April 14, 2017 at 8:06 p.m.

Times: Meeker among top 20

Business Roundup

Jay County native Mary Meeker has been named by The New York Times as one of the top 20 venture capitalists in the world.

Meeker, who was born in Portland and graduated from Jay County High School, is a partner at the firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers.

An early and influential analyst of the investment potential of the internet, Meeker is a graduate of DePauw University.

The Times lists some of her most successful business deals as those involving Lending Club, Square, Snap, and JD.com. The Times lists as “notable current investments” DocuSign, Spotify, Instacart, and Houzz.



More targets?

With its initial public offering of shares on the New York Stock Exchange behind it, Ardagh Group — parent company of glass container plants in Dunkirk and Winchester — may have further acquisitions in Europe on its mind.

The Irish Times reported this week that industry analysts believe that Spanish glass container manufacturer Vidrala and the Swiss company Vetropack are potential Ardagh takeover targets.

“The European glass sector in particular remains relatively fragmented, with the top three players – Verallia, Owens Illinois and Ardagh – controlling 57 per cent of the market,” Davy research analysts told The Irish Times. “There are a number of players with single-digit percentage market shares, including Vidrala (9 per cent) and Vetropack (6 per cent), which could prove potentially interesting deals for Ardagh.”

Led by Irish financier Paul Coulson and tracing its roots back to a bottle-making plant in Ireland, Ardagh has grown by leaps and bounds since 1998, largely through acquisitions financed by debt. It has now swallowed up 23 companies, including Anchor Glass and Verallia North America.

Today it is one of the largest glass and metal container manufacturers in the world.



Likes decision

POET,
parent company of POET Biorefining-Portland, is pleased with a recent decision by the California Court of Appeal on that state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

“We appreciate that the court recognized that state regulations must be based on solid science to deliver cleaner, more affordable options at the pump. This is now the second time the court has ruled that the California Air Resources Board has not followed the law in implementing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. We look forward to working with state officials to bring this program in line with the latest science,” POET president and chief operating officer Jeff Lautt said in a statement issued this week.

“Homegrown ethanol is America’s most abundant low-carbon fuel, and we must ensure that all renewable energy producers can compete on a level playing field against imported energy and fossil fuels. This is especially true given USDA’s recent research demonstrating ethanol has 43 percent lower greenhouse emissions than gasoline. This decision will require regulators to sit down, take a look at the science and finally get this right so there is a full range of renewable options available to California drivers who care deeply about their health and their climate.”



Poultry chief

Tyson Foods Inc., parent company of Tyson Mexican Original of Portland, has named Doug Ramsey as its president of poultry operations. He’ll succeed Noel White, who was promoted to chief operations officer in February.

Ramsey joined the company in 1992 and has a bachelor of science in agricultural business degree from Southern Arkansas University.



Moves forward

A race discrimination suit against Dollar General will move forward as a result of a ruling by a federal judge this week, The Chicago Tribune reported.

The judge ruled that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission met the proper requirements to file the suit back in 2013.

The lawsuit involves allegedly discriminatory use of criminal background checks when the company made decisions on hiring and firing.

Dollar General had argued that the EEOC didn’t give the company adequate notice of the alleged discrimination and didn’t provide an opportunity to change its practices.

U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood disagreed. 

"EEOC's notice provided Dollar General with enough information to investigate the allegations," Wood said in an 11-page opinion quoted by the Tribune. "Dollar General knew that the EEOC's allegations related to black applicants and employees who were not hired, not considered for employment, or discharged due to failing a background check.”

The company has declined comment on the pending suit.
PORTLAND WEATHER

Events

November

SU
MO
TU
WE
TH
FR
SA
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
27 28 29 30 31 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

To Submit an Event Sign in first

Today's Events

No calendar events have been scheduled for today.

250 X 250 AD