72-466: Focus was a British do-it-yourself and home improvement retailer, founded in 1987. By its peak in 2002, it was the second-largest home improvement retailer in the United Kingdom with 178 stores and over 3,000 employees, behind B&Q . However, Focus would be overtaken by Homebase and Wickes in the mid-2000s. The company began running losses every year from 2007. In the year up to 2011,
144-563: A " hack ". It could also refer to an innovative fix or a simple work-around, a solution that bends the rules, or a resource that can be used in such a way. It is also often used to signify creativity: to make existing things work, or to create new things with meager resources. Rasquache is the English form of the Spanish term rascuache , originally with a negative connotation in Mexico it
216-562: A $ 1 billion buyout offer for Remington Outdoor Company and thereafter was unable to find a satisfactory buyer. Cerberus continued to have ownership in Remington Outdoor Company, and CalSTRS announced its divestment from Cerberus' gun holdings in June 2015. In March 2018, Freedom Group, now known as Remington Outdoor Company , sought chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Acquired a group of seven television stations using
288-510: A Dunstable, England-based provider of information technology systems for the retail, fuel and convenience stores and pub markets in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe that was acquired in June 2007, to MICROS Systems, Inc. In January 2013, it announced a deal to acquire 877 stores in the Albertson's, Acme, Shaw's and Star Market chains from SuperValu for $ 100 million and acquisition of $ 3.2 billion on SuperValu debt. In February 2014, it
360-459: A company voluntary arrangement. This was to restructure, and repay debts over a contracted period of time. On 5 May 2011, it was announced that owners Cerberus Capital had placed Focus into administration, after failed attempts to find a rescue deal. Ernst & Young placed Simon Allport, Alan Hudson and Tom Jack as joint administrators at midnight. On 6 May 2011, it was announced that B&Q had bought 31 stores in cash for £23 million, with
432-681: A condition of the lender becoming a bank-holding company, when the bulk of GM's existing ownership stake in GMAC was placed into a trust, overseen by a trustee appointed by the Treasury, to be gradually dispersed. Cerberus distributed the majority of its stake in GMAC to its investors. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) gave GMAC access to the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program that allows companies to borrow money at lower interest rates. The initiative
504-564: A holding company known as Four Points Media Group , from CBS Corporation in 2007. On September 8, 2011, Cerberus announced the sale of these same seven stations to the Sinclair Broadcast Group for $ 200 million; this sale was completed on January 1, 2012. In 2007, Cerberus sold a holding in Formica, Inc. In the summer of 2007, Cerberus agreed to buy United Rentals , the world's largest equipment rental company that
576-650: A manufacturer of large-caliber tactical rifles, in August 2007. Cerberus also acquired DPMS Panther Arms on December 14, 2007. Remington Arms acquired Marlin Firearms in January 2008. In October 2009, Remington Military products acquired silencer manufacturer Advanced Armament Corporation. These companies were combined into the Remington Outdoor Company . Cerberus made plans to sell its share in
648-914: A net gain of $ 1.8bn. The company acquired MeadWestvaco's paper business for $ 2.3B in 2005 and renamed it NewPage . Cerberus also purchased, from Georgia Pacific Corporation , its Distribution Division/Building Products and all of its associated real estate. It renamed this new company BlueLinx Holdings , based in Atlanta . The Portuguese company TAP Portugal was bought by a consortium that included David Neeleman (Founder of Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, JetBlue Airways and WestJet) and Humberto Pedrosa. Cerberus owns IAP Worldwide Services, which bought Johnson Controls' World Services division in February 2005. Previously owned Multimax (purchased predecessor company in 2000 and Multimax in 2006; sold entire holding in 2007 to Harris Corporation). Cerberus owns Tier 1 Group ,
720-522: A plan to refit the properties and reopen them as B&Qs by July 2011, with Focus employees transferring to the stores. Ernst & Young announced the closure of the remaining stores, which were over 120, which resulted in up to 3,000 job losses. At the time of the appointment of the administrators, the 178 strong retail chain collapsed owing businesses, shareholders and funders around £1 billion. The sale of assets generated £70 million, leaving most creditors out of pocket, including HMRC . On 22 July 2011,
792-561: A portfolio of single family rental homes to be managed by its affiliated company, FirstKey Homes, LLC; there are currently more than 6,000 homes in the portfolio. Cerberus purchased 655 of the 2,500 Albertson's, Inc. , grocery stores, forming Albertsons LLC of Boise, Idaho , in June 2006. It also had an ownership stake in the now-bankrupt Mervyn's department stores, which was acquired from Target Corp . In May 2012, Cerberus sold its holdings in Torex Retail Holdings, Ltd.,
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#1732792994676864-545: A private company that provides military training. Through investment affiliate Cerberus Real Estate, the company has been making direct equity, mezzanine, first mortgage, distressed and special situation investments in all asset types. Cerberus also has a minority stake in Miami Beach -based LNR Property, a large real estate development and investment firm through subsidiary Riley Property. In October 2015 Cerberus completed an acquisition from Building and Land Technology of
936-421: A role. Use of angle grinder is not preferred as large amounts of harmful sparks and fumes (and particulates ) are generated when compared with using reciprocating saw or band saw . Angle grinders produce sparks when cutting ferrous metals. They also produce shards cutting other materials. The blades themselves may also break. This is a great hazard to the face and eyes especially, as well as other parts of
1008-570: A tiny focus area within the larger context, positioning DIY as a venue for holistic engagement. DIY ethic is the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks without the aid of a paid expert . The DIY ethic promotes the idea that anyone is capable of performing a variety of tasks rather than relying on paid specialists. Italian archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of a 6th-century BC Greek structure in southern Italy. The ruins appeared to come with detailed assembly instructions and are being called an "ancient IKEA building". The structure
1080-400: A whole had experienced a two-year drop in sales. and Focus blamed "challenging" market conditions for the difficulties. Focus appointed bankers Rothschild to advise it on a potential sale of the business. Cerberus Capital purchased Focus DIY for £1 in June 2007, and appointed Bill Grimsey , formerly CEO of Wickes, as CEO. In an attempt to tackle the financial problems the owners restructured
1152-526: A wide range of skill sets. DIY has been described as a "self-made-culture"; one of designing, creating, customizing and repairing items or things without any special training. DIY has grown to become a social concept with people sharing ideas, designs, techniques, methods and finished projects with one another either online or in person. DIY can be seen as a cultural reaction in modern technological society to increasing academic specialization and economic specialization which brings people into contact with only
1224-697: Is active in private equity investment, lending, specialty finance, real estate investment, and securities trading. The firm's current investment portfolio includes more than 40 companies around the world with an average hold time of more than five years. Cerberus maintains the Cerberus Operations & Advisory Company LLC (COAC), which consists of senior operating executives supporting the firm's due diligence and assisting its portfolio companies. Cerberus utilizes an operations team of over 100 professionals to help source, analyze and monitor portfolio investments. Activities performed by members of COAC in
1296-488: Is available. As a means of adaptation during the Cuban Special Period times of economic crisis, resolver ("to resolve") became an important part of Cuban culture. Resolver refers to a spirit of resourcefulness and do-it-yourself problem solving. Jugaad is a colloquial Hindi , Bengali , Marathi , Punjabi , Sindhi and Urdu word, which refers to a non-conventional, frugal innovation, often termed
1368-743: Is based in New York City, and run by Steve Feinberg , who co-founded Cerberus in 1992, with William L. Richter, who serves as a senior managing director. The firm has affiliate and advisory offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Cerberus has around US$ 60 billion under management in funds and accounts. The company is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Registered Investment Adviser. Investors include government and private sector pension and retirement funds , charitable foundations , university endowments, insurance companies , family savings and sovereign wealth funds. Cerberus
1440-486: Is entirely in terms of abstractions. It trains you to be an insurance salesman or a bureaucrat, or some kind of cerebral character. In the 1970s, DIY spread through the North American population of college and recent-college-graduate age groups. In part, this movement involved the renovation of affordable, rundown older homes. But, it also related to various projects expressing the social and environmental vision of
1512-459: Is named after the mythological three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Tartarus. Feinberg has stated that while the Cerberus name seemed like a good idea at the time, he later regretted naming the company after the mythological dog. Dan Quayle , former Vice President of the United States 1989–1993, who served under President George H. W. Bush , joined Cerberus in 1999 and is chairman of
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#17327929946761584-571: The DIY Network cable television channel. Both were launched to appeal to the growing percentage of North Americans interested in DIY topics, from home improvement to knitting . Such channels have multiple shows revealing how to stretch one's budget to achieve professional-looking results ( Design Cents , Design on a Dime , etc.) while doing the work yourself. Toolbelt Diva specifically caters to female DIYers. Beyond magazines and television,
1656-540: The PBS television series This Old House , starring Bob Vila , premiered and spurred a DIY television revolution. The show was immensely popular, educating people on how to improve their living conditions (and the value of their house) without the expense of paying someone else to do (as much of) the work. In 1994, the HGTV Network cable television channel was launched in the United States and Canada, followed in 1999 by
1728-478: The underground punk scenes, and significantly altered the way fans interacted with musicians. Zines quickly branched off from being hand-made music magazines to become more personal; they quickly became one of the youth culture's gateways to DIY culture. This led to tutorial zines showing others how to make their own shirts, posters, zines, books, food, etc. The terms "DIY" and "do-it-yourself" are also used to describe: Much contemporary DIY music has its origins in
1800-515: The " Houseboat Summit " panel discussion in a 1967 edition of the San Francisco Oracle ) reflected a growing sentiment: Our educational system, in its entirety, does nothing to give us any kind of material competence. In other words, we don't learn how to cook, how to make clothes, how to build houses, how to make love, or to do any of the absolutely fundamental things of life. The whole education that we get for our children in school
1872-751: The 1960s and early 1970s. The young visionary Stewart Brand , working with friends and family, and initially using the most basic of typesetting and page-layout tools, published the first edition of The Whole Earth Catalog (subtitled Access to Tools ) in late 1968. The first Catalog , and its successors, used a broad definition of the term "tools." There were informational tools, such as books (often technical in nature), professional journals, courses and classes. There were specialized, designed items, such as carpentry and stonemasonry tools, garden tools , welding equipment, chainsaws , fiberglass materials and so on – even early personal computers. The designer J. Baldwin served as technology editor and wrote many of
1944-563: The Chrysler as a condition of the US Treasury Department's bailout deal, but would retain its stake in Chrysler's financing arm, Chrysler Financial. Cerberus agreed to provide $ 2 billion to backstop a $ 4 billion December 2008 US Treasury Department loan given to Chrysler. In exchange for obtaining that loan, it promised many concessions including surrendering equity, foregoing profits, and giving up board seats. US Treasury and
2016-629: The Obama administration recognized the "sacrifices by key stakeholders" in an effort to give Chrysler the "opportunity to thrive as a long-term viable 21st century company". Chrysler Financial, once the exclusive lending arm of the automaker, remained owned by Cerberus until April 2011. Chrysler Financial initially refused to take $ 750 million in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) government bailout aid because executives didn't want to abide by executive-pay limits, and because
2088-626: The Remington Outdoor Company on December 18, 2012, after the Bushmaster AR-15 was used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting . This decision was made due to a threat by the board of the California state teachers' pension plan , which owns a stake in the company, to dispose of stakes it holds in any firearms manufacturer that makes weapons banned by California state law. In March 2014, Cerberus rejected
2160-462: The U.S. Treasury that it would contribute its equity in Chrysler automotive to labor and creditors as currency to facilitate the accommodations necessary to affect the restructuring." On April 30, 2009, Chrysler declared bankruptcy protection and announced that GMAC would become the financing source for new wholesale and retail Chrysler cars. On March 30, 2009, Cerberus Capital Management announced that it would voluntarily give up its equity stake in
2232-529: The U.S. government. Five days earlier, the Federal Reserve granted GMAC bank holding company status, so it could get access to the bailout money. On December 29, 2008, the U.S. Treasury gave GMAC $ 5 billion from its $ 700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). (On May 21, 2009, the US Treasury department announced it would invest an additional $ 7.5 billion in GMAC, and on December 30, 2009,
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2304-408: The US Treasury department said that they would invest another $ 3.8 billion in GMAC because the company had been unable to raise additional funds in the private sector. This raised the total government investment in GMAC to $ 16.3 billion.) Cerberus's investments in Chrysler and GMAC totaled about 7% of its assets under management. At the end of May 2009, Cerberus scaled back their ownership of GMAC as
2376-473: The Wickes business and stores were sold to Travis Perkins for £950 million, making a tidy return on the £350 million initial investment. The sale was completed in February 2005. By January 2007, it was clear that the company had run into financial difficulties; it was close to breaching its banking covenants, and struggling under debts built up over the acquisition spree in the preceding years. The DIY market as
2448-486: The area of control private equity investments, include due diligence, acquisition planning, board membership, special project staffing and, where appropriate, occupying interim or full-time open positions. In December 2004, the company announced the acquisition of Bayer 's plasma products business and renamed it Talecris Biotherapeutics. It purchased Talecris for $ 83m, and sold the bulk of its shares in October 2009, for
2520-433: The art and design community. The terms Hacktivist , Craftivist, or maker have been used to describe creatives working within a DIY framework (Busch). Otto von Busch describes 'Hacktivism' as "[including] the participant in the process of making, [to give] rise to new attitudes within the 'maker' or collaborator" (Busch 49). Busch suggests that by engaging in participatory forms of fashion, consumers are able to step away from
2592-416: The auto and home lender seeking federal aid, hasn't obtained enough capital to become a bank holding company and may abandon the effort, casting new doubt on the firm's ability to survive. A $ 38 billion debt exchange by GMAC and its Residential Capital LLC mortgage unit to reduce the company's outstanding debt and raise capital hasn't attracted enough participation.” GMAC's exposure to the gap in residual values
2664-563: The auto maker's performance by operating as an independent company. In 2008, the plan collapsed due to an unprecedented slowdown in the U.S. auto industry and a lack of capital. In response to questioning at a hearing before the House committee on December 5, 2008 by Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, Chrysler President and CEO Robert Nardelli said that Cerberus' fiduciary obligations to its other investors and investments prohibited it from injecting capital. "In order to achieve that goal Cerberus has advised
2736-461: The beginning of the 1980s, when Mike Williams launched Focus Homecentres for AAH Holdings plc. In December 1987, Focus Homecentres was acquired by Choice Group Ltd. The new company's shareholders included Mike Williams, Bill Archer and Greg Stanley, who had previously built up and sold the DIY chain Fads. Focus increased its market share with a mix of both acquisitions and organic growth. This included
2808-664: The body. Modern power tools are mostly equipped with advanced dust control systems, including HEPA-certified dust extractors and integrated water delivery systems , to mitigate the release of harmful particulates. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) mandates the use of such control measures in environments with high dust levels. DIY is prevalent amongst the fashion community, with ideas being shared on social media, such as YouTube, about clothing, jewellery, makeup, and hairstyles. Techniques include distressing and bleaching jeans, redesigning old shirts, and studding denim. The concept of DIY has also emerged within
2880-416: The business, and injected fresh capital in the form of £200 million via loans by the owners Cerberus Capital , Bank of Scotland and GMAC . Costs were slashed, and under performing stores were either closed or sold to other retailers, including Homebase , Tesco , Wickes and Sainsbury's . A programme of new store formats and further cost cutting was undertaken in 2009. In February 2011, Asda announced
2952-419: The clear language contained in the deal agreement that capped its liability for not completing the transaction at $ 100 million. After a two-day trial, Delaware Chancellor William B. Chandler, III, ruled in favor of Cerberus, writing in his ruling that "URI knew or should have known what Cerberus' understanding of the merger agreement was." In a statement, Cerberus said it was "gratified" by the court's ruling and
Focus DIY - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-427: The company had a loss of £25 million. Focus entered administration on 5 May 2011, with Ernst & Young appointed as administrators. The administrators sold 55 stores to B&Q, Wickes and B&M to be rebranded. The remaining 123 stores were all closed by 22 July 2011. The defunct Focus brand is owned by AHK Designs Ltd, who also own the defunct Land of Leather and MFI brands. The company had its origins in
3096-665: The company's Global Investments Division. Cerberus has grown to include 11 offices in nine countries. Cerberus's largest locations include New York City , Chicago , and Boise , Idaho . The company has been an acquirer of businesses over the past several years and now has investments in financial services, healthcare, consumer & retail, government services, manufacturing & distribution, technology & telecommunications, building products, energy & natural resources, apparel, paper, packaging & printing, transportation, commercial services, industrial & automotive, real estate, travel & leisure, and weaponry. The firm
3168-433: The core values of the DIY punk ethic by leveraging creative ways of communication through zines and other projects. Adherents of the DIY punk ethic also work collectively. For example, punk impresario David Ferguson 's CD Presents was a DIY concert production , recording studio , and record label network. A form of independent filmmaking characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever
3240-450: The dark aesthetics and nihilist discourse in punk fanzines in the 1970s and onwards in the shadow of rising unemployment and social tensions. In the 1960s and 1970s, books and TV shows about the DIY movement and techniques on building and home decoration began appearing. By the 1990s, the DIY movement felt the impact of the digital age with the rise of the internet. With computers and the internet becoming mainstream, increased accessibility to
3312-610: The decoration. The building was built by Greek artisans coming from the Spartan colony of Taranto in Apulia. In North America, there was a DIY magazine publishing niche in the first half of the twentieth century. Magazines such as Popular Mechanics (founded in 1902) and Mechanix Illustrated (founded in 1928) offered a way for readers to keep current on useful practical skills, techniques, tools, and materials. As many readers lived in rural or semi-rural regions, initially much of
3384-419: The domain of home improvement and maintenance activities. The phrase "do it yourself" had come into common usage (in standard English) by the 1950s, in reference to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and various other small craft and construction projects as both a creative-recreational and cost-saving activity. Subsequently, the term DIY has taken on a broader meaning that covers
3456-487: The earliest example of this attitude was the punk music scene of the 1970s. More recently, the orthodox understanding that DIY originates in 1970s punk, with its clearest practices being in the self-produced 7" single and self-published fanzines, has been challenged. As George McKay asks in the title of his 2023 article: 'Was punk DIY? Is DIY punk?' McKay argues instead for what he terms a 'depunking' of DIY. Riot grrrl , associated with third-wave feminism , also adopted
3528-703: The final store, which was in Gillingham , ceased trading. In December 2011, the brand was bought by the Walker Group, which owns Victoria Plumb. The trademarks are now owned by AHK Designs Ltd. Do it yourself " Do it yourself " (" DIY ") is the method of building, modifying , or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi-raw materials and parts to produce, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those drawn from
3600-1406: The firm doesn't necessarily need the money. In January 2009, Chrysler Financial was the recipient of $ 1.5 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The company said that it used the money to fund 85,000 loans to purchase Chrysler automobiles. Chrysler Financial repaid all of the TARP loan in July 2009 by raising funds from an asset-backed securitization through the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility program. In December 2010, Cerberus agreed to sell certain assets of Chrysler Financial to TD Bank Group for $ 6.3 billion in cash, retaining approximately $ 1 billion in Chrysler Financial assets. This transaction, which closed in April 2011, allowed Cerberus to recover virtually all of its investment in Chrysler. Advantage Hire Thinking (formerly known as Radia International). Cerberus acquired 51% of GMAC, General Motors ' finance arm, in 2006 for $ 7.4 billion. It appointed Ezra Merkin as nonexecutive Chairman. On December 10, 2008, GMAC said, "GMAC LLC,
3672-474: The following: Examples of high dust level tasks include: Some power tools are equipped with dust collection system (e.g. HEPA vacuum cleaner) or integrated water delivery system which extract the dust after emission. While the type of material used will determine the composition of the dust generated, the size and amount of particulates produced are mainly determined by the type of tool used. Implementation of effective dust control measures may also play
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#17327929946763744-537: The group expanded again, with the purchase of the Great Mills chain, from RMC Group . Another 98 stores were added to the portfolio. The majority of these stores were re branded as Focus, except for some larger stores which became Wickes. By 2002, through rapid expansion and acquisition, Focus had become the second biggest DIY chain in Britain with 430 stores and sales of over £1.66 billion. In December 2004,
3816-613: The idea of "mass-homogenized 'Mc-Fashion ' " (Lee 2003)" , as fashion Hacktivism allows consumers to play a more active role in engaging with the clothes they wear (Busch 32). DIY as a subculture was brought forward by the punk movement of the 1970s. Instead of traditional means of bands reaching their audiences through large music labels, bands began recording, manufacturing albums and merchandise, booking their own tours, and creating opportunities for smaller bands to get wider recognition through repetitive low-cost DIY touring. The burgeoning zine movement took up coverage of and promotion of
3888-542: The internet has led to more households undertaking DIY methods. Platforms, such as YouTube or Instagram, provide people the opportunity to share their creations and instruct others on how to replicate DIY techniques in their own home. The DIY movement is a re-introduction (often to urban and suburban dwellers) of the old pattern of personal involvement and use of skills in the upkeep of a house or apartment, making clothes; maintenance of cars, computers, websites; or any material aspect of living. The philosopher Alan Watts (from
3960-499: The late 1970s punk rock subculture. It developed as a way to circumnavigate the corporate mainstream music industry . By controlling the entire production and distribution chain, DIY bands attempt to develop a closer relationship between artists and fans. The DIY ethic gives total control over the final product without need to compromise with record major labels. According to the punk aesthetic, one can express oneself and produce moving and serious works with limited means. Arguably,
4032-446: The material related to their needs on the farm or in a small town. By the 1950s, DIY became common usage with the emergence of people undertaking home improvement projects, construction projects and smaller crafts. Artists began to fight against mass production and mass culture by claiming to be self-made. However, DIY practices also responded to geopolitical tensions, such as in the form of home-made Cold War nuclear fallout shelters, and
4104-533: The mid-1990s, DIY home-improvement content began to find its way onto the World Wide Web . HouseNet was the earliest bulletin-board style site where users could share information. Since the late 1990s, DIY has exploded on the Web through thousands of sites. In the 1970s, when home video ( VCRs ) came along, DIY instructors quickly grasped its potential for demonstrating processes by audio-visual means. In 1979,
4176-524: The most harmful form (other than ultra-fines ) of air pollution . Exposure to particulate matter, especially PM2.5 and ultrafine particles (PM0.1), has serious health implications. According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of particulate exposure, with these emissions linked to increased risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Many tasks create dust . With high dust levels are caused by one of more
4248-440: The natural environment (e.g., landscaping)". DIY behavior can be triggered by various motivations previously categorized as marketplace motivations (economic benefits, lack of product availability, lack of product quality, need for customization), and identity enhancement ( craftsmanship , empowerment, community seeking, uniqueness). The term "do-it-yourself" has been associated with consumers since at least 1912 primarily in
4320-651: The purchase of six stores from Focus DIY, which were converted into supermarkets later that year. By January 2011, the number of stores had gradually been reduced from 256 in 2007 to 178. In November 2008, Focus had one main distribution centre, in Tamworth , which was acquired with Do It All in August 1998. The closure of the Severnside distribution centre was announced in October 2008, citing adverse financial circumstances. In August 2009, Focus narrowly avoided administration, when BDO Insolvency practitioners achieved
4392-738: The purchase of the Do It All DIY chain from Boots in August 1998. Until 2001, both chains were rebranded as Focus Do It All. The company added a further 131 stores, with the purchase of Wickes in September 2000, a no frills DIY chain which focused on building supplies to the trade. This was whilst the existing Focus company had targeted the consumer end of the market. The two store formats were thought to complement each other, and so were retained as separate entities. The group became known as Focus Wickes. The company also considered acquiring Homebase , but decided against it. In December 2000,
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#17327929946764464-902: The reviews of fabrication tools, tools for working soil, etc. The Catalog 's publication both emerged from and spurred the great wave of experimentalism, convention-breaking, and do-it-yourself attitude of the late 1960s. Often copied, the Catalog appealed to a wide cross-section of people in North America and had a broad influence. DIY home improvement books burgeoned in the 1970s, first created as collections of magazine articles. An early, extensive line of DIY how-to books were created by Sunset Books , based upon previously published articles from their magazine, Sunset , based in California. Time-Life , Better Homes and Gardens , Balcony Garden Web and other publishers soon followed suit. In
4536-671: The scope of home improvement DIY continues to grow online where most mainstream media outlets now have extensive DIY-focused informational websites such as This Old House , Martha Stewart , Hometalk , and the DIY Network . These are often extensions of their magazine or television brand. The growth of independent online DIY resources is also spiking. The number of homeowners who blog about their experiences continues to grow, along with DIY websites from smaller organizations. Use of power tools can cause adverse effects on people living nearby. Power tools can produce large amounts of particulates including, ultrafine particles . Particulates are
4608-435: The time. It looks as if someone was instructing others how to mass-produce components and put them together in this way." Much like our modern instruction booklets, various sections of the luxury building were inscribed with coded symbols showing how the pieces slotted together. The characteristics of these inscriptions indicate they date back to around the 6th century BC, which tallies with the architectural evidence suggested by
4680-623: Was a temple-like building discovered at Torre Satriano , near the southern city of Potenza , in Basilicata . This region was recognized as a place where local people mingled with Greeks who had settled along the southern coast known as Magna Graecia and in Sicily from the 8th century BC onwards. Christopher Smith, director of the British School at Rome , said that the discovery was, "the clearest example yet found of mason's marks of
4752-404: Was around $ 3.5 billion. In December 2008, Cerberus subsequently informed GMAC's bondholders that the financial services company may have to file for bankruptcy if a bond-exchange plan is not approved. The company had previously said it may fail in its quest to become a bank holding company because it lacks adequate capital. In January 2009, Merkin resigned from his chairmanship as a condition by
4824-951: Was closing one of their mortgage companies, Aegis Mortgage. It owned half of a 9.9% share (5%) with the Gabriel Group in Bank Leumi, purchased in 2005, but as of April 19, 2009, it was decided to sell in order to boost capital. Cerberus also has a controlling interest in Japanese bank Aozora. In Australia, Cerberus purchased Bluestone Mortgages (specialist mortgage lending and servicing) in 2018, Angle Finance (equipment finance) in 2019 and Westpac Group's Strategic Alliances (Vendor Finance) in 2020. Cerberus acquired Bushmaster Firearms International , from Windham, Maine native Dick Dyke for an undisclosed sum in April 2006, and purchased Remington Arms in April 2007. Under Cerberus's direction, Bushmaster Firearms acquired Cobb Manufacturing,
4896-675: Was completed in July 2005. AerCap completed its IPO in 2006. Cerberus also acquired North American Bus Industries , Optima Bus Corporation , and Blue Bird Corp. in the bus manufacturing sector. (Cerberus sold its commercial bus manufacturing assets to New Flyer Industries in 2013 but retained the Blue Bird school bus production line.) Peguform (acquired by Cerberus in 2004 and sold it to Polytec four years later), GDX Automotive (owned by Cerberus until 2011), and Chrysler . In 2007, Cerberus and about 100 other investors purchased an 80% stake in Chrysler for $ 7.4 billion seeking to bolster
4968-517: Was created in October 2008 to help banks borrow money by promising to repay investors if the banks defaulted. The U.S. Government also waived a rule that would restrict the amount of loans that GMAC could make to Chrysler's customers and dealers because both firms are owned in part by Cerberus Capital Management. In December 2006, Cerberus acquired the Austrian bank BAWAG P.S.K. for a reported EUR3.2 billion. In August 2007, Cerberus announced that it
5040-471: Was recontextualized by the Mexican and Chicano arts movement to describe a specific artistic aesthetic, Rasquachismo , suited to overcoming material and professional limitations faced by artists in the movement. Cerberus Capital Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is an American global alternative investment firm with assets across credit , private equity , and real estate strategies. The firm
5112-851: Was reported that Safeway Inc was in advanced talks with private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP over a leveraged buyout deal. After integrating the Safeway purchase, on October 14, 2022 Kroger announced it would be acquiring Albertsons for $ 25 billion, combining the largest and second-largest supermarket chains in North America. Acquired bankrupt ANC Rental, then owner of the National and Alamo car rental chains, for $ 230 million in October 2003, and subsequently sold to Enterprise Rent-a-Car in 2007. Purchased DaimlerChrysler 's 45% share of debis AirFinance, an aircraft leasing business, in May 2005. Acquisition of debis AirFinance (later renamed AerCap)
5184-526: Was traded on the NYSE. After the credit markets began to tighten in August, Cerberus decided not to make the acquisition, agreeing to pay United Rentals a $ 100 million "reverse termination fee" that the parties had negotiated and included in their agreement. United Rentals sued in the Delaware Court of Chancery for specific performance (i.e., a court mandate that Cerberus complete the deal). Cerberus cited
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