Blue jean icon Levi Strauss has reported that its second quarter profits have plummeted 98 percent as a result of weak consumer spending in the US and the cost of new software which has also disrupted supplies.  Announcing its financial results for the second quarter ended May 25, 2008, yesterday, Levi Strauss declared net income of $1 million, compared to $46 million in the same quarter last year.┬á┬á The company blamed the weak US economy and costs related to rolling out new ERP (enterprise resource planning) software that caused shipping delays and dented US sales.

NBC Universal, with private equity investment partners Bain Capital and Blackstone Group, agreed this past weekend to buy cable network The Weather Channel, ending a long-running auction that captured interest from several major media companies. ┬á Landmark Communications Inc., owner of The Weather Channel, put the network up for sale in January, along with the popular website weather.com, and other related businesses. ┬á Initial interest was shown by CBS, Comcast, and Time Warner, the worldÔÇÖs largest media company.

Microsoft may reopen talks with Yahoo! about a possible takeover, if a new board of directors is elected at the forthcoming shareholder meeting, according to a statement released yesterday.  ┬á The software giant has said it is still interested in a deal with Yahoo!, after discussions with billionaire investor Carl Icahn last week. ┬á┬á The on-again, off-again saga has been in the news since January, when Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $47.5 billion. Yahoo!

Belgian-Brazilian brewer InBev is still determined to capture Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch after its initial $46 billion proposal was rejected ten days ago, by attempting to remove the companyÔÇÖs entire board in a hostile takeover.  ┬á An alternate board, which would include Adolphus Busch IV, the uncle of Anheuser CEO August Busch IV, will give shareholders "a direct voice" in the takeover, InBev said.┬á┬á InBev, best known for its Stella Artois brand, plans to file a preliminary consent solicitation with the US Securities and Exchange Commission today, asking Anheu

Owner managersCompany president Daniel Moos tells Martin Ashcroft how a diversified portfolio and a hands-on approach make Prime Income Asset Management a property business with a difference. We manage what we own, and we own what we manage,ÔÇØ says Daniel J. Moos, about Prime Income Asset ManagementÔÇÖs business model. ÔÇ£One of the reasons we excel at what we do is because we own and manage our assets. We live and breathe it every day. Whether itÔÇÖs a piece of land that weÔÇÖre trying to develop or an apartment building, weÔÇÖre directly involved.

Central Washington UniversityBill Yarwood and Pat Nahan tell Keith Regan how Central Washington University has dramatically reduced energy consumption, even as its campus has grown. If anyone doubts that focusing on sustainability can help an organizationÔÇÖs bottom line, the story of Central Washington University should change their minds.

Climbing the rankingsG&D Integrated began as a trucking company, but it has found most of its growth from offering supply chain and manufacturing logistics support to its customers, Keith Regan reports.┬á Although it has a long history that stretches to its roots as a freight hauler in the horse-and-wagon days of the 1880s, Morton, IllinoisÔÇôbased G&D Integrated has rapidly become a top-tier provider of inbound supply chain logistics.

All that glittersClaude Lemasson tells Gary Toushek how people-centric policies have helped Goldcorp go from junior miner to the worldÔÇÖs second-largest gold company. These days Claude Lemasson spends a lot of time traveling between his Toronto office and the James Bay area of northern Qu├®bec, looking after his current priority, the ├ël├®onore project, a major new gold discovery situated within a relatively unexplored area of James Bay, in Cree Nation of Wemindji territory.

 Kone Inc. has a mission to keep us moving in environmentally friendly ways, Ruari McCallion learns from Vance Tang.

Kone Inc, a Finnish-owned company with its Americas headquarters in Lisle, Illinois, supports a much firmer statement of intent than you normally find with international corporations.

Staying out of the redSenior director of capital planning Rick Gowrie tells Jenn Monroe how Rouge Valley Health System builds a healthier future for its community. Renovation projects are rarely convenient, but the Rouge Valley Health SystemÔÇÖs capital projects and facilities staff has found a good way to stay focused. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm a planner by background and education,ÔÇØ says Rick Gowrie,┬áÔÇ£and the focus of our group is the end resultÔÇöthe improvement to patient care and service delivery.