Raytheon Missile Systems

gets $142 million contract

Raytheon Missile Systems has received a $142 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command for further engineering and technical services on the design and development of the Standard Missile-3 for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

TECHNOLOGY

AMIT invites entrepreneurs

to annual funding workshop

High technology entrepreneurs with ideas they want to pursue are invited to participate in the 10th annual IdeaFunding Workshop.

Topics will focus on resources for businesses within various stages of development ranging from early R&D, to market validation, business formation, and through to commercial launch and growth phases.

Put on by the Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology cluster (AMIT), the free workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Manning House, 450 W. Paseo Redondo. For information, call (520) 621-4823.

BIOSCIENCES

ImaRx reports good start

for first product launch

ImaRx reported revenues of $3.4 million from its first product, Abbokinase, allowing the company to slash operating losses by 47 percent for the first half of the year.

ImaRx reported losses of $3.9 million for the first six months of this year, down from $7.4 million for the same period last year.

Abbokinase uses microbubble technology in the treatment of stroke and other vascular disorders. ImaRx is also developing the therapy for use overcoming the blood-brain barrier for treatment of neurological injury and disease.

German hospital sets record

for temporary heart implants

SynCardia Systems, 1992 E. Silverlake Road, reports the German Heart Institute of Berlin implanted 10 CardioWest temporary total artificial hearts for the 12 months ending Aug. 31.

That broke a previous record of eight implants, also set by the German Heart Institute, in 2006.

SynCardia says there are 26 people around the world living with the artificial heart; six in the United States and all of the other 20 are in Europe.

TRANSPORTATION

24 Sun Tran bus pullouts

get approval from RTA

The Regional Transportation Authority’s board has approved funding for the first 24 of more than 200 planned Sun Tran bus pullouts called for under the $2.1 billion 20-year regional transportation plan approved by voters in May 2006.

The pullouts allow buses to pick up and drop off passengers without blocking traffic. Those approved are:

• Valencia Road on the southwest side, nine pullouts for both eastbound and westbound traffic from Mark Road to Camino de la Tierra.

• Country Club Road, one northbound at Broadway, and both northbound and southbound at University Medical Center North.

• Irvington Road, two for eastbound at Campbell and Park avenues.

• Oracle Road, southbound at Glenn Street and Grant Road.

• Ajo Way, eastbound at Park Avenue.

• Alvernon Way, northbound at Grant Road.

• Broadway, eastbound at Alvernon Way.

• Campbell Avenue, southbound at Irvington Road.

• Fort Lowell Road, eastbound at Dodge Boulevard.

• Los Reales Road, westbound at Nogales Highway.

• Speedway, eastbound at Sixth Avenue.

• Stone Avenue, southbound at Amphitheater High School.

So far, the authority has approved 68 projects estimated to cost $119 million.

FINANCIAL

Arizona is fourth lowest

for bankruptcy filings

A new report shows that Arizona ranked fourth lowest among the states in the number of filings per capita during the first quarter of the year, despite the fact the number of filings was up 46 percent.

The Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast compared state statistics from the American Bankruptcy Institute and found that Arizona had 0.4 filings per 1,000 population. The three states that did better were Alaska, at 0.2 per 1,000, and Hawaii and Vermont, each with 0.3 per 1,000. Tennessee had the highest number, at 1.5. The U.S. average was 0.6.

The Blue Chip Economic Forecast is published monthly by the JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center, L. William Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Summit offers advice on

manufacturing in Mexico

A summit for businesses considering manufacturing opportunities in Mexico will be held by The Offshore Group Oct. 18-21 in Saltillo, Coahuila.

The 13th annual summit for senior executives is intended to provide information on the costs and benefits of serving North American markets from Mexico. There will also be information on potential opportunities for using Mexico as a bridge to global markets.

The Tucson-based Offshore Group employs 17,000 workers, mostly in Coahuila and Sonora, providing outsourced manufacturing support for 56 clients in the automotive, aerospace, medical device, heating and air conditioning, and electronics industries.

The summit will be headquartered at the Hotel Camino Real in Saltillo. This is the first year, the summit is being held at The Offshore Group’s manufacturers Zapalinamé location, instead of in Sonora. Development has recently been completed on 40 acres of the Saltilllo La Angostura Industrial Park and construction of another 60 acres is now underway. The Offshore Group’s client companies have increased employment at the site by 47 percent in the last three years.

More than 350 people attended last year’s conference.

Registration information is online at www.offshoregroup.com or call Steve Colantuoni at (520) 889-0022 ext. 1251.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Two local landmarks added

to list of endangered places

The Marist College building downtown Empire-Cienega Ranch near Vail are among 16 endangered historic places, according to the Arizona Preservation Foundation.

Marist College was built in 1915 at St. Augustine Cathedral Square, adjacent to the Diocese of Tucson’s cathedral. Manual Flores, a leading church builder at the time, built the three-story adobe structure, which served as a school until 1968. The building is now in danger of collapse from structure damage caused by roof leaks. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is looking raise $2 million to restore the building.

The Empire-Cienega Ranch’s 22-room adobe ranch house and adjacent buildings are also in danger of collapse. The buildings on the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area were built between 1870 and 1900 by Walter and Edward Vail. The facilities once served as the headquarters of the Empire-Cienega Ranch, a million-acre ranching and mining empire.

GOVERNMENT

PAG seeks to boost image

with new website and logo

The Pima Association of Governments has unveiled a new website – www.pagnet.org – a new logo and a new slogan: partnering, planning and projecting.

PAG is a partnership of local governmental agencies: Pima County, the cities of Tucson and South Tucson, the towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O’odham Nation, and the Arizona State Transportation Board.

State website offers data o

child and senior centers

A new state-run website will allow users to obtain information about Arizona child-care, nursing homes and assisted living centers.

The website − www.AZCareCheck.com − can be used to find licensed facilities in Arizona and obtain information on inspection reports, complaint investigations and enforcement actions. There are also quality ratings for nursing homes.

"This is an important step forward in helping residents have as much information as possible when making critical decisions about who will care for their loved ones," said Gov. Janet Napolitano.

ASSOCIATIONS

Marana Chamber presents

member website promotion

The Marana Chamber of Commerce is offering its members the opportunity advertise discounts on its website. The free service is called "Click Here-Save There. The chamber’s website is at www.maranachamber.com, which also provides more information about the service.

NAWBO selects

Sierra Toyota as partner

Elsie MacMillan, owner of Sierra Toyota in Sierra Vista, is now a gold level corporate sponsor of the Greater Tucson Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

NONPROFITS

Bookmans, Humane Society

combine for 10th fundraiser

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange and the Humane Society of Southern will hold their 10th annual Books & More Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15 and 16 at the Companions for Life Center, 3465 E. Kleindale St.

New and used books, CDs, video games, gaming systems, videotapes, DVDs and audio cassette will be on sale for under $3 each. Also, the Humane Society’s Pet Supply at the center, will be offering 10 percent discounts while the bazaar is going on.

All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Humane Society.

KUDOS

Library collection named

in honor of Cele Peterson

Cele Peterson’s 76 years as a Tucson business owner and philanthropist was commemorated with the rededication of the Pima County Library’s Arizona Collection as the Cele Peterson Arizona Collection.

Since 1931, Cele Peterson’s Fashions has offered women’s designer clothes. Peterson herself has been a long-time sponsor of efforts on behalf of the community, including Kids International Neighborhood, Casa de los Niños, Tucson Children’s Museum, Arizona Theatre Company and Tucson Opera Company. She is a board member of the Steele Memorial Children’s Research Center, University of Arizona College of Humanities, Tucson Community Foundation and Tucson Downtown Alliance.

The library commemoration was held Aug. 27 at the downtown main library.

EVENTS

Intensive loan boot camp

for minority entrepreneurs

A free business loan boot camp for minority entrepreneurs will be held Thursday (Sept. 13).

The intensive half-day workshop covers the basics of credit, financing options and the critical role of business plans. It will also include a survey of financing options, including the Small Business Administration’s lending program.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Arizona Small Business Association’s offices, 4811 E. Grant Road, Suite 261, in the Crossroads Festival Center. To register, call (520) 206-6404 or e-mail sbdc@pima.edu.

The workshop is co-sponsored by Wells Fargo, Pima Community College’s Small Business Development Center and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to coincide with Minority Enterprise Development Week.