Sparta to Offer Lease Purchase Financing for Armet Armored Vehicles
Market Wire, August, 2009
Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. (OTCBB: SRCO)
today announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Armet
Armored Vehicles, Inc. Sparta will offer its Lease Purchase Financing
Product to municipalities throughout the U.S. that purchase units from
Armet’s line of tactical armored vehicles.
Lease Purchase Financing offered by Sparta allows municipalities to
purchase vital equipment and property through installment lease payments,
with no large, up-front cash outlays required. As payments are made, the
municipality — which maintains ownership of the equipment — builds equity
in its investment. Furthermore, because Lease Purchase Financing is not
considered “Debt” for municipalities, only the current year’s lease
payment(s) is required to be included in the operating budget. With Lease
Purchase Financing, the municipality takes title ownership in the equipment
at the beginning of the lease and owns the equipment at the end of the
lease term.
Armet is a worldwide leader as a manufacturer of custom designed armored
vehicles. With production facilities in the United States, Australia,
India, Canada, and Malta, and service and sales locations in numerous
countries throughout the world, Armet’s leadership position in the armored
vehicle industry is unequalled.
Commenting on the new relationship with Armet, Anthony Havens, Sparta’s
CEO, said, “Although our primary focus continues to be on consumer
financing and leasing in the powersports industry, we expect that this
agreement with Armet will significantly increase our volume of business in
our Municipal Leasing Program. It demonstrates once again how Sparta’s
Municipal Lease Purchase Financing Product is becoming a very desirable
alternative for governmental agencies that require these and other types of
equipment, yet have a need to reduce their annual expenditures at a time
when tax revenues are shrinking. Although our Municipal Program has thus
far focused on the nationwide need for the financing of police motorcycles,
it is designed for virtually any type of vehicle, as well as other
equipment, and Armet’s armored units are a perfect fit for Sparta’s
Municipal Program. We are pleased that Armet chose our firm to support
their financing needs.”
Armet’s armored vehicles typically range from $200,000 to $250,000, and are
being utilized by police departments, heads of state, government agencies,
and VIPs around the world.
In closing, Havens said, “Sparta is committed to finding new, appealing,
and profitable business opportunities wherever and whenever possible. This
new relationship with Armet is yet another demonstration of that
commitment. It’s also another indication that Sparta, even in difficult
economic times, can continue to meet the objectives of its business model
and increase value for our shareholders.”
About Sparta Commercial Services: Sparta Commercial Services is a New
York-based, nationwide financial services company dedicated to the
powersports industry, offering financing and leasing products to consumers
and retail powersports dealers, as well as a variety of commercial products
for governmental agencies that require motorcycles and other equipment for
law enforcement activities.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are valid only as of today
and we disclaim any obligation to update this information. Actual results
may differ significantly from management’s expectations
Investor Coalition Challenges Sustainability of Predatory Credit Card Practices at Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase
Market Wire, April, 2009
MMA Praxis Mutual Funds and the Interfaith
Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) announced today that shareholder
resolutions addressing predatory credit card practices will appear on the
ballots of the nation’s three largest credit card companies. These harmful
practices, shareholders say, helped build up nearly $1 trillion in
high-cost, unsecured debt that is burdening consumers and undermining
critical financial institutions at the heart of the current economic
downturn. Concerned investors are also in active discussions with American
Express, Discover Card, Capital One and Wells Fargo on similar issues.
“Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America drive more than 60% of the
credit card business in the United States. Their past practices,
intentional or not, played a significant role in shaping the over-leveraged
consumer lending environment we have today. We are calling on these
important companies to do more than make incremental improvements in their
practices. Our economy — and the banks themselves — need new models for
consumer lending that strengthen borrowers, rather than weaken them,” said
Mark Regier, Stewardship Investing Services Manager for MMA Praxis and lead
filer for the resolution at JPMorgan Chase.
The resolution seeks the creation of a report to shareholders reviewing
company practices related to credit card marketing, lending and collections
with particular attention to those that can be considered predatory or
abusive. These tactics include universal default policies, bait-and-switch
marketing tactics, hidden fees, and intentionally complicated cardholder
agreements. While some approaches have been abandoned under increased
public and regulatory scrutiny, shareholders are concerned that little
attention has been focused on the human and economic impact of past
practices and the need for more sustainable and transparent approaches.
With default rates at historic highs, the banks have a fresh appreciation
for risks involved in this type of lending. “What we have yet to see,
however, are models that incentivize both prudent lending and responsible
borrowing,” says Sr. Nora Nash, Director of Corporate Responsibility for
the Sisters of St. Francis, and lead filer for the resolution at Citigroup.
“Despite cardholder efforts to ‘live by the rules,’ evidence suggests that
card providers continue to change the rules and manipulate the system in
ways that leave consumers in an increasingly vulnerable position.”
Industry practices have helped bring credit card debt to around $10,000 per
household and have placed a heavy and frightening burden on the American
consumer. “Over two-thirds of the American economy is dependent on consumer
spending,” says Adam Kanzer, managing director and general counsel at
Domini Social Investments and lead filer for the resolution at Bank of
America. “At the same time, US consumers are struggling under a mountain of
high-cost credit card debt. This is a dangerous combination. As default
rates rise, the risks of this short-sighted business model are becoming
clear. We’re asking the boards of the major credit card issuers to
carefully assess their policies to determine if their companies could be
playing a more positive role. As investors, it is clear to us that the
current path is unsustainable.”
“Identifying and addressing the social and economic implications of
short-sighted business practices is not something new for our
organization,” said Laura Berry, Executive Director at the Interfaith
Center on Corporate Responsibility
Ameren Illinois Utilities Offer Tips on Staying Cool and Safe While Spending Less on Energy
U.S. Newswire, June, 2009
To: ENERGY EDITORS
Contact: Neal Johnson, 1-309-677-5284, for Ameren Illinois
Utilities, or Leigh Morris of Ameren Illinois Utilities, 1-217-535-
5228
Energy Efficiency Incentives Available to Residential Electric
Customers
PEORIA, Ill., June 22 /PRNewswire/ — With the return of hot and
humid weather, the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS,
AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) are providing information to help customers
stay safe and comfortable while keeping energy costs as low as
possible.
Furthermore, the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU) Act On Energy
program (ActOnEnergy.com) is offering electric customers rebates on
window air conditioners, ceiling fans and dehumidifiers, as well as
special incentives for central air conditioners and geothermal heat
pumps….
influence of trees and landscaping on rental rates at office buildings, The
Journal of Arboriculture, Sep 2003 by Laverne, Robert J, Winson-Geideman, Kimberly
Abstract. The environmental and economic benefits of trees have been studied relative to a variety of interests including their influence on real estate value. This study investigates the eflect of trees and landscaping on office rental rales, based on a comparison of 85 office buildings that comprise 270 individual and unique leases in the Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., metropolitan area. Data that describe the quantity, functionality, and quality of landscaping were gathered from each of the buildings including landscape maturity, the percentage of ground cover (trees, turf, pavement, etc.), and functional attributes (building shade, noise buffer, space definition, recreation, visual screen, and aesthetics). Multiple regression analysis in the form of a hedonic equation was conducted to isolate the economic effects of landscaping. Office attribute data including lease information, physical attributes, and distance variables were used to calibrate the basic model, and landscaping data were added to the hedonic equation to determine if individual and/or interactive variables had any effect on contracted rental rates. The individual analysis of the variables showed a strong positive effect for those buildings with good landscaping aesthetics and building shade provided by trees. Conversely, landscaping that provides a good visual screen produced significant negative impacts on rental rates.
Key Words. Benefits of trees; real estate value.
LITERATURE REVIEW
A variety of benefits and costs associated with urban forests and landscape trees have been explored (Dwyer et al. 1992; Nowak 1993; McPherson et al. 1999), including energy conservation (McPherson and Rowntree 1993; Laverne and Lewis 1996; Simpson and McPherson 1996; Simpson 1998), ozone reduction (Nowak et al., in review), air quality (Scott et al. 1998; Beckett et al. 2000), carbon sequestration (Ip 1996; McPherson 1998; McPherson and Simpson 1999), stormwater management (Xiao et al. 1998), social involvement (Sommer et al. 1994; Sommer et al. 1995), and even the impact of trees on the reduction of domestic violence (Sullivan and Kuo 1996). Some of these benefits are quantifiable in terms of economics, while others can be measured only by social or environmental values.
Increasing attention has been devoted in the economic and real estate literature to the study and measurement of the impact of environmental externalities on property values (Des Rosiers et al. 2000; Taylor and Smith 2000). Much of this research has focused on the value added through trees and landscaping to residential properties. Peters (1971) was among the first to do so when he reported that shade trees contributed 19% (US$57,000) to the total appraised value of a 2.8 ha parcel. Payne (1973) used traditional valuation techniques to conclude that the market value of a single-family home received a 7% premium due to arborescent vegetation, provided there were less than 30 trees on the lot. Morales (1980) used regression analysis to compare the sales price of homes with a substantial amount of tree cover to those with no tree cover. The values derived from the regression analysis showed that good tree cover added about 6% (US$2,686) to the property value of the homes. Anderson and Cordell (1988) surveyed 844 single-family residential properties in Athens, Georgia, U.S., and found that landscaping with trees was associated with a 3.5% to 4.5% increase in sales price. Henry (1994) found that homes that received an excellent landscaping rating from a local landscaping professional could expect a sales price of about 4 to 5 percentage points higher (depending on the size of the lot) than equivalent houses with good landscaping. Homes that had a landscaping appeal far below (fair or poor) neighboring homes with excellent landscapes had a sales price 8% to 10% below equivalent homes with good landscaping appeal. Based on these and other studies, the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers (2000) suggests that “well-maintained landscapes can contribute up to 20% to the value of an improved residential property.”
Morales et al
Gas prices send moped, scooter sales shooting up
0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, May 14, 2008 | by Lang, K J
Sue Whitewater of La Crosse was bracing herself Tuesday for the next time she has to gas up her minivan.
“I’m a little scared,” she said, noting it cost nearly $60 the last time she filled up – and that was two gas hikes ago.
That’s what brought Whitewater to Two Brothers Powersports in La Crosse to check out their line of mopeds.
“I’ve got to cut corners somewhere,” she said. Whitewater, who said she already carpools to work to save gas and the environment, thinks a moped would be a more affordable means to get to her job about a mile from her La Crosse home.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has increased by 16 cents in the La Crosse area since May 1, and is 61 cents higher than a year ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.
The closer gas prices get to $4 a gallon, the more people are walking into area scooter and moped dealers to see what they can save by traveling on two wheels, said Eric Williams, sales manager at Two Brothers Powersports in Onalaska.
Scooter and moped sales at the Onalaska store have tripled this year, said Williams.
Fuel prices played a huge role in that jump, he added.
“I’ve been doing this for five years, and I’ve never seen a demand for scooters and mopeds like there is this year,” he said.
Among the reasons people would prefer scooters and mopeds, to other methods of transportation is they are economical, easy to park, have storage room and “they are fun to ride,” said Williams.
Anyone with a valid driver’s license can drive a moped, which usually get between 90 to 110 miles per gallon, said Jason Wucki, sales manager at Two Brothers Powersports in La Crosse.
Mopeds have been selling particularly well at the La Crosse store, said Wucki. Sales are up at least 10 percent over last year, he said.
A moped’s top speed is about 35 to 40 mph, said Wucki, which makes them good for commuting inside a city or from two connected communities, such as Onalaska and La Crosse, he said.
Motorcycles, which require a motorcycle license, have had strong sales as well over the past three years, Wucki added.
Randy Johnson owns Johnson’s Sales & Service in La Crosse, which buys and sells used bikes, mopeds, ATVs and dirt bikes. He has seen increased interest in all bikes that are street legal, he said.
Steiger Powersports of La Crosse doesn’t sell mopeds, but motorcycle sales are up 16 percent from last year, said Andrew Berry, sales/head manager of marketing at Steiger Powersports of La Crosse.
Jackie Deaver of La Crosse already has a moped. She enjoys commuting on the bike from Holmen to La Crosse during the week, taking the back roads all the way to avoid heavy traffic.
She said moped driving isn’t tough – anyone that can drive a four-wheeler or a lawn mower can do it, she said.
“It’s fun, especially on hot summer days when you dread getting in the car because it doesn’t cool down quick enough,” she said
Off-road vehicles cozy up to CAN
Machine Design, August, 2004 by Kitzerow, John
<AUNAME>Kitzerow, John</AUNAME>
Machine Design
08-19-2004
Chemir partners with local dermatologist on skin care gel
Household & Personal Products Industry, Sept, 2009
* Chemir Analytical Services has teamed with Dr. Anne Riordan of Wildwood Dermatology on a new a facial skin care gel with unique capabilities.
Chemir discussed the client’s objectives and vision for the final product, legal aspects and the manufacturing process. According to Chemir, Dr. Riordan knew several skin care formulations that she preferred, but wanted the product to be in a gel form and include natural ingredients for additional moisturizing properties.
Chemir created three iterations of the formulation for Dr
Investing
Black Enterprise, Dec, 2008 by Stacy Gilliam
THE WAY WALL STREET HAS BEEN PERFORMING LATELY YOU MIGHT BE HESITANT TO EVEN look at your investment portfolio let alone consider dipping more of your hard-earned dollars into the international market. But experts say global is the way to go.
“Healthcare companies often have strong cash flow and strong balance sheets, and healthcare tends to grow through thick and thin,” says F. Barry Nelson, senior vice president of New York-based Advent Capital Management L.L.C. (No. 5 on the BE ASSET MANAGERS list in $4.5 billion assets under management), which opened a location in London two years ago and launched the Advent/ Claymore Global Convertible Securities and Income Fund (AGC). “A big area is the growing use of generic drugs, which are manufactured around the world.” In particular, Nelson highlights Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA), the world’s largest generic drug company, based in Israel. “It’s essentially a global investment, of course. But it’s not like buying a restaurant chain in a foreign country. It’s big, its shares are liquid, and it’s traded actively on NASDAQ.”
Keep your eye on the following hotspots in 2009: Japan, Switzerland, Norway, China, and Brazil. Real estate may be a good investment in emerging markets
Brace yourself!
Parks & Recreation, June, 2009
The Backboard Flotation Assist Device, developed by Suspended Aquatic Mentor, Inc. is designed to provide unparalleled stability and support for all back-boarding emergencies, for orthodontist mesa the victim as well as the rescuers. The device consists of two air chambers attached to the backboard that are inflated by C[O.sup.2] gas cartridges. Manual inflation valves and air dump valves are included
Baby P inspired cash
Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), April 6, 2009
STUDENTS raised cash for a children’s charity after being inspired by the Baby P cruelty case.
Greenhead College pupils presented a cheque for nearly pounds 1,100 to the NSPCC after raising the cash at its annual charity push.
The event, ‘Mad Head Day’ was staged to encourage students to wear whatever head gear or hairstyle they wanted.
There were also cake stalls and a guess-the-name competition.
Staff Sue Clark and Kate Martinrdale helped organised the event..
CAPTION(S):
* INSPIRED: Teacher Kate Martindale of Greenhead College (left) presents the cheque with students Sarah Whitham and Kathryn Clayton to Helen Verity from the NSPCC (right) (PW270309Bnspcc-01)
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