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Mon. Oct. 22, 2012 Mass. gas prices drop 7 cents a gallon The average price for gas in Massachusetts was $3.769 a gallon in the latest weekly AAA survey, down 7 cents from the previous week’s average, AAA Southern New England said Monday. Prices locally are down 7 cents over the past month. The current national average price is $3.67 a gallon. A year ago at this time, the Massachusetts average price was $3.42.	Advertisement
J.W. Childs agrees to sell its stake in CHG Healthcare Services CHG Healthcare Services, a health care staffing firm now controlled by the Boston-based private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates, said that two other investment firms plan to buy CHG, along with existing management. J.W. Childs has agreed to sell its stake in Utah-based CHG to Leonard Green & Partners and Ares Management LLC and the existing management of CHG; terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Eastern Bank is again the top SBA lender in Massachusetts Eastern Bank said it again ranks as the No. 1 Small Business Administration lender in Massachusetts, the fourth straight year it has done so. Boston-based Eastern Bank made 400 SBA loans in Massachusetts totaling more than $23 million, according to figures from the SBA’s Boston District Office. By SBA calculations, those loans collectively created nearly 500 jobs and retained about 1,700 others. Eastern Bank has about $8 billion in assets and more than 90 branches serving communities from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod.
Hasbro 3rd-qtr profit falls 4 pct, revenue drops PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Weakness in its boys and preschool categories globally and the stronger dollar pushed toy maker Hasbro Inc.’s third-quarter net income down by 4 percent. But the Pawtucket, R.I.-based company’s adjusted results topped Wall Street’s forecasts on Monday, and it remains confident heading into the critical holiday season, which is when toy makers can earn up to 40 percent of annual revenue. Chief financial officer Deborah Thomas said Hasbro was entering the holiday season with hot toys including its Marvel line.
Avid Technology shares tumble on 3Q outlook Avid Technology Inc. on Monday projected a wider loss and drop in revenue for the third quarter.
Alnylam, Genzyme form alliance Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Genzyme, both of Cambridge, said Monday that they have formed an exclusive alliance to develop and commercialize RNAi therapeutics for the treatment of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, or ATTR, in Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries. Under the terms of the agreement that also includes development milestone payments and tiered royalties, Genzyme will make an upfront cash payment of $22.5 million to Alnylam. ATTR is a rare hereditary disease that damages the nervous system and heart, resulting in a life expectancy of five to 15 years.
Somerville promotes urban agriculture, even chickens Somerville’s Board of Aldermen has adopted what the city is touting as the first urban agricultural ordinance in the state. The measure and other new regulations adopted by the Board of Health establish formal rules for farming in the city, including the cultivation of produce for sale, and the keeping of chickens and honey bees. The rules do not apply to home gardens.
New Wendy’s in Franklin aims to deliver a ‘wow experience’ Most folks think of Wendy’s as a place for a quick hamburger, but at a new Wendy’s in Franklin, customers will see a restaurant with flat-screen TVs and a fireplace, not to mention a menu with many more choices than burgers. “I think it will be a wow experience for customers who visit us in Franklin,” said Ray Arruda, field marketing manager for Ohio-based Wendy’s Co. Scheduled for Monday, the grand opening in Franklin is part of an initiative to reposition Wendy’s as a bit more upscale.
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals drug candidate gets OK from FDA advisory committee Shares of Cambridge-based Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. continued to move upward on news that a company drug candidate has moved closer to regulatory approval. On Wednesday, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended that the FDA approve lomitapide, a drug that seeks to lower cholesterol in patients with a rare genetic disorder called Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. The FDA indicated that it could make its decision on lomitapide in late December.
Vermont ski resort to run lift with power from manure KILLINGTON, Vt. — Vermont’s Killington ski resort says it’s going to power one of its lifts this season with electricity generated from methane gas recovered from cow manure. The resort is planning to power its K-1 Express Gondola with electricity generated through Green Mountain Power’s Cow Power program, which enables customers to purchase all or part of their electricity at a premium and support Vermont’s dairy farms
Jones Lang LaSalle Construction finishes renovation of Boston University lab Jones Lang LaSalle Construction said it has completed work as the general contractor for an interior renovation of a Boston University chemistry lab. The project to renovate the Translational Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory at 590 Commonwealth Ave. is valued at $7 million, and it was partly funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. The designer was William Wilson Associated Architects Inc.
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