and pool their buying power. It is managed by its 29 member companies in 22 states.

Boulder-based creative agency Walden Hyde has become a Certified B Corporation. The certification is based on meeting standards of social and environmental performance. It is issued by B Lab, a nonprofit based in Wayne, Pa. Companies who want to become certified go through a free analysis that includes filling out paperwork and answering questions.

CLOSINGS

The J.D. Dollar store at 514 S. College Ave. in Fort Collins closed on April 1 after 11 years. After building owner Bennett Anderson Holdings LLC gives the building a $39,000 facelift, aided by a $9,000 grant from the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority, it will house Montana-based Sandwich Solutions and Up In Smoke, which will move from its current smaller space at 272 N. College Ave.

CONTRACTS

The University of Notre Dame will use Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications Inc.’s Vyvx VenueNet Lite technology for its high-definition broadcasts of sporting events. Notre Dame will be able to use its existing campus fiber network to connect three of its athletic venues and its on-campus studio without the need of satellite trucks.

Louisville-based RGS Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: RGSE), a provider of solar-energy systems for residential, commercial, and utility customers, entered into an agreement to develop a project that includes design, installation and operation of a 2.6-megawatt) ground-mount solar system near Auburn, Mass. That town has agreed to purchase all power generated by the system, which is expected to total more than 3 million kilowatt hours annually, reduce the town’s cost of electricity by more than $3 million during the next 20 years and eliminate more than 9.7 million pounds of utility carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking more than 9,000 gas-powered cars off the road.

Appleooz, all-natural crunchy apple chips manufactured by Boulder-based ReMarkable Foods LLC, were approved by the regional natural foods chain Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to become available in 12 of its stores in the Denver-Boulder metro area and Fort Collins. The snack item already is available at 25 retail locations along the Front Range including Lucky’s Markets in Boulder and Longmont and Alfalfa’s in Boulder, as well as in the mini-bars in rooms at the St Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, the Stanley Hotel gift shop in Estes Park and the Google Boulder employee kitchen.

Longmont-based UQM Technologies Inc. (NYSE MKT: UQM) and Kinetics Drive Solutions Inc., based in Langley, British Columbia, are collaborating to offer an integrated electric motor and multi-speed transmission system for commercial vehicle applications that will benefit from a full system approach. The system is engineered to provide commercial vehicle manufacturers a powerful, efficient electric-drive powertrain while minimizing development time for integration.

EARNINGS

Woodward Inc. (Nasdaq: WWD) shares surged nearly 8 percent on higher earnings that beat analysts’ estimates following improvements in the aerospace and energy markets. Fort Collins-based Woodward, which makes energy and aerospace control systems, reported earnings of $44.8 million for the second quarter ended March. Woodward earned $42.4 million during the same quarter a year earlier.

KUDOS

Diana H. Wall

Diana H. Wall, a professor of biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability and senior research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Class of 2014. Wall is the first woman on the CSU faculty to become a member of the academy, and only the second CSU faculty member so honored; chemist Martin Fixman was elected in 1970.

Rob Mygatt

Rob Mygatt, a broker associate and partner with The Group Inc. Real Estate, which has offices in Loveland and Fort Collins, earned Quality Service Certified Platinum in recognition of 100 percent client service satisfaction in 2013, as measured by Leading Research Corp. A QSC award is the only recognition in the real estate industry based on independently validated customer satisfaction survey results. The Group ranked 104st on Real Trends’ Top 500 Largest Brokers ranked by closed sales volume in the United States for 2013 with $1,334,725,420 in closed sales last year. The firm closed 4,738 transaction sides. The complete report is online at realtrends.com.

Naropa University in Boulder was listed as one of eight top colleges and universities in the United States for its commitment to sustainability and renewable energy, based on evaluations conducted by The Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council. Naropa’s designation was based in part on the fact that all its electricity needs derive from renewable energy sources. Criteria included the presence and availability of sustainability-focused degrees, percentage of the school’s new construction as LEED-certified, and the percentage of the school’s total food expenditures toward local and/or organic food purchases.

B Lab named Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing to its third annual “B Corp Best for the Environment” list for creating a positive environmental impact. The list honors 84 businesses that earned an environmental impact score in the top 10 percent of all certified B Corporations on the B Impact Assessment, an assessment of a company’s impact on its workers, community and the environment. The list honors micro, small and mid-sized businesses. New Belgium became a certified B Corporation in 2013.

The University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office honored Henry C. Kapteyn and Margaret Murname as Inventors of the Year for the development of ultrafast lasers and X-rays used in the development of nanoscale processes for the development of nanodevices. Anushree Chatterjee and Prashant Nagpal were named Inventors of the Year for developing a platform technology for single-molecule sequencing of nucleic acids. And ColdQuanta Inc., was named Boulder Company of the Year for cold and ultracold atom technology.

The Radio Television Digital News Association recognized public radio station KUNC reporter Grace Hood with three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism in 2013. She won in the Hard News category with a story marking the progress of cleanup and recovery efforts in Glen Haven 100 days after September’s flooding. In the Investigative category, Hood received recognition for a story that examined the patchwork of state laws governing notifications residents receive about drilling and hydraulic fracturing activity. She also was singled out in the Feature category for a profile of Banjo Billy and his bus tours of Boulder. Greeley-based KUNC-FM 91.5 can be heard at 102.7 in Boulder.

A team of real estate undergraduates from the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Leeds School of Business finished in second place at the 2014 USC Marshall International Real Estate Case Competition. Students from the National University of Singapore took first place and the University of Southern California team finished in third place. Teams had three days to analyze the case, prepare a report and summarize their findings in a presentation. The Leeds students on the team were Leah Canfield, Joseph Faller Jr., Kenneth Howell, Jack Krowl, Andrew Thomas and Abby Vollmer.

Houston-based Stewart Information Services Corp. (NYSE: STC) was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the “50 Most Trustworthy Financial Companies in America.” The rankings, determined by GMI Ratings, recognize financial and banking companies of more than 8,000 publicly traded, North American companies analyzed. Stewart is the parent company of Stewart Title, a global title insurance and real estate services company that includes branches in Berthoud, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont and Loveland.

Ehrlich Toyota in Greeley, Ehrlich Toyota East in Fort Morgan, Larry H. Miller Toyota in Boulder and Pedersen Toyota West in Fort Collins were awarded Toyota Motor Sales 2013 President’s Awards for maintaining Toyota’s highest standards of customer service throughout the entire customer experience including initial purchase and vehicle maintenance.

Helen Norton, an associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, is one of three faculty members from across the CU system to be named 2014 President’s Teaching Scholars, recognized as educators who skillfully integrate teaching and research at an exceptional level. Norton, who joined the faculty in 2007, previously served as deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice and as director of legal and public policy at the National Partnership for Women and Families. This year’s other new scholars are Lisa Keränen, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Communication, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at CU-Denver, and Raphael Sassower, a professor of philosophy at CU’s Colorado Springs campus.

Sparks, Nev.-based Sierra Nevada Corp., which has a Space Systems Division headquartered in Louisville, was honored by Fast Company magazine as one of the World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space. The magazine recognized SNC for “resurrecting the spaceplane,” calling its Dream Chaser spacecraft the “biggest contribution to the nascent commercial spaceflight industry” and the “smaller and arguably smarter take on the defunct space shuttle.”

For the second straight year, Wells Fargo Advisors named Fort Collins resident Justin G. Davis, first vice president for investments, as a member of the firm’s Premier Advisors Program

For the sixth straight year, Berthoud-based EnergyLogic Inc. received the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Partner of the Year award for its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency,

Mortgage loan officers at Boulder-based Elevations Credit Union received national recognition for outstanding production in 2013. Of the top 1,400 mortgage loan officers listed in the national Scotsman Rankings, Cameron White-Ford ranked 62nd for units and 105th for volume. Mike Roth ranked 120th for units and 173rd for volume. Greg Roller ranked 206th for volume. Lauri Larson ranked 216th for volume. Additionally, Elevations placed six in the top 200 in 2013 according to National Mortgage News. White-Ford ranked 41st, Roth ranked 61st, Roller ranked 71st, Larson ranked 72nd, Trish Shaw ranked 180th and Michelle Smith ranked 181st. Elevations’ overall mortgage loan production exceeded $691 million in 2013.

The Wellness Council of America named Heath Construction in Fort Collins one of America’s Healthiest Small Companies. Heath is one of eight organizations nationwide – and the only Colorado company – to receive the Small Businesses Well Workplace Award in 2013.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

The former home of Norwest Publishing Co. in Greeley was purchased by a group of investors who are launching a pet-food products manufacturing company. The two buildings at 259 30th St. combined have 269,739 square feet of space and sit on 13.5 acres of land in the Greeley Commerce Center. Built in 1984, the property has been vacant for the past four years. Craig Broughton and John Landers lead the group that purchased the site for an undisclosed amount from New York-based RR Donnelley Norwest Inc. Public records list the value of the property at $8.5 million.

An affiliate of Phoenix-based JDM Partners LLC, former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, paid $60.8 million for the State Farm Insurance campus at 1555 Promontory Circle in Greeley. The deal comes just a few months after Dallas-based private equity firm Lone Star Funds purchased the 55.5-acre campus from State Farm for more than $52.7 million in a sale and lease-back arrangement.

TRU Community Care in Lafayette and Hospice of Northern Colorado in Greeley will consolidate their not-for-profit operations by summer because of increased regulation and decreasing reimbursement in a competitive health-care environment. The transaction will close by mid-summer, with a full integration occurring within the next year. TRU will continue operating an administrative location in Lafayette at 2594 Trailridge Drive East and an inpatient hospice facility at 1855 Plaza Drive in Louisville. Hospice of Northern Colorado will continue operating its administrative location at 2726 W. 11th St. Road and an inpatient hospice facility at 1801 16th St., fifth floor.

MOVES

Fort Collins-based A-Train Marketing moved its office to Suite 502 in the Key Bank tower, 125 S. Howes St. The move gives the 15-year-old company 60 percent more space to accommodate a planned staff expansion of 25 percent to 35 percent in the next several months and will help it continue increasing the scale of its product offerings.

Creative Foam Composite Systems will move in the coming months from 1800 Pike Road in Longmont to 2221 Clayton Place in Berthoud.

NAME CHANGES

Boulder-based Copy Experts, 5345 Arapahoe Ave., changed its name to Print Experts to reflect expanded offerings. Kelly Nowlin said management remains the same as the company provides printing services that include brochures and flyers, booklets and manuals, posters, postcards, banners, business cards, envelopes and mailing services. In late 2013, the company acquired A&R Printing, enabling it to provide window and vehicle lettering, outdoor signage options and in-house offset printing.

Boulder-based American Loft Cabinetry changed its name to Red Pepper Cabinetry. More details are online at redpeppercabinetry.com.

OPENINGS

Boulder-based home builder Markel Homes opened a sales office in its first completed model home at 1805 Blue Star Lane in its North End Phase II home development in Louisville. The office is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, and 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays. Sales manager Michele Steward can be reached at 303-604-9196 or Michele@MarkelHomes.com.

Boulder Protein Bar, serving healthful menu items such as veggie or chicken chili, signature salads, quinoa bowls, “bar-ritos” made with fresh and organic ingredients, raw juices and signature blended drinks, opened April 3 at 1855 29th St., near Macy’s, in Boulder.

Rams Bazaar opened at 1205 W. Elizabeth St., Unit B, in Fort Collins, selling Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern food and spices. Spring hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The Applebee’s restaurant at 2030 Ken Pratt Blvd. in Longmont, which closed last May after 19 years, will reopen May 5 under a new franchisee, Apple American Group.

PRODUCT UPDATE

Boulder-based chemist Elizabeth Mirowski has developed TicklePaks, small packets that absorb moisture and generate a clean scent. They are designed to be used in shoes and boots while not being worn. TicklePaks are biodegradable, compostable and made in Boulder. Lasting from six months to one year, they can be purchased online for $12 to $16 at TicklePaks.com and stores including Instep in Boulder and Brown’s Shoe Fit in Longmont.

Boulder-based Limitless Computing Inc. has launched SightSpace View, its Trimble SketchUp plugin and companion mobile app that deploys designs to mobile devices. The plugin connects a QR code to a SketchUp model. When the code is scanned with the mobile app, on Apple or Android devices, viewers see a 3-D design using the live camera feed of the device.

Boulder-based Alteryx Inc. announced new analytics software that enables practically any data analysts on a staff to complete predictive analytics, deep customer insights and data blending tasks on their personal computers. Alteryx Analytics 9.0 also provides access to a broad variety of data types that companies need to use to create new business opportunities: social media data feeds from DataSift and sales and marketing data from Google Analytics and Marketo, and emerging data warehouses such as Amazon Redshift, Pivotal, Greenplum and HP Vertica.

Boulder-based VictorOps, a collaboration and incident management platform designed for DevOps teams, today announced the addition of Crittercism, Splunk, and Zenoss to its roster of enterprise-level integrations. With these additions, VictorOps will continue to deliver enterprise ready support for large-scale infrastructures and applications.

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