HIRINGS
Houston Municipal Employees' Pension System committed a total of $90 million to two REIT managers, said David Long, executive director of the $1.1 billion fund. Alliance Capital Management and John McStay Investment Counsel each will receive $45 million, said Mr. Lane. The commitments will be funded from cash, Mr. Lane said.
A.O. Smith Corp., Milwaukee, hired Marshall & Ilsley as record keeper for its $150 million profit-sharing plan. The firm replaces Hewitt, which told officials it would no longer provide services for the plan after March 31, said Pat Ackerman, assistant treasurer at A.O. Smith. The search was done in-house.
Baton Rouge & Parish of East Baton Rouge Retirement System, Louisiana, hired BlackRock and Western Asset as core U.S. bond managers to split a $120 million portfolio.
The $718 million fund terminated long-term bond manager Lincoln Capital, core bond manager McMurrey Investment and enhanced bond index manager State Street Global, in a move to a ''different investment policy,'' said Jeffrey Yates, retirement administrator. Summit Strategies assisted.
Bloomington (Ill.) Firemen's Pension Fund hired Merrill Lynch as a core U.S. equity manager and invested in the Fidelity Growth & Income Fund.
The $20 million fund allocated $1 million each to Merrill and to the Fidelity fund. The pension fund also allocated another $1 million to existing core domestic equity manager A.G. Edwards, bringing its total to about $3 million
