Rubber Republic Wants to Help you Make Viral ... - The Next Web

The UK-based viral agency, Rubber Republic, has launched a free app called TubeRank to help advertisers, agencies and anyone else to find inspiration on how best to create a viral video.

There are arguments that will say that viral spread is something unexpected that can only happen organically. There?s a lot of truth in this, but there are also things that video-makers can take into account in order to stack the odds in their favour.

Chris Quigley, MD of Rubber Republic told The Next Web about how experience can inform viral creation but the stakes are much higher now that there are so many people sharing content in so many places all over the Web.

?I started working in the viral industry ten or twelve years ago when I left University,? he said. ?We call ourselves a Viral Agency and you say that to people and they tell you that you can?t make a viral, it?s something that just happens. We have that confidence though because we know how to make awesome content and we have a pedigree in it. You can make virals and to make them there are certain ingredients you need. That?s what we?re doing with the app.

Indeed Rubber Republic has been having a streak of hits lately. You may have already seen the Fiat Motherhood rap advert, Mercedes Catch, Peugeot vs Nonstop and the Bodyform Response which we featured back in October last year.

TubeRank?s been 12 months in the making, and initially started as a research project called the *LOL_Project* aimed at finding out from ad agency creatives and planners their thoughts on the science of sharing and what makes a video viral. More than 45 interviews were conducted and this led to the first version of TubeRank out today.

TubeRank offers users a selection of toggles and options to suit the message or style they are interested in working with, and then see existing videos that have been relatively successful as an inspiration.

The videos are drawn from the RSS feeds of influencers. Rubber Republic then adds a layer of meta data so that they can be searched using the trigger sliders.

At launch the app is free and Quigley says that he may move to a freemium model for agencies to provide more in depth insight and data. Check?the video for a short explanation.

The ads and videos are ranked on how many times they are shared for each time it is viewed. A video that has 20 million views may have been poorly shared or have paid-for media behind it. This means the results show how natural or organic the viral results for the videos have been.

In the event that you should create a combination that does not produce a video result, Rubber Republic has this covered with a familiar Internet meme to let you know as shown in the picture to the right.

Viral advice

Having a chat with a viral-maker, we had to ask about how he thinks virals are made and how they can be a success.

?There are two core ingredients to designing something that will go viral; understanding who is going to share the content and why they are going to share it,? he explained. ?These are conversation triggers. If you deconstruct any shareable video you will see those two things very clearly. That?s how we reconstruct our ideas. We come up with ideas, analyze them within a framework and then try to improve them to include those triggers that are relevant to the communities of interest.?

So why invest in trying to get a video to go viral and what precisely is the result? ?Making a viral video is about getting people engaged with your brand and your product in a way that people want to advocate you,? says Quigley. ?Viral is the oldest form advertising, it?s basically word of mouth. the point is to get people sharing or telling their friends about this great video. There is a question there about how you manage to integrate your brand into a video and that can be an art in itself. going viral is basically being so awesome that people want to talk about you and share you.?

There?s a pretty penny put down for a good video this days. As mentioned, the competition is fierce with so many creators putting their material online. But Quigley says that virals can be made on a budget and there have been some really nice success stories.

?A great example of this is Dollar Shave Club,? he says. ?That ad was articulating the character of the business through the founder, he?s the hero of the video. It?s down to getting the idea right. Dollar Shave had a relatively small budget but the founder has experience in marketing and so he had a big advantage.?

Knowing your audience can also bring down the costs of making something that people want to share. Quigley notes that Dropbox went viral by putting Easter eggs in the product that would appeal to the audience. This makes sense given his explanation about knowing the community you want to reach.

Haters gonna hate

With many neat examples to watch on the app, it might be tempting to take an existing viral and incorporate it into a campaign. But this method can be divisive and again depends a lot on who the target audience is.

?The Fenton-related viral by Everything Everywhere was interesting,? says Quigley. ?I saw it when it had just launched and seeded organically. You?d look down the comment stream and it was getting a lot of flack from the organic meme community.

?But then when it had paid seeding behind it, the comments were completely different,? he continued. ?It reached a more mainstream audience and there was a lot of praise for it. There is a divide and the purist meme lovers are more sensitive because it?s their holy ground, whereas the wider community will enjoy something if it is well done.?

Virals that don?t work are unlikely to be harmful other than trying to recoup the costs and time put into them. However a bad viral video can be quite destructive. Quigley says there is very little you can do about this once it is out unless the video is taken down quickly.

But even with an interesting viral there can be a lot of criticism. Quigley says this is par for the course. ?You need to understand who is flaming you and be thick-skinned. There are so many haters out there and they will hate whatever the weather. You have to be happy to take flack ? it?s the Internet.?

??TubeRank

Image Credit: Holisticmonkey / Flickr

Source: http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/01/31/rubber-republic-launches-a-free-app-for-viral-video-inspiration/

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Suicide bomber kills 2 near Somali presidential palace

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up near the Somali presidential palace on Tuesday, killing at least two soldiers in a strike apparently aimed at the country's leaders, a palace guard at the scene said.

Officials working in the palace and guards said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was abroad at the time of the blast and Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid, whose house was near the site of the explosion, was safe.

The blast was the first this year in Mogadishu, where security has improved greatly since Al Shabaab - Islamist rebels allied to al Qaeda - were driven from the capital by African peacekeepers in late 2011.

The group - which wants to impose its strict version of Sharia or Islamic law - is fighting to topple Mohamud, whose election last year was the first such vote since warlords ousted military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

"The man blew up himself near a wall between the Ethiopian embassy and the Somali PM's residence," Ahmed Ali, a Somali soldier at the presidential palace told Reuters.

The two buildings are inside a sprawling compound that also houses the presidential palace.

"One guard died there and then. Another died of his wounds. They were all the guards of the PM," said Ali. "The man was an al Shabaab defector. He had a gate pass, an identity card of the national security."

Guards at the palace who declined to be named said the blast partially damaged a small room made of iron sheets where the prime minister's guards are stationed, but little else was damaged. Buildings and cars within the compound were untouched.

OUSTED FROM URBAN CENTRES

The guards said the bomber was known to them, and frequently visited the palace. When he came by on Tuesday morning, the guards took the suicide bomber through a routine inspection and found he was clad in an explosive jacket.

The guards tried to prevent him from detonating his device, but it went off - killing one instantly and wounding two others.

Al Shabaab was not immediately available for comment on the attack.

The group fled to southern Somalia after quitting Mogadishu but in late September Kenyan troops forced it to withdraw from the port of Kismayu, its last major urban stronghold in the Horn of Africa nation.

That appears to have ended it as a quasi-conventional military force, though Al Shabaab remains a threat and has vowed to step up suicide bombings and hit-and-run attacks.

On January 17 the group said it had executed a captive French agent after a French commando mission to rescue him failed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-bomber-strikes-near-somali-presidential-palace-guard-073336804.html

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Valderrama brings Yoni back to 'Suburgatory'

By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

ABC

Yoni (Wilmer Valderrama) is confronted by George (Jeremy Sisto) on the next episode of "Suburgatory."

Yoni returns! Wilmer Valderrama is back on "Suburgatory" Wednesday, reprising his role as the zany spiritualist and former flame of Dallas (Cheryl Hines).

Does the hunky Guatemalan's reappearance threaten Dallas and George's (Jeremy Sisto) new romance? ?

"Dallas brought him in for the sake of her dog Yakult, who is depressed," Valderrama explained to The Clicker. "But Yoni is coming back with a very specific agenda -- a mischievous agenda: Through spiritual advising and subliminal (persuasion) and a strategic plan, he's hoping to eventually move in with Dallas."

But don't expect George to be rolling out the welcome wagon for the Latin lover.

"There's obviously a big flag for George," the "Awake" and "That '70s Show" alum said with a chuckle. "It makes for a really funny and ridiculous dynamic" between the two men.

The episode, titled "Yakult Leader," is actually a rematch of Yoni and George's first showdown (in season one's "Fire With Fire"), which also centered around Dallas' adorable poodle-Chihuahua mix. All signs point to Yoni going 0 for 2 against George.

"I love how bizarre he is," enthused Valderrama about Yoni, a character he "mutually created" with his friend and showrunner Emily Kapnek. "We kind of pieced him together from the wardrobe" -- white for positivity! -- ?"to the delivery to who he really is. We had a lot of fun tailoring this character to be so bizarre."

While we await Yoni's return -- "I feel like he might move on to Jill Werner next," speculated Valderrama -- fans can look forward to seeing the actor starring again on the small screen.

"I got the bug to come back to television after my stint with 'Awake,'" he said. "So I closed a deal with 20th Century Fox Television to enter development and to read some scripts this season and hopefully do a platform for me to come back and lead my own show. There's a very high probability that I'm going to return to TV this year. I'm excited because I really miss being in people's homes."

"Suburgatory" airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.

Do you miss Wilmer Valderrama being in your home? Tell us on our Facebook page!

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/30/16773150-wilmer-valderrama-returns-to-suburgatory-are-george-and-dallas-in-trouble?lite

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If you lose an employment lawsuit, how much will you pay ...

A couple of years ago, a report in the The New York Times heralded this era ?the heyday for employee lawsuits.?

Employers will win many of the employment lawsuits they face. But, quoting Dr. Seuss, ?except when you don?t, because, sometimes you won?t.?

So if you?re sued, how much will you have to pay? The staffing firm Manpower analyzed the latest litigation data to come up with this simple chart below to help guide your litigation and settlement decisions.

The bottom line: If your case has just one plaintiff and no ?horrible facts? that would make a jury cringe, expect to pay between $0 and $50,000. That covers about a third of all cases.

If you have one plaintiff but horrible facts (28% of cases), you?ll likely pay between $50,000 and $100,000. In cases with multiple plaintiffs and/or really horrible facts, expect to pay up to $1 million. Those big-bucks cases are more than a third of all cases.

Finally, if you have lots of plaintiffs and super-horrible facts, expect to pay more than $1 million ? truly a 1% group you don?t want to be in.

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Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34166/if-you-lose-an-employment-lawsuit-how-much-will-you-pay

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Heffernan: Celebrating Jane Austen's masterpiece of manners

?An old maid writes with the detachment of a god.?

In honor of the bicentennial of the publication of ?Pride and Prejudice,? I give you the above words, by D. A. Miller, America's most swashbuckling reader of Jane Austen.

That?s the central mystery of Jane Austen?s novels. And what a mystery it is. The author?s voice, though we?re always reminded it belonged to a sour-faced spinster who couldn?t score a husband to save her life, flatly refuses to make itself meek. Meek? Jane Austen?s voice doesn?t even make itself human.

Rather, the Austen world spirit sweeps in omnisciently to ?Pride and Prejudice,? which turns 200 today, laying down universal truths like Solomon or HAL. From there it manipulates the pouts and slaps and rosy countenances of all the single ladies?the Catherines and Elizabeths and Emmas?all the coquettes, ing?nues and hysterics for whom Jay McInerney and all of us wild-eyed Janeites still pine.

The sadistic Austen voice brings authority, stern judgment and only the ghost of a chance for redemption: Her girls, after all, are always caught in the gears of a tightly engineered Austen marriage plot, from whose bourn. No traveler returns.

The Austen voice can mock, rig and savor that plot only because it?that Austen-god?suspends itself well outside the life-threatening grip of courtship and matrimony.

This, anyway, is the argument of Miller in his book, ?Jane Austen, or the Secret of Style.? I can think of no better way to celebrate the bicentennial of ?Pride and Prejudice,? Austen?s great novel of bulimia (among other matters) than with Miller?s book, which like anything good?Mr. Darcy, strong tea, food?can make the brain ache in big doses.

?Great novel of bulimia?? That?s right. Professor Miller, who taught me in graduate school to see the god in the spinster, also showed me what a tyrant Austen was about the importance of being thin and brief (good) versus being fat and prolix (bad, very bad). (Worse than you know.)

His lecture on this subject led to my fascination with the character of Charlotte, Elizabeth?s would-be best friend. You?ll recall that Elizabeth Bennet is the heroine of ?Pride and Prejudice,? the witty resourceful daughter of an emotionally abusive dad who likes Elizabeth best because she?s kind of a tomboy, and smart; she also sucks up to him by slagging off her sisters. In that way, Elizabeth reminds many female reader-types of ourselves?trying to upstage other maybe prettier girls as frivolous nitwits in the name of winning the attention of Important Men. Oh, and then hating ourselves for it.

In any case, Elizabeth has a friend, Charlotte. Charlotte is plainer than Lizzie, with no game in the drawing room. In short, she?s nowhere near as cool as Lizzie, so Lizzie bestows confidences on her?huge emotional outpourings of shame and remorse that she reserves for Charlotte alone, believing, in the immemorial way of popular girls, that the plainer girl is lucky to hear even the snotty, hiccupping self-pity of a superstar like Elizabeth Bennet.

Of course, Lizzie never reciprocates by listening to Charlotte, which is why she is appalled to find out that Charlotte is not with her in lockstep on her oft-repeated resolution not to marry a loser. Charlotte, who?s been an obedient sidekick to Lizzie for half the novel, turns the tables and boldly elopes with a loser?a former suitor of Lizzie?s, in fact?and Lizzie is absolutely crushed. Deservedly so. She can?t control everyone! (Only her maker, Austen, can.) It?s a horror when you realize this; take it from me.

How is this bulimia? I?ll tell you. Lizzie is all about being brief and witty; only goofy girls or sententious men talk too much. To monopolize conversations is like eating whole cakes. It shows no restraint and it?s disgusting. At the same time there?s much talk of Lizzie?s light-footedness and general low body weight. This is in contrast to the droning bore, Miss Bates, who is coded as fat and also can?t shut up.

But how does Lizzie keep her conversation and her figure in fighting shape? Does she have naturally modest appetites for food and attention? No. She is roiling with the same hungers everyone has, but she?s put herself in an empire-waist straitjacket of wit, wit and more wit, so she has nowhere to go when she just wants to babble and sob. To binge. To purge.

That?s where Charlotte comes in. By expressing herself to Charlotte at length and in sordid hues?gorging on cupcakes of emotion and then barfing them up in the silent, yielding bin of her friend?Lizzie frees herself up to impress Mr. Darcy by seeming slim and tart. (Is that the acid reflux?)

Go back and read ?Pride and Prejudice? and see for yourself. It?s about courtship, all right, but it?s also about the ways we try vainly to keep ourselves aloof from emotions and the whims and longings of our mortal bodies. Some of that, in younger years especially, involves using our friends. (Susanna Sonnenberg explores this and more in her beautiful and unsparing new book, ?She Matters: A Life in Friendships.?) And some of it involves becoming authors ourselves and hoping that that will, once and for all, immunize us from being human. Here?s to that effort, vain and tender. Happy birthday, ?Pride and Prejudice.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/happy-anniversary--jane-austen--spinster-god-195103217.html

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Kelly doesn't know if hoax affected Teo's play

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2012, file photo, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, right, pats coach Brian Kelly on the back after Te'o left the game during the second half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. Kelly, talking to the media for the first time since the BCS title game, is expected to talk about his interview with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Te'o situation during a teleconference Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2012, file photo, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, right, pats coach Brian Kelly on the back after Te'o left the game during the second half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. Kelly, talking to the media for the first time since the BCS title game, is expected to talk about his interview with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Te'o situation during a teleconference Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

In a photo provided by ESPN, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o pauses during an interview with ESPN on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, in Bradenton, Fla. ESPN says Te'o maintains he was never involved in creating the dead girlfriend hoax. He said in the off-camera interview: "When they hear the facts they'll know. They'll know there is no way I could be a part of this." (AP Photo/ESPN Images, Ryan Jones) MANDATORY CREDIT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) ? Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o didn't show any signs of being affected by the girlfriend hoax leading up to the BCS title game, but his play indicates it may have taken a toll, coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday.

"Hindsight is 20-20. I didn't think going into the game he was affected by it. But he didn't play his best. Alabama had something to do with that, clearly. But I really don't know," Kelly said.

"It's a lot to weigh on the shoulders of somebody. I think we can make the leap that maybe it did. But I think Manti would know for sure."

Te'o said in an interview with ESPN after the news of the hoax broke that it did not affect his performance in the title game blowout.

Kelly spoke to reporters Tuesday by conference call for the first time since the Irish were beaten 42-14 by Alabama in the BCS title game on Jan. 7. He said his interview the Philadelphia Eagles was mainly to get more information about coaching in the NFL, and his heart remains in college football. He's also working on a contract extension with Notre Dame.

Kelly said so far everything that has come out about the girlfriend hoax matches up with what Te'o told him when he called him on Dec. 26. Kelly contacted athletic director Jack Swarbrick immediately after Te'o told him what happened.

"Obviously, we all heard the story. It just sounded so crazy that the first thing I wanted to make sure we did was get the right people on top of this immediately," he said. "That was my first thought, to find out 'What the heck is going on here.'"

Te'o had described the girlfriend, who supposedly died of leukemia last fall, the love of his life. But Te'o got a call from the person posing as the girlfriend on Dec. 6, to say she hadn't died. He continued to talk about her when questioned at the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Dec. 8. He told Kelly about the situation 18 days later.

Te'o told ESPN on Jan. 18 that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old acquaintance who lives in California, contacted him Jan. 16 and confessed to the prank.

Kelly said he wasn't sure what to think initially. Despite all that's happened, Kelly said he will still remember Te'o as one of the best teammates and leaders he's been around in 22 years of coaching.

"He showed the way how to be a great teammate. His work ethic, his commitment, all of those things," he said. "He was special to coach and he did all the things that I think great players have to do on a day-to-day basis."

Kelly described his interview with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was more "intrigue than it was interest," saying the Eagles contacted Swarbrick within a day of Andy Reid being fired on Dec. 31.

"My head said: 'Let's be more informed as it relates to the NFL. But my heart is in college football and with Notre Dame," Kelly said.

He said he wanted to learn about the day-to-day operation of NFL teams to see if it was something that might interest him.

"I wanted to answer those because we're going to win again next year and there's probably going to be teams interested in me coaching in the NFL and I want to be able to tell them definitively that I want to coach college," he said.

Kelly, who agreed he wouldn't talk to the Eagles until after the title game, said it wasn't a problem keeping the interview from being a distraction.

"Because I wasn't even certain I was going to interview," he said. "It really wasn't even on my radar."

Kelly said he's been telling recruits that he was flattered by the attention from the NFL, but that he's committed to Notre Dame.

Kelly also said he feels good about negotiations under way with Swarbrick about a contract extension, saying negotiations began on Dec. 6.

"We both want the same thing, the long-term consistency of the program," Kelly said.

Kelly originally signed a five-year contract three years ago at a reported $2.5 million a year and was given a two-year extension a year ago.

Kelly said despite losing by 28 to Alabama, he's still excited about the Notre Dame football program. He said Irish players understand how much more they need to improve.

"Our workouts now in the offseason will be focused on getting back to that game," he said. "As I told our team, we have some work to do. No question. But we know where we want to go.

"We know that we're capable of getting back to the national championship game, and we started that journey two weeks ago."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-29-Notre%20Dame-Kelly/id-ef4562368fb344a9962dfc630221d4fe

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Enbridge No More ? Idle No More | Rowan Family Tree

Friends now that we are big supporters of the Idle No More movement. Not because we have friends and?family members who have indigenous and M?tis heritage, but because we think respecting treaty rights is just and the country?s most powerful tool against industrial environmental?destruction.

Still not sure why we are going?

1. Omnibus bills like the one passed late last year include all sorts of legislation with a budget bill. this means the MPs, even those with the best intentions, can?t vote against the legislation since it?s wrapped up with their party?s budget. So last budget bill, we saw massive changes to immigration laws, criminal law, and most importantly, a shredding of our environmental protection laws. The navigable waters legislation, the environmental review process ? all chopped up, slid into a budget bill. It?s just not right.
2. Not only is the Enbridge project an environmental disaster waiting to happen, and it extends the reach and catalyzing more oilsands development, but the project process has also ignored First NAtion treaty rights, and ignored the protests of vast numbers of British Columbians. It has to be stopped.
3. Worse even than Enbridge is the Canada-China trade agreement that ight be ratified any day. If this agreement goes through, for 31 years we won?t be able to increase environmental protection rules or even stop a Chinese project if we want to, because we?ll have to pay massive fines to the People?s Republic of China. This agreement has massive, long-lasting implications for every sector in Canada, from agriculture to high tech (not just oil and gas) and curbs our rights to manage our own natural resources, putting the needs of the People?s Republic first. A 31 year deal to sign our rights away? It?s can?t happen.

I encourage you all to call your MPs, especially your Conservative MPs. We have a very nice man (Conservative MP) who listens to his constituents? and honestly, the Conservative MP base is the only power to stop the Canada China agreement.

As for Enbridge and Idle No More ? show you?opinions publicly!?Let your voices be heard. Support our First Peoples to help the rest of us.

Posted in: Green, Social JusticeTagged: enbridge, idle no morePermalink2 Comments

Source: http://rowanfamilytree.com/2013/01/28/enbridge-no-more-idle-no-more/

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Quantum communication: Each photon counts

Monday, January 28, 2013

The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).

Ultrafast, efficient, and reliable single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after components in photonics and quantum communication, which have not yet reached maturity for practical application. Physicist Dr. Wolfram Pernice of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in cooperation with colleagues at Yale University, Boston University, and Moscow State Pedagogical University, achieved the decisive breakthrough by integrating single-photon detectors with nanophotonic chips. The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).

Without reliable detection of single photons, it is impossible to make real use of the latest advances in optical data transmission or quantum computation; it is like having no analog-digital converter in a conventional computer to determine whether the applied voltage stands for 0 or 1. Although a number of different single-photon detector models have been developed over the past few years, thus far, none have provided satisfactory performance.

Several new ideas and advanced developments went into the prototype developed within the "Integrated Quantum Photonics" project at the DFG Center of Functional Nanostructures (CFN). The new single-photon detector, tested in the telecommunications wavelength range, achieves a previously unattained detection efficiency of 91%.

The detector was realized by fabricating superconducting nanowires directly on top of a nanophotonic waveguide. This geometry can be compared to a tube that conducts light, around which a wire in a superconducting state is wound and, as such, has no electric resistivity. The nanometer-sized wire made of niobium nitride absorbs photons that propagate along the waveguide. When a photon is absorbed, superconductivity is lost, which is detected as an electric signal. The longer the tube, the higher is the detection probability. The lengths involved are in the micrometer range.

A special feature of the detector is its direct installation on the chip, which allows for it to be replicated at random. The single-photon detectors built thus far were stand-alone units, which were connected to chips with optical fibers. Arrangements of that type suffer from photons being lost in the fiber connection or being absorbed in other ways. These loss channels do not exist in the detector that is now fully embedded in a silicon photonic circuit. In addition to high detection efficiency, this gives rise to a remarkably low dark count rate. Dark counts arise when a photon is detected erroneously: for instance, because of a spontaneous emission, an alpha particle, or a spurious field. The new design also provides ultrashort timing jitter of 18 picoseconds, which is 18 times 10-12 seconds. The novel solution also makes it possible to integrate several hundreds of these detectors on a single chip. This is a basic precondition for future use in optical quantum computers.

The detector demonstrated in this study was designed to work at wavelengths in the Telekom bandwidth. The same detector architecture can also be used for wavelengths in the range of visible light. This would allow the principle to be employed in analyses of all structures that emit little light, i.e., photons, such as single molecules or bacteria.

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Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres: http://www.helmholtz.de/en/index.html

Thanks to Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 44 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126479/Quantum_communication__Each_photon_counts

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Social Media Optimization Tactics You Should Include in Your SEO ...

Emma-Julie Fox writes for Pitstop Media Inc, a Vancouver company that provides SEO services to businesses across North America. If you would like to invite the author to write on your blog too please contact www.pitstopmedia.com

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Social media optimization is very different than SEO. Rather than implementing strategies that are tailored towards search engine algorithms, developers must focus on engaging with human visitors.

That beings said, an effective social media optimization campaign can help you improve your search engine rankings as well. After all, search engine rankings sole concern is promoting the satisfaction of their users. Google is more likely to rank a site higher if it sees that your visitors already enjoy the content that you are providing. You boost your search engine rankings considerably if you develop an effective social media optimization strategy that makes it easier for your visitors to access, engage with and share your content.

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Here are a few simple strategies any website or blog owner can handle them on his/her own.

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Social media marketing should be part of your basic SEO. Image source

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These techniques can work whether you are doing your SEO in-house or have hired a company or a Virtual Assistant to help you out, including the following strategies in your SEO campaign can help you give a huge boost to your SERPs (Search Engine Results Page):

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Use Twitter?s Hashtags

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Trending topics in Twitter are preceded by hashtags.

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Don?t underestimate the power of the hashtag. ?People use the hashtag to search for tweets about a particular topic. For example, if someone is looking for tweets about seo tips, they will use type it in twitter search as #SEOtips.? As a business you can take use hashtag to improve the chances of your tweets being seen by people searching for information in that niche.

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The following are some top tips to get the most tractions from your hashtags:

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1)???? Identify trending hashtags that you can connect with your business in a manner that appears natural. For example, if you are app developer, and the trending hashtag is #AustralianOpen you may tweet about apps that can help you keep track of the games being played, and use the AustralianOpen hashtag in your tweet.

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A word advice here, never use a hashtag, unless you know what it?s about. The popular fashion brand Kenneth and Cole learnt this lesson the hard way.

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2)???? Create your own hashtag and use it in all your tweets. Remember hashtags are always used without any space between the words. This way your tweet will be displayed whenever someone searches for the hashtag you used. A good tip here is to create hashtags using the your targeted keyword as well as your business name. The latter will help improve your brand?s visibility on Twitter, as your business name will feature in all re-tweets.

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3)???? Don?t use more than two hashtags in a tweet, or it will make it hard too read and people may skip it all together.

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4)???? Participate in hashtags associated with live discussions; these usually happen around sporting events, news, etc. This is a great way to build new connections on Twitter.

5)???? There are several twitter chats across niche areas scheduled at fixed times during the week. You can use hashtags to participate in these chats. Here?s a spreadsheet that has over 500 such chats listed.

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Update Your Business Blog Regularly

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Blogs are considered as part of social media because readers and visitors can really interact with one another through the comments section. In fact, numerous blogs have formed large online communities already, and these people stay in contact even beyond the ?premises? of the blog.

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Your blog will be one of the most important aspects of your SEO strategy, especially if your business website is not the type that needs to be constantly updated with new content. After all, how many versions can you make for your company?s vision and mission without butchering the original essence of the text? A blog will take care of the need to produce fresh, high-quality content regularly.

A good tip to draw more traffic to your blog is to write about subjects that are either in news or are being highly debated, needless to say they should be related to your industry. You can get great ideas for your posts by setting up Google Alerts for industry specific keywords. This will help you stay on top of all industry developments and will also get to keep tack of opinions of thought leaders in your niche.

Install Social Sharing Widgets in Your Blog/Website

In relation to creating a blog, be sure to install social sharing widgets into your blog roll. Each post or article in your blog or website should be accompanied with these widgets. This makes it easier for loyal readers to share your posts (which are additional promotion for your website, blog or business) in their social media circles.

To encourage people to share, make sure you include a Call To Action, in your blog post. Even a simple statement like, ?Found this post useful, share it with your friends? can help.

The more shares you get, the better you social signals will be and that is going to give excellent SEO benefits, in terms of improved SERPs.

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Use Bit.ly and Share Shortened Links To Your Site With A Call To Action

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You want social media to help draw traffic to your site, right? Mentions of your website will help improve your site?s visibility in search results. Therefore try and include your website?s URL in some of your posts with an attention grabbing or engaging call to action.

For instance, you can create teasers of your latest post and paste the URL in your post. Or, let?s say if you are giving away a Free E-book on cake recipes with your newsletter subscription, you could create a tweet like ?Make sinfully delicious cakes with my FREE E-book. Download Now!?

Bit.ly can be a great tool to help you with this. It?s a tool that shortens URLs and tracks the number of clicks you receive. A shortened URL is also easier to fit into your tweet and looks neater when used in Facebook posts.

Be Human

The fact that you?re already in social media territory justifies the need for human interaction. Avoid automated posts. Reply to questions and comments, especially those that are complimentary in nature. This way, you endear yourself to the public, foster their trust, convince them to patronize your business, and earn their loyalty in the long run. These are the accomplishments that will ultimately matter the most.

This goes far beyond the benefits of SEO. It also serves to help you improve your brand value. A good tip is to divide your social media marketing time into ?one-on-one engagement? and ?posting content and forging new connections.?

Kalen Smith is the Founder of Online Rookies and Engineer-a-Business. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering and an MBA. However, his true passion has always been IT and Internet marketing. You can find him on Twitter at Engineerbiz.

Source: http://onlinerookies.com/internet-marketing/social-media-marketing/social-media-optimization-tactics-you-should-include-in-your-seo-strategy/

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Cat Financial Announces 2012 Year-End Results ? World Leasing ...

Cat Financial Announces 2012 Year-End Results

Full-Year 2012 vs. Full-Year 2011
Cat Financial reported revenues of?$2.69 billion?for 2012, an increase of?$48 million, or 2 percent, compared with 2011. Profit after tax was?$432 million, a?$54 million, or 14 percent, increase from 2011.

The increase in revenues was primarily due to a?$223 million?favorable impact from higher average earning assets (finance receivables and operating leases at constant rates), partially offset by a?$139 million?unfavorable impact from lower average financing rates on new and existing finance receivables and operating leases and a?$33 millionunfavorable impact from returned or repossessed equipment.

Profit before income taxes was?$591 million?for 2012, compared with?$504 million?for 2011. The increase was primarily due to an?$89 million?favorable impact from higher average earning assets, a?$22 million?favorable impact from mark-to-market adjustments that were recorded on interest rate derivative contracts and a?$15 million?decrease in the provision for credit losses. These increases in pre-tax profit were partially offset by a?$33 million?unfavorable impact from returned or repossessed equipment.

The provision for income taxes reflects an annual tax rate of 25 percent for both 2012 and 2011. The 2011 provision for income taxes included a?$15 million?benefit related to prior years.

New retail financing for 2012 was?$13.96 billion, an increase of?$2.63 billion, or 23 percent, from 2011. The increase was a result of growth across all operating segments, with the largest increases occurring in our?Europe?and Caterpillar Power Finance,?Asia/Pacific?and Mining operating segments.

During 2012, Cat Financial?s overall portfolio quality reflected continued improvement. At the end of 2012, past dues were 2.26 percent compared with 2.80 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2012 and 2.89 percent at the end of 2011.

Write-offs, net of recoveries, were?$102 million?for the full-year 2012, compared with?$158 million?for 2011. Full-year 2012 write-offs, net of recoveries, were 0.42 percent of average annual retail portfolio, compared with 0.70 percent in 2011.

At year-end 2012, Cat Financial?s allowance for credit losses totaled?$426 million?or 1.49 percent of net finance receivables, compared with?$369 million?or 1.47 percent of net finance receivables at year-end 2011. The overall increase of?$57 million?in allowance for credit losses during the year reflects a?$51 million?increase in allowance due to an increase in the Cat Financial net finance receivables portfolio and a?$6 million?increase associated with the higher allowance rate.

Fourth-Quarter 2012 vs. Fourth-Quarter 2011
Cat Financial reported fourth-quarter 2012 revenues of?$679 million, an increase of?$17 million, or 3 percent, compared with the fourth quarter of 2011. Fourth-quarter profit after tax was?$99 million, a?$4 million, or 4 percent, increase from the fourth quarter of 2011.

The increase in revenues was primarily due to an?$80 million?favorable impact from higher average earning assets (finance receivables and operating leases at constant rates), partially offset by a?$52 million?unfavorable impact from lower average financing rates on new and existing finance receivables and operating leases and a?$12 millionunfavorable impact from returned or repossessed equipment.

Profit before income taxes was?$124 million?for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with?$111 million?for the fourth quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily due to a?$32 million?favorable impact from higher average earning assets, a?$6 million?decrease in general, operating and administrative expense and a?$5 million?favorable impact from mark-to-market adjustments that were recorded on interest rate derivative contracts. These increases were partially offset by a?$17 million?increase in the provision for credit losses and a?$12 million?unfavorable impact from returned or repossessed equipment.

The provision for income taxes in the fourth quarter reflects an annual tax rate of 25 percent for both 2012 and 2011. The 2011 fourth-quarter provision for income taxes included an?$18 million?benefit related to prior years.

New retail financing in the fourth quarter of 2012 was?$3.85 billion, an increase of?$840 million, or 28 percent, from the fourth quarter of 2011. The increase was a result of growth across all operating segments, with the largest increases occurring in our?North America,?Europe?and Caterpillar Power Finance and Latin America operating segments.

?We are very pleased with the growth in our new retail financing volume and the performance of our portfolio during 2012,? said?Kent Adams, Cat Financial president and vice president of Caterpillar Inc. ?Past dues and write-offs also improved during the year, and are at the lowest levels since 2007. We continue to be well positioned to serve Caterpillar, Cat dealers, and our customers world-wide.?

For over 30 years, Cat Financial, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., has been providing financial service excellence to Cat customers. The company offers a wide range of financing alternatives to customers and Cat dealers for Cat machinery and engines, Solar? gas turbines and other equipment and marine vessels. Cat Financial has offices and subsidiaries located throughout the Americas, Asia,?Australia?and?Europe, with headquarters inNashville, Tennessee.

STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS:

FOURTH QUARTER 2012 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2011(ENDED?DECEMBER 31) (Millions of dollars)
	2012	2011	CHANGE
Revenues	$ 679	$ 662	3%
Profit Before Income Taxes	$ 124	$ 111	12%
Profit After Tax	$ 99	$ 95	4%
New Retail Financing	$ 3,850	$ 3,010	28%
Total Assets	$34,742	$30,112	15%
FULL YEAR 2012 VS. FULL YEAR 2011(ENDED?DECEMBER 31) (Millions of dollars)
	2012	2011	CHANGE
Revenues	$ 2,693	$ 2,645	2%
Profit Before Income Taxes	$ 591	$ 504	17%
Profit After Tax	$ 432	$ 378	14%
New Retail Financing	$13,958	$11,323	23%

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this earnings release may be considered ?forward-looking statements? as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may relate to future events or our future financial performance, which may involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievement to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. From time to time, we may also provide forward-looking statements in oral presentations to the public or in other materials we issue to the public. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events about the company. You may identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate to historical or current facts and may use words such as ?believes,? ?expects,? ?estimates,? ?anticipates,? ?will,? ?should,? ?plan,? ?project,? ?intend,? ?could? and similar words or phrases. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially due to factors that affect international businesses, including changes in economic conditions and ongoing challenges in the global financial and credit markets, and changes in laws and regulations (including regulations implemented under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) and political stability, as well as factors specific to Cat Financial and the markets we serve, including the market?s acceptance of our products and services, the creditworthiness of our customers, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations and estimated residual values of leased equipment. These risk factors may not be exhaustive. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. We cannot predict these new risk factors, nor can we assess the impact, if any, of these new risk factors on our businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, we do not assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of those statements. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under the captions ?Risk Factors? and ?Management?s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations? in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended?December 31, 2011, and similar sections in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, that describe risks and factors that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Cat Financial undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cat Financial

Source: http://www.worldleasingnews.com/news/cat-financial-announces-2012-year-end-results/

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Spotlight: Leaders in Commercial Banking in 2013 ? North Bay ...

Individuals are alphabetized by name of institution.

Larry Tidwell

AltaPacific Bank

3725 Westwind Blvd., Ste. 100, Santa Rosa 95403,?apbconect.com, 707-236-1521

Larry Tidwell

Larry Tidwell has served as the executive vice president in the real estate industries group at AltaPacific Bank in Santa Rosa since April 2009. He oversees all construction lending, a responsibility he held in his previous position as executive vice president in the real estate industries group at Temecula Valley Bank.

Mr. Tidwell was born in Roswell, N.M., and has lived in the North Bay for 30 years. He cited the retention of customers over more than 15 years as a major accomplishment.

?I think one thing we will see in 2013 is more banks throwing their hat in the ring with regards to lending,? he said.??This will lead to healthy competition amongst lenders, which will be good for borrowers as they will have more choices.?

AltaPacific Bank was founded in 2006 and has assets of $222 million.

Gus Zijlstra

American River Bank

90 S. E St., Ste. 11, Santa Rosa 95404, americanriverbank.com, 707-528-6300

Gus Zijlstra

Gus Zijlstra is vice president and relationship manager at American River Bank and has 16 years of experience in commercial lending.

A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mr. Zijlstra has a management and accounting degree from Sonoma State University and a master?s degree from the University of San Francisco. He moved to Santa Rosa in 1985 after graduating from the Argentine Naval Academy and a successful naval career.

Mr. Zijlstra said the one-on-one customer service he provides is what clients expect from a community bank, and those interactions are enhanced by his experience in the banking industry. He is also a frequent volunteer for community organizations, including his work to help mentor elementary school students through Operation Getting Together and to teach financial concepts at the junior high level through Junior Achievement of the Redwood Empire.

American River Bank is a 30-year-old regional business bank with $585 million in assets.

David Meddaugh

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

10 Santa Rosa Ave., Ste. 210, Santa Rosa 95404,?bankofamerica.com, 707-293-2553

David Meddaugh

David Meddaugh is the senior vice president and market manager of the North Coast commercial banking office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has been with the bank for more than 30 years. In his current capacity, he manages the unit?s largest client relationships, with particular focus on the wine and specialty food and beverage industries.

Mr. Meddaugh also serves as the bank?s liaison with the California wine industry. He has presented at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium, Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, Leadership Forum, Sonoma State University Economic Outlook and Moss Adams Wine Industry Roundtable.

He earned bachelor?s degrees in both economics and finance from California State University, Chico, and holds an MBA in corporate finance from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Mr. Meddaugh was raised in Santa Rosa. He lives there with his wife and two children at their Buckshot Ranch property, which has been planted to Italian varietal olive trees.

Beth Reizman

Bank of Marin

504 Redwood Blvd., Ste. 100, Novato 94947,?bankofmarin.com, 415-763-4520

Beth Reizman

Beth Reizman?is a seasoned lender and manager who has held various positions over her 17-year tenure at Bank of Marin. As commercial banking manager, she is based in?the bank?s headquarters in Novato. She also is a member of the senior management team, helping set the strategic direction of the bank. Ms. Reizman claims her greatest banking accomplishment is helping contribute to the growth and success of Bank of Marin.

Ms. Reizman is currently treasurer of the Marin Workforce Housing Trust Board and serves on their finance committee. She has served on numerous local non-profit boards in the past, including Novato Human Needs Center, North Bay Children?s Center, and Novato Sunrise Rotary. She has also been a long time community volunteer with Lucas Valley Swim Team, Lucas Valley Community Church, and Marin Catholic High School.

Born in the Philippines, she attended the International School in Manila then graduated with a degree in economics from Stanford University. Ms. Reizman started her career at Crocker Bank in the Asia Pacific division then held numerous private and commercial banking positions with Crocker, Hibernia Bank and Bank of California.

Larry Fletcher

Bank of Napa

2007 Redwood Rd., Ste. 101, Napa 94558,?thebankofnapa.com, 707-257-7777

Larry Fletcher

A 30-year resident of Northern California, Larry Fletcher is the executive vice president and chief credit officer at Bank of Napa. He has more than 30 years of experience as a banking executive, 26 of them in Napa and Solano counties. He is responsible for all aspects of the bank?s loan portfolio.

Born in Southern California, Mr. Fletcher graduated from Long Beach State University in 1974 with a degree in business administration. He graduated with honors from the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle in 1988.

Prior to joining Bank of Napa, Mr. Fletcher was the manager of the commercial lending hub for Vintage Bank. He also held the previous role of chief credit officer for Solano Bank, a subsidiary of Vintage Bank in Vacaville, and began his banking career as a consumer loan officer for United California Bank in Los Angeles.

Outside of the bank, he serves on the board of directors for Child Start, a nonprofit that operates the Head Start child-development organization in Napa and Solano counties.

Tom LeMasters, president and CEO, credited Mr. Fletcher with helping the bank to grow a strong portfolio during tumultuous economic times. The bank reported nearly $150 million in assets at the end of 2012.

Don Mercer

Bank of the West

20 S. Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma 94952,?bankofthewest.com, 707-778-3313

Don Mercer

Don Mercer, senior vice president and national sales manager, has been with Bank of the West for 13 years. In this role for the bank, he manages the region?s SBA team for small business and commercial lending.

Previously, Mr. Mercer served as a branch manager, regional business development officer and regional manager at the bank. He began his banking career while in college, and assumed his current position in 2007.

A graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, Mr. Mercer also holds a bachelor?s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Born in Anaheim and raised in Fullerton, he has lived in the North Bay for more than 10 years. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and reading.

Founded in 1874, $63 billion-asset Bank of the West operates 700 branches and offices in 19 states. The bank has several branches in the North Bay, including a commercial lending office in Petaluma and a wine-focused lending office in Napa.

Michael Silva

Comerica Bank

2 Embarcadero Ctr., Ste. 300, San Francisco 94111, comerica.com, 415-477-3274

Michael Silva

Michael Silva is a senior vice president at Comerica Bank, heading the bank?s commercial lending group in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. He has served in his current role for nine years and has been with Comerica for a total of 15 years. That followed 12 years at Union Bank.

Mr. Silva has a bachelor of science degree in finance from Santa Clara University?and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Comerica serves a number of specialty food manufacturers in the North Bay, and the wine industry represents about 25 percent of the bank?s regional portfolio, he said.

?There are a lot of companies in the region that are emerging from a smaller size and looking to grow,? Mr. Silva said.

He said that the bank also sees growth opportunities for other sectors in the region, such as helping to finance the purchase of the North Bay Business Journal, Santa Rosa Press Democrat and the Petaluma Argus-Courier last year.

?You?re seeing the impact of local business people owning their local newspaper,? he said.

Comerica Bank had $63.3 billion in assets in its most recent report.

Steve Herron

Exchange Bank

545 Fourth St., Dept. 410, Santa Rosa 95401,?exchangebank.com, 707-524-3102

Steve Herron

Steve Herron has served as senior vice president and manager for commercial lending at Exchange Bank since 2000. He focused on business lending for seven years prior to that as a business development officer at the bank.?

Mr. Herron?s banking career began in Los Angeles, where he participated in a commercial lending training program for Union Bank. The program included a one-year assignment in Sacramento, which led to his transfer to the bank?s small banking office in Santa Rosa as a commercial lender in 1987.

Since 1996, Exchange Bank has steadily developed?its?growing?niche as a commercial lender catering to Sonoma County?s artisan?winemakers, growers and vineyard managers, growing that portfolio?to more than $150 million.?

A resident of the North Bay since 1987, Mr. Herron grew up in Fresno. In his spare time he loves to listen to music, read business periodicals, follow the stock markets and collect fine wine.

?I personally think there is a reasonable level of pent-up demand within the business community ? most sectors ? for growth in hiring, capital expansion and expanded business lending,? he said.??I think it will start slowly in 2013, held back by the second phase of the fiscal/budget cliff, but accelerate during the second quarter and into the back half of 2013.?

Exchange Bank was founded more than 120 years ago and reported more than $1.6 billion in assets in its last financial filing.

Barbara Larson

First Community Bank

438 First St.,? Santa Rosa 95401,?fcbconnect.com, 707-636-9711

Barbara Larson is vice president and commercial loan officer at First Community Bank.

Barbara Larson

Ms. Larson has been in the banking industry since 1996, and joined First Community Bank in 2008. She specializes in commercial lines of credit, equipment financing and SBA financing. The bank describes her as a client favorite who brings a wealth of business expertise and customized personal service to each relationship.

?I love working for a community bank, and First Community was the perfect fit for me professionally and personally,? she said.

The bank encourages community service, and Ms. Larson shares her time and talent in through a number of community organizations. She is the current treasurer of the Santa Rosa West Rotary Club, a position she has held for nine years. As a longtime advocate for children, young adults and seniors, she also serves as the treasurer for the Elder Care Expo board of directors.

Carol Landry

First Northern Bank

555 Mason St., Ste. 100, Vacaville 95688,?thatsmybank.com, 707-447-8600

Carol Landry

Carol Landry is the senior vice president and western region commercial loan manager for First Northern Bank. She has been with the bank for eight years. In her current position, Ms. Landry manages commercial loan activities in Solano and Yolo counties.

She has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending, including several community and national banks in Solano, Yolo and Napa counties.

Ms. Landry is past chairman of Vacaville Chamber of Commerce and Vacaville Library Commission. She has been a board member of several community organizations in Solano County. Ms. Landry holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of California, Davis, and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington.

First Northern Bank was founded in 1910 to provide better banking services to the Solano agribusiness community. Today, in addition to operating lines of credit and equipment lines and leases, the bank offers commercial solar financing and commercial real estate loans to small- and medium-sized businesses and farms. The 10-branch bank is a preferred SBA lender and reported $805.6 million in total assets on Sept. 30.

Ruth Edwards

Mechanics Bank

433 Soscol Ave. Ste. 161, Napa 94559,?mechanicsbank.com, 707-256-4343

Ruth Edwards

Ruth Edwards, senior vice president and corporate banking regional manager for the Napa region of Mechanics Bank, has spent more than a decade as a North Bay banker. A longtime wine country resident who grew up in Santa Rosa, she joined the bank?s Napa corporate banking office in 2006. Previously, she was part of the Santa Rosa regional commercial banking office of?Wells Fargo. She lives with her husband, Gary, and two small children in Sonoma.

Mechanics Bank has been a North Bay fixture for 17 years. Its Napa client relationships, however, date back to the early 20th century, when it was a well-known lender to the wine industry. The bank has continued to lend during the economic downturn and focused on furthering its customer relationships as industries weathered the so-called Great Recession.

The 107-year-old bank passed the $3 billion asset mark last year with significant deposit growth. Offices throughout Northern California include Napa, a St. Helena and San Rafael. A new Napa office is set to open in late spring.

Mike Ledwich

Rabobank, N.A.

700 Trancas St., Napa 94558,?rabobankamerica.com, 916-797-8286

Mike Ledwich

Mike Ledwich is vice president and commercial banking officer for Rabobank, N.A. He is responsible for fostering new business relationships and providing solutions to meet the banking needs of business customers in Napa and Sonoma counties.

A banker for 26 years, Mr. Ledwich has spent his entire career in Napa. Before joining Rabobank, Mr. Ledwich was senior vice president and client relationship manager at Bay Commercial Bank as well as senior vice president and relationship manager at Charter Oak Bank.? He also served as vice president and senior relationship manager at Mechanics Bank in Napa for 10 years.

Mr. Ledwich earned a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University?and an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. ?A lifelong resident of Napa, he is a member and past president of Napa Sunrise Rotary Club.

Rabobank is a California community bank with nearly 120 branches, including branches in Napa and Sonoma and a branch and agribusiness lending office in Santa Rosa.

Michael Downey

Redwood Credit Union

3033 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa 95403,?redwoodcu.org, 877-545-4100

Michel Downey

Michael Downey is senior vice president of business services for Redwood Credit Union, where he has managed the credit union?s business programs since 2006. He has a bachelor?s degree in business administration from Chico State University?and served on the city of Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities for nearly 24 years.

Mr. Downey has many years of business management and financial services experience in Sonoma County. He owned a local business for 30 years. Recognizing the unique financial needs of small businesses, Mr. Downey started a financial services career more than 10 years ago to provide custom financial solutions to help local businesses grow and thrive.

Aging baby boomers will play a prominent role in commercial lending in 2013 as they execute business-exit strategies and transfer assets, he said.

?We are entering a period of the largest transition of generational wealth in the history of our country,? he said.

In 2008, Mr. Downey helped start Redwood Credit Union?s SBA program, which has ranked among the top lenders in the North Bay for the past four years. The credit union is a Small Business Administration preferred lender with more than $2 billion in assets and in excess 220,000 members.

Sunny Lapham

SAFE-BIDCO

1377 Corporate Center Pkwy., Ste. A, Santa Rosa 95407,?safe-bidco.com, 707-577-8621

Sunny Lapham

Sunny Lapham joined SAFE-BIDCO as a loan officer in 2004. Ms. Lapham?s current responsibilities include underwriting and financial analysis of loan requests and overseeing the corporation?s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program and the Energy Efficiency Loan Program.

Ms. Lapham works extensively with community lenders to facilitate their small business lending. Under her stewardship, the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program tripled in volume this past year.

She has 25 years of experience in north coast banking and financial development, including stints at Exchange Bank and Redwood Credit Union. She has a degree in social psychology from University of Nevada?and trained to administer loan programs backed by the Small Business Administration, as well as general banking. Ms. Lapham has served on the board of directors for a number of businesses, nonprofits and educational organizations in the North Bay.

Rob McMillan

Silicon Valley Bank

899 Adams St., Ste. G2, St. Helena 94574,?svb.com/winedivision, 707-967-1367

Rob McMillan

Rob McMillan is the founder of the?St. Helena-based?Wine Division of??Silicon Valley Bank. Starting in 1992, he developed the division from the idea and startup phase to the point where it?s now regarded by many as the leading provider of financial services to the fine wine business on the West Coast.

Mr. McMillan?s banking career has spanned more than 30 years, over 20 with Silicon Valley Bank. In that time, he has moved though roles of increasing responsibility including a term on the bank?s Managing Committee.

Today, Mr. McMillan supports Silicon Valley Bank?s continuing growth and success in the wine business assisting the rest of the division?s clients and bankers: sharing views on the macro factors impacting the fine wine business, offering customized management presentations for clients, writing, speaking and managing a portfolio of client relationships.

He has published reports of varied and emerging trends to the wine industry over the past decade and is author of the bank?s annual Wine Industry Report. Mr. McMillan?s perspectives regarding the direction, opportunities and threats in the fine wine business continue to be cited in regional, national international and the wine trade press.

Mr. McMillan received a bachelor?s degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University and an MBA from Leavey School of Business at?Santa Clara University. He is affiliated with, and supports numerous charities and industry associations both in and outside of the wine industry.

He is the father of two, enjoys the outdoors and travel, and takes any opportunity to play percussion and drums in live settings.

Jamie Williams

Sonoma Bank

1101 Fifth Ave., Ste. 360, San Rafael 94901,?sonomabank.com, 415-747-3202

Jamie Williams

Jamie Williams has been senior vice president and commercial banking regional director for Sonoma Bank since he was hired two and a half years ago. His focus has been on building strong commercial banking teams in Marin County, East Bay and Santa Rosa. He said hiring high-performing, well-known veteran bankers are key in the success of the bank?s commercial teams in the region.

Along with traditional business banking products and services, Sonoma Bank has experienced tremendous growth in owner-occupied commercial real estate lending.

Mr. Williams was born in Marin and has lived in Novato for more than 21 years. He has been in the banking industry for more than 30 years, always on the commercial or corporate banking side. Prior to joining Sonoma Bank, he was a founder of Greater Bay Bank Marin and was regional vice president for Westamerica Bank. His first position was in 1978 as a management trainee for Wells Fargo after graduating from Santa Clara University with a degree in economics.

Sterling Bank of Spokane, Wash., does business in California as Sonoma Bank.

Bill Fogarty

Summit State Bank

500 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403,?summitstatebank.com, 707-568-6000

Bill Fogarty

Bill Fogarty is senior vice president and chief credit officer at Summit State Bank. Mr. Fogarty joined Summit at the end of 2011 with 25 years of banking experience, including chief credit officer and chief executive roles at other community banking institutions.

Mr. Fogarty attended Arizona State University and earned a bachelor?s degree in business administration at University of Phoenix. He also graduated from Pacific Coast Bankers School at University of Washington in Seattle.

He focuses on all areas of the bank?s lending programs and portfolio for safety, soundness and profitability.

?We are seeing indicators of an upturn in our economy due to a notable pickup in loan production in 2012 that was double the level of 2011,? Mr. Fogarty said. ?We heavily promoted our $50 million loan commitment in 2012, which we believe was part of our increased loan demand and production at Summit. But we also believe that the economic upturn was the foundation of this growth. Businesses are also beginning to activate their expansion plans and start projects that have been on hold for the last few years.?

In his spare time, Mr. Fogarty enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, wildlife photography and golf. He also enjoys spending time with his wife of 28 years, Sheryl, his two children and grandchild.

Mr. Fogarty has ?fallen in love with Sonoma County? and regularly donates his time to local nonprofits and chambers of commerce.

Founded in 1984, Summit State Bank has roughly $430 million in assets, 62 employees and five offices. Summit State Bank is a Top Performing Bank, earning the highest Findley Reports designation of all Sonoma County-based banks.

Francine Boards

Travis Credit Union

One Travis Way, Vacaville 95687,?traviscu.org, 707-469-1964

Francine Boards became vice president of business lending at Travis Credit Union in early 2012. It?s a newly created position that is part of a targeted approach to boost the $2.2 billion institution?s efforts in commercial lending. She served as senior commercial credit officer at the credit union since 2009.

Prior to joining Travis, Ms. Boards held senior management positions for commercial lending operations at One California Bank, Mechanics Bank and Civic Bank of Commerce. She has a total of 24 years of financial industry experience and is a graduate of the MBA program at St. Mary?s College of California as well as Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

James Barrett

Union Bank

899 Adams St., Ste. F-1, St. Helena 94574,?unionbank.com, 707-968-9514

James Barrett

James Barrett?is vice president and senior relationship manager with the Wine Industry Services group at?Union Bank.

The Wine Industry Services group in Northern California is growing. Ttotal commitments to the industry increased by about 30 percent in the last two years. Mr. Barrett attributes this growth to the bank?s consistency in its approach to the business and to its strong relationships with clients.

In addition to the wine industry, he has clients in the retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing sectors, and has worked with clients in many other industries during his career.

Mr. Barrett said his biggest accomplishment has been to successfully balance a rewarding career with an active and happy family life. He likes to spend time with family and friends and enjoys sports, reading and cooking.

He earned a finance degree at?Auburn University?and a master?s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance at?Georgia State University?in Atlanta. He is a graduate of?Leadership Napa Valley?and a member of the?Napa Rotary Club.

Mr. Barrett has lived in Napa since 1995.

As of Sept. 30, Union Bank had assets of $88.2 billion and roughly 10,000 employees.

Conrad Figueroa

U.S. Bank

1 California St., Ste. 2000, San Francisco 94111,?usbank.com, 707.326.8397

Conrad Figueroa

Conrad Figueroa is a senior relationship manager in the?Bay Area Commercial Banking Group, which includes the North Bay, of U.S. Bank. The group caters to middle-market companies with a strong focus on relationship banking.? ?

Previously, Mr. Figueroa spent 10 years working for Wells Fargo Bank and five years for Comerica Bank. During his time at Wells Fargo and prior to becoming a vice president for commercial banking there, he was a branch manager and a licensed financial advisor.

Mr. Figueroa has lived in Northern California for over 20 years and is a graduate of University of California, Davis, in economics. Mr. Figueroa enjoys running in his spare time and is a 2011 Boston Marathon finisher.

U.S. Bank, based in Minneapolis, recently reported more than $350 billion in assets. ?

Scott Shapiro

Warren Capital Corp.

100 Rowland Way, Ste. 205, Novato 94945,?warrencapital.com, 415-898-1875

Scott Shapiro

Scott Shapiro is senior vice president of Warren Capital Corporation. He is responsible for managing the lender?s portfolio and developing relationships with its partners, which include community banks and the health care and franchise markets.

Mr. Shapiro has been with Warren Capital for 12 years. His career in banking began at BankBoston in Boston during its merger with Fleet Bank. He attended Boston College, graduating with a business degree in finance and information systems.

Having grown up in the North Bay, Mr. Shapiro moved back to California after college. He began working at Warren Capital as a three-day-a-week intern in the 2001 recession and gradually worked his way up to senior vice president. He said that ascent is?one of his greatest accomplishments, leading to years-long relationships with repeat clients.

Over the past 29 years, Warren Capital has completed over $1.7 billion in financings, including $500 million in the North Bay, for more than 3,500 clients. The lender provides services that include equipment leasing and financing, large-scale debt placements and seller-focused merger-and-acquisition advisory.

James Kimball

Wells Fargo

200 B St., Ste. 300, Santa Rosa 95401, wellsfargo.com, 707-584-3147

James Kimball

?Kimball is a senior vice president and regional manager with the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Group. He oversees the North Coast Regional Commercial Banking Office, responsible for a territory spanning from the Golden Gate Bridge to Oregon.

The team serves a variety of industries, but has specialists focused on wine, specialty food and agriculture.

Mr. Kimball has worked in financial services for more than 25 years, a career that has focused on commercial banking in Northern California and the western United States. He was regional president for wholesale banking at Wachovia when the bank merged with Wells Fargo and spent 22 years holding various leadership positions at Bank of America.

He received bachelor?s and master?s degrees in finance from Sacramento State University.

A lifelong Sonoma County?resident, Mr. Kimball is an active community leader in Northern California and has a history of service on the boards of the North Bay Leadership Council and the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. He lives with his wife, Sharon, and two children in Petaluma.

Joseph Dietzen

Westamerica Bank

1108 Fifth Ave., San Rafael 94901, westamerica.com, 800-848-1088

Joseph Dietzen is senior vice president at Westamerica Bank. In that role, he oversees account relationships and loan production in the bank?s Sonoma and Mendocino regions.

A native of Washington, he grew up in Yakima and came to California to obtain a bachelor?s degree in economics from Stanford University. Mr. Dietzen later received an MBA in finance from?University of California, Berkeley, and attended Pacific Coast Banking School.

He joined Westamerica Bank in 2005 when it acquired National Bank of the Redwoods.?He had been executive vice president and responsible for real estate loan production there.

Mr. Dietzen said that he was pleased to work closely with the low-income housing efforts of the Sonoma County Loan Consortium and Burbank Housing. He also?was?actively involved with Redwood Empire Food Bank during a time of expansion.

When away from his duties at the bank, Mr. Dietzen said that he enjoys working on a classic Victorian townhouse that has been in his wife?s family for generations.

Westamerica Bank reported $5 billion in total assets at the end of 2012.

Source: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/67794/spotlight-leaders-in-commercial-banking-2013/

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