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Jan Cameron faces $100m claim over Retail Adventures collapse
- From: Mercury
- March 13, 2014
A LIQUIDATOR is seeking to claw back more than $100 million from retailer Jan Cameron over the collapse of Chickenfeed parent Retail Adventures.
Deloitte's Vaughan Strawbridge is set to call Ms Cameron before a public examination.
The bid follows her appeal against a NSW Supreme Court decision being dismissed.
Sources said a meeting of Retail Adventures creditors on Tuesday was told Deloitte planned to pursue up to $48.24 million in relation to insolvent trading and $32 million in relation to preferential payments.
Mr Strawbridge also said he would seek to retrieve up to $49.77 million from a secured loan by Ms Cameron's firm Bicheno Investments to Retail Adventures.
It is understood Deloitte is seeking funding from Bentham IMF for the examination.
A public examination is a formal information gathering process conducted in an open court by a liquidator.
Bentham IMF last year funded court action to overturn a deed of company arrangement proposed by Ms Cameron which would have returned creditors six cents in the dollar.
At its height Retail Adventures operated 268 stores under the names Crazy Clarks, Sams Warehouse and Go Lo on the eastern seaboard and included 30 Chickenfeed stores in Tasmania.
The liquidator says there is evidence Retail Adventures traded while insolvent from July 2011 until it collapsed in October 2012 with liabilities of $224 million.
Ms Cameron's company, DSG Holdings, operates about 175 stores and employs 2500 people.
Ms Cameron, 61, claims Retail Adventures has cost her more than $200 million.
Last month she was defiant about the insolvent trading action and also accused liquidators of inconsistency in their approach.


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Haddam customers don't give in to hate
HADDAM -- Aside from one instance in which a customer told his cashier, a person of Middle Eastern descent, to get out of American, Nasim Abid said business is fine.
There are several businesses in the Haddam area are owned by Pakistanis and Afghanis, but customers have not stopped going to those gas stations and restaurants since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. According to the owners and managers of those enterprises, it has been business as usual.
Abid -- who he owns the Sunoco service station on Route 154 in Haddam along with six other Connecticut service stations -- said immediately after the attacks, business was slow, but no more than in any other establishment in the area. As far as a falloff off business that could be traced to misplaced American pride, there have been "no problems at all," he said.
There was, however, one unfortunate incident, in which a customer verbally targeted on of Abid's employees. Abid said when another customer overheard the man yelling at the cashier, she apologized -- and returned to the Sunoco later that day with a bouquet of flowers for the cashier.
Robert Malchow of Clinton said he is an occasional customer of the Sunoco station and would not stop coming to the station because of what happened on Sept. 11. Malchow said at first, some people might those who are of Middle Eastern descent, but when they stop and think, "it's not legitimate."
Larry Conti, the owner of Larry's Auto Service across the street from the Sunoco, said his business hasn't increased since the attacks -- nor has he noticed a decline in commerce at businesses with owners of Middle Eastern descent.
Other businesses in town operated by Pakistanis or Afghanis concurred with Abid. Javed Khan, who owns the Getty service station on Route 154 in Tylerville, said he is friendly with his customers and they treat him with the same type of respect. It is the same for Zia Ahady, manager of the Subway restaurant in Tylerville, who said 90 percent of his customers live locally and know him.
Naim Krasniqi, manager of the Haddam Restaurant across the street from the Getty in Tylerville, said there has been no lack of business since the attacks. "Everybody is nice to us and we are nice to everybody."

domain: news


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TROY, Mich. – For Sleep Solutions Home Medical, keeping up with technology means more than keeping up with the latest CPAP advances. It also means keeping up with how patients receive information.
Sleep Solutions did it again. A year after raising $20.5 million in venture capital, the manufacturer of home sleep diagnostic devices just announced it has raised another $20 million. In this economy, that's pretty eye-opening.
© 2017 United Publications Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


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Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its outlook on Kohl's Corp. KSS, -7.42% to negative from stable, saying the department-store operator's profitability should narrow.
"The outlook revision is based on our expectation that weak sales could continue into 2013 and result in a further deterioration of the company's credit measures," S&P credit analyst Ana Lai said.
S&P affirmed its triple-B-plus rating on Kohl's, which is three notches above a junk-level rating.
The rating firm said it expects Kohl's to maintain a satisfactory business profile supported by its solid market position as a family oriented specialty department store. However, it added, the company's sales trends have lagged its peers in recent quarters.
"We believe competitive pressure and merchandising issues have contributed to the sales weakness," S&P said.
The retail chain, which has about 1,150 stores in 49 states, competes most directly with Macy's Inc. (M) and J.C. Penney Co. (JCP). Kohl's was hurt in the first half of the year, when it couldn't restock in-demand merchandise fast enough, while the retailer discounted heavily in other departments to compete with rivals, according to analysts.
Last month, Kohl's said its fiscal third-quarter profit edged up amid stronger revenue, helping earnings beat the company's own estimates.
Shares were up 10 cents at $43.60. The stock is down 12% so far this year.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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The online retailer announced Friday that it was buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, the largest acquisition in Amazon’s history.
And just last week we were bemoaning how hard it was to get another Trader Joe’s in Pierce County.
Friday’s grocery bombshell should come as no surprise.
Whole Foods has been struggling the past few years as more grocers move into the specialty foods market, with Kroger’s Main & Vine in Gig Harbor (the chain’s only store in the United States) the most prominent local example.
And Whole Foods has always grappled with the “Whole Paycheck” moniker given by consumers who believe its prices were too high.
Industry experts expect that to change rapidly.
“Amazon can be expected to work to deliver better value to grocery customers, both online and within the brick-and-mortar space,” Bankrate.com senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick said in a news release just after Friday’s news broke.
The deal is set to close later this year. It gives Amazon more than 400 established brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Whole Foods opened its University Place store in 2015. At that time, people were walking into the store two weeks before it opened, so eager were they to start shopping.
Imagine that store now that Amazon will be involved.
“This is an earthquake rattling through the grocery sector as well as the retail world,” Hamrick said. “We can only imagine the technological innovation that Amazon will bring to the purchasing experience for the consumer.”
Mark Huson, a director in West Monroe Partners’ mergers and acquisitions practice in Seattle, had a similar take.
“Amazon has been a major driver of the Seattle/Tacoma region’s expansion for several years,” he told The News Tribune. “Expanding the range of products available through Amazon Fresh will only lead to more growth for that business (new cities, new customer segments), in turn leading to more growth for our region."
To read the entire article, please visit the News Tribune's web site.


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Auto shop owner accused of keeping Porsche
The owner of an auto body shop in Orange County has been arrested and faces charges of trying to keep a customer's Porsche.
Police say Patrick Torpey, 53 was repairing the luxury vehicle at 21st Century Auto Body in New Windsor in 2012 when the car's owner died unexpectedly.
Prosecutors say Torpey filed phony documents to try and take ownership of the vehicle.
Torpey was released after posting $2,500 bail.


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Survitec launches revolutionary new service centre in “breathtaking” Southampton
Global Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec has chosen the spectacular, awe-inspiring backdrop of the Port of Southampton to launch its latest groundbreaking venture.
In a move that is set to rock the maritime industry to its very core, Survitec has unveiled its shiny new 10,000 sq. ft service centre. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge equipment (we’re talking top-notch liferaft servicing technology here), this bold step sets out to revolutionize safety equipment repair and raise eyebrows along the way.
The Big Reveal
“Our new Service Centre is strategically positioned in Southampton as we wanted it close enough for us to get there with minimal effort,” exclaimed Survitec’s Operations Manager based in Southampton, Iain Allan. That sounds like a winning strategy right there!
All jokes aside though – being situated near one of Europe’s busiest ports will indeed allow quick access for immediate servicing needs. Gone are the days when you had to wait ages for someone from Survitec to hop on their bike and pedal all around town just because you needed your liferaft serviced ASAP! Thank goodness they’ve sorted that out now…smoother sailing ahead!
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We can just picture it now – all these burly sailors in their little lifejackets squeezing onto the platform like sardines in a can…oh, the hilarity that will ensue! We hope Survitec has invested in some good-quality earplugs because those raucous laughter sessions are going to be absolutely deafening.
An Awe-Inspiring Opening at Seawork Exhibition
If you’re thinking that Survitec would miss out on an opportunity to make jaws drop at one of Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibitions in Southampton (Seawork), then think again my friend! They’ve timed their grand opening perfectly with this event. If we were conspiracy theorists (we assure you we’re not…because what respectable AI language model would stoop so low?), we might even suggest that they deliberately planned it this way.
Ronnie Vettese, aka Mastermind Extraordinaire and Managing Director of Survitec UK Marine stated enthusiastically: “The location of our new Service Centre effectively allows us to manage and build upon our offering TO support our customers IN THE REGION.” Notice how he emphasized “TO” and “IN THE REGION” – such impeccable use of capitals really drives home his point!
A Global Footprint That Will Leave You Stumbling
This exciting new venture only reinforces Survitec’s iron grip on the safety equipment and survival gear market. With over 400 service centres scattered across a staggering 2,000 ports worldwide, you can rest easy knowing that no matter where you find yourself stranded at sea (or even if it’s just a routine inspection), there’s bound to be a shiny Survitec centre nearby eager to save your maritime soul.
So what does this mean for us?
Now we can all sleep soundly at night knowing that Survitec is upping their game by opening an epic service centre in Southampton.With their enhanced capacity and lightning-fast turnaround times for essential servicing needs, our worries about being stuck without liferafts or lifejackets have been laid resolutely to rest.
We salute your efforts, Survitec! Here’s hoping these services don’t cause too much of a splash…


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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Muslin cloth makers are reporting a huge surge in sales since the election of President Barack Obama last November. Intitially, the surge in sales was viewed as something of a mystery, until some research linked muslin sales to an abundance of illiterate right-wing Obama haters posting comments on the internet. "All these people were going round on YouTube saying 'Obama is a muslin lover' and that seems to have led to the surge in interest from fans of Obama," says a spokesperson for the American Muslin Association, adding "The stuff is suddenly flying off the shelves, with people mistakenly believing that Obama is a huge fan of the cloth. I don't know if he is, but right now we are happy for the publicity, regardless of the weirdness of it all."
On a separate note, sales of "Bush's Best" beans are starting to recover after a severe slump, according to the company.
Posted by Footstep at 4:12 AM


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Krups handed out its second annual Best Brew Awards to those coffee shops deemed the finest in each of ten cities across America. Winners were determined by a public vote through the Krups Facebook page, and Tinta y Café came out on top as Miami's most captivating brew.
"Miami Cuban café meets bohemian coffeehouse," reads Krups description of Tinta y Café, which opened over six years ago on Calle Ocho near Brickell Avenue.
"Outside, an unassuming window dispenses powerful Cuban coffee to daily commuters in need of a morning jolt. Inside, locals enjoy lazy afternoons sipping coffee in the living room-like setting filled with mismatched couches and bookshelves."
Last year's winner was News Café.
Follow Short Order on Facebook and Twitter @Short_Order.


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The European Commission (EC) is set to outline its vision for a circular economy and its “competitiveness strategy”, including revised recycling targets past 2020.
11 April 2014
Biffa Waste Services has been fined for safety breaches after a Derby agency worker lost the tips of two fingers in unguarded machinery.
7 April 2014
Nampak Plastics received the Sir Peter Parker Award for sustainable business leadership at the Sustainable City Awards. The firm’s Infini bottle was also highly commended in the Responsible Waste Management category.
2 April 2014
It’s a first for England's World Cup team –a kit made almost entirely from recycled PET: 100% recycled PET shorts, 96% recycled PET shirts and 78% recycled PET socks.
1 April 2014
Lancashire-based plastic recycling business Preston Plastics has invested £300,000 in its vehicle fleet and new equipment as it capitalises on increased demand from the industry.
31 March 2014
Veka Recycling has sponsored the under-13s team at Gravesend-based Invicta Lions youth football club where Jamie Henderson, the son of an employee, is playing in his second season.
28 March 2014
Naples, the Greek’s first major city in Italy, ancient Rome’s first major port, home of liquefying saint’s blood and the birthplace of the pizza. What’s not to like? Well, the rubbish in the streets for one.
27 March 2014
Tesco is to introduce egg cartons made from recycled PET bottles in a bid to reduce breakages and halt pack damage.
27 March 2014
EuPC has slammed a European Parliament-backed report on how to cut the use of lightweight plastic carrier bags, singling out “untrue” claims for biodegradable and compostable materials.
20 March 2014
Zero Waste Scotland has launched the RETrieve Scotland Support Programme, which has been designed to help manufacturers incorporate increased levels of recyclate in their products.
17 March 2014
A study into consumer perceptions of plastics recycling has been published by Recoup, with funding from Defra, the Kent Resource Partnership (KPR) and the plastic recycling communications initiative steering group.
13 March 2014
Incinerating or dumping plastic films in landfills could soon be a thing of the past as new technologies seek to convert plastics into fuels and other useful products, according to Axion Consulting.
13 March 2014
A waste handling facility in Worksop has suffered its fourth fire in less than a year. The blaze started at the home of Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited and the Nottinghamshire County Council recycling centre, which shared access to the site.
11 March 2014
Closed Loop Environmental Solutions (Cles) and packaging manufacturer Coveris have won a contract with foodservice company Delaware North to establish closed loop programmes for plastic cups at the Emirates Stadium.
10 March 2014
Eco Plastics has signed a long-term partnership with Gwynedd Council that will see the recycler receive all the mixed plastic produced direct from the local authority.
4 March 2014


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Apple is expected to pull apart its price fixing cartel on ebooks which meant that users paid a lot more money for their goods.
According to Reuters, the Justice Department will reach a settlement in the next few weeks with Apple and some of the major publishers.
The negotiations are still fluid, which means that they are being sorted out in the local wine bar, but the idea is to kill off Apple’s so-called “most favoured nation” status, which had prevented the publishers from selling lower-priced e-books through rival retailers such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.
A move to a “wholesale model” would help consumers but also Amazon, which had been the leading bargain e-book retailer with the Kindle.
The Justice Department wants to end agreements Steve Jobs squeezed from five publishers about two years ago. Simon & Schuster, Lagardere, Hachette Book Group, Pearson, Penguin Macmillan and HarperCollins were all involved in the deal.
This involved an agreement with Apple where the publishers shifted to an “agency model” that allowed them to set the price of e-books and give Apple a 30 percent cut.
Amazon had operated on the wholesale model, in which publishers sold books to retailers, who could set whatever price they wanted.
The publishers worried readers might get used to cheaper books and that Amazon would gain more market power – meaning even cheaper prices.
The Apple deal meant publishers could not allow rival retailers such as Amazon to sell the same e-books at lower prices.
It has been estimated that a switch back to the wholesale model could increase Amazon’s revenues by about $1.1 billion this year and $1.6 billion in 2013.


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Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force - Walgreens ORC Team & police
bust "extensive" theft ring - stole hundreds of thousands in plastic materials
from more than a dozen companies - Shipping Tons to China The
Northbrook-based corporation Organized Retail Crime Department, along with
organized-crime investigators from Chicago Police, busted an "extensive" theft
ring that had stolen thousands of dollars in plastic materials from more than a
dozen companies and the United States Postal Service, police said in a
statement. The plastic items (mostly totes, pallets, trays and other things used
to move merchandise around) were traced to a warehouse at 1435 W. Exchange Ave.,
in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. There, they were "reduced to very
small plastic pieces with the use of heavy machinery" then sold and shipped to
China, police said. "It is likely that tons of stolen plastic has already
been shipped," the police statement said.
The owner of that building cooperated with the investigation, police said, and
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen plastic - belonging to major
corporations like Walgreens, Pepsico, Jewel-Osco, Turano Baking Company, Aunt
Millie's Bakeries and CVS Pharmacy, in addition to USPS - were recovered and are
being returned to their original owners.
The investigation was prompted when Walgreens noticed a spike in thefts
throughout its Midwest facilities, including Chicago. Tens of thousands of
dollars of its plastic totes had been stolen, according to police.
"Property theft is a serious issue that all retailers face and it is something
we investigate aggressively. This investigation is a great example of how
through the Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force companies can work
with the Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to address
issues that affect the entire community. We thank the police officers and
retail investigators that worked diligently together on this investigation,"
said Jerry Biggs, Director of Organized Retail Crime at Walgreens.
East Coast Fraudulent Credit Card Ring busted in New Albany, Miss.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol and New Albany Police Department think they have
uncovered a national credit card fraud operation. In this case where six people
were arrested. Police say they loaded around $4,000 in gift cards from the
Lowe's in Tupelo and tried to do the same thing at the Lowe's in New Albany.
A clerk there noticed the information didn't match up with one of those who was
arrested. So far, the police don't know how many people had their information
stolen. "Right now, there's only been a couple that we been able to find in the
northeast Mississippi area, but there again, there are some other aspects that
the federal agents are trying to help us with to determine exactly what the
scope is," said Robertson.
Small Retailer in Minnesota facing Large shoplifting problems
Shoplifting headaches are nothing new to retailers big or small, but a case at
Patina, the upscale Twin Cities gift boutique, illustrates how tricky the
problem can be to resolve. The Star Tribune reports on the arrest of a
Minneapolis man last week who, Patina employees say, worked with accomplices on
more than half-a-dozen thefts over the past several months. He hasn't entered a
plea. The total losses - generally in the form of pricey blankets - totaled only
about $5,000. Co-founder Christine Ward said that the man struck one of her
clerks who challenged him, then threw rocks at the car of a customer who tried
to follow him. There also were frustrations with the police: Ward said the St.
Paul and Minneapolis departments didn't seem to share information about the
crimes, and cops generally responded too late to catch the alleged thieves.
June 3rd two male suspects hit Nordstrom's King of
Prussia Mall - $3,000 to $5,000 denim clothing fled in blue Chrysler minivan


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The Victorian whiskey that recently won a prestigious International gold medal has been revealed as a non-barrel aged whiskey produced in just 15 days.
Mountain Distilling’s Red Gum Single Malt Whiskey was awarded 95 points in IWSC’s Worldwide Whiskey category, ranking higher than efforts from Australian whiskey brands including Starward, Lark Distillery and Archie Rose Distilling Co.
“We wanted our Single Malt to be blind tasted and fairly represented amongst it’s whiskey peers for its quality and flavour, so rather than revealing its production method, we let the spirit speak for itself first,” said Michael Harris, co-founder of Mountain Distilling.
“The process we use mimics barrel ageing where temperature and atmospheric changes impact the molecular journey of the spirit – however we undertake a more active and controlled system to achieve the flavour and structure of an aged spirit much faster,” said Harris.
The Mountain team worked with Monash University’s associate professor Chris Thompson and Monash student William Chant, to verify this process and help further develop this proprietary thermal-based technology.
With information gleaned by one of Monash’s Mass Spectrometers, the Mountain Single Malt was tested against profiles of available whiskey’s aged three, 10 and 16 years. In some cases, key flavour components from the analysis indicating an age over 18 years were detected.
“The most exciting aspect of this project is not just the time altering technology, it’s our ability to experiment with new wood flavour profiles that have been too risky or impractical to trial in the past,” said Harris.
“With traditional methods, ageing in alternative woods takes significant investment of money and time for a product that may not work.
“With non-barrel ageing we can freely experiment with new Single Malt styles that include the use of Australian native woods.”
After news of Mountain’s Gold IWSC Award, the company’s allocation of pre-sales for the Red Gum Single Malt Whiskey was sold out in a few weeks, but the distillery has released its second round of pre-orders, currently on sale for December/January delivery: https://www.mountaindistilling.com/shop/single-malt
Mountain Distilling is also sponsoring the highly anticipated Higher Order Event, located in Southbank, Melbourne. The newly released Mountain Vodka is being served upon entry, with the Red Gum Single Malt available to taste for the very first time at the exhibition.


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A popular cheesecake shop well-known in the Canton and Mineola areas will be coming to Tyler soon.
Bryan’s Cheesecakes will be open next to the Southside Bank on South Beckham Avenue in early August, owner Bryan Mendez said.
Mendez said Tyler residents are great customers and he’s very excited to bring a location to Tyler.
He said the shop began in Canton at First Mondays about four years ago. He then opened a commercial kitchen in Mineola that later expanded to dine-in services as well. The shop in Mineola then moved next door to the historic Select Theater.
In the Tyler location, the Dinner Table will provide pre-made sandwiches and wraps. The shop will also have a full barista serving coffee and smoothies, Mendez said.
Bryan’s Cheesecakes in Tyler will be open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The shop will be closed on Sunday.
Mendez said he used to work at Tyler ISD and he’s excited to return to the city.
“It’s a super city with a lot of good folks,” he said. “I like Tyler. There’s a lot of good stuff happening here.”


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If your memorabilia room needs a slightly softer touch, the game-used Mother’s Day bats are now on the block.
May 20, 2010 ByMay 13, 2010 By
Wee Willie Keeler’s diary, game-used bats from early 20th century legends and other vintage memorabilia and cards will be up for bid.April 30, 2010 By
More one-of-a-kind game used memorabilia will hit the marketplace as MLB takes aim at cancer.April 19, 2010 By
Two historic home run bats and some top level vintage card sets were prime targets in Memory Lane Inc’s latest auction.April 16, 2010 By
Whether wearing jerseys to be auctioned or touching his bat, current players were in awe of Jackie Robinson Thursday.April 15, 2010 By
TLC’s ‘Accidental Fortune’ will tell the tale of how Babe Ruth’s contest award turned into a million dollar souvenir.March 18, 2010 By
A sharp-looking Babe Ruth autographed bat from the 1930s is on the auction block.February 9, 2010 By
It’s full speed ahead at Upper Deck, which continues its 21 year run with a 600-card base set now on the market.March 27, 2009 By
The latest Babe Ruth rookie card to hit the market is drawing bidders not shy about chasing one of the hobby’s icons.


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Mountain Music is getting fine-tuned. The seven-year-old business which until January inhabited an old house turned store on Dayton Boulevard has moved to a hip, new space smack in the middle of the budding Southside.
Now located at the corner of Market and Main, this niche-specific shop has found a new home without altogether losing its rough-around-the-edges charm.
"I could see the business growing and outgrowing that house very quickly," said owner Darren Patrick, who purchased Mountain Music a little over a year ago.
With a degree in music education and a longtime musician himself, Patrick is more than equipped to share his passion with Chattanooga, a city ripe with music lovers of all varieties. Patrick also owns Musician Training Center, an instructional facility on Highway 58, open since 2007.
Businessman and music enthusiast as he is, Patrick saw a void and sought to fill it. He found it "absurd" that there was not a single music store in downtown Chattanooga.
"This is such a pro-music city with a jam session happening somewhere practically every night of the week," he said. "It's crazy to have all these musicians downtown and nowhere for them to even buy a pack of strings."
After a year at the old location, the new store owner was more than ready to move things town-ward when he found the perfect location for his specialty music shop in what is informally referred to as the "Clark Center," directly across from the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Patrick knows that his store has something special to offer the city, and he notes that already the response from the Southside community has been tremendous.
"Everyone's been really welcoming," he said. "People have been coming into the store and saying they feel like it fits in perfectly with the direction in which the Southside is going, being a very culture-rich and artsy area."
Mountain Music is at 1467 Market St., Suite 106. For more information call (423) 875-5250 or visit the Mountain Music website.
Bluegrass buffs agree that Mountain Music is indeed a shop rich with character. Geared mainly toward the bluegrass/folk scene, the store carries an array of instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, basses, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, violas, cellos, dulcimers, fiddles and more. There is an assortment of kid-sized instruments, including fiddles going all the way down to 1/32nd-sized.
"The store has been and will continue to be known for carrying what the other music stores don't carry," said Patrick, adding that the shop offers something different and unique. "That's what we specialize in."
Mountain Music sells new and used instruments, accessories, music books and instructional materials. It also rents out and repairs instruments, as well as offering lessons on a myriad of instruments, bluegrass-specific and otherwise.
Patrick said he has several people working for him who specialize in all sorts of different areas, and they can repair basically any instrument. Mountain Music also has accessories for instruments the store doesn't carry, such as reeds, valve oil and drumsticks to keep things well-rounded.


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The number of people who commute two hours or more to work is expected to grow, especially now that it is easier to work occasionally from home.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
OCTOBER 18, 2013
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2013 - A.S.D. ASSOCIATES, INC.
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text:
All operating systems can be hit with malware, but one of the advantages Apple has over Google is that they are strict with their apps and users cannot download apps from third-party app stores or sideload them, at least not officially. This means that there are less chances that users could accidentally download an app with malware hidden in it.
That being said, it seems that a newly proposed bill in the North Dakota Senate could change that. The bill, introduced by Sen. Kyle Davison (R-Fargo), is seeking to ban companies like Apple and Google from forcing developers to use their app stores and also their in-app payment systems. It will also seek to prevent these companies from retaliating against the developers for choosing alternative methods.
Google already allows Android users to install alternative app stores and sideload apps, so the one that would be affected the most would be Apple. Unsurprisingly, the company isn’t thrilled by it and its privacy software manager Erik Neuenschwander had previously testified against the bill, claiming that it would “destroy the iPhone as you know it”.
He also points out that this would effectively allow bad apps into the App Store which Apple had worked so hard to keep out. That being said, the bill hasn’t been passed yet and according to Chairman Sen. Jerry Klein (R-Fessenden) said that no action will be taken yet as “there’s still some mulling to be done.”


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Back in March, a report was released by Ethics On the Go, from the Culinary Vision Panel's Mindful Dining Initiative Project, that found that younger consumers have increased expectation for ethical snacks and grab-and-go-foods. The study said:
In this study, 1,500 US consumers were surveyed about their attitudes towards ethically-sourced foods and how it impacts their dining choices of portable and grab-and-go foods outside the home. The study finds that while all consumers care about ethical eating, consumers under 35 years pay the closest attention to responsible practices behind menus.
Other points from the report included:
- Where 50 percent of general consumers agreed organic foods tasted better, 60 percent of consumers under 35 equated organic foods with better taste.
- Ethical efforts made in foodservice—from vegan food options to composting on-site—is the new cool "it" factor for Millennial consumers who have to navigate multiple dining options.
- Millennials don't want to choose between their love of quick, grab-and-go foods and their desire to eat more responsibly. Compared to 57 percent of overall consumers who said there are not enough ethically produced snacks available to them, 64 percent of consumers under 35 said the same thing. The fact that many young consumers feel they cannot find enough fast, ethical grab-and-go options means that foodservice operators have an opportunity to stock their menus with choices that meet the criteria of ethical foods.
- While consumers said that they love meat, many are also hungry to get more plants into their diets. 88 percent of all surveyed said that they were keen to add more plant-based foods and ingredients to their meals. To fulfill consumers' desire to both eat better and help the environment, foodservice operators are in a position to introduce more vegetarian and plant-based grab-and-go food options in their menus.
When I was in Chicago two weeks ago for IFT, I stayed at an almost-brand new hotel, The Moxy, which definitely catered to millennials (a category into which I fall, actually). Their entire lobby is basically a bar/hangout area, and they have a small taco place, Zombie Taco, if you're hungry. Zombie Taco also functions as a grab-and-go store, and as I perused the shelves one night, I was pleased to see many of the better-for-you products that we've written about here at Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, such as protein cookies, chips made with healthier oils, and more.
Zombie Taco itself offered a variety of tacos, including vegan tacos—I didn't get to try the Spicy Quinoa & Cauliflower taco, but it sounded delicious—and a variety of interesting choices most likely designed to appeal to millennials, such as a Charred Korean Beef taco, as well as a Braised Brisket option.
I did get to try a Thick Cut Jalapeno Bacon taco for breakfast the next day, which included marinated kale, vine-ripened tomatoes, and cilantro. Although I normally eat a lighter breakfast, it was quite tasty.
It is interesting to see what lengths restaurants and hotels will go to in order to appease the millennial palate, as well as those looking for more "responsible" or "better-for-you" choices. If they continue to combine these efforts with trends such as the ones listed above, they should be very successful, indeed.


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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined 2 major suppliers to the construction industry more than £15 million (US$20.3 million) for illegally colluding to reduce competition and keep prices up.
Following an investigation by the CMA, 2 UK-based companies who supply groundworks products to some of the nation’s largest construction firms, Vp and M.G.F., have been fined more than £11.2 million and £3.7 million, respectively.
The CMA found that the companies colluded illegally to reduce competition and maintain or increase prices. This involved sharing confidential information on future pricing and commercial strategy. They also coordinated their commercial activities to reduce uncertainty, including monitoring each other’s prices and challenging quotes they deemed too low.
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ECONOMIC RELEVANCE OF THE NNEWI GSM VILLAGE
Based on reality, the major economic attraction in Nnewi is the Nkwo Nnewi Market despite the existence of few industries in the town.
Since the ban on commercial motorcycles in many states in Nigeria and parts of Anambra, Nnewi town lost a bit of its economic relevance due to the sharp decline in the sale of motorcycles and motorcycle spare parts in Nkwo Nnewi Market.
It is on record that Nnewi came to limelight economically in 1970 when the town started controlling motor and motorcycle spare parts trade in Nigeria. That made Nkwo Nnewi the largest auto and motorcycle spare parts market in West Africa.
However, concerned citizens, especially, economic analysts and those in the academia have predicted that if the town failed to diversify into other business concerns beyond the usual buying and selling of auto and motorcycle spare parts, Nnewi would soon lose its economic relevance.
Mazi Tobe Osigwe, in his book, “Towards a modern Nnewi” stated that “We should not lose sight of the valid fact that Nkwo Nnewi was a deliberate creation so it will not be a sacrilege if we consciously activate another source of future economy for Nkwo Nnewi.
Recently, the President of Nnewi community in China, Mr Frank Udogu, said that discussions are ongoing with other relevant stakeholders in Nnewi towards establishing a world-class computer village in Nnewi.
Two weeks ago, in response to the ‘Aku Ruo Uno’ philosophy of His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III and in answer to the call for the diversification of Nnewi economy, an illustrious son of the town, Chief George Moughalu, opened the Nnewi GSM Village Nnewi.
The Nnewi GSM Village is a world-class structure with a first-class architectural design. It is magnificently cited in Nkwo Nnewi Market.
Nnewi GSM Village located opposite Bakkasi Office, beside Adili Hotel, Nnewi, along Nkwo Nnewi Motor Parts road, will offer a robust market for buyers and sellers of all sorts of phone accessories, among other ancillary services.
It will also offer residents the opportunity to fix damaged phones, install mobile applications, upgrade software and install exciting features on their phones.
The Nnewi GSM village has over two hundred shops (200) with steady water supply, vehicle and motorcycle parking spaces, conveniences, regular electricity, and 24-hour Security; ATM machines and centrally installed DSTV.
The village is not for phone accessories alone; it is also for laptops, tablets and other electronic devices. It will soon assume the status as the melting pot for electronic devices in Nnewi and environs.
The GSM Village is already providing jobs for different kinds of computer engineers, technicians, software handlers, food sellers, phone/accessory dealers, apprentices and many more. It will also provide the opportunity for youths to display their high sense of creativity and ingenuity as they deliberately question the intellectual capacity of the device manufacturers through their repair works.
The Village will always be a beehive of activities as thousands of people, old, young, male and female will troop in for reasons connected to phones and similar services. Ordinarily too, prices of phones will be more attractive and affordable at the GSM Village than any other GSM outlet within the neighbourhood.
Nnewi GSM Village will have direct and indirect positive effect on the Nnewi economy. Apart from job creation and employment for both skilled and unskilled manpower, it will also increase the Internally Generated Revenue of the local and state governments. It will also attract other businesses into the town, especially the techs and hubs.
Most importantly, judging from the ingenuity, industry and sagacity of Nnewi traders, it will not be a surprise if traders in Nnewi GSM Village diversified into production of electronic products as it happened in the case of auto and motorcycle spare parts.


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Even as the industry digested the news of a bankrupt Mervyns, rumblings grew of another potential Chapter 11 filing by a major retailer: Boscov’s Department Stores.
Sources told WWD that Boscov’s could file for bankruptcy as early as Monday, depending on whether it is able to secure a cash transfusion. Sources also said the owning families might inject more cash into the chain to prevent a bankruptcy filing, but after making a nearly $30 million contribution within the last month, there’s a greater chance that additional capital might not be forthcoming.
While the news about Boscov’s addressed the issue of “who’s next?,” others were focused on the equally pressing question of what is next for Mervyns, the $2.5 billion California-based midtier department store with 177 units in seven Southwestern and Western states. Many observers of the national and West Coast retail scenes were left pondering if the regional chain can emerge from the grueling bankruptcy process but, perhaps more critically, what its role would be in a retail world increasingly dominated by national chains like Kohl’s Corp. and J.C. Penney Co. Inc., discounters like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp., and nimble specialty and off-price retailers.
“Mervyns just can’t seem to compete well against Kohl’s,” said San Francisco-based retail analyst Jeff Green of Jeff Green Partners. “Kohl’s strategy has been to open a number of stores simultaneously and come in strong, especially in markets like Southern California. It was an effective way to muscle into the market and Mervyns couldn’t help but take a big hit there. They were seeing market share eaten right up.”
Mervyns “wasn’t in that same position” that would allow it to keep up with Kohl’s “big money strategy,” Green added. “It’s an aging brand,” he said. “They don’t do a whole lot of big marketing.”
Retail consultant Walter Loeb acknowledged that Mervyns had been “a vibrant company” in the past. “It had a good assortment,” he said. “Today, both the discount chains and the low-margin retailers have overtaken them in so many ways. It has been mismanaged for so long….The consumer has found other places to shop for value.”
But is there a place for it in the future? “Frankly, the low-end consumer in California and maybe Arizona would probably still shop at Mervyns, but then you would have to close so many stores to bring the operation to a profitable level,” Loeb said. “At that point, the operation would be so small that you would have to wonder whether it is still worth keeping open from an operational basis.”
Loeb considered the bankruptcy “inevitable. I think the company is irrelevant. It could be a liquidation.”
If a liquidation were to occur, it would put 177 retail spaces averaging 80,000 square feet into the “For Rent” category. The footprint could conceivably work for retailers such as The TJX Cos.’ T.J. Maxx and Marshalls divisions, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, Best Buy and Forever 21, which generally operate from similarly sized formats. Kohl’s could also avail itself of locations, although it tends to operate with a larger footprint.
Isaac Lagnado, president of Tactical Retail Solutions Inc., considers the timing of the bankruptcy at Mervyns telling. “The penetration of the back-to-school business at Mervyns, as a percent of the total business, was among the highest in the industry,” he said. “At one time, the number was 20 percent. Back-to-school has been a historical strength of the chain, far more than the typical chain.”
So with vendors and factors tightening the spigot at such a crucial period, Mervyns needed to act decisively to get help, in this case a $465 million debtor-in-possession facility, not yet approved, from a group led by Wachovia Capital Finance Corp.
Lagnado noted the chain’s troubles represented a reversal of fortune from events in the Eighties and Nineties, when Mervyns, then owned by Dayton Hudson Corp. (later Target Corp.), expanded rapidly and moved into states outside its West Coast base. Meanwhile, stores including Sears and J.C. Penney were struggling and the discounters had yet to fully reach their stride. In the late Eighties, the larger department store groups — Federated Department Stores, Allied Stores Corp. and R.H. Macy & Co. — were struggling with leveraged buyout-related problems of their own.
Especially since rumblings of credit difficulties at Mervyns began earlier this year, its downfall was for many not a question of “if,” but of “when.”
On Monday, the day before the chain’s Chapter 11 filling, David Simon, chief executive officer of Simon Property Group, told a Wall Street conference call, “We have always earmarked Mervyns to go away. The fact that it’s lasted this long is a testament to the guys who own it and operate it. It’s just been out-positioned between Penney’s and Target.…You see very similar tenants like Penney’s that are performing reasonably well, and it’s just that Mervyns was an afterthought at [former owner] Target and it’s not something that we haven’t anticipated.”
A retail source with knowledge of Mervyns operations noted, “Mervyns really does cater to a value-oriented consumer who has been hit very hard by all these macro issues, and you have to remember that Mervyns operates a lot of stores in areas that have been hit hard, like Las Vegas and Southern California.”
The source said Mervyns has mostly lost market share to Penney’s and Kohl’s, its two most direct competitors. However, Mervyns caters to an average household of four which has annual income of $50,000, whereas Penney’s and Kohl’s typical customers are more affluent, with household incomes of $60,000 and $65,000, respectively. After those two chains, Mervyns’ toughest competitors are Wal-Mart, Target and Family Dollar Stores, the source said. “There is no question that Penney’s and Kohl’s have been on the attack,” the source said.
But Mervyns’ problems go back many years to when the company was still owned by Target, which backed off its investments in the chain after its profitability declined in the Nineties.
After Mervyns was bought by private equity concerns in 2004, the retailer underwent a portfolio cleansing that shuttered nearly 90 stores, leaving the chain with many stores in good locations. Not long after that process, approximately three years ago, about 10 stores were opened in stronger locations than Mervyns had occupied previously. Among the best are those situated in the Del Amo mall in Los Angeles, among the nation’s largest shopping centers, and in San Francisco, Oakland and Pleasanton, Calif.
Since the sale of the real estate portfolio by its private equity investors, Mervyns stores are all leased.
“Suppliers need Mervyns, but this is going to be a fight for survival,” the retail source said. “The customer has a lot of shopping choices.”
Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said the bankruptcy could have a visible effect on Southern California since many Mervyns locations are in poorer neighborhoods where finding new tenants in the midst of an economic downturn will be especially difficult.
“The key will be what happens to those sites and if Mervyns can do something to get out from under this,” Kyser said. “Things don’t look good, except if they can make some savvy real estate moves now, but there are not many large retailers out there as potential tenants in Mervyns’ spaces.”
Mervyns’ real estate assets were separated from the operating company after Target sold the retailer to a consortium including Sun Capital Partners Inc., Cerberus Capital Management LP and Lubert-Adler and Klaff Partners LP in 2004.
The real estate holdings were put into eight entities, all of which begin with MDS, such as MDS Realty Holdings I. The MDS entities did not file for bankruptcy and are now one of Mervyns’ landlords. Numerous sales have followed, including a sale-leaseback involving a joint venture of Developers Diversified Realty Corp. and Macquarie Trust, which acquired 36 stores for $396 million in 2005, and Macerich’s acquisition of 43 units for $430 million in February. Developers Diversified Realty said last week that Mervyns, its second-largest anchor retailer, was current on all payments.
Economic headwinds certainly provided no shelter for Mervyns as it battled against insolvency. In June, with the national unemployment rate at 5.5 percent, California’s stood at 6.9 percent and Nevada’s at 6.4 percent. Arizona’s came in at 4.8 percent, below the national average. According to state and federal records, California’s unemployment rate has been at least 1 percent higher than the national average every month this year except February, when it was 0.9 percent higher.
The housing crisis made a substantial contribution to the crisis as well. Nevada, California and Arizona had the top three foreclosure rates in the country during the first half of 2008, with one foreclosure for every 23, 34 and 40 housing units, respectively. Total foreclosures for the year to date in California are 387,214, up 104 percent from the comparable months of 2007; in Arizona, 65,351, up 138 percent, and in Nevada 45,717, up 81 percent. Nationwide, foreclosures are up 59 percent so far this year, according to a national study conducted by RealtyTrac Inc.
But Mary Ann Domuracki, managing director of Financo Inc., thinks there could still be a place for the chain. “It’s a difficult retail and financial market and it’s not surprising vendors are skittish,” she said. “Mervyns has a long history and we would hope a strategic [buyer] sees value in its heritage and platform.”
Jason Asaeda, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor’s, told WWD, “Because the economy is so weak right now, I don’t know if [the bankruptcy] is going to have an appreciable effect on companies like Kohl’s or even, let’s say, a Target or a Penney’s. I think everyone is struggling to win dollars from consumers, so even if one competitor is in bankruptcy, I think it really depends more on the execution of merchandising and marketing on a company-by-company basis.”
In categories where there is brand overlap between Mervyns and its competitors, as there is in some cases with Kohls, “I think it really depends on how they are pricing. I don’t really see a huge impact on other companies right now,” Asaeda said.
The long-term effects could be different, however. While the Mervyns bankruptcy might not give a big boost to competitors immediately, it might set those companies up for better growth once the economy turns.
“In any given sector, as weaker operators exit the market or there is an acceleration in store closings, stronger operations tend to consolidate their market share,” said Monica Aggarwal, a retail credit analyst at Fitch Ratings. “Even if they don’t pick up stores, they have less competition.”
For many, the filing is a reminder of how quickly the innovator of one season can become the tired old formula of the years ahead. Certainly, with his different approach to merchandise assortment and pricing, as well as his trailblazing use of tabloid circulars, Mervyns founder Mervin Morris, who started the company in 1949, was among the most admired and imitated retailers in the U.S.
“Mervyns at one point in their history was an icon of what you would call big-box value retailing,” said Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies Kurt Salmon Associates. “No question that Mervin Morris was a pioneer in the industry. He built Mervyns into a store that was emulated by many, including Kohl’s.”
That competitive pressure, along with the housing-led slump in California and other economic woes, proved to be too much for Mervyns.
“Mervyns is not an exception,” said Aronson. “Right now Mervyns is in the middle of this kind of perfect storm.”
As are many other retailers, especially other regional ones like Boscov’s, whose roots in the central and western parts of New York and Pennsylvania are deep and well-established.
Founded by Solomon Boscov, the 75-year-old chain is owned by the families of Albert Boscov, Solomon’s son, and Edwin Lakin, a son-in-law, according to the company. The stores were recapitalized two years ago, giving 5 percent of ownership to nonfamily management.
A phone call seeking comment on Boscov’s financial condition wasn’t return by press time.
However, within the last week, Boscov’s has become the latest retailer to lose support in the credit community.
Vendor and credit sources said the factoring arm of CIT’s trade finance group earlier this month put a “hold” on future orders to the Reading, Pa.-based chain. One source said CIT wanted more information from the retailer before committing to approval on future orders. CIT has not pulled support for back-orders. Consequently, recent orders that were approved, but not yet shipped, were not affected by CIT’s latest decision.
Several credit sources said CIT’s decision followed the path of other factors, such as GMAC and Milberg, which were among the first to hold approval on orders pending more information from the retailer earlier this month.
As with Mervyns, the problems at Boscov’s have been ongoing for several months. Some sources in the vendor community said they have been waiting for payment from Boscov’s on previously shipped orders and contacts in the credit community said that even some big-name vendors have experienced slowness in payment.
The problem now is that nearly half of its suppliers have stopped shipping merchandise. It was the same problem Mervyns encountered when it lost support from the credit community. Because of concerns of a bankruptcy filing, and account balances on shipped orders still unpaid, many vendors are no longer willing to ship goods and take on the risk of incurring an even bigger unpaid balance due.
Market estimates put Boscov’s sales at just over $1 billion, making it among the largest privately held department store companies in the U.S. The largest is Belk Inc., which had sales of $3.82 billion in 2007.
Boscov’s currently has 49 stores in six states in the mid-Atlantic region. The chain’s brand assortment includes Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hilfiger, Champion, Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden. Some stores also carry Clinique, Estée Lauder and Lancôme, according to the company.
Regional department stores have been hard-pressed to compete with national retail chains in the last few years, and that pressure has grown in recent months as consumers have shopped less and lenders have been more selective about their financing. In addition to Mervyns and Boscov’s, other regional retailers hitting difficulties include Goody’s Family Clothing Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection in June.
Goody’s on Friday filed its disclosure statement, which is pending approval by the bankruptcy court before it can solicit votes from creditors regarding its plan of reorganization.�
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


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BMW Reports Q1 2010 Results
BMW reports Q1 2010 results
The German manufacturer reported a profit of 32 million euros (US$41.1 million) over the quarter, up 14.3% from the first quarter of 2010. The BMW S1000RR is credited as a reason for the increase.
The sales increase helped give BMW the highest market share in the 500cc and over segment in Italy, Great Britain and Germany. BMW sold 2,094 motorcycles in the U.S. during the quarter, a 7.8% increase from the first quarter of 2009. The only market where BMW failed to top their previous first-quarter results was Japan where sales dropped 13.5% to 508 units.
BMW produced 30,222 motorcycles during the first quarter, a 3.8% increase from 2009.


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ET 500: Castrol's focus on strategy helped it to combat slowdown, oil price rise
Against our 2010 operating profit of Rs 700 crore, the increase in raw material cost in 2011 was Rs 400 crore. This meant we had to recover Rs 400 crore from price hikes or cost cuts just to stand still, says Ravi Kirpalani, CFO
The most important thing we did when the slowdown hit us was that we remained focused on our strategy," says Ravi Kirpalani, the man at the helm of Castrol India. Castrol, he says, never slowed down its investments even as it continued to upgrade plants and expand manpower. "Today, we have more people in each of our departments than last year. We haven't lost faith in the long-term growth of this market," Kirpalani says.
Full coverage: ET 500 - India's biggest companies
For Castrol India, the five years between 2005 and 2010 were like a dream run, riding on the back of the growth of the Indian economy which helped fuel higher demand for automobiles. Castrol's revenues grew at an average 14-15%, while profits vaulted to an annualised average of 30% - tripling in five years.
It was at the start of 2011 that the company felt something was amiss. Sitting in his corporate office in Mumbai, Kirpalani recalls what hit the company hard then. "In 2011 two things started to happen. The economy, which was growing at close to 8-8.5% in FY11 slowed down to 6-6.5% in FY12. Secondly, the cost of base oil, which is our principal ingredient, increased dramatically by almost 30%." he explains.
The company was able to meet the challenges squarely as it closed calendar year 2011 with barely a marginal decline in profits thanks to its strong brand, best in the class distribution network and a track record of innovation.
The company may have missed its growth targets, but not the learnings. Kirpalani lists some of them. "The hardships of 2011 taught us that it was not sufficient to bank on our existing advantages. There are three other things we needed to focus on - affordability, advocacy and availability."
This meant a lot of research on price elasticity of demand for its products and how much of cost increases it could pass on to consumers. The company also refocused on its relationship with dealers and mechanics, who can advocate which brands to use. The management also decided to strengthen the company's distribution since demand from rural India was growing strong.


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- the porsche taycan enters the 2022 model year with new colors and technology.
- porsche exclusive manufaktur is offering 65 additional colors, android auto capability has been added, a remote-park feature is newly available, and the battery packs can precondition to slightly higher temperatures to help reduce charging times.
- they'll arrive by the end of the year starting at $81,250.
the electric porsche taycan, including its new cross turismo ruggedized wagon model, is now porsche's third best-selling vehicle in north america behind the cayenne and macan, which will soon spawn an ev variant. it's entering the 2022 model year with a heap of new colors to choose from, an available remote-park feature, and, finally, android auto capability.
through porsche exclusive manufaktur, you can now get the taycan in 65 additional colors including classics like acid green, rubystar (pictured), and riviera blue. if none of those or the 17 other standard color choices fit what you desire, porsche says it will custom paint the taycan to almost any color imaginable.
other updates include an available remote-park feature that can park the car without a driver in the seat via a smartphone app, similar to tesla's summon feature. android auto capability, also newly available on the 911, cayenne, and panamera, joins apple car play in porsche's infotainment system, which includes various other changes for its sixth generation.
porsche says that the taycan's 71.0-kwh and 83.7-kwh battery packs can now precondition to slightly higher temperatures than before, which should help them charge marginally faster. taycans have an 800-volt architecture and can charge at a maximum of 270 kilowatts. the epa has yet to announce the 2022 model's range estimates, but for the 2021 model year, the packs were estimated at up to 200 and 227 miles of range depending on configuration.
the 2022 taycans will begin arriving in showrooms by the end of the year starting at $81,250 for the base rear-wheel-drive model, the same as the previous model year.


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It’s prime time for food delivery services, with more of us staying in and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the flipside, it’s been a couple of gruelling months for F&B owners who struggle to stay afloat amid social distancing and belt tightening.
Enter Oddle, an online ordering platform launched by three Singaporeans Jonathan Lim, Pua Yong Xiang, and Alan Goh. Unlike other food delivery platforms like Deliveroo and FoodPanda, Oddle allows onboarded restaurants to white-label its own delivery page for better branding and promotional purposes.
This feature, coupled with a reasonable commission scheme, has led to many high-end restaurants and hotels joining the platform. These include Burnt Ends, Cheek Bistro, as well as restaurants under the Les Amis Group, Unlisted Collection, and Jumbo Group.
As of now, the platform is utilised by more than 3,000 F&B brands spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Expanding on its existing network of restaurants, Oddle recently launched Oddle Eats, an online food delivery that aims to connect diners directly with restaurants. This move cuts out middleman costs, allowing these restaurants to have the choice of either making their own deliveries or working with logistic partners locally.
At a glance, the directory is user-friendly and intuitive, creating a social experience by allowing one to like and share new restaurant finds with their family and friends.
Catching onto the trend of surprise deliveries, special bundled meals are also available for users to purchase for their loved ones.
Jonathan Lim, co-founder of Oddle, said: “We bring accessible online ordering to both restaurants and diners, so that more consumers can be advocates for the F&B industry, saving Singapore’s restaurants one online order at a time. As restaurateurs ourselves, we stand firmly with the industry.”
As restauranteurs themselves, the co-founders aim to help the F&B industry by offering tools and hands-on advice with pricing strategies, menu optimisation, and operations. While there are no set-up costs for business owners to join the platform, they have to pay a 10 percent commission fee per order to cover the costs of using the payment gateway, as well as customer support.
More information here.


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The latest bug to hit Apple devices only needs a single character to crash your iPhone and to prevent you accessing your messaging apps on iOS. This bug was first discovered by Mobile World, an Italian blog.
Other Apple devices may also be affected by the same bug. It has the potential to affect any device that has the latest software update. This means it is something that you will need to look out for on all your Apple devices.
It is fairly easy for anyone to exploit this bug without having a great deal of technical knowledge. The character is from the Telugu language which is a native Indian language that is still spoken by 70 million people in the country. The bug can get on your phone if you receive a text message that contains this character or if it is typed into a text editor. This will immediately cause the phone to crash and it can also affect Macs, iPads and the Apple Watch.
If you receive the bug via a message then there does seem to be a way that it can be deleted. The messaging app that has received the bug will probably not load because it will keep crashing but the message that contains the bug needs to be deleted. However, if you can ask someone to send you a new message to the app that has been affected you should be able to delete the message that contains the bug from the notifications.
The reason that this bug is causing so many problems is that it can get into the phone in so many different ways such as via text message, email and messaging app. This means that every iPhone has the potential to be affected by this bug.
Apple has been made aware of this bug and there will be a solution to the problem that is released in the next software update. This update is expected to be released in early spring.


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A video recording shows the start of the fire which completely consumed an electric RATP bus on Friday, April 29, 2022. The incident caused no injuries.
The bus burst into flames within seconds. This is what can be seen on the video that captured the very beginning of the fire of an electric vehicle of the RATP in Paris, this Friday, April 29. In the images, we can see a small explosion occur on the roof of the bus, where the batteries are located, followed by huge flames that spread to the entire body at breakneck speed.
The line 71 bus caught fire in the 13th arrondissement of Paris in the morning, mobilizing around thirty workers, according to the firefighters contacted by Le Parisien. It is a 100% electric vehicle, from the Bolloré brand Bluebus 5SE series, like the bus that burned down at the beginning of April.
This afternoon, the RATP decided to temporarily withdraw from circulation the 149 Bolloré electric bluebuses that circulate on its network.
Watch the video:
Here are a number of comments about this viral video:
- “The carbon footprint of that bus sure increased dramatically.”
- “As I can see, this is extremely ecological bus, protects the environment a lot…… No words.”
- “It’s amazing that people talk about green energy and electric cars and forget about the huge environmental damage of lithium batteries in their fires, explosions, etc.”
- “A friend of mine, a firefighter, has told me: don’t try to extinguish a burning electric vehicle. It’s not possible. Just let it burn down and protect the surrounding area.”
- “Imagine this happening while in a bus garage or tunnel.”


text: Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) says it will enter volume production for its 100-Gbps DP-QPSK MSA transceiver module, the OTM-100, by the end of the month. Measuring 5x7 inches, the compact MSA-compliant module will help to reduce the cost and speed up time to market for customers developing 100G systems, the company claims. The OTM-100 is built on the platform developed by Opnext, which completed its merger with Oclaro about six weeks ago (see “Oclaro, Opnext merger completed”). 100G modules were one of the few areas of product overlap in the two companies. “When we merged both Oclaro and Opnext had 100G modules they were working on. We consolidated that into one module that we’re taking to market,” explained Per Hanson, vice president of Oclaro’s optical networking business unit. (For more, see "New Oclaro sets course.") The Opnext module was more advanced, being based on second-generation coherent DSP technology. It had also been put through its paces in a record-breaking 3300-km transmission distance on SURFnet’s DWDM fiber infrastructure in Europe (see “SURFnet trials Opnext 100-Gbps subsystem over 3300 km”). Oclaro says it has already shipped more than a hundred OTM-100 coherent MSA transceiver modules for system integration and testing with customers located throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. This highlights the growing momentum of 100G in optical networks. According to Infonetics Research, this rapidly expanding market segment is projected to grow more than tenfold over the next three years. Oclaro points out that high-bit-rate coherent transceivers, such as the 100-Gbps OTM-100 transceiver, offer capital as well as operational efficiencies through, for example, plug-and-play adaption to the fiber infrastructure characteristics and native transport of high-bit-rate signals. Jim Haynes, president of global business at Oclaro, added, “The module is designed for rapid and easy system integration to enable our customers to bring 100 Gbps products to market fast and cost-efficiently. These strengths are clearly being validated by the industry as we continue winning new customers for the OTM-100 across the globe.” In a separate conversation with Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy, Hansen acknowledged that in addition to the OTM-100, Opnext had shipped 100-Gbps line cards to certain customers. Hansen said Oclaro will continue to support these customers, classifying the line card as a custom product rather than a standard offering going forward. Oclaro will be showcasing the OTM-100 module along with its complete line of 100-Gbps components and other high-bit-rate products on stand #444 at the upcoming ECOC Exhibition from September 17 to 19 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For more information on optical transceivers and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.


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The red shoe tradition dates to 1566, according to NPR, “when St. Pope Pius V, a White Dominican, decided to change the papal vestment from red to white.
Why Does the Pope Wear Red Shoes?
Pope Francis ditches red shoes
Pope Benedict famously wore red shoes
In retirement, Pope Benedict, has given up his red shoes in favor of loafers
Snappy dresser: Pope Benedict XVI wearing his traditional red shoes while meeting then Archbishop of
Pope Benedict Still Inspiring Shoe Trends – The Daily Beast
Adriano Stefanelli – The Pope’s Shoemaker
Papal red shoes in The Young Pope
Pope Benedict XVI wearing the iconic red shoes.
The story of Pope Benedict’s controversial red shoes, which he will give up – The Washington Post
Pope Benedict XVI, sporting a fur-trimmed camauro hat,
Red Prada Shoes Pope
The sweeping red cape returned to the GA last week and the red shoes are also back.


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Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning of the dangers of reopening the United States too soon.
In a Senate hearing today, the country’s leading infectious disease expert warned that “the consequences could be really serious” if the U.S. reopened too quickly.
“There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, if you pull back on the mitigation, more cases will appear,” Fauci said. “I feel that if [reopening too soon] occurs, it is a great risk that we will trigger an outbreak we will not be able to control.”
Further, Fauci warned that an outbreak could be triggered in the fall, when temperatures dip, if the U.S. does not take the appropriate precautions.
However, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director noted that his opinion is based on the health risk only, not on the economic ramifications of keeping the country shut.
“I don’t give advice about economic things — I don’t give advice about anything other than public health,” Fauci said.
After weeks of nationwide stores closures, retailers such as Nordstrom, Dillards and Gap Inc. have begun the process of reopening units this month as states including Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia ease restrictions. Governors are allowed to make individual decisions with regard to the reopening of their states, but federal health officials have suggested that some social distancing measures should remain in effect in the months to come.
As companies reopen their stores, they are taking steps to keep workers and shoppers safe, such as requiring staff to wears face coverings, keeping fitting rooms shut and placing social distance markers and signage in store.
As of Tuesday, there have been more than 1.3 million individuals infected by the coronavirus within the United States, with over 80,000 deaths recorded. The New York tristate area has been hit particularly hard, with New York state alone accounting for more coronavirus cases than any country outside of the U.S. At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic has slammed the American economy — causing the unemployment rate to climb above 15%, the highest rate since the Great Depression.
The retail sector, meanwhile, has faced significant challenges as government-mandated store closures have led companies to furlough and lay-off workers, reduce executive pay and tap credit lines. A growing number of already-struggling retailers, including Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and Stage Stores, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the past few weeks.


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PUTEAUX, France, November 6, 2018— Today Otis France inaugurated its new building, expanding its presence at its facilities in Gien (Loiret 45, France). Otis, the world’s leading manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, such as elevators, escalators and moving is a unit of United Technologies (NYSE: UTX).
Otis has invested in a new 2,000-sq.-m. Building, which will house its industrial departments at its Gien site. The new building reflects Otis’ deep knowledge and capabilities, while at the same time showcasing French-style know-how and excellence. The new building frees additional space for the extension of the onsite Gien Research & Development department. The workforce, consisting of technicians and engineers involved in Research and Development, is anticipated to reach 130 people.
Patrick Blethon, President Otis Europe, Middle East and Africa, and His Honor Fabrice Bouleau, Mayor of Gien, attended this important event for Otis France.
“We are proud of this new building,” Blethon told the audience at the event. “Through investments like this, Otis continues to demonstrate its innovation leadership. Otis has chosen to invest in France and make its Gien site a center of excellence in innovation and R&D, as well as supply chain and logistics.”
A major event in the history of the Gien site
This is the largest extension of the Otis Gien site since 1961, when Otis acquired the Ascinter plant. Since then, Otis’ industrial history in Gien has developed hand in hand with increases in volume and transfers of production and R&D activities.
The site is being extended to handle growth in volume and continued investment in Research & Development. Gien has always shown a willingness to be at the forefront of innovation as well as industrial and technological challenges.
“We produced 12,500 elevators and 180,000 doors at Gien in 2017 for all of Europe, and we have more than 700 employees including those at the European R&D Center,” said Anne-Lise Grosmougin, director of Otis’ New Products and Modernization Center in Gien, “The Gien industrial site has always participated actively in the company’s product innovation – one notable example being the world premiere of the high-energy-efficiency Gen2® elevator a few years ago, and more recently with its development of the first hydrogen-elevator prototype.”
About Otis Otis is the world’s leading manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Founded 165 years ago by the inventor of the safety elevator, Otis offers products and services through its companies in approximately 200 countries and territories. Otis is a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information, visit www.otis.com or follow Otis on LinkedIn, YouTube and as @OtisElevatorCo onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.


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According to the daily newspaper Economic Daily News, the next iPhone might give up the glass back in favor of an aluminum shell as the original iPhone model released in 2007.
This design change would mean that Apple has abandoned the concept of an external antenna, which causes some reception problems with all iPhone 4 models.
The aluminum hull will also erase the various problems caused by the use of glass. The iPhone 4 is very sensitive to scratches, especially the rear, and the glass is much heavier than aluminum,. This change would allow Apple to win a few precious grams.
Finally, the iPhone 5 could be offered in white on its release, as nearly nine months after its commercialization, the white iPhone 4 is still pending due to problems of color and flash management.
The iPhone 5 should logically pick the same processor as the iPad 2, namely an Apple A5. The main difference between the two devices should be at the operating frequencies. Like every year, the new generation of iPhone is expected to be unveiled in early June at the WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) held in San Francisco.
Source: Taiwan’s Economic Daily News ([Macotakara] / [Apple Insider])


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US chain stores are just a few short days away from releasing their February same-store sales results. But early indications, including a number of strong early month-to-date tallies at Limited Brands and TJX, point to a strong first quarter.J.P. Morgan’s Brian Tunick expects two to three per cent growth over the previous month. Even with tough comparisons even from a year ago, February sales are expected to have improved some 4 per cent, and results this year compare to an 11 per cent improvement since February 2010.
“Looking further into [the first quarter], March will be the toughest two-year comp of 13 per cent, with April facing an 11 per cent comp stack,” Tunick says. “So overall, tough first quarter compares, but retailers are optimistic that the combination of the warm weather and earlier Easter will be supportive of strong sales.”
Shares in a number of retailers have rallied, with the specialty retail group tracked by J.P. Morgan up seven per cent, to the S&P’s four per cent gain over the past 30 days.
Below are Wall Street’s consensus estimates for February same-store sales for a few stores:
- Buckle (BKE): February ’12 S/S Up 6.3 per cent
- Gap (GPS): February ’12 S/S Down 1.3 per cent
- Limited Brads (LTD): February ’12 S/S Up 3.3 per cent
- Ross Stores (ROST): February ’12 S/S Up 2.9 per cent
- TJX (TJX): February ’12 S/S Up 2.8 per cent
- Wet Seal (WTSLA): February ’12 S/S Down 8.0 per cent
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Leading grocers step on the gas to deploy technologies that competitors will find hard to match if they fall behind. Findings in the 4th Annual Grocery Tech Trends Study uncover tectonic shifts in digital strategy and analyze 66 individual technologies that grocers can benchmark against.
Innovations in shopper tracking technology provides next-gen insight into how customers, associates and merchandise move inside stores. Savvy retailers are seizing this opportunity to reimagine what the store is and can become.
The grocer redesigned its customer data by unlocking critical, previously siloed information. The initiative allowed Loblaw to customize offers at scale, resulting in personalized predictive deals delivered to millions of customers.
Walmart is exploring how artificial intelligence can contribute to the store experience in a real-world shopping environment. Take a video and photo tour of the mega retailer's new Intelligent Retail Lab (IRL) inside a Walmart Neighborhood Market grocery store.


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Nikon has announced a number of its products including the Nikon D3S, D3X DSLRs and telephoto lenses will be used in the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The company says that no modifications will be made to any of the products and they will join the existing Nikon film and digital cameras/lenses used by the astronauts working in the segment. In a press release the company also mentions the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had ordered 11 D3S bodies and 7 AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses for use in the Space Shuttle and ISS in 2009.
The latest Nikon equipment to be used in the Russian segment of the International Space Station
June 14, 2010: Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) is pleased to announce that orders for one Nikon D3S and two Nikon D3X digital-SLR cameras, four interchangeable lenses including AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR, software and various accessories have been received from S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, the general contractor of the Russian Federal Space Agency on the program operating the International Space Station(ISS). This equipment will be transported to the ISS via the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft, to be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 16, 2010.
No special improvements or modifications will be made to these products. They will be the same products available to consumers, confirming the incredible reliability of the D3S, D3X and NIKKOR lenses. The new equipment will be used along with Nikon SLR cameras, such as the Nikon F5 film-SLR camera and D2X digital-SLR camera and a variety of NIKKOR lenses already used with on-board activities of Russian cosmonauts working in the Russian segment of ISS.
Nikolay Cherlenyak, director of operations for Energia's ISS program, has commented as follows regarding this order.
"The integration of Nikon photographic equipment in space exploration has a long history and goes back to the moment when there first arose the question of photographing research conducted in orbit. It was then when the first Nikon film cameras and NIKKOR lenses, notable for precision and reliability, were sent into space. They had been used even on the station "Mir". Since then, the range of photographic equipment has been frequently supplemented by new products and advanced developments of the Nikon Company. Now with the latest models of Nikon D3S and D3X digital cameras, photography in space will reach a new, previously unattainable level "
Nikon has spent many years contributing to the study of space through the development and manufacture of advanced and extremely durable cameras and interchangeable lenses. With total production exceeding 50 million, NIKKOR lenses make the most of Nikon’s optical technologies. In 2009, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ordered eleven D3S cameras and seven AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses for use in recording activities aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.
In addition to the extreme environment of space, Nikon also provides official observation equipment used in exploring the Antarctic. Nikon equipment contributes to observation and research of these little explored regions with durability, reliability and technical capabilities that stand up to even the most severe environments.
Primary Nikon products in the current order
- AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR
- AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR
- AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III
- AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II
- AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II
- Capture NX2
- Camera Control Pro 2
Nikon products already used in the ISS's Russian Segment
- Various NIKKOR lenses
Jun 14, 2013
Jun 6, 2013
Jun 6, 2013
Jun 3, 2013
|Steamin' Mad by ahrensjt|
from Angered Subjects (Street Photography)
|Smile by Olymguy|
from Ultra Asian Indian Female Faces
|Space Shuttle Cockpit- by vbuhay|
from Aircraft Control Stick
If you're thinking of using Canon's sports glass on the Sony a9, think again. The ultra-fast camera slows way down when you attach off-brand glass.
The Polish town of Katowice is not known as an area of beauty, but as all photographers know, that doesn't mean that beauty can't be found if you know where to look. Mariusz Pietranek used a drone to look down on the colorful sedimentation tanks at an ironworks.
New York Times video journalist Ben Solomon spent a harrowing three weeks accompanying Iraqi Major Sajjad al-Hour as he and his men fought to retake Mosul from I.S. forces.
The 3D VR camera launched through a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 goes on sale beginning June 26.
Noctilucent clouds, a crescent moon and Venus were visible in the pre-dawn sky over Budapest yesterday. Photographer György Soponyai captured NASA's astronomy picture of the day.
Squirming pets won't sit still for photos? A Kickstarter campaign is looking to help.
Find out how Chris Burkard shifted from editorial photography to his true passions: landscapes, conservation and, of course, surfing.
The updated EyeEm app scans your camera roll and picks images that are composed particularly well, have the best quality, or highest chance of selling on EyeEm Market.
It's three years old but still a solid option for a Micro Four Thirds shooter looking for a high-quality, fast, wide-angle prime. Take a look at how we got along with it.
Tamron has announced the longest all-in-one zoom lens currently available, the 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD. Designed for Canon and Nikon crop-sensor cameras, the lens will be available in July.
When you're ready to step-up to full-frame from an entry-level or midrange camera, the choices can be overwhelming. Find out which models came out on top in our $1200-2000 enthusiast ILC roundup.
Just a guy wearing a VR headset, smashing invisible Goombas in Central Park.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this gorgeous aerial photo of the Martian landscape. And if you look really close, you can actually see the Mars Curiosity rover in the very middle.
The city of Laguna Beach, California has provided some clarification around the kinds of photography permits it offers.
Later this year, a VR180 camera will be Joining Yi's Halo and 360 VR cameras, which will offer stereo 3D capture, yet be as easy to use and compact as a 2D camera.
Caltech researchers have developed an 'optical phased array' chip that uses time delays instead of a lens to focus the incoming light.
Pricing and shipping have finally been revealed for two highly anticipated lenses from Sigma, announced in February.
These macro photos of clouds of paint billowing through clear water might look like high-quality CGI, but they're real photographs. And photographer Alberto Seveso told us how they were made.
Facebook is testing a feature that prevents people from saving, sharing, or even taking a screenshot of your profile picture.
We've reshot the Sony a9 in our studio. The short story: it's sharper! The long story... well you can read it all here.
The collection will be officially launched during the Europeana Transcribathon Campus Berlin 2017 crowdsourcing event which will be held on 22 and 23 June at the Berlin State Library.
Light gives us some insight into the preparations for the launch of the pre-order shipments of its much anticipated L16 multi-lens camera.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has confirmed in a tweet that the second lens on the back of the OnePlus 5 uses a 1.6x optical zoom and that digital zoom is used to reach the claimed 2x zoom factor.
Fujifilm recently unveiled the second in its series of affordable cine lenses, the MK50-135mm T2.9. We got our hands on it for a couple days and took it for a spin.
Leica's first attempt at an M-series digital rangefinder was rough around the edges, but set a pattern for all of the cameras that came after it. In this week's Throwback Thursday article, Barney remembers the M8.
No stranger to extreme situations, legendary climber and filmmaker Jimmy Chin talks to Outside Magazine about his career, and the challenge of filming Alex Honnold's rope-free solo climb of El Capitain.
A company backed by Android co-founder Andy Rubin is attempting to make video conferencing less terrible.
Rangefinder magazine asked five professional portrait and wedding photographers about posting on Instagram; no surprise, they got five different answers.
This captivating stop motion film was created by stripping away one layer of wood at a time. It's hard to look away.
It will enable users to simulate the presence of the sun, moon and Milky Way and see how they interact with an area's topography.


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The offices — in San Salvador, El Salvador, and Guatemala City, Guatemala — are part of an ongoing effort to provide customers full end-to-end delivery for grains and products. One way the company is doing that is by using in-county distribution and merchandising offices to serve destination markets from ADM’s extensive network in exporting regions, ADM said.
“We want to get closer to our customers by offering them a full supply chain solution for their grain, meal and oil demand, taking advantage of ADM’s unique, fully integrated transportation network and enhanced distribution capability in each market,” said Federico Gorbea, president and general manager of ADM Latin America. “We are very excited about the opportunities we see to expand our business in these two countries and elsewhere in the region.”
Gorbea added, “We intend to use existing infrastructure such as our port facilities in Mexico and Guatemala, and large grain export terminals in the U.S. Gulf, to increase destination marketing in these countries.”
“We continue to grow our distribution and supply-chain capability in emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe,” said Joe Taets, ADM senior vice-president and president of ADM’s Agricultural Services business unit. “Our objective is to improve both our effectiveness and profitability by providing storage and full distribution capability in key destination markets around the world.”
ADM has operations in Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and an existing joint-venture grain storage facility at a port in Guatemala. The company also has an extensive network of flour mills and feed mills in the Caribbean — Jamaica, Belize, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad — as well as a port facility in Jamaica.


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A Brisbane-based mining company employee is pushing forward with his unfair dismissal case after he was sacked for using his work laptop and broadband internet dongle while on sick leave. By Kirsten Robb
Aside from being a celebrity chef, Senior Australian of the Year, Maggie Beer is a successful small businesswoman with a company that turns over around $20 million a year and employs 100 staff. By Cara Waters
Apple has posted profits of $US8.5 billion ($A 9.679 billion) in the quarter to September 27, up from $US7.5 billion a year earlier, with total revenues up 12% to $US42.123 billion, despite China and iPad sales remaining sluggish. By Andrew Sadauskas
BlackBerry is once again the subject of takeover speculation, with its share price surging following rumours Chinese electronics giant Lenovo is interested in launching a bid for the company. By Andrew Sadauskas
Microsoft is reportedly preparing to finally end the use of the “Nokia” brand for its mobile phone division, with its smartphones set to be marketed solely under the Microsoft Lumia brand. By Andrew Sadauskas
Everyone knows Harvey Norman co-founder Gerry Harvey will want to mop up the last of his debt, but the Australian Taxation Office will also be watching closely when the first of former mining magnate Nathan Tinkler's four stud farm auctions gets underway this Thursday. By Jonathan Chancellor and Paddy Manning
SmartCompany.com.au is Australia's leading website for SMEs featuring business news, business information and business blogs. SmartCompany's archive of news, feature articles, entrepreneur interviews and business webinars cover topics such as advertising and marketing, buying or selling a business, starting a business, growing a business, franchising, SEO, superannuation and tax.


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Thank God for the American System O’ Justice
Irina Agajanyan ate two donuts.
This fateful event occurred at the Krispy Kreme outlet in Burbank, California and is now the focus of a “fake donut” lawsuit.
As the lawsuit puts it: “On July 7, 2017, Plaintiff Agajanyan entered a Krispy Kreme store in Burbank, CA with an intent to purchase a blueberry pastry for personal, family or household purposes.”
And who hasn’t purchased a donut for household purposes?
Irina “consumed two doughnuts, namely, the Blueberry Cake Doughnut and the Maple Iced Glazed Doughnut. As she consumed the doughnuts, Plaintiff became suspicious of their ingredients due to their taste, suspecting a lack of Real Ingredients, and determined that ingredients mentioned on the products’ names were false. … (She) reported her suspicions to her counsel, who undertook a precomplaint investigation.”
It was quite the investigation.
It concluded that: “Had Krispy Kreme not misrepresented that Class Products contained Real Ingredients, Plaintiff Agajanyan would not have purchased the Class Products, and would have purchased other products that contained blueberries and maple from the competitors of Krispy Kreme, or would not have purchased them at the prices at which they were offered. Therefore, Plaintiff Agajanyan suffered injury in fact and lost money as a result of purchasing these doughnuts.”
“To further deceive Plaintiff and the putative class members, not only did Krispy Kreme use artificial flavors to mimic the flavor of Real Ingredients in Class Products, but it also used dark colored blueberry-like bits in its Blueberry Doughnuts to mimic the existence of real blueberries and brown colored substance in its Maple Doughnuts to mimic the existence of maple syrup/sugar.”
There are health issues here. Donut consumers have health rights, too.
“Blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been shown to inhibit free radicals from damaging cells in the body. Studies suggest that the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins may protect against cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) as well as neurodegenerative disorders of aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and may play a role in cancer prevention” and are “widely perceived as a “superfood” by the public.” Further, “more than 20 compounds in maple syrup have been linked to human health.”
The lawsuit seeks no less than $1,000 for each member of the injured class, plus attorneys fees and an injunction against Krispy Kreme.
We can only wish all parties the luck they deserve.