SMITHFIELD – Fidelity Investments has won recognition from the Wildlife Habitat Council for its environmental stewardship and commitment to increasing native biodiversity at its Smithfield campus, where deer and wild turkeys are often seen.
Fidelity has devoted 90 percent of its 450-acre Smithfield campus to woodlands, vernal-pool wetlands, open fields and rolling meadows. Further enhancing the wildlife habitat are two retention ponds, created during the initial site development; meadows that are kept unmowed, to provide shelter for nesting and feeding; seven nesting boxes for songbirds, where tree swallows and Eastern bluebirds have raised their families, and two for Eastern screech owls; and a butterfly garden planted in 2005.
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The program was one of 175 recognized by the WHC at its 18th Annual Symposium: Connecting People & Nature. Robert Johnson, the WHC’s president, praised Fidelity and its workers “for their exceptional efforts to responsibly manage our natural world.”
United Way of R.I. puts headquarters on market
PROVIDENCE – The United Way of Rhode Island is preparing to sell its Waterman Street headquarters, a spokes-man said last week.
“About a year ago, we announced our intention to sell our building and move to a location closer to our work,” said Hank Sennott, vice president and director of public relations. “While negotations continue on a new site, we have retained the services of CB Richard Ellis/New England to assist us with the sale of 229 Waterman St.”
The three-story building has about 42,000 square feet, according to Alden Anderson Jr., first vice president and partner at CBRE’s Providence office. No price has been set.
The local United Way, a nonprofit that traces its roots back to the 1926 founding of the Providence Community Fund, is dedicated to mobilizing the community to improve the lives of the needy. It is also a member of the HousingWorks RI affordable housing coalition.
CVS 4Q revenue up 24% with Sav-On and Osco
WOONSOCKET – The CVS Corp. says its total revenue for the 13 weeks ending Dec. 30 was $12.1 billion, up 24.0 percent from $9.7 billion for the same period of 2005. Same-store sales for those 13 weeks rose 8.7 percent, led by pharmacy sales, which rose by 10.2 percent.
For the five weeks ended Dec. 30, CVS posted $5.0 billion in total revenue, a 24.2-percent gain from the year-ago period’s $4.0 billion. Same-store sales were up 8.5 percent, and pharmacy same-store sales were up 10.4 percent, despite the impact of generic-drug introductions.
Both the monthly and quarterly figures include the impact of the company’s June 2 acquisition of 701 standalone Sav-On and Osco drugstores.
For the year ended Dec. 30, total revenue rose 18.4 percent, to $43.8 billion, from 2005’s $37.0 billion. Same-store sales rose 8.2 percent, year over year. Pharmacy same-store sales increased 9.1 percent, while front-end same-store sales increased 6.2 percent, CVS said.
KVH TrackVision M3 is released in Europe
MIDDLETOWN – KVH Industries this month officially introduced the European version of its award-winning TracVision M3 marine satellite TV system at the London Boat Show.
It features a 14.5-inch TracVision M3 antenna, a 12-volt multi-satellite control unit and single-cable installation.
“The TracVision M3 is powerful technology made simple and we’re pleased to be bringing it to European marine market,” said Mads Bjerre-Petersen, managing director of KVH Europe A/S. Introduced in a U.S. version in late 2005, it has been honored on two continents: In October, with the National Marine Electronics Association’s 2006 Industry Award in marine entertainment, and in November, with the 2006 DAME Award in marine electronics, at the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam.
Dartmouth sets Jan. 19 tax sale of 66 properties
DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The town has scheduled a tax possession auction for 10 a.m. Friday in the John Marland Meeting Room (Room 304) at Dartmouth Town Hall, 400 Slocum Road.
On offer are 66 parcels, 30 of them on Hixville Road. All sales will be as-is, the town said.
Pre-bid deposits, which must be filed before the auction begins, are $500 for most properties, and $5,000 for those on State Road and Pine Island Road. The balance of any purchase price will be due by 4 p.m.
Additional information, including aerial photos, is available at www.town.dartmouth.ma.us.
TeamPage honored as Best Enterprise Wiki
PROVIDENCE – Traction Software’s TeamPage, designed to allow secure Web-based collaboration, has won InfoWorld Magazine’s 2007 Technology of the Year Award for Best Enterprise Wiki.
Greg Lloyd, Traction’s president and co-founder, credited “customers and friends” with “helping us build a product that goes beyond blogs and wikis to enable true and effective collaboration in any enterprise.”
In a review of four wiki-based collaboration packages, posted Jan. 5 on www.infoworld.com, contributing editor Mike Heck wrote that “Traction TeamPage clearly placed above the others with its superior ease of use and query ability.”
Traction Software, named by KMWorld among its 100 Companies that Matter, also is a winner of the RedHerring 100 and eContent 100 awards.
Ex-Dunkin’ exec joins Friendly’s as new CEO
WILBRAHAM, Mass. – Friendly Ice Cream Corp. has named George M. Condos as the company’s president and chief executive officer and a member of its board of directors, effective Jan. 8. He succeeded John L. Cutter, who resigned in September.
Condos, 51, brings 30 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, most recently with Dunkin’ Brands as brand officer for Dunkin’ Donuts. Dunkin’ Brands also owns Baskin Robbins ice cream and TOGOS sandwich shops.
Condos had worked for DB’s parent company, Allied Domecq QSR, in U.S. and international operations since 1987. He started his operations career with International Dairy Queen.
