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Jan Kešelák becomes GLAMI’s next Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Kešelák served as the company's Chief Revenue Officer, while in the past 5 years he has been responsible for the expansion of GLAMI into Greece, the Adriatic countries, and the Baltic countries. In his new role, he will complete the company's transformation from a fashion search engine to an artificial intelligence-driven fashion discovery platform. Tomáš Hodboď, the founder of GLAMI and current partner of the investment group Miton takes over as Head of GLAMI Ventures which plans to invest in companies that facilitate the discovery of products online, as well as companies that use artificial intelligence in e-commerce.
The new CEO will complete the integration of the Italian Stileo
The management change corresponds to the short-term and long-term vision of GLAMI, which is to complete the integration of the Italian Stileo successfully. The strategic player in the Italian market with a 30-member team was acquired by GLAMI in the spring of 2022 and it was Kešelák who focused on integration within the development of marketing and business teams. Having served as GLAMI's Chief Revenue Officer over the last year, and having helped expand the company to seven countries previously, including Croatia, Slovenia, and the Baltics, he is well positioned to lead the company to a successful last quarter, despite all the challenges that e-commerce will still present in 2022. "I am confident that Janko will be able to lead GLAMI to the set vision" ads Hodboď.
GLAMI, a technological leader in fashion
In the long term, both strategic decisions - the new CEO and the establishment of the investment fund - outline GLAMI's vision for the next five years. "Our goal is to accelerate the transformation from a search engine, as you know it now, to a platform for discovering fashion, based on artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge machine learning, which we create ourselves," Kešelák explains. GLAMI aims to strengthen its position in the existing markets and maintain its position as the most visited and user-friendly fashion website in Central Europe in the years to come. "Automatic tagging and categorization of products, display of similar items, and personalization of the range of products are all functions for which we have developed our own solution at GLAMI. As such, we provide every user with a unique experience of using our platform," assures Kešelák, pointing out that GLAMI is just in the beginning!
GLAMI Ventures will invest in companies that leverage artificial intelligence to make e-commerce more efficient
The role of GLAMI Ventures will be pivotal in the entire roadmap. This is also where the next steps of the founder of GLAMI, Tomáš Hodboď, are headed. "I will continue to support GLAMI from the role of a board member, at the same time I will help with the search for strategic investment projects in GLAMI Ventures," he explains.
This fund, which is being allocated 5 million euros for the first year, is aimed at developing artificial intelligence in e-commerce, supporting projects that help consumers choose and purchase products online, and supporting circular economy projects. "GLAMI is able to generate profit, which we can use for long-term investments and projects. As an investment, we can support not only end-customer-oriented product discovery projects, but also expand our scope to include technologies and software that help develop the entire ecosystem. We are currently looking, for example, at opportunities in the area of the circular economy, B2B e-commerce, or AI SaaS companies" suggests Hodboď, that at the same time continues his activities as one of the partners in the Miton investment group.
GLAMI was founded in 2013 by Tomáš Hodboď and Michal Jirák as a search engine for everything related to fashion. Every day, GLAMI connects thousands of shoppers with brands and e-shops in one place. With smart product categorization and a fashion selection tailored to each individual, GLAMI makes discovering and shopping for fashion simple.
Today, customers can find almost 17 million products from more than 30 thousand brands in the GLAMI catalog. GLAMI Group already operates in 14 countries around the world.


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Intimissimi has made its way to the Upper East side of Manhattan.
The Italian lingerie brand officially opened its doors on 1124 Third Ave in New York City on Thursday (April 20), making it even more accessible for customers to get their hands on luxe essentials that everyone knows and loves.
Celeb Secrets CEO Juliet Schroder was in attendance at the special event, wearing the brand’s Lace and Silk Top ($69) and Long Sleeve Silk Shirt ($139) in sweet lavender. Surrounded by the brand’s new Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Schroder enjoyed mini sandwiches from Sant Ambroeus and champagne before getting treated to a mini manicure courtesy of Sunday Studios.
All of the brand’s new pieces were readily available for guests to try and even purchase at a special price. For those who don’t know, Intimissimi just launched their new campaign earlier last month, with none other than Jennifer Lopez as their brand ambassador.
In her first official campaign, JLo celebrates women and empowers them to feel confident and valued in all the roles that they play. Today’s women are savvy, successful role models who inspire us to work hard and follow our dreams. Lopez is the ultimate ambassador for Intimissimi as she brings a strong and modern sexiness to the brand and communicates their core values.
“When looking for a brand partner who embodies the spirit of all our iconic customers, we immediately looked to Jennifer Lopez,” said Matteo Veronesi, Chief Executive Officer of Intimissimi in a press release. “We want women to live the most fulfilling life and feel empowered every day.”
In the collection, Creative Director Riccardo Ruini captured the essence of a dreamy and vibrant Italian summer by using cinematic imagery to transform the colors of Positano in the new campaign. With hues of fuchsia representing the bougainvillea, orange for the glowing sun and turquoise symbolizing the Mediterranean Sea, each item makes its wearer feel confident and beautiful while transporting them into a silky smooth Italian paradise.
You can shop new Intimissimi essentials on their website here, or by visiting the new UES store at 1124 Third Ave, New York, NY 10065 (in between East 65th and 66th Street).
Let us know if you love Intimissimi by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our Instagram DMs at @celebsecrets.

domain: news


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When the Sunday editions of The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Seattle Times and the Los Angeles Times went to print this past weekend, tucked inside each was a full-page advertisement that made a pitch for visiting a Portland that might not look like the one would-be travelers have seen in national news.
Travel Portland, the city’s tourism bureau, said it spent $101,525 on the four full-page ads — funded by a fee that hotels collect from guests to spend on tourism and convention promotion.
“Local taxpayer dollars are not funding the campaign,” said Jeff Miller, Travel Portland’s president and chief executive.
The ads mark the beginning of a months-long campaign by Travel Portland to encourage people around the country to visit.
“You’ve heard a lot about us. It’s been a while since you heard from us,” the ad read. “Some of what you’ve heard about Portland is true. Some is not.”
While coronavirus pandemic devastated tourism nationwide in the past year, Portland’s national reputation took a particularly hard hit in 2020, in large part during months of protests following the police killing of George Floyd.
Some protests turned destructive, with demonstrators setting fires and committing acts of vandalism. Police responded with tear gas and physical force, and the arrival of federal agents in the summer further raised tensions. Dramatic video footage aired on repeat across the country.
The “This is Portland” campaign attempts to smooth over the unrest, painting it as part of the city’s character.
“We have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast,” the ad read. “And yes, passion pushes the volume all the way up. We’ve always been like this. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The campaign’s reveal drew mixed responses from Portland residents on social media. Some were delighted to see someone resist the harsh light cast upon the city in recent months. Others questioned the priorities and target audience of a campaign that aims to appeal to tourists in a city with homelessness and other hardships on display.
Jarrett Walker, a public transit planning and policy consultant, wrote: “Portland: This ad from @travelportland makes me proud to live here.”
“I wish @travelportland puffed it’s chest out like this about #PDX a year ago when the pandemic hit while Asian biz owners were facing hate or when we realized 40% of Black businesses were closing. We are not full page ad in the @nytimes type of people. We would rather boast about...our neighbors before ourselves,” wrote Stephen Green, a Portland small business advocate. “Let’s get back to our neighbors & let NY worry about NY.”
I wish @travelportland puffed it's chest out like this about #PDX a year ago when the pandemic hit while Asian biz owners were facing hate or when we realized 40% of Black businesses were closing. We are not full page ad in the @nytimes type of people. We would rather boast about https://t.co/2gi2SVWs2W— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) June 22, 2021
Ciara Pressler, a Portland-based entrepreneur and author, wrote on June 21, “Oh dear. East Coast friends already texting me to eye roll the full page ad in the NY Times promoting Portland.”
Oh dear. East Coast friends already texting me to eye roll the full page ad in the NY Times promoting Portland.— Ciara Pressler (@themayoress) June 21, 2021
How do I run for PR Chief? (Ted, pls create)
Miller said the organization hoped to spark dialogue among both supporters and detractors of the ads.
“For the Portlanders that saw it and loved it, and the ones that didn’t like it, we wanted to start a conversation,” Miller said. Local hotels, he said, “are incredibly excited to be back out into the marketplace, asking visitors to come back and enjoy the Portland that we all know is here.”
The ad reflects an effort to counter a measurably dimmer national view of a city whose foodie reputation and “Keep Portland weird” spirit drew tourists by the thousands in more normal times.
Last October, Travel Portland commissioned a nationwide survey of 1,250 people conducted by consumer research company Engine Sights, in which 69% of respondents reported generally seeing Portland negatively mentioned in the media and 37% said they believed it was an unappealing vacation spot.
With 32% of respondents saying they considered Portland an appealing place for a vacation — and 31% reporting they had no opinion on the matter — it was the first instance since 2019 when Travel Portland began polling that more people found Portland to be unappealing than appealing.
The organization’s market research had one bright spot: It found that 73% of past visitors were interested in traveling back to Portland.
Miller said Travel Portland worked on the campaign for several months, and with the current season of Top Chef taking place in Portland, the organization felt the timing was right to reach “our best markets” in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
“But at the same time, we wanted to put a stake in the ground about this place that we live,” he said. “So, we also added The New York times to the letter to really say sort of who we are and that this is still a great place.”
The rest of Travel Portland’s campaign will focus on the West Coast.
Separately, a video, released last Tuesday narrated part of the written ad while highlighting people and landmarks in and around the city — from Powell’s Books to Sauvie Island and Providence Park. The video included clips of peaceful Black Lives Matter protests last summer.
Miller said he hopes people who come across the ads will remember the Portland they’ve been to before.
“All the fun places, the bars, the restaurants, the events, the museums. I think that what we will see is Portland as a more inclusive place in the future,” Miller said. “We understand it as a big goal of our elected officials, and certainly all Portlanders. This has to be a great place to live first and foremost before people want to visit here.”
Here’s the full text of the ad:
This is Portland
You’ve heard a lot about us lately.
It’s been a while since you heard from us.
Some of what you’ve heard about Portland is true. Some is not.
What matters most is that we’re true to ourselves.
There’s a river that cuts through the middle of our town.
It divides the east and west. But it’s bridged — over and over again.
Twelve times, to be specific. And that’s kind of a great metaphor for this city.
We’re a place of dualities that are never polarities.
Two sides to the same coin that keeps landing right on its edge.
Anything can happen. We like it this way.
This is the kind of place where new ideas are welcome — whether they’re creative, cutting-edge or curious at first glance.
You can speak up here. You can be yourself here.
We have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast.
And yes, passion pushes the volume all the way up.
We’ve always been like this.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
We have faith in the future. We’re building it every day the only way we know how, by being Portland
Come see for yourself.
-- Ardeshir Tabrizian; firstname.lastname@example.org; 503-929-3053; @ardytabrizian


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Waves has announced that AAX Native plugin support is now available for its products.
Waves is pleased to announce the long-awaited release of AAX Native plugin support. Waves AAX-compatible plugins are available at no additional charge for all products covered by Waves Update Plan.
So if you’ve been waiting for AAX support but your coverage has lapsed, there’s never been a better time to renew it – and take advantage of Pro Tools 11 in all its 64-bit glory!
Note: Waves V9 plugins (v9r13) and Pro Tools 11 must be installed prior to AAX Native installation.
More information: Waves


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Poloniex Starts to Strictly Impose its Know-Your-Customer and Verification Requirements
US-based cryptocurrency-only exchange Poloniex has announced that it is already implementing a customer registration process that is in line with the wider financial industry.
The company added that the deadline for its identification verification program will be announced within the first quarter of 2018.
In its announcement on December 27, 2017, the exchange said that all its legacy accounts which failed to complete the same verification process as its newer account holders who must undergo KYC due diligence.
The move maybe part of the exchange’s efforts to comply with existing regulations and to better ensure that its services are not utilized as a conduit for criminal activities like money laundering.
Based on the exchange’s announcement, the legacy account holders who fail to comply with the requirement deadline will have their accounts disabled. This means that they will no longer conduct transactions like deposit, trade, lend, and open orders.
However, they will be given an eight-week grace period before closure where the only activity that they can be able to do is withdrawal. The withdrawal transactions will be subject to a maximum limit of $2,000. If at any point, the legacy account holders will be able to comply with the requirements, the full functionality of their accounts will be restored and their daily withdrawal limits will be raised to $25,000 equivalent.
Poloniex did not provide a definite figure on the number of legacy accounts that will be affected by its new policy.
Poloniex is one of the longest-running digital currency-only exchanges in the US. The company is incorporated in the state of Delaware. Based on data from CoinMarketCap, Poloniex registered a trading volume of $860 million in a 24-hour period as of December 29.


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Every automaker with an environmentally efficient vehicle was showcasing it at this year’s Smart Mobility City exhibition space, a new initiative occupying two halls adjacent to an outdoor parking area that was used for test drives of production vehicles in the category.
Besides the Kobots (see previous post here) GM was showing the Chevrolet EN-V, Toyota has a static display of the i-Real and there were numerous hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell and electric vehicles on show in the two-hall exhibition space.
The exhibition was open to a broad range of industrial sectors, some showcasing new social infrastructure system that supports smart cities and others displaying technology systems and how they relate to the future of automobiles, people and cities.
These three personal mobility concepts, hailing from new environmentally efficient company Kowa tmsuk, were on show in the Smart Mobility City section of the Tokyo motor show.
Kowa tmsuk, which is developing vehicles under the Kobot brand, is a rather unlikely source for a new car company: the brand actually stems from a partnership between Kowa, a pharmaceuticals and electro-optronics company, and a robotics company tmsuk, creators of service robots such as the telerobotic shopper and the Showa Hanako 2 robotic dental patient.
The urban-centric electric vehicles developed under the new partnership include two single passenger personal mobility vehicles called the Kobot V (red) and the Kobot β (green) and the Renault Twizy-like two-passenger Kobot ∏. According to the Japanese company, the Kobots are ‘ultra small and ultra agile vehicles embodying the design full of playful spirit’. The V and β′s telescopic foldable structure shortens the vehicle’s wheelbase to save space when parked.


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Women Hosts Have Earned $600 Million Since Last March
Extra Income Has Provided a Much-Needed Financial Lifeline for Women and Their Families
The pandemic has forced thousands of women out of the workforce. In order to face the economic burdens that have fallen on their shoulders, many of them became new Airbnb Hosts.
Airbnb estimates that 55% (2 million) of their 4 million Hosts globally are women. Since the start of the pandemic last March, new women hosts that have started hosting on Airbnb with only one listing have collectively earned $600 million. This lifeline isn’t limited to just Hosts who are sharing their homes. In a recent Airbnb survey, 35 percent of these women reported that they started their Online Experience to replace lost income from a full-time or part-time job.
Stephanie Ruiz, Regional Communications Lead for Latin America at Airbnb, discusses:
- Women representing more than half of Airbnb hosts globally
- How women affected by the pandemic have turned to Airbnb as source of income
- Online Experiences and connecting with others in a virtual setting
- Traveling trends post-pandemic
Station Note: This segment is brought to you by Airbnb


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WALCOTT, Iowa — Iowa 80 Truckstop boosted its energy options for the motoring public.
The Walcott truck stop installed two DC fast ChargePoint EV charging stations, which are located just north of the gas islands on the property. These are universal chargers that can charge any brand of electric vehicle (EV) to 80 percent in 20 minutes to 30 minutes, according to the truck stop.
"We have been working on this project for quite some time and are excited to now be able to offer this convenience to our customers," said Delia Moon Meier, senior vice president. "For those traveling across Interstate 80, our charging stations are located in the perfect spot between Chicago and Des Moines."
Iowa 80 installed a substation that can provide 760kw of charging power to EV chargers over a year ago — providing the option to add more charging stations in the future.
"At Iowa 80 Truckstop, we are committed to serving customers to help them on their journey, whether it's a hot meal, snacks, gifts, gas or an EV charge. They can count on us to keep up with the times and adapt to their needs," Meier said.
ChargePoint joined with NATSO, which represents America's travel plazas and truck stops, to launch the National Highway Charging Collaborative in February 2020. The initiative leverages $1 billion in public and private capital to deploy EV charging at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops serving highway travelers and rural communities nationwide by 2030, as Convenience Store News previously reported.


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Episode one of Telltale Games' new series, The Wolf Among Us, is set to release worldwide this Friday, October 11. IGN confirmed the release date today, but pointed out it only applies to the Xbox 360 and PC/Mac versions. Release dates for the PS3 in North America and Europe are "expected to be just a few days after the initial Xbox 360 and PC releases go live," Telltale told the website.
The first episode, titled Faith, will be purchasable for $4.99. Alternatively, fans who already plan on playing all five episodes of the series can opt to purchase the season pass (which grants access to episodes two through five) for an additional $14.99. Each episode will cost $4.99 separately.
The Wolf Among Us is already available for pre-order on Steam where you can also purchase the Season Pass for $22.49, 10% off its normal $24.99 price tag.
Be sure to check back for GameZone's official review of Episode One later this week.


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On the afternoon of February 22, 2021, at the Steering Committee meeting for COVID-19 epidemic prevention in Hanoi, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Chu Xuan Dung City asked the Department of Industry and Trade for information on the control of rescued agricultural products from the epidemic area. At the same time, Hai Duong ensures prevention of Covid-19 epidemics.
Hai Duong agricultural products are waiting to be consumed. Artwork: internet
Information on this issue, the representative of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade said that the Department has connected 32 commercial units of Hanoi and 34 markets in the capital, connected with 59 units of production and purchase of agricultural products from the province. Hai Duong.
Up to now, more than 400 tons of Hai Duong agricultural products have been brought to major supermarkets in Hanoi for consumption. All addresses introduced from production to consumption are clear and detailed. The city units are also quickly supporting the consumption of more than 1,600 tons of Chi Linh hill chickens in the coming days.
In order to avoid the situation that non-epidemic agricultural products were also declared from Hai Duong epidemic zone, the Department of Industry and Trade proposed related units to strengthen monitoring and traceability of goods, avoiding the disguise of Hai Duong agricultural products for profit. .
With the points where people organize the sale of agricultural products by themselves to help Hai Duong people, the Department of Industry and Trade has sent documents to the districts to review and arrange for people to sell agricultural products, ensuring safe delivery. information, especially strictly implementing measures to prevent epidemics.
The Department of Industry and Trade also coordinates with the City Police, the Department of Transport to create conditions for vehicles to transport goods for consumption.
Le Kim Lien


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British VFX company Framestore, which worked on films such as Gravity, the Harry Potter franchise and Doctor Strange, has agreed to a takeover by Chinese conglomerate Cultural Investment Holdings Co., in a deal that values it at nearly £150M ($187M).
This marks another Western company being bought by a Chinese company following Wanda’s acquisition of Dick Clark Productions yesterday for a cool $1B and its acquisition of Legendary Entertainment for $3.5B in January.
In the Framestore deal, Shanghai-listed Cultural Investment Holdings will acquire 75% of the business while founder William Sargent will retain the rest of the company with a minority stake after the deal is made. The takeover remains subject to the approval of Chinese regulators.
This appears to be CIH’s first move into the entertainment sector, with the company focused on the automotive sector up until now, and sees China move in on another piece of the global film pie.
Speaking to Sky News, Sergeant said: “Partnering with CIH positions us both creatively and financially to be the leaders in the world of story-telling across all visual platforms. This builds on our strength in Europe and North America and will accelerate our move into the exciting Chinese market, as well as open up other rapidly expanding markets in Asia.”
One of the shareholders who have agreed to sell their stakes in Framestore is Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, which acquired 30% of the company in 2014.
Sergeant founded the VFX powerhouse 30 years ago and since then it has developed into one of the world’s most prominent post-production houses. The company’s list of credits is expansive, ranging from The Dark Knight and Superman Returns to Lincoln and Guardians of the Galaxy. It also worked on Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and is currently working on Paddington 2.
Confirming the news, Sergeant told Deadline that it’s “business as usual as we transition external shareholders” and that the company was “excited about developing a major Asia business.”


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21 - 30 of 119 results for "share sale"
Most searched keywords
21. business | 13 Jan 2015
Newspaper section: Business
» SET-listed developer KC Property Plc's major shareholder and president, Chai Ngamarchariyakul, and his group will sell a 58.76% stake to an investor for 1.34 billion baht.
22. news | 12 Jan 2015
» The Transport Co is asking the government to end PTT Plc's monopoly on the sale of fuel to state enterprises so state enterprises can buy cheaper fuel from other suppliers.
23. lifestyle | 09 Jan 2015
» Tokin Teekanun is a man that wears many hats. He makes films, directs music videos and plays in a band called Triggs & The Longest Day. Apart from that, the 32-year-old runs left-field music fests Stone Free and Keep On ...
24. news | 07 Jan 2015
» NEW YORK - American audio equipment maker Monster LLC is suing rival Beats over claims it ripped off headphone technology ahead of the firm's sale to Apple for more than $3 billion.
25. business | 06 Jan 2015
» LONDON — New Tesco boss Dave Lewis is expected to focus on cost cuts and asset sales — including the possible sale of its Tesco-Lotus venture in Thailand – when he provides an update on his plans to revive the troubled B...
26. news | 26 Dec 2014
» The Committee for National Alcohol Beverage Policy is sending six proposed regulations to the government for curtailing the sale of alcohol during the New Year holidays, said Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin.
27. news | 20 Dec 2014
» BERLIN - German bank BayernLB is seeking 345 million euros ($423 million) in a lawsuit against Formula One magnate Bernie Ecclestone over the 2006 sale of the sport's rights, according to a report.
28. business | 18 Dec 2014
» Rice exports from Thailand will hit a record level next year as sales from reserves and the end of a price-support programme help the country retain its position as the largest shipper, the Food and Agriculture Organisat...
29. news | 11 Dec 2014
» MUMBAI - Christie's hopes to consolidate its foothold in the Indian art market Thursday with only its second sale in the country, showcasing a range of work by homegrown modern artists.
30. news | 10 Dec 2014
» Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has reassured the public that his government will not ban the sale of alcohol during the New Year holidays.


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“Tim Cook has orchestrated Apple’s first big management shakeup in three years,” David Goldman reports for CNN. “Giving his senior management team a fresh new look, Cook told some prominent executives to take on new responsibilities. And there’s a new face coming aboard too.”
1. Jeff Williams – Chief Operating Officer: Williams is now effectively the No. 2 executive at Apple.
MacDailyNews Take: Not counting Jony, of course. Steve Jobs left design chief Jonathan Ive ‘more operational power’ than anyone else at Apple.
2. Phil Schiller – marketing chief: In addition to his marketing responsibilities, Schiller will now oversee the App Store. Already the point person for most third-party developers who want to build software for Apple iGizmos, Schiller taking over the growing App Store (which now includes the Apple TV) makes a good deal of sense.
3. Tor Myhren – marketing communications VP: Helping Schiller will be a new hire, Tor Myhren, who is coming from ad agency Grey Group. Myhren was the Don Draper of Grey Group, serving as the company’s president and chief creative officer.
MacDailyNews Note: Actually, Apple’s press release states that Myhren will be reporting to CEO Tim Cook. As vice president of Marketing Communications at Apple, Tor will be responsible for Apple’s advertising efforts and will lead an award-winning team that spans a broad range of creative disciplines from video, motion graphics and interactive web design to packaging and retail store displays.
4. Johny Srouji – hardware technologies chief: Srouji oversees the team that engineers Apple’s computer chips, batteries, storage, sensors, displays and all the other mind-boggling technology. He helped design Apple’s first system on a chip — the A4 iPhone and iPad processor. He’ll be keeping the responsibilities he has had since he joined Apple in 2008. But Srouji got a promotion into Apple’s exclusive executive team. He is now a senior vice president.
Read more in the full article here.
Apple names Jeff Williams Chief Operating Officer, other executive additions and changes – December 17, 2015
Tim Cook takes full control of Apple: John Browett and Scott Forstall out; Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi get expanded responsibilities – October 29, 2012


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Dubai Chambers recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Citi UAE to enhance cooperation and coordination to serve common goals, boost competitiveness of the business community and facilitate public-private partnerships that drive sustainable economic growth.
The memorandum was signed by H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chambers and Elissar Farah Antonios, CEO of Citi UAE and Head of Middle East and North Africa, in the presence of representatives from both entities.
Under the terms of the strategic agreement, Dubai Chambers and CitiUAE will collaborate on joint events and initiatives that support common goals, attract companies to the UAE and provide new banking services, products and financial solutions to the private sector.
H.E. Buamim described the agreement as an important development that would raise the standard of banking services and solutions that enable business growth, which would ultimately create a more conducive and competitive business environment.
He noted that the partnership supports Dubai Chambers’ strategy and ongoing to attract multinational companies to Dubai and ensure a favourable business environment in the emirate, adding that banking is among the top sectors that attract the most foreign direct investment and a key sector that will support the emirate’s new economic vision.
For her part, Elissar Farah Antonios, CEO of Citi UAE and MENA Cluster Head said that this strategic partnership is an opportunity to further promote Dubai as an investment destination and a hub for multinational companies. It falls within Citi’s commitment to UAE’s transformation into a global economic powerhouse and our support of Dubai’s attractiveness and forward-thinking vision.


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Workers at General Motors (GM 0.26%) have taken to the picket lines this week, as negotiations between the top U.S. automaker and the United Automobile Workers union did not lead to a new agreement before the previous labor contract expired on Sept. 15. This is the first strike in the U.S. auto industry in more than a decade.
Estimates of the cost of the strike for GM have varied widely. Analyses cited by The Wall Street Journal put the hit to GM's earnings at anywhere from $50 million up to $100 million per day. In fact, the range of possible values could be even wider, depending on how long the strike continues.
Calculating the short-term cost
Last year, General Motors earned an adjusted operating profit of $10.8 billion in North America. That works out to nearly $30 million per calendar day. Assuming a five-day workweek and a few weeks of idled production each year, the cost would be closer to $45 million per workday.
The UAW strike will cause a complete halt to GM's production in North America pretty quickly. While the company has several major factories in Canada and Mexico, they rely on powertrains produced in the U.S. Moreover, the Teamsters union is supporting the UAW strike by refusing to haul GM vehicles to dealers. Given that GM books revenue when it delivers vehicles to dealers, the company's daily revenue in North America will fall to zero before long.
The amount of lost profit per day would far exceed $30 million, because the General would still be incurring overhead costs. Nevertheless, $100 million seems like an exaggerated estimate of the daily cost of the strike.
High inventory could dull the impact of a short strike
GM dealers recently had about 77 days' supply of vehicles in inventory, compared to the industry average of 61 days. As a result, dealers won't start to experience shortages for most vehicles for at least a few weeks. GM could potentially dial back its incentive spending in the short term, boosting profit per vehicle at the expense of volume, enabling dealers to stretch their inventory even further.
General Motors' profit would still suffer in the short term: As noted above, it books revenue when vehicles are delivered to dealers, not when the dealers sell them to customers. However, if the strike ends within a few weeks, GM could probably make up most of the lost production volume during the fourth quarter. In that case, it would incur only modest incremental costs and very little lost sales volume.
It's certainly possible that the GM strike will be resolved within that period. While some union officials have stated that the two sides remain far apart, UAW Vice President Terry Dittes indicated that a strike might have been avoidable if GM had presented its final offer earlier. That offer addressed some of the union's concerns. For example, it would create or retain 5,400 jobs, find new work for two plants that had been slated to close, and implement an improved profit-sharing formula.
But a long strike could be extremely painful
While the negotiations are finally making progress, there's no guarantee of a quick resolution. The UAW and General Motors still have big disagreements about the use of temporary workers and GM's large manufacturing footprint in Mexico.
If the UAW strike were to drag on for two months -- which happened in 1970 -- it would have a severe negative impact on GM. Dealers would start missing out on sales due to a lack of inventory, and General Motors wouldn't be able to recapture all of that lost volume by increasing production after the strike ends.
Furthermore, GM had more than $50 billion of accounts payable and accrued liabilities as of June 30, compared to just $22 billion of accounts receivable and inventory. That reflects its negative working capital cycle: On average, the automaker gets paid for its vehicles before it pays suppliers and workers for the production inputs. A production halt could quickly burn through GM's cash reserves as the company's bills come due.
Thus, while it's no big deal if GM and the UAW take another week or two to hammer out a fair deal, a longer work stoppage could destabilize the company. It would be hard to put a price tag on the cost to General Motors in that scenario. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail on both sides in the days ahead.


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Lightspeed Research to sponsor inaugural Awards
IAB Europe is delighted with the overwhelming response to its newly-launched Research Awards, the winners of which will be announced on the first day of the Interact Congress in Barcelona on 8th June (www.interactcongress.eu).
For six years IAB Europe has championed research carried out by members and associates that help the digital marketing industry prove and promote its effectiveness. The Research Awards were created to showcase and celebrate the best digital media research projects from across the Continent.
More than 85 entries have been received in the six categories: advertising effectiveness; consumer attitudes and behaviour; mobile internet; social media; cross media and branding.
Entries have come from all over Europe including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. As well as country-specific entries, both pan-European and global projects are represented. Many of the leading players in the digital sector have entered the judging.
Catherine Borrel, IAB Europe’s Research Manager, says
“We are delighted by the volume of entries, and particularly pleased to see the breadth of the IAB Europe network represented with submissions from 12 countries. This clearly shows that companies and trade associations across the Continent recognise the vital role played by strong research in driving the digital advertising industry forward.”
The judges for the Awards include Bruce Hoang – Group Marketing Director, Orange Advertising Network, Faye Miller – Marketing Manager Adconion, Patrick Marck – General Manager IAB Belgium, James Smythe, Managing Director Culture of Insight and Laurence Bird, previously of IAB UK and CNN.
Once the award winners have been announced, IAB Europe will share top line results from all the projects as a comprehensive resource for industry professionals for circulation throughout Europe.
IAB Europe is grateful for the support of Awards sponsor Lightspeed Research. Roy Patel, Vice President at Lightspeed Research and one of the judges, said “We are delighted to be sponsoring the inaugural Research Awards to be announced at the IAB Europe Interact Congress. The awards provide a platform for the best digital research to be showcased and it is an honour for us to be associated with such a prestigious event.”
For more information about the Research Awards and Interact please see www.interactcongress.eu
London - 11 May 2011


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Ewan Spence, Contributor
I write about the cross-section of technology, media & human nature
Instagram has requested that third party developers using the Instagram API stop using the terms ‘insta’ or ‘gram’ in the application names, and to stop using icons which are similar to the Instagram app icon, all in a bid to reduce user confusion over the Instagram band.
Speaking to Instagram, they reiterated that “All uses of the Instagram brand need to be in accordance with our branding guidelines.”
This will, in the short term, create a lot of confusion, as apps rebrand, visual styles change, and generally a lot of developers, previously encouraged to use the two part-words, have to spend time and effort to jump through a new hoop. In the medium to long term, Instagram will have ‘clear blue sky’ between itself and the plethora of third party apps and services that leverage the picture sharing platform thanks to this change in the branding guidelines.
That’s assuming that the deal between Instagram and the developer community does not alter any further.
Instagram was famously purchased by Facebook for $1 billion dollars in April 2012 (in fact it was $300 million in cash, and 23 million shares of Facebook stock). At the time the question many had was the business model that Facebook would have to use to build a return on Instagram.
It would be very hard to extrapolate the model from today’s announcement, but there are a lot of echoes in Instagram of the path Twitter took to world domination. Once more a thriving third party app scene has driven a service’s value up by a significant amount, and once more the service decides to reduce the effectiveness of the ecosystem, focusing more on their own software than the other clients.
If Instagram follows the path of Twitter (and as many people believe Facebook bought Instagram as a defensive measure to take on Twitter’s explosion of imaging content, so there is a certain logic here), developers using Instagram will have more restrictions and limitations placed on their clients. Many will call it a day, others will persevere – just as they have done with Twitter. Meanwhile Instagram will probably look to consolidate the experience and create a consistent look and feel across the network, which makes the sale of advertising on the network just that little bit easier.
To me there is now an inherent risk in coding and supporting applications for Instagram. Just as Twitter’s focus on advertising saw the third party app scene hemorrhage away, I think Instagram will, in the medium term, look to follow the same model with its third party app scene.
By all means maintain the service, but the ladder to a successful return using Instagram has just been pulled up and away by Instagram themselves.
Update: Quote from Instagram spokesperson added, Aug 20th.


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It's All Good..No Really..It's All Good..LOL.
Copper Rises in London as Stockpile Drop Boosts Demand Outlook
By Chanyaporn Chanjaroen
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Copper rose in London, heading for a sixth straight month of gains, as stockpiles dropped to the lowest since November, indicating sustained demand.
London Metal Exchange-monitored copper stockpiles fell 1.1 percent to 267,300 metric tons, the lowest since Nov. 11, the bourse said in a daily report. Industrial output in Japan, the second-largest economy, rose 5.9 percent in April and May, the fastest pace in 56 years, a Trade Ministry survey showed today.
In the long term people are becoming more bullish from the macroeconomic perspective, said Leon Westgate, an analyst at Standard Bank Plc in London.
Copper for delivery in three months added $65, or 1.3 percent, to $5,100 a metric ton by 9:33 a.m. in London. Futures for September rose 0.5 percent to $2.3205 a pound on the New York Mercantile Exchanges Comex division.
Stockpiles also fell 18 percent last week at the Shanghai Futures Exchange in China, the largest user of the metal.
The country may stop buying metals for strategic reserves after purchases so far this year spurred price gains, Caijing magazine reported, citing Yu Dongming, a metals industry official at the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planning body.
China has bought 235,000 tons of copper, 590,000 tons of aluminum and 159,000 tons of zinc, the magazine cited Yu as saying at a conference in Beijing on June 26.
Shanghai still climbed for a fifth day. The October- delivery contract, the most active, rose as much as 0.9 percent to 40,740 yuan ($5,962) a ton.
Copper seems to have taken on a role as an inflation hedge from an investment perspective, John Meyer, an analyst at Fairfax Plc, said today by phone from London.
Among other LME metals for three-month delivery, aluminum fell 0.1 percent to $1,642 a ton. Lead slid 0.2 percent to $1,711 a ton and zinc dropped 0.7 percent to $1,569.25 a ton. Tin fell 0.3 percent to $14,750 a ton, and nickel slipped 0.2 percent to $15,770 a ton.
To contact the reporter on this story: Chanyaporn Chanjaroen in London at firstname.lastname@example.org
Last Updated: June 29, 2009 04:51 EDT


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How Accurate Are Credit Reports? Survey Says…
There have been limited studies on the accuracy of credit reports. One,however, was conducted recently on the web by the American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC), a non-profit credit counseling agency. There were 150 respondents, which is not a statistically significant sample, but it gives you a feel for inaccuracies on some credit reports. Of the 150 responders, only 13 percent did NOT find any errors.
22 percent found errors in reporting of collections, charge offs and late payments older than seven years.
15 percent found inaccuracies in their personal identifying information such as name and address.
19 percent of respondents had incorrect account details.
15 percent identified accounts and delinquencies on their report that were not theirs.
13 percent reported no errors on their credit report.
“It’s important for consumers to understand that a credit report can impact their ability to borrow, afford a home and even get an education,” said Steve Trumble, president and CEO of Newton-based American Consumer Credit Counseling. “This survey indicates that consumers should not only be reviewing their credit report twice each year, but also should expect to find at least one reporting error.”
This shows the importance of checking your credit report for errors. You don’t want data that isn’t ours, especially that which is negative data. If you don’t check your report, you won’t know there are any errors. If you are getting ready to apply for a loan or credit card, you should check your credit report before doing so. Errors take time to fix with the credit bureaus and you don’t want to delay the loan process or possibly not qualify for the loan.
Order your free credit report
You can obtain your free credit report for each of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) annually from www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. This is the only free site that was set up by the law per the Fair Credit Report Act. Other sites may have free in their name or claim they are free, but this is the official site. There is a dispute process to follow, if you find errors.
Credit Reporting Expert, John Ulzheimer, is the President of Consumer Education at SmartCredit.com, the credit blogger for Mint.com, and a Contributor for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. He is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft. Formerly of FICO, Equifax and Credit.com, John is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry. Follow him on Twitter here.


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References in periodicals archive ?
Previously endorsed by organisations like SCCCI and DesignSingapore Council, The Shape The World Conferences act as a platform for promising Asian leaders to re-imagine their business models and find relevant partners in order to achieve a sustained competitive advantage.
Hawke, who is currently heading a 15-member trade delegation to the Saudi capital, made his remarks in Riyadh on Saturday in response to the inaugural speech made by Abdullah Al-Mobty, board member of the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and president of the Abha Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
RIYADH: Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza yesterday left for South Africa leading a 20-member trade delegation, the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) announced here yesterday.
A spokesman from the SCCCI said that the visit is aimed at promoting trade and investment between Saudi Arabia and South Africa and also between countries of the GCC and the African Union.
Acronyms browser ?
Full browser ?


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Pan-Asia online grocery and food delivery company, honestbee, yesterday (16 October) unveiled the world's first fully-integrated online-to-offline (O2O) shopping-and-dining experience in Singapore: habitat by honestbee.
Spanning 60,000ft2, habitat by honestbee is a supermarket, speciality grocer, online fulfilment centre, retail innovation hub and dining destination all in one, the firm said.
The O2O store offers two world firsts: a cashless checkout experience (AutoCheckout) and robotic collection point (RoboCollect), where loaded trolleys can be scanned, packed, paid for and ready for collection in under five minutes. It also offers shoppers an on-the-spot ‘Scan & Go’ service for purchases of ten items or less.
Meanwhile, customers can order from habitat's food counters for dine-in, take-away and home delivery, while online grocery orders are fulfilled by ‘shopper bees’ using overhead conveyor belts before ‘driver bees’ pick them up for one-hour time-belt deliveries within the day.
To enter and use the centre, customers must download the honestbee app, which is linked to either their credit card or honestbee's mobile payments service, beePay.
Honestbee CEO and founder Joel Sng dubbed habitat at honestbee, “NewGen Retail: an innovation in retail technology which inspires more human engagement”, and said his firm plans to launch the concept in other countries “soon”.
"We are excited to bring this NewGen Retail concept from Singapore to our other markets (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Japan) and beyond,” he said. “Guided by our passion for food and technology, we will continue to innovate in O2O solutions to enhance the quality and value of our products and retail experiences."
Commenting on the store launch, habitat by honestbee VP and managing director Pauline Png said: "habitat by honestbee is a beautiful, physical extension of the honestbee brand we all love. With its launch, we now provide tech-enabled convenience, value and quality through food, online and offline. We designed it so that customers can get their groceries and meals efficiently, but also linger and enjoy the experience."


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By Kampala Post Reporter
Kampala Metropolitan Police have arrested a man for allegedly obtaining goods by false pretense and issuing a bounced cheque.
The suspect identified as Edwin Bekunda Atukunda, founder of Edwin Foundation Tea Initiative (EFOTI) issued a bounced cheque of Shs10 million to a client which led to his arrest.
His arrest triggered hundreds of suspected creditors to flock Kampala Metropolitan Police headquarters.
"The out-growers said he had got seedlings from them but had failed to pay and gone into hiding," reads a statement from Kampala Metropolitan Police.
The total claim from out growers is to the tune of Shs523million.
Police revealed however that some of the complaints are civil in nature and complainants were advised to seek remedies in courts of law.
"The suspect has been transferred to Fort Portal to face criminal cases of obtaining goods by false pretense and issuing a false cheque," the statement adds.


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KIT digital Hosts 'Corporate Open House' Event at New Headquarters in Prague
The event featured technology demonstrations and presentations by KIT digital's executive management team around the company's current growth outlook, go-to-market approach, and new client announcements, including major tier 1 media and telco customer wins in North America and EMEA. Comprehensive demonstrations were provided of the latest release of the two major KIT Video Platform editions: KIT Cloud and KIT Cosmos.
"This past week's event is an important milestone in the history of our company," said Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, chairman and CEO of KIT digital. "We have crossed a threshold recently into a new phase of tier 1-focused organic growth and we're excited to be able to demonstrate for so many of our valued, long-term stakeholders the fully integrated management team and product offering."
The company will continue to use its Prague headquarters as a base for thought leadership in the next-generation video asset management sector. This includes two major industry events in March 2012 focused on tier 1 customers and commercial partners.
The executive management presentation and a video recap of the event are available at http://ir.kitd.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=144912&p=irol-presentations.
SOURCE: KIT digital, Inc.
RM-SYSTÉM, česká burza cenných papírů a.s.
- KIT digital Restructuring Approved; Prepares To Exit Bankruptcy and Change Name to Piksel (06.08.2013 12:16)
- KIT digital, Inc. Takes Legal Action Against utd. by content (02.08.2013 12:12)
- KIT Digital, Inc. - Regulation FD Disclosure (16.07.2013 12:08)
- KIT Digital Inc. - Reorganizační plán - Sdělení pro přímé účastníky RM-S (02.07.2013 13:24)
- KIT Digital Announces Settlement of Securities Lawsuits (01.07.2013 10:31)


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RCC’s extensive advocacy on behalf of clothing, shoe and sporting wear retailers has resulted in Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer updating the rules guiding Saskatchewan stores. Initially stores were going to be prohibited from allowing customers to try on items, or return them if they were not suitable. This would have created impossible conditions to operate as stores begin to rebuild their businesses on May 19, 2020 when stores are allowed to resume operation.
As a direct result of RCC’s efforts, as part of the updated Saskatchewan re-opening plan retail guidelines, stores will now be allowed to operate fitting rooms and offer their customers the ability to return or exchange items. Items that leave the store and are returned will initially have to be wiped down when possible, and quarantined in a marked bin for 72 hours. Stores must also adhere to current health orders.


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The Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is one of the most diverse car racing events in the country, if not the world, bringing everything from radically-modified, unlimited-class cars, to nearly-stock vehicles with nothing more than just the mandated safety equipment. Although Sebastien Loeb got the headlines this year in his unlimited-class Peugeot, Lexus also fielded a contender in the form of the IS F CCS-R. Justin Bell asked to pilot the race car up to the peak once again, and Lexus politely declined, but offered a 2014 IS350 F Sport.
Until recently, the Lexus brand was not exactly known as an edge-of-the-seat enthusiast brand, but the efforts the brand put into its ultra-exclusive LFA showed that it was capable of producing a bona fide performance car. The trickle-down effect of the LFA has manifested itself in the company’s more mainstream products, with the IS350 F Sport being one of the latest examples. Bell notes the ample power of the car’s 3.5-liter V-6, even in the high altitude, and says he can feel the LFA influence in Lexus’ mainstream sport sedan.
Although it wasn’t a pedal-to-the-metal run up to the peak, Bell said driving the length of the Pikes Peak road gave him a better appreciation of what it takes to compete in the Hillclimb. You can watch the video below. Be sure and watch World’s Fastest Car Show every Friday on the Motor Trend Channel.


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Dare unveils new management team following merger with MCBD
By Anne Cassidy, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 18 November 2010 08:00AM
Dare, the Cossette-owned agency created by the merger of MCBD's 77 staff and Dare's 189, has announced its management line-up.
The senior team is Helen Calcraft, the MCBD founder, as executive chairman; John Owen, Dare’s joint managing partner as deputy chairman; Lee Leggett, the joint managing partner of Dare, as chief executive officer; and Andy Nairn, the executive planning director at MCBD as chief strategy officer.
Flo Heiss, the Dare creative partner, and Danny Brooke-Taylor, MCBD’s executive creative director, will become executive creative directors of the operation. John Bartle will be non-executive director.
The new agency will include an integrated creative department comprising 17 creative teams, 22 designers and 18 creative technologists.
The merger of MCBD and Dare is part of a wider restructure and rebranding of the Cossette Group in Europe as EdC. Cossette globally will rebrand as Vision 7 International and executive vice president Gregor Angus will relocate from Canada to become president of EdC Europe, while Mark Collier, the Dare founder, will become the EdC group chairman.
The Dare model will be rolled out internationally, with John Owen overseeing the expansion. Dare’s New York office will be the subject of investment and expansion and, in Vancouver, a new agency called Dare will be formed out of the merger of Cossette’s Fjord digital shop with the Cossette West ad agency.
Dare in London will operate in a new building in Cavendish Street, which will be shared by sister agencies Elvis, the branding shop Identica, and PR agency Band & Brown Group.
Dare will turn its social media unit into a "brand tactics" division which will engage in long-term brand management across all channels. The agency has also developed an approach it terms "truth and dare" to encourage clients to confront the truths about their brand as consumers see them.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Affiliates Executive - No. 1 Agency! GoodEgg Digital Circa £25k + Exceptional Benefits, Central London
- Digital Display Manager - Leading Agency GoodEgg Digital £Neg + Great Benefits, South East England / London (Central), London (Greater)
- Senior Marketing Director - 9-12 month FTC Comedy Central £competitive, Camden, London (Greater)
- Account Manager Reuben Sinclair £36-40k + £10k (company Profit Share), Covent Garden
- Junior Managing Director - Branded Content and Experiential Agency Bamboo Crowd £80000 - £90000, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Philips launches campaign for app-controlled lightbulbs
- Sorrell warns of Scotland becoming an 'outlier' and the UK 'diminished' by a Yes vote
- Publicis boss Maurice Lévy to step down in 2017 amid board shake-up
- Sometimes collaboration, not innovation, can be the key to winning campaigns
- Virgin Trains spends £8 million on advertising to refocus on its brand
- WPP challenges Govt review


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ADDIS RESTAURANT WEEK STARTS THIS FRIDAY
From May 6 until May 14, 2022, the city’s top restaurants are offering two and three-course menus starting at ETB 300.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Addis Restaurant Week begins last Friday’s with restaurants all over the city offering two and three-course set menus from ETB 300.
More than 20 restaurants are participating including popular favorites Shifta, The Oriental, Golden Plate, and Stagioni. Diners can find details of the menus on the official Addis Restaurant Week website at www.addisrestaurantweek.com. Bookings must be made directly with the participating restaurants.
Launched at the Radisson Blu Hotel last Friday, the inaugural event is being organized by Flawless Events and is set to become the highlight of the culinary calendar in Addis. Lead sponsors Knorr will also partner with Addis Restaurant Week to help diners recreate tasty and healthy versions of the spectacular dishes with its local ingredient customized and Zinc plus Iodine fortified Knorr cubes.
Speaking at last Friday’s launch at the Radisson Blu, CEO of Flawless Events and organizer of Addis Restaurant Week, Yoadan Tilahun, said: “We are delighted to bring great value menus to residents of Addis. This event will not only celebrate the rich culinary talent of the city but will also allow people to discover that new favorite spot for date nights, family gatherings, or catching up with friends “.
Addis Restaurant Week will run from May 6 to May 14th. Restaurant goers can find more information about participating restaurants, including their menus, by visiting the Addis Restaurant Week website at www.addisrestaurantweek.com
About Flawless Events
Flawless Event is a team of talented young professionals working tirelessly to capture our client’s vision and create unique, impactful events true to our brand name. Since our establishment in 2008, we have been relentless in our pursuit of excellence and service-driven innovation, creating a wide range of exemplary events for our clients. In doing so, we have developed a wide network and significant resources, spearheading the Ethiopian events industry while expanding our services to cover the entire African continent.
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. Unilever has 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. The company has around 400 brands found in homes all over the world. – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO, and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation, and The Vegetarian Butcher.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people’s health, confidence, and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
In 2014, Unilever opened an office in Ethiopia to start local manufacturing of its products and in June 2016 officially inaugurated its manufacturing facility in the presence of the State Minister of trade Ahmed Abetew and Unilever’s global CEO Paul Polman.
For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com.


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How do you make a sector more sustainable in the face of international competition, changing consumption patterns, climate change and a complex regulatory environment? Faced with these headwinds, the Australian Meat Processor Corporation approached us to help devise a sustainable business strategy for a sector whose long-term viability is threatened.
Once the strategy was formulated, we developed and rolled out a stakeholder engagement and communication plan which involved a ‘Feast of Ideas’ mini-conference in Wagga Wagga, where we interviewed scientists, processors, farmers, retailers, food activists and government representatives on the challenges facing the processing sector.
We then used the material to build a microsite, write, structure and design a sustainability report, run a social media campaign and host a major conference we branded ‘The Vital Ingredient’, which featured 160 delegates and 35 speakers from around the world.
Within two months of the release of the report and microsite, AMPC had 37,900 Tweet impressions and 9,863 impressions on LinkedIn. Posts containing AMPC-related hashtags were seen 273,693 times across all social media platforms. Over 60 media stories, with an equivalent advertising value of over $630,000, were published as a direct result of the conference. The success of the project vindicated a long-held view at BWD: if you want to communicate strategy, think creatively.
"“Taking complex ideas and distilling them so simply and graphically has given the AMPC the vocabulary to talk about our future. It’s allowed us to introduce a longer-term dialogue about the issues that are really relevant to our research.” "


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Cooper Ericksen of Lexus talks with Paul and Elizabeth at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto show about the latest innovations and how safety features are designed to be standard on all their models. Hybrid Technology is also part of the mix at a more affordable price point. The latest Lexus models are designed to appeal to younger drivers as well as luxury seekers.
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Check out this episode!


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Blog - Hemp and Drug Testing
There have been lobby groups in existence for a long time who seek the legalisation of the use of hemp and hemp products, and the decriminalisation of recreational cannabis use. While hemp has many potential uses, ranging from textiles and fibres, to construction materials and animal feeds, its availability has been restricted mainly because of concerns that hemp may contain the psychoactive cannabinoid components of cannabis including delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
South Australian and Commonwealth legislation recently relaxed laws around medicinal cannabis, allowing farmers to produce cannabis free of THC. The Greens have introduced a bill to legalise industrial hemp that will be voted on in Parliament in 2017. In a related move, low THC hemp has been approved as a food for human consumption.
Hemp used for food products, including hemp seeds and hemp oil, are considered rich in amino acids and beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are used in a variety of products including chocolate, hemp protein powders, cereals, milks, and yoghurts. Low THC hemp is not considered to be a risk of either illicit consumption, nor of diversion to illegal cannabis activities. People consuming low-THC hemp products are not likely to experience any psychopharmacological effect, and workplace drug testing of THC in oral fluids and THC carboxylic acid in urine is unlikely to detect the low levels of THC. The proposed reduction in the cut-off threshold for THC in oral fluids from 25 to 10µg/L will also be unlikely to impact on detections of consumers of low THC products.
However, individuals sourcing their hemp products from suppliers who do not verify the low THC status of their products may run the risk of consuming products made using cannabis, which will remain illegal and detectable in both roadside and workplace drug testing procedures.


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YouTube is rolling out its automatic live stream caption feature for all video creators on the platform until now, the feature was only limited to channels with more than one thousand subscribers.
The company announced the same, along with some other future improvements that are coming to the platform, in its blog. The addition of these changes are expected to make it easier for hard-of-hearing users, to access the platform.
Additionally, YouTube on smartphones will now also support the auto-translate captions feature. YouTube has confirmed that the expanded language support for live and auto-translate captions will be rolling within the next few months.
On the other hand, YouTube says the multiple audio tracks feature will be more widely available “in the coming quarters. The company has also announced that it plans to ‘experiment’ with allowing users to search through video transcripts on mobile devices.
YouTube is also working on the Subtitle Editor permission feature, which will allow creators designate other users to add subtitles to their videos. The feature is expected to replace the community captions feature which has been removed by YouTube. The company says that it’ll provide updates on its progress “in the coming months.”
Additionally, YouTube has also decided to end its tradition of creating year-end ‘Rewind’ videos going forward. The company has cited the expansion of the platform has made it “impossible to encapsulate its vastness and diversity within a minutes-long compilation”.
To recall, back in 2018, YouTube Rewind set the record for the most dislikes of any video on the platform, as creators complained it ignored the video platform’s community by featuring mainstream celebs instead of homegrown YouTubers.


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» Pendekatan Metode Dan Strategi Pembelajaran Pai Sd
Pendekatan Metode Dan Strategi Pembelajaran Pai Sd
Pendekatan Metode Dan Strategi Pembelajaran Pai Sd on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Thursday, April 24, 2014
Through a practical point of view, Asus (7/5) in the Grand Ballroom Grand Indonesia, Jakarta, Asus launched Fonepad.
Fonepad is a combination between a tablet and a 7-inch phone, with 3G mobile data and an Intel Atom Z2420 processor.
“Looking at [...]
Sony seems keen to use Firefox operating system that was released recently.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Friday (3/1), one of the latest series of Xperia, Xperia E, used as the test material to adopt the OS.
“At Sony Mobile, we continue to evaluate [...]
Google Drive Users get 5GB for free rations from Google.
Google announced on Tuesday (11/27), will integrate Google Drive into Gmail. The move will create a Google e-mail service users can send files of up to 10 GB.
Requirement Gmail users also must [...]
Your comic lover and owner of an iOS device? Do not miss this one application.
Marvel Comics tried to offer around 13 thousand popular comics in an application called Marvel Unlimited.
Quoted from Slashgear, Friday (3/8), the user will be given the freedom [...]
LG Optimus Vu also comes with a rubberdium pen.
LG Mobile Indonesia launched a smartphone LG Optimus Vu. Measuring at 5-inch screen, smartphone based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich is a sleek and stylish look.
“LG Optimus Vu, directed to the user [...]
Rotation with the sun at a distance equal to the Earth’s rotation on the solar system.
An expert team of Anglo-German astronomers have discovered a new planet orbiting a nearby sun in the same distance as the Earth orbits the sun so that it has [...]
It has been rumored for a long time by a number of observers.
Smartpone manufacturer from South Korea, starting today officially launched the Galaxy Note II version dual Sim Card.
In the official website of Samsung’s China, some observers expressed [...]
After a long time not been heard, the latest info says that LG soon release updates to Jelly Bean Optimus 4X HD.
Quoted from Techradar, Friday (2/1), the site claims to have Italian named Caotic email updates about this from a LG spokesman.
The first [...]
Computer’s security applications are competing to produce the best protection applications. One of them Kaspersky Lab, which has launched the latest version of its flagship product, Kaspersky PURE Total Security 3.0, on Wednesday (03/13).
The talk on social networking Twitter.
A photo cards appalling universe of cyberspace, especially on social networks. From the photo clearly visible a business card Apple Canada to that of a man named Sam Sung.
A business card is interesting when related [...]
Cooler Master Thursday (09/04) launches headphones aimed at people who love to travel, namely HC-300 and HS-500.
Both headphones are using HDSS technology, a breakthrough technology that eliminates the distortion that can move more freely.
Model HC-300 [...]


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In late U.S. currency market trading, GBP/USD hit 1.5843, cable’s highest since Aug. 11. The currency pair later retreated slightly to trade at 1.5825, up 0.9 percent on the day.
Earlier Friday, official data showed spending on durable goods rebounded in August and that the figure for July was better than previously reported. But the report was offset by separate data, which showed that there were fewer sales of new U.S. homes than expected in August.
According to GBP USD analysis, cable was likely to touch support around the low of Sept. 21, 1.5504, and encounter immediate resistance around the high of Aug. 11, 1.586.
Also Friday, Britain’s new Independent Commission on Banking said in its first issues paper that it would look at separating companies’ retail and investment banking arms, limits on proprietary trading and investing, fee structures, competition and reforming market infrastructure, The Telegraph reported.
Elsewhere, sterling jumped versus the yen: GBP/JPY traded at 133.48, up 0.84 percent, according to intraday analysis.


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Viddy’s growth has been seemingly unstoppable. After becoming a Facebook Timeline app a little over a month ago, the video-meets-filter app hasn’t slowed down. The Viddy community now boasts 10 million registered users (it had 1.5 million users less than 10 days ago) and has some new cash to line its pockets with.
Today Viddy announced a slew of names that will help it complete its Series A round of fundraising. Names like Twitter’s Biz Stone, Shakira, and Roc Nation. The list is a veritable who’s who, and while part of this endeavor is certainly to close out this series of funding, it’s also an attention grab.
“In terms of how funding will be allocated, Viddy’s focus right now is on explosive growth, building out an amazing product, and making sure that our community of Viddyographers from around the world can continue to share beautiful content from their mobile devices with the world” co-founder Brett O’Brien said via email. With big names come big fans, and Viddy is certainly going to win itself some new users thanks to this move.
While the company is being completely clear about its plans to continue its momentous growth, it’s not being up front about who exactly in the list of newly announced, well-known partners is an investor. It would seem that the celebrities of the group (Shakira, soccer star Gerard Pique) are simply backing with their names, but that’s just speculation.
Either way, Viddy’s managed to corner the social video market efficiently, and now we’ll wait for some competitors to try and ride its coattails.


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I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
It's an incredible time to be in the business of media. The power to shape opinion is shifting from the faceless editorial voice of magazines and newspapers to individuals. Add to that the global proliferation of smart technology and smart devices and we’re entering into a transformational time. Among the catalysts:
- The true convergence of social business, big data, the mobile workforce, and cloud computing is now becoming business as usual
- Consumers count on customized content and that trend is seeping in to the B2B environment
- The workplace is fundamentally transforming, with 2014 marking a significant imprint of the rise of the millennials
- Fashion and smart technology continue to flirt with each other as wearable tech just might transcend ‘cool’ to become ‘productive cool’
With so much at stake, it's not too early to think about what's ahead for 2014. Here are a few key media trends that will shape the year ahead:
True Convergence of Social/Mobile/Data/Cloud
The true convergence of social-mobile-data-in the cloud will rise as a competitive advantage in 2014. Companies find that these converged capabilities accelerate business processes and time to action. A recent study points out that top-performing companies can achieve a 42% increase in operational efficiency – well over the industry average.
On the consumer side, brands and advertisers are continuing to use big data and social intelligence to understand consumers and predict (correctly) what they want. It’s clear that consumers want to remain connected at all times and that they expect a seamless user experience in everything they do. Look for personalized cloud support infrastructures and personalized branded messaging in consumer’s social stream to drive decisions in real-time.
Customized Content for B2B and B2E
Recommended for you
No one can consume all the content necessary or available related to the work we do. Content curation has been top of the list for some time now and in the consumer space it’s an art form. Companies like Amazon and Netflix have trained consumers to not just like customized content, but to expect it. With all the social intelligence and big data out there, smart analytics have provided predictable matching for some time now.
2014 will see customized content in the B2B and B2E space begin to ramp up. Not only will for companies and brands seek to create well-produced customized content to tell unique stories around their offerings – they will also deploy predictable matching technologies to ‘know’ what the customer or employee wants and needs in real-time. 2014 is also the year we see content finding the stakeholder, not the other way around. Curation is not enough. Prompts like Other people who read this article also downloaded this content…. will become common.
Rise of the Millenials
Companies all around the world are forming steering groups to anchor their roadmap for the growth of the connected digital worker in 2014. The 24/7 connected ‘anywhere-anytime’ workplace has arrived. Along with it comes the Millennial Generation streaming into the workforce at an accelerated pace. This demographic is larger than the Baby Boomers – roughly 80 million vs. 78 million in the U.S. These digital natives have grown up with the Internet and bring an entirely new perspective on work and personal life to the table.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2015 millennials will overtake the majority representation of the workforce and by 2030 this hyper-connected, tech savvy generation will make up 75 percent of the workforce. Thanks to the rise of mobile, cloud and social, millennials are used to flexibility, openness land instantly connecting with people regardless of their location. They want to collaborate and will seek to solve problems themselves. If they’re e not satisfied with the technology being offered to them, they’ll find something else to use.
Wearable Tech Takes Off
Eyewear, bracelets, and watches from Samsung Gear, to Google Glass, to Apple iWatch and Pebble SmartWatch all stand poised to capitalize on a market that has stood at the starting line before. Wearable tech is not necessarily new, but something is changing in this space as well. Analysts believe the market IS finally ready to explode, with predictions of 100 million devices shipped in 2014. Credit Suisse predicts the wearable technology trend stands to be worth up to $50 billion by 2017.
On the personal side, wearable tech has already seen steady adoption in the fitness industry, as devices track your heart beat and load the data into the cloud so an app can analyze the data in real-time. On the business side, 2014 could mark the time when wearable tech also becomes a productivity tool. Medical professionals, rescue teams, warehouse workers and others are starting to use devices that overlay images and relevant data on goggles. 2014 could be the year when the cool factor, the fashion flair, and workplace productivity could all kick in.
We live in exciting times, indeed.
Beverly Macy is author, educator, and thought leader in social and digital business and a frequent contributor to Say Daily. She is also the author of The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing and the host of Social Media Radio.


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WASHINGTON — With North Carolina a key swing state in Tuesday’s presidential election, Democratic nominee Barack Obama has pledged, if elected, to support five key textile industry policy positions, including a monitoring program for Chinese apparel and textile imports.
It was the most definitive statement Obama has made on trade, especially as it affects the apparel and textile industry, and ties into the broader agenda he has pushed during the long campaign of saving jobs and supporting the American manufacturing sector.
Obama outlined his textile industry agenda in a letter responding to a questionnaire by the National Council of Textile Organizations.
The Illinois senator also said he would back a yarn-forward rule of origin in free trade agreements, which requires that yarn and fabric be made by one of the partners in a trade pact; a “Buy America” textile provision for the Defense Department; diplomatic action against China’s undervalued currency, which he acknowledged is “currency manipulation,” and stronger enforcement of existing trade agreements.
“I am especially aware of the trade challenges faced by those working in our textile industries,” Obama said in a letter to the NCTO that was made public on Wednesday. “When safeguards on textile imports from China expired in 2004, imports surged and thousands of jobs were lost.”
Obama said he supports the recent call by House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.) for an import monitoring program administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
“As president, I would use monitoring to help ensure that imports from China do not violate applicable laws and treaties,” he said.
Key components of Obama’s broader economic plan include an increase in the minimum wage that rose to $7.25 an hour in July to $9.50 by 2011, an elimination of tax breaks for companies that move operations offshore, stricter enforcement of trade agreements to help minimize the adverse impact of unfair trading practices by foreign countries on the U.S. workforce and a commitment to usher through Congress and enact the Employee Free Choice Act that makes it easier for workers to organize a union.
An Obama administration will be tough on countries that deliberately violate global trade rules.
Obama’s focus on the plight of the American worker and scrutiny of global trade has prompted many trade experts to predict a pause in the aggressive trade agenda promulgated by the Bush administration, if he is elected president.
NCTO president Cass Johnson said Obama’s letter was a “strong response in most of our key areas.”
“The standout, obviously, is China monitoring,” Johnson said. “He has agreed to monitor Chinese imports and that correlates with the tough position [the Obama campaign has] taken in their statements on China, but this is a concrete step. They also said they would consider using a variety of trade remedy measures if they are seeing a surge from China.”
Republican presidential candidate John McCain did not respond to the questionnaire. According to recent polls, he and Obama are in a virtual dead heat in North Carolina, a key textile producing state.
The textile industry’s main policy initiative this year has been pushing the Bush administration, presidential candidates and Congress to establish a monitoring program on Chinese imports because the industry fears there will be massive import surges from China when quotas are lifted at the end of the year on 34 apparel and textile import categories there.
Obama also said he would use all of the trade enforcement tools in his toolbox, including a general China safeguard that does not expire until 2012, to help protect injured industries such as textiles. The safeguard calls for punitive action by the White House if a country is found to have injured a domestic industry because of import surges.
The Bush administration has declined to impose sanctions in five cases under the China safeguard where the International Trade Commission found injury.
“When domestic industries make use of trade remedy laws that call for presidential determinations, such as the section 421 provision applicable to imports from China, I will decide those cases on their merits, not on the basis of an ideological rejection of import relief like that of the current administration,” Obama said.
Despite the strong support from Obama, Johnson said some gray areas remain about his potential trade philosophy as president.
“When he says he will press China ‘diplomatically,’ it is not clear what that means,” said Johnson, adding that the Bush administration has been pressing China diplomatically, but the value of the country’s currency remains too low, putting U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage.
“The real key for us is will [he] push for passage” of a pending bill in the House that would make currency manipulation a subsidy and actionable under U.S. trade remedy laws.
Several China-related bills have languished in Congress, but many trade experts anticipate they will be resurrected under an Obama administration. The bills in the House and Senate range from redefining currency manipulation, making it easier for the U.S. Treasury Department to designate China a currency manipulator and bring a case to the World Trade Organization, to including undervalued currencies in the calculation of punitive duties under trade remedy laws.
The most punitive China-related legislation, sponsored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), which would have imposed across-the-board tariffs of 27.5 percent on Chinese imports if China did not revalue its currency in a set period of time, could also come into play again.
Obama said in his letter that “the massive current account surpluses accumulated by China are directly related to its manipulation of its currency’s value.” He added China must “change its policies, including its foreign exchange policies, so that it relies less on exports and more on domestic demand for its growth.”
“That is why I have said that I will use all diplomatic means at my disposal to induce China to make these changes,” Obama added.
@fearofgod and @maxfieldla have teamed up on a pop-up installation. The store, located in the gallery space across from Maxfield’s Melrose Ave location, is the site of the brand’s House of God pop-up in which Fear of God founder @jerrylorenzo has created a church-inspired installation. A dozen vintage church pews sit in front of an LED screen playing 90s gospel singers in an effort to re-create an environment akin to a Southern Baptist Church, Lorenzo explained. Read more about the pop-up on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Jennifer Johnson)
Known for his sleek, sophisticated American glamour, Norman Norell is the subject of an upcoming exhibition at @fitnyc. “Norell: Dean of American Fashion,” which runs from February 9 through April 14, will feature approximately 100 ensembles and accessories. His best work is exemplified by the designer’s glittering “mermaid” gowns frosted with thousands of hand-sewn sequins – like the one pictured. (📷: William Helburn) #wwdfashion
For pre-fall 2018, @balmain didn’t let go of the glitz. A crystal embroidered baseball jacket priced at around $40,000 hangs in the “couture” section of the brand’s first men’s pre-collection. Sporting the words “Balmain Army” across the back, the item took around two months to make. “When it was completed, it was like Christmas, it was like, ‘It’s done, it’s exactly what I wanted,’” said Balmain’s creative director @olivier_rousteing during a tour of the collection in a Paris showroom on Monday. #wwdfashion
Eighty degree temperatures and outdoor installations at the annual Art Basel Miami Beach called for bright, elevated beachwear. See more street style pictures on WWD.com. #theyarewearing #ABMB (📷: @lifeinreverie)
Following September’s emotional tribute to her brother Gianni, Donatella Versace wanted to bring the spring show’s deep sense of intimacy to her @versace_official pre-fall collection. Donatella found inspiration in Versace Palazzo in Milan and from Gianni’s opulent apartment. Archival patterns and new motifs were splashed on silk shirtdresses and fitted jersey frocks. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com. #wwdfashion
Demna Gvasalia continues to shake up the Paris fashion calendar — and experiment with new runway timetables for his @vetements_official brand. WWD has learned that Vetements plans to stage its next coed show for the fall 2018 season on January 19 during Men’s Fashion Week in the French capital. Details about the timing and venue have not been confirmed — stay tuned on WWD.com to catch the latest. #wwdnews (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)
@zacposen's go-to holiday gift? Cookies! "I'll usually bake cookies and send them as a gift," said the designer, who recently released his cookbook "Cooking With Zac: Recipes from Rustic to Refined." Get the recipe for his Brown Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies via link in bio 🍪🍪🍪 #wwdeye #cookingwithzac
For @monsemaison’s pre-fall 2018 collection, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim honed in on the brand’s many signatures — men’s wear, which was tweaked and feminized through deconstruction, proportion play and lots of bare shoulders. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)
On Friday night, @yohjiyamamotoofficial received the Design for Asia Lifetime Achievement Award in Hong Kong. The 75-year-old designer has been celebrated for many years and is best known for his dark and avant-garde tailoring. “In my long career, in design, architecture, [I’ve been to] so many parties, this is the very first time that I have such a warm feeling, I really appreciate this,” Yamamoto said. #wwdfashion (📷: @dominiquemaitre)


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Wrapping party spreads holiday joy
Home Instead Senior Care partnered with Rosedale Green, Northern Kentucky Area Development District, Bridgepoint, Florence Park Care Center, Senior Services of Northern Kentucky Ombudsman, Regency Manor, Regency Manor North, Woodcrest and Senior Services of Northern Kentucky to help with holiday gift collection and distribution.
Program officials collected hundreds of gifts in order to help more than 400 area seniors this holiday season.
Participating retail locations displayed Be a Santa to a Senior Christmas trees from Nov. 17 to Dec. 12. The trees featured ornaments with seniors’ first names and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers picked ornaments from the trees, bought the items listed and returned them unwrapped – and with the ornament attached – to the store.
Then gift-wrapping parties were held where volunteers helped wrap the gifts and then they were delivered.


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A brand new Contra title will be released on WiiWare.
@%*#ing awesome. Day one. Bout time more redone classics come Nintendo's way.
yea this is preety damn cool
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Latest Batman: Arkham Origins screens and trailer, no PS4/Xbox One release plannedWritten by: / / 3 Comments
The Batman: Arkham Origins booth at gamescom attracted a steady stream of gamers eager to get their hands on the new demo, along with a number of seriously talented cosplayers that deservedly gathered a lot of attention themselves!
To celebrate Warner Bros has released a batch of new screenshots and a new trailer that revealed that Firefly would be making an appearance in the game.
Watch the Nowhere to Run trailer below:
Batman: Arkham Origins is out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U on October 25th around the world, with Batman: Arkham Origins – Blackgate out on 3DS and PS Vita to provide more of a side-scrolling action adventure experience.
The game will not be coming to PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, as confirmed by the official Batman Arkham Twitter account this week.
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The growing threat posed by the Internet to home PCs has prompted Symantec to introduce the Norton Internet Security software suite.
The title, expected in stores by late November at a $59 suggested retail price, protects a home PC from privacy infringement, hackers, and computer viruses. It features an updated version of Norton’s AntiVirus software and provides a parental control feature that stops children from accessing Web sites containing inappropriate material. It also can block ads from Web pages, en-abling increased download speeds, said Symantec product manager Laura Garcia.
“There are more hackers targeting home PCs now because so many people are doing banking and trading stocks from home,” she said, adding Symantec will supply purchasers with a free year’s supply of upgrades so consumers are protected against the latest viruses and hacker technology.
The application allows a family to set up several accounts, with each allotted a specific level of Internet access. Children’s access to both the Web and the PC itself may be heavily restricted, Garcia said, which not only protects the children, but also ensures they cannot alter their parents’ programs.
The software accomplishes these tasks by setting up personal firewalls and giving the end user the ability to block the placement of cookies. In addition, the application compiles data on the action it has taken — including noting when someone tried to access a blocked Web site, when another computer tried to download sensitive information, or when someone attempted to send private data out over the Internet.


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SOUTH STRAFFORD, Vt. (AP) Generous federal tax benefits and high prices for breeding stock have helped boost the alpaca industry in the United States, and breeders now hope to build up the herd and improve fiber quality enough to support commercial mills in this country.
While all businesses qualify for the same deductions, alpaca breeders may benefit more than some other livestock owners because of the amount of their investments and sales. Breeding stock alpacas can start at $4,000 and go up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a top stud, compared to sheep, which breeders can get for a few hundred dollars.
A 2010 extension of a tax law allows ranchers to write off the entire cost of buying their breeding alpacas the same year. If the animals are raised for profit, the farmer can also deduct expenses like feed, fertilizer and veterinarian care from their income.
That helped Brian Cole, who recently retired from his electrical contracting business, make the leap from owning just two alpacas to buying a farm in South Strafford with 26. He and his wife now breed and sell the animals, along with their fiber.
Thats why the federal tax laws are written the way they are to encourage people to invest in business assets, Cole said. He went on to do the math: If I have an outside income and Im paying 40 percent in taxes, I know I can go out and buy a $10,000 alpaca, depreciate the whole thing the first year, and save 40 percent of that in taxes.
In other words, if he spends $10,000 on an alpaca, hell pay $4,000 less in taxes that year, he said.
However, Cole was quick to say thats not why he got into alpacas. He wanted to farm and the idea of raising animals he didnt have to kill was appealing.
Alpacas, native to the Andes, are prized for their fiber and are not slaughtered for meat. Common in South America, they were not imported to the U.S. until the 1980s. They are now raised across the nation, with the largest concentrations in Ohio and Washington state.
Cole said the tax deduction is no different than when manufacturers write off the cost of new equipment, and Eric Toder, a senior fellow with the Tax Policy Center, said the specific laws were intended to stimulate investment and try to spur the economic recovery.
But some question providing government support to the alpaca industry.
This is one of many examples in the tax code where there are some unintended consequences, said Steve Ellis, vice president for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based watchdog group.
Nobody set out, I believe, to say we want to create an alpaca industry in the United States and this is important and its worth our tax dollars, he said. Because thats what were doing, were giving up tax dollars to create it.
Alpaca breeders and others promote the write-off as a reason to get into the business, he said.
Breeders acknowledge that such financial incentives are partly responsible for the steady growth of their business.
Are there people that get into it for the tax benefits? Probably. I mean, Im sure there are. But there are also people that only have two or three in the backyard and just play with the fiber, said Deb Hill, an alpaca breeder and editor of Alpacas Magazine in Lewistown, Mont.
While there are at least 154,000 registered alpacas in the U.S., about 1 million are needed to support commercial milling on par with the nations Mohair industry, Hill said. Mohair comes from Angora goats.
The alpaca industry has small mills around the country that produce socks, hats and scarves, and it employs knitters for handmade items. But commercial milling would create far more jobs.
Breeders also note the tax deduction has become less valuable since alpaca prices dropped during the recession.
Female alpacas that would have sold for $15,000 to $20,000 four years ago, now go for about half of that, said Marc Sanderson, a certified public accountant and owner of Shawnee Alpacas in Lake Shawnee, N.J. However, a male just sold last summer for $675,000 at an auction in Phoenix that Cole attended.
The price drop has forced James and Sarah Budd of Alpacas of Montana, Inc. to rethink their operation.
We went from buying and selling animals, focusing on breeding and going to the show ring and showing our animals to now we are also highly concentrated on our textile lines as well, James Budd said.
Three years ago, the Budds sold 30 to 40 alpacas. Last year, it went down to 20, and they expect to sell 10 this year, he said.
But sales of products made from alpaca fiber sweaters, hats, socks have increased 124 percent, and they are launching a new line of socks for running, hiking, skiing, and other activities, James Budd said.
I think this is a bit of an experiment having alpacas here in North America, but its not an experiment with a ton of risk because we already know theres an international market for the fiber thats been in the making for hundreds of years, Hill said.