May 9, 2009

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. plans to hire up to 40 sales agents in the Richmond area.

The local office, at 4880 Sadler Road in Glen Allen, already employs 75 people. The planned hirings are part of a nationwide drive to recruit up to 4,000 people to sell life insurance, disability income insurance and long-term care insurance.

"Hiring is in response to emerging consumer demands to work with conservative mutual companies instead of stock-trading companies," company spokesman Staasi Heropoulos said.

"With the big declines in equities and values, people are more risk-adverse."

Income for sales agents is based on a combination of commissions and subsidies for up to three years, providing that agents meet production goals. The average annual income here is expected to be about $50,000, Heropoulos said.

"We're looking for people with the entrepreneurial spirit who want to start and run their own businesses with our products, support and help," said Dawn Beeman, recruiting director in Richmond.

The local agency will help people get their licenses to sell insurance in Virginia, she said. "It's a hard but rewarding job."

MassMutual pays tuition and fees for agents who earn industry designations and college degrees including master's degrees in financial services.

The Springfield, Mass.-based firm is hiring agents at 90 agencies across the country. It employs 12,000 people worldwide

For information about the job openings, call Beeman at the local MassMutual office, (804) 346-1011.

May 6, 2009

The scope of SportsQuest, a sports and entertainment complex in Chesterfield County, is expanding with the addition of 200 acres for sports tournaments.

Dr. Steve Burton, chief executive officer and chairman of SportsQuest LLC, said the park "will serve as the platform for invitational tournaments that will be supported by a number of Olympic and amateur sports, including lacrosse, rugby, volleyball, soccer, field hockey and football."

The new tournament complex is to include 30 outdoor fields and two indoor fields to be integrated into the campus.

Burton said that would allow for national tournaments drawing as many as 300 of the best teams in the country at the same time.

The expansion brings the project cost to $175 million and the size to 250 acres at Powhite Parkway and state Route 288.

Burton said his company will fund the $100 million and that development partners will cover the balance. Now in the design phase, the project is to be completed in phases over 12 to 24 months.

Burton says the project should attract more than 130,000 out-of-town visitors annually and bring in $1 million worth of car rentals, hotel rooms, meals and entertainment spending. About 100 local jobs will also be created, he said.

"We're excited about the project," said E. Wilson Davis Jr., the county's economic development director. "This ties in nicely with our interest in increasing the sports tourism draw to Chesterfield and the benefits that everyone would enjoy."

The 24-sport campus will be developed in phases beginning in coming months, with the first slated to open within a year. The first phase will include an ice rink, aquatics center, cycling center, sports medicine clinic, fitness center and family entertainment center. A 6,000-seat arena would be added later with a hotel, retail plaza, tennis facilities and a field house.

The campus will also offer an open-water swimming pond to be used for triathlons and other swimming events.

Burton hopes to use the facility to host Olympic trials and national and international championships. Olympic contenders in multiple sports would train on the campus and live there.

Tom McCormick, owner of TopNotchRichmond.com says, “Consumers are more conscientious now than ever of how they spend their hard earned cash and businesses are looking for that extra edge to get the work and stay in business. TopNotchRichmond.com creates a win-win for both.” He added, “Consumers are too often disappointed in the quality of their experience; whether it’s home repair, having a car serviced or hiring a photographer for those long overdue family pictures. Top Notch Richmond does the leg work, helping the consumer make better choices, while generating more referrals for Top Notch area businesses.”

After 20 years in management within a high tech manufacturing environment, McCormick understood the importance of the customer, of quality and of continuous improvement. He also recognized these qualities were too often lacking in the companies providing everyday consumer services, such as home remodeling and repairs, auto service, photographers, etc.

After several months of planning and preparation, McCormick has now launched Top Notch Richmond, the online referral resource that promotes only those companies who excel in the area of customer service quality. Top Notch Richmond screens and certifies companies based on specific, measurable quality criteria. Only those that make the cut are listed on TopNotchRichmond.com. Consumers now have a third party advocate while top notch service companies get the recognition and visibility they deserve.

If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Tom McCormick, please call 804-691-6976 or email tom@topnotchrichmond.com.

April 10, 2009

In an effort to better integrate social media into its work, CRT/tanaka has bought Livingston Communications, a Washington-based social media firm.

This is the second time this year that the Richmond-based public relations and marketing firm has bought another agency.

Mark Raper, CEO of CRT/tanaka, said adding Livingston will allow his firm to integrate social media into its core public relations and marketing disciplines. Social media include online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

"Technology and consumer communication trends are rapidly changing, so we are incorporating social media practices into all communication programs to supplement traditional communication approaches," he said.

Geoff Livingston will join CRT/tanaka as senior vice president. He blogs regularly on the subject of social media and wrote the book "Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs."

Livingston's clients include the Consumer Electronics Show, General Dynamics and Save Darfur.

In March, CRT/tanaka bought Lewis & Neale, a New York-based marketing and communications agency that specializes in food.

In the 13 months since Aspen Products Inc. opened a plant on Jefferson Davis Highway in Richmond, the manufacturing operation has produced more than 1 million cases of paper plates.

That translates into 1.2 billion disposable dishes.

The facility has met and exceeded goals. Expansion plans continue despite the economy, plant manager Shannon Walls said yesterday.

We asked Walls to share his thoughts about management, expansion and the recession:

Q: What advice do you have for new companies wanting to expand during this recession?

A: It's kind of like deciding to buy a house during the recession: You take a look at your balance sheet and your credit, then ask yourself if it makes sense.

There will probably never be a better time [in my lifetime] to expand and grow. But you have to have the resources to pull it off.

You don't want to leverage yourself to death, and you don't want to tie up all your cash in a risky expansion. But right now, capital, real estate and labor are available and reasonable.

To read more about what Walls had to say, check out the Moneywise blog at TimesDispatch.com, keyword: Moneywise blog

Moneywise Blog: A Success Story Shares His Business Sense

By Emily Dooley, April 14, 2009

In little over a year, Shannon Walls has watched over the production of more than 1.2 billion paper plates.

He was charged with overseeing an East Coast expansion for his company, Missouri-based, Aspen Products Inc.

Now the plant, which employs about 130 people, is getting ready to expand.

We thought it wise to ask Walls about his ways.

Q. How have you exceeded your goals?

A: It’s not a one man show and it never can be! It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment but it takes all of those things from a large number of people in order to make it all work. The key is to have the right people in the right positions. I have gotten extraordinarily lucky with some of the talent we have found here in Richmond and without those people working their tails off we wouldn’t be where we are. I also must give plenty of credit to our corporate office in Kansas City, they have established a corporate culture that makes our growth and success possible.

Q. Have you made any changes at your facility to increase productivity?

A: Sometimes you get lucky and you get a productivity boost from doing the right thing like adding better lighting, upgrading restroom/breakroom facilities and adding ergonomic aides. But often you have to work very hard to become productive and/or efficient. You can’t be afraid to change or you will not survive! Try something, if it doesn’t work….try something else!

Q.As a manger, how do you keep employees motivated during tough times?

A: Questions of motivation are tough during any economic times! People choose to be either motivated or unmotivated. I think where we have had luck is that we are big believers in the American dream, therefore, we take care of the people that take care of us. I promote from within (almost exclusively) and we don’t have a lot of bureaucratic red tape so there is not a long climb to the top. With enough hard work and dedication anyone can work their way to the top of this company!

Q. How many employees? Are you hiring?

A: We are currently hovering around the 130 employee mark. Right now we are doing a limited amount of hiring to stay at our current level. However over the next six months we will be adding more equipment and more jobs. We have at least 6 more machines coming this year which will generate another 45 jobs all together. That is a conservative estimate.

G. William Beale, President and CEO of Union, will remain CEO of the combined company and David J. Fairchild, currently CEO of First Market, will be President. The Board of Union Bankshares will be expanded by three members to include James E. Ukrop, Steven A. Markel and David J. Fairchild. “We are excited about the opportunity to bring these two strong organizations together. First Market and Union share a common culture of exceptional customer service,” said Beale. “This combination is transformational for our organizations and for banking in Virginia.”

First Market Chairman, James E. Ukrop, noted: “This merger brings together the spirit of community banking – of neighbors lending to neighbors, of families and businesses banking with people they know – with the strength and scope to compete on any level.”

Under the terms of the agreement, common shareholders of First Market will receive 6,701,485 shares of Union common stock, equal to 33.0% pro forma ownership. Additionally, First Market’s $10.0 million of non-cumulative preferred equity will convert into shares of Union common stock subject to terms outlined in the Definitive Agreement.

In consideration of the merger, extensive due diligence was performed by both companies and each retained external loan review professionals. Following the consummation of the merger, the pro forma company will remain strongly capitalized and will have capital ratios in excess of regulatory standards. After realization of cost savings equal to approximately 9% on the combined expense base, the companies expect that the combination will be accretive to Union’s earnings per share in 2010.

The companies expect to consummate the transaction by year end, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. The holding company will move headquarters to Richmond and will be re-named Union/First Market Bankshares Corporation. First Market Bank will join Union Bank and Trust Company, Northern Neck State Bank, and Rappahannock National Bank as a fourth operating subsidiary of the holding company. The current Union operations center in Caroline County, Virginia will serve as the operations center for the holding company and its four subsidiary banks.

Keefe, Bruyette and Woods, Inc. acted as financial advisor to Union, and LeClairRyan acted as its legal advisor in the transaction. Cary Street Partners LLC acted as financial advisor to First Market, and McGuireWoods LLP acted as its legal advisor.

Union Bankshares Corporation is one of the largest community banking organizations based in Virginia, providing full service banking to the Northern, Central, Rappahannock, Tidewater and Northern Neck regions of Virginia through its bank subsidiaries, Union Bank and Trust Company (42 locations in the counties of Albemarle, Caroline, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Hanover, Henrico, King George, King William, Nelson, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland and the cities of Fredericksburg , Williamsburg, Newport News, Grafton and Charlottesville); Northern Neck State Bank (9 locations in the counties of Richmond, Westmoreland, Essex, Northumberland and Lancaster); and Rappahannock National Bank (7 locations in Washington, Front Royal, Middleburg, Warrenton, and Winchester). Union Investment Services, Inc. provides full brokerage services; Union Mortgage Group, Inc. provides a full line of mortgage products; and Union Insurance Group, LLC offers various lines of insurance products. Union Bank and Trust Company also owns a non-controlling interest in Johnson Mortgage Company, LLC.

Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.ubsh.com. The shares of the Company are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "UBSH."

Established in 1997, First Market operates 40 branches throughout Virginia. The institution has a joint ownership arrangement with Markel Corporation and Richmond based Ukrop’s Super Markets, Inc. with 26 banking locations operating inside Ukrop’s grocery stores.

April 10, 2009

Worth Higgins & Associates Inc., a Henrico County-based commercial printing firm, is expanding its staff after buying a Northern Virginia printing company.

The company said this week that it acquired Billet Printing, based in Manassas. It also hired the sales and support staff from Colonial Printing, a Richmond company that stopped production March 30.

The hiring and acquisition expands Worth Higgins & Associates' staff from 122 to 146. That includes 18 hired in the Richmond area.

The company, founded locally in 1970 by E. Worth Higgins Jr., cut 13 jobs this year, for the first time in its history, as the economic downturn hurt sales.

Two of those laid off have since been rehired, said Susan Higgins, the company's marketing director.

"We were feeling the impact of the recession just like everyone else," Higgins said. "What we needed were sales, and we hope this [acquisition] will be the solution."

The company could hire up to 40 additional employees this year if sales grow as expected from the acquisition, Higgins said.

It also is planning a 30,000-square-foot expansion of its office and production plant on Park Central Drive.

The Billet Printing deal gives the firm a production facility in Northern Virginia.

Worth Higgins & Associates is employee-owned and did not disclose terms of the acquisition. Jennifer Billet, the owner of Billet Printing, and Bert Clark, the owner of Colonial Printing, are joining the company.

March 26, 2009

Liberty National Life Insurance Co. plans to hire 650 commissioned-based sales agents, including 100 people in the Richmond area.

The hiring spree began yesterday in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. Company representatives held job interviews at each location for 50 and 100 people, respectively.

During in the next two weeks, company representatives will be interviewing applicants in seven cities, including Richmond and McLean. They also will be in Houston and Austin, Texas, and Jacksonville, Fla.

Liberty National is a subsidiary of McKinney, Texas-based Torchmark Corp. It has 170 office nationwide, including one in Fairfax, and employs approximately 8,500 sales agents companywide.

The agents will be paid commissions and bonuses for selling life and health-insurance policies, said Bernard Blassingame, regional director of Liberty National.

The location of the Richmond office has not been determined, he said.

The average annual commission for sales representative who stay with the company for 12 months is $61,675, according to company statements regarding the expansions.

March 4, 2009

CRT/tanaka has purchased Lewis & Neale, a New York-based marketing and communications agency that specializes in food.

Lewis & Neale's clients include the American Spice Trade Association, the U.S. Apple Association and the Avocado Producers and Exporters from Mexico.

Mark Raper, chief executive of Richmond-based CRT/tanaka, said one of his agency's strategies has been to become a major player in the food category. By bringing Lewis & Neale aboard, he said, "we have a top-caliber agency focused on food and nutrition."

Terms of the deal were not released.

Lewis & Neale will continue operating independently as a subsidiary. Anita Fial, who owned the agency, will continue as president.

Raper said Lewis & Neale boosts CRT's revenue by about 20 percent. The company said in a statement that annual fees will exceed $12 million.

The combined agency also helps CRT as it works to become a bigger player on the national stage. CRT/tanaka does work for clients including Sprint, SunTrust Mortgage and Air New Zealand. It also has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Norfolk.

Raper said the acquisition will help CRT enhance its national reputation. "You have to find a way to compete on a larger level," he said.

Fial said her agency has good contacts within the food media and a staff that specializes in food, including an in-house nutritionist. The agency has a test kitchen, food photography studio and a food library. She said Lewis & Neale can get clients in contact with major players in the food industry.