Posts Tagged ‘economic development’

Michael Alter Joins Investor Group to Purchase The New Republic

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

republic05We are excited to announce that Michael Alter, president of The Alter Group, is part of an investment team that has purchased The New Republic (TNR).  TNR is one of the nation’s oldest political and cultural magazines.  The Obama administration has chosen it as one of the magazines placed on Air Force One, and Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel has said “The New Republic will be required reading in the White House.”

Michael’s status as one of the nation’s most independent and visionary commercial real estate developers and philanthropists makes him an excellent fit with TNR. Since its founding, the magazine has always been fiercely independent, going beyond the rancor of the political debate to be a voice for truth, accuracy and fairness, irrespective of political affiliation.  Under Editor Frank Foer’s fiercely independent leadership, TNR has become aligned with the Obama administration and its left-wing domestic policy, while retaining its fidelity to a strong national defense.  We are proud to claim as our spiritual fathers Teddy Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis.

Currently, TNR is experiencing a resurgence by focusing in-depth on critical issues such as healthcare, the environment, transportation and economic stewardship.  And our staff is extraordinary.  Writer Jonathan Cohn, for example, has become well known on “Colbert Nation”, “Keith Olbermann” and National Public Radio as one of the most progressive voices on healthcare reform.  With TNR readership up by 30 percent within the Washington Beltway, we are implementing a new masthead to freshen our look and are unveiling a new website in the fall to draw younger readers to the magazine.

TNR was founded in 1914 by legendary journalist Walter Lippmann.  During the early 20th century, the publication was the voice of liberalism and a strong opponent of McCarthyism and the Vietnam War.  Over its 95-year history, TNR has published articles by such eminent authors as Virginia Woolf, Phillip Roth, George Orwell, John Dewey and Thomas Mann.

“We are proud to be taking this celebrated institution into the 21st century,” according to Alter. “We will maintain its extraordinary staff of writers and editors, but give them more resources to capitalize on the success of the website and the revamped look of the magazine.”

Well said, Michael.

Mike Rancilio is publisher of The New Republic

Inland Empire Poised for Industrial Comeback

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Over the past decade, California’s Inland Empire has been transformed from a little-known region with affordable housing and lots of inexpensive land into an industrial hub – thanks to its proximity to the busy Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  With the City of Ontario embarking on The Ontario Plan, sciearmalogo2city fathers are laying the groundwork for increased investment over the next 30 to 40 years.  The plan’s goal is to create an all-inclusive community where people and businesses will want to be.

According to Mary Jane Olhasso, economic development director for the City of Ontario, “Although firms are pulling back, they still realize that the region has competitive advantages over our coastal neighbors.  In Ontario, both industrial and office lease rates are lower than Los Angeles and Orange County.”

The Inland Empire’s industrial market is in a prime position to recover when the economy improves because the region is notable for its relatively low-cost housing, large workforce and vital location relative to international shipping.  With 40 percent of all containerized cargo entering the United States through Southern California ports, the Inland Empire is the logical location for gigantic distribution centers to handle the freight prior to shipping it throughout the United States.

Economic Development: Packaging A Loan in Today’s Market

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Economic development organizations are stepping in to help plug the credit hole.  We all know what the economy is like today, and it is unlikely that the industrial and commercial real estate markets will soon turn around. As anbroken_piggy_bank_0 economic developer, I see another side of the economy where both communities and businesses are seeking opportunities and looking at alternatives ways to secure capital.

Aside from the federal stimulus incentives, municipal, state governments and educational institutions offer a variety of incentives to encourage businesses to remain in their jurisdictions. Here’s an example:

I am currently working with a printer, a cutting-edge small business with Fortune 500 customers, to preserve more than 100 good-paying jobs in a small municipality. The company’s primary obstacle: borrowing money for new equipment and other capital improvements. The deal requires $1.5 million, all of it collateralized.  Because the company was in financial straits, an angel investor recently purchased the company and is investing heavily.  Even with this influx of new capital, lenders consider the company a high risk. To make the deal happen, we are using state, county and municipal revolving loan funds to underwrite $750,000 of the project to add to the $750,000 conventional bank loan. The lender has virtually no exposure and has first position on all assets, including building and land that are free and clear of debt.

A key player in putting the deal together is the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Participation Loan Program, one of the few available state incentives until Illinois adopts a capital budget. For more information about the program, contact Stanley Luboff, Capital Programs Manager at stanley.luboff@illinois.gov.

Chris Manheim is our guest blogger.  He is the President of Manheim Solutions, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in community, workforce and small business economic development programs.