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| The Edge: Valley Growers take on Co-op greenhouses |
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By: ERIN EDGEMON, Business Columnist
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Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010 5:51 am
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Beginning in February, Valley Growers will operate approximately 14 greenhouses at the Rutherford County Co-op located at 980 Middle Tennessee Boulevard.
Valley Growers, which has operated in Lascassas for nearly 10 years, will grow and sell plants from the greenhouses at the Co-op, confirmed nursery owner Susie Tramel.
The shop at the Co-op will be called Valley Growers Too. The Lascassas location will remain open as well.
Tramel said she wanted to take on the new shop because “we grow our own product. It is a wonderful product that we stand by.
“We are looking for any opportunities to expand,” she said, adding that she just wants to get Valley Growers products exposed to more people as Murfreesboro continues to grow.
Valley Growers Too will grow and sell everything from annual bedding plants to specialty annuals and perennials.
“We specialize in our own mixed containers that you can’t buy anywhere,” Tramel said.
Valley Growers in Lascassas will reopen Feb. 4. The shop will only be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday throughout the month, and will reopen full time beginning in March.
•••
Lack of homebuilding and the poor economy forced Floors and More to close its showroom last week in Thai Corner at 315 Robert Rose Blvd.
Owner Jack Butchareon, who opened the showroom in 2007, said the hardwood flooring business he’s owned for about 10 years will still remodel homes and install hardwood floors and tile. Customers may call him at 364-3626 or his partner Phouvieng Phounsavath at 995-8732 for work.
Hand-carved and craft items imported from his native Thailand will be sold at wife Bubpha’s Bangkok Cake restaurant next door.
Floors and More was hurt by a lack of rosewood from Thailand because the cost of shipping the hardwood increased due to customs, Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, Butchareon said.
Butchareon traveled to Thailand last week to obtain a supply of the hardwood flooring.
“Thank you for the customers during the past 10 years of being in business,” he said.
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Ready to file your income taxes?
The Internal Revenue Service and its private-sector partners now have Free File available online. Most taxpayers can have free use of helpful tax preparation software and free electronic filing of the federal tax returns.
There are many new tax breaks this filing season and Free File software can make it easier for people to find all the credits and deductions they are due.
Taxpayers must go through www.IRS.gov homepage or www.IRS.gov/freefile to access the free options.
Free File comes in two formats: Traditional Free File, which is available to taxpayers who meet specific criteria and Free File Fillable Forms, which is available to almost all taxpayers.
Approximately 70 percent of the nation’s taxpayers, some 98 million people who meet the $57,000 income limit, are eligible for the user-friendly Traditional Free File. Traditional Free File provides step-by-step software help that asks simple questions and puts the answers on the correct tax forms.
Traditional Free File can help taxpayers identify new tax credits or deductions under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for which they may be eligible. There are many new and expanded benefits for energy conservation, new car purchases, college tuition and first-time homebuyers.
Taxpayers must go through IRS.gov to access Free File. Each company sets its own eligibility criteria. For example, generally, eligibility criteria are based on state residency, age, income or military service. However, an individual or family with income of $57,000 will find tax preparation software they can use.
Taxpayers either can read over the company offers by clicking “I Will Choose a Company” or get a little help in making the selection by clicking “Help Me Find a Company.” With a little information, the tool will display those company offers for which taxpayers may be eligible.
For taxpayers who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns, there’s Free File Fillable Forms. Almost everyone is eligible for this service. There are no income limits and almost all tax forms are available.
This service provides electronic versions of IRS paper forms. Taxpayers can complete the tax forms online and file electronically. The fillable forms perform simple math functions, but do not use the question-and-answer software format.
By using the free e-file option, taxpayers also get the benefits of a fast refund, reduced error rate and a quick acknowledgement. By using e-file and direct deposit, taxpayers can get a refund in as few as 10 days. If people owe taxes, they also can control their payments and set a date such as April 15 for electronic payment. The error rate for an e-filed return is 1 percent, compared to 20 percent for a paper return. Unlike paper filers, e-filing taxpayers also will receive an acknowledgement that the IRS has received and accepted or rejected their returns.
Taxpayers who are eligible for the $8,000 or the $6,500 first-time homebuyer credit will not be able to e-file because they must attach proof of purchase to their tax return. However, these taxpayers still can use Free File to prepare their tax forms and then print and mail the returns to the IRS.
Free File is available 24-hours a day through April 15. For taxpayers who request an extension to file their federal returns, Free File will be available through Oct. 15.
•••
Bondware Inc. has promoted Matt Brandon to vice-president of its Bondware Web Solutions division.
Brandon joined Bondware directly out of college in 2007 and has worked in customer support, software development and business management roles at the company.
He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He is currently working on a master’s in business administration degree at MTSU. He and his wife, Lauren, reside in Murfreesboro.
"Matt has done a great job for us," said Tim Choate, president of Bondware Inc. "His technical, business and people skills made him a natural choice for this position."
Bondware Inc. is a nine-year-old web technology company that provides affordable, web-based software to organizations allowing them to self-manage their web sites. The company also owns and operates e-commerce Web sites based upon its software. To learn more, please visit www.bondware.com.
•••
The Barclay Group, a Dunedin, Fla. based full service commercial real estate company, is participating with North American Development Group in the development of the “Market at Salem Cove” Murfreesboro.
The center is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of state Route 99 and St. Andrews Drive and will be anchored by a Publix Grocery. Publix is scheduled to open in November of 2010.
The $10 million development, resting on 14 acres, will house a 45,600 square-foot Publix Food Store, 16,756-square feet of retail shop space and two out parcels when completed.
The Barclay Group, with offices in Florida and Arizona, has completed developments for Target, Home Depot, Ross, Office Max, Fry’s Food and Drug, Albertsons, Petco, Kohl’s, Michael’s Arts and Crafts, Petsmart, Marshall’s, Food4Less, Safeway, Kash n Karry and Food Lion.
North American Development Group and its affiliate companies have been active participants in the development, acquisition and redevelopment of over 125 shopping centers comprising in excess of 17,000,000 square feet of gross leasable area.
Erin Edgemon can be reached at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com. |
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