Latest news with #Markley
Int'l Business Times
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Int'l Business Times
Businesses With 'DEI' in Their Names Suffer Backlash After Conservatives Make False Connections to Diversity Initiatives
Owners of businesses with the letters "DEI" in their names have voiced their frustrations at becoming swept up in the Trump administration's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion despite having nothing to do with policies associated with "wokeness". Ohio resident David Markley, who owns a firm that manufactures car parts called Design Engineering Inc. (DEI), voiced his frustrations about becoming embroiled in an agenda unrelated to him to the Wall Street Journal. "You're reading these headlines: 'DEI is wrong,' 'Terrified of the aftermath of DEI,'" said Markley. "It's disheartening when somebody's, like, bashing your baby." Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has pursued multiple courses of action and signed various executive orders with the goal of eliminating DEI related federal and private programs. However, these efforts often have unintended consequences, such as the impact on Markley's business. Earlier this year, the Pentagon removed images of Enola Gay, an aircraft piloted by Paul Tibbets that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, from its website due to the inclusion of the word "Gay". The aircraft was named after its pilots mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Markley shared how his business had already been embroiled in problems relating to its name due to the existence of former race team Dale Earnhhardt Inc., with which it shared initials. Design Engineering Inc. was often confused with the team, and frequently recieved phone calls intended for the team instead. "We finally got over that hump," said Markley. "Then the new DEI came. It's just like, oh, God, not again." Restaurant supply company owner Ricardo Gomez faced similar issues due to his company's name, DEI equipment. Gomez got the idea from the latin word "dei", meaning divine. "I'm a minority that owns a business—it's not that I'm against it," said Gomez. "We're very, very careful about doing anything that will offend anybody from either side." Originally published on Latin Times
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide. Downtown Boston's may survive, thanks to the data center upstairs.
That's when a data center developer bought the building and made the block more about computing power than clothing sales. Even with all the server space that's now on the upper floors, the remaining Macy's store spans nearly 400,000 square feet across three levels, and serves as an important anchor for Boston's central business district. Losing what was once the flagship of the Jordan Marsh chain would be a blow to the city — and, in particular, to a downtown still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Related : Advertisement It's a good thing for Boston that Macy's doesn't own the block. Real estate sales are often viewed by struggling retail chains as a quick way to make a decent buck. On a recent earnings call, chief executive Tony Spring boasted of 'asset sale gains' of $144 million in the past year from store closings, presumably reflecting sales of shuttered properties. No such fast money can be made by selling off Downtown Crossing, though. At least not by Macy's. Data center operator Markley acquired the block-sized building and built a large 'colocation' facility on the upper levels above the Macy's in the late 1990s, as the dot-com era was in full boom, creating a central spot where many of Boston's biggest employers rent space to host computer servers and networking equipment. Advertisement JLL executive Barry Hynes says the site is ideal for a data center because of all the telecom infrastructure buried in the streets below, not to mention the large floorplates and access to copious amounts of electricity. Markley set aside the bottom three floors for Macy's, for what's believed to be favorable lease terms. Markley proudly bills the complex it built above the store as the largest and oldest multitenant, 'mission-critical' data center in New England. A representative for the private company, which also manages a data center in Lowell, declined to comment about the leasing situation at One Summer, as did representatives for Macy's. Could the lucrative business of running a data center essentially defray some of the costs associated with the more challenging business of running a department store? It sure looks that way. Markley's customers run the gamut of Boston industries, per testimonials on the company's website. Office supplier W.B. Mason put much of its IT infrastructure there because an executive was impressed with the backup generators, uninterruptible power and cooling systems, and the in-house staff to oversee them. Beth Israel Lahey Health hosts nearly 90 cabinets worth of equipment in its own 'private colocation cage' there, equipment that played a pivotal role in the integration of the formerly separate hospital systems, Beth Israel and Lahey Health. And the Boston Red Sox turned to Markley for its data center needs, for everything from baseball analytics to online fan engagement, after not finding enough room to carve out several thousand square feet at Fenway Park for that purpose. Advertisement People streamed onto Jersey Street during the Boston Red Sox opening day at Fenway Park on April 4. Erin Clark/Globe Staff It's a computing powerhouse that goes unnoticed by the shoppers roaming through the racks and rows of Calvin Klein purses and Chanel perfumes to a soundtrack of upbeat pop music. But will the music eventually stop? Macy's plans to retain some 350 stores after its restructuring. Whitney Gallivan, a retail leasing expert with Boston Realty Advisors, said she doubts the Boston store would be closed unless Macy's embarks on a far more dramatic brick-and-mortar cutback, one that shrinks its footprint to only a handful of marquee locations. 'They have a long-term lease at a very, very low rent,' Gallivan said. 'They're hanging on to select key market stores where they're making money [and] a lot of ways retailers make money is with low rent. . . . If their sales-to-rent ratio makes sense, it's a no-brainer: Why shed a major market like Boston that's an iconic location and in the heart of Downtown Crossing?' Gallivan said she believes the Macy's term is for longer than the typical retail range of up to 10 years, and is, in all likelihood, 'extremely tenant friendly.' Plus, it's helpful to Markley's data center business that the street level be occupied and busy, not empty and dark, to reduce the likelihood of drug-dealing or other street crimes. While launching his aggressive store-closing plan last year, Tony Spring also embarked on an initiative to invest more money, in part for staffing and training, in a select group of 50 locations. The company recently added 75 stores to that list; Downtown Boston Alliance president Michael Nichols said he's been told Macy's is part of that next tier slated for reinvestments. Advertisement 'To be in that group is to suggest that they are actually doubling down,' Nichols said. 'It is my understanding that the Downtown Crossing store has been selected for an enhanced investment from the parent company, or the home office. We have real confidence [in] this store.' In contrast, Advertisement The list of survivors keeps shrinking. Shoulberg points to Chicago, Seattle, and Boston, as well as New York, where Macy's has its massive 12-floor flagship store in Herald Square, the largest department store in the country. For these survivors to endure, Shoulberg concluded, they'll need 'something else to bolster their financial balance sheets.' Fortunately for Boston, multiple floors of computer servers should do the trick. Jon Chesto can be reached at
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Former Ames nurse practitioner sentenced to prison for sex trafficking multiple young victims
DES MOINES, Iowa — A former Ames nurse practitioner was sentenced to federal prison for sex trafficking multiple young victims. Carl Dale Markley, 45, pled guilty to 15 counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion in November for sexually abusing and sex trafficking young victims for almost a decade. Past Coverage: Carl Markley case According to the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Iowa, Markley admitted to coercing at least 14 victims into conducting commercial sex acts from 2004 to 2023. Markley told the victims that he had to perform sex acts on them or watch them engage in sex acts in order to be granted certifications, complete classwork, conduct research, and even for product development; however, it was a lie. DSM man receives 30-year prison sentence for shooting at deputies Markley also had hidden cameras in his office to record the victims, the attorney's office said. 'This case is a stark reminder that those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain will be held accountable,' Ames Police Chief Geoff Huff said in a statement. 'We commend the bravery of the victims who came forward and the relentlessness of our officers and partner agencies in bringing this perpetrator to justice.' On Monday, Markley was sentenced to life in federal prison. Iowa News: Skylar Vann and Oklahoma easily dispatch Iowa from women's NCAA Tournament, 96-62 WHO 13 Farm Report: Monday, March 24th Iowa AG: January officer-involved shooting in Storm Lake standoff was justified Iowa women face Oklahoma in NCAA tourney's second round Iowa hires Ben McCollum as next head men's basketball coach Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
