Briefcase

Corn harvest, planting wheat under way in state

Fall harvest of corn and other row crops continues in Kansas as farmers also hurry to get their 2005 winter wheat seeded.

The Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service said Monday that 80 percent of the wheat had been planted. Usually by this time, 86 percent of the crop is already in the ground.

The agency also rated the condition of the emerging wheat crop as 12 percent excellent, 69 percent good, 16 percent fair, 2 percent poor and 1 percent very poor.

Meanwhile, farmers are busy cutting fall-harvested crops:

  • About 73 percent of the corn crop has been cut for grain.
  • The soybean harvest is 61 percent finished.
  • About 34 percent of the milo has been cut for grain.

Manufacturing

Levi’s betting on Dockers turnaround

Levi Strauss & Co. pulled its Dockers brand off the auction block Monday, signaling the jean maker’s management believes it can rejuvenate the 18-year-old casual clothing line.

The change of heart comes more than five months after San Francisco-based Levi’s announced it would divest its Dockers business and use the money from the sale to reduce its $2.2 billion debt.

When Levi’s announced its plans in May, the company emphasized it would hold on to the Dockers brand if the bidding didn’t generate an acceptable sales price.

Overland Park

Applebee’s picks leader to spur overseas growth

Applebee’s International on Monday named former Yum Brands executive Rohan St. George to lead its international restaurants division.

St. George will join Applebee’s on Nov. 2, taking over the casual dining chain’s development outside the United States. Applebee’s, based in Overland Park, has 53 restaurants.

Telecommunications

Overland Park’s Sprint selects consumer chief

Sprint Corp. on Monday named senior vice president Timothy Kelly as president of its consumer division.

Kelly, 45, had served as senior vice president for the division and will oversee consumer sales, marketing and customer-care operations at the Overland Park-based company.

He replaces Len Lauer, who had overseen the division along with his duties as Sprint’s president and chief operating officer. Lauer will continue with those duties in the move.