JENNY KEOWN

Glen Cornelius is on a mission: to change people's perception of engineers as a sandal and sock-wearing crowd to people who are up to the play with modern business philosophies and what businesses want.

The 38-year-old is up against it in some ways. He's managing director of an engineering consultancy that – among many things – builds sewerage networks.

However, that's not stopping him, and he's got a few things in his favour.

His company, Harrison Grierson, might be an expert on how to transport muck, but it is also an established engineering consultancy which has expanded successfully into Australia.

Cornelius, who has been in the MD seat since January, has a strong vision for the company and is aiming for mid-tier projects over $100m. To do it, the company will invest in people, and become very client-focused.

He concedes talent is hard to find, but the company's hook: "We are not a large company. We're New Zealand-owned, and there is room for growth and progression."

Why did you become an entrepreneur?

I can't be described as your classic entrepreneur. Since January I'm the new managing director of Harrison Grierson after being with the company for 16 years. Harrison Grierson recently celebrated its 127th anniversary. What I bring to the role is a new leadership style, management and team-building ability. I consider the company itself to be quite entrepreneurial and innovative. The fact that we have offices in Brisbane and Townsville and have just been awarded the design contract for the $30m sewerage treatment plant upgrade for Mt Isa hopefully demonstrates that we are.

What have been the biggest obstacles in running your company?

The biggest obstacle for us and business generally is the global economic situation which is compounded by problems in the eurozone. In New Zealand, the limited availability of funds and the lack of business confidence is keeping the market flat and causing uncertainty. Another big obstacle for Harrison Grierson is in the ongoing war for talent. We struggle to find and place highly skilled engineers with the right attitude into our business.

Name one thing you've learnt from while in business and from whom.

I attended a Harvard University "Leading Professional Services Firms" course last year. What they taught me is the importance of having a clear vision for the company, which is backed by a strategic plan. Since my appointment as the managing director I have made sure we develop a clear vision for the future and follow through with strong communication of this to our team.

What are your business and personal goals?

My key goal at both a business and personal level is ensuring I deliver on the five-year strategic plan for Harrison Grierson.

Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs?

There are huge opportunities in Australia arising from the resources sector boom. However, like anywhere, it takes time to develop relationships and to earn respect and trust. If you're good enough and provide the innovation, it will happen.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Clear vision, strategies key elements for success

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The first UEFA Football Doctor Education Programme workshop is taking place this week in Vienna.

The workshop has provided an opportunity for doctors working in European football to learn advanced emergency aid techniques and share best practice in the role of the football doctor. The course, running from 20 to 24 February, has been presented by members of the UEFA Medical Committee and by specialists in emergency medicine.

"Very quickly we came from classical medicine, taking care of the health of our patients, to a more specific sports medicine, taking care not only of health but also of physical condition," said Michel D'Hooghe, chairman of the UEFA Medical Committee, in his opening statement about the changes which have taken place in the game's medical area.

"We have close attachments with locomotory disciplines, like traumatology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy and also with physiology, psychology and the pharmaceutical sector of medicine. Added to this are nutritional elements and elements of hygiene, and thanks to the global evolution of football we are approaching new sectors – adaption to jet lag, adaption to sport in altitudes, adaptation to sport in extreme weather conditions," he added.

The success of the programme is dependent on the further dissemination of content by candidates, through the hosting of similar workshops at national level, because the 53 doctors present cannot make the difference alone. "Usually, when you stage a workshop like this, people go home afterwards and it is finished," said UEFA education adviser André Boder. "The idea is to help the medical representatives of the national associations to cascade all the knowledge shared to the medical staff and club doctors of their own country.

"To spread the knowledge as quickly as possible, UEFA provides three educational tools – technical handbooks, 40 to 50 trained course delegates, who are there to advise the associations at any time, and an extensive online platform with countless articles for interactive elearning. The doctors are required to spread the knowledge gained within their country as effectively as possible."

Participants at the seminar have had to complete two modules: "Role and responsibility of a team doctor" and "Emergency treatment". For the latter, the doctors present had to complete practical exercises on different stations, such as injuries of the cervical spine, cardiac arrest and blockage of the respiratory passages.

"We're doing the simple things here. We're not teaching advanced surgical techniques. It's just about the first critical moments," explained Jonathan Gordon of SportPromote. "When the heart stops beating, the doctor will normally panic as well. It is an understandable reaction, since most of the doctors here don't work at a hospital in their day jobs."

Regarding the roles and responsibility of the team doctor, Ian Beasley, a member of the UEFA Medical Committee, came to the conclusion that given the changed circumstances, football doctors have increasingly become "medicine managers". "I started in football in 1987 – it's so different now," he said. "Prevention and surveillance is a big thing. The project is the player. Doctors should be a communication filter between players/managers and medical analysis, data, physios, etc.."

All topics and techniques discussed and tested were enthusiastically welcomed by the delegates. It is now the responsibility of the doctors to make sure the knowledge gained will not remain exclusive. "I want all of you to become teachers. That is my personal request to you. I hope you will have big success with this," Dr D'Hooghe concluded.

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Vienna platform for football doctor programme success

While King Simon Cowell rode back to Fox on his White Steed, purporting to win the ratings battle for the network with a minimum of 20 million X Factor viewers, reality fell slightly short. Actually, it fell very short. The premiere opened to just 12.1 million viewers, yet Fox’s old dog, American Idol, averages about 18.8 million viewers per episode – and we haven’t even made it to the good part of the competition yet. Since its inaugural season, X has performed a purge eliminating host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and most recently hinting that they'd add a second host to the mix in Season Two. But the series has some steep competition from the seasoned Idol. And the big question here is: what gives? What is it that keeps Idol flying high – even in a year when the series’ “declining” ratings is a constant news item – while the X Factor merely puttered along?

1. We want to meet the contestants, not the judges.
The X Factor has a unique approach in that it treats its judges as the real celebrities, instead giving that treatment to the stars it seeks to create. Idol certainly plays on the judges’ star power, but in a way that feels more like sage experience to help grow the contestants instead of feathers in their caps. When it comes time for judgment on Idol, it’s all about the singer onstage. What did they bring to the table? Did his or her talent really shine? On X, those criticisms are directed at the judges, because what really seems to be on trial are the judges’ managerial abilities instead of the individual singers’ talents. While it makes more sense from a music industry point of view, it’s not as fun for the viewer. Idol lets us all sit at the judges table because we’re just as separated from the contestants’ choices as they are. It’s an equal playing field that simply offers more entertainment than the inside baseball on The X Factor.

2. Steve Jones makes us long for Ryan Seacrest’s inane puns.
Seacrest may be the most inoffensive person ever. Even people who don’t like him can’t really pinpoint why. He’s just so delightfully vanilla with a drizzle of playful, yet safe sarcasm. And Steve Jones is…cute and British. And believe it or not, audiences want more than a pretty face. They want someone who truly connects with the contestants and the judges on a deeper, more personal level. That’s the host’s purpose: a bridge joining the dreamers and the wranglers, tying it all up in a nice bow for the viewers at home. More often than not, Jones was in a bit of contention with the judges on The X Factor – and that disconnect was awkward and completely palpable.

3. Genuine chemistry is always better than petty negativity.
The one thing Idol really got right in its second act, starting in Season 10, was the camaraderie among the judges. The series always had a bit of that, but rivalries were certainly encouraged. For the first seven years, we watched Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell fight, and when she left the show, they brought in Kara DioGuardi to take over the battle of snappy comments. But it was evident that the average reality show viewer was over it – the series needed to turn over a new leaf. In comes Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and the stalwart Randy Jackson, who disagree just as often as the old set of judges did, but without losing their esprit de corps. They’re like a loving triplet of parents, watching their contestant babies grow, while the X Factor judges not only lacked any real chemistry, but they really didn’t seem to like each other – a factor the producers tried to play up, to their detriment. In this new era of reality competitions, positivity is the way to go.

4. America wants to call the shots.
The X Factor seeks to remedy Idol’s mistakes by changing the formula so voters don’t really have the final say in who stays and who goes. Rather than votes determining the week’s castoff, they determine the bottom two and the judges then choose who stays. If the judges can’t decide, then America makes the decision – but that’s fairly rare. Once again, this plan makes sense from a music industry perspective – voters don’t always know who actually has what it takes to be a recording artist. But for the most part, viewers don’t tune in because their iTunes account is in need of a boost; they tune in because they want to watch entertaining television. Any series' real goal is first and foremost to be entertaining television - just ask the networks. And a large part of that entertainment is that sense of unpredictable mob rule. On Idol, singers we’d never expect to part with are sent packing in early weeks, while weaklings stay on – but that’s where are our stubborn opinions thrive. And it’s those stubborn, vehement opinions that make Idol so much fun. Idol does have one “Judges’ Save” per year, but it’s far from X’s weekly practice. By allowing music industry professionals to correct our mistakes, The X Factor robs us of a very significant fun factor.

Do you think Idol does it better than The X-Factor? What else does the original singing competition do better? Let us know in the comments or get us on Twitter @Hollywood_com and @KelseaStahler

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'Idol': What 'X Factor' Can Learn From Its Success

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Leah Eichler

Can women have it all?

This question comes up repeatedly in the dialogue about women and careers. I frequently encounter contemporaries who believe it’s the duty of women in their 30s and 40s to warn the next generation that they cannot, in fact, have it all. They fret about new graduates who are certain their future holds generous salaries, lofty titles, a partner with the same, and maybe even children in private school by the time they hit their mid-30s.

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I never want to quash those dreams. I entertained them myself at one point and still believe the possibility exists for those who are up for the challenge and willing to make personal sacrifices.

What should be evaluated more critically is the definition of “all,” which I interpret as synonymous with success. Externally, one’s salary and job title present obvious markers of career success. Internally, many men and women may have an alternate understanding of success. Reconciling the two is no easy feat.

“You can have it all, but sometimes not all at once,” said Lisa Heidman, senior client partner and North American director of Bedford Legal at the Bedford Consulting Group, a global executive search firm in Toronto.

Ms. Heidman, who also acts as an adviser and coach to board- and C-level clients, often encourages senior executives, as well as up-and-coming talent, to be clear about what drives them and what they uniquely have to offer, both professionally and personally. She believes success comes when a person’s drive and skill set is strategically aligned with an organization and its goals, values and culture.

She warns against fixating on a singular definition of career success, or of characterizing yourself by some else’s definition.

“There isn’t one answer for everyone. There are always choices and compromises,” Ms. Heidman explained. “What’s important is to make these decisions consciously, and to also respect and support the many choices we make as women in our individual and collective career paths.”

Perhaps it’s not recent graduates who need to be taught the meaning of success, however. Maybe they have it right and we’re too jaded to recognize the change.

Julia Richardson, an associate professor of organizational behaviour at York University’s School of Human Resource Management, regularly asks her students to define career success. Although some speak of it in terms of scaling to the top of an organization, she said many students – specifically women – often hold a broader view.

For them, success includes factors such as happiness with their family life, making a contribution to society, and having a job they really enjoy. Dr. Richardson muses that perhaps this expanded view of success comes from watching their parents work long hours to afford a certain lifestyle, leading her students to question if that’s what they really want.

Some recent data backs up the observation that women, even if they earn less than men, find more meaning in their work. Seattle-based PayScale Inc., which mines global online compensation data, culled responses last year from 30,000 U.S. workers and found that women were more likely than men to say their job makes the world a better place. While pay levels played a more important role for men, they also acknowledged having to make longer commutes than women, meaning they sacrificed more for that pay cheque.

Although it is wonderful that many women place more emphasis on personal fulfilment over traditional markers of success, I wonder if this could be a case of cognitive dissonance. They can’t obtain the level of success they originally aspired to, so they veer toward external markers of success that are more readily available.

“I don’t think they are kidding themselves in any way,” said Dr. Richardson, while acknowledging that it might prove difficult to maintain your internal vision of success if it collides with the opinions of family and peers.

Barbara Stewart, portfolio manager with Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc. in Toronto, is one who appears to have reconciled her inner goals with external markers of success by associating herself with a firm that offers her freedom and allows her to explore her intellectual curiosity.

While managing clients with a minimum of $1-million in investible assets, Ms. Stewart also carved out the time to research the financial lives of women around the world, exploring how the messages they received about money while growing up had an impact on their behaviour and level of confidence.

She found that although money symbolized their value as professionals for many of her subjects, the actual amount earned was not as significant to their definition of success. It's an outlook she appears to share.

“For me, being successful is having the freedom to live all parts of myself … It’s up to me how I work, when I work, where I work,” Ms. Stewart said. “Producing revenue is the bottom line but it’s up to me to decide the best way to do that.”

Leah Eichler is co-founder of Femme-o-Nomics, a networking and content portal for professional women. E-mail: leah.eichler@rogers.com

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Having it all depends on what 'all' means

Many years ago, I started a comic book and game store, which flourished and expanded into its second decade with video rentals and more. A catalog was added, a full website and a second store. The store was a great personal success for me, because it enabled me to expand on my own ideas, and control my income and financial future. It also helped me learn a great deal about business, retail trends and customer habits (human behavior). My business also led to a huge network of personal contacts, which is perhaps the most rewarding aspects my small business. It has been a rewarding experience, and I never regretted the move to start my own business.

Looking back at the success, there were several key factors that led to fortune in my retail operation. My business might have failed, if I had not done all of these things right. These are the 5 most important key steps that led to my success.

1. Low Rent

The single most import "make or break" part of any retail operation is overhead, and rent is the base of it. I rented a very inexpensive space on the basement level of a mini-mall on a very busy street of the main shopping district in my city. Several spaces were empty at the basement level, the consensus being that consumers prefer street-level or higher and will not walk downstairs. However, my customer base was college age, healthy enough for stairs and the customers flocked in. The rent was very low, which helped me tremendously. My neighbor and friend at street level was paying $7000 a month, while I was paying $750 ($84,000 vs $9000 per year). He did twice the business, but went bankrupt in 2 years. I expanded and flourished for decades.

2. Location

Being in a good business and shopping district helped save on advertising. A well-placed sign outside was advertising every day 24/7 to a lot of walking traffic. Don't under-estimate the need for a good location; just find a way to get the location without breaking the bank. Look for second floor spaces in a good area. A cheap second floor space on a busy street is better than a big street-level space on a side-street in the middle of nowhere.

3. Product Evolution / Adaptation

As time passed and fads or customer interests changed, I adapted and changed the product lines of my store. When comics faded and collectibles card games (or CCG's) became hugely popular, I boosted my inventory in that direction. When Asian movies hit it big with my college students, I expanded the store to add more foreign movies. Don't sell widgets and sit year after year relying on the ups and downs of the widget market. Be attentive to what is popular and change with the tide. Just like Apple, who dropped almost all support for its failing computer line and then threw its energy into gadgets for kids, such as mp3-players and phones. They would be gone now, if they hadn't adapted.

4. Networking and Advertising

Try networking as a cheap way to supplement advertising. I would often join and sponsor college and high school groups as a way to network and meet my customers. They spread the word to other students and the network spread. Most of my customers said they found my store by "word of mouth." My paid advertising was kept to my target area, such as comic book fanzines, movie websites and college newspapers. I paid very little for advertising.

5. Website

My website only existed to do two things: give a map to my location and show new products each week. It was not a huge site, but it was simple and easy. There was no shopping cart or ability to order by mail. It was a successful site, because it kept customers informed. That's all a site needs to do. Keep it simple, easy and informative.

The main theme here is: low overhead. Because my rent and advertising costs were so low, I was able to enjoy nice profit margins. By adapting, networking and being in the right spot, my business bloomed and got better every year.

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How I Made My Small Retail Business Successful

Engagement is about having a personal, meaningful relationship that inspires others to devote their best effort, attention and resources.

Yes, employers want it from their employees. But it goes far beyond that.

I want it from my wife, my business partners, my friends. As a company, we want engagement from our clients.

What does it take to create relationships that inspire others to give something of themselves? Here are the Three D’s of Engagement that you can apply to any relationship, personal or professional:

•  Delight in others’ success. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a profit, influence someone or generate more followers for your blog. Beneath it all, however, must be a personal passion to improve the lives of those you are connecting with. If you are able to consistently celebrate others’ success with no strings attached, you are on your way.

•  Declare yourself. Be decisive on what you want. Declare your boldest intentions and most lofty aspirations to those on whom your success depends. It will hold you accountable, keep you honest and drive you toward excellence.

•  Deliver in every interaction. No matter how small the behavior, you must deliver on what you’ve declared. Whether it’s a memo, e-mail, contract proposal, team meeting, training program or the simplest conversation, practice what you preach.

When it comes to engagement, you are never off the clock and every interaction counts. When you practice the Three D’s of Engagement, you will experience more meaningful and productive relationships at all levels.

Nate Regier is the owner of Next Element Consulting. Contact him at 316-772-6174 or nate@nextelement.com.

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Three D’s of Engagement can be applied to any relationship

BY GREG KLEIN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Organizers of the Clark Sports Center’s new “Commit to be Fit” program had their doubts about the program. “We were unsure if it was going to be a success,” said Doug McCoy, Clark personal training coordinator and co-designer of the program. “It was a lot of work in the beginning.

We had to get all the department heads to sign off on it, we had to present it to all the staff members. I think we worried that after all that, it might not be (a success).” Those fears were erased by the second day of sign-ups, when 100 Clark members had “committed” to the program.

That was nearly as many as had participated last year in the Pound for Pound Challenge, which the Commit program is replacing. The Pound for Pound was a weight loss program that rewarded members for losing weight with membership discounts and  a chart of their success. TheCommit program is similar, but doesn’t just focus on weight loss. It charts members participation throughout the fitness center, keeping a log of all their activities, and helping them try new activities and learn new skills.

Now eight weeks into the new program, McCoy and his fellow designer, Emily Kishbaugh, can see how successful they have been.

“Last year, when we would put the results on the charts, you could see the spot where results started leveling off,” said Kishbaugh, Marketing Specialist and Program Coordinator for the sports center.

“It isn’t that people were going backward, but they just weren’t improving anymore. Here, everyone turns in their account logs, and you can see the hard work every time.”

The numbers for the new program are impressive. A total of 255 members are in the  program, about a sixth of theClark’s total membership and nearly 30 percent of the adult members. Pool attendance and fitness class participation are up from last year by significant amounts. More people are attending the monthly health seminars too.

Even website viewings have gone up, five percent so far this year, and the Commit to be Fit website is the fourth most viewed page on the Clark site. More impressive than the numbers, however, are the individual stories.

“I don’t do this for the discount,” said Joanie Lee, 65 of Fly Creek. “I don’t do this to compete with the other members, although I have lost more weight than my daughter. I am doing this for my self-esteem. When you see what you have done at the end of the day, it really makes you proud.”

Lee, who worked in human  resources at Basset untilhealth problems forced her into retirement, has suffered from debilitating back problems.

“I have had major surgeries  that have failed,” she said.“At one point, I really hit the duldrums. When I saw this program, I decided to sign up and see what I could do.”

Lee said she has lost 12 pounds in eight weeks and greatly improved her back strength. She said she is particularly impressed with her yoga instructor, Katherine Walters.

“She’s wonderful,” Lee said. “She went to a retreat in Texas and she knows all the esoteric names and positions. We have a great class. There’s a 91- year old woman. There’s a 95-year old woman. We have everyone from a 95-pounder to a 400-plus pound woman.  She has to sit on a chair thewhole time, but she is doing the exercises. Everyone in the program is losing weight.

“The thing is, you do what you can do, and they never push you past your limits,” Lee said. “If they work here, then they are there for you.”

Part of the appeal of the new program is that it takes  advantage of the entirecenter and not just the weight room.

“You get credit for everything you do that is working out,” said Kishbaugh. Adds McCoy, “We wanted to do something that made people want to work out. This way it is always something different.

I hear people saying ‘man, I haven’t been in a pool in  years. I really love it!’” Each week, participants are given new challenges and encouraged to work out in different ways. New exercises are taught, new skills learned.

Tips and recipes for healthy eating are included. Results are logged in personal books, passports as they are called, and certified by instructors.

There are charts hanging on the walls that show who is having the most success— members are identified by number, not by name—and the challenges can spur some friendly competition.

“It has become a social thing,” McCoy said. “You see people looking at the weekly chart and you hear people talking about the results. Like ‘wow, number 22 really had a good week. I have to work harder to beat 22.’”

For McCoy, the program has become an extension of his personal journey.

“I had a sedentary job,” said the former van driver, “and I had gained a lot of weight. I started working out. Then I became interested in why I was working out, and what I was doing.”

McCoy became a part-time personal trainer at the Clark in 2000, and went full time four years ago. He said he was particularly interested in helping people find a successful routine.

“For me, when I first started working out, the hardest part was committing to a regular program. It is hard to keep to a routine,” he said.

It may be hard work, but with the help of their instructors, the Commit participants have also been successful.

Since the program started, the 255 members have worked out for 3,373-plus hours, and an average of 562 hours a week. Even the staff members are getting into it. Where just 12 did the previous program, 45 are now signed up for the new one.

Phase one of the program started on Jan. 2 and runs through May, but the program will continue throughout the year. Phase two will start in late spring and include more outdoor activities to take advantage of the weather.

“We’re going to keep it going,” McCoy said. “We want to give our members more ways to make healthy life changes.”

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Fitness program ‘success’

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

GPS personal tracking devices and applications are forecast to grow with a CAGR of 40%, with both markets breaking $1 billion in 2017.

Senior analyst Patrick Connolly says, “The hardware market remained below 100,000 units in 2011. However, it is forecast to reach 2.5 million units in 2017, with significant growth in elderly, health, and lone worker markets. Dedicated devices can offer significant benefits, with insurance and liability increasingly encouraging the use of approved equipment.”

“We are also seeing the first signs of leading CE companies entering the market, such as Qualcomm, Apple (via PocketFinder), Garmin, Cobra, etc. and there will also be significant partnerships and acquisitions in this space as new entrants looks to add tracking to their portfolio,” adds Connolly. Other markets include family, personal items (e.g. luggage), and pet and offender tracking.

There is an addressable market of over 120 million people across these markets alone, with over two million US elderly using non-GPS Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS). However, awareness, battery life, economic conditions, and high subscription fees remain significant barriers. There is also a fear that smartphone applications will cannibalize the market.

The application market is already booming, with Life360 reaching 10 million downloads for its family locator application. Long term, these solutions will become part of much bigger security and health markets, growing to over 200 million downloads in 2017, as well as the majority of total tracking market revenue.

Group director Dominique Bonte adds, “In particular, carrier platforms represent a major revenue generator opportunity for family locator applications, matching their secure image and offering differentiation to family subscription plans. Companies such as Location Labs and TCS are already seeing success in this space.”

ABI Research’s new report, “Personal Location Devices and Applications Market,” (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1010467) identifies the key growth markets for GPS tracking devices, analyzing each market individually to enable companies to identify the market that best fits their approach. The competitive environment is also analyzed.

This report is part of the firm’s Location Platforms and Enablers Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Location_Platforms_and_Enablers_Research_Service).

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 40+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit http://www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.

Original post:
Personal Tracking to Be the Next Billion Dollar GPS Market, According to ABI Research

PEORIA, Ariz. – The sun was still rising when rookie pitcher Forrest Snow arrived at the Seattle Mariners’ spring training camp Wednesday, so there weren’t many fans on hand to see his sartorial splendor.

While most teammates wander in wearing T-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans, Snow showed up this time wearing his usual dress shirt and tie, a dark vest and slacks.

“Look good, play well. That’s the theory,” Snow said. “I want to be a big-leaguer, so I’ll dress like one.”

Snow, 23, jumped from high Class A ball to Triple-A Tacoma last July when the Rainiers needed an arm. Usually, players in that situation fill a role and then are returned to their original team.

“He started a couple of games for us and then we tried to limit his innings and used him in relief,” Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren Brown said. “He pitched well for us, then went to Arizona Fall League and proved it was no fluke.”

In the AFL, the 6-foot-6 Snow, a Seattle native who pitched for the University of Washington Huskies, threw 16 innings and allowed opposing batters a .167 average.

Snow’s locker is alongside those of Taijuan Walker, Dan Hultzen and James Paxton, and the Mariners consider him one of their best young pitching prospects.

There’s no question he’s the best dresser in the group.

“I’d have to get up too early in the morning to tie a tie,” Hultzen said.

“I don’t know how to tie one,” Walker admitted.

“I’d rather wear a tie than a polo shirt,” Snow said. “I started doing it in Tacoma. I was close to home and had the chance to dress up, so I did.

“I was the only pitcher Daren Brown ever had who charted a game from the stands wearing a suit.”

Brown allows the starting pitcher for the next game to sit in the stands and chart the pitches of the starter – and has a rule: They must wear shirts with a collar.

“I looked up in the stands and saw Forrest in a suit and Chris Seddon was sitting beside him and looked terrible,’ Brown said. “I didn’t know whether to fine Seddon for looking to bad or fine Snow for making Seddon look so bad.”

Snow has taken some friendly abuse for being a clothes hound.

“I came in a few times after games and found my clothes hanging from the ceiling,” Snow said. “You know who always laughed and got a kick out of it? Greg (Halman).” (Halman was stabbed to death in November in his native Netherlands.)

This spring, teammates are enjoying each new day with Snow.

“Stephen Pryor claims I have 40 ties,” Snow said, “but it’s more like 15-20.”

PITCHING SCHEDULE

The first intrasquad game is Friday, and pitching coach Carl Willis has the starters lined up – it’ll be left-handers Jason Vargas vs. Hultzen.

Thirteen other pitchers are scheduled to work an inning: Shawn Camp, Oliver Perez, Aaron Heilman, Steve Delabar, Charlie Furbish and Chance Ruffin will follow Vargas. Walker, Paxton, Shawn Kelley, Hong-Chi Kuo, Cesar Jimenez, Erasmo Ramirez and Lucas Luetge will follow Hultzen.

SHORT HOPS

Shortstop Brendan Ryan (right-shoulder tightness) played catch for the first time, and is scheduled to throw lightly each day through Sunday. In Friday’s game, Ryan will be the DH for one team. ... Two outfielders – Franklin Gutierrez and Trayvon Robinson – had their legs tighten up after running drills, and didn’t take part in outfield drills that followed. ... The Mariners added another “B” game, this one at Cincinnati (Goodyear, Ariz.) on March 5 at 9 a.m. (PST). ... Batting coach Chris Chambliss will be away from camp today, taking care of personal matters.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

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Dressed for success? Snow hopes so