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 President's Message
 I am pleased to report that although we are not at 2007 levels, relocation volume began to increase last November, 2009 and that we are continuing to see the trend. As a result, Paragon is once again in a hiring mode as we staff up to deal with more moves than we originally projected in our 2010 budget. Though it was necessary to make various changes in 2008 and 2009 to respond to the financial crisis, Paragon is now better positioned than ever to deal with growth. During the last five years, we have downsized our California presence by moving many jobs and functions to our Dallas, Texas office to gain efficiencies and cost savings. Moving our Connecticut and California Operations Groups to Dallas, while maintaining Client Relations in region, was the culmination of this effort. Our focus now is to turn our Operations in Dallas into a Center of Excellence, while we maintain and grow our other Global Service Centers in Chicago, Dublin and Hong Kong and our Regional Service Centers in Britain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, South Korea and Spain. We also fully expect to expand our global footprint in 2010 to include additional Regional Service Centers in key countries.
As we look to the future, there are many exciting initiatives. Shortly we will announce Paragon GeoImmigration, to allow our firm to provide global visa and immigration services directly rather than by referral to other immigration firms. By mid year, we will introduce PRISM 2.0, our next generation global information management system, with enhancements which will allow us to better provide relocation services with more meaningful customer and client access to information. We will offer our clients more service options in 2010 including our optional Gold Service, both Domestic and International Employee and Family Concierge Services, Global Compensation Services to track worldwide customer income and PACE, our international cost analysis service. In addition, we will continue to offer our Partner Select program to achieve high quality, competitively priced household goods shipping services and mortgage services through GenEquity, our mortgage company. The last few years have been a transition to the New Normal; however, Paragon has never been at a stand still. Though we have faced challenging times, we have continued to improve our services and to provide better corporate relocation mobility solutions through additional service capabilities. While we are cautious about 2010, we are looking forward to the future as we expand our company in response to the needs of our clients and customers. 
President and CEO
Paragon Global Resources, Inc.
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Pulse Points 2010: Trends and Best Practices for Global Mobility Programmes
Karen Kason, Managing Consultant in the Global Consulting Group at Paragon Relocation, recently produced a White Paper entitled "Pulse Points 2010: Trends and Best Practices for Global Mobility Programmes".
 As relocation volume stabilizes and shows signs of a slow but steady recovery, early indicators suggest 2010 will be a year of program recalibration. The U.S. and global housing markets continue to struggle. Many practices highlighted in Paragon's 2009 Trends and Best Practices report still apply. Strict Home Marketing parameters, use of buyer incentives, and formal loss on sale and negative equity provisions remain. While these benefits will underscore most U.S. domestic programs, Paragon Relocation is choosing to focus on some new themes this year as the impact of "The New Normal" is poised to take center stage.
In the white paper, Paragon Relocation advocates the following practices:
Ø Due diligence
Ø Adapting to demographic shifts
Ø Budget-based benefits
Ø Creative relocation offerings
Ø Supply chain solutions
To read the Pulse Points 2010 Trends and Best Practices white paper in its entirety, please click here.
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Paragon Relocation Article Featured in Expatriate Management Report
Paragon Relocation's article on Managing Home Leave was recently featured in Europe's Forum for Expatriate Management report on Managing Expatriate Reward. Managing Home Leave is a critical issue for companies planning and implementing global assignments.
Is there a connection between Home Leave and employee attrition/retention? Home Leave was intended to help minimize the effects of the culture shock of an international assignment. It allows assignees to maintain family ties and stay current with home business contacts and associates and keep connected with their community and culture.
Still, attrition rates upon completion of assignments remain high. Is there a disconnect between the philosophy of the home leave provision and its actual impact to assignment satisfaction? An important question for an organization is whether its Global Mobility program should require the assignee to use the Home Leave benefit to return home or if they may be permitted to visit another location of their choosing? The answer to this question should determine how this benefit will be defined and administered within an organization's assignment policy.
To continue reading this article, click here.
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US Domestic Best Practices in Volume Trends 2010
Paragon Relocation recently released the findings from its Paragon Pulse survey titled "US Domestic Best Practices in Volume Trends 2010." The results show that most Global Mobility managers expect their relocation volume to be relatively flat in 2010.
The more things change, the more they stay the same...If one word could be used to describe the outlook that corporate relocation professionals have for 2010 it would be stability. This is a marked difference over 2009 which saw employers decrease hiring budgets by 23% [1] and a housing market which saw decreases by 18% from the previous year [2].
Overwhelmingly the results from last month's Paragon Pulse survey indicate that US Domestic relocation volume will either stay the same as last year or even increase over the previous year. Is it possible that the bottom of this down economy has been reached? Of the respondents to the survey 62% indicated that that there will neither be an increase or a decrease over the volume that they had last year. However, 19% of respondents indicated that there will be an increase of volume in 2010 as opposed to just 5% saying there will be a decrease in volume over the same period of time. This makes sense because since November of last year hiring has slowly been on the rise [3].
To read the Paragon Pulse report in its entirety, please click here.
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A Slice of Local Life - Customs & Holidays in Europe
Queen's Day Celebration
in the Netherlands
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One of the most exciting aspects of an international assignment is the chance to experience a country's unique customs and holidays. This is particularly true with regards to Queen's Day in The Netherlands and St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.
Queen's Day in the Netherlands
After one of the coldest and snowiest winters in living memory, employees from Paragon Relocation Holland and expatriates alike are looking forward to Queen's Day, which is a national holiday on the 30th April, celebrating the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands.
Some holidays in the Netherlands are religious. Sinterklaas, as we reported in a previous Paragon Press, is Dutch but has an international feel. Queen's Day however, is uniquely Dutch since no other country celebrates it. The country virtually shuts down, which gives the holiday, known locally as "Koninginnedag", an especially strong feeling of "Dutchness". It is a day in which the Dutch people celebrate the approachability of the Royal family, who may be seen walking amongst the crowd. This has always been seen as important by Dutch nationals - confirming their love for equality and the ordinary.
All over the country Queen's Day is known for its "free-market" where everybody sells things on the streets. Children, especially, get involved. They take toys they no longer want to their local market, which may be at a sports field or in the town square. In many places there are bands and concerts and many children's games are organized.
The biggest Queen's Day celebration is in the city of Amsterdam, where the royal family has its palace. Some 500,000 people converge on Amsterdam each year for the massive celebration. The Queen traditionally also visits two smaller cities in the Netherlands. St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
St. Patrick's Day celebration in
Dublin, Ireland
 | St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in towns and cities around the globe on March 17th, but it's probably fair to say that nowhere can the festivities match the excitement and atmosphere of St. Patrick's Day, than in Ireland.
Held in honour of the patron saint, who is said to have died on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day (Lá le Pádraig) in Ireland is a national holiday and presents Irish people both at home and abroad with the occasion to celebrate what it means to be Irish.
The week-long St. Patrick's festivities in Ireland are themed around all things green and Irish - wearing the ubiquitous shamrock, eating Irish foods and consuming Irish drink (usually Guinness!). With Irish bands and music, Irish dancing, leprechauns and parades, St.Patrick's Day is one of the most celebrated events in Ireland and a major tourist attraction.
If you are an Expatriate on assignment in Ireland or in the Netherlands, celebrating these local holidays is perhaps one of the best ways truly experience and become part of a local culture. These unique holidays present a fantastic opportunity to share in a unique and local celebration and will undoubtedly deepen your knowledge of global cultures.
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Angela Pirrie Wins Worldwide ERC® Meritorious Service Award
Paragon Relocation is pleased to announce that Angela Pirrie, Director, Global Relocation Services in Paragon Relocation's Hong Kong, China office, was recently awarded the 2010 Meritorious Service Award by Worldwide ERC®.
Joseph Morabito, Angela Pirrie and Al Blumenberg, President, Worldwide ERC®
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This award is granted to those who have contributed significantly to the organization through such activities as speaking at conferences, writing MOBILITY articles, and serving on committees or in an advisory capacity.
"We are thrilled that Angela was granted the Meritorious Service Award. It is a testament to the significant contribution she makes to the global relocation industry and to Paragon Relocation's clients around the world," said Joseph Morabito, SCRP, President and CEO of Paragon Global Resources.
Ms. Pirrie's accomplishments were formally recognized at Worldwide ERC®'s Global Workforce APAC Summit in Hong Kong, March 10-11, 2010.
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| The Paragon Foundation
Paragon Relocation strongly encourages our employees to take an active role in volunteer work and fund-raising. As a socially responsible organization, Paragon Relocation constantly seeks new ways to improve the lives of those in our communities and for those in need. Paragon Relocation matches funds raised through employee volunteerism in order to increase the impact of our employees' efforts. Contributions are made principally in the areas of education, health and human services, civic affairs, cultural enrichment and the environment.
Paragon Relocation Gives to ARC Disaster Relief Haiti
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 4:53 PM local time, a 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti. The world was caught off guard and nearly all Haitians were affected in some way, by the quake. In response to the disaster, the world has rushed to aid the Haitian people. Millions of people have donated money and time to ensure that international aid organizations can continue to provide desperately needed food, water and medical help to the millions of Haitians who have been without the most basic of necessities.
So, too, have corporations rushed to aid the island nation. Paragon Relocation employees were a part of this major corporate-response, donating substantially to the American Red Cross' Haiti Disaster Relief. The Paragon Foundation matched employees' donations, which will enable the Red Cross to continue to deliver food, water and medical attention to Haiti.
It will take years to overcome from this disaster. As such, aid will be needed for years to come. Paragon Relocation plans more fundraising activities for Haiti in the near future.
To donate to the Red Cross Haiti Relief effort, visit http://american.redcross.org/supporthaiti
Paragon Relocation Donates Time to Youthfront's Feed the Hunger Haiti Initiative
Carol Nichols, Paragon Relocation's Director of Global Learning Resources, recently donated both time and money to support Youthfront's Feed the Hunger Initiative. Her monetary donation was matched by the Paragon Foundation, which, in total, helped to provide more than 850 meals to orphaned children in Haiti. Youthfront provided the location, raw materials, and structure to allow multi-generational groups from all over the Kansas City area to donate money and package meals for those left most vulnerable by the Haiti earthquake.
Youthfront's active approach to helping the people of Haiti is truly impressive. "One of the most meaningful things about our time at Youthfront was that every hour a bell would sound and there would be a moment of silence for those affected by the earthquake," said Ms. Nichols.
Workers gathered at assembly tables, filling heavy plastic sacks with soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, chicken flavoring with vitamins and rice - providing complete protein and recommended vitamins. Each bag feeds six people and has a shelf life of over one year. To date, over 400,000 meals were shipped, a result of this group's 5,000 hours of donated assembly time.
Youthfront's distribution strategy delivers food directly to those in need. The food packages are delivered door-to-door by workers already on the ground in Haiti, to ensure equitable distribution. Youthfront is partnering with Touch Global, who has local partners, NGOs, and relief organizations in Haiti through which they distribute their food. Other meals will go to the Global Orphan Project and El Shaddai for the orphanages they operate.
World Vision - Then and Now
In 2001, Paragon Relocation began sponsoring two children in CentralMexico, one-year old Aida Copada and two-year old Fabian Sanchez, through the philanthropic group, World Vision.
Now, nine years later, it is amazing to see these children all grown up. It is wonderful to know that Paragon Relocation's donations were put to good use through this organization. World Vision is a humanitarian charity organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. They serve close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Aida Copada and Fabian Sanchez, then and now
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Update: Chilean Earthquake
Over the coming week's Paragon Relocation employees and the Paragon Foundation will mobilize to begin aiding the people of Chile, affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami that struck Chile on February 27, 2010.
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Congratulations Paragon Relocation Award Winners!
Paragon's President Award is an annual award and recognition program intended to acknowledge an individual employee who has rendered services of an extraordinary nature to the company and to a greater extent, the relocation industry. This year, Paragon Relocation is pleased to announce that Deborah Graham, Vice President, Global Client Relations, has been bestowed this award for her exemplary work and contribution to Paragon Relocation's success in 2009.
Deborah Graham receives a congratulatory handshake from Joseph Morabito, President and CEO of Paragon Global Resources, upon winning Paragon's 2009 President's Award.
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Congratulations to Deborah on achieving this prestigious recognition.
Josh Hyatt wins Paragon's Million Dollar Club Award
Paragon's Million Dollar Club Award recognizes the outstanding achievements by our Salespeople who achieve sales volumes of one million dollars over the past 12 months. In receipt of the award for sales achieved in 2009 is Josh Hyatt, Paragon's Manager, Global Business Development.
Josh enjoyed a tremendous year in 2009, generating sales of more than $1 million in global consulting & relocation services. This is his third time winning the Million Dollar Club Award since joining Paragon Relocation in 2004.
Josh Hyatt (center) receives Paragon's Million Dollar Club Award from Glenn Chapman (left) and Craig Selders (right).
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Paragon Recognizes 2009 Service Award Winners
Paragon Relocation's top relocation consultants were awarded the Paragon 2009 Service Award. This award is given to relocation consultants who have earned an "excellent" rating from at least 95% of the transferring employees that they move. The winners include:
Ø Francesca Natali (100% satisfaction rate), International Relocation Consultant from Irving, TX
Ø Philomena Alongi (98.7% satisfaction rate), Senior Relocation Consultant from Warrenville, Illinois
Ø Jessica Stroede (97.1% satisfaction rate), International Relocation Consultant from Warrenville, Illinois
Ø Michelle Wat (97.1% satisfaction rate), International Relocation Consultant from Hong Kong, China
We extend our congratulations to all our winners!
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Paragon Relocation Events
Paragon Relocation recently exhibited at the Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce APAC Summit in Hong Kong, China on March 10-11, 2010. It was a tremendous success! We hope that you will join us at the following upcoming Conferences and Exhibitions:
Paragon Relocation is a Silver Sponsor of the European Relocation Association (EURA) in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on April 21-23, 2010. The Paragon Relocation booth will be located just across from the Coffee Station! Paragon Relocation will also be hosting a lunchtime session on the European Union's recent VAT Directive on Thursday, April 22nd.
Paragon Relocation will also be exhibiting at the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) 95th Annual Conference in San Diego CA on April 25-28, 2010. Please visit us at Booth #710. Check our website for updates!
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| Paragon saved 273 Trees in 2009 by using Shred-it consoles throughout the domestic offices in U.S.
Why shred? In order to help protect confidential information such as names, home/email addresses, personal history of our employees, clients, and transferees, etc. from identity theft and to remain in compliance with Safe Harbor processes, discarded documents must be placed in the locked consoles for monthly shredding. Once the on-site shredding has been completed, a "Certificate of Destruction" is given to Paragon.
Shred-it consoles vs Blue Recycle Containers: Blue recycle trash containers are great but they are NOT Safe Harbor compliant as the  contents of the blue containers go to the local trash facility to be sorted.....
Shredding and recycling both good, but different!
40th Anniversary of Earth Day,
April 22, 2010.
Paragon recognizes that Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to work together towards a  global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.
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