Acorda Therapeutics Inc., the Hawthorne company that sells a drug for people with multiple sclerosis, said this morning its third-quarter loss more than doubled to $18.9 million from $8.5 million last year.

On a per-share basis, the company lost 53 cents in the quarter that ended in September, compared with 30 cents last year.
Acorda, which markets the drug Zanaflex, said sales rose to $12.44 million from $10.44 million.

But the company pumped more money into its research and development efforts, spending $8.7 million, compared with $5.6 million last year. The company said the research and development expenses were related to its bid to market Fampridine-SR, a drug to help people with multiple sclerosis walk.

“We made significant progress this quarter in preparing a new drug application for Fampridine-SR, which we expect to submit electronically to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the first quarter of 2009,” Dr. Ron Cohen, the company’s president and chief executive, said in a statement released by the company. “We also concluded a series of meetings with four European regulatory agencies, and as a result are planning to file a marketing authorization application for Fampridine-SR in Europe in 2009.”

Acorda shares were at $21.79 in the early minutes of trading this morning, up 37 cents. On the year, the shares are down by less than 1 percent.

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. announced three executive appointments to its management team.

Rob King, whose role as president of Pepsi Bottling Group North America gave him oversight of the company’s business in the United States and Canada since 2006, will expand his responsibilities to include Mexico.

Brent Franks has been named president of Pepsi Bottling Group Mexico. Franks has served as senior vice president of global sales and chief customer officer since 2006.

Victor Crawford has been named senior vice president of worldwide operations and system transformation. He has served as senior vice president of worldwide operations since 2006.

PepsiCo Inc., the Purchase-based beverage and snack food giant, will continue its expansion in rapidly growing international markets through its plans to invest $1 billion in China during the next four years.

PepsiCo and its bottlers, which already employ more than 22,000 people in China, expect to add thousand of additional jobs in the world’s largest country.

Nooyi is making a four-day visit to China this week to meet with government officials and local business executives. She also will tour PepsiCo’s operations in China.

China is one of PepsiCo’s fastest-growing international markets. Many of the company’s biggest brands are produced and sold in China, including Pepsi, Frito-Lay snacks, Tropicana juices, Quaker foods and Gatorade sports drinks.

“We are enormously confident in the continued prosperity of China,” Nooyi said. “We look forward to building an even brighter future here.”

PepsiCo, which reported 2007 revenues of more than $39 billion, does business in about 200 countries. Last year, 44 percent of the company’s sales originated outside the United States. The international markets provide important geographic diversification to PepsiCo as it looks to overcome a slower U.S. market hurt by a weakening economy.

Environmental Power Corp. of Tarrytown said that it hopes to use proceeds from the sale of convertible notes to fund the construction and operation of the renewable energy projects that are under development by its subsidiary Microgy Inc.

Environmental Power said that the offering will raise at least $10 million and possibly as much as $25 million. The notes will be offered with at a proposed interest rate of 13 percent per year.

The company said its Microgy subsidiary specializes in technology that looks to extract methane gas from animal wastes to generate energy.

“We are very pleased to begin this important phase in the company’s history,” Chief Executive Officer Richard Kessel said in a written statement. “Proceeds will be used to advance…projects that are ready to go, with all permits, tax-exempt debt financing, and off-take agreements in place.”

ITT Corp. of White Plains said that it has been awarded a contract to help build a wastewater treatment plant in Oman. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. ITT is a major provider of pumps and systems for the movement and treatment of water and wastewater. The plant, which will be Oman’s largest, is designed to reuse the treated wastewater for irrigation or for sea discharge in winter months when it opens in 2011.

As private-sector layoffs mount in a troubled economy, one major employer—Uncle Sam—- is adding staff in a big way.

The U.S Census Bureau expects to hire 500 to 700 field workers in Westchester and Rockland counties by the spring of 2009 to get ready for the upcoming 2010 census.

These workers will go into the field to verify more than 500,000 addresses in the region with hand-held computers. That address verification occurs before the Census Bureau mails questionaires to area households in March 2010.

The census, conducted every ten years, is a count of every person living in the United States. The process, required by the U.S. Constitution, determines Congressional apportionment and helps determine distribution of more than $300 billion in federal funds to communities each year.

“Census 2010 is certain to prove very challenging and rewarding for anyone who becomes a part of the operation,” says New York Regional Director Lester A. Farthing. “Many jobs can last several weeks up to one to two years, and the experience is invaluable. Working for the U.S Census Bureau provides people the chance to utilize a wide spectrum of skills.”

At the operation’s peak, the bureau expects to employ 1.3 million workers across the country, making it the largest temporary civilian employee workforce in history.

The Census Bureau is anticipating increased applications for positions that can pay $14 to $22 an hour with the private job market hurt by the global financial crisis and a weakening economy. Jobs are available in such areas as clerical, recruiting assistants and field workers.

“We are still in the early stages of recruiting but it would appear that there is strong interest,” said Patrica Valle, assistant regional census manager for the New York Regional Census Center.

How can someone apply? They must be at least 18 years old. They also must earn a passing score of 70 on a half-hour test with 28 multiple choice questions. The tests will be given at multiple sites in the region. To schedule the time and place for a test, residents of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties can call the Census Bureau at 866-861-2010 (toll free).

The Census Bureau expects to open an office in Harrison by early 2009 and an office in Rockland by the fall of 2009.

“The earlier that someone takes the test and gets included in the system, the earlier they are eligible to be hired for the positions that are available,” said Bill Harfmann, the census recruiting coordinator in Westchester and Rockland.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. of White Plains said that it has completed the sale of three hotels in Italy for $212 million to Estcapital-SGR S.p.A., an Italian real estate company. The hotels involved in the sale are the 196-room Westin Excelsior in Venice Lido, Italy, the 191-room Hotel Des Bains in Venice Lido, Italy and the 31-room Villa Cipriani in Asolo, Italy. The deal was originally announced in January.

Net income surged 80 percent at Universal American Corp. during the third quarter as the Rye Brook-based health insurer enrolled more members in its health insurance plans and withstood losses on troubled investments.

Richard Barasch, chairman and chief executive officer, said the company benefited from membership growth of 16.4 percent in its Medicare Advantage HMO business, including an increase of 183 percent in Oklahoma, Dallas and Milwaukee.

Universal American also reported higher profits and revenues in its Medicare Part D business covered under the federal government program that provides prescription drug benefits for senior citizens.

The global financial crisis affected the company through pre-tax losses and impairments of $12.1 million on its its investments, or 1.1 percent of its investment portfolio. The company disclosed that it has been hurt by exposure to troubled subprime mortgage investments and Lehman Brothers, the Manhattan-based investment bank that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

“Over the past several months, we have adopted a more conservative approach to our investment portfolio, which focuses more on capital preservation than on generation of investment yield,” Barasch said.

Spar Group Inc., a marketing company based in Tarrytown, reported a net loss of $117,000, or 1 cent per share during the third quarter, an improvement from a net loss of $1.7 million, or 9 cents per share, a year earlier.

Net revenues for the quarter rose 20 percent to $17.3 million from $14.4 million a year ago.

Acadia Realty Trust, a real-estate investment trust based in White Plains, reported net income of $4.99 million, or 15 cents a share, during the third quarter, down from $8.49 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier.

Total revenues rose to $27.3 million from $23.9 million. Acadia’s properties include neighborhood and community shopping centers in major metropolitan areas.

“We are pleased with our current quarter results,” Kenneth F. Bernstein, president and chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “However, we are acutely aware of the current distress in the capital markets and the clear signs that the consumer is cutting back wherever possible. No business or portfolio is immune to these economic forces.”

Profits more than tripled at Jarden Corp. during the third quarter as the Rye-based consumer products company benefited from past acquisitions and budget-minded consumers buying the company’s home-oriented products in a slow economy.

Jarden shares surged nearly 17 percent in trading today after the company’s earnings and revenues exceeeded the expectations of industry analysts.

“Our diversified business model delivered another record quarter, with organic sales growth and increased segment earnings in each of our three primary business segments,” Martin E. Franklin, chairman and chief executive officer, said in a written statement.

Jarden’s net sales increased 10 percent to $1.5 billion during the quarter. Net income of $63.8 million, or 83 cents a share, surged from net income of $21.2 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier.

Investors have been worried that the slowing economy and global financial crisis will hurt consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

Some of the hardest hit sectors have been auto companies, home builders and refrigerator manufacturers that sell big-ticket items that consumers can delay buying in tough times. But Jarden may be less exposed to the slowdown because it generally sells hundreds of less expensive items such as Ball canning jars, Diamond matches, clothespins, plastic forks, toothpicks and straws.

Such products still have a “relevance” to the budget-minded consumer, even in tough economic times, according to Franklin.

“We have often said that the more time consumers spend in and around the home the better it is for many of our businesses and we experienced this particularly in our Ball fresh preserving business, First Alert safety systems, Coleman outdoor equipment and in the FoodSaver appliance category in the third quarter,” Franklin said.

Since Franklin took over as CEO in September 2001, he has built the company through a series of acquisitions that added a diverse mix of brands. Last year, Jarden bought fishing gear maker Pure Fishing Inc. and K2 Inc., the manufacturer of Rawlings sports equipment and Völkl skis.

“In these uncertain times we are particularly pleased that we have maintained our strong liquidity position as we head into our highest cash flow quarter of the year,” Franklin said.

Jarden shares rose $2.32 to $16.08 in trading today on the New York Stock Exchange.

Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who chairs the state Commission on Property Tax Relief, met yesterday with the 45-member board of directors of the Business Council of Westchester to discuss property tax cap legislation before the state Legislature. Afterward, directors of the Harrison-based business group said they would urge their membership to write and call legislators to support the cap, the key recommendation in the commission’s preliminary report in June. Council Executive Director Marsha Gordon said businesses need to lobby now for the cap as the Legislature prepares to hold a special session starting Nov. 18 to address the state budget crisis. Board Chairman Stephen J. Jones said that “this current fiscal crisis in Albany, I hope, is a unique opportunity to implement needed change.” The commission’s final report is due Dec. 1.

Knickerbocker Lofts, SoHo-style live-work residences in New Rochelle, recently named Houlihan Lawrence Project Marketing as its exclusive sales and marketing agent. Houlihan Lawrence Project Marketing will manage Knickerbocker Lofts’ sales office and be responsible for executing Knickerbocker Lofts’ marketing strategy.

PepsiCo Inc., the beverage and snack food company based in Purchase, said this morning it has an agreement to buy Spitz International Inc., which markets sunflower and pumpkin seeds in Canada.

Spitz will continue its Canadian operations in Bow Island and Medicine Hat, Alberta and report into Frito-Lay North America.
Pepsi said the acquisition is part of Frito-Lay’s plan to increase its nuts and seeds business.

Spitz seeds are distributed all over Canada and available in the United States.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Blue Horse Digital in Croton said that it has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington to catalog, digitize and make thousands of the department’s videotapes accessible on the computer desktops of authorized users.

The televisions that guests watch at 460 North American hotels are big energy hogs for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.

That’s because the average hotel television runs six to eight hours during a typical day. Guests commonly waste even more energy when they leave their rooms without turning off the sets.

Looking to cut its energy bills, White Plains-based Starwood is embarking on an ambitious program that could see it install at least 80,000 energy efficient TVs at its North American hotels. Starwood anticipates that the payoff could be a $12 million reduction in energy costs over seven years.

Starwood may invest as much as $100 million in the TVs.

The typical hotel room with one television and three light bulbs uses about 455 watts of energy daily, according to Philips. Replacing these with Philips SmartPower TVs and energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs can reduce the energy use to 153 watts.

“This is a defining agreement for us, and is indicative of the fundamental change in mindset we have implemented around procurement and sourcing, and the partners we want to work with to achieve this,” said Paul Davis, senior vice president of global sourcing at Starwood. “Philips has shown us that it is easy to simultaneously provide our guests with the very latest technology while making a sound business decision that significantly impacts costs and reduces energy consumption.”

Solucorp Industries Ltd. of West Nyack announced an agreement with 1 Lane Technologies Corp. to use Solucorp’s technology to clean up heavy metals contamination at closed industrial sites in much of the world. The agreement excludes North America, South America, Central America, Russia, and China. Solucorp said that it will receive $1 million in cash and $4 million in stock from Delaware-based 1 Lane in exchange for the exclusive licensing rights.

The Navigators Group Inc., a New York-based insurance holding company with offices in Rye Brook, reported net income of $1 million, or 6 cents a share during the third quarter, down from net income of $25 million, or $1.47 a share, a year earlier.

“Navigators is a major participant in offshore energy insurance, consequently, losses from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike adversely impacted what would have been another very solid quarter for the company,” Chief Executive Officer Stan Galanski said in a written statement.

As business leaders from Westchester County mingled with their counterparts yesterday from China, South Korea, Japan, Scotland and Australia at an international business conference, there were differences in languages but common anxieties about the direction of the global economy.

Stock markets across the world have plunged for months as an economic crisis spread like a virus from the United States to countries rich and poor. The downward spiral in the markets continued yesterday as the 120 attendees at the ninth annual Global Digital City Network Conference were given presentations focused on technology.

Grayson Perry, who traveled 20 hours from Australia to Westchester for the conference, said the meeting at the Hilton Rye Town was a good place to share survival strategies with attendees from other countries. Australia’s stock market is down about 40 percent for the year, compared with a drop of 42 percent for the S&P 500 index in the United States.

“A conference such as this is really an opportunity to find solutions,” said Perry, manager of economic development for the Gold Coast City Council in Australia. “We are talking to other city delegates who are here to look at how they are riding out the economic strains in their own cities to see if there are any answers for us.”

Organizers said that attendance was probably lower than normal this year because businesses were reluctant to pay for the trip at a time of economic uncertainty and depressed sales.

Amy Allen, managing director for advocacy and international business at the Westchester County Association, said there is an acknowledgement among delegates that the crisis is a universal problem.

“The world is seeing the same impact that we are seeing in the States,” Allen said. “People are looking for new and different ways to develop business. If you can do it virtually or by coming to a conference like this, it can be vital, especially during challenging times.”

The growth of the Internet, instantaneous communications and international trade helped bring the world closer together and lift billions of people out of poverty. That was the bright message presented during a formal presentation by Thomas Moebus, a vice president at the Levin Graduate Institute of International Relations in New York City.

But after his speech, Moebus added that the world might be at a crossroads in which the financial crisis could cause serious damage.

“There’s not going to be as much credit available,” Moebus said. “The free flow of capital around the world will slow. A lot of people’s plans for expansion are going to be cut back. Overall spending is going to be cut back.”