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SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) - 0930dv--spinach--ban--lifted Despite the recent E. coli spinach outbreak, food may be safer now than at any other time in the last decade, with illness occurring at record-low rates, new federal statistics show. Consumers get part of the credit, for handling food more safely at home, but experts say the biggest improvement came from better industry controls and ins ...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AFX) - The chairman and chief executive of Pier 1 Imports Inc., Marvin Girouard, will retire from the struggling home-furnishing retailer and its board early next year, the company announced Saturday. Girouard has been at Pier 1 for 32 years, the last seven in his current positions. He will retire Feb. 28. "I feel that it is time for me to leave in the course of a normal  ...

The deal, which will see Powerwave pay some £97m in cash and issue 17.7m shares to Filtronic, was approved by 98 per cent of the votes cast at the annual meeting. There had been speculation that shareholders might withhold approval in the hope of a better deal. In the event, approval was granted with 55m votes cast at the meeting out of a total of 74.8m shares.Filtronic founder and chief executive ...

Shares in the Tango-to-Robinsons group achieved strong gains as investors welcomed signs of a recovery after profit warnings earlier this year.As part of the Chelmsford-based group's fightback, it has launched a number of new products – Drench, Pennine Spring and Fruit Shoot H2O – in the first half of the year in an attempt to tap into the fast-growing water market.In the 20 weeks to September 3,  ...

NEW YORK (AFX) - Maui Land & Pineapple Co., which grows and markets pineapple, engages in real estate development and operates the Kapalua Resort, said Friday it will cut 75 jobs, or about 6 percent of its work force, as it transfers its fresh fruit packing operations to a new facility in Kahului, Maui. The staff cuts will cost about $1.8 million, Maui Land said in a filing with the Securitie ...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (AFX) - ChoicePoint Inc., provider of risk management and fraud prevention information, on Friday said it sold its Priority Data Systems business for an undisclosed amount. ChoicePoint also said it signed a strategic alliance agreement with the unit's buyer, AMS Services, a service provider for insurance agents, wholesale brokers and others. Under the alliance, ChoicePoint will ge ...

MINNEAPOLIS (AFX) - Xata Corp., maker of fleet-tracking software and equipment, said Friday it named Jay Coughlan chief executive and chairman of the board. Coughlan will replace CEO Craig S. Fawcett, who has been in the position since 2002. He is leaving to take an executive position at Deere & Company, where he spent much of his career before joining Xata, the company said. The move was ann ...

NEW YORK (AFX) - businessminute Wall Street ended a stellar third quarter with a moderate decline Friday, as the Dow Jones industrial average pulled back further from record-high levels. The major indexes closed out the week, month and quarter with gains. The day's economic news was gloomy and money managers made few bold moves as the quarter ended. "This is possibly a short-term  ...

NEW YORK (AFX) - Cytyc Corp., which makes medical testing products for women, said Friday it increased a cash tender offer to acquire Australian-based Vision Systems Ltd. to $2.43 per share, or $518.9 million, effective Oct. 4. Cytyc, one of several companies interested in Vision, said it has secured commitments for 13.9 percent of Vision's fully diluted shares. The new bid tops a previous bid of ...

U.S. stocks closed lower on the day Friday, although the major averages logged solid quarterly gains due in large part to lower oil prices, allowing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to give its best third-quarter performance in 11 years. A string of economic reports over the last three months also helped investors rally to the idea that U.S. economic growth will moderate, but remain at adequate ...