Krispy Kreme franchiser in Vegas eyes Colo. stores
A Las Vegas Krispy Kreme franchiser has tentatively agreed to purchase four Colorado stores and future franchise-development rights in the state from the doughnut giant as part of a 12-store, $10 million deal.
Westward Dough, which already owns 15 Krispy Kreme stores in Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, will add 12 in Colorado, Minnesota and Wisconsin if its price beats bids in an upcoming public auction.
The stores are owned by Chicago-based Glazed Investments, which is 97 percent owned by Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Krispy Kreme.
Glazed, which until recently operated about 20 Krispy Kreme stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday in Chicago. Glazed owned six Colorado stores but closed locations in Littleton and Colorado Springs last month, Krispy Kreme spokesman James Golden said. The stores possibly going to Westward Dough are in Lone Tree, Aurora, Thornton and Grand Junction.
DENVER
LoDo review district to address condo site
Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood is set to get a fourth special review district that will include the site of a proposed 31-story condo tower near 14th Street and Speer Boulevard.
A group of stakeholders from the neighborhood agreed Monday to create a special review district, to be known as the Historic Urban Edge District, within the Lower Downtown Historic District and establish principles for how it may be developed.
The group will work on refining the district’s boundaries and its design principles.
The move does not rule out the condominium tower proposed by developer Buzz Geller.
DENVER
Refinery workers agree to Suncor pact
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union Local 12-477 has voted in favor of accepting a three-year agreement with Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Suncor Energy Inc.
The settlement merges the Commerce City refinery’s East Plant (formerly the Valero refinery) workers into the existing collective-bargaining agreement at Suncor’s adjacent refinery. Suncor’s agreement with the union expires Jan. 31, 2009.
BROOMFIELD
Sirenza Microdevices to buy rival Premier
Broomfield’s Sirenza Micro devices, a supplier of radio- frequency components, agreed Monday to acquire rival Premier Devices Inc. of San Jose, Calif., in a cash, stock and debt deal valued at $72.1 million.
The deal, which has been approved by the companies’ board of directors, is expected to close in the second quarter.
Including revenue from Premier, Sirenza expects to report revenue of $120 million to $125 million for 2006.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
Time Warner reports $184.5 million revenue
Time Warner Telecom reported revenue of $184.5 million in the fourth quarter, driven by a boom in Internet and data revenue, according to an earnings report released Monday after the stock market closed.
At the same time, the Douglas County-based company reported a net loss of $22.3 million, or 19 cents per share, for the current quarter, compared with a loss of $36.1 million, or 31 cents per share, for the same period of 2004.
DENVER
Human rights group lauds Coors Brewing
Coors Brewing Co. has been named one of the nation’s best places to work by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Coors received a perfect score on the HRCF’s corporate equality index, which measures corporate performance in promoting acceptance and diversity in the workplace. The HRCF recognized the brewer as one of the “Best Places to Work for (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Equality.”
It is the second consecutive year that Coors, a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Co., received a perfect score.
Scott Coors, a gay member of the beer clan, is a member of the HRCF business council that developed criteria used in the index. No members of the council were involved in tabulating data or calculating scores.
GREENWOOD VILLAGE
Ciber unit wins 3-year RTD software contract
Ciber Enterprise Solutions, a unit of Greenwood Village- based Ciber Inc., said Monday that it has won a three-year, $13 million software and services contract with the Regional Transportation District.
DENVER
“Hard Punch” flavor joins Zima XXX lineup
Coors Brewing Co. has introduced a new Zima flavor, Zima XXX Hard Punch. It joins three other Zima XXX flavors: Hard Lemon Lime, Hard Black Cherry and Hard Orange.
LOS ANGELES
Disney’s ABC Radio being sold to Citadel
The Walt Disney Co. said it will sell its 22 ABC Radio stations and network to Citadel Broadcasting Corp. in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.7 billion.
The transaction gives Disney shareholders about a 52 percent stake in a new company, called Citadel Communications, which combines Citadel’s stations with Disney’s ABC assets. The deal does not includes Disney’s ESPN and Radio Disney network.
CHICAGO
Ex-United union chief charged with thefts
Dianna Rushing, the former president of the United Airlines flight attendants union in Chicago, has been charged with embezzling thousands of dollars from union funds.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Rushing, 54, withdrew more than $10,000 from Local Executive Council 8’s bank account for her own use in 2003 and 2004.
BURLINGAME, Calif.
Ex-American CEO to lead Virgin America
Virgin America Inc., an airline seeking authority to fly in the U.S., named former American Airlines chief executive Donald Carty its chairman.
Carty, 59, also will become an investor in VAI Partners LLC, which owns a 75 percent equity stake in Virgin America, the carrier said in a statement.
WASHINGTON
Treasury auctions 3- and 6-month bills
The Treasury Department auctioned $20 billion in three- month bills at a discount rate of 4.375 percent and an additional $17 billion in six-month bills at a rate of 4.5 percent.
The discount rates reflect that these bills sell for less than face value. For a $10,000 bill, the three- month price was $9,889.41, while a six-month bill sold for $9,772.50.
