David Barber named as new Barber Foods CEO

Barber Foods Executive Vice President David Barber has been named CEO of Portland-based company, succeeding Bruce Wagner, who had led Barber foods since 2007.

David Barber, son of Barber Foods’ founder Gus Barber, has worked full time at the company in a variety of roles since 1981.

A Barber Foods media release said Wagner was hired to lead the company during the recession and that his departure was always envisioned by Barber’s leadership.

“Bruce led us through an extremely challenging business environment. He implemented several processes that both enabled us to have positive financials during the recession and improve our safety, quality and service,” said Barber.

The media release added that Wagner will work with Barber during the next two months to facilitate the leadership change.

 

Home foreclosures drop for third straight quarter

Officials say home foreclosures are falling in Maine.

Bureau of Financial Institutions Superintendent Lloyd LaFountain III says there were 265 mortgage loans being foreclosed upon by state-chartered banks during the third quarter of 2010, the three-month period from July through September. That number was down from 297 loans in foreclosure during the previous quarter.

LaFountain says it’s the third straight quarter the numbers have fallen.

However, LaFountain cautions that his department is also seeing an increase in seriously delinquent mortgages, suggesting the foreclosure problem will persist this year.

 

Business leaders discuss concerns about red tape

About 50 business representatives this morning outlined some of the red tape they’d like to see removed by the incoming administration of Gov.-elect Paul LePage.

The representatives met at the Portland Regional Chamber to go over their concerns with Dan Demeritt, a spokesman for the LePage transition team. The Portland event was the last of the “Red Tape Audits” the incoming administration has held around the state with businesses, following through on LePage campaign pledges to do away with bureaucratic hurdles to economic growth.

Most of the concerns focused on environmental regulations, such as restrictions on development near wetlands or vernal pools, which are seasonal bodies of water. Other businesses complained about duplicative local and state regulation: Rick Snow, the owner of Maine Indoor Karting in Scarborough, said he’s required to get seven licenses from the town and state for various aspects of his indoor go-kart track.

Demeritt said the administration plans to work closely with a legislative regulatory reform committee and the department commissioners appointed by LePage will also be told to try to reduce what they consider overly burdensome rules.

 

Bankruptcies in U.S. slow considerably from ’08, ’07

The growth in bankruptcies around the country slowed significantly in 2010 from its breakneck pace in recent years, with about a dozen states recording a decline in filings from consumers and businesses, according to an Associated Press tally Tuesday.

Filings collected from the nation’s 90 bankruptcy districts showed 113,000 bankruptcies in December, down 3 percent nationwide from the same month a year ago. That followed a similar year-over-year decline for the month of October. It had been four years since an individual month showed such an improvement.

In total, the nation recorded 1.55 million filings in 2010, an increase of 8 percent from 2009 and a far slower growth rate than the 32 percent jump recorded in the year before and the 33 percent jump the year before that.

 

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