Make it 18 straight: Baton Rouge specialty chemical maker Albermarle Corp. reports it has increased its quarterly dividend by 14%. The new dividend of 20 cents per share is payable April 1 to shareholders of record on March 15. The previous dividend was 17.5 cents per share. Albemarle chief executive Luke Kissam says the dividend was raised because of a strong company performance in 2011 and projections of future cash generation. Albemarle says it has raised its quarterly dividend for 18 consecutive years.
In the hive: The New Orleans Hornets have signed six-year NBA veteran forward Solomon Jones to a 10-day contract. The 6-foot-10 Jones has appeared in 10 regular-season games this season with the Los Angeles Clippers, who waived him on Feb. 7. He averaged 0.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 9.6 minutes per game with the Clippers. Jones was taken by Atlanta in the second round of the 2006 draft and spent three seasons with the Hawks. He spent the past two seasons with the Indiana Pacers. For his career, Jones has averaged of 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.8 minutes per game.
Adept at adapting: Baton Rouge-based security technology firm TraceSecurity says it posted record-setting growth in 2011. The firm says a total of 433 contracts were signed on the year and its customer retention rate was also the highest in its history. The firm says its 1,400 customers represent more than $500 billion in assets. Pete Stewart, TraceSecurity’s president and CEO, attributes the banner year in part to the company’s recently upgraded software platforms, which help companies adapt quickly to changing regulatory standards. With the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council enacting new standards for 2012, demand for TraceSecurity products was especially high within the financial sector. TraceSecurity also relocated and expanded by three times its corporate headquarters last year, and says it plans to hire more managers and analysts this year.
