Briefcase 02-07-2014

BRIEFS
The Upstate Colorado Economic Development board of directors chose officers to lead the organization in 2014. Scott Ehrlich, president of Ehrlich Dealerships, was elected board chairman, Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway was named chairman-elect and Tom Haren, founder and owner of Greeley-based AGPROfessionals, will continue as treasurer. New members are Weld County Commissioner Barb Kirkmeyer, Greeley City Councilman Mike Finn and Mike Nichols, vice president and commercial banking manager at First National Bank of Greeley. Continuing members are Mitch Anderson of Agfinity, Roger Knoph of EnviroTech Services, Greg McIntosh of Anadarko Petroleum, Greeley Mayor Tom Norton and Milliken Mayor Pro Tem Julie Cozad. Two open board positions are expected to be filled at the February meeting — one from the private sector and one from the community at large.

The board of directors of the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County selected Tim Ulrich, vice president of Points West Community Bank in Greeley, as new chairman. Ulrich, vice chairman last year, joins three other people who have served on the board: Rob Waldo, Christine Richardson and Heidi Klepper, who were elected to serve new positions as board officers. Waldo, a Greeley attorney, was elected vice chairman. Richardson, past president and member of the Greeley Junior Women’s Club, was elected secretary. Klepper, owner of Capital Accounting & Finance Inc., was elected treasurer. Michael Payne, a Fort Collins attorney, will continue to serve as a board officer on the executive committee. Two new board members are John Adams of Greeley, who transitioned onto the board in mid-2013 to fill a vacancy, and Christine Larsen of the Kersey area.

CONTRACTS
Fort Collins-based Drahota was named general contractor for a $3.3 million office building addition for the Colorado State University Research Foundation; The Grove at Stapleton, a 150-unit, 50-plus community by Zocalo Development in Denver; Park Hill Village West, an affordable-housing, multi-family mass transit-oriented development for DelWest in Denver; and Prasanna, a 240-unit residential development in Lafayette for Milestone Development Group.

FLOOD RELIEF
A total of $1.827 million, the full amount raised for flood recovery through the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado’s three flood-relief funds, has been awarded in full, and the final round of grant checks are being mailed. The total includes a $750,000 match from Bohemian Foundation. Grants were awarded to a total of 29 organizations; nearly $1 million was distributed to organizations assisting individuals in the recovery process. Grants included: $481,300 to Serve 6.8 in support of its case management program providing support to individuals and families affected by the flood through education, case management and direct services, $200,000 to United Way of Larimer County for the Long Term Recovery Group’s efforts in assisting flood survivors and providing direct support to individuals lacking adequate personal resources because of the disaster, and $183,100 to the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Department for road and bridge repair, the purchase of a fire engine capable of navigating devastated roads, and the purchase of an emergency generator to ensure access to vital services.

GOOD DEEDS
The Hadley and Marion Stuart Foundation, led by siblings Nan and Brett Stuart of Longmont, pledged $10 million to Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center in Fort Collins. The gift, the single largest in the history of the center, will nearly double operational funds in support of work to conquer cancer in animals and people, and also will add to endowments for the Stephen J. Withrow Presidential Chair in Oncology and the Stuart Chair in Oncology.

As part of its grand opening, the Loveland branch of Bank of Colorado, 1888 W. Eisenhower Blvd., plans to donate $100 to one of 10 local nonprofit organizations for every new account opened from Feb. 7 through Feb. 14. Each new customers may choose to have the $100 donated to Alternatives to Violence, Colorado Youth Outdoors, Hearts and Horses, House of Neighborly Service, Loveland Boys and Girls Club, Loveland Business Disaster Recovery Fund (in partnership with Loveland Chamber), Loveland Habitat for Humanity, Neighbor to Neighbor, Reflections for Youth, or Thompson Education Foundation.

The Aims Community College Foundation has received $10,000 from Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) to support the college’s annual scholarship program for students enrolled in oil and gas programs. Halliburton, an oil field services company with operations in Weld County, employed 1,600 people statewide last year. The funding comes as Aims Community College launches its oil and gas program, housed at Aims’ Fort Lupton campus.

KUDOS
The Fort Collins-Loveland area was named one of the top 10 small metro areas for homeownership by NerdWallet, an analytics company. NerdWallet analyzed the top 100 most populated metro areas to determine which have characteristics that are favorable to homeowners. Three main factors were considered, including availability of homes, affordability of homes, and growth in the area. Fort Collins-Loveland was named No. 9 in the top 10 metro areas of similar size for homeownership. The Fort Collins-Loveland metro area scored a composite 62.8 on the scale, edged out by metros such as Springfield, Mo. and Columbus, Ga.

Sheila Benshoof of The Group Inc. Real Estate was awarded the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation by the National Association of Realtors. The designation is awarded after completion of a comprehensive course in understanding the needs, considerations and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older.

Steve Stansfield of RealTec was named president of the Colorado chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. The Colorado chapter meets on a near-monthly basis at the Denver Country Club and is involved annually in at least two major charity benefits.

Nicole Yost, founder and president of Loveland-based Fyn Public Relations, was elected to the board of directors for The Public Relations Society of America Colorado chapter.

Christine Cavalier and Michelle Hubbard of The Group Inc. Real Estate have been awarded the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation by the National Association of Realtors. The designation is awarded after completion of a course in understanding the needs, considerations and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older.
 
MERGERS / ACQUISITIONS
Fort Collins-based Advanced Energy Industries Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS) said it has acquired the assets of AEG Power Solutions GmbH for $30 million. AEG Power Solutions GmbH, a subsidiary of AEG Power Solutions in Germany, makes power-control applications for a variety of industries. In a separate statement, AEG Power Solutions, a subsidiary of 3W Power S.A. (FWB: 3W9) in Luxembourg, said its power control modules business earned annual revenue of $19.1 million. AEG Power Solutions GmbH will make power control modules for Advanced Energy in its factory in Warstein-Belecke, Germany.

NEW PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing Co. will make its beer available in Mississippi beginning March 3, marking the final southeastern state to carry the products. Mississippi is the 37th state to distribute New Belgium, which selected six wholesale partners under two umbrella companies: MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev. New Belgium is looking to distribute to Kentucky and Hawaii later this year.

Livestock veterinarians and experts in disease diagnostics and herd management at Colorado State University have launched a Field Investigation Unit to help livestock producers solve multipronged problems in herd health and management. To contact the unit, call Dr. Charlie Davis with CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, 970-297-0370 or 970-689-1632 or email charlie.davis@colostate.edu.

OPENINGS
Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections, based in Pompano Beach, Fla., opened an office in Greeley under the direction of Steven Howland, who has managed properties for the past 20 years. Reach him at 970-302-4803 or steven.howland@abuyerschoice.com.

Sunrise Community Health and Banner Health opened the new home of the Loveland Community Health Center and Stepping Stones Adult Day Program, a former Hewlett-Packard manufacturing plant at 302 Third St. S.E. Sunrise and the McKee Medical Center Foundation raised nearly $8 million to acquire and renovate the 48,000-square-foot facility, a portion of which is being leased to Stepping Stones, a service of McKee Medical Center.

IFM Capital Advisors, a new asset-management firm, opened at 4102 S. Timberline Road in Fort Collins. Founded by Timothy Kneen and Clayton Hartman, formerly with UBS Financial Services, IFM also has offices in Denver and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sales Tax Advocates opened in Fort Collins, providing sales and use tax support, retainer services, special projects and temporary assistance, audit representation, audit defense and in-house audits.  Owner Jennifer Wilmoth received her accounting degree from the University of Notre Dame and has more than 20 years of experience with sales and use taxes in the city of Fort Collins and the states of Colorado and Texas. More information at salestaxadvocates.com.

If you have a Briefcase item, email it to Dallas Heltzell at dheltzell@bcbr.com or mail it to Briefcase at NCBR, 1550 E. Harmony Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

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