Lowering Maine Minimum Wage
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/30/2017 to
Politics and Economy
Lowering Maine Minimum Wage
Restaurant Workers Successful Lobby
IncSmart Maine (Small Business and Startups) - Maine restaurant workers successfully lobby to lower the minimum wage. After the Maine State Legislature voted to raise the minimum wage for restaurant servers, they voted to lower it back down. The new measure passed the Senate by a vote of 23 to 12 on June 7, and the House on June 13. The Governor signed the bill into law last week. The new law will go into effect in January 2018. Tipped minimum wage debates are growing Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York and Washington DC.
(0) Comments
Louisiana Builds New Power Plant
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/29/2017 to
Energy Industry
Louisiana Builds New Power Plant
Power Plant Utilizes by Natural Gas
IncSmart Louisiana (Small Business and Startups) - Entergy Louisiana request for a new power plant has been approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Construction of the new plant is expected to begin next year. Estimated cost of the plant is $872 million dollars. The new power plant wil be powered by natural gas. The power station will be built in Westlake, near Lake Charles Louisiana. The 994 megawatt plant should be in service by June 2020.
Open Call in Arkansas
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/28/2017 to
Tips for Entrepreneurs
Open Call in Arkansas
500 Companies Pitch Products to Walmart
IncSmart Arkansas (Small Business and Startups) - Walmart hosts it's annual Open Call today in Bentonville Arkansas. They have invited over 500 companies to pitch their "Made in the USA" product. The companies include large corporations to small mom pop companies that work from home. Walmart is investing in American jobs and creating an opportunity to grow US manufacturing.
BMW Expands in South Carolina
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/27/2017 to
Business Opportunities
BMW Expands in South Carolina
German Automaker Plant in Spartanburg
IncSmart South Carolina (Small Business and Startups) - BMW is expanding once again in in South Carolina. Bavarian Motor Works will invest an additional $600 million to expand its South Carolina plant. This expansion will create 1,000 new jobs over the next four years, bring the total number of employees to the Spartanburg plant to 10,000 people. The new investment, will be added to the $7 billion dollars already committed to South Carolina.
Lidl Announces Georgia Investment
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/27/2017 to
Business Opportunities
Lidl Announces Georgia Investment
German Discount Grocer Investment in New Regional Headquarters
IncSmart Georgia (Small Business and Startups) - German retail giant Lidl is making moving to Georgia. Georgia is the gateway to the Southeastern market and Atlanta is the leading city. The Georgia Economic Development team helped in bringing Lidl to Cartersville, which is Lidl's fourth distribution center in America. Lidl, the German discount grocer, will create 250 jobs and invest $100 million over the next five years in a new headquarters and distribution center in Cartersville.
Bezos to Build Rockets in Alabama
Posted by Staff Writer on 6/27/2017 to
Space Industry
Bezos to Build Rockets in Alabama
Rocket Engine Factory in Huntsville
IncSmart Alabama (Small Business and Startups) - Rocket City Alabama. Bezos company, Blue Origin, to Build Rockets in Alabama. The plant will manufacture 30 BE-4 engines for Blue Origin’s new Glenn Rocket, near where Colorado based United Launch Alliance manufactures its rockets. This is another huge success for Huntsville. Companies that have promised investment includes Remington Arms and Polaris. The Blue Origin facility will be in Cummings Research Park. Cumming Research Park the second largest research park in the United States.
Missouri Sues Pharma Companies
Posted by David Oliver on 6/26/2017 to
Healthcare
Missouri Sues Pharma Companies
Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma and Janssen Pharmaceuticals
IncSmart Missouri (Small Business and Startups) - Missouri sues three big pharma companies for using fraudulent science and to mislead patients on the addictive risks of opioids. The suite continues that big pharma has profited from the suffering of Missourians. In 2015 in Missouri, thousands of people were hospitalized from non heroin opioid overdoses. 500 of those patients dies. Missouri becomes the third state to legally challenge the pharmaceutical industry over the current opioid epidemic, after Ohio and Mississippi.
Washington Minimum Wage Has Bad News
Posted by Sandy Roberts on 6/26/2017 to
Politics and Economy
Washington Minimum Wage Has Bad News
Employers Cannot Afford the Increase
IncSmart Washington (Small Business and Startups) - Washington minimum wage has bad news for it's small business. Employers are struggling with the increase minimum wage. Small business have had to cut their payrolls. Some have stopped hiring, but the real problem is letting their workers go. Three years ago, Seattle became one of the first cities in the nation to agree with a $15-an-hour minimum wage. The increase as to be phased in over several years. The consequences to low wage workers in Seattle have outweighed the benefits by a ratio of three to one.
Louisiana Renovates World Trade Center
Posted by Pat Turner on 6/25/2017 to
Real Estate
Louisiana Renovates World Trade Center
The Four Seasons is Scheduled to Open in Fall 2019 After a Two Year Renovation
IncSmart Louisiana (Small Business and Startups) - The vacant World Trade Center on the riverfront in downtown New Orleans, is getting closer for redevelopment. The 1960 iconic building named the World Trade Center office tower, has been shuttered for several years. The development team is proposing a $364 million Four Seasons hotel and residences. The team was chosen in March of 2015, but has been held up in litigation.
Georgia Creates New Park
Posted by Davd Oliver on 6/24/2017 to
Real Estate
Georgia Creates New Park
New Park Planned for Downtown Atlanta
IncSmart Georgia (Small Business and Startups) - Georgia will creates new park in downtown Atlanta on the vacant lot on E. Hiram Street. This lot was donated to the city. The new park will soon be home to the public, aimed at bringing more people to the heart of city. Atlanta City Development Corporation, the ACDC, is funded by collection of a half cent local sales tax. The ACDC has a budget of about $500,000 per year. The park project will cost $286,430.
Alaska Marijuana Sales Tax
Posted by Sandy Roberts on 6/24/2017 to
Marijuana Startups
Alaska Marijuana Sales Tax
Anchorage Marijuana Sales Tax Revenue Continues Steady Climb
IncSmart Alaska (Small Business and Startups) - Alaska become the forth state to legalize marijuana. Anchorage marijuana sales tax revenue continues on a steady climb. $70,000 in marijuana sales taxes in April has been collected in Anchorage. The marijuana sales tax of 5 percent was approved by Anchorage voters in April 2016. There are 9 stores that paid taxes to the city. The Department of Program Taxes and Tax Collection with Anchorage's Treasury Department reported last week.
Daikin Builds Factory in Texas
Posted by Sandy Roberts on 6/23/2017 to
Business Opportunities
Daikin Builds Factory in Texas
$500 Million Investment in Waller County
IncSmart Texas (Small Business and Startups) - Japanese air conditioning company Daikin is building a 4.2 million square foot factory in Waller County, one hour north of Houston. This $500 million building is the most advanced factory for Daikin. In 2012, Daikin purchased the Houston based company Goodman Global for $3.7 billion. Goodman Global manufacturing air conditioning, heat pumps and furnaces. This new factory will replace the old Goodman Global factories.
Boeing Moves Jobs to Arizona
Posted by David Oliver on 6/23/2017 to
Business Opportunities
Boeing Moves Jobs to Arizona
Boeing Will Move Hundreds of Jobs from Seattle to Mesa
IncSmart Arizona (Small Business and Startups) - Boeing is moving hundreds of jobs from its Seattle plant to Mesa Arizona. The move will be ongoing and take between 2 and 3 years. The Mesa facility currently employs over 3500 people. The Mesa plant is producing Apache Attack Helicopters. The Boeing Company BA was just awarded a modification to a foreign military sales contract worth $410.9 million from the U.S. Army Contracting Command from the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. However work for this deal will be carried out in Mesa.
Massachusetts Changes Pot Law
Posted by David Oliver on 6/22/2017 to
Marijuana Startups
Massachusetts Changes Pot Law
Expansive Rewrite of Voter Approved Marijuana Law
IncSmart Massachusetts (Small Business and Startups) - House of Representatives in Massachusetts pass a bill that would change the referendum backed by 1.8 million voters seven months ago. The new bill was 126-to-28 vote. This is in opposition to the Senate, which has a much more modest recreational pot law. The new House bill would increase pot taxes to 28 percent 12. In conjunction with the tax increase, the new bill will grant local county and city officials the ability to ban marijuana stores and farms from their communities.