Richmond doc wants to create a database for surgeries

Dr. William Jiranek has for years tried unsuccessfully to set up a state-wide database that tracks patients who receive joint replacements. Jiranek, who works in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the VCU Medical Center, said that so far only six of an estimated 200 doctors doing joint replacement in Virginia are participating.

Virginia Best State for Business

For the third straight year, Virginia has been named the Best State for Business by Forbes. Virginia ranked 7th in labor supply, 6th in quality of life, and 6th in economic climate. It was also ranked 1st for regulatory environment, thanks in part to the second-best incentive programs in the country. Only two other states, Georgia and Washington, finished in the top 10 in four of the six categories examined by Forbes.

The van is cool again; or at least cheaper than commuting solo

The Van has never been a cool ride. But the number of vanpools cruising from Richmond to Hampton Roads or D.C. could jump 20% this year alone. And for in-town commuters, sharing a van could cut the cost of getting to work by almost 70% in the most extreme cases.Peyton Youmans, manager of the Richmond office of the vanpooling provider VPSI, said he could be managing 70 vans by the end of 2008. Currently, there are 58 coming in and out of Richmond. Most are used on very long commutes, logging 75 miles or more each way. They’re popular with government workers and contractors, in part because of federal subsidies.

The Steak and Ale restaurant closes…other fast casuals struggle

The Steak and Ale restaurant on West Broad Street near Glenside Drive, which closed on July 7, will not reopen. On Monday the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. A note taped to the door tells customers to “Visit our Hampton location.” Managers at both chains were told late Monday evening not to open restaurants on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. The same article said that employees were told there wouldn’t be enough money to pay them for the rest of the week.

45,000 sign up for Ukrop’s gas promotion

Richmonders have knocked $256,000 off their gasoline bill by swiping their Ukrop’s member cards at Uppy’s gas stations. Las month, Ukrops and Uppy’s launched a joint promotion last month called fuelperks!. BizSense reported it here. For every $50 spent on groceries at Ukrop’s, customers get 10 cents off each gallon of gas at Uppy’s. If you spend $500, you get a dollar knocked off the price of each gallon for one fill up. A Ukrop’s spokeswoman said that around 44,000 people have participated. The average savings per visit has been $5.84. Originally, 14 Uppy’s stations participated, but that number recently jumped to 21. Two more locations will be participating this week – the Uppy’s Exxon on Buford Road in Bon Air, and the Exxon on Brook Road in Richmond. Ukrop’s receives about 250 calls and/or emails per day about the ...

Business loans harder to get

Bankers are taking longer to issue business loans and asking for more collateral when they do issue them, according to bankers around Richmond. Even companies with solid credit and long-established relationships are having more trouble getting financing, which is an essential ingredient for growth. The number of loan requests, meanwhile, is also falling. “Entrepreneurs feel like expansion may not be the right thing to be doing right now,” said David Fairchild, the CEO at First Market Bank, adding that requests for new lines of credit have decreased around 30% in the last several months.

CFO and CAO leave S&K

Long-time S&K Menswear CFO Bob Knowles has left the company. Controller and Senior Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer Janet L. Jorgensen has also left the company. Knowles was with the company for more than 25 years. S&K announced last week that it was cutting 50 local jobs. CEO Joseph Oliver could not be reached for comment.

Small cars hit puberty…and get popular

CarMax, reported that searches for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles on the company’s website continue rising. The Mazda3 moved up from the 39th most popular search in March to the 16th most popular search in June. The VW Beetle (shudder) rose from 71 to 40. Meanwhile, Cars.com reported that sales for the Honda Fit were up 73.8% in 2008, and sales for the Kia Spectra were up 41.3%. Numbers also increased for the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius, which were up 44.3% and 16%, respectively. Sales for bigger cars like the Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Durango, and Ford F-Series saw significant drops, down 34.2%, 38%, and 23.8%, respectively.

How about a little something for the effort?

Workers who rely on tips are starting to see the tip jar as half empty. In a BizSense survey, 70% of workers in a tip-dependent industries said that their compensation has gotten noticeably worse this summer compared to previous months.

Shockoe Bottom-ing out?

In 2004 Richmond’s historic Shockoe Bottom was devastated by Hurricane Gaston. Drainage systems malfunctioned and overflowed, and floodwater ran freely through the streets causing extensive damage to businesses. Four years later, the area is showing a few signs of recovery, but the vacancy rate hovers above 20%. Turnover in restaurants and bars is high.

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