Poole’s plans prompt Fed search

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said yesterday it will begin the search to replace current bank president William Poole, 70, who has said he planned to retire next year after serving two five-year terms. He began serving as president of the St. Louis Fed in March of 1998. Poole is a former economics professor at Brown University. The St. Louis Fed includes Arkansas and portions of Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

Ex-Qwest exec joins Providence Equity

Providence Equity Partners, a Providence-based private equity firm, yesterday said that Barry K. Allen, former Qwest Communications International executive vice president of operations, has joined the firm as a senior adviser. He will concentrate on telecommunications industry issues, new investment opportunities and certain existing investments. Before his retirement from Qwest in June, Allen was responsible for the company’s network and information technology operations. Previously, Allen was president of Ameritech Corp., where he began his career in 1974.

Slade’s Ferry loses longtime director

Slade’s Ferry Bancorp (SFBC:Nasdaq) said in a federal regulatory filing yesterday that William J. Sullivan, a director since 1985, died Sept. 4. Sullivan also had served as a director of Slade’s Ferry Trust Co., the company’s wholly owned subsidiary and was on the company’s executive committee and compensation committee.

R.I. gasoline prices hold steady

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island, after slipping for seven consecutive weeks, were unchanged yesterday, according to a survey by AAA Southern New England. Self-service regular averaged $2.679 a gallon, 14 cents less than a month ago. Rhode Island gasoline is 10 cents below the national average for regular. A year ago at this time, the average price in Rhode Island was $2.759 a gallon. The range in prices in the latest AAA survey is 20 cents, from a low of $2.599 to a high of $2.799.

Janitors ratify 5-year contract

A union representing about 12,000 janitors around New England, including about 500 in Rhode Island, said their members have ratified a new five-year contract that boosts wages and work hours. The five-year deal was reached last week between Local 615 of the Service Employees International Union and the Maintenance Contractors of New England. Terms of the master contract vary by geographic region. For Providence’s contracted janitors, the tentative agreement increases wages from the current $9 an hour to $9.30 an hour on Jan. 1, $9.75 on Jan. 1, 2009, $10.25 on Jan. 1, 2010, $10.75 on Jan. 1, 2011, and $11.25 on Jan. 1, 2012. The agreement increases sick days from the current two a year, on the following schedule: 3 on Jan. 1, 2008; 4 on Jan. 1, 2010; 5 on Jan. 1, 2011; and 6 on Jan. 1, 2012.

PURVIS awarded 2 Navy contracts

PURVIS Systems, of Middletown, said yesterday it has been awarded two contracts by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport. The larger of the two contracts, valued at an estimated $35 million and expected to be completed by 2012, will provide facilities systems and laboratories assigned to the Fleet Installation and Facility Management Branch of the Undersea Combat Systems Department. PURVIS will serve as the prime contractor for the project, with key supporting subcontractors including Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems, Advanced Solutions For Tomorrow and Gryphon Technologies LLC. The second, $1.7-million contract calls for PURVIS to provide program management and engineering services in support of NUWC’s Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department. The contract is expected to be completed by 2009, and PURVIS Systems will serve as the prime contractor, with subcontracting services provided by Northrop Grumman and Sakonnet Technology Group.

KVH on board with Mackay Communications

Middletown-based KVH Industries, a provider of in-motion satellite TV and communication systems, has announced that Mackay Communications will begin offering the new KVH TracPhone V7 as its exclusive maritime very small aperture terminal solution. The new service uses spread-spectrum technology to provide vessels with data reception rates as fast as 2 Mbps and data transmission rates as fast as 512 Kbps. In addition to offering the TracPhone, Mackay will also carry KVH’s award-winning line of TracVision marine satellite TV systems. Mackay, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is the largest high-seas service company in the U.S., providing marine services and solutions to mariners for more than 120 years. It has 14 offices covering all major port locations on three U.S. coastlines.

Textron a winner in finding, keeping talent

Providence-based Textron has been recognized by the American Productivity & Quality Center, aresource for process and performance improvement, as one of six best-practice partner organizations studied for excellence in recruiting, selecting and retaining talent. Others include Abbott Laboratories, Booz Allen Hamilton, Lincoln Financial Group, Microsoft and TELUS. During the process to find the top best-practice companies for recruiting, selecting and retaining the most talented professionals, Textron was distinguished for its exceptional performance and innovative approaches in establishing a rigorous process in a very competitive market. The selection committee specifically noted that Textron’s practices for leveraging external relationships to assist talent sourcing were exceptional.

Amerinet buys DataBay Resources

Amerinet, the national group purchasing organization for the health-care industry, announced yesterday the acquisition of DataBay Resources, a health-care business-intelligence organization that builds intuitive software tools, and Inquisit, a health-care education resource. Amerinet is based in St. Louis and has offices in Providence, Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh. DataBay provides Internet-based software tools as well as strategic analysis for health-care providers. Inquisit offers continuing education, learning-on-demand programs and customized education services for health care professionals. “It’s our goal to identify and invest in new technologies and services that help our members fulfill their mission,” said Amerinet president Todd C. Ebert. “These enhanced services will enable our members to better identify growth and profitability opportunities, as well as continue to develop a competitive work force.”

N.H. airport offers wifi parking spaces

The Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, N.H., has opened a cell-phone waiting lot where drivers can wait, for free, for arriving flights. The lot offers 30 spaces and free wifi, so drivers can go online while waiting for a call from arriving passengers. Drivers must stay with their cars in the lot. The airport says the lot will help drivers picking up passengers and ease traffic jams at the terminal doors.