Briefcase – Jan. 9, 2015

CONTRACTS

Telecommunications firm Level 3 Communications Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) in Broomfield signed a deal to upgrade a network that connects Globalstar’s ground stations across the globe. Globalstar (NYSE :GSAT) is a provider of mobile satellite voice and data services based in Covington. La. It is upgrading its global backbone infrastructure and has plans to deploy its “second generation” network this year.

Colorado State University will join the Denver Broncos to offer three courses for undergraduate students minoring in sports management at the university. Known as the Denver Broncos Sports Management Institute, the program will start this spring with the following courses: Foundations of Sport Management, Inclusive Sport Organizations and Sports Marketing. The classes will count toward a proposed minor in sports management at the university if approved by the CSU faculty council.

A new deal with a Seattle pharmaceutical company will bring Boulder-based Array Biopharma Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRY) $20 million up front and the potential for significant milestone and royalty payments related to the breast cancer drug ONT-380. Array granted Oncothyreon Inc. (Nasdaq: ONTY) exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize the drug, replacing a previous agreement between the two companies in which they were jointly developing ONT-380.

Fort Collins-based Woodward Inc. (Nasdaq: WWD) inked a deal with Boeing Commercial Airplanes to supply the thrust reverser actuation system that provides deceleration on landing for the new 777X plane. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Boeing 777X, slated to go into service in 2020, is an update of the current 777 that includes a new General Electric-built engine designed to achieve greater fuel efficiency.

Solar panel maker First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) took an equity stake in privately held Clean Energy Collective. The companies formed a strategic partnership to develop and market community solar offerings to residential customers and businesses directly on behalf of utilities. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Solid Power Inc. of Louisville will partner with Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) to develop more efficient batteries to be used in the U.S. Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile system. The two companies were awarded a $2.9 million two-year contract from the Air Force.

Louisville-based RGS Energy (Nasdaq: RGSE) won more than 80 contracts to deploy rooftop solar power systems on residential homes and small businesses in North Smithfield, R.I. The company expects to complete the installations by July. The contracts were generated from Solarize Rhode Island, a discount buying program that launched in October.

Boulder-based ISONAS Inc., a pure IP access control system manufacturer, partnered with Chicago-based Carstens Inc., a provider of wall-mounted workstations, to launch the WallAroo secure wall-mounted workstation for health-care applications.

DEADLINES

Collegiate entrepreneurs from throughout Colorado, startups seeking capital and businesses seeking expansion capital have until Jan. 16 to apply for a chance to win $250,000 and a 12-month business mentoring program as part of the CSU Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge. The second annual business pitch competition will take place May 26-30 in Fort Collins during the second annual Fort Collins Startup Week. Interested entrepreneurs may learn more and submit applications to compete in one of two tracks at blueoceanchallenge.com. 

Applications must be postmarked no later than Jan. 21 for the 23 college scholarships offered to high school seniors and college undergraduate students by Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association. Twenty scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $2,000, one for $1,000 and two for $500. Applicants must be dependents of parents, or consumers themselves, who currently receive electric service from Poudre Valley REA. More information and application forms are available on the Poudre Valley REA website at pvrea.com or at the PVREA headquarters, 7649 REA Parkway, Fort Collins.

KUDOS

Axel Bishop, co-founder of Lafayette-based community and landscape architecture firm Design Concepts, was initiated into the Society of Fellows, the industry’s highest recognition. A total of 1,033 Fellows have been initiated since the creation of the Society in 1899 by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Monica M. Baldwin, Raymond James financial adviser and president of Longmont-based Main Street Investments Inc., was named a member of the 2015 Executive Council for the 11th straight year.

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce announced finalists for the 2014 version of its annual awards. Winners will be recognized at the chamber’s annual investor meeting, to begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 16, at the Embassy Suites hotel, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway, Loveland. Finalists for Large Business of the Year are Aspen House, The Group Inc. Real Estate, Home State Bank and McWhinney. Small-business finalists are Guaranty Bank and Trust, Loveland Commercial LLC, Mo’ Betta Gumbo restaurant and Perfect Square. Finalists for the Heart Award are Debbie Davis of Guaranty Bank and Trust, Jackie Marsh of Rabbask Designs and Rick Raesz of RCOM Computer Services. The Nonprofit of the Year award finalists are Alternatives to Violence, Meals on Wheels and Neighbor to Neighbor. Young Professionals Award finalists are Joe Merkle of Fidelity Brokerage Services, Leah Johnson of JD Consulting and Will Delmar of Country Financial. Tickets to the meeting must be purchased by Jan. 13 at www.loveland.org/annualmeeting/ or 970-667-6311.

Semifinalists have been selected for the sixth annual Monfort College of Business Entrepreneurial Challenge at the University of Northern Colorado, is an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to gain exposure and compete for $50,000 in prize money to help bring their innovative business ideas to fruition. The 19 semifinalists who will present their business concepts at the UNC University Center on Jan. 28 are: Preventative Technology Solutions, Lucan Technologies Inc., TurfToes Sandal Co., QuadshoX, VisePower.com LLC, Change Composites, Nexus Bioenergy, Gamecentrics, Living Ink Technologies, Do Good Jerky LLC, Colleges Wired, Mobile Preventative Health LLC, MORAS Corp., Next Generation Systems LLC, QB Labs, Tomlinson Water Transport Consulting, Technology Launch LLC, SEB’s Recreational Center and Three Spires Brewing Co.

Greeley-based High Plains Library District received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report.

Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares produced by Niwot-based Earth Balance was honored by peta2, the youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, with a “Libby” award for Best Vegan Snack.

Dr. Roger Bermingham was named 2014 Physician of the Year by the Northern Colorado Medical Society Board of Directors. He has worked in Northern Colorado for the past 27 years.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Jim Marty and Associates LLC in Longmont merged its accounting practice with Brock and Co. CPAs PC, effective Jan. 1. The company took Brock’s name, and Marty became Brock’s director of litigation and valuation services. Marty and his staff of seven employees continue to serve clients at their present office location, 1714 Duchess Drive in Longmont. Brock has six offices along the Front Range including Boulder, Fort Collins, Littleton, Northglenn and now two in Longmont.

Broomfield-based Famous Brands International, parent company of TCBY Yogurt and Mrs. Fields Cookies, announced that its subsidiary Mrs. Fields Confections acquired virtually all of the assets of International Confections Co. LLC, which was doing business as Maxfield Candy Co. Famous Brands’ subsidiary acquired the Salt Lake City-based candymaker’s assets after it fell into receivership.

Architects Stephen Sparn and Adrian Sopher merged their Boulder-based companies. Stephen Sparn Architects PC and Sopher Architects LLC combined to form Sopher Sparn Architects LLC, which employs 15 people at 1731 15th St. in downtown Boulder.

The Colorado State Banking Board approved Bank of Colorado’s acquisition of MontroseBank and its six branches. The deal it expected to close Feb. 2 when payment is made, according to a Bank of Colorado spokeswoman. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Fort Collins-based Bank of Colorado will add the Montrose-based bank’s branches in Montrose, Cedaredge, Delta, Hotchkiss and Paonia to its 37-branch network that includes Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, Windsor and Greeley.

Shareholders of Corgenix Medical Corp., which is working on a rapid diagnostic test for Ebola, approved the acquisition of the Broomfield-based developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits by a German company. The board of directors of Corgenix (OTC QB: CONX.OB) had agreed unanimously in August that the company could be acquired by Orgentec Diagnostika, a specialty diagnostics company headquartered in Mainz, Germany.

Boulder-based nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonpartisan clean-energy accelerator, is merging with Washington, D.C.-based Carbon War Room, a global nonprofit organization launched by billionaire Richard Branson in 2009 that seeks to reduce carbon emissions.

A radio station that has been broadcasting for 50 years from a 144-foot tower near 17th Avenue and Hover Street in Longmont is involved in a major radio-industry acquisition. KKFN-FM 104.3, a 96,000-watt sports-talk station that serves Denver and the Front Range but is licensed to Longmont, is owned by Lincoln Financial Media. Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) announced Dec. 8 that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Lincoln Financial Media from Radnor, Pa.-based Lincoln National Corp. (NYSE: LNC) for $105 million plus working capital.

Real Goods Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: RGSE), installers of rooftop solar equipment, sold its retail and catalog business for $1 million to John Schaeffer, a member of the company’s board of directors. Schaeffer purchased The Real Goods Store and eCommerce business from the Louisville-based company including real estate, inventory, retail and online operations in Hopland, Calif. Real Goods Solar operates under the trade name RGS Energy.

OPENINGS

Integral Consulting Inc. has opened an office at 605 S. College Ave., Suite 101, in Fort Collins, its second in Colorado and third in the West. The company also has an office in Louisville. Founded in 2002, Integral has early 150 employees in 18 offices across the United States. It provides science and engineering consulting services in health, environment, technology and sustainability.

RARE Italian opened in the space that formerly was an Ingredients salad restaurant at 101 S. College Ave., in Fort Collins.

PRODUCT UPDATE

Boulder-based Radish Systems, which produces the ChoiceView multichannel “voice with visuals” platform, released the ChoiceView mobile app for iOS 8 with support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

SERVICES

Weld County’s website  now is mobile friendly, adjusting to the device on which the page is being viewed. Government offers to residents. About one in four visitors to the county homepage were using a smartphone or tablet in the past six months, and that number is expected to continue to grow.