Under new ownershipThe sale of Aquila to two separate buyers is not expected to change the culture or the cost of electricity and natural gas in the Midwest. Kate Sawyer takes a reading. For 90 years, Kansas City, Missouri-based Aquila (and its predecessors) has provided safe, reliable electricity and natural gas service to customers throughout Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Those customers, however, will soon be writing their checks to different utility names.In July, the assets of Aquila were sold in two separate transactions.

Abdon Callais Offshore, LLC may have charted a course through deep waters, but its commitment to strong family values keeps it on an even keel. Kate Sawyer reports┬á More than a half century has passed since old Abdon Callais had the inspired idea to convert his barebones shrimp trawler into an offshore service vessel. Since that moment, family-owned and -operated Abdon Callais Offshore has employed the best talent and equipment in the service of far-flung oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

TMC TransportationTMC TransportationÔÇÖs trucks are emblazoned with the slogan ÔÇ£Destination: Excellence.ÔÇØ Keith Regan reports on how the company is using technology and training to stay on that trajectory. The 50-acre headquarters of TMC Transportation in Des Moines, Iowa, demonstrates the companyÔÇÖs belief in the importance of training and technology as it seeks to establish itself as the leader in customer service in the open-freight hauling business.

Designing and developing the organizationOnce business leaders define the companyÔÇÖs vision, they must develop an organizational structure to accommodate the strategies that will achieve this vision. Part two of a series on managing & leading people by Jon Minerich, Principal, Oliver Wight Americas, Inc.┬á This second article in the managing & leading people series focuses on four key areas of the organizational design process: business maturity, strategy, consistent work practices, and HR policies and procedures.

Thomas R. Cutler looks at the value of tradeshows, and offers some suggestions for getting a return from the time and money invested in them. The best tradeshow, seminar, expo, or event can be incredibly valuable in gaining knowledge, interfacing with vendors, suppliers, and customers, and developing new clients and sales opportunities.

AT&T Inc., the nationÔÇÖs biggest telecommunications company, said second-quarter profits rose 30 percent due to increasing growth in the wireless business. ┬á Wireless data revenueÔÇömoney that subscribers pay to browse the Internet and have email access on their cell phonesÔÇörose 52 percent, and average income per user increased 3.5 percent.

Apple reported profits of $1.07 billion in the quarter, up 31 percent from $818 million from the past year. ┬á This amounts to $1.19 per share, 11 cents better than Wall StreetÔÇÖs expectations, according to a survey of analysts.┬á Revenue rose 38 percent to $7.46 billion compared with the same period a year ago, ahead of analystsÔÇÖ estimates for $7.37 billion in sales. ┬á The company shipped a record 2.5 million Macs during the period, an increase of 41 percent from last year, with desktop shipments growing faster than laptops.

Yahoo! Inc. has reached a compromise with billionaire investor Carl Icahn that will avoid the full scale battle over control of the company that was expected at the 1 August shareholders meeting.┬á  The agreement means the Yahoo! board will expand to eleven members, to accommodate Icahn himself and two from the alternative slate of nominees he had initially set up to challenge the existing board. One member of the current nine member board, Robert Kotick, has decided to stand down.┬á┬á Icahn had threatened to unseat the board after Yahoo!

Second quarter net profits at IBM are up 22 percent, partly as a result of the ailing economy and the weakness of the US dollar.  ┬á Total revenues for the quarter ending 30 June 2008 increased 12.8 percent to $26.8 billion from the second quarter of 2007, although the company said this would be only six percent after currency adjustments. Net income was $2.77 billion, up 22.3 percent from $2.26 billion a year ago.┬á┬á ÔÇ£IBM had an outstanding quarter and a strong first half for 2008.

Johnson Controls today reported record sales and earnings for the third quarter, with profits rising 11 percent following a surge in sales at its building efficiency division.  ┬á Sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2008 increased to $9.9 billion, up 11 percent from $8.9 billion for the third quarter of 2007.