Salinas Valley Half Marathon offering local business opportunities - The Californian

The Salinas Valley Half Marathon is offering local businesses the opportunity to reach its runners with an offer just for them.

A sheet listing all the offers will be included in the runners? goodie bags. The Half Marathon, to be held Aug. 4, will also promote the offers on its website and in at least one e-blasts to all registered participants.

If you know of a business that would like to participate in this program, the Half Marathon needs a commitment by June 23 and a specific offer (including expiration date, and method for redemption) by June 30.

Information: mailto:%3Ca%20href=" alt="" title="">
community@salinasvalleyhalfmarathon.org

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Salinas Valley Half Marathon offering local business opportunities

The Salinas Valley Half Marathon is offering local businesses the opportunity to reach its runners with an offer just for them.

A sheet listing all the offers will be included in the runners? goodie bags. The Half Marathon, to be held Aug. 4, will also promote the offers on its website and in at least one e-blasts to all registered participants.

If you know of a business that would like to participate in this program, the Half Marathon needs a commitment by June 23 and a specific offer (including expiration date, and method for redemption) by June 30.

Information: mailto:%3Ca%20href=" alt="" title="">
community@salinasvalleyhalfmarathon.org

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Big business opportunities for local producers - Jamaica Observer

Business

Expo Jamaica 2012

BY PAUL ALLEN Business reporter allenp@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

EXPO Jamaica 2012 has been lauded as a major success, having created promising business opportunities for local producers.

The four-day trade show, which ended Sunday, saw over 200 local companies showcasing their products to 380 buyers from 24 countries.

"The response has been very positive," said a manager of Wallenford Coffee Company, while standing by his company booth which was decorated with dried coffee beans and barrels, as other members of staff give passers-by cups of the hot beverage, a draw for many.

The Wallenford executive said that although the company already has a strong distribution network, both locally and overseas, it has benefited from additional interest arising from the expo.

"For example there was somebody from Guyana who said the product was not being distributed there, so there's the possibility of reintroducing Jamaica Blue Mountain (coffee) back to Guyana," he noted.

One satisfied patron stated, "the interest in Jamaica and all things Jamaican remains", echoing the general sentiment from nearly all those questioned by the Jamaica Observer.

Coza International, a US-based distributor of Caribbean foods, said they have identified at least four companies in Jamaica with which they would like to do business.

"I am finding a lot more products this year. Caribbean foods are a growing industry, and we are trying to introduce as many Jamaican products to our Miami and New York markets," Coaza International President Darsham Lam told the Business Observer.

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William & Mary School of Business Real Estate Conference to Focus on Challenges, Opportunities of Local, Regional, and Global Markets - YAHOO!

To: NATIONAL AND REAL ESTATE EDITORS

2nd Annual Conference at the Mason School of Business Joins Global Real Estate Powerhouses and Pre-eminent Experts

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary will host "Surviving Today, Succeeding Tomorrow" April 11-12 at Alan B. Miller Hall in Williamsburg, VA, with several of the nation's most prominent commercial real estate leaders.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20051111/DCF019LOGO-b)

"Surviving Today, Succeeding Tomorrow" will focus on the challenges and opportunities in the shifting local, national, and global economies affected by the real estate markets.

CEOs from global real estate powerhouses Cushman and Wakefield, Prologis and Related Urban will be joined by local, regional and national experts in residential and commercial real estate. The conference will provide a framework and context for the real estate professional to make sense of the volatility of the industry.

The role of the ports, often overlooked, will also be examined as a factor for growth in the real estate markets on local, domestic, and international dimensions. Additionally, pre-eminent experts will give their views on the trends shaping the availability of capital to leverage for real estate opportunities.

"Huge challenges remain in real estate. Some of the top experts in the world of real estate will be at the College of William & Mary's Mason School of Business to help conference participants and our students distinguish the mine fields from the fields of opportunity," said Mason School of Business Dean Lawrence B. Pulley.

Dane Brooksher, the retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Prologis will serve as the morning moderator of the conference. Prologis is a leading global provider of distribution facilities. Kenneth Himmel, CEO of Related Urban Development, will moderate the afternoon session.

The conference will close with a panel of experts addressing and taking questions on the next steps forward. That panel will be led by John Cushman, CEO of Cushman and Wakefield.

The expansive speaker list includes prominent authorities such as:

-- Jackie Amato, the President of Towne Bank Mortgage, LLC -- David J. Beatty, President of Towne Bank Commercial Mortgage, LLC -- Jerry Bridges, Executive Director of the Port of Virginia -- John Cushman, Co-Chairman of the Board, Cushman and Wakefield -- Howard Elkus, founder of Elkus Manfredi Architects -- Charles "Chip" Fedelen, Executive Vice President of Commercial Real Estate at Wells Fargo -- Kenneth Himmel '68, CEO of Related Urban Development -- Youguo Liang, Economist at Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI) -- Roger S. Pratt, Managing Director and Chief Risk and Investment Officer for the US and Latin America, PREI -- Walt Rakowich, Co-CEO of Prologis -- Carl E. Reichardt, Jr., Director of Research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting

The lead sponsors of the 2012 Real Estate Conference are Prologis, Related Urban and TowneBank.

For more information and to register: http://mason.wm.edu/re.

The conference site will be Alan B. Miller Hall. Miller Hall, dedicated in 2009, was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects LLP. It earned Gold LEED Certification in 2010. It is deemed the 'western gateway' of the College of William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, VA and is paired to the east with the historic Wren Building, the oldest college building in the United States.

As the second-oldest college in the United States and educational home to many American leaders, the College is revered as the "alma mater of a nation." Its Mason School of Business embraces the entrepreneurial spirit that built the country atop a foundation of business, trade, and economics. Distinctive in its revolutionary thinking and approach to problem solving using a highly experiential model, it welcomes energetic thinkers with a will to lead in creating a strong sustainable economy and thriving society.

Contact:

Andrea Sardone, Business School 757-221-2043/apsard@wm.edu

SOURCE The Mason School of Business at The College of William and Mary

-0-

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Significant Opportunities for Global and Local Vendors Among Fast Track Sri Lanka Medium Businesses

Thu, Apr 5, 2012, 6:20 PM EDT - U.S. Markets closed

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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New Business Opportunity comes to Michigan’s Thumb with Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man. - Emailwire

Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man
Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man Truck

Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man Video (EMAILWIRE.COM, March 15, 2012 ) Marlette MI--As the state of Michigan continues to find its way through a failing economy local civic and business leaders breathe relief when a new business offers to expand into their community. In Marlette Michigan just such a sigh was heard as Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man announced that they would begin servicing and hauling in the Marlette area offering lower cost dumpsters and increasing the volume of dumpster rentals to contractors and service companies in the area.

Dumpster rentals are a large cost to construction and service based companies working in the state of Michigan. Often dumpsters make up 30% of the entire contractor cost to perform the work they have contracted. Reducing the cost of dumpster rental on a job site by 10% or more can many times mean the funds are available for additional laborers. For local civic leaders this means more jobs and less unemployment.

Local Marlette dumpster rental Man is excited about servicing the Marlette community and the surrounding Tuscola county area. They offer a variety of service to both residential and the commercial sectors for waste removal and disposal. Local Marlette dumpster rental man focuses on green alternatives to waste removal.

All across the country waste haulers are being encouraged to find alternative disposal facilities that will result in less waste material entering landfills. By 2014 federal mandates have suggested that waste haulers have a ?zero to the fill? program in place. Haulers will be rewarded for reducing landfill usage. Local Marlette dumpster rental Man began implementing programs to reach this goal in the beginning of 2011. One can learn about these programs at http://www.localdumpsterrentalman.com/

By using recyclers as a source for disposal of material collected in dumpsters; Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man can offer reduced pricing and occasional rebates to customers who use their services. The owner of Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man says, ?Our processes provide a win win for everyone involved.?

Dumpsters from Local Marlette Dumpster Rental Man are available in 10, 20, 30, 40, yard sizes and self-contained packer units are also available for cardboard recycling commercial applications. Additional information about Local Dumpster Rental Man services or recycling companies in the Marlette area may be found at http://www.localdumpsterrentalman.com/Michigan/marlette-dumpsters.php

About Local Dumpster Rental Man:
Local Dumpster Rental Man provides roll off dumpster rental service within the, Sandusky, Marlette, Lexington, Kingston and Port Sanilac, MI areas. The company is growing, because it is serving customers efficiently and effectively. They know that most people do not know how to manage waste. Waste management is more than providing a container to hold trash. It involves delivering a roll off container to the correct location on time. The real work, however, begins after picking up the dumpster canister. There is more than simply taking garbage to a landfill and dumping it. Recycling should be considered whenever possible. For more information about renting dumpsters or recycling, call 989-447-0540 or visit http://www.localdumpsterrentalman.com/Michigan/harbor%20beach-dumpsters.php

Company: Local Dumpster Rental Man
Contact: Ralph Baker
Phone: 989-447-0540

Email: dumpsterphone@gmail.com

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SantaFe.com Business Directory Offers Local Businesses Exposure, Advertising Opportunities

SantaFe.com’s Business Directory provides local businesses with multi-category, multi-faceted business marketing tools to promote themselves and increase visibility. The directory currently showcases more than 170 “Featured Businesses” and lists more than 1000 businesses. The site’s “All Businesses in Santa Fe” webpage offers Santa Fe shoppers and visitors a comprehensive business category list to pick from, with choices ranging from Adult Education to Zumba.

Santa Fe, New Mexico (PRWEB) February 26, 2012

Santa Fe residents and visitors with shopping and business needs can now access services and products easily with the launch of SantaFe.com’s new Business Directory. The directory features a variety of search tools for finding local businesses including a ‘Browse Businesses by Category’ page, a ‘Featured Businesses in Santa Fe’ page, a ‘All Businesses in Santa Fe’ page, which lists businesses alphabetically, and the ‘Explore Businesses in Santa Fe’ web page, which showcases local businesses with their own profile pages on SantaFe.com. These unique business profiles include an event/business calendar, downloadable documents such as restaurant menus, links to the company website, a photo gallery, and a detailed description. "For Santa Fe visitors and residents alike the SantaFe.com Business Directory is a great resource to find what you're looking for whether, it's a restaurant or a Zumba class," states SantaFe.com owner and general manager Scott Hutton.

The Business Directory on SantaFe.com gives local businesses a wide selection of choices to select from to promote and advertise their business. The Business Directory advertising and promotion choices include the following options to choose from:

The SantaFe.com Business Directory gives local businesses a direct conduit to place their business on the web front and center for Santa Fe locals and visitors alike. The variety of advertising choices on the Business Directory offers flexibility including the low cost approach of a ‘Free Business Listing’ to the extensive marketing and promotional benefits of a ‘Business Page’ listing. SantaFe.com is a high website traffic visitor guide which gives Santa Fe business advertisers promoting services and products a definite advantage.

About SantaFe.com

SantaFe.com provides Santa Fe and visitors to Santa Fe alike the most current interactive platform for events, music, arts, business, dining, and lifestyle. SantaFe.com is a division of Hutton Broadcasting. Hutton Broadcasting is located at 2502 C. Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Contact Information:

Scott Hutton

SantaFe.com / Hutton Broadcasting

http://www.santafe.com

(505) 471-1067 (Media inquiries only, please)

###

Marcia Beverly
SantaFe.com
(505) 471-1067
Email Information

View the original article here

Local firms, businessmen urged: Explore UN market

By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News

Local design and construction industry players are encouraged to explore business opportunities abroad especially projects funded by the United Nations (UN).

Provincial Director Nelia Navarro of the Department of Trade and Industry gave this advice to companies and businessmen in these sectors during last week’s  forum on doing business with the United Nations.

The creativity and skills of local designers, architects and engineers could easily win them projects under the UN, said Navarro.

“All they need to do is register in the UN (United Nations) website and satisfy the requirements that the organization seeks for in a project contractor,” said Navarro.

Navarro described the business opportunities at the UN as a still “undertapped market”

“This is another form of exporting, which is a very huge market that our exporters and even those who are not into exports can start looking into. UN is a gateway for our local companies to go global,” said Navarro.

According to Toshio Mikami, chief for the United Nations logistics and transportation under the procurement division, the United Nations total procurement value of the goods and services that they sourced from different suppliers around the world was at $14.5 billion.

“Out of that, our division’s total procurement value was $3.1 billion last year. We are inviting Filipinos to participate,” said Mikami.

Major items that UN mostly requires from suppliers include food products, pharmaceutical supplies, vehicles, computers and softwares, shelter and housing, telecommunications equipment, laboratory equipment, chemicals, building materials, security services, outsourced personnel services, engineering services, construction, corporate services, freight services, printing services and equipment rental, consultancy services and telecommunications services.

“Based on their data, the value of services and goods that they have sourced from the Philippines since 2007 was only at $48,364. This can still be increased because we have the capacity. Our construction players are already using advanced building technologies and we have local designers and architects that they can tap,” said Navarro.

She said, the local firms or businessmen should however adhere to the specific requirements that the United Nations would impose or ask from their suppliers.

“The United Nations is made up of a variety of organizational entities like Funds and Programmes under which includes the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization. We also have the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund and World Food Programme. Each of these have different specific requirements but follow common principles in finding partners and suppliers,” said Mikami.

Navarro said that interested companies could check out individual websites of the organizations to learn more about the specific requirements  to participate.

“They have what they call the UN Global Compact which follows 10 principles which highlight mostly sound labor practices like no child labor, human rights in place, environmental responsibility and works against corruption, extortion and bribery,” said Navarro.

The UN procurement division purchases $478 million worth of architecture, engineering and construction related services in 2010 which according to Navarro is a huge market for our local contractors to tap.

“If they participate and get selected by UN, they can earn more and be able to expand their operations easily in the areas where the United Nations will need their services,” said Navarro.

“The organization needs contractors to rebuild their offices that were destroyed during wars and other crisis like calamities,” she said.

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Tags: Business , construction industry , Entrepreneurship , local design , United Nations (UN)

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SantaFe.com Business Directory Offers Local Businesses Exposure, Advertising Opportunities

SantaFe.com’s Business Directory provides local businesses with multi-category, multi-faceted business marketing tools to promote themselves and increase visibility. The directory currently showcases more than 170 “Featured Businesses” and lists more than 1000 businesses. The site’s “All Businesses in Santa Fe” webpage offers Santa Fe shoppers and visitors a comprehensive business category list to pick from, with choices ranging from Adult Education to Zumba.

Santa Fe, New Mexico (PRWEB) February 26, 2012

Santa Fe residents and visitors with shopping and business needs can now access services and products easily with the launch of SantaFe.com’s new Business Directory. The directory features a variety of search tools for finding local businesses including a ‘Browse Businesses by Category’ page, a ‘Featured Businesses in Santa Fe’ page, a ‘All Businesses in Santa Fe’ page, which lists businesses alphabetically, and the ‘Explore Businesses in Santa Fe’ web page, which showcases local businesses with their own profile pages on SantaFe.com. These unique business profiles include an event/business calendar, downloadable documents such as restaurant menus, links to the company website, a photo gallery, and a detailed description. "For Santa Fe visitors and residents alike the SantaFe.com Business Directory is a great resource to find what you're looking for whether, it's a restaurant or a Zumba class," states SantaFe.com owner and general manager Scott Hutton.

The Business Directory on SantaFe.com gives local businesses a wide selection of choices to select from to promote and advertise their business. The Business Directory advertising and promotion choices include the following options to choose from:

The SantaFe.com Business Directory gives local businesses a direct conduit to place their business on the web front and center for Santa Fe locals and visitors alike. The variety of advertising choices on the Business Directory offers flexibility including the low cost approach of a ‘Free Business Listing’ to the extensive marketing and promotional benefits of a ‘Business Page’ listing. SantaFe.com is a high website traffic visitor guide which gives Santa Fe business advertisers promoting services and products a definite advantage.

About SantaFe.com

SantaFe.com provides Santa Fe and visitors to Santa Fe alike the most current interactive platform for events, music, arts, business, dining, and lifestyle. SantaFe.com is a division of Hutton Broadcasting. Hutton Broadcasting is located at 2502 C. Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Contact Information:

Scott Hutton

SantaFe.com / Hutton Broadcasting

http://www.santafe.com

(505) 471-1067 (Media inquiries only, please)

###

Marcia Beverly
SantaFe.com
(505) 471-1067
Email Information

View the original article here

Minorities in Business group honors local leaders - Courier-Journal

Three Springfield residents who?ve helped improve the local business environment for minorities were honored Tuesday during the second annual Minorities in Business Heritage Awards ceremony.

?The idea is to recognize people who have made significant progress in our community, to make sure all citizens of Springfield have access to economic opportunities,? said John Oke-Thomas, president of the local Minorities in Business organization. ?There?s always room for improvement. Could we do better? Absolutely.?

The Heritage Awards ceremony took place at Q Enoteca, 308 W. Commercial St. Oke-Thomas said the organization has about 85 members. He estimated there are about 45 minority-owned businesses in Springfield.

Minorities in Business promotes economic development and business opportunities through advocacy, networking, community development and capacity-building for minority businesses and entrepreneurs in the greater Springfield area.

The honorees are:

Denny Whayne. He received the Achievement Award in recognition of his lifelong leadership in the Springfield community. In addition to serving two terms on the Springfield City Council, he has served in volunteer leadership positions for the United Way, Springfield Community Center, Boys and Girls Clubs and Missouri State University. He led the successful effort to have the Benton Street Bridge renamed the Martin Luther King Bridge and was involved in many community betterment efforts including the development of the US 65 bypass corridor, Jordan Valley Health Center, the regional crime laboratory and the regional airport.

In accepting the award, Whayne told the crowd of about 50 people: ?It?s never been about me. I?ve always tried to turn the ?me? upside down and make it ?we?.?

He reflected on his early passion for civil rights and said he thought it was his ?duty to try to make a difference.?

Whayne added: ?Things change. People change. People change things.?

Leslie Anderson. The associate professor at Missouri State University, received the Advocacy Award. During her tenure as interim Vice President in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at Missouri State, Anderson chaired the Summit for Diversity and Economic Development that engaged 76 community organizations, businesses, faith and educational institutions. She chaired the President?s Commission for Diversity at Missouri State for four years and has been involved in many community activities, including work as a trainer for the Facing Racism curriculum sponsored by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Joe Robles. Owner of Joe Robles State Farm Insurance, he received the Community Service Award in honor of his many community activities. He serves on the board of directors of Crime Stoppers for the Greater Springfield Area, the Minorities in Business Executive Council and the Missouri State Vice President?s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion. He serves as marketing chair for BNI-Business By Referral Chapter and is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Most recently, he has been a leader in the grassroots campaign to educate voters about the E-Verify ordinance.

Minorities in Business initiated its awards last year, recognizing former Social Security Administration district manager Ron Ponds, who received the group?s first Achievement Award. Francine Pratt, former president of the local NAACP and Executive Director of Isabel?s House, received the Community service Award.

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce received the group?s Advocacy Award for identifying a lack of diversity in Springfield as an impediment to economic development. The chamber also held several anti-racism workshops.

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Local moms find new business opportunities in kids clothes

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Local moms find new business opportunities in kids clothes - Athens Banner-Herald

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Latest Google Search Revamp Brings Opportunities For Local Businesses - Searchengineland.com

Recently, Google announced (and Search Engine Land intensely covered) what is being described as the most significant revamp to date of their basic search tool.

To sum it up from the start, the changes will likely provide local businesses with the ability to merge aspects of their search optimization and social media strategies into a unified approach via Google+, the company’s new social network.

The new opportunities presented by the revamp will undoubtedly deliver unprecedented search visibility for the products and services of proactive local businesses over time. Their success will be dictated by two basic needs: generating buzz about their offerings on Google+, and creating an effective business page on the site.

According to the company, Google’s new ‘Search Plus Your World’ offering “transforms Google into a search engine that understands not only content, but also people and relationships” through three basic ways:

Further personalizing results: users are now able to find personalized information – including Google+ photos and posts from themselves and their friends – within their basic Google.com search results. Additionally, they can tab out personalized results featuring content from those they’re connected to on Google+.Raising profile visibility: users can immediately find people they’re close to or might be interested in following in Google+, both in autocomplete and resultsRaising people and pages’ visibility: users can find Google+ profiles and pages related to specific topics or areas of interest via basic search, and follow them instantly

More personalized results will enable local businesses to more easily get found by users searching for keywords related to their products and services.

For example, a hungry user searching “hamburger” in their Google search could come across a post from one of their Google+ friends talking about the great meal they just had at [your] local diner.

Not only will the post get your diner’s name right in front of the hunger user – showing up right within top search results on the page – it will have added value because it came from their friend, whose recommendation they most likely trust. And right there, you could very easily have a new customer.

Raised visibility for Google+ profiles and pages via Google search could also help your local business attract new customers.

As the above example shows, users searching for simple topics like “shopping” are presented with recommendations on pages to follow in a “People and Pages on Google+” section. And as we know, once a Google+ page is followed, each time a user searches for something related to or mentioned on that page, it will receive increased visibility with the user.

It will be interesting to see how this feature builds over time. For example, I wonder if a traveling user searching “Bed & Breakfast + [location of your B&B]” will one day see your B&B’s page appear in that section. It seems that placement will be based on how prominently your page ranks in terms of followers with other pages reached by the same keywords.

The full impact of Google’s new search offering and its heavy reliance on Google+, which itself is still in its infancy, is not yet clear. But what you can bet on is that your local business will significantly benefit from high visibility on Google+. Actions you can take now to stay ahead of the competition include:

Create a Google+ business page. It’s simple, free, and a no-brainer.Incorporate your business’s Google+ page into its online presence – including its website, blog and other social media channels – as well as its advertising and offline materials.Similar to your business’s approach with other social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, encourage customers to follow your Google+ page for special announcements and deals.Update your business’s Google+ page constantly with new information, whether its links to articles relevant to your business or photos of new products, not only to keep your page relevant with customers but also to increase the number of keywords that users can search and reach you through. For example, had Domino’s Pizza not posted about its stuffed cheesy bread offering, the hungry user may not have seen it when they searched and ordered from someplace else. And obviously the newer the post, the better visibility it will receive.

Most importantly, keep your eye out regularly for additional recommendations on what your business can and should be doing to leverage Google’s new search tools. This will surely be an evolving topic that will affect how customers find you.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: Local Search

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Local women benefit from business networking group - Beavercreek News-Current

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Torched Albany homes become local business interests - Daily Journal of Commerce

The historic, Queen Anne-style home at 732 S.W. Walnut St. in Albany was allegedly torched by arsonists in a 2010 spree that destroyed nine vacant homes. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Council Against Arson)

Albany residents were left reeling after a series of arsons in 2010 destroyed nine vacant homes, but now contractors and local business owners are turning the eyesores into business opportunities.

One home that burned down on Southeast Geary Street was demolished; the site will soon house a new pizza restaurant. Several other burned-out residences are either being repaired or were torn down and rebuilt.

The city of Albany is seeking to demolish three remaining scorched houses, and contractors are already expressing interest in bidding for those contracts.

“Right now we’ve already had a lot of calls from contractors interested in bidding on those (demolitions),” said Melanie Adams, a building official with the city. “I’ve started a list of people who want to be notified, but we haven’t begun that process yet.”

The city already has permission to demolish two of the structures, one on Southeast Sixth Avenue and one on Southeast Jefferson Court. Both of the homes were already foreclosed when they burned, and the city has received permission to remedy dangerous conditions by either fixing the properties or demolishing them.

City staffers are prepared to move forward, but they are waiting on a judge sign off on a third home – on Northeast 13th Avenue – before seeking bids. Complications with the property owner’s insurance company have caused some delays, and Adams said the city is not willing to wait much longer.

“We can either let the properties linger and be a hazard to our community or we can do something about it,” she said.

If a resolution on the third property doesn’t seem likely by the end of January, Adams said the city will likely move forward with the demolitions of the other two and continue to wait for the other.

Meanwhile, the first arson site is being converted to commercial use. Tom and Linda Kolvedt purchased the lot and are now preparing for the grand opening of their new Little Caesars Pizza branch.

The vacant home at 1240 Geary St. in Albany burned on Oct. 22, 2010. Tom and Linda Koltvedt purchased the lot to hold a new building for their Little Caesars Pizza franchise. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Council Against Arson)

“The existing owner was reluctant to spend the money to tear it down, but the property around it was starting to develop, so we went for it,” Tom Kolvedt said. “We’ll be right across from the mall; it’s a prime location.”

The Kolvedts will close their Little Caesars location on the corner of Southeast Hill Street and Queen Avenue and move their staff to the new 1,500-square-foot restaurant.

“The community is happy to see that old house come down and something new going in,” Kolvedt said. “That house was sitting there for a while.”

Local contractors are also eager to see the remaining afflicted properties come down.

Layne Westberg, owner of Northwest Custom Construction, is aiming to finish construction on the new Little Caesars by the end of January and said he is waiting for more job opportunities.

“I don’t know of any plans for the other burned-out homes, but we’d certainly like to be involved if we could,” he said.

After the last few charred residences are demolished, the city will seek reimbursement from the property owners. If they fail to pay, the city will then place liens on the properties.

“The city as a whole has worked on this for a long time,” Adams said. “Ideally we’d like to wrap up all three together because it saves the city money.”

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