The Atlanta Constitution du lieu suivant : Atlanta, Georgia • C1

Filename: C1-BUSINESS-AJCD0920-AJCD created: Sep 19 2005 Username: SPEED10 AJCD0920 Tuesday, Sep 20, 2005 BUSINESS 1 AJCD 1 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 1 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black AJCD BUSINESS Filename: C1-BUSINESS-AJCD0920-AJCD created: Sep 19 2005 Username: SPEED10 THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION CHECK FOR BREAKING NEWS UPDATES AT AJC.COM TUESDAY, SEPT. 20, 2005 Broadway producer Kenny Leon to direct TV ads for marketing campaign. INSIDE TODAY ajc C3 Business Tie Atlanta Journal-Constitution CONTACT US: Mark Braykovich, Business editor 404-526-5869 DAILY SUMMARY Dow Jones 10,557.63 Nasdaq 2,145.26 500 1,231.02 10-year T-bond 4.25% Get breaking news plus stock quotes and research at ajc.com/business ON AJC.COM Complete investing report, C5-7 Photos by SARAH IANACONE Special Antonia Escandon shops at Mercado del Pueblo on Jimmy Carter Boulevard with her two children, Liliana, 10 months, and Sergio, 2, in Norcross. The farmers market, which opened last year, caters to Mexican and Central American tastes. Owner Tony Chong discusses peppers with employee Arturo Mejia.

JESSICA McGOWAN Special More supplies will be needed as the Gulf Coast rebuilds. JOHN SPINK Staff Gerald Grinstein: not only every dollar that counts. every Delta plans cuts in pay, bene ts By RUSSELL GRANTHAM Delta Air Lines expects to tell employees later this week of coming pay and cuts, but word on new rounds of layoffs may not come until later. Meeting with state legislators Monday at the Capitol, Delta executives revealed few details of the struggling plans to shrink operations, but they assured the lawmakers its giant Atlanta hub will feel less pain than other parts of the company. expect to see any shrinkage here in said Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein.

But he added that the Chapter 11 reorganization not going to be a painless will have to run a very frugal company. not only every dollar that counts. every nickel that he said. will be layoffs. There is going to be some pay The third-largest airline for Chapter 11 protection last week after almost $10 billion of losses since early 2001.

Executives said the level of coming job cuts will be tied to negotiations with aircraft les sors. The airline hopes to drop four aircraft types by year-end, reducing its types to seven and cutting maintenance and training costs. The number and types of jets dropped will how many jobs are cut, and where. Industry analysts have estimated that Delta will shrink its capacity, or seats offered, by 15 percent or more. That CEO: Atlanta hub not likely to shrink Cutbacks would have wide impact By MICHAEL E.

KANELL Economists often downplay the impact of a single troubles on an economy the likes of metro After all, the region is home to 2.27 million jobs and a highly roster of businesses. downsizings are often offset by job growth at smaller, more obscure businesses, experts often advise. But that been the case with Delta Air Lines, which as the largest local employer and biggest cog of Jackson International multibillion-dollar economic engine may matter more than any other Atlanta company. long-awaited bankruptcy last week has stirred worry about new rounds of cutbacks. The ailing airline could announce such moves as soon as this week, CEO Gerald Grinstein said Monday.

the real reduction and the psychological impact are said Robert Dye, a transportation economist for Economy.com, a Pennsylvania-based consulting Moreover, the timing is not good, he said. comes at a time when the Atlanta economy is struggling to regain its footing. Employment growth Please see ECONOMY, 5 Fear of latest storm sends oil prices up, stocks down By CHRISTOPHER WANG Associated Press New York Stocks plummeted Monday as heightened fears of another hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast sent oil prices racing past $67 a barrel and investors grew anxious about the Federal coming interest-rate meeting. Wall Street saw some bright spots in merger activity and strong earnings from Nike Inc. and Carnival but the market became increasingly uneasy as surging energy prices threatened consumer spending.

Investors also awaited the decision whether to raise rates or halt its string of increases to mitigate an economic slide following Hurricane Katrina. With an intensifying Tropical Storm Rita nearing tip and poised to hammer the Gulf Coast just weeks after Katrina, the market retreated heavily late in the session amid light trading volume. and center would be concerns of the storm approaching tomorrow, of which seeing crude oil trading up said Steven Goldman, chief market strategist at Weeden Co. Crude oil gained even as OPEC neared a consensus on selling 2 million additional barrels a day to offset a potential supply shortage from recent shutdowns. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, a barrel of light crude jumped $4.39 to $67.39, as gasoline futures climbed 24 cents to $2.04 a gallon.

Please see OIL, 8 Statistical Area 20 counties in 1990 and 28 counties in 2004 HISPANIC SURGE Metro has experienced rapid gr owth in its Hispanic population since 1990 1990 2004 Total population Hispanic population 2,959,500 57,16 9 4,477, 579 381,192 Hispanic population breaks down this way Mexican 255 ,829 Hispanic other 85 ,090 Cuban 11,808 Puerto Rican 28 ,465 INCREASED HISPANIC BUYING POWER Metro 1990 Georgia 1990 $822 million $7 .7 billion $1.3 billion $10.6 billion rojected Please see DELTA, 4 Katrina may raise building costs here By GEORGE CHIDI The houses destroyed by Hurricane Katrina may be 500 miles from Atlanta, but many local builders say the devastation will raise prices here. Some building suppliers have added a gas surcharge to material deliveries. Industry reports indicate the cost of lumber has climbed 38 percent since the storm hit the Gulf Coast Aug. 29. And at least one metro builder, Atlanta-based HomeLife Communities, plans a $2,000 increase in home prices across the board, start ing next week.

prices for new housing are going to go said Darren Drevik, U.S. director of marketing for HomeLife. already have, others will. inevitable. The building industry has asked the federal government to end tariffs on imported lumber, but its members concede that tariffs are only a part of the greater supply issue.

costs are already high, and as South Louisiana and Mississippi begins to be rebuilt, more supplies will be Please see COSTS, 3 Hispanics ex muscle By MARY LOU PICKEL Tony Chong knows the value of the Hispanic dollar in metro Atlanta. The Korean-American grocer opened a farmers market in Norcross last year, catering to Mexican and Central American tastes. Bins of chili peppers, fresh cilantro, barrels of dry beans and fresh tortillas greet customers in the produce section of El Mercado del Pueblo, or on Jimmy Carter Boulevard. population is growing really Chong, 39, said. was seeing this 15 years ago in Los Angeles.

I why I start right Hispanic buying power in metro Atlanta has increased more than nine times in 15 years, to $7.7 billion, according to a report released today by the University of Georgia business school. Georgia is now the third-fastest growing Hispanic market in the nation and ranks 10th in Hispanic buying power, according to the report from the UGA Selig Center for Economic Growth. The Hispanic buying power has reached Selig Center director Jeffrey Humphreys said. Georgia historically has had a large African-American market and ranks nationally in black buying power. Now the state is a player in the Hispanic market as well.

The trend mirrors population changes in Georgia. Hispanics accounted for one-quarter of the 441,000 people metro Atlanta added in the past years, recent U.S. census numbers show. The census estimates the 2004 Buying power in state surges Please see HISPANIC, 8.