Page Inman had no intention of joining the family construction business, but 20 years and a couple $40 million construction jobs later, he has no regrets.

Cyclical economic changes and the need for competitive diversification are par for the course in an industry that depends on the availability of capital to survive.

2. Capital Requirement - Saturday, April 27, 2013

In early April, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., joined a handful of other senators in drafting a letter in part about new rules of the road governing bank capital requirements.

That letter was sent to Federal Reserve Gov. Daniel Tarullo, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg.

3. Tennessee Lags in Hospital Care Spending - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Hospital care spending in Tennessee averaged $2,160 per person in 2009, a figure that is among the 10 lowest in the nation on a state-by-state comparison.

Tennessee ranked No. 10 in the country for the states with the lowest hospital care spending, including services for outpatient care, operating room fees and the services of physician residents, data from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed. Nationally, hospital spending averaged $2,475 per person in 2009. That’s about 14.6 higher than the average per person hospital spending in Tennessee.

4. Harold Ford Sr. Buys Sycamore View Property - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

1670 Sycamore View Road Memphis, TN 38134

Sale Amount: $1.8 million

Sale Date: April 8, 2013

5. Events - Friday, March 15, 2013

Playhouse on the Square will present “Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika” Friday, March 15, through March 31 at Playhouse, 66 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for times and tickets.

6. Lawrence’s Background a Fit for Work at EDGE - Monday, February 11, 2013

It might be said that John Lawrence has a background made to order for looking at the big picture – one of real estate, urban planning, marketing and organization management. Through the course of various career moves, he’s developed the tools necessary for the use in his position as manager of strategic economic development planning for Memphis and Shelby County’s Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE).

7. Guscette Named Sales Representative at P.O.P. Solutions - Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Ally Guscette has been promoted to sales representative at Germantown-based brand-marketing firm P.O.P. Solutions Group LLC. In her new role, Guscette will help businesses develop brand awareness through promotional products, press kits, print materials and point-of-purchase displays. She joined the company in 2011 as part of a sales team and begins Germantown Leadership training this month.

8. Rheumatology Clinic Buys Germantown Office Building - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

7660 Poplar Pike Germantown, TN 38138

Sale Amount: $986,850

Sale Date: Nov. 14, 2012

9. Nashville Company Buys Wolf River Medical Building for $11 Million - Tuesday, October 16, 2012

8040 Wolf River Blvd.
Germantown, TN 38138
Sale Amount: $11 million

Sale Date: Oct. 9, 2012
Buyer: HRT of Tennessee Inc.
Seller: Bayrock Investment Co. LLC
Details: HRT of Tennessee Inc., an affiliate of Nashville-based Healthcare Realty Trust Inc., has paid slightly less than $11 million for the medical office building at 8040 Wolf River Blvd. in Germantown.

10. Easy Money - Monday, October 08, 2012

When the Federal Reserve announced a few weeks ago its newest – i.e., third – round of quantitative easing intended to once again try to juice a sluggish economy, an employee of FTN Financial couldn’t resist a metaphor for the Fed’s open-ended commitment.

11. Piccadilly Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Friday, September 14, 2012

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Piccadilly Restaurants, a Baton Rouge-based cafeteria chain, has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Thomas Sandeman, the company's CEO, told The Advocate that the filing, which was made Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Lafayette, will protect the value of Piccadilly, along with its employees and restaurants.

12. Growth Streak - Monday, September 10, 2012

Andrew Holliday and Daniel Brown, the founding partners of Memphis-based branding and marketing firm Harvest Creative, used to joke about one day making the Inc. 500|5000, the list published each year by Inc. Magazine that honors the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

13. No Time for Chicken Littles - Wednesday, August 22, 2012

This is no time to get chicken … As we meet with more and more of the mid-market companies in America, we are astounded at how many of them are hiding under their desk “riding the recession out.” The old “Story of Chicken Little” comes to mind:

14. US Consumers More Confident in the Economy in July - Wednesday, August 01, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans breathed a bit easier about the economy in July, as a better outlook on short-term hiring and lower gas prices offset lingering worries about poor income growth.

15. National Capital Management Expands - Friday, July 20, 2012

National Capital Management LLC has expanded by 3,900 square feet on the third floor at Southwind Office Center A, bringing the company’s total lease to 12,253 square feet.

16. Capital One to Pay $210M Over Marketing Tactics - Thursday, July 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's consumer watchdog agency flexed its enforcement muscles for the first time Wednesday and ordered Capital One Bank to repay millions of credit card customers allegedly tricked into buying costly add-on services.

17. Market Yields Best June in 13 Years - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

June: Boon & Lampoon After taking body blows in May, the stock market had its best June since 1999. This time, we can credit European politicians rather than American central bankers for the strong finish. That, my friends, is a welcome change.

18. ‘Perfect Storm’ - Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Office sublease space reached a record high in the first quarter, and local experts are forecasting even more leases from one lessee to another to hit the market prior to year-end.

Office subleasing totaled 600,664 square feet during the first three months of the year, according to Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors LLC’s Q1 office market report. That’s nearly 14 percent of total available space.

19. Medical Realignment - Monday, June 04, 2012

Private practice is fast becoming a thing of the past, as physicians groups across the country scramble to align with large health care systems in a move largely driven by national health care reform.

20. B&N, Microsoft Team Up on Nook, College Businesses - Tuesday, May 01, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Books and bits united Monday as Microsoft provided an infusion of money to help Barnes & Noble compete with top electronic bookseller Amazon. In exchange, Microsoft gets a long-desired foothold in the business of e-books and college textbooks.

21. Analyst: First Horizon Prime Buying Target - Monday, April 30, 2012

In one analyst’s opinion, the parent company of First Tennessee Bank is one of the most attractive buying targets for large banks in the U.S. at the moment.

22. Michael Hatcher & Assoc. Adapts to Shifting Customer Demands - Monday, April 23, 2012

The average person probably wouldn’t associate the word “trendy” with landscaping, but Michael Hatcher certainly does.

23. AIA Honors Industry’s Local Activity - Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Despite hard times, there has been a whirlwind of activity in Memphis’ design community over the past year.

That’s the message Josh Flowers, general counsel at Hnedak Bobo Group Inc. and president of the Memphis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, gave Saturday, March 31, at the annual Celebration of Architecture Gala and 2012 Design Awards at Circuit Playhouse, 66 S. Cooper St.

24. Insurers Speed Health Care Overhaul Preparations - Monday, March 26, 2012

The nation's big insurers are spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul even though there's a chance the wide-reaching law won't survive Supreme Court scrutiny.

It's not that health insurers want to bet big that the court will uphold the Affordable Care Act. It's that they can't afford not to. It will take at least several months and lots of resources for insurers to prepare to implement key elements of the law, which includes a controversial requirement that most Americans have health insurance by 2014.

25. US Factory Orders Fell 1 Percent in January - Tuesday, March 06, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. factory orders fell in January by the most in 15 months after businesses sharply reduced orders for machinery and equipment.

The decrease was largely expected after a tax cut expired at the end of last year. Even with the decline, orders have gradually been climbing back to near pre-recession levels.

26. Room Service - Monday, February 27, 2012

The good news for the local hotel industry is that last year notched the most rooms ever sold on a daily basis with 4.8 million – 115,628 more than 2010 and 76,780 more than the previous high set in 2007.

27. Privatization Thoughts Highlight Changes - Monday, February 27, 2012

Here’s a roundup of what some of the city’s banks and bankers, investment professionals, mortgage brokers, asset management firms and other financial services shops have been up to in recent weeks.

28. Morgan Keegan Analyst: First Horizon Strong - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

An analyst note from Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. published Sunday about the parent company of First Tennessee Bank says the Memphis-based banking company is in good shape.

29. C-III Capital Acquires NAI Global - Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The parent company of Memphis-based NAI Saig Co. has been acquired by an Irving, Texas-based real estate investment and special loan servicing firm for an undisclosed amount.

30. Drop in Bankruptcies Belies Economic Picture - Friday, January 20, 2012

Although the total number of bankruptcies filed in Shelby County has slowly declined over the last three years, attorney Joseph Townsend with Fullen & Townsend Attorneys said fewer filings aren’t necessarily a sign that the economy is on the upswing.

31. CRE Activity Stays Strong During 2011 - Friday, December 30, 2011

Despite hard times, local commercial real estate firms were able to ink plenty of deals in the past 12 months.

Memphis’ industrial leasing activity kicked off in January when Buena Park, Calif.-based Pacific Logistics Corp. signed a 60,000-square-foot lease in ProLogis Park DeSoto for its first Memphis-area location.

32. Prolonged Recession - Monday, December 26, 2011

In the words of Phil Woodard, an owner of multiple residential and commercial properties in Downtown Memphis, breaking even is the new profit.

Or as national real estate expert Jonathan Miller said earlier this month at the Urban Land Institute’s Real Estate Outlook for the Mid-South, “We cannot expect to make money the way we did a few years ago.”

33. Stonebridge Apartments Sells for $22 Million - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

9135 U.S. 64 and 9225 U.S. 64
Memphis, TN 38016

Sale Amount: $21.9 million

Sale Date: Dec. 6, 2011

Buyer: AB Merion Stonebridge LLC

34. US Service Firms Expanded in Nov. at Slower Pace - Tuesday, December 06, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Service companies, which employ 90 percent of the U.S. work force, expanded at a slower pace in November and a measure of employment at those firms fell.

Separately, the government said orders to U.S. factories dropped for the second straight month.

35. Forecasters Expect Recovery 'With a Lag' - Monday, December 05, 2011

Over the past several days, eerily similar messages have come from a pair of economic forecasters who spoke at the Thursday, Dec. 1, meeting of the Economic Club of Memphis, the most recent forecast from a local investment firm and the latest economic snapshot from the Federal Reserve.

36. Green Shoots - Monday, November 28, 2011

As the local commercial real estate market approaches the end of 2011, experts say it appears to be in line with national fundamentals for secondary and tertiary markets.

Shelby County commercial sales in the third quarter were the highest sales volume since Q3 2007, with $259 million, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

37. House-Senate Negotiators Unveil Spending Bill - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a bundle of spending measures for the ongoing budget year, blending cuts to NASA and community development programs while averting cuts to nutrition programs.

38. Trust One Parent Has Profitable Q3 - Monday, October 31, 2011

Columbus, Ga.-based Synovus Financial Corp. reported earnings of $15.7 million for the third quarter, the company’s first quarterly profit since Q2 2008.

39. Preserve at Southwind Apts. Sell for $22.2 Million - Tuesday, October 25, 2011

7991 Capilano Drive
Memphis, TN 38125
Sale Amount: $22.2 million

Sale Date: Oct. 12, 2011

40. Making Up: Free Apps for Furious Blackberry Users - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

TORONTO (AP) – The Blackberry has left a bitter taste in the mouths of its users.

Trying to make amends for massive outages last week, Research In Motion on Monday promised Blackberry users free premium apps and a month of technical support. But the apology is unlikely to placate miffed customers, many of whom are considering whether to part with the tarnished brand in favor of more popular devices such as Apple's newest iPhone.

41. First Horizon’s Profit Improves in Q3 - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Between July and September, the Memphis-based parent company of First Tennessee Bank, the largest bank based in Tennessee, more than doubled its quarterly profit compared with the same period in 2010, the company announced Monday, Oct. 17.

42. First Tenn. Parent Co.’s Profit Improves in Q3 - Monday, October 17, 2011

Between July and September, the Memphis-based parent company of the largest bank based in Tennessee more than doubled its quarterly profit compared with the same period in 2010, the company announced Monday, Oct. 17.

43. Deal Expected Soon for Morgan Keegan - Monday, October 17, 2011

Regions Financial Corp., the company whose bank has the No. 2 spot in Memphis when ranked by customer deposit share, reports third-quarter earnings Oct. 25.

44. Seeing Success - Monday, October 10, 2011

On the surface, they don’t have much in common other than their home turf. They include everything from a venerable law firm, prominent regional investment companies, tech firms and even a business that manufactures food products like hot dogs and sandwich meats.

45. Summit Touts Return of Demand - Friday, August 26, 2011

“Demand is back” was the theme at the ninth annual Southern Lodging Summit held Downtown this week at The Peabody hotel and the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Hoteliers and industry execs gathered for the 2011 Summit, which was organized by the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association and hotel consulting firm Pinkowski & Co.

46. Dallas Co. Pays $35M for Depot - Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The Memphis Depot Business Park has sold for $35.8 million after being on the market for less than six months.

Memphis Depot Associates LLC, an affiliated entity of Dallas-based Mayfield Properties LP, on Friday, Aug. 5, bought 260 acres of property containing 4.2 million square feet in buildings in the industrial park and former Army base just north of Memphis International Airport from Depot Redevelopment Corp. of Memphis and Shelby County.

47. Dallas Co. Pays $35M for Depot - Monday, August 08, 2011

The Memphis Depot Business Park has sold for $35.8 million after being on the market for less than six months.

Memphis Depot Associates LLC, an affiliated entity of Dallas-based Mayfield Properties LP, on Friday, Aug. 5, bought 260 acres of property containing 4.2 million square feet in buildings in the industrial park and former Army base just north of Memphis International Airport from Depot Redevelopment Corp. of Memphis and Shelby County.

48. Survey: Most Pharmaceutical Execs Foresee More M&A - Thursday, July 14, 2011

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A survey of top executives of U.S. drugmakers indicates mergers and acquisitions should pick up in the next couple of years, as companies aim to offset rising generic competition.

49. Service Sector Grew in June at Slower Pace - Thursday, July 07, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. service sector, which employs nearly 90 percent of America’s work force, expanded for a 19th consecutive month in June. But growth slowed from May, a sign that the economy remains sluggish.

50. Parker Joins Leadership Memphis - Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Latoria “Tori” Parker has joined Leadership Memphis as operations manager.

Hometown: Memphis

Education: B.S. Business Administration – University of Phoenix

51. Halperin Helps Shape Boyle’s Presence - Monday, May 30, 2011

Mark Halperin and the office tenants he represents have one thing in common – longevity.

Upon graduating from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and real estate, he moved back to Memphis and landed his first job at Boyle Investment Co. Little did he know that it would turn into a lifelong career.

52. Elvis Presley Enterprises Parent Acquired - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

CKx Inc., the parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises since 2005, will now be in the hands of a New York private equity firm.

53. Rogers Named Director Of Germantown Athletic Club - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Phil Rogers has joined Germantown Athletic Club as director. Rogers will oversee all daily operations of the club.

Hometown: West Danville, Vt.

Education: B.S. in Exercise Science, University of Mississippi

54. First Horizon Reports Profitable Q1 - Friday, April 22, 2011

Bryan Jordan, president and CEO of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp., told his audience at Tuesday’s annual meeting that the parent of First Tennessee Bank is becoming “more efficient and nimble.”

55. First Horizon Reports Profitable Q1 - Thursday, April 21, 2011

Bryan Jordan, president and CEO of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp., told his audience at Tuesday’s annual meeting that the parent of First Tennessee Bank is becoming “more efficient and nimble.”

56. First Horizon National Corp. Unloads Investment Unit - Wednesday, April 13, 2011

First Horizon National Corp., the Memphis-based parent company of First Tennessee Bank, is selling an investment advisory unit.

57. Analysts: First Horizon Could Report Small Q1 Profit - Monday, April 11, 2011

The consensus estimate of more than two-dozen analysts is that First Tennessee Bank’s Memphis-based parent company will report a 4-cent profit for the first quarter when First Horizon National Corp. announces earnings this week.

58. Batter Up - Monday, April 04, 2011

Opening Day is right around the corner for the Memphis Redbirds, who will open the 2011 campaign with improvements to both its ballpark and its financial outlook.

The Redbirds, the minor league Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, on Thursday begin their 14th season in Memphis and 12th at AutoZone Park following the move from Tim McCarver Stadium in 2000.

59. ‘Big 3’ Reflect Local Banking Scene - Monday, February 21, 2011

One of the most famous aphorisms about politics is that all of it is local. Bankers and other inhabitants of the finance world know the same often goes for them too.

In the run-up to the recession, financial services firms like Citigroup and Bank of America raced to gobble each other up and built sprawling financial supermarkets.

60. Cash Infusion - Friday, January 07, 2011

An El Paso, Texas-based investment firm has bought a “significant stake” in LEDIC Management Group LLC, a move that will enable the Memphis-based third party investment real estate firm to expand its national footprint, implement new technology, and hire additional employees.

61. Collierville Office Building Sells for $1.3M in Foreclosure - Tuesday, December 28, 2010

472 W. Poplar Ave.
Collierville, TN 38017
Sale Amount: $1.3 million

Sale Date: Dec. 14, 2010
Buyer: First Citizens National Bank
Seller: Ralph Henson, trustee
Orig. Borrower: Loyal Featherstone Realtors Inc.
Orig. Lender: First Citizens National Bank
Orig. Loan Amount: $1.6 million
Orig. Loan Date: March 7, 2007
Orig. Maturity: March 7, 2008

62. First Horizon to Repay TARP Funds - Tuesday, December 14, 2010

First Tennessee Bank’s top brass can cross two big items off the company to-do list.

The largest Tennessee-based banking company has announced its intention to repay the investment of $866 million in emergency federal funds injected into the company in late 2008.

63. First Tennessee Parent to Repay TARP - Monday, December 13, 2010

First Tennessee Bank's top brass can cross two big items off the company to-do list.

The largest Tennessee-based banking company has announced its intention to repay the investment of $866 million in emergency federal funds injected into the company in late 2008 as part of the government rescue of the financial system.

64. ULI Conference to Tackle Emerging Trends - Tuesday, December 07, 2010

As real estate professionals gather this week to take a look at the latest numbers and trends, they will also get a broader economic view of the recession’s effect on the industry.

They will get a glimpse into the current market Wednesday when the Urban Land Institute (ULI) District Council Memphis holds its annual Real Estate Outlook for the Mid-South.

65. FTN Financial Forecasts Slow Growth in 2011 - Monday, December 06, 2010

Economists with FTN Financial tipped their hat to the well-known Chinese proverb “May you live in interesting times” in opening the team’s newly published 2011 economic forecast.

The forecast of 12 months of ho-hum growth, little change in the unemployment rate and tight credit in the coming year is summarized neatly in the heading on the report’s first page: “Tired of living in interesting times.”

66. Visible School Enjoys Strong Fundraising Amid Christmas Show Prep - Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Visible School Music and Worship Arts College is gearing up for its third annual Christmas fundraising show, but this year the gifts of donations are coming in early, including a recent $100,000 check.

67. Bankers’ Reactions Mixed to Fed Jumpstart Attempt - Friday, November 05, 2010

A harbinger of rampant inflation. A sign the economy is still not on the right track. A Hail Mary pass.

That’s a sampling of the reaction from Memphis bankers and financial professionals to this week’s news the Federal Reserve Board is effectively printing money to buy $600 billion of U.S. government bonds over the next eight months.

68. Observers Anticipate Fed’s Latest Actions - Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Now that Election Day is in the rear-view mirror, it’s on to the week’s second of three closely watched market-moving events.

When the Federal Reserve ends its two-day policy-setting committee meeting Wednesday, it’s expected to announce a new program that pumps billions of dollars into the economy.

69. Oseman Takes Good Care of Clients’ Insurance Needs - Monday, October 25, 2010

As the Oseman Insurance Agency celebrates its 25th anniversary, its president Stephen Oseman has a lot to celebrate.

Started in 1985, the agency has evolved into one of the region’s premier agencies, with 16 employees and $40 million in premium value today. During that time, the agency has written almost a billion dollars worth of insurance (premium value).

70. Cafe Las Flores Growing ‘One Coffee Bean at a Time’ - Monday, October 18, 2010

Lucia Heros walks down the hall of her home each morning to her office with its windows overlooking a garden. She carries a steaming cup of black coffee.

On an office shelf is a glass award with blue stars. In September the coffee business she owns with her two brothers, Cafe Las Flores, won the Memphis Latino Leadership Award, small business category, given by the Memphis chapter of the National Hispanic Professional Organization.

71. First Horizon Scores Another Surprise Profit - Monday, October 18, 2010

For the second quarter in a row, the parent company of First Tennessee Bank has posted a surprise profit and soundly beat even the most optimistic analyst forecast.

72. First Horizon Scores Another Surprise Profit - Friday, October 15, 2010

For the second quarter in a row, the parent company of First Tennessee Bank has posted a surprise profit and soundly beat even the most optimistic analyst forecast.

73. Regions Chief Economist Says Recession Doesn’t ‘Feel’ Over - Friday, October 01, 2010

Most of what Regions Financial Corp. chief economist Bob Allsbrook studies every day is unsurprising, given his job.

74. Banks Look to Reshape Rocky Landscape - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Memphis and Tennessee economies are looking brighter compared to the country at large.

Larger banks in the Memphis market will continue to lose market share to smaller competitors that are hungry and nimble. And many local banks have the cash and the desire to go on a buying spree – for other banks, that is.

75. Small Biz, Banks may Spurn Obama's $30 Bln Program - Monday, September 27, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – President Barack Obama's $30 billion small community business lending program faces one big challenge: many of the community banks and businesses it's supposed to help don't want it.

76. Business Spending on Capital Goods Rises in August - Monday, September 27, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. companies invested last month in computers, communications equipment and machinery, boosting capital goods orders for the third time in four months.

The 4.1 percent increase to capital goods in August signaled a rebound in business spending after orders fell 5.3 percent in July. It also suggests manufacturing, which has helped drive economic growth since the recession ended in June 2009, is still a bright spot in a weak recovery.

77. Winbranch Apartments Sell for $2.4 Million - Tuesday, September 21, 2010

3595 Millbranch Road
Memphis, TN 38116
Sale Amount: $2.4 million

Sale Date: Sept. 7, 2010
Buyer: Winbranch Realty Partners LLC
Seller: LBUBS 2004-C4 Millbranch Road LLC
Loan Amount: $975,000
Loan Date: Sept. 7, 2010
Maturity Date: Sept. 1, 2011
Lender: The Leshum Group LLC

78. First Horizon's Jordan Sees 'Slow and Low' Future - Monday, September 20, 2010

The head of Tennessee’s largest banking company, Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp., doesn’t expect interest rates to budge much until sometime late next year.

79. Duncan-Williams Opens Atlanta Office - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Memphis-based investment banking firm Duncan-Williams Inc. is expanding its footprint with a new branch office in Atlanta.

80. Record Gains for US Poverty With Elections Looming - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of people in the U.S. who are in poverty is on track for a record increase on President Barack Obama's watch, with the ranks of working-age poor approaching 1960s levels that led to the national war on poverty.

81. Duncan-Williams Opens Atlanta Office - Monday, September 13, 2010

Memphis-based investment banking firm Duncan-Williams Inc. is expanding its footprint with a new branch office in Atlanta.

82. Simmons Helps Shape Oversight of Financial Advisers - Friday, August 06, 2010

When the finance reform bill became law in July, registered investment advisers throughout the country could thank Memphian Cathy Simmons for a notable absence.

83. Local Investors to Buy One Commerce - Thursday, August 05, 2010

U.S. Bancorp has accepted the bid from a local investment group to buy One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St.

The group, which includes Southland Capital president Terry Lynch, his partner Karl Schledwitz and also Gary Prosterman, submitted its bid last week.

84. Local Investors to Buy One Commerce - Wednesday, August 04, 2010

U.S. Bancorp has accepted the bid from a local investment group to buy One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St.

The group, which includes Southland Capital president Terry Lynch, his partner Karl Schledwitz and also Gary Prosterman, submitted its bid last week.

85. Republicans Block Small Business Lending Bill - Friday, July 30, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans blocked a bill to increase small business lending Thursday, dealing a setback to President Barack Obama's jobs agenda.

The bill would create a $30 billion government fund to help community banks increase lending to small businesses, combining it with about $12 billion in tax breaks aimed at small businesses. Democrats say banks should be able to use the lending fund to leverage up to $300 billion in loans to small businesses, helping to loosen tight credit markets.

86. Brighter Future - Friday, July 23, 2010

The financial services industry in Memphis is apparently back to thinking about tomorrow, rather than simply making it through today.

Firms are hiring again, deepening their bench strength in key areas, recommitting to a focus on customer relationships – and, in some cases, once more turning a tidy profit.

87. Relief Effort Fails Many at Risk Of Foreclosure - Thursday, July 22, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration’s effort to help those at risk of losing their homes is failing to aid many and could spur a rise in foreclosures that would further depress the housing industry.

88. First Tennessee on Cusp of Profitability - Friday, July 02, 2010

Memphis’ most prominent local bank – which is also the largest based in Tennessee – looks close to breaking an eight-quarter string of earnings losses.

The average estimate among 26 analysts who cover the stock of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp., the parent company of First Tennessee Bank, is that First Horizon will report another loss when it unveils its second quarter earnings in two weeks. But the loss will likely be a small one.

89. Profitability Could be Ahead For Paragon - Monday, June 28, 2010

Paragon National Bank president and CEO Robert Shaw won’t be drafting his presentation for another year, but he already knows one of the themes he hopes to be able to tout at the bank’s 2011 annual meeting.

90. Area Banks Repay $70M In TARP Funds - Monday, June 21, 2010

The U.S. Treasury has collected more than $70 million from Memphis-area banks that participated in the federal government’s dramatic rescue of the financial system in 2008, the latest figures show.

91. Trestle Capital Steps Into Downtown - Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A new investment management and consulting firm is preparing to set up shop Downtown after considering spaces in Midtown and in East Memphis’ Ridgeway Center.

Trestle Capital Partners, which will specialize in marketing hedge fund investments to high net-worth investors, has signed a letter of intent to enter into a five-year lease for 890 square feet of commercial space in The Washburn, a mixed-use building at 60 S. Main St.

92. Reform Views Vary Among Local Bankers - Monday, June 14, 2010

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., slammed the debate over financial reform legislation in no uncertain terms during the Tennessee Bankers Association annual meeting last week in Nashville.

“My strategy is to pray,” said Corker, who’s also a member of the congressional negotiating team that will reconcile differences between separate reform bills and merge them together.

93. Last Straw? - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

News last week that the law firm Glankler Brown PLLC will vacate 39,000 square feet in One Commerce Square signaled another blow to the embattled 31-story tower, a fixture on the Memphis skyline for the past four decades.

94. Highland Capital to Manage Nashville Bond Funds - Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Highland Capital Management Corp., a unit of First Horizon National Corp., is acting on behalf of Nashville’s Metro Convention Center Authority to manage funds generated from a recent bond offering for Nashville’s coming new convention center.

95. Factory Orders Strengthen, Home Sales Contracts Up - Wednesday, May 05, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surprisingly busy month for U.S. factories and a surge in home buying are the latest signs that the economic recovery is picking up.

Orders to U.S. factories rose 1.3 percent in March, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That was much better than the 0.1 percent decline analysts had expected. Excluding the volatile transportation sector, orders gained 3.1 percent, the biggest increase since August 2005.

96. Schoolhouse Shuffle - Monday, April 26, 2010

On a cold February morning, a group of excited parents clustered in a tent in back of Kate Bond Elementary School.

97. Gearing Up - Friday, April 09, 2010

Is it springtime for the advertising industry?

The Great Recession made for one hard winter, but industry watchers are pointing to some fresh signs of life.

“We are definitely seeing the climate improve. We added two new positions in the first quarter of this year,” said Stinson Liles, a co-founder with Martin Wilford of Red Deluxe, a brand development firm.

98. Stephenson Finds Success In Memphis - Monday, March 29, 2010

Susan Stephenson grew up in East Tennessee and followed her heart to Memphis when a young man she knew decided to attend graduate school here.

99. Six Permits Issued to Airport For Ground Transportation Center - Tuesday, March 09, 2010

2491 Winchester Road
Memphis, TN 38116
Permit Amounts: $89.5 Million

Project Cost: $121 million
Permit Date: Issued March 2010
Completion: Spring 2012
Owner: Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Tenant: Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Contractor: The Flintco Cos. Inc.
Architect: Walker Parking Consultants

100. Former Indy Mayor’s Advice To Local Government: Cut Red Tape - Monday, March 08, 2010

Combining city and county governments is not the issue, the former mayor of Indianapolis told the Metro Charter Commission last week.

Stephen Goldsmith said the group drafting a consolidation charter for voters on the November ballot should be more focused on efficiency.