The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 41

Classified Looking for a car? Check out our auto listings 5-14E BUSINESS Dilbert 2E FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2002 Pooilik Ess Royalties set for Web songs Fees half the level originally proposed Grocer quiet about ideas beyond initial Albertson's locations Publix Super Markets Inc. www.pubfxxom Headquarters: Lakeland, Fla. Founded: 1930 in Winter Haven, Fla. Founder George Jenkins Chief executive: Charles H. Jenkins Jr.

Number of stores: 703 in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama Number of employees: 1 1 9,500 2001 revenue: $15.3 billion 2001 net Income: $530.4 million trade publication. The company is in an expansion mode. Last year, when it had 648 stores, the company announced plans to add 340 more in five years. Publix spent most of its existence staying within Florida's borders, first branching into Georgia in the early 1990s. "In Atlanta they pretty much bulldozed the market," Gilmer said.

"In the early "90s they had company remains tight-lipped about its plans for the Nashville market beyond the first seven locations. Analysts said it's hard to tell exactly what the 72-year-old chain will do. "Whether this signals an intent to dominate the market or just Publix taking advantage of an opportunity remains to be seen," said Chuck Gilmer, editor of The Shelby Report, a grocery no stores there; now they are No. 2 in the market (to Kroger)." The company built a lot of stores in Georgia, especially in the Atlanta area. It has taken a slower pace in South Carolina and Alabama.

"They haven't necessarily blitzkrieged every market they've entered," Gilmer said. "Atlanta was really their first Please see PUBLIX, 2E By BUSH BERNARD and KEITH RUSSELL Sta ff Writers Publix Super Markets is private about its business plans. The Lakeland, Fk-based company announced yesterday that it will purchase seven of 11 shuttered Albertson's locations in the Nashville area But beyond saying it would remodel and reopen all of the stores by next summer, the nmpi Customer service a plus, but prices on the high side r4 at I I. Few know more about shopping than Mary Hance, aka Ms. Cheap.

Yesterday, she visited a Publix supermarket near Huntsville, to get a sense of what to expect when the company comes to the Nashville area this fall By MARY HANCE Staff Writer MADISON, Ala. -If you are looking for good customer service when you go to the grocery store, I think you are going to like Publix. You'll probably also like the fact that they do not require any kind of customer card for you to take advantage of savings. But those looking for low prices and high-stakes couponing may not be won over to Publix, because the prices are generally on the high side, and they don't offer double coupons. Unlike many grocery stores in the Nashville area, Publix stores aren't open 24 hours a day, and they don't offer a senior discount.

On the plus side, their stores are very supportive of the communities in which they operate. For instance, a program lets a shopper designate a school, to which Publix donates a percentage of the total purchase. The stores have an organic produce section and a full line of well-priced private-label products. And almost everybody will tell you they have wonderful bread particularly White Mountain Bread, which is crusty and chewy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. You may wonder how I happen to have all of this inside info, since the news that Publix was buying seven of the area's old Albertson's locations broke just yester- Please see REVIEW, 2E By DAVID HO Associated Press and Tennessean Staff Reports WASHINGTON The government yesterday decided that songs delivered online will be charged royalty fees at a rate that's half of what an arbitration panel originally proposed.

Webcasters, as those who deliver music over the Internet are known, will be charged what amounts to 70 cents per song for each 1,000 listeners, the US. Copyright Office announced on its Web site. Librarian of Congress James H. Billingtoa who oversees the Copyright Office, found that the original proposal, which set a higher rate for Internet-only programs than the radio rate, "was arbitrary and not supported by the record of evidence," said spokeswoman Jill Brett. In May, Billington rejected a government panel's rate proposal up to $L40 per song heard by 1,000 listeners.

That was double the rate for broadcasts sent out simultaneously on radio and the Internet. "It's good news for a number of Internet Webcasters who will now likely be able to stay on the air," P.J. McNealy, research director with the analyst firm, GartnerG2. Not all Webcasters agree with McNeals assessment. "This is unacceptable, and I'm not going to shut down," said Steve Wolf, sole operator of Nashville-based WOLF-FM, a popular online radio station.

Wolf said the rate will cost him about $20,000 per month, based on his average number of listeners. "All this decision has done is hurt the Internet radio industry and the Internet community as a whole." He predicted that a coalition of Webcasters will either pursue legislative remedies or an appeaL Opponents to yesterday's ruling have 30 days to file an appeal to the US. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The court could modify or set aside the decision if it finds the ruling was highly unreasonable. Terrestrial broadcasters with Internet presences will also be hurt, said John Padgett, general manager of Nashville's WSM radio. "It's disappointing.

It's going to make it more challenging for not just us but anyone to make their web presence profitable and suc- Please see FEES, 4E A -mil i 1 KARLA GACHET STAFF Bread baked daily is among some of the items that makes Publix, like this one outside of Huntsville, a favorite. Union will be waiting for nonunion Publix "We're confident that, once presented with all the facts, that our associates will say no to the UFCW" Lee Branson, Publix spokesman Publix grabs Albertson's old locations Publix Supermarkets Inc. of Lakeland, has acquired seven former Albertson's grocery stores in Middle Tennessee. The company plans to open two of the locations this fall and the rest by summer 2003. attorney who led the discrimination lawsuit filed by African-American Publix workers, of the UFCW's involvement.

"I thought that was their tack, and it was a good one." Even so, the union has failed to organize a single store, including a most recent election in January where Publix workers in Miami voted against union membership. "The UFCW has waged a campaign against PublLx for a number of years, ever since we moved into Georgia, in an effort to dominate our company," Brunson said. "And time and time again our associates have said no to a unioa" Besides raising questions about the company's employment practices, Francis accuses PublLx of paying "substandard wages and benefits" to employees. "They're not the good employer that this community wants," he said. Brunson said PublLx's benefits policy is "second to none." He said the company's employee compensation is comparable to that of competing grocery chains.

By KEITH RUSSELL Staff Writer When Publix Super Markets Inc. arrives in Middle Tennessee, the United Food Commercial Workers Union will be there to continue a decade-long fight to organize the regional grocery chain's workers. "We will be waiting for them when they come," said Jeff Francis, secretary-treasurer of UFCW Local 1995 in Nashville. The union, whose local membership includes area employees of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co, represented several hundred noasupervi-sory workers at six of the seven Albertson's stores slated to become PublLx locations by next summer. Francis said the union will try to organize workers at the new Publix stores when they opea But that would happen against the wishes of Publix, none of whose employees belong to a unioa "We're a nonunion company," said Publix spokesman Lee Brunsoa "We're confident that, once presented with all the facts, that our associates will say no to the UFCW." fv.

SUMNER Ly Hendersonville 1.110 Indian Lake Boulevard, Hendersonville (Summer 2003) 2. 4670 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage (Fall 2002) 3. 2381 Murfreesboro, Pike, Nashville (Winter 2002-03) DAVIDSON 4. 7604 U.S. 70S, Bellevue (Winter 2002-03) 5.

8105 Moores Lane, Brentwood (Spring 2003) In fact, Publix and the UFCW have been at loggerheads since the early 1990s, when Publix expanded into Georgia and the union launched an uasuccessful effort to organize store workers there. Since thea the union has continued an aggressive campaign to organize the company's workers. It also supported separate discrimination lawsuits filed by female and black Publix employees. Publix eventually settled both suits but said the company does not tolerate discrimination of its employees. "I think they wanted to show (PublLx employees) what they could do for them," said John Davis, a Tallahassee 6.

2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Franklin (Spnng 2003) 7.1021 Center Pointe Place, Franklin (Fall 2002) 0-' Franklin Qj WILUAMbUIN KENT TRAVIS STAFF Sun, IBM help TSU students land big jobs By RAYMUND FLANDEZ Staff Writer Under an unusual alliance, Tennessee State University is pioneering with IBM and Sun Microsystems to give students the opportunity to take classes needed to pass the technology giants' certification exams that could land jobs with salaries as much as $80,000. The companies are providing technical and software support to develop students' knowledge about complex and industry-standard tools, such as IBM's DB2 database management program and Sun's JavaSolaris Web-based delivery systems. In additioa a new e-business a lot of on-the-job training. Classes began this spring in which 28 students completed the Sun Microsystems's Java class. And nine out of 12 students have already passed the Java certification exam, TSU officials said.

"I do not know of any other university that has this unique combination," said John Thompsoa TSU's technology consultant and retired IBM e-business senior manager. He said TSU is the first university in the state offering e-business certification and teaching certification-level courses from both companies. The partnership paves the way for students to pursue a career path where industry executives report that 425,000 jobs exist. Starting salary ranges from $55,000 to $80,000, with an average of $65,000, Thompson said. TSU officials said they hope the initiative will help attract to the historically black university a wide variety of students, including older ones going back to school to advance their careers.

They also hope to lure technology companies to the Midstate for "work-ready" candidates. "What this is building on is building local economic development," said Alan Morris, a Sun Microsystems executive who lives in Brentwood. The steps they certification program is giving TSU students in business, marketing, computer science and engineering a chance to adapt their skills with information technology. In doing so, they enhance their marketability. Dennis Gendroa TSU's associate vice president for academic affairs, said the school's computer science graduates often say they have generic knowledge but aren't ready for specific jobs in the field.

For the technology companies, he said the arrangement gives them access to certified and experienced graduates who don't need GEORGE WALKER IV STAFF Shatika Dillard gets some pointers from Instructor Paul Collette. are taking are opening up this have been honored several times whole area" in recent years, including a ranking Thompson said IBM hired 22 of 27th on Yahoo! Internet Life's TSU graduates this past year. The list of the nation's "most wired col-university's technology programs leges" in 2002. Closing figures for June 20, 2002 Ken Roberts offers views on Nashville Like so many others who have made a difference in Nashville, Assistant Managing EditorBusiness KB Choyke, 664-2156 rxhoyketennes3ean.com Assistant Business Editor: Kevin Paulk, 259-8284 kpaulktennessean.com To report business news newstipstennessean.com Ken Roberts came to attend vanderbilt University decades ago without any plan to stay. But stay he did, and over more than 40 years Roberts left his imprint on law, bank Tom Ward, executive vice presidentbusiness operations for the Nashville Predators, will share details of the organization's "Playoff Pledge" marketingpublic relations campaign at the Nashville Chapter meeting of the Public Relations Society of America, 1 1 :45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tuesday. For further details, and complete listings for today's Meeting Calendar, go to www.tennessean.com and then to More Business. Dow Jones 9,431.77 129.80 Tl.36 1,006.29 1170 T1.34 Nasdaq 1,464.75 32.08 2.14 Term. Index 243.09 .82 .34 Russel2000 460.25 2.67 .58 'Bloomberg Newa ing and now nonprofits. The former president of First American Bank and the current president of The Frist Foundation discusses his perspective of Nashville in Sunday's Business Forum.