Economy & Business

Building the Perfect Resume with Rebecca Harris

Heather McClain and Marcus Charleston — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:07:44 +0000

Graduation season is here and as a new group of college graduates enters the real world, how do you stand out in a tough job market? This week, business contributor Rebecca Harris offers suggestions for building the perfect resume. And find some surprising and not so surprising facts on new graduate employment.

Pennsylvania Business Leaders Seek Tax Changes from Lawmakers

Deanna Garcia — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

On the heels of news that Pennsylvania ranks 42nd in the nation for best places to do business, the CompetePA Coalition is calling on lawmakers to change the corporate tax structure. In particular, the group is asking that the $3 million cap on net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards be eliminated.

PA Ranks 42nd on Magazine's List of Best Places To Do Business

Margaret J. Krauss — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:51:19 +0000

If 736 chief executive officers had their druthers, they’d rather operate in 41 other states before setting up shop in Pennsylvania.

Each year, Chief Executive magazine asks hundreds of CEOs to evaluate the national business climate on a state-by-state basis. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, J.P. Donlon, said that the annual ranking feature provides a holistic, qualitative view of states’ ability to attract and maintain businesses.

Marcellus Shale Attracts Swift Worldwide Resources to Pittsburgh

Jessica Nath — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:18:55 +0000

The Marcellus Shale boom in western Pennsylvania has gained the attention of oil and gas companies, and they are seeing new opportunities in Pittsburgh.

One of the businesses making a move to Pittsburgh is Swift Worldwide Resources.

The outplacement company opened an office in Robinson. The new office will focus on hiring people for management and supporting roles in the oil and gas industry.

Food Workers at Rivers Casino Garner Pittsburgh Council Support for Union

Noah Brode — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:07:33 +0000

The month-old unionization effort of food service employees at the Rivers Casino was boosted with a bit of political clout on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution in support of the proposed union, which could band together some 800 workers at the North Shore gambling house.

The union would include waiters, banquet servers, floor workers and others spread out across the casino's five internal restaurants. The labor group Unite Here! would administer the union. A spokesman said the group has no experience organizing casino dealers or security guards.

Business Basics 101 Part 2

Heather McClain — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:31:22 +0000

Many people dream of running their own business but don't know how to get started. Business contributor Rebecca Harris continues a two-part series on the basics of starting a business. She talks with business mentor and attorney Beth Slagle about choosing the best business entity, from partnerships to sole proprietorships.

Lights, Camera But Where's the Action?

Heather McClain — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:19:47 +0000

In recent years the number of movies shot in Pittsburgh has some people calling us "Hollywood East." However, it appears the city and state have become victims of their own success.

Filmmakers have gravitated to Pittsburgh over the years for a number of reasons, including affordability. But Pennsylvania's current tax credit allotment is capped at $60 million a year. That money dries up quickly in the film industry. So how can Pennsylvania keep up with states like Louisiana, and Georgia, which have no tax credit limit? And what more can be done to lure film and television production to the state?

Guest
Chris Breakwell CEO of 31st Street Studios.

While Still in the Black, Hospitals Warn About Sequestration

Kevin Gavin — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:33:40 +0000

Hospitals in western Pennsylvania are warning that their operating margins are shrinking sharply, and that’s not counting the impact of the sequester from a 2 percent reduction from Medicare.

Denis Lukes, vice president at the Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania, said operating margins at the trade association's 56 member hospitals dropped by more than half from a year ago. That coupled with possible cuts to government reimbursement leads to a “perfect storm.”

Teamsters Want To Represent US Airways Workers

Mark Nootbaar — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:20:59 +0000

US Airways mechanics could be voting soon to trade in their old union for new representation.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has fielded the needed papers with the National Mediation Board requesting an election. The union says it has collected 2,800 signatures from the 4,500 US Airways mechanics who are currently represented by the International Association of Machinists.

Business Basics 101

Heather McClain — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:48:23 +0000

Many people dream of having their own business but how do you get started? Business contributor Rebecca Harris begins a two-part series on the basics of starting a business. She talks with attorney Beth Slagle about what you need to know from writing a business plan to hiring employees. Also take a look at some of the State websites for proper business licensing and fees:

Volunteers Needed to Put “Extra Shine” on Downtown

Mark Nootbaar — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:44:04 +0000

With as many as 30,000 visitors and runners making their way to downtown Pittsburgh Sunday for the marathon, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is hoping to put an “extra shine” on the Golden Triangle.

“This is something we do every Saturday but it is an extra special weekend,” said Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) CEO Jeremy Waldrup who is hoping to see about 50 volunteers show up at the group’s Liberty Avenue office Saturday at 10:00a.m.

The volunteers will be out spiffing up the streets and green spaces for about four hours according to Waldrup.

Penguins + Playoffs=$Millions For The City

Kevin Gavin — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:25:50 +0000

The Penguins host the New York Islanders this evening in the second game of their best of seven first round playoff series. That means another three-plus million dollars for Pittsburgh’s economy.

“You just knew at the start [of the lockout-shortened NHL season] the Penguins would make the playoffs,” said Craig Davis, CEO of VisitPittsburgh. “Hopefully, they’ll go very, very far because there’s a real significant economic impact to the city when they go that far.”

The Business of Running Shoes

Heather McClain — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:48:00 +0000

Whether you’re a marathoner or recreational runner it goes without saying, the most essential piece of running equipment is a good pair of running shoes. This week, our contributor Rebecca Harris discusses the business of running shoes.

Interested in the running shoe business? Find out more about the athletic footwear industry and pick up some tips for training for a marathon:

Workers' Memorial Day Honors Those Who Died on the Job

Noah Brode — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:58:48 +0000

Local union leaders gathered in Market Square on Monday with the families of workers who have died on the job in Allegheny County, honoring them with a Workers' Memorial Day.

According to the event's organizers, 12 people died on the job in Allegheny County from May 2012 to the current month.

The Missing Semester: Making Good Financial Decisions At An Early Age

Heather McClain — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

As a college student, what was your approach to financial planning? Did you even have one? High school seniors preparing to move on to college and college seniors starting careers or graduate work often find that there's something missing from their education, personal financial management. The Missing Semester is a financial planning book by Gene Natali Jr., Senior Vice President at C.S. McKee a Pittsburgh investment firm. He and Katz School of business professor Jay Sukits recently held a student roundtable on financial literacy where college and high school students from around the region shared their financial planning stories. Hear how Western PA students are making financial choices and consider your own as we discuss the challenges of money management and school.

"The choices we make every day have financial consequences--in some cases, BIG financial consequences. "

Tax Credits Could Spark Economic Development in Pittsburgh

Margaret J. Krauss and Tim Camerato — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:41:51 +0000

Pittsburgh Urban Initiatives (PUI) has been awarded $35 million in tax credits by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to help spur investments in the city’s low-income communities.

The New Markets Tax Credit Program began in 2000 and allows individual corporations and investors to receive a credit against their federal income tax in exchange for making equity investments in Community Development Entities such as the PUI.

Investors can then receive 39 percent of their total investment in credits over seven years.

CMU Summit Hopes to Bridge Pittsburgh and China

Tim Camerato — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:27:11 +0000

Business CEOs and academicians from the U.S. and China will meet this weekend in Pittsburgh to discuss how to best strengthen business ties.

Pengxuan Chen, chair of the second Carnegie Mellon University Summit on US-China Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said the forum is bringing in more than 40 speakers to discuss topics where both countries share interests.

She said the hope is to better promote the Pittsburgh region to Chinese investors and business people.

Exploiting Extraterrestrial Resources: Economic and Legal Issues in Outer Space

Heather McClain — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

With the steady depletion of earth’s natural resources and accelerating population growth, more and more people are giving serious thought to the idea of outer space resource exploration.

But how should the process be regulated? Professor Dimitris Kraniou, Point Park University Chair of the Department of Global Management and Organization, has been teaching this subject matter for years in his special project classes for graduate students. He turns real life global problems into outer space "what if" scenarios for students to solve.

Quakers Bring PNC Shareholder Meeting to Early End

Mark Nootbaar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:45:33 +0000

A protest by a group know best for its pacifist views disrupted a PNC shareholder meeting in Pittsburgh Tuesday to the point that the company’s chairman and CEO had to shut down the gathering.

For three years the Earth Quaker Action Team has been protesting the financial institution’s involvement in the practice of collecting coal through a process known as mountaintop removal.

The Business of Security with Rebecca Harris

Heather McClain — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:20:52 +0000

In light of everything that happened last week in Boston, our business contributor Rebecca Harris focuses on the business of physical and personal security. What do you need to consider if you are setting up your own security company? She also comments on Work Force Violence and the connection to the security industry. Read more about the growing security industry:

Imagine! Career Week Kicks Off, Seeks to Prepare Area Youth for Jobs

Charlee Song — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:35:18 +0000

The Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board kicked off its eighth annual Imagine! Career Week Monday morning with 120 employers, educators and community partners seeking to prepare area youth to step into the many jobs now held by people nearing retirement.

Southwestern PA Housing Market Best It’s Been in 4 Years

Jared Adkins — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

"For sale" signs are appearing and disappearing quickly from front lawns all over southwestern Pennsylvania.

That’s according to the March real estate report from West Penn Multi List Inc., which found it’s good to be a seller.

“It’s phenomenal,” said West Penn chief operating officer Barbara Kohl. “The situation right now is there just is not enough houses to sell. There are a tremendous amount of buyers out there, so what happened here locally is it went from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market very quickly.”

Going Green by Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Heather McClain — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 06:55:00 +0000

It's hard to deny that it feels good to live an eco-friendly lifestyle by shopping green. But how sustainable is sustainable consumerism when it comes to your bottom line? Can green products actually improve your economic situation and the world, or does it take action? Michael Maniates Professor of Environmental Science and Political Science at Allegheny College and advisory board member for The Story of Stuff Project, talks about how to go beyond green consumerism.

See how Maniates thinks citizens (not shoppers) hold the keys for change:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIQdYXCKUv0

Rivers Casino Workers File Federal Complaints, Allege Intimidation by Management

Deanna Garcia — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:01:01 +0000

Last week, workers from Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino marched to the facility, calling on management to recognize their right to organize. They then gathered in an employee cafeteria where workers claim they were targets of intimidation by management.

NRA Selected to Take Harrisburg Outdoor Show to 'National Level'

Marie Cusick — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:02:11 +0000

The National Rifle Association will operate a major sports and outdoors show in Harrisburg next year.

The NRA was selected from among 17 applicants to take over running the event that was known as the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show and help raise its national profile.

President David Keene called the cancelation a “tragedy” which his organization plans to rectify with the new Great American Outdoor Show.

“It was an economic tragedy for the Harrisburg area and for Pennsylvania," he said. "It was a tragedy for those families that look forward to attending this show.”