Office-sharing startup WeWork on Thursday named Shyam Gidumal, a former Ernst & Young executive, as its new chief operating officer in the first major executive appointment under new head Sandeep Mathrani.

he CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index climbed two points in the first quarter, from 59 to 61, as concerns over trade policy impacts lessened, thanks to a trade deal with China and the signing of the USMCA. This is a sharp turnaround from the lows seen last summer as trade turmoil weighed on Main Street’s outlook.

According to the state Gaming Control Board, bets made online or in casinos produced $31.6 million in gross revenue in January. That was up from $17.5 million in December.

The war for talent is intense. With historically low unemployment rates and a shortage of qualified candidates, architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are vying for top talent.

Advancing technology has given us amazing tools to improve business performance and customer satisfaction. But over the years I’ve observed that in many businesses, investments in technology have not improved overall performance as planned and customers continue to deal with broken promises. 

The Fort Worth, Texas-based company, which was founded in 1962, has been struggling with increased competition from budget-friendly online retailers such as Wayfair. Pier 1 said it will pursue a sale, with a March 23 deadline to submit bids. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Labor Department said Wednesday that its producer price index, which measures inflationary pressures before they reach the consumer, jumped 0.5% in January after rising 0.2% in December. The monthly increase was much bigger than economists expected.  

Federal Reserve officials were mostly optimistic about the U.S. and global economies last month, though they noted the risk posed by China’s viral outbreak and said they were ready to keep their benchmark interest rate at its current low level in the coming months.

The announcement came on the same day that the struggling meal-delivery service company reported its latest quarterly results. Blue Apron posted a loss of $1.66 a share -- a bigger deficit than expected -- and a sales drop of more than 30% that was also larger than what Wall Street had forecast. Company management is holding a conference call Wednesday

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that builders started construction on 1.57 million homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, a decline of 3.6% from 1.63 million units in December. That had been the highest point since late 2006 at the peak of the housing boom of the last decade.

Kyle Kirshner, who has been doing business in China for several years, knew to stock up on supplies ahead of the Lunar New Year. The owner of Kyndley sells outdoor products via Amazon and imports 90% of his goods from China. He has about three months’ supply of items but is unable to order more of his most popular product, a backpack cooler.

Professional structural engineers have an excellent opportunity to develop more formal connections with emergency service responders and the public through engagement with forensic assessments, strengthening and rehabilitating existing infrastructure, as well as in preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction activities

CPBJ sat down with Marc Kurowski, president and CEO of K&W Engineers, about growing his company, and some of the interesting projects he's worked on.

Retail sales figures released Friday showed that consumers were inspired by unseasonably warm weather to spend on their homes in January, but that overall sales growth was modest. The Commerce Department reported a 0.3% gain last month following a 0.2% gain in December.

A central Pennsylvania logistics company has bought the former Grizzly Industrial Inc. distribution center in Lycoming County and anticipates beginning to use it next week.