Kelley conference to highlight corporate change in America\nThe Kelley School of Business' 59th annual business conference March 9 in Indianapolis will feature four people who understand the forces driving corporate America toward dramatic change. \nThe conference's four speakers are Bill Parrett, chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Ursula M. Burns, president of business group operations at Xerox Corp.; Jeffrey H. Smulyan, founder and CEO of Emmis Communications Corp.; and Aaron Brown, award-winning television journalist for CNN. \n"The Changing Identity of Corporate America: Opportunity, Duty, Leadership" is the theme for the conference at the Indiana Convention Center. \nRegistration and networking will begin at 8 a.m. The sessions will begin at 9 a.m. with a presentation by Brown about the impact of globalization, outsourcing and rising health care costs. Burns will follow and tell the story of the remarkable recent turnaround at Xerox. Parrett then will describe the challenges and opportunities presented to U.S. corporations by accelerating globalization. Smulyan will speak at lunch about leading his company through a period of rapid growth and deregulation. The program will conclude at around 2 p.m. \nThe registration fee is $130 by Feb. 22 and $140 after that. Table registrations are $1,200 for 10 persons or $625 for five persons. Table registrations include reserved seating at lunch and registration to the conference. Information and registration are available at www.kelley.iu.edu/busconf.cfm.
Sears launches Kmart acquisitions as 'Sears Essentials'\nCHICAGO -- Sears, Roebuck and Co. said Tuesday it is planning a new mid-sized store format called Sears Essentials for some of the 56 Kmart and Wal-Mart stores it acquired last summer.\nThe announcement comes with Sears and Kmart Holding Corp. awaiting regulatory approval of their merger, which will create the nation's third-largest retailer, Sears Holdings Corp. The deal is expected to close early next month.\nSears bought 50 Kmart and six Wal-Mart stores several months before the Nov. 17 merger was announced, saying the acquisitions would aid its strategy of moving away from malls into more appropriate locations.\nTwenty-five of the acquired Kmarts are to adopt the Sears Essentials format this spring. The retailer said the converted stores will combine select Sears products such as appliances, tools, electronics and apparel with convenience items.\n"Sears Essentials will lead the way as we embark on the most aggressive growth initiative in company history," said Chairman and CEO Alan Lacy. "This new store format enables Sears to grow its brand off-mall and better meet the everyday needs of our customers."\nThe company has not yet disclosed plans for all the other new stores. Gudovic said it is "not the intention" of Sears to close any.
