Ball Corp. offers notes to finance purchases
Ball Corp. will offer $450 million in senior unsecured notes to help finance two previously announced acquisitions.
The Broomfield-based packaging-products supplier is buying three manufacturing plants and other assets from Alcan Inc. for $180 million in cash. The company is also purchasing U.S. Can Cor’s Argentinian and U.S. operations for about 1.1 million shares and repayment of $550 million of U.S. Can debt.
Vail gives new CEO shares, other options
Vail Resorts will give its new chief executive, Robert Katz, 30,000 restricted shares and 300,000 stock-appreciation rights, at $31.69, over the next three years, according to a regulatory filing made Thursday.
Katz, a longtime Vail Resorts director, was named CEO on Tuesday, replacing Adam Aron. His full compensation package has not been released.
Weather station will get shipboard testing
A micro-weather station developed by ADA Technologies of Littleton was installed Thursday on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, where it will undergo testing of its ability to provide automated weather observations.
The test of ADA’s WeatherPod technology on the NOAA ship Gordon Gunter, in Pascagoula, Miss., is in response to the NOAA’s need for an inexpensive, easy-to-operate weather- monitoring system that can be installed on more than 900 U.S. ships.
Crocs posts finances for fourth quarter ’05
Crocs Inc. on Thursday posted fourth-quarter net income of $4.1 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, compared with a loss of $1 million, or 4 cents per share, for the comparable period of 2004. Revenue for the period ended Dec. 31 was $33.6 million, up from $5.4 million in 2004.
Spring training could be big hit for charity
Coors Brewing Co. announced Thursday the launch of Home runs for the Home Team, a new charitable program in which the company will donate $500 to the Mile High United Way for each home run hit by a Colorado Rockies player during spring training through April 1. Coors will donate up to $20,000.
Molson Coors closes Wyoming barley depot
Barley growers for Molson Coors Brewing Co. in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin will have a lot farther to drive to drop off their harvest – more than 80 miles to Worland – now that the company has closed its barley receiving station in Ralston.
The Golden-based brewer told its contract farmers about the closure with the offering of this year’s contracts.
United, Ted offer XM Satellite Radio
United Airlines has begun offering XM Satellite Radio music programming on United and Ted flights for a promotional period.
Programming is prerecorded for United, and the number of stations available ranges from nine to 19, depending on the aircraft. XM programming is not available on United Express.
Clorox executive suffers heart attack
Gerald E. Johnston, chairman and chief executive of Clorox Co., has suffered a heart attack, the company said Thursday.
Johnston, 58, was being evaluated by doctors Thursday morning, but company spokeswoman Kathryn Caulfield declined to comment on his condition. The heart attack occurred late Wednesday afternoon.
SEC plans guide for journalist subpoenas
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will write guidelines in the next few weeks specifying when and how the agency’s enforcement division may subpoena journalists, chairman Christopher Cox said.
The announcement follows the division’s subpoenaing of two reporters last month without telling commissioners first, a move that drew criticism from the chairman this week. He publicly rebuked SEC enforcement chief Linda Thomsen for not consulting him before having agency investigators subpoena two Dow Jones & Co. journalists.
Ford restructuring likely to use $1 billion
Ford Motor Co. expects to spend $1 billion before taxes this year on restructuring in North America and Europe, according to the company’s annual report.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker also said it doesn’t expect to make a profit in 2006 as it continues to struggle with declining market share and rising costs. Ford said the $1 billion charge includes $250 million to cut hourly workers in North America and $250 million to write off assets at North American plants.
Long strike possible for Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft officials said Thursday they see no basis for resuming negotiations with striking Teamsters, raising the possibility of a prolonged strike at the helicopter maker.
“The union’s apparent unwillingness to accept the company’s health care plan design is discouraging, and provides no basis for resuming negotiations,” the company wrote in a letter to union officials obtained by The Associated Press.
