The Superior Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "Business After Hours" from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, at Super Joe Specialty Coffee, 100 Superior Plaza Way, Suite 101 in Superior. Admission is $5 with R.S.V.P. and $10 at the door. R.S.V.P. by e-mailing info@superiorchamber.com or call 303-554-0789.

The winning home for the 2008 Xcel Energy Home Makeover contest will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at 645 15th St. in Boulder. The house will showcase the energy, monetary and overall comfort benefits from the installation of high-impact, energy efficient products. For more information, call Kristin Elsmore at 303-216-2026 ext. 105 or go to www.xcelenergy.com.

LONGMONT - RidgeviewTel is expanding its wireless Internet company in Longmont with more space for its headquarters and network operations center at 1880 Industrial Circle.

This is RidgeviewTel's third expansion since moving to the location in late 2006. The company was founded in 2004.

RidgeviewTel is ramping up its operations with plans to debut its first WiMax wireless high-speed Internet service in the Longmont area by late spring or early summer, said Marketing Manager Michelle Heim.

RidgeviewTel serves 25 communities in Colorado, 15 in Illinois and 14 in New York with its WiFi wireless Internet services. The company focuses on serving small rural areas. This would be its first WiMax service. WiMax is a different and stronger signal than WiFi.

RidgeviewTel's proposed WiMax Internet service in Longmont is separate from Ohio-based DHB Networks' existing WiFi Internet service in the city.

Specific details of the proposed WiMax service are still being determined, Heim said. The company chose Longmont because it is headquartered there. The hope is to eventually expand the WiMax network from Loveland to Lafayette and then onto the entire Front Range.

RidgeviewTel employs about 30 people in Colorado, Illinois and New York.

BOULDER - Naropa University today introduced Stuart C. Lord, who will take over as the university's fifth president in July.

Lord currently is the associate provost at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., and will be replacing Thomas B. Coburn who served six years as the Boulder-based university's president.

A search team made up of trustee, faculty, student and staff representatives worked closely with search consultancy Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates to select Lord.

Board of trustees chairman Martin Janowitz announced the appointment to Naropa students, staff, faculty and alumni April 8.

"Naropa University is delighted to have selected a new president who is superbly matched and equipped to serve both the university's current and future needs," Janowitz said in a prepared statement. "The enthusiasm expressed from all quarters at today's event indicates the positive spirit across our university community about the appointment of Dr. Stuart C. Lord."

Lord is an active member at the Karme Choling Shambhala Meditation Center in Barnet, Vt. Lord graduated from Texas Christian University in 1982 and attended Princeton Theological Seminary where he earned the degrees of master of divinity in 1986 and master of theology in 1987.

In 1993, Lord received the doctor of ministry degree with a specialization in multicultural education from Union Theological Seminary. In 2002, Lord was the recipient of the Texas Christian University Distinguished Alumni Award.

A university press release said Lord, 49, has helped foster the growth and advancement of many communities as both educator and humanitarian. He has served as an administrator and managed civic education, community service, and religious and spiritual life programs at both Dartmouth College and DePauw University.

LONGMONT - A new consulting firm in Longmont wants to help nonprofit organizations become more profitable and for-profits become more socially responsible.

interSector Partners L3C, headed by Rick Zwetsch and Caryn Capriccioso, will in part help organizations and companies form a new type of business entity called an L3C to tap benefits from both sectors.

An L3C is a low-profit, limited liability company that has a primary charitable, community or social responsible mission. The hybrid business model allows charitable foundations to receive some profit returns for their investments, and allows for-profit businesses to receive foundation investments for their charitable missions.

interSector is an L3C. The Longmont-based company originally formed in Vermont, the first state to allow the organization of LC3s. Michigan, Wyoming and Utah have since joined Vermont, and all 50 states at least recognize the company structure.

"The L3C allows us to formally put our social mission before any profit motives," Zwetsch said. "This hybrid business model is a perfect fit because our core beliefs focus on bringing the sectors together and blurring - if not eliminating - the lines that separate us."

Zwetsch said interSector is looking to tap foundation money to move the company forward. With the L3C designation, foundations can fund a company like interSector through program related investments and then receive a return on those investments. Without an L3C designation, then a foundation could only issue a grant, and receive no return.

It's not a full-proof win for foundations, however. Like any investment with a possibility of profits, there also could be a possibility of losses.

Beyond helping nonprofits and for-profits, interSector will offer consulting services to governments to better support both sectors in their communities.

BOULDER - Micro Motion Inc. has laid off 37 of its 530 Boulder employees to cut costs in a tough economy.

The layoffs impact "mostly salaried" positions at Micro Motion, a division of St. Louis, Mo.-based Emerson Electric Co. Those salaried positions include engineers, sales personnel and administrators, said Dave Baldridge, Micro Motion spokesman.

Boulder-based Micro Motion produces flow meters for the oil, gas, chemical and food and beverage industries to accurately measure fluid flow, temperature density and viscosity.
 
"The declining economy and softening market for our flow meters used in the oil and gas, chemical and food and beverage industries resulted in changes in our operations that were necessary to keep competitive in this challenging business environment," Baldridge said in a statement.

Baldridge wouldn't elaborate on what type of changes the company is making in its operations, nor would he disclose whether or not the company plans more layoffs.