Payam Tabibian has been on the run all his life. After fleeing Iran with his family more than 25 years ago, the entrepreneur has been moving from one small business to the next throughout his business career. Tabibian worked in fast-food chains throughout school and is now developing his own hamburger chain using knowledge gained… Read more »

Hailed as country music’s top recording duo for nearly two decades, Brooks & Dunn are ending their collaboration after a 2010 farewell tour. Coming together was the brainchild of Arista accountant Tim DuBois. The singers’ styles and personalities are quite different and, ultimately, these differences helped them know when it was time to end the… Read more »

Under the leadership of CEO Mark Parker, Nike is revamping its image and shifting its focus. Rather than ride its dominance in the athletic shoe market, Parker is following trends and repositioning Nike to capitalize on the digital age. Part of Parker’s strategy for Nike involves reducing staff and moving away from brand image. The… Read more »

By the narrowest of margins, the U.S. Senate voted to bring President Obama’s health care reform bill to the floor for debate. The 60-39 vote ensures there will be no filibuster, but does not guarantee that the bill will pass. Key Democrats that voted to move the bill forward express serious reservations about the way… Read more »

Toledo-based Lott Industries employs developmentally-disabled workers to perform light assembly work. Most of their contracts are with the automotive industry. Lott workers excel, allowing employees to earn good incomes to support themselves and, sometimes, other family members. In fact, Lott was awarded the prestigious Q1 status (highest quality rating) by Ford. While the slumping economy… Read more »

The 2009 National Football League season is more than halfway completed. The Washington Redskins won their third game by defeating the Denver Broncos 27-17. The team has not had many reasons to celebrate and their coach, former NFL player Jim Zorn has been criticized and rumored to be on his way out. Yet for this… Read more »

The new limited-release film “Precious” owes its existence to an unusual pair. Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness are no strangers to business success, but not in the film industry. Their unlikely partnership with film producer Lee Daniels is rocking movie-making status quo and providing capital for a script that had been shunned by Hollywood. QUESTIONS:… Read more »

In the face of one of the toughest economic recessions in recent memory, many companies are increasing the amount of cash reserves they maintain. Even with claims that the economy is improving, companies continue to stockpile cash and increase these reserves. Stockpiling seems to be highest in the technology sector, but giants like Alcoa and… Read more »

Pink Martini is a musical group that is hard to define. They are part classical, part jazz, and, by the group’s admission, part Latin. One thing is certain, they do have a loyal international following. When asked about the composition of two of their latest songs, an interesting creative-collaborative process is described. QUESTIONS: Why is… Read more »

In one of the more celebrated government bailouts, General Motors received $58 billion in taxpayer money to stay in business. The auto maker still filed for bankruptcy protection and emerged from that process with the federal government holding a 60 percent stake in the company. Now members of Congress are seizing the opportunity by putting… Read more »