--(www.USEquityNews.com)-- 08/25/2008 - Business Services industry alert provided by U.S. Equity News. G&K Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: GKSR), a market leader in branded identity apparel programs and facility services, announced recently that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share, an increase of forty percent from its previous quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share. "We're pleased significantly increase the quarterly dividend for the third consecutive year," said Jeffrey Wright, senior vice president and chief financial officer. "Increasing the quarterly dividend, demonstrates confidence in our strategic plan, our ability to generate strong free cash flow and our commitment to increasing shareholder returns." The company has paid a dividend for thirty-nine consecutive years since going public in 1969. Moving forward, the company expects to increase its dividend periodically, subject to future financial performance and capital requirements.
ELM Technologies, Inc. (Other OTC:ETGS.PK) recently announced that Martha Green Milburn, R.N., M.H.A., a healthcare and nurse management expert, has joined the Company's Advisory Board. "Ms. Milburn (Marty) brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to ELM from her years of experience in some of the largest healthcare organizations in the world -- as an administrator and nurse. Marty is also an avid supporter of the healthcare workforce model," said Barbara Rivera, President of ELM Technologies. "She is going to be a terrific advisor and we're excited and honored that she has chosen to work with us." "ELM is doing an incredible job providing workforce optimization solutions that address the human capital management crisis currently facing long-term care," stated Marty Green Milburn. "I have been particularly impressed with the EmLogis GENERATOR(TM) workforce modeling system and the company's commitment to integration and implementation. I look forward to working with and learning from the other advisory board members to help guide this company's inspiring growth and make a difference in the industry." About Martha Green Milburn, R.N., M.H.A. Marty Green Milburn is a published healthcare administration analyst and registered nurse with a Masters Degree in Hospital and Health Care administration from the University of Iowa and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Kansas. Among Green Milburn's many nursing endeavors, she completed preceptorships in Stanford University's Operating Rooms, Palo Alto, California and in Administration for Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa.
Ableauctions.com Inc. (AMEX:AAC) (the "Company") announced recently that it is actively seeking a strategic partner or a potential purchaser for its live auction broadcast service operations. These operations include the operations of iCollector.com Technologies Ltd., the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, which broadcasts antique and collectible auctions over the Internet for numerous galleries and auction houses throughout the world, and the business and industrial auctions conducted over the Internet for auctioneers and members of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA). Management has decided to pursue this option as a result of eBay's decision to wind down the operations of its eBay Live Auctions platform effective December 31, 2008. The sale, consolidation or merger of the Company's live auction broadcast services may offer synergies and increasing returns to scale. Ableauctions.com Inc. (AMEX "aac") is a high-tech liquidator and on-line auction facilitator that operates the domains iCollector.com, Naalive.com and Unlimited Closeouts.com. As an on-line auction facilitator, the Company, with the experience of over 3,000 auctions, has developed state-of-the-art technology to broadcast auctions over the Internet (www.ableauctions.com/technology) and currently provides the technology and related services to auction houses, enabling them to broadcast auctions over the Internet. The Company broadcasts business and industrial auctions over the Internet for auctioneers and members of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) and art, antique and collectible auctions for numerous galleries and auction houses around the world through eBay Live Auctions.
American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: APEI) - parent company of online learning provider American Public University System, which operates through American Military University and American Public University - announced recently that it has been informed by its largest shareholder, ABS Capital Partners, that the shareholder is undertaking a limited distribution of 400,000 shares to its partners. CEO Wally Boston commented that: "ABS Capital Partners informed us recently that they are taking this action, which is intended to bring their ownership below 25% of the company and which under U.S. Department of Education regulations is deemed to be a change in ownership and control requiring review by the Department in order for APUS to reestablish eligibility and continue participation in the federal student financial aid programs. As we have previously disclosed, we viewed it as inevitable that ABS Capital Partners would go below the 25% level, and now that they are taking this action we will be able to move forward with the required regulatory process that, when completed, will remove a regulatory hurdle that otherwise creates timing and execution constraints to certain future financings and acquisitions we may undertake. We will formally notify the Department of Education of this distribution and the deemed change in ownership and control. We expect that the Department's formal review process will be completed by the end of September. Based on Department regulations and consultation with the Department, we currently expect that APUS will move back into provisional status with respect to participation in federal student financial aid programs. While provisional status will mean certain enhanced regulatory reviews and processes, at this time we do not expect it to have an impact on our business results. Since we moved off provisional status earlier this summer, we received approval for several new degree programs including our Education programs, and we do not expect our current plans for growth will be affected by moving back to provisional status." Additional information on certification by the Department of Education and the impact of provisional certification is contained in Item 1 of APEI's Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading "Regulation of our Business."
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