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Kit Menkin's
Leasing News---www.leasingnews.org Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Commercial Money Center Has
Completed Its Verbal Commitment Bill Hanson has honored his commitment as stated on "Meet
the Leasing News Maker." There are checks that brokers
are requesting and vendors requesting, and there are some legal matters
regarding withdrawals and also some other issues, and Leasing News have
reviewed several of the cases to state that Bill Hanson has completed what
he said he would do on "Meet the Leasing News Maker" http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202002/01-11-02.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Leasing News Will Not Divulge Our Sources RW Professional Lawsuit Up-Date On or about August 23, 2001,
Rich Tambor, Sr. Vice-President of American Express Small Business Services,
conducted a conference call with the all personnel within his division.
In that call, Mr. Tabor referred to issues with the RW Professional Leasing
portfolio and Republic Group of Anaheim, California that were being
addressed by American Express. This
quickly became common knowledge in
the leasing industry since the industry is close knit. At this point, RW Professional
became known to Leasing News, as we were not familiar with this
company at all. We asked our sources at American
Express, American Express Business Finance, former collectors, salesmen,
managers, directors, officers. at what was once known as First Sierra, plus
presidents of several companies involved, who spoke to us on a confidential
basis, plus our advisory board. RW
Professional was a public issue
and as such, RW Professional became a "public figure" subject
to public discussion and speculation. Leasing News was given this
statement to publish: "A high ranking executive
with Amex has verified that Amex is investigating possible problems with the
portfolios of RW Professional Leasing and the Republic Group. There is no cover up attempt on the part of
Amex, but in fairness to everyone, the issues
have to be thoroughly investigated before any public comment can be made". American Express Spokesman Statement----Name
Withheld October 1, 2001 Leasing News
wrote: "...We are receiving reports that RW Professional Leasing has filed
bankruptcy, and the principal(s) have started another leasing company. We
are looking forward to verifying this..."
We explained why, as it was part
of several stories we were working on; two still in the works. We had received a tip, confirmed
the tip with several well-informed sources, who also heard the talk on
the street. We did not want to publish this until we could confirm or deny it
from RW Professional. Leasing News attempted to reach RW Professional for a comment.
We were attempting to confirm or deny
the "rumor." October
3, 2001. as part of our story on the inquiry of "AmX
Business Finance Mid/Am Portfolio
Bond Insurance", we wrote,
"As a side note, I am surprised there has not been a reader who has taken me to
task for saying " we look forward to the RW Professional bankruptcy confirmation
. We had originally ask for a confirmation or denial
and this was an attempt to "smoke out " a response. ( The main purpose was to up-date
readers, and hopefully get a confirmation or denial as no comment was
forthcoming from RW Professional. The bankruptcy data we searched
could find no record. Everyone we spoke to seems to have heard
the rumor, but we still could not officially confirm or deny
it as RW Professional didn't want to speak to us. On or about October 12, a fax
was received from Salvatore D. Ferlazzo of Girvin & Ferlazzo representing
RW ProfessionalLeasing, stated Leasing News was "...claiming that RW Professional has filed for bankruptcy protection. That is absolutely false, and, of course,
defamatory to the business
reputation of RW Professional. Leasing News had not made such
a claim, but was trying to confirm or deny the talk on the street.
We tried to reach Mr.Ferlazzo by telephone, but he was not available.
We tried to reach RW Professional Leasing, but no one was available.
We sent several e-mails to Mr. Ferlazzo. Finally we reached Mr.Ferlazzo
by telephone October 15, we headlined: "RW Professional Has Not
Filed Bankruptcy "Leasing news heard from
Salvatore D. Ferlazzo of Girvin & Ferlazzo,PC, representing RW Professional
Leasing, Long Island, New York. We have been trying to confirm or deny the
rumor floating around the leasing community. "He says it "ain't
so." We have asked him
for an official statement or comment or e-mail or any comment
from RW Professional Leasing, as we have not been able to obtain one." Mr.Ferlazzo telephoned us back and it was not a "retraction"
they were seeking, he told me. Basically
Mr. Ferlazzo said his client "Barry Drayer" would
not pursue the matter if I told him who were the sources of the rumor. Peter S. Hemar, of Hemar Associates
in Santa Monica, agreed to represent us gratis. December
13,2001 we received a summons from Richard L.Weiner, Encino, California representing RW Professional. Mr. Hemar contacted him, and the gist was basically
the same, this could be settled if Leasing News divulged who was "spreading rumors." In
our viewpoint, wehad heard it, tried to verify it, and really don't know who originally started the claim, which we were trying to confirm or deny. Now we are served with a lawsuit,
deposition and order to produce documents. Unfortunately,
Leasing News is at point that we will have to seek a new attorney. Ken Greene, on our advisory board, has agreed
to help out in the interim, as we cannot continue with Mr. Hemar, who also represents American Express and American Express Business Financial, paying clients. It is not
fair to put him in this position, although he has been generous with his time and effort. The fact is the Leasing News
sources include officers of American Express, American Express Business Finance, present and past officers, past managers, collection personnel, and salesmen of American Express, American Express Business Finance, First Sierra and Sierra Cities.com, Old Kent Financial, plus present and past presidents of these organizations. It was alleged that Leasing
News has a "vendetta" against Barry Drayer, which is not true.
I personally do not know him and until doing some research today, was not even aware of what the company
does, as I originally thought they were in the medical
leasing market place. Again, Leasing News attempted
to obtain a comment from RW Professional Leasing, twice on Thursday, and was told to speak with Mr. Weiner, who was not available, although we did leave a voice
mail early morning with him, and now learn he will only talk to us through our attorney. This is what we know publicly
about the company: Sales are stated at $10 to
$20 million per year and the geographic area is National. They
are direct lessors specializing in computer, medical, and office equipment, in the "small ticket" and "vendor program" marketplace. RW PROFESSIONAL LEASING CORP.
Ms. Rochelle Besser4584 Austin
BlvdP.O. Box 296Island Park, NY 11558Phone: (800) 431-4319Fax: (888) 443-4190
Business Council: · Small Ticket Function Code: · Marketing ·
Sales RW PROFESSIONAL LEASING CORP.
Mr. Adam DrayerCredit Analyst4584
Austin BlvdIsland Park, NY 11558Phone: (800) 343-4319Fax: (888) 443-4190
Business Council: · Small Ticket Function Code: · Collections · Credit RW PROFESSIONAL LEASING CORP.
Mr. Barry DrayerVP445 Washington
StreetWellesley, MA 02181Phone: (800) 343-4353Fax: (800) 822-3127 Business Council: · Small Ticket · Vendor Programs Function Code: ·
Corporate Executive If readers can fill us in with
other information, or anything that might be helpful "on" or "off the record," it would be
appreciated. Kit Menkin, editor/publisher ___________________________________________________________________ American Express earnings miss
analysts' reduced estimate By Eileen Alt Powell, Associated
Pres NEW YORK (AP) American Express
said Monday that its earnings for the fourth quarter and the year were down
significantly because of the drop in travel after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks. The giant financial services
company said its net profits totaled $297 million, or 22 cents a share,
in the fourth quarter, a 56 percent drop from a year earlier. The results
were a penny a share below the estimate from analysts surveyed by Thomson
Financial/First Call. In the year-earlier period,
earnings were $677 million, or 50 cents a share. American Express stock fell
70 cents, or nearly 2 percent, to $36.29 at the close of regular trading on
the New York Stock Exchange. The earnings report said the
company's fourth-quarter results included a $279 million pretax restructuring
charge to cover the elimination of about 6,800 jobs 300 more than earlier
announced and to consolidate real estate facilities after the staff
reduction. Analysts had lowered their
earnings estimates for the company after American Express announced in December
that it would record charges in the October-December quarter for
further jobs cuts. During the year, American Express
eliminated 14,500 positions, or 16 percent of the work force that totaled
88,500 at the start of 2001. The company said the latest
job cuts were mainly in its travel business and ''reflect the sharp slowdown
in that sector'' since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon. Chairman and chief executive
Kenneth I. Chenault said in a statement accompany the earnings report
that results ''reflected the overall weakness in the economy throughout the
year and the sharp slowdown in consumer spending, business travel and
investment activity after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.'' He said the company was being
cautious in its projections of recovery this year. Many economists believe
that the economic recession that began in March last year will end in
the current quarter. ''While we are seeing signs
of improvement in volumes, we are continuing to take a cautious view and expect
the economy to remain weak throughout 2002,'' Chenault's statement
said. ''With that in mind, we have lowered our risk profile and made some
important changes in our business that will position us for good earnings
growth in a lower revenue growth environment.'' American Express executives
have been functioning from temporary offices in and around New York City since
their headquarters in the World Financial Center was damaged in the collapse
of the World Trade Center. The company expects to begin returning
to its headquarters building in April. Earnings for the year were
$1.31 billion, or 98 cents a share, down 53 percent from $2.81 billion,
or $2.07 a share, reported in 2000. American Express said that
its full-year results were hurt by a $1.01 billion pretax charge in the
first half to write off losses in the American Express Financial Advisors
portfolio; $631 million in restructuring charges in the second half, and a $98
million pretax cost stemming from the terrorist attacks. The company said that excluding
the restructuring charges and Sept. 11-related cost, earnings per
share would have been $1.34 for the year. http://www.americanexpress.com
________________________________________________________________________ SANCHEZ BUYS EQUIDITY, TO INCORPORATE
SOFTWARE Malvern, PA-based Sanchez Computer
Associates Inc. recently announced it has acquired all the assets of
Equidity Inc., including the company's Java-based, online origination
software. Sanchez will incorporate the credit origination technology into
its banking platform, particularly as it relates to the online origination of
loans. Equidity was a privately
owned financial services software
company previously based in Sterling, VA. The J2EE-compliant origination
solution Web-enables and automates the origination process and can
be deployed across multiple delivery channels, a Sanchez news release said.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. eCommerce News ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- First Capital Group Name = Gary Millhollon Address = 5601 Office Blvd. Suite 2 City = Albuquerque State = NM Zipcode = 87109 Phone = 505-338-2430 Fax = 505-338-2431 Email = gary.millhollon@fcgusa.com I would like to congratulate
you on your web site. We are a company based in Albuquerque
with 2000 customers in 45 states and 3 foreign countries. We specialize in deals from $250m to $10mm
and are cash flow driven. I founded the company in 1995 and sold it last
year to First Banks of St. Louis, the largest
privately owned (non-public) bank in the country with around $7BB in
assets. We do $100mm per year in new
business. We have seen a significant
increase in demand as we have tried to maintain our quick response and core
philosophies during a time when many of our competitors have failed or
experienced troubled times. We have direct and, on a very
select basis, do broker deals. First
Capital Group, Inc. has always been
the name of the company---no name change. ( Thank you. Will add this information to the Leasing News List.
If readers note that we have overlooked a change, or if
there is a correction needed, please let us know. editor ) http://www.leasingnews.org/list.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are trying to build our
readership. Please do not
assume that everyone reads us. We do not Spam or advertise so the only way
our readership is built is by "word of mouth"
---meaning our readers send a copy to a friend or recommendtheir friend read
us. The news is also on line
at www.leasingnews.org To get on our mailing list,
please send to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org We are free. No ads or banners. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Tuesday --Odds and Ends Funder OnLine Mike Cumby asked me to update you on our growth over the past
9 months. We are now at 74 people in Toronto , Tampa , Denver and Sydney
Australia. We have started implementation of our plan to add 10 more staff
over the next 6 months in North America
and Europe. If you need further information or confirmation, please do not
hesitate to contact me. Regards Cha Loh VP Business Development Funder OnLine Corp. 905-331-9105 ( Now up-dated at: http://www.leasingnews.org/elease/software.htm
) --- Leasing News wanted to know
how many are in the leasing business.
At one time, we heard there existed
a mailing list of 8,500 names. We
asked the expert, Barbara Low, who
publishes Lease Source Book (This is the only true list
of leasing companies, nut just members of an association, or advertisers
who paid to be listed. $135---for more info, go to:
http://www.leasingsourcebook.com/ or 781-259-0524 or bibliotech@leasingsourcebook.com) I did some counts of our database.
We have about 6000 firms--many of whom never completed questionnaires
so we don't know specifically what they are up to. (Some are lawyers, remarketers,
software developers, etc.) Of the firms that have responded
to our questionnaire for various Sourcebook editions, 1271 listed themselves
as lessors or brokers; it is possible that they had other roles as well. We have names of 11,500 individuals
in the database that are associated with the various firms. You may quote these numbers.
We'd be happy to speak to anyone who would like us to do custom searches or
mailing list rentals for them. Cross your fingers for the
Pats this weekend -- the ultimate underdogs! Barbara B. Low President bibliotech@leasingsourcebook.com ---- Leasing News Funding Directory???? With all you guys do for the
leasing broker, why don't you have a funding source directory, with current direct funding
sources and even a super broker section? Mitch Bedke mitch@unitedbusinesscapital.com ( Perhaps I should put this
in our F.A.Q. section, as it is one of the most often asked questions,
specifically where can I send this deal, or the other end,
tell your readers we do.... Number one, we are an electronic
newspaper. Our website has
other features, such as a bulletin
board for complaints, a classified section to help people find work, help
companies find people, outsourcing, even a good attorney, the list
of companies no longer in business, past articles and features.
We also promote equipment leasing associations and have a lot
on this, plus eLease. This takes a lot of time to
keep current. We have considered
an "alert" section for frauds, but really
don't have the time to keep it current. We have been printing them when
received and confirmed. I personally am not in favor
of Leasing News having a list. The funders have to pay for them, so not everyone is listed. We don't want to start taken advertising.
I also note many listed on such lists are really not
"funders." Some
you should never do business with, and we would
not want to list them and to refuse, might bring up a "restraint of trade.". More importantly, there are
several solid associations that you should join that have funders who
meet their code of ethics and standards---and if not, they get expelled.
You then get in "effect" an "approved" funder. On a personal note, leasing
is relationships. This means
you build up your funding sources not
for one deal, but for many; for the long term. And the best way to start
is to attend a leasing association conference or funding retreat
and meet them. From my experience, it takes
at least three leases to learn the routine, about six months or more to
understand what they like and don't like, and to learn their personality
when you have your first problem with them---such as slow pay, default,
wrong equipment or only partial equipment, all the things that
happen in the industry that you try to avoid. We just went through a period
where everyone thought all they had to do was find a funder who would
take anything, from application only to ATM or owner-operator trailer,
and life would be grand. Those days will be gone for a year or
two. This is the age of the
birth of small lessors, investment groups,
regional bank funding, and looking for business that will pay
out without a hassle. I strongly recommend you join
a leasing association and learn from your colleagues,
plus make new contacts and friends. If you want a full list,
: http://www.leasingsourcebook.com/ bibliotech ( see e-mail from
publisher above ) This source has a shorter version
on the United States leasing companies, but is rich in Foreign Countries
www.worldpublications.org 201-531-0760 fax 201-531-0827 editor ) ________ Terminal Marketing Thank you for publishing my
request for information on Terminal Marketing. I had no idea that you touched
so many people throughout our industry. The responses I received were overwhelming! Thank you, Kevin Pane kpane@c2capital.com C2 Capital Corp. (I would like to hear from
all Brokers, End Users, Vendors and former employees that feel they have
been damaged by Terminal Marketing or their assignees. This case seems to be getting bigger and bigger
by the day. Please contact me via email
or phone. ----- ( example of trend of private
leasing investor group activity ) ### ######################################
################### Peabodys Secures Lease Financing
for Future Growth ROCKLIN, Calif--Peabodys Coffee
Inc. (OTCBB:PBDY) announced today that it has reached an agreement with
a private group of investors who will provide the company with up to $300,000
of lease financing for the purchase of equipment and kiosks. Terms
of the agreement were not disclosed. Peabodys Chairman and CFO,
Todd Tkachuk, commented: "We are very pleased with the leasing arrangement
as it opens the door for us to accelerate growth. Additionally, this
group of investors are very active and have proven themselves capable of
creating opportunities, such as being introduced to Marathon Global."
Peabodys President and CEO,
Cliff Young, commented: "This leasing arrangement is exactly what
we needed. It enables us to free up cash and puts us in a position to move
on new business opportunities without delay." This release contains forward-looking
statements regarding the Company's anticipated plans in the organic
coffee market. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth
in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially are consumer acceptance of the Company's
organic coffee products; the Company's ability to fund and manage any further
expansion of its organic coffee market efforts; the seasonality of
coffee sales; and the effects of competition. Investors are advised to consult
the Company's periodic reports to the SEC for additional discussion of
the Company's business risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of
the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise
these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
CONTACT: Peabodys Coffee Inc., Rocklin
Tony Francel, 941/698-0158
pbdy-ir@home.com ### ############################################################ McGloin Plans New Leasing Group National Penn Bank is pleased
to announce the advancement of Paul W. McGloin to group executive vice president
and chief lending officer for the bank and its divisions. He will continue
to serve as division president for the Main Line/Chestnut Hill/Philadelphia
region. "We are very excited about
Paul's new role as chief lending officer," said Glenn E. Moyer, president and
chief operating officer. "Based on his drive for results and proven successes,
Paul's banking expertise and strong commitment to customer service
will enhance the banking experience that our customers expect from National
Penn Bank." McGloin brings a vast banking
experience of nearly 30 years to this position. As chief lending
officer, he will oversee the commercial lending function at National Penn Bank,
which includes the commercial real estate group, the manufacturing group
and the international banking group. McGloin also plans to complete the
formation of a new equipment leasing group. McGloin was also named to the
Bank's Management, Executive Credit, and Asset/Liability committees. In maintaining his duties as
regional president, he provides executive oversight for consumer and
commercial relationship development, credit underwriting and approval,
product development, and marketplace profitability management. "In the past 27 years,
I have worked in both small and large banks throughout the Philadelphia
region. I am proud to be with National Penn Bank, a bank that recognizes
customer service as its most important responsibility," said
McGloin. "We provide our customers with the best of both worlds - the personalized
service you'd expect at a small bank, and the technology and products found
at a large bank." McGloin began his banking career
at American Bank and Trust Co. of PA, a predecessor to Meridian Bank,
in 1975 where he last served as division president for the Philadelphia
region. Upon Meridian's merger with CoreStates, McGloin served
as the chief risk policy officer. Most recently, he was managing director of
capital markets for First Union Bank, serving large corporate customers on
a national basis. A Certified Public Accountant,
McGloin graduated with an accounting degree from Drexel University. He
serves on the board of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and
the Foundation for Architecture. McGloin is a member of the American Bankers
Association, Pennsylvania Bankers Association and the American Institute
of CPAs. Additional information about
the National Penn family is available at www.natpennbank.com. #### ###################################
#################### MicroBilt to Offer Experian's
Custom Strategist Suite MicroBilt, leading provider
of credit access and reporting products, announced it has begun offering
Experian's Custom Strategist product, now available to the financial
services industry through MicroBilt's Software Developer's Kit (SDK). Experian,
is a leading global information solutions company. To optimize credit decisions
in a competitive environment, lenders need access to sophisticated, customizable
decisioning tools. Experian's Custom Strategist is a powerful decisioning
service that meets the complex needs of sophisticated credit grantors.
Using a service bureau platform, Custom Strategist allows credit grantors
to implement their own credit approval and pre-approval strategies within
a few days through MicroBilt's SDK and then provide automatic response
times in under three seconds to end users. MicroBilt's SDK is a suite
of tools designed to integrate credit reporting and retrieval into a credit
application or website. MicroBilt continues to add value through the SDK with
releases such as Custom Strategist, which provides the capability of
using custom or generic models. Superior fraud detection is accomplished with
the use of Experian's Fraud Shield fraud indicators. Credit grantors
can choose from up to 22 fraud indicator messages that can be used as
part of the decisioning or display. "We are very pleased that
MicroBilt has added Custom Strategist to their Software Developer's Kit,"
said Lyn Porter, VP of decision solutions marketing at Experian. "With
access to these decisioning tools through the SDK, MicroBilt's customers
can incorporate Custom Strategist for their account opening process while
automatically pre-approving and cross selling the right products to the right
prospects." "We are delighted to release
Experian's Custom Strategist through our Software Developer's Kit to
our MicroBilt customers," states Ken Hill, president of MicroBilt. "Custom
Strategist is a robust, versatile decision making tool. It will maximize
our client's account openings. The ability to customize products offered
and then instantly approve and cross-sell products within risk management
and lending strategies unique to an institution are ideal for our
client base," said Hill. For more information, visit
Experian's website at www.experian.com. For more information, contact MicroBilt,
visit their website at www.microbilt.com. ### ###################################
#################### ________________________________________________________________________ Parker Leasing Still Advertising USA Today--January 25, 2002
Business Opportunities Classified Section INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL AVAILABLE Need Operating/Venture Capital
an Equip. Lease, Sale/Leaseback? Call the very best @ (954)565-7600 for a free information package. Parker Leasing & Financing Fort Lauderdale, Florida U.S.A. Est. 1968 Minimum Transaction $10,000,000 Walter Unterweger NEWS told
us the total dollar figure is now $1 million dollars out of pocket by the
soccer club president .Part of this is the deposit to Parker Leasing,
he claims. We were never
able to get Parker Leasing to make any comment.
There were articles in the newspaper, but we do not read Austrian. Here is the original posting on our bulletin board: http://www.leasingnews.org/bulletin_board.htm "As I told you the Austrian
soccer club FC Tirol has announced to receive 15 Million Dollar from Parker
Leasing. The truth is that the club did not get at least one dollar so far.
"On the other hand the
clubs president, Mr. Martin Kerscher, transferred already 650.000 dollar to a
bank account in Florida ? as a deposit ? as he announced. Strange!!!??? But
I guess now he awake and he is trying to get the money back. The chance
for success is very little. Kerscher get a lot of pressure because he is manager
with Nike sports responsible for Austria, Slowenia and Croatia. "I would say he is currently
pretty helpless. Kerscher cooperates with an English consulter who built
up the contact to Parker Leasing. His name is Ian Hethrington. Kerschers
last comment to Hethrington: Ian, pull your socks up, because shit is boiling
here. "And: The Austrian soccer
league is thinking about taking them away the license. Greetings, Walter Unterweger NEWS" ______________________________________________________________________ ***NEW!***Association of Government
Leasing & Finance Insta-T.E.L.L. -Check out www.aglf.org - the
association's website for a new feature called.... Insta-T.E.L.L. On the home page will be a series of up to date teaser articles
from around the nation that may
affect Government Leasing and Financing. In addition, some fringe articles will be found there on the home
page - this is due to some of the
search words we have selected, but for the most part it will be pertinent to
Association of Government Leasing and Finance and its members. Click on the "Press Room" link and find even more headlines
from around the nation. These articles are constantly updated and Insta-T.E.L.L.
is a free service of the association. ------------------------------------------------------- Used Cars On Line ### ######################################
###################### Kelley Blue Book, Reynolds
and Reynolds Launch Real-time Dealer Used Car Classifieds IRVINE, Calif. Dealers Can Showcase Used Car
Inventory On kbb.com, the Nation's Most
Popular Automotive Site Kelley Blue Book today announced
a new version of kbb.com's popular Blue Book Classifieds, developed
in partnership with The Reynolds and Reynolds Company (NYSE:REY), the leading
provider of integrated information management solutions to the
automotive retailing marketplace. Through the agreement, auto
dealers will be able to show consumers used cars they have for sale on the same
day the dealers place the cars into their inventory. Dealers can also
remove cars from consumer view the same day they get sold. This real-time interaction
addresses the most common consumer complaint: inaccurate inventory.
Reynolds AutoMark Web Services
will provide the technology for Blue Book Classifieds, as well as used
vehicle listings from many of its nationwide network of dealer clients.
Blue Book Classifieds has been
successful in connecting used car shoppers with auto dealers. Nearly a
million car buyers use the service each month. "Our new relationship
with Reynolds and Reynolds will enable us to fulfill the promise of what online
classifieds should be about," said Stephen Henson, vice president of marketing
and business development for Kelley Blue Book. "The reason car
buyers use the Internet is to see more up-to-date and more in-depth information about
cars than possible in newspaper classifieds and other publications. kbb.com
will become the leader in this important criteria." Greg Collins, senior vice president,
Reynolds and Reynolds, said, "We are pleased to work with Kelley
Blue Book in the development of kbb.com's Blue Book Classifieds. Our dealership
customers will benefit greatly by being able to tap into the tremendous
number of consumers using kbb.com. This relationship extends our vision
we articulated earlier this month when we announced the Reynolds Generations
Series, our new family of solutions and services -- that of a seamless
and convenient approach for consumers in researching and buying a car."
Visitors to kbb.com first select
"Buy A Used Car" and then use Blue Book Classifieds to search for the
availability of vehicles in their local area. They can then contact the selling
dealer. State-of-the-art technology from Reynolds and Reynolds "polls"
dealer used car inventories daily to make sure the information consumers are
seeing is the most timely on the Web. The new user interface will also enable
consumers to see "closest matches" to their search and other "fuzzy
logic" capabilities. ABOUT REYNOLDS AND REYNOLDS:
Reynolds and Reynolds, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is the leading provider
of integrated information management solutions to the automotive retailing
marketplace. The company's services include a full range of retail and enterprise
management systems, networking and support, e-business applications,
Web services, learning and consulting services, customer relationship
management solutions, document management and leasing services. ABOUT KELLEY BLUE BOOK: Based
in Irvine, Calif., Kelley Blue Book is relied on by both consumers and the
automotive industry, as the trusted resource for car-buying research and
information. The company is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Its website, kbb.com is the number one automotive site in the nation,
according to Nielsen//NetRatings and Jupiter Media Metrix. Over four million
unique visitors generate nearly 30 million pricing reports per month.
For the 4th year in a row, kbb.com is also the most visited site by consumers
who go on to buy both new and used vehicles, according to research by J.D.
Power and Associates. CONTACT: PFISpindler (for Kelley Blue
Book) Paul Spindler or Bob Chew,
310/553-6684 paul@pfispindler.com / bob@pfispindler.com
or Reynolds and Reynolds Mark Feighery, 937/485-4480
Mark-Feighery@reyrey.com #### ##################################################3 Bledsoe/Brady Poll On Boston.com
Surpasses 60,000 Votes; Patriots Fans Urge Coach Belichick to Start Brady BOSTON--( --Boston.com, one of the most visited regional portals
in the U.S. and home to thousands
of Patriots fans, today announced that its Bledsoe/Brady poll has received
over 60,000 votes since it was posted on Sunday evening. The poll asked, "Who should start at quarterback for the
Patriots on Super Bowl Sunday?" The
choices were: 1) Brady, if he's healthy and 2) Bledsoe, no matter Brady's
health. Over 80.9% of the 60,000 votes posted by 4 p.m. today were in support
of Brady. Boston.com will post a new Patriots poll every day this week,
and will showcase interactive tools
and exclusive multimedia features as well as up-to-the-minute reporting
from Boston Globe sportswriters. Visitors to Boston.com this week may: -- Enter a "Bledsoe/Brady Ball" contest to predict the Pat's
QB's Super Bowl statistics. The Grand
Prize winner will receive a pair of tickets to see the Pats play in their
new home at CMGI Field. -- Participate in daily interactive polls, related message boards,
and chats. -- View a Boston Globe animation of the "Block and Roll" play
by Troy Brown in the second half that extended the Patriot's lead
to 21-3. -- Access audio and video clips from exclusive Boston.com interviews
and from partner New England Cable News. -- View Photo Galleries of Boston Globe photos from yesterday's game
and today's Pat's rally on the steps of Boston's State House.
-- Read articles from Boston Globe sports columnists Will McDonough,
Dan Shaughnessy, Michael Holley, Jackie MacMullen and Bob Ryan.
-- Submit questions to the Globe's Nick Cafardo in the Boston.com
exclusive "Ask Nick" mailbag. -- Sign up for "First Down," the free Patriots e-mail that
is sent three times a week and includes stats, standings, team previews
and depth charts. -- Research New Orleans flights, hotels and sights on Boston.com's
travel guide at http://travel.boston.com/superbowl.htm
### ########################## ############################### San Francisco Chronicle---- This one might not be over
quite as early as New England's first trip to the Super Bowl -- Chicago 46-10,
in 1986. But it could get a little messier than the Patriots' last trip --
Green Bay 35-21, in 1997. I'll say the Patriots will be drawn and French Quartered
something like 40-17. For the third time, New England
will be the Big Easy in the Big Easy. Las Vegas makes the Rams a 14 1/2-point
favorite and forecasts a high-scoring game with an over-under of
52. 1990 San Francisco 49ers ( San Francisco 55, Denver 10 ) Highest scoring game http://www.superbowl.com/xxxvi/history/recaps/sbxxiv.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- 5.7% Gain in New Home Sales http://www.census.gov/const/newressales.pdf for the full report, go to above site ( rquires Adobe software ) Sales of new homes climbed
to an all-time high last year even as the country was mired in a recession. Low
mortgage rates helped to motivate Americans to make such a big purchase. The Commerce Department reported
Monday that a record 900,000 new single-family homes were sold
in 2001, a testimony to the resiliency of the housing market, one of the
economy's few bright spots. Last year's sales performance
surpassed the record of 886,000 set in 1998 and represented a 2.6 percent
increase from sales registered in 2000. Policy Statement---Nothing
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