Wichita Eagle: Business

Spirit’s ShadowWorks a technology investment

Molly McMillin — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:05 CDT

Behind heavy doors to a spacious room inside Spirit AeroSystems’ engineering building, inventors work on a variety of projects.

Their goal is to create better manufacturing processes, reduce weight, lower costs, improve inspections or otherwise boost Spirit’s capabilities and its ability to serve customers.

Spirit’s technology development efforts are branded “ShadowWorks.” It’s the company’s long-term investment into product and process technology.

Cessna plane that uses Jet-A fuel makes first production flight

MOLLY McMILLIN — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:22 CDT

Cessna Aircraft has announced that the first production flight of the Turbo Skylane JT-A took off from Independence on Tuesday.

The single-engine piston-powered plane has a diesel engine that runs on Jet-A fuel.

The four-place plane performed as expected, Dale Bleakney, Cessna senior test pilot, said in a statement.

Sedgwick County Commission approves $200,000 loan to Starwood Hotels for call center

Deb Gruver — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26 CDT

Starwood Hotels and Resorts will get a $200,000 forgivable loan from Sedgwick County that commissioners approved Wednesday to help offset the cost of building a call center in Wichita.

Starwood plans to put a call center at the former Office This building on East Harry at the old Wichita Mall.

Starwood owns brands such as Westin, Sheraton and Four Points. The Wichita call center will be the company’s largest in the United States. Starwood owns 1,146 hotels worldwide and has 171,000 employees.

Checkers grocery store to close

Carrie Rengers — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:13 CDT

WICHITA — Checkers, a longtime store in the Pawnee and Hydraulic area, is closing.

"The store is closing just due to economic conditions," says Mike Collins, store manager.

The independent grocery, which is at 1915 E. Pawnee, has been open since 1987.

Report: Fewer bank, credit union branches to come

Jerry Siebenmark — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:11 CDT

The number of bank and credit union branches across the country will contract by more than a third over the next decade, according to a recent report

The report, “Branch Boom Gone Bust: Predicting a Steep Decline in US Branch Density,” said the U.S. will see a 30 to 40 percent decline in the number of bank and credit union branches over the next 10 years.

The report by Celent, a global and financial services research and advisory firm, said the contraction will be driven by customers’ increasing use of Internet and mobile banking services, cost pressures on banks and credit unions, and a steady decline in branch transactions.

Score helps counsel small-business owners

John Madden — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:10 CDT

The Wichita Score Chapter (Counselors to America’s Small Business) has accomplished in 2012 what it would like to refer to as an outstanding year in supporting its mission, which is to help small businesses grow and prosper through the willingness of a dedicated group of volunteer counselors who donate their time and business expertise.

Who are these volunteers?

Score, originally known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives when it was founded in 1964, is America’s free and confidential source of small-business mentoring and coaching. It is a nonprofit association of more than 13,000 volunteer business experts nationwide. Many of them operate their own businesses or are in leadership positions in organizations. Wichita has more than 30 volunteer counselors who mentor clients one on one, in person or online.

Building technology engineers working on community projects

Dan Voorhis — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:09 CDT

Members of the Wichita chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers are working on a couple of community projects.

The group began installation Wednesday of a high-efficiency variable refrigerant system at the Church of the Resurrection in Bel Aire.

Miller, president of the chapter and an engineer with Knipp Equipment, said the system was installed in 1998, but never worked correctly.

Small Business Spotlight: Wichita Pottery offers space for artisans, students

JOE STUMPE — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:09 CDT

The Secret Gallery isn’t so secret anymore.

Jill Houtz abandoned that name for her pottery school, studio and gallery a couple of years ago after the facility became a well-known home for Wichita’s established and aspiring potters.

“When we started, we weren’t going to be ‘out there,’ ” Houtz said. “But more and more people were interested.”

5 questions with Ripton Melhado

CARRIE RENGERS — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:08 CDT

Some people stay with one employer their entire career.

Ripton Melhado can do one better than that.

He started with Hyatt as an intern in college and has never left the company.

People You Should Know (May 23)

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:37 CDT

Advertising

Ian Johnson has been promoted to associate creative director at Associated Integrated Marketing.

Business Services

Weekly business briefing (May 23)

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:44 CDT

Open

de’Ville’s Barber Shop has opened at 1402 S Seneca. It is a traditional barber shop offering hot towel razor shaves, all styles of hair cuts and waxing. It is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The phone number is 316-990-7009.

Recognized

Commercial building permits (May 23)

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:53 CDT

The following applications for commercial building permits have been filed by contractors on the seventh floor of City Hall, 455 N. Main, and at the Sedgwick County Yard, Seneca and Stillwell.

City

Apartment Building, 1900 S. Rock Road, $5,000, repair, The Electrician.

Bankruptcies (May 23)

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:58 CDT

All bankruptcies are Chapter 7 unless otherwise noted and have been rounded to the nearest dollar.

Wichita

Adcock, Joyce, liabilities $152,915, assets $108,682.

Corporate filings (May 23)

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:08 CDT

J G A Company, Inc., 8020 E Peach Tree Lane, Wichita, Ks, 67207

Jackboyz Entertainment, Llc, 1701 Rock Creek Ct., Wichita, Ks, 67230

Jarvis Visions, Llc, 3236 N Brookfield St, Wichita, Ks, 67226

Via Christi Health system to cut 400 workers

Kelsey Ryan — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:45 CDT

Via Christi Health announced Tuesday it will lay off up to 400 staff members across Kansas – about 4 percent of its workforce – by the end of June.

Via Christi officials said that like other health care providers, they have seen a decline in hospital admissions and physician visits, leading to lower than anticipated revenue.

The majority of the cuts will be in Wichita, said Jeff Korsmo, president and CEO of Via Christi Health.

Wichita City Council approves loan for Starwood Hotels call center

Bill Wilson — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26 CDT

A major hotel chain will bring more than 900 new jobs to Wichita under the terms of a forgivable loan approved Tuesday by the Wichita City Council.

Starwood Hotels, a hotel and leisure company that owns brands such as Westin, Sheraton and Four Points, pledges to create 907 jobs over its first five years in the former Wichita Mall and Office This location at 4131 E. Harry.

It will be Starwood’s largest American call center. Starwood is one of the largest hotel companies in the world, with 1,146 hotels and 171,000 employees.

NetApp says cut of 900 jobs won’t stop its Wichita growth, hiring

Jerry Siebenmark — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:33 CDT

Despite a NetApp announcement Tuesday afternoon that it would cut 900 positions in the U.S. and abroad, the company’s top Wichita executive downplayed the cuts here and said corporate plans won’t scuttle NetApp’s intentions to double its Rock Road workforce and invest tens of millions of dollars in facilities and equipment.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based high-tech data storage company said in a news release after markets closed on Tuesday that the cuts were part of its “resource realignment, which includes a global workforce reduction of approximately 900 employees.”

The company employs 13,000 people in 170 facilities in the U.S. and abroad.

Boeing: Some employees suffered injuries, property damage in Oklahoma tornado

Molly McMillin — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:46 CDT

Some Boeing employees in Oklahoma City suffered injuries and personal property damage in Monday’s tornado in Moore, Okla., Boeing officials said Tuesday.

Although Boeing’s two office buildings across from Tinker Air Force Base did not sustain damage, the facilities were closed Tuesday because of a water outage caused by the storm. The facilities will reopen Wednesday, said Boeing spokeswoman Michelle Nalley.

“Our priority is the welfare and safety of our employees and their families,” Nalley said.

OSHA slaps Wolf Creek power plant contractor for firing a whistleblower

DIANE STAFFORD — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:43 CDT

An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has determined that a contractor at the Wolf Creek Generating Station wrongfully fired an engineer who reported safety violations.

An OSHA letter sent last week said Enercon Services Inc. violated the Energy Reoganization Act, a federal law that prohibits retaliation against a nuclear power plant employee or contractor who raises safety concerns.

Enercon provides engineering and management services to nuclear plants, including the Wolf Creek reactor at Burlington, Kan.

Galaxy Technologies planning to expand Winfield facility

Molly McMillin — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:56 CDT

Galaxy Technologies in Winfield plans to add new equipment and a 50,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility.

The additional space will accommodate a new milling center and allow Galaxy to expand its fabrication capabilities, company officials said.

The company expects the new milling center to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2014.