Indeed, worldwide revenue during the first three quarters of this year actually rose 15.2 percent, including a 13.6 percent jump in the U.S. market, co-founder and CEO Jim Goodnight told a gathering of reporters this morning in the company’s Executive Briefing Center at its sprawling Cary campus.

The company’s lower year-end projections aren’t the result of an expected slowdown in business in the fourth quarter, Goodnight said. Rather, the company’s professional services business is at full capacity and can’t grow further this year.
“The business is very, very healthy right now,” said Jim Davis, senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
Double-digit revenue growth would far outstrip last year’s 5.2 percent rise to a record $2.42 billion. The privately held company doesn’t disclose its profits.

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You went to the polls yesterday and in the heated debate of the Wake County School board, Democrats win 4 seats.  See more results….

Raleigh Mayor

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Cary Mayor

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Wake Board of Ed Dist 3

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Wake Board of Ed Dist 4

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Wake Board of Ed Dist 5

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Wake Board of Ed Dist 6

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

Wake Board of Ed Dist 8

(Precincts: 100% reporting)

An Affiliated Computer Service firm is looking to hire 1,500 people.

The Xerox subidiary located in Raleigh and Cary says it needs call center workers and supervisors immediately. 

The jobs are for work with consumer electronics and technology clients and health insurance enrollment, and their are a mixture of temporary and permanent positions. 

You can apply online or in person at the ACS recruiting office – 2641 Sumner Blvd. in Raleigh. Call (919) 424-9072 for more information.

SAS is the best company to work  for – again.

Fortune magazine puts SAS at No. 1 on its “100 Best Companies To Work For” list in a repeat of an honor bestowed on the Cary-based company last year.

“This year, strong employee feedback sent its numbers even higher,” the magazine said in its report, which was issued early Thursday.

“Says one manager: ‘People stay at SAS in large part because they are happy, but to dig a little deeper, I would argue that people don’t leave SAS because they feel regarded – seen, attended to and cared for. I have stayed for that reason, and love what I do for that reason.’ ”

SAS had made the list 14 times – every Fortune report. The privately held company’s many benefits being among the reasons.

“Its perks are epic: on-site healthcare, high quality childcare at $410 per month, summer camp for kids, car cleaning, a beauty salon, and more – it’s all enough to make a state-of-the-art, 66,000-square-foot gym seem like nothing special by comparison,” Fortune reported.

Jim Goodnight, chief executive officer and co-founder of SAS, takes great pride in the company’s workforce.

“This high honor rounds out a tremendous year for us at SAS,” he said in a statement. “We delivered more software in 2010 than ever before in our history and grew our work force by 2.4 percent. Our employees are the lifeline of our success. As we enter our 36th year of business, we look forward to continuing our deep investment in employee satisfaction, wellness and creativity.”

SAS says its employee turnover rate is 2.6 percent compared to the software industry norm of 22 percent.

The Fortune report is compiled in partnership with the Great Place to Work Institute, which conducts work force surveys. More than 300 companies participated this year.

Two thirds of a company’s ranking is based on the employee survey.

The remaining third is based on a company’s data provided to the Great Place to Work Institute’s Culture Audit.

Two other companies with presences in the Triangle made the top 10.

NetApp, which operates a major campus in Research Triangle Park, placed fifth.

Google, which has a software operation in Chapel Hill and maintains a huge data center in Lenoir, placed fourth.

The top 10 companies:

1. SAS
2. Boston Consulting Group
3. Wegmans Food Markets
4. Google
5. NetApp
6. Zappos.com
7. Camden Property Trust
8. Nugget Market
9. REI
10. Dreamworks

source:  wral.com, fortune magazine

Eighteen-month-old Hurley is hanging out this week at the Cary Police Department after being taken into protective custody while he recovers from surgery to repair his broken pelvic bone.

“He’s here now,” Chris Davis, a support services manager with the Cary police confirmed Monday. “He’s a cute little dog.”

Officers used a search warrant to collect the tan-and-white Chihuahua from an animal hospital, then drew up warrants charging Steven Soukup, 24, of 15111 Foresight Drive with animal cruelty in connection with Hurley’s injuries. Soukup lived at the address with Hurley’s owner.

It wasn’t the first time Soukup has been charged with abusing the small dog with big eyes. He was issued a citation in June for “backhanding” Hurley so hard that the dog hit a wall.

Hurley suffered seizures after that.

Hurley was treated for his injuries and returned home in late June, records show.

Hurley and Soukup apparently shared an uneasy co-existence until Hurley’s latest visit to N.C. State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. An animal control officer was phoned Sunday after Dr. Mila Freire-Gonzalez, an NCSU veterinarian, diagnosed Hurley once again as the victim of blunt force trauma – this time to his hind quarters.

Freire told police that she was familiar with Hurley from previous visits, including the June 29 visit when he was treated for that head injury. She said it appeared that someone had kicked Hurley hard enough to break his pelvic bone in the latest assault, according to a search warrant application filed Monday at the Wake County Clerk of Courts Office.

Soukup turned himself in early Tuesday afternoon at the Wake County jail, Davis said.

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Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/15/681904/charges-filed-and-dog-is-in-protective.html#ixzz0zcbYBUDA

Cary is one of the best small towns, according to Money Magazine.  Cary,  ranked 23rd on the 2010 list of Best Small Cities to live. The magazine’s editors were impressed with the town’s low crime and unemployment rate.  One negative is that it’s fast growth has lead to overcrowded schools.

Chapel Hill,  is the only other NC town that ranked in the top 100, coming in at 40. Editors sited good education, a large amount of health care jobs and more than 700 acres of parks and additional protected natural areas as reasons why it is one of the best small towns.

For a look at the entire list: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL3710740.html

This morning Progress Energy officials are warning customers about a potential scam where thieves attempt to get credit card information over the phone. Officials said that a man claiming to be a field supervisor for Progress Energy has told customers over the phone that their power will be disconnected for nonpayment unless they immediately provide account numbers for a credit or debit card or checking account. Officials say The man has called customers in Raleigh and Cary.  Progress Energy encourages customers not to give personal information to anyone without substantiating the caller’s identity and  Residents should not open their door for utility workers unless they their identity can be confirmed.  If a homeowner has any doubt you can call the Progress Energy customer service center at 1-800-452-2777 to confirm the employee’s identity.

It’s festival season and this weekend there are some Earth Day activities that you can participate in. On Saturday, Cary’s having their annual Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, from 9am – 5pm at Bond Park, 801 High House Rd. Also on Saturday, Durham’s Earth Day Festival will take place at the CCB Plaza, 201 Corocan St. from noon – 5pm. There will be games and activities for young and old at both events.

Raleigh has topped another list, this time for Forbes magazine’s list of Most Wired Cities.  The list was based on 3 measures of broadband penetration, broadband access and Wi-Fi hot spots.  Raleigh, which includes Cary has a penetration of 71%, 17 broadband providers and 7,024 residents per Wi-Fi hot spots. 

Atlanta finished second on the Most Wired Cities, followed by Seattle, San Franscisco and Washington D.C. Charlotte was ranked 16th on the list.

Via WRAL.com:

While following tips about a string of burglaries in the Lochmere Highlands neighborhood, Cary police said Thursday they solved a December theft from a local church.

Marcel Jackson, 36, of 10300 Ash Hollow Drive in Raleigh, has been charged with two counts of felony larceny and one count of first-degree burglary in a theft from Colonial Baptist Church and a residential break-in, both of which occurred last month, police said.

Read more.