In the last quarter GDP fell by 10.9%, the most since 1995, prompting 'slump' headlines.  The New York Times however reports optimism among analysts, one of whom says 'it is very likely that Russia has bottomed out and that recovery has started'.  Baby food producer Wimm-Bill-Dann will open a $500 million plant in Tbilisi in September.  A spokeswoman says: 'we hope that our Caucasian milk... will help improve relations between Russia and Georgia'.  Apparently Russia may face a deficit in dairy products this autumn as small dairies face bankruptcy.  General Motors will apparently not reopen the sale process for Opel and will choose a buyer between its two remaining bidders.  Reuters reports on how the mining of gold, a commodity which has weathered the recession well, has resumed in some of the most remote Gulag-scarred parts ...

Stocks highlighted in this article include: Diamond Foods, Inc. (...

Stocks highlighted in this article include: Diamond Foods, Inc. (...

As the business community continues to cope with a poor business environment, companies are quickly becoming more creative with how they view cost savings and return on investment (ROI). The inevitable understanding that, in order to save money a company needs to spend money is becoming clear. Generally, this concept is not one of the more difficult concepts to understand, but when companies have been spending capital with little thought, it is difficult to change.

Many companies have been preaching the “spend to save concept” for some time, but building systems that could efficiently accomplish the task were a bit slower in coming. They were available in some form, but somehow didn’t quite get the job done. Finding a company that has a system to help companies “work smarter, not harder” is a solid investment when capital is sitting idle and waiting for an efficient place to work.

SAND Technology Inc., a

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