Finance & Capital Management

Minneapolis – John J. Mulligan, CFO and executive VP of Target, is publicly calling for U.S. businesses to adopt chip-enabled smartcards. In a column published in the Congressional blog of political site The Hill, Mulligan said the attack on Target exposed the sophistication of today’s hackers and that the retailer had already been striving toward adopting chip-enabled smartcards, used in most of the rest of the world, before the holiday 2013 data breach.

Dallas -- J.C. Penney Company on Tuesday said its same-store sales rose 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season. It was the chain’s first positive quarterly sales result since 2011.

Milwaukee — NAI MLG Commercial has promoted Kevin Schmoldt to VP. Schmoldt joined the company in 2007 as an intern while studying at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. After becoming a broker associate in May of 2009, he worked with landlords, tenants and investors.

The Wisconsin representative for NAI Global, NAI MLG Commercial is a privately owned commercial real estate company offering a full range of brokerage and property management services.

Los Angeles — PizzaRev will open its seventh location in Van Nuys, Calif., on Feb. 7. PizzaRev is a Los Angeles-based fast casual pizza chain that fires pizzas in just three minutes. Founded in 2012 by entertainment industry executives Irv Zuckerman and Rodney Eckerman.

PizzaRev announced a strategic partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings last March, and Buffalo Wild Wings will open the first PizzaRev franchise location in Sprung 2014 in Minneapolis.

As part of its 2014 expansion plans, teen and tween retailer Five Below has its eye set on the Tennessee market and will be opening five new stores there by spring.

Sport Chalet’s digital strategy paid off in the third quarter ended Dec. 29, which saw online sales surge 22% from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

The company reported net income for the quarter of $1.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in the third quarter of last year.

J.C. Penney scored its first positive quarterly sales result since 2011, reporting a same-store sales increase of 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season.

Whole Foods Market has acquired leases from Safeway for seven locations formerly operated as Dominick's stores. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Wet Seal board member Mindy C. Meads has resigned her spot to focus on her new role as CEO of Calypso St. Barth.

“Mindy has been a valued member of the board of directors and we wish her well in her future endeavors with Calypso St. Barth. Mindy’s leadership as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and her general contributions to the board were a value to the company and its shareholders,” said Lynda Davey, non-executive chairperson.

Ball Corporation has named Daniel W. Fisher as president, North American metal beverage packaging division, Americas, succeeding Michael Hranicka, who recently left the company.

Fisher joined Ball in 2010 as VP, finance, North America, Ball metal beverage packaging division, Americas, and most recently held the position of SVP, finance and planning for that same business. Fisher reports to Gerrit Heske, Ball's SVP and chief operating officer, global beverage metal packaging.