Loose change

By CATHY KEIM

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 22, 2001

ON THE MOVE: Nearly all 45 manufacturing companies responding to a recent survey have located or relocated a plant in the past five years. And 27 percent said their new facilities were being located outside the United States, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI survey. The No. 1 factor behind location decisions: labor costs.

IN THE MOOD: Time Hotel in New York matches guests with rooms to fit their mood. At check-in, guests place a palm on a "mood pad" that turns color to reflect their disposition. They are then directed to the appropriate color-coded room: red (energizing), yellow (tranquilizing) or blue (calming).

CEOS AT PLAY: When the going gets stressful, some CEOs get out toys. For example, Delta Air Lines chief executive Leo Mullin dribbles a basketball when he's deep in thought. And Macquarium CEO Marc Adler has a "Mini Marc," a doll-size version of himself patterned after the Austin Powers character Mini Me.

HOG HEAVEN: Older and more affluent Americans are driving up motorcycle sales. Harley-Davidson sold 166,000 bikes last year, more than double the 67,000 it sold in 1994. Who's buying them? Last year, Harley buyers had a median age of 46 and a median income of $78,000.

4.6-MILLION: That many American families have at least $1-million, a study shows. But $1-million isn't what it used to be. The Consumer Price Index has risen 216 percent since 1980, so you would need $2.16-million today to buy what $1-million purchased two decades ago.

181,881 TONS: The United States imported that much olive oil in 1998, the most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Agriculture has data. The same year, just 4,100 tons of olive oil were produced in the United States.

- Compiled from Times wires by Cathy Keim.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright