An annual Internet auction of lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett will begin next week on eBay, with proceeds going to a San Francisco church that provides services for the homeless.
Bidding on a meal for eight in either New York or Buffett’s hometown of Omaha will start June 23 and run for a week, said the Rev. Cecil Williams, who heads Glide Memorial Church and a foundation providing services to the poor.
Buffett, who is second on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s richest people, has participated in the auction for the past six years. Singapore resident Jason Choo won last year with a $202,100 bid and wrote another check to boost his total donation to Glide to $250,000.
Buffett, 74, “is pleased with the response,” Williams said. “The lunch has become something that’s sought after.”
Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is sometimes called the “Oracle of Omaha” for his plain-spoken investment advice and advocating a patient approach to investing in under-valued companies.
DENVER
United cabin cleaners will be furloughed
All of the approximately 60 airplane-cabin cleaners for United Airlines in Denver are facing layoffs around August after the ratification of a new labor agreement last month.
Language allowing the furlough of the cabin cleaners and outsourcing of the work was in the labor pact.
The workers are part of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, which represents about 600 United employees in Denver, including mechanics.
LIMA, Peru
Police sent to mine as attack rumored
Peru’s government sent a police contingent to Yanacocha, Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp.’s gold mine in northern Peru, to fend off a possible attack by environmental protesters, the interior minister said.
Police received reports of a planned attack on the mine’s installations 350 miles northwest of Lima during a protest march set for Thursday, Gen. Felix Murazzo told reporters.
NEW YORK
Viacom’s board OKs company split
Viacom Inc., the third-biggest U.S. media company, said its board approved chairman Sumner Redstone’s plan to split into two, with CBS Television anchoring one business and the MTV cable networks in the second. Redstone contends that splitting Viacom will boost the overall value of its assets. MTV, the fastest-growing unit, will pursue acquisitions, while slower-growth CBS will pay dividends and buy back shares.
BOULDER
Business school starts new outreach center
The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado- Boulder on Tuesday announced the formation of a new center to link students and faculty with local businesses.
The Center for Business Integration will offer students from the school to help businesses with information management and analysis. Former Arthur Andersen partner and Leeds senior instructor James Marlatt will direct the center, which will be housed in the school’s existing facilities.
DENVER
LoDo’s Blue 67 bar to become restaurant
Denver nightclub and lounge owner François Safieddine will jump into the restaurant scene by converting his Blue 67 martini bar at 1475 Lawrence St. into a dining and martini venue called 5 . It will feature a menu by Eric Roeder of Bistro Vendome. Former Bistro Vendome sous chef Griff Sickendick will run the kitchen at 5 , which opens to the public July 8.
PARIS
Raytheon unveils jet-protection system
Raytheon Co. said it has tested a ground-based microwave system that can be installed at airports to protect commercial aircraft from attack by shoulder- fired missiles.
The system, called Vigilant Eagle, uses sensors mounted on cellphone towers or buildings to detect an attack, and to direct a beam of electromagnetic energy to disrupt the missile and deflect it away from the aircraft, said Mark Slivinski, Raytheon’s head of product strategy for the system.
Raytheon unveiled the system at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.
DENVER
Swingle acquires Ft. Collins company
Denver-based Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care Co. announced last week the acquisition of Arborworks Tree Care of Fort Collins to expand its presence in the landscape-care market.
Arborworks, a landscape-care company, has grown to 30 employees since 1998. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
DETROIT
Tycoon Kerkorian adds more GM shares
Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian increased his share in General Motors Corp. to about 7.2 percent from 3.9 percent after completing the purchase of 18.5 million shares.
His total stake so far has gained about $300 million in value.
The purchases by Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp. raise his ownership from 22 million shares to about 40.5 million shares, according to a statement Tuesday.
MOORESVILLE, N.C.
Lowe’s plans 2 more Colorado stores
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s will open two new stores in Colorado later this year.
The Mooresville-based company on Tuesday said it has stores slated for Westminster at Interstate 25 and 136th Avenue and in Fountain.
Both stores are expected to open in the fourth quarter.
NEW YORK
Inhaled insulin effective in trials
Pfizer Inc. said its Exubera diabetes treatment, the first type of insulin to be inhaled rather than injected, was effective and didn’t harm patients’ lungs in three trials.
Data from two of the studies showed that Exubera helped patients with type 2 diabetes maintain their blood-sugar levels over two years, New York- based Pfizer said in a statement Tuesday.
PEOPLE
Ball Aerospace, Freddie Mac
Broomfield-based Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has named Rich Auerbach director of antenna and video technologies.
Freddie Mac, the federally chartered mortgage-finance company, paid Richard Syron $3.6 million in salary and bonuses for 2004, his first full year as chief executive.
