Thu. Nov. 17, 2011 Report: Fewer disposable bags used in Mass.
A new report finds that more supermarket shoppers in Massachusetts are taking home their groceries in reusable shopping bags. State environmental officials and a group representing food stores said today that there has been a 33 percent reduction in the use of disposable paper or plastic shopping bags since the state launched an initiative to encourage reusable bags in 2007. The goal was to reduce the number of shopping bags that are thrown away or wind up in landfills. Bain Capital to buy Physio-Control
Bain Capital is buying back Physio-Control, a maker of emergency heart defibrillators that the Boston investment firm previously owned and took public in 1995, in one of its most successful deals. Bain announced that it will pay $487 million in cash to acquire Physio-Control from Medtronic Inc., a publicly traded medical technology company in Minneapolis. When Bain last invested in the company, it put up about $8 million in equity in 1994 and reaped more than $176 million in an IPO sixteen months later. Most Toys “R” Us stores in Mass. will open at 1 a.m. on Black Friday
The Toys “R” Us retail chain said today that most of its Massachusetts stores will open at 1 a.m. on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and a day regarded by many people as the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Many national retailers have been scrambling to adjust their Black Friday plans because of Massachusetts blue laws, which prohibit employees from working before midnight on Thanksgiving Day. Estimate: Holiday retail sales in Mass. should rise 2.4 percent
Massachusetts holiday retail sales should increase by 2.4 percent, according to an estimate released this morning by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. To put that in some context, the National Retail Federation estimates that US holiday sales will increase 2.8 percent this year. Locally, the projected sales increase for 2011 holiday shopping season would mark the second straight year of holiday sales increases in Massachusetts; holiday sales in the Bay State had previously dropped three straight years since 2006. Mass. unemployment rate holds steady at 7.3%
The Massachusetts unemployment rate held steady at 7.3 percent in October as Bay State employers added 10,800 jobs, the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported this morning. October’s unemployment rate was the same as September’s, but in September, Massachusetts employers cut 5,500 jobs. The national unemployment rate is currently 9 percent. Amag hires advisor to explore strategic opportunities
Amag Pharmaceuticals Inc., which earlier this month announced job cuts and the resignation of its chief executive, said today that it has hired a strategic advisor to assist it in “identifying and evaluating various strategies to enhance stockholder value.” Amag added that it is reviewing a potential sale of the company as one of its options. The advisor is Jefferies & Company Inc. Agios secures $78m in Series C financing
Agios Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge biopharmaceutical company, said today that it has secured $78 million in an oversubscribed Series C financing. “Several new, undisclosed investors, including three leading, large public investment funds, joined Agios’ strategic partner Celgene and existing investors (ARCH Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, and Third Rock Ventures) in this round,” the company said. Agios is focused on the discovery and development of drugs in the emerging field of cancer metabolism. Dunkin’ Brands announces pricing of secondary offering
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., which initially began selling stock shares to the public in July, announced the offering by certain of its stockholders of 22 million shares of its common stock at a price of $25.62 per share. That was yesterday’s closing price for the company’s stock shares. Dunkin’ Brands is the Canton-based parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins. “The selling stockholders will receive all of the net proceeds from this offering,” the company said. “No shares are being sold by the company.” PTC supports program to inspire S. Dakota students to become engineers
Parametric Technology Corp., a Needham software company that also goes by the name PTC, is supporting a Department of Defense program in South Dakota that looks to develop a “workforce pipeline” that will produce the next generation of engineers. The Defense Department program is called STARBASE, and its goal is to motivate young people to study science, technology, engineering, and math --- disciplines collectively referred to as STEM. TripAdvisor partnerships will double its number of vacation rental property listings
The Newton-based travel site TripAdvisor has partnered with four international vacation rental websites to double its number of vacation rental property listings, the company announced today. The partnership -- with Interhome, based in Switzerland; Stayz, of Australia; Toprural, in Spain; and AKENA Technologies, of France – boosts the site’s international listings to more than 200,000. Patrick to lead trade mission to Chile, Brazil
Governor Deval Patrick is leading a trade mission to Chile and Brazil next month to promote economic development partnerships between Massachusetts and the South American nations. The state delegation that includes business and academic leaders as well as government officials is scheduled to visit Chile on Dec. 1-2 to advance partnership opportunities in the innovation economy. A larger delegation is scheduled to visit Brazil from Dec. 4-9 with stops in Brasilia, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro for visits to companies, universities, and government agencies. | 
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