Stage Stores brands sold to Florida firm
Bradenton, Fla.-based Bealls Inc. has acquired Stage Stores Inc.’s intellectual property and a large Texas distribution facility in a $7 million bankruptcy sale.
The intellectual property acquired by Bealls Inc. from the bankruptcy court includes the trademarks and trade names for Stage Stores, Goody’s, Gordmans, Palais Royal and Peebles, as well as the national rights for the Bealls name. Bealls also acquired all of Stage’s private label brands and customer lists.
Bealls Inc. is a separate company from the Bealls brand that was part of the Stage Stores stable. It operates Bealls Stores and Bealls Outlet Stores in Florida, Georgia and Arizona. The stores operating under the Bealls name in other states were owned by Houston-based Specialty Retailers Inc., Stage Stores’ former parent.
Agility Bank given conditional OK to launch and operate
Agility Bank, now in formation, said last week it had been given conditional approval for its application to launch and operate by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
The Houston bank, which would operate a predominately digital community bank primarily owned and led by women, will begin raising $30 million in capital immediately and expects final regulatory approval and opening in the second quarter of 2021.
It plans to specialize in commercial lending to small- and mid-size businesses in growth sectors including medical and life sciences, commercial and residential real estate, technology, industrial businesses and manufacturing. As a communitybased and minorityowned depository institution at its core, Agility said it is committed to those businesses owned by women and minorities.
Its first location is expected to open at 2401 North Shepherd in the Heights in the second quarter of 2021.
CVS Health staffing up for COVID testing
CVS Health is hiring 15,000 people nationwide to keep up with demand for COVID-19 testing and ahead of what's anticipated to be a busy flu season.
The retail pharmacy giant, headquartered in Woonsocket, R.I., said that more than twothirds, or 10,000, of the openings will be for licensed pharmacy technicians to help administer flu shots and perform nasal swabs for COVID-19 tests.