Business
Business News from companies in Boulder, Colorado
New CU J-school is getting ready for the (digital) revolution
Feb 20th
CU-Boulder symposium explores digital media impact on politics, journalism and historical preservation A University of Colorado Boulder symposium Feb. 27-29 will examine how the revolution in digital media is changing global politics, journalism and the way history is preserved. Journalism and Mass Communication at CU-Boulder is sponsoring “The Content and Context of Digital Culture” symposium, which is free and open to the public. It will be held at various sites across campus and a complete schedule is available at http://www.icjmtsymposium.org/schedule/.
“This symposium provides the CU community with an excellent opportunity to explore new political and cultural terrain opened up by digital media,” said symposium organizer Andrew Calabrese, a professor of journalism and mass communication. Among the speakers will be Columbia University Professor Todd Gitlin, who will present “Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street: Why 2011 Was Not 1968” on Feb. 27 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in room 150 of the Eaton Humanities Building. Gitlin’s upcoming e-book, “Occupy Nation: The Roots, the Spirit and the Promise of Occupy Wall Street,” looks at how that movement differs from the uprisings of previous eras. Mark Briggs, who coined the term “Journalism 2.0,” will talk about a new breed of ‘journopreneurs’ who are launching startups that break from traditional advertising models to find new sources of revenue for delivering news and information. Briggs is the director of digital media for KING-5 TV in Seattle and the Ford Fellow in Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Poynter Institute. His session is on Feb. 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in room 150 of the Eaton Humanities Building. 
Experts at the conference also will discuss new ways of archiving digital records and how these collections are being used in places such as libraries and museums. Librarians and archivists are looking for new ways to preserve such records, according to symposium organizers. The symposium runs in conjunction with an effort to create a new interdisciplinary school or college at CU-Boulder that may include studies in communication, technology, multimedia storytelling, commercial design and the digital arts and humanities. The effort is called the Information, Communication, Journalism, Media and Technology, or ICJMT, initiative. Journalism and Mass Communication is sponsoring the symposium in support of the ICJMT initiative, with additional support from CU’s Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment, the Department of Political Science, the English department, the Film Studies Program, the Center for the Humanities and the Arts, CU Libraries and the Advertising A2B certificate program. For more information including speakers and event locations visit http://www.icjmtsymposium.org/.
Boulders Tanya Mathews, Financial Expert, 2012 Stock Market Outlook
Feb 9th
2012 Market Outlook. This report reveals LPL’s opinion of what investors can expect in the coming year and suggests how to best position a portfolio to seek profit from the opportunities and protect from the risks. In summary, LPL’s Market Strategists’ believe that:
• The U.S. economy will grow about 2%, while emerging markets post stronger growth and Europe experiences a mild recession.
• The U.S. stock market is likely to post an 8 – 12%* gain, supported by a slight improvement in valuations and mid-to-high single-digit earnings growth.
• Corporate bonds post modest single-digit gains as interest rates rise and credit spreads narrow. The yield on the 10-year Treasury is likely to end the year around 3%.
*LPL Financial Research provided this range based on its earnings per share growth estimate for 2012, and a modest expansion in the price-to-earnings ratio. Additional explanation can be found throughout the 2012 Outlook publication.
I personally believe the markets are poised for positive performance this year. In fact, recent US economic data suggests equity markets are priced as cheaply as they have been in decades, even if there is a 15% decline in earnings. However, the big issues, and my reasons for staying cautious this year, include how deep the European recession turns out to be and what kind of growth impact the discussions and decisions (or lack thereof) about our country’s looming deficit will have during this election year. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Tanya R. Mathews, CFP ®
Meridian Wealth Management Boulder
tanya.mathews@lpl.com
High-tech, energy saving Boulder company is booming
Feb 8th
Albeo Technologies LED Revenues Climb 50% in 2011, With Solid-State Lighting Retrofits up 300%
Albeo’s High Bay LED Lights provide up to 95% energy savings compared to fluorescent or metal halide (HID)
BOULDER, CO — February 6, 2012 — Albeo Technologies, a leader in solid-state industrial and commercial lighting solutions, announced today significant sales growth in 2011, making it the company’s most profitable year to date. Total company revenue increased 50 percent from 2010 and sales for retrofit and renovation grew 300 percent. All in all, Albeo shipped 26,675 fixtures in 2011 and added 10 new engineering jobs.
Albeo LED fixtures currently light over 7 million square feet of space, the equivalent of 121 American football fields. Much of Albeo’s success in 2011 comes from the company’s ability to offer a wide range of LED lighting solutions that are flexible enough to shine the exact right amount of light in variety of applications. Albeo LED Lighting systems are cost-effective, energy efficient and feature ROI as short as one year. Strong markets for Albeo in 2011, included Fortune 500 data centers, cold storage facilities, parking structures, schools and large manufacturing facilities.
“We are thrilled to be demonstrating such strong and continued growth,” said Jeff Bisberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Albeo Technologies. “Few cleantech startups are growing exponentially. In 2011, our 50% increase in revenues resulted in 10 new “green jobs” in engineering and we expect continued job creation in 2012. We have been profitable for two years now and are grateful to all of our customers who are supporting our success.”
The popularity of Albeo products comes from the ability to fully customize each LED fixture before and after installation. Such modular innovations help architects, facility managers and lighting designers to maximize both energy savings and functionality, while minimizing lighting maintenance costs. In addition, Albeo’s motion sensors and other power saving controls help facilities reduce lighting energy use up to 95%. The average return on investment (ROI) for Albeo products is one to three years. The spectrum of Albeo products range from high bay, low bay and surface mount fixtures, to display cabinets and task lighting.
ABOUT ALBEO TECHNOLOGIES
Albeo Technologies is a leading LED Lighting manufacturer for industrial and commercial buildings, such as cold storage, data centers, retail, schools and businesses. The Albeo products range from high bay and low bay solutions, to linear, surface mount and under cabinet fixtures. The company has lit over 7 million square-feet of space to date and have won 14 independently-judged awards, including 5 from the US Department of Energy (DOE). Albeo’s fully customizable, reliable and low-maintenance LED lighting products offer energy savings up to 95% and an ROI of 1-3 years. For more information, go to www.albeotech.com.
