Go global
The U.S. Commerce Department”™s Middletown office is offering a free webinar series to help Connecticut businesses break into international export markets.
At deadline, organizers had yet to finalize the calendar, which starts with a Jan. 25 webinar on letters of credit followed by one Feb. 16 on export documentation.
“Even in a tough economy, export-driven business profits earned by Connecticut companies continue to shatter records,” Denise Merrill, Connecticut secretary of state, said in a statement. “Connecticut companies exported more than $16 billion in goods and services in 2010 and we want to encourage the growth of this market as much as possible.”
Registration is available online at www.export.gov/connecticut. Other topics will include compliance, international standards, and making a company website “global friendly.”
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Sun hires Pepsi CFO
Sun Products Corp. hired Al Drewes as its chief financial officer, a position he held with Pepsi Bottling Group Inc.
Wilton-based Sun Products brands include Wisk and Snuggle laundry detergent.
Drewes was with PepsiCo Inc. since 1982. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and holds an MBA from Columbia University.
Campus energy investing
Education Growth Partners made an unspecified investment in Sightlines L.L.C, a Guilford company that helps colleges analyze energy usage and other building operations.
Sightlines software also provides benchmarking against peer institutions, with some 320 campuses in three-dozen states using the system.
Launched in 2010 by Peter Campbell and Christopher Curran, Education Growth Partners has offices in Stamford and Boston focusing on investments in the education and corporate training sectors.
Starwood in Lone Star deal
Starwood Capital Group acquired a commercial loan portfolio totaling $312 million from an unspecified bank in the Southwest, with 70 percent of the loans concentrated in Texas.
Greenwich-based Starwood Capital did not disclose financial terms.
“These loan portfolios are an important part of our ongoing strategy where we work directly with bank managements to structure transactions that fulfill their needs and also meet our own investment criteria,” Chris Graham, managing director for Starwood Capital, said in a statement. “We expect to continue to pursue similar transactions in the near future.”
SkyWorks lands airline deal
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. is hiring Greenwich-based SkyWorks Capital L.L.C. to help restructure financing and leases related to its aircraft fleet.
SkyWorks did consulting work for American Airlines in 2003, and has also assisted Delta, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, among other companies.
SkyWorks, which is led by Thomas Mahr, will be compensated for aircraft sold and based on other financial benchmarks.
Ameriprise office moves
An Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. unit is relocating within Southport to 2507 Post Road.
Feinstein, Forma and Associate is leasing about 1,500 square feet of space at the building, whose owner Investment Capital Partners Inc. was represented by Westport-based Vidal/Wettenstein.
Fieldpoint expands in NYC
Fieldpoint Private Bank & Trust is leasing new space in New York City at 400 Park Ave.
In May 2011, Greenwich-based Fieldpoint acquired Manhattan-based Analytic Asset Management, which is changing its name to Fieldpoint Private Advisors Inc.
Bank sets nonprofit deadline
Stamford-based First County Bank set a March 31 deadline for nonprofits to apply for grants from its foundation, which awarded nearly $600,000 last year to more than 100 agencies.
To be eligible, grant seekers must have nonprofit tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and serve Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk or Westport.
“First County Bank Foundation is on a mission to find new nonprofits to benefit from our grant program,” said Rey Giallongo, CEO of First County Bank.
