Jacobs earns certification as investigator (11/19/05)

Portland firefighter Thomas B. Jacobs, Portland, was recently evaluated and found to meet the standards as a certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI) for the National Associaton of Fire Investigators.

Jacobs is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc., and has served on the Portland Fire Department for the past 18 years as a full-time firefighter. He currently holds the rank of captain.

Honored for service

K&L Tractor Sales, Inc., Fort Recovery, has been awarded the 2005 President’s Award by New Holland, for the fifth year.

The award, the highest company honor that can be attained by a New Holland dealership, recognizes outstanding achievement in business management and customer satisfaction.

This year, 277 New Holland dealerships in the U.S. and Canada were honored with the award.

Net income rises

Tyson Foods Inc. officials have said fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 48 percent, but gave a full-year forecast that trails Wall Street’s expectations as the 2003 mad-cow scare continues to hurt the company’s beef business, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Tyson has a Mexican Originals plant in Portland.

Net income in the quarter ending Oct. 1, rose to $98 million, or 19 cents a share, a year earlier. The latest results included a $15 million net tax benefit and $8 million in pretax losses from Hurricane Katrina, which together equaled a gain of three cents a share.

Posts growth

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted a 3.8 percent rise in fiscal third-quarter net income — its lowest profit increase since 2001 — on sales growth of 10 percent, but Chief Executive Lee Scott predicted an improving outlook for the world’s largest retailer, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer whittled down its labor costs during the quarter, but the tepid results underscore that Wal-Mart still must boost sales across its 5,468 stores to return to its traditional double-digit profit growth. For the quarter ended Oct. 31, Wal-Mart’s profit was $2.37 billion, or 57 cents a share, up from $2.29 billion, or 54 cents a share.[[In-content Ad]]