DENVER – HCA-HealthOne, the metro area’s largest hospital system, laid off about 90 people from its 9,000-member workforce Tuesday. The systemwide cuts affect mostly company management, including employees in marketing, sales and support services.
The company said layoffs were needed, in part, because of recent declines in patient volume. HCA-HealthOne said it was not connected to the recently resolved contract dispute with insurer UnitedHealthcare.
MORE BRIEFS
BOULDER
Third-quarter results mixed for Wild Oats
Boulder-based natural foods retailer Wild Oats Markets on Tuesday reported an increase in third-quarter profits but said sales at existing stores didn’t grow as much as expected.
The grocer reported third- quarter net income of $3.1 million, or 10 cents per diluted share. That was up from net income of $82,000 or roughly break-even in the third quarter of 2005.
Same-store sales were up 1.6 percent, which fell short of the company’s previous guidance of 3 percent to 4 percent.
BROOMFIELD
Level 3 joins forces
with Photobucket
Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications said Tuesday that it has signed a multi year agreement with Photobucket to support the company’s online personal-media sharing service.
Under the terms of the agreement, Level 3 will provide Photobucket with access to its network at speeds of up to 10 gigabits a second. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
Time Warner Telecom
logs $11 million net loss
Time Warner Telecom said Tuesday that it posted a net loss of $11.3 million, or 9 cents a share, on revenue of $196.1 million during the third quarter.
The Douglas County-based company had a net loss of $23.4 million, or 20 cents a share, on revenue of $177.8 million during the third quarter of 2005.
DENVER
Bill Barrett’s profits
surge in 3rd quarter
Bill Barrett Corp. on Tuesday posted a 55.6 percent gain in profits. Bill Barrett said third-quarter net income was $20.7 million, or 47 cents a share, compared with $13.3 million, or 30 cents a share, in the same period of 2005. Operating revenue grew to $104.4 million from $71.2 million in the year-ago period.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Air Methods reports healthy net income
Air Methods Corp.’s third- quarter net income increased to $9.6 million, or 78 cents a share, from $5.5 million, or 47 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue was $116.1 million, up 28 percent from $90.5 million in the year- ago quarter.
The stronger profit came on higher revenue, due in part to price increases and contract expansions and additions.
WASHINGTON
Consumers borrow far less in September
Consumer borrowing fell in September by the largest amount since the recession of the early 1990s, weakened by a huge drop in auto loans.
The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that consumer borrowing declined at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in September, compared with a 4.6 percent rate of increase in August.
Borrowing fell by $1.2 billion in September – the biggest drop since a $1.78 billion decrease in April 1992.
MOSCOW
Gates lauds Russia’s strides in piracy fight
Microsoft Corp. chairman and co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday that Russia has made progress in tackling software piracy, a problem that has threatened the country’s bid to join the World Trade Organization.
Pirated films, music and software in Russia cost U.S. companies nearly $1.8 billion in 2005, according to the International Intellectual Property Association.
PARIS
FedEx shifts jet order from Airbus to Boeing
Boeing scored a victory in the airliner wars Tuesday when FedEx became the first customer to cancel an order for Airbus’ delayed A380 jumbo jets, saying it will instead buy Boeing 777s.
FedEx, the world’s largest express-transportation company, cited production delays for its decision to retract an order for 10 of the new double-decker A380s.
SEATTLE
Microsoft, Linux ink compatibility deal
Microsoft Corp. will pay $442 million to Novell Inc. in a technology accord signed last week to make the companies’ rival server software work together.
They will develop and market software that allows Microsoft’s Windows and Novell’s Linux operating systems to coexist on the same machine.
LOS ANGELES
Disney studio to make
Nintendo video games
Walt Disney Co., the world’s second-largest media company, is creating a video-game studio to make titles exclusively for Nintendo Co., targeting audiences for its animated characters.
The studio, called Fall Line, will be based in Salt Lake City and run by Scott Novis. He led the team that created a game based on the Pixar film “Cars.”
ORLANDO, Fla.
Prices to rise for Tropicana, Dole OJ
PepsiCo Inc. said Tuesday that it will boost prices on Tropicana and Dole orange juice by 4 percent to 8 percent at the beginning of 2007, further fallout from what’s expected to be the worst Florida citrus crop in a decade.
