Briefcase
Abercrombie & Fitch store leaving River Park Square
The Abercrombie & Fitch store on the second level of River Park Square has closed, mall Vice President Robert Smith said Thursday.
He said the decision not to renew the A&F lease on its 8,000-square-foot space was a mutual one.
The store had been in the mall 10 years, Smith said. “It was time to move on.”
He said the mall is already talking with potential replacement tenants.
“We’re out there finding merchants that are most desirable,” he said.
River Park Square is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.
A call to Abercrombie & Fitch for comment was not returned.
Bert Caldwell
UI partners with Danish school
University of Idaho management students can have some Danish with their business courses, starting in 2012.
The UI College of Business and Economics is forging a graduate-level certificate program with the Aarhus School of Business at Aarhus University in Denmark. Students will travel to the other country to study business practices.
UI professor Rick Edgeman said classroom sessions will be complemented by visits to companies to reinforce lessons. The program will culminate with a project. He said the Danish version may become a module in the Aarhus MBA program.
It’s expected that the program will appeal most to full-time employees taking graduate-level courses to augment their skills.
Tom Sowa
HP board faces overhaul
SAN FRANCISCO – Hewlett-Packard Co. is overhauling its board of directors.
Four of HP’s current board members aren’t standing for re-election at HP’s annual meeting in March: Joel Hyatt, John Joyce, Bob Ryan and Lucille Salhany.
HP did not say why the directors were leaving.
The world’s biggest technology company by revenue has taken heat for the ouster of former CEO Mark Hurd six months ago in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.
Thursday’s shake-up is the first sweeping change under HP’s new leadership. With Hurd gone, HP’s leadership now consists of Ray Lane, a former Oracle Corp. executive who took over as HP’s chairman, and CEO Leo Apotheker, formerly the CEO of business software maker SAP AG.
Associated Press
GM’s Mexico plant to get jobs
MEXICO CITY – General Motors is investing $540 million to build fuel-efficient engines at its plant in central Mexico.
Labor Secretary Javier Lozano says the plant in the city of Toluca will produce lower-emission 1.6 and 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engines for export. The investment will provide 500 new jobs.
President Felipe Calderon praised the investment at a ceremony Thursday, calling it another sign of recovery for Mexico’s auto industry.
Associated Press
Arby’s sees uncertain future
ATLANTA – Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. is considering selling its struggling Arby’s business and concentrating more on its better-performing Wendy’s hamburger chain.
The Atlanta restaurant operator has seen softer sales at both its Wendy’s and Arby’s locations, but Arby’s has struggled more because its sandwiches – which can cost $5 or more – are more expensive than many other fast-food offerings.
The company announced in November that it would be coming out with lower-priced options at Arby’s but now has decided to explore other options, including potentially shedding the business.
Associated Press