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World record holding Kingfisher Fish and Chips wins Food Made Good award
Article Date: 2017-10-11
The UK’s No 1 fish and chip shop, Kingfisher in Plymouth, has won the Source Fish Responsibly award at the Food Made Good Awards, 2017, the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s (SRA) annual, industry leading accolades. The award was given in recognition of owners Craig Maw and Nikki Mutton’s record breaking efforts to serve thousands of customers a fabulous fish supper while ensuring there are plenty more fish in the sea.
The duo fought off stiff competition from The Bay Fish & Chips and London School of Economics, who were both runners-up in the category.
The award was one of 17 presented by SRA President Raymond Blanc and Vice President Prue Leith, at a special ceremony at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Lindley Hall in London. Restaurants and food service businesses were recognised for driving progress in the industry and demonstrating that all food can be made delicious, ethical and sustainable. Borough Market food stall Gourmet Goat, popular London breakfast hangout The Breakfast Club, and Richmond’s finest Petersham Nurseries, were among the other winners.
Commenting from Japan where he is currently taking part in the annual Hankyu department store’s British Fair, Craig Maw, said:"We really care about where our fish is from so we’re absolutely thrilled to have won the Source Fish Sustainably Award. We love what we do and want to keep on doing it for years to come. Without healthy oceans and fish stock, this just wouldn’t be possible. It’s good to know that by offering our customers a sustainable choice, we’re doing our bit to ensure there will always be fish and chip suppers for future generations”.
Haddock or herring, pollock or prawns and even lobster, every type of seafood on the menu at Kingfisher is sourced from sustainable stocks. In fact, the shop is known for having ‘the most sustainable seafood menu in the world’ featuring a dozen Marine Stewardship Council certified species.
Craig even tells his customers at the Plymouth chippy – as many as 700 a day - which boat caught their dinner, via a QR code on their takeaway box. And Craig has no qualms about removing fish if their sustainability status takes a turn for the worse.
The Source Fish Responsibly award, sponsored by Direct Seafoods, is designed to recognise food service businesses which have taken decisive action to ensure there are plenty more fish in the sea. When the SRA campaigned on this issue in July, dozens of operators, serving a combined 50 tonnes of fish a year responded to the call toRemove the Worst,such as wild sea bass and eel, from their menus.
Raymond Blanc, who also curated the lunch at the awards ceremony, featuring dishes prepared by Steve Titman, Executive Chef of Summer Lodge and Nick McGeown from Lussmanns Fish and Grill, as well as Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, said:"The Food Made Good Awards are so critical, recognising the work and commitment of individuals and organisations responsible for bringing new ethics to our food production, and sharing those values in our kitchens and with consumers.
"The awards trulyremind us why we are so proud to work in this industry.Food and its production touches every part of our lives;it will define the society and communities of tomorrow, as well as our health and the health of the planet. Each and every one of the winners have demonstrated food’s huge potential as a force for good.I am honoured to play some part in rewarding their significant achievements.”


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Plant-based meat company Beyond Meat (BYND 2.85%) launched an e-commerce site today, bypassing retail outlets and selling directly to consumers. The site will provide access to bulk items not found in stores, including variety packs offering an assortment of Beyond Meat products.
Orders from the new site will be delivered via UPS two-day shipping in insulated boxes. And in an effort to align with Beyond Meat's value of environmental sustainability, the box will be recyclable. Furthermore, shipping will be with UPS carbon-neutral shipping.
Beyond Meat isn't the only plant-based meat company looking to skip the grocery aisle. Kellogg (K -1.18%) is known for breakfast cereals, but it also owns MorningStar Farms, which produces plant-based meats under its Incogmeato line. Today, for Burger Day, free Incogmeato samples are being delivered via Postmates in Dallas and Denver. The company hopes it will give curious consumers an opportunity to try plant-based meat for the first time. But the products will remain available for in-store purchase only.
Beyond Meat products remain available for purchase in over 26,000 U.S. retail outlets. In the first half of 2020, the company's retail sales in the U.S. have increased 180% year over year to $140 million. But its e-commerce site creates a new distribution channel for the growth stock to continue increasing sales.
By providing products in bulk packaging, Beyond Meat is able to reduce its costs by decreasing packaging expenses. Long term, the company hopes to reduce costs enough to bring the price of its products below that of traditional animal protein. In Q2, Beyond Meat's Beyond Beef patties were only around 20% more expensive than their animal-protein counterpart.

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Nairobi — Members of Parliament have hinted at advising government to default on pending bills owed to millers while describing the maize subsidy programme initiated in the sunset days of President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime as a scam.
The government entered into a four week contract with 129 millers to subsidize flour at Sh6.6 billion to address the maize shortage that had caused a spike of Unga prices.
Appearing before the National Assembly Agricultural Committee, the Cereal Millers Association who are owed Sh2.5 billion had requested MPs to push for their payments but the latter are now saying the subsidy program was a political avenue to siphon funds.
Gatundu South MP Gabriel Wangombe stated that the millers worked in cahoots with the government officials to embezzle public funds.
"You cannot ascertain the value for money to the user. You don't even know if the maize flour reached the end user. You don't know how it left the distributor door," said Wangombe.
Vice Chair of the Committee who doubles as Konoin MP asked the millers to outline and produce evidence on the distribution of the subsidized flour that was done saying the Sh100 Unga was barely felt in major towns.
"During this time for subsidy flour disappeared from the shelves even the flour that was supposed to retail at Sh100 wasn't there. Where is the flour that was supposed to be the subsidy that will reach the common mwananchi go?" said Yegon.
Soy MP David Kiplagat mentioned that the previous regime created an artificial shortage in the market so as to ensure it releases subsidies on the pretense of cushioning consumers.
"Initially before the subsidy maize flour was on the shelves but when the subsidy programme started suddenly there was a shortage and the shelves were empty. Consumers were telling the customers that for you to get a 2kg packet of maize you must shop goods worth Sh1,000," said Kiplagat.
Nyando MP Jared Okello questioned the role of the millers in subsidizing the maize prices in the market given that they are requesting payment for a subsidy program whose impact was not felt.
"Where did your role end into the distribution chain because my small shopping center in Lothuo market in Ahero. I don't know if its your responsibility to ensure that Luthou has a surplus supply of subsidized maize or if we are giving you a job that cut at a particular stage," said Akello.
Millers however defended themselves saying the process was open and transparent and not a conduit to embezzle the public coffers.
Mohammed Islam from Mombasa Millers Association mentioned that the program was short for only one month yet the demand was very high.
"It's a proven fact that flour was there in the market and it was evidenced in the major supermarkets. You have to realize that the demand was high and it was a political time and in political season that they keep a little more because they don't know what might occur," said Islam.
This comes even as the taxpayers are poised to cough Sh269 million to pay the Cereal Millers Association (CMA) as part of accrued interest in the maize subsidy programme.
The government has failed to pay the millers Sh2.5 billion balance for supplying maize flour on a subsidized price due to the maize shortage that led to the prices of Unga skyrocket.
In the revelations made before the National Assembly Agricultural Committee, CMA was contracted to supply maize flour worth Sh4.4 billion but the government only paid them Sh1.7 billion with the status of the balance payment in limbo.
"The outstanding Sh2.5 billion has not been paid and continues to accrue interest which will be forwarded to the taxpayers and continues to increase until its paid," said Paloma Fernandez, CMA CEO.
In the contractual agreement, the Ministry of Agriculture led by CS Peter Munya signed a contract with 129 Millers to supply subsidized maize flour from June 19 to August 20, 2022.
The maize subsidy programme contract also underlined that any delayed payment will attract interest until it is paid.
Of the 129 millers who were part of the Sh6.6 billion subsidy program, 29 of them were from the CMA.
In a letter seen by Capital FM, the millers have severally written to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndungu to remind him to honor the subsidy contract with millers decrying that the delays in payments have negatively affected their business.
"With this letter, we humbly request for a meeting with your office in the coming week to further discuss the settlement of the outstanding bill," they stated.
"We are afraid that further delay of the payment will continue to adversely impact on the operations and running of the flour milling business and might also affect maize importation," the letter read in part.
The desperate calls by the millers for the government to sort out the outstanding bills comes amidst revelations by the government that the public coffers are dry and the economy has been crippled.
Further, the President William Ruto administration has been against the subsidy programme saying it was a conduit to siphon public funds.
Nominated MP Sabina Chege raised eyebrows on the delayed payment that have continued to attract interest at the expense of the taxpayer saying forces within the government were working to ensure the payments accrue interest for personal reasons.
"You have been paid Sh1.9b with a balance of Sh2.5b which you say is the principal amount without interest. The agreement with the government was that if the money was to be delayed you would have been paid interest," she said.
"Why do we have these delays each and every time, it seems like someone is doing this intentionally to benefit," stated Chege.
Okello requested the millers to forgo the accruing interest expressing that the government is currently broke due to the cash flow constraints.
"We all understand the situation that the government is going through unless you are a visitor in Jerusalem. Could you be magnanimous and patriotic to only pursue the principal amount of Sh 2.5M in the interest of the economy of Kenya," said Okello.
CMA however argued that they risk being auctioned as the government continues to delay with their payments with no hope in sight.
"As we talk the bank will not say since the government is having the money with it we will stop charging interest. The bank charges us interest of the whole loan with penalties and before you know it you are being auctioned," said CMA legal counsel.
In mid-2022, former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration introduced a subsidy program to cushion Kenyans from high prices of maize flour.
It came after the price of a 2-kilo bag of flour increased to Sh230 from Sh100 previously. Millers were to sell maize flour at a subsidy rate of Sh100.
In total, millers sold Sh4.34 billion, of which the state paid Sh1.77 billion, leaving Sh2.57 billion in arrears.


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The iconic rock ‘n’ roll band Motley Crue has been rocking the world for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, it has announced its “Final Tour” which means that it is giving its fans the last chance to ever see the band perform live.
What does Dodge has to do with this fact. Well, the brand is the presenting sponsor of the tour, which begins this summer. To be more precise, Motley Crue made the announcement in Los Angeles earlier this week, where the band signed a formal “Cessation of Touring Agreement”.


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Ben WoodsEurope Editor
Ben is a technology journalist with a specialism in mobile devices and a geeky love of mobile spectrum issues. Ben used to be a professional Ben is a technology journalist with a specialism in mobile devices and a geeky love of mobile spectrum issues. Ben used to be a professional online poker player. You can contact him via Twitter or on Google+.
Google today launched Google Cast for audio, which will let users send music directly to internet-connected speakers, just like it already does with video and images on TVs.
In fact, using Cast for audio will be just like using Chromecast today when the first compatible speakers start to arrive “in the spring”, Google said. Tapping a button on your favorite music or radio app will launch the service on your speaker, and also just like Chromecast, this functionality will be available across the Web, Android and iOS platforms.
Google said Denon, Sony and LG would be among the first device makers to build products that support the new feature, with more to follow later in the year.
➤ Introducing Google Cast for audio [Google]
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Courtesy of the Berks County district attorney's office
It all happened in less than a minute.
Three men wearing masks stormed into Latino’s Meat Market late Saturday night.
Two of the men, one firing a single shot from a handgun, jumped behind the counter that had the cash register.
The third man, armed with a stun gun, stepped halfway inside the store.
Then more shots rang out.
Two of the men, Shavezz Coe, 39, and Raul Nieves-Hernandez, 21, were fatally shot by store owners, authorities said. The other man grabbed cash from the register, jumped back over the counter and ran out the door.
The two store owners, whom police did not identify, were legally justified in defending themselves and will not be charged, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said during a press conference Monday.
Providing new details about the robbery at the store at 11th and Greenwich streets, Adams said a witness account from a customer and video footage from inside the store indicate that the owners acted lawfully in killing Coe and Nieves-Hernandez, whose last registered addresses were in Reading.
“These shop owners did nothing wrong,” Adams said, adding that the owners do not have criminal histories and are legally allowed to own guns. “We want to make it clear to the store owners and to the public that it was justified.”
According to Adams:
The three masked men entered the store shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday with plans to rob it. The man who ended up fleeing the scene was armed with a pistol, while Coe was armed with a stun gun. Nieves-Hernandez did not have a weapon.
Two employees and four customers were inside the store when the would-be robbers entered.
One of the store owners, who was wearing a gun and standing near the front of the store, shot Coe as he was entering the store. The other store owner, who had to quickly retrieve a gun kept nearby and was standing behind the counter, shot Nieves-Hernandez.
Nieves-Hernandez died on the scene behind the counter. Coe was taken to Reading Hospital, where he died a short time later.
None of the employees or customers was seriously injured.
Videos made decision ‘easy’
Adams said the decision not to charge the owners with homicide was “simple and easy,” thanks to nine surveillance cameras the shop owners had installed inside and outside the store.
“As you can tell from the videos, this was a very violent robbery,” Adams told reporters at the press conference after showing three clips of the incident, all from different vantage points inside the store. “They came in with guns blazing and it was only at that point that the store owners used force to protect themselves and the other people in their store.”
Reading Police Chief William M. Heim agreed with the ruling.
“In this case, you have two store owners who were prepared and armed to use reasonable force. And you have the right result,” Heim said during the press conference. “I can’t advise citizens all the time to use such force, but in this case it worked out.”
Heim and Adams said additional police protection will be present at Latino’s Meat Market to help keep the owners safe since having received numerous death threats from members of the community.
Adams said police will also continue to search for the man who fired the first shot and got away. Upon arrest, he said, the man will be charged with robbery and second-degree murder because his gunfire set off the shooting inside the store.
Crime Alert Berks County, a citizen crime-fighting group, is offering $10,000 for tips leading to an arrest. Tipsters with information can call 877-373-9913 any time or contact Crime Alert at its website at www.alertberks.org.
Contact Karen Shuey: 610-371-5081 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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CNBC's Sara Eisen takes a looks at how consumer demand and innovation is driving big change in the beverage industry.» Read More
CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis reports Mayor Bloomberg vows to fight a judge's ruling that struck down his ban on large, sugary drinks in New York City.
A New York state judge overturned Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on large sugary drinks today. Mark Walsh, Ruxton Ventures; Joel Pollak, Breitbart editor-in-chief; Emily Sussman, Former Young Democrats of America executive director; and Guy Benson, TownHall.com, weigh in.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will prevail on an appeal to ban sodas larger than 16 ounces in New York, reports CNBC's Courtney Reagan.
While NYC bickers over giant sugary drinks, you may have missed this important health alert: red meat and red wine are good for you! CNBC's John Carney is on it.
The New York City soda ban was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but a state judge ruled limits on sugary drinks are not legal. (1:35)
David Dearie, CEO of the world's second largest wine company Treasury Wine Estates, explains how the Chinese consumer's appetite for red wine is presenting exciting opportunities in Asia.
Stephen Burton, owner of Bordeaux Cellars, has made lemonades out of lemons .. or more like champagne out of raisins, reports CNBC's Jane Wells.
CNBC's Brian Shactman reports on a class-action suit against Anheuser-Busch InBev in regards to knowingly adding water to the beer.
Beer lovers have filed $5 million class-action lawsuits accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other brands.
The Justice Department and AB InBev asked a court for a short delay as the Budweiser parent seeks to save a $20 billion beer deal.
A Washington state man concocted what could be the world's most expensive Starbucks drink ever, with CNBC's Brian Sullivan.
Makers Mark will no longer try to stretch supplies of its famous Bourbon by adding water, reports CNBC's Maria Bartiromo. Also, scientists may have discovered an instant hangover cure.
Macquarie says the drop in coffee prices is due to speculative trades that are long Robusta, and short Arabica. CNBC's Jane Wells offers insight.
PepsiCo beat earnings, and the stock is nearing a 52-week high. Is it time to buy PepsiCo or Coca-Cola? Zachary Karabell, River Twice Research and Richard Ross, Auerbach Grayson, weigh in. (3:26)
Pernod Ricard CFO Gilles Bogaert says the French drinks maker is feeling the impact of the less dynamic global economic environment.
Anheuser-Bush InBev changed terms of its proposed $20.1 billion acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo in an attempt to get the deal past regulators.
Where the smartphone market and mobile payments are headed, with Dan Niles, AlphaOne Capital; and the FMHR traders discuss their take on Netflix as its stock continues to climb.
Muhtar Kent, Chairman & CEO of Coca-Cola, breaks down his company's fourth quarter results, and weighs in on where the company is finding emerging growth areas.
Dirk Van Vlaanderen, vice president for Europe at Jeffries International, tells CNBC how to trade tobacco and alcohol stocks now that the market is in a bull phase.
Decadence doesn't come cheap. And for whatever the reason, these liquors command prices you wouldn't believe.


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Electric car maker Tesla has initiated a recall of over two million vehicles in the United States due to a risk linked to its autopilot software, the U.S. traffic safety regulator said Wednesday.
"Tesla has now filed a safety recall with the agency related to its Autopilot software system," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said, adding that "affected vehicles will receive an over-the-air software remedy."
The recall covers 2.03 million Tesla vehicles, across all models.
In a statement sent to AFP, the regulator said that Tesla's autopilot system "can provide inadequate driver engagement and usage controls that can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system."
If autopilot is used incorrectly or if the driver fails to recognize that the function is activated, the risk of an accident could be higher, NHTSA said.
Vehicles will receive an over-the-air update. The update will include additional alerts to encourage drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
U.S.-based Tesla has been hit with several lawsuits stemming from car accidents, and its driver-assistance technology has provoked regulatory probes.
In 2021, NHTSA opened an investigation into 11 incidents involving stationary emergency vehicles and Tesla vehicles using the assisted driving feature.
Copyright 2023, Agence France-Presse


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Growth projected for M2M content delivery platforms
Oct 24, 2013
Application Enablement Platforms (AEP) are slowly becoming an important element in the M2M ecosystem, according to ABI Research. These platforms ease the data extraction and normalisation activities so M2M applications and enterprise systems can better engage with machine data. They also assist in device and machine management. ABI calculates that revenues from these core capabilities are expected to drive AEP revenues past $800 million by 2018, representing a 32 per cent growth rate.
“For a broad swath of firms pursuing M2M, application development is still done in the traditional manner using SIs, ISVs, and internal teams, but the time-to-market advantages of AEPs is significant,” said ABI research Practice director Dan Shey. “As M2M moves to a broader set of small, medium, and increasingly larger businesses, AEPs will be a critical and necessary enabler.”
A greater acceptance of cloud services, the attractiveness of new business models for MaaS (Machine as a Service), SLAs and lower costs will also help with the growth of AEPs. An equally important driver is evolution of the supplier ecosystem.
“The M2M value chain is still complex which is a drag on adoption,” adds Shey. “More suppliers are augmenting their capabilities to offer nearly one-stop shop services. Pure-play AEPs, SIs, and other mobile suppliers are all leading the charge. For device OEMs, adding services capabilities is almost a necessity to avoid commoditization pressures and capture revenues in the largest revenue segment of the M2M value chain – value-added services.”
ABI Research also forecasts that the M2M analytics industry will grow by 53 per cent over the next five years to reach $14bn in 2018. The forecast includes revenue segmentation for the five components that together enable analytics to be used in M2M services: data integration, data storage, core analytics, data presentation, and associated professional services.
At the moment, most enterprises with relevant data assets are trying to migrate from descriptive and diagnostic insights to predictive analytics. Mastering the predictive phase could then ultimately lead to the final, prescriptive phase of analytics.
“Predictive analytics is becoming one of the hottest areas in the M2M value chain,” said Shey. “Of today’s analytics establishment, SAP and IBM have woken up to the opportunity reasonably early. Of the younger companies, Splunk is an example of a firm that could develop into a true Internet of Things powerhouse if it plays its cards right. Given the far-reaching possibilities of machine learning, we are also expecting major impact from players that successfully apply it to industrial settings.”
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To Change the Way Retailers, Brand Owners Connect
When Phil Chang, product strategy expert at Hubba, a cutting-edge, community-building-commerce firm connecting product designers, manufacturers and retailers, speaks to attendees at SuperZoo next month, he’ll be focusing on email marketing and ecommerce tips – but Hubba is his real passion.
Hubba (hubba.com), based in Toronto, started five years ago as a company promoting itself as a content-storage platform. There were about six employees at the time, including Chang, a veteran of retail having worked at Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Pfizer and Target.
The idea, Chang explained, was that Hubba would be a “content platform for a brands to be able to share information uniformly across a universe, if you will. You could take anything small like a widget all the way up to Nike, and put all that information in Hubba and share it with as many people as possible.”
But Hubba’s core team saw a different opportunity emerge very every on.
“What we realized was everybody hates content, even though they all need it,” Chang explained. “The problem they (brand owners and manufacturers) really couldn’t solve was being able to find new partners and being able to talk to them reliably.
“Probably a lot of your small, medium gift shop owners and readers have that problem, right – either they can’t find the brands they are looking for, or they can’t find their reliable counterpart,” he added. “They wind up catching a gray market person, or they just can’t keep up with the trends because they have to keep going to trade shows to find great new products, and find the owners to be able to do business with.”
“We decided we’d back into the content problem by creating something where retailers could go in and discover new products all the time,” he said.
Hubba’s website refers to the company as is the holy grail for brands, retailers and product influencers to present and share product information accurately.
Hubba allows its participants to update product information once and share it everywhere. Participants add their product content – everything from images to technical specifications – and POOF, they are participating in the next generation of commerce.
The Hubba network also allows participants to connect with key industry people directly, and empowers them to bring their career and business goals forward.
Hubba has participants now across the globe – 60% in the U.S., 10% Canada and the remainder in Europe and Asia, Chang said.
It’s free to participate either as a supplier or buyer, he explained. The company is venture funded through Goldman Sachs, and today has grown to 60 employees.
“We do have a paid service for the very little brands that are learning how to work with retailers which allows our experts to make them pro-looking,” Chang explained.
So, making money is something the company has on its radar, he said, but not the top priority at the moment.
“Big picture – we hope Hubba becomes a connection point for everybody in retail,” he said. “A brand wner today might sell to company ABC, but eventually the owner is going to want to sell his widget to everyone from A to Z. We want him to invite these people on Hubba to join him, see his products, and then do some business in Hubba.
“Hopefully, we can eliminate some of the retailers’ mechanics of listing products and bringing them into their system,” Chang added. “When you have a platform like this where people are connecting and doing business, the community starts to find ways to use Hubba for its own kind of use.”
Trade Show Alternative
Chang said a lot of buyers don’t have an organized way of finding things beyond trade shows.
“Some of the most unique stories you hear … “How’d you find that hot widget… my brother’s, sister’s daughter’s son had it. I knew it was going to be a big hit in my store, but I had to go read the label on package, and track that person down,’” he said.
“Hubba allows you to be in that place where a buyer can literally curate thousands of items at any given time,” Chang added. “Buyers can sort them in the list, sort them by season, or by buying corridors and go in and reliably start the process by looking at product profiles, UPCs, dimensions, etc.”
Hubba allows buyers to educate themselves much faster regarding potential products for their stores.
Of course, some challenges to the model still exist. There’s the inability for buyers to actually physically examine products “we havn’t figured that one out yet,” he said, plus the proliferation of brand knock offs, which forces Hubba to be constantly on the lookout for suppliers selling Nike (as an example) branded products that are not really Nike.
Plus there is the need to educate suppliers who view Hubba as a social media site, rather than a place to conduct commerce.
“One customer collected a whole bunch of likes, follows and then told us they were a little disappointed,” he explained. “They said we keep collecting followers and connections but we’re not getting any business out of it.
“We had to remind them that if they have a like or follow, that is their lead list, that is their conversion list. They should be reaching out to those people.”


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GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (WCCO) — In a fast-paced, high tech world, breakfast begins as it always has in the Skinner home, with Jack and Emmy pouring out little O’s from a big yellow box.
It’s the same morning ritual as a million other American families perform each morning, beginning each day with the flagship cereal of the General Mills family.
“It’s a billion-dollar brand here in the United States alone,” General Mills’ Vice President of U.S. Retail Jeff Harmening exclaimed.
Harmening says Cheerios’ impact goes far beyond its sales — he says he’s proudest of how it nourishes healthy lives.
“Yes, it’s a big brand and we sell a lot of it, but really it’s the nourishing lives piece that is really critical to General Mills and is so important to us,” Harmening said.
General Mills launched the cheerios brand back in 1941 as Cheeri Oats. The name was changed a few years later to what it is today, Cheerios. Seventy four years later, it is still the bestselling brand of ready-to-eat cereal on American breakfast tables.
In fact, those who are old enough to recall the popular Rock and Bullwinkle cartoon of the 1950s and 60s will remember the television pitch for Cheerios. The characters were created for that very purpose in mind.
To unlock the cereal’s rich history, we were given a rare glimpse inside the company’s archives. Doug Martin is the brand’s marketing manager for General Mills.
“Basically, you’re looking at 74 years of Cheerios boxes here,” he said, among classic advertisements and cereal boxes.
The vault holds decades of treasures and trinkets related to the brand. On one table is displayed a variety of toys that were redeemable in exchange of cereal box tops.
“In the late 40s you would mail in and get this ring, with a filmstrip showing Marines in action,” Martin said.
There is also a display dated to the year 2000, when the first 10 million pennies minted for the new millennium were hidden as prizes inside the Cheerios box — a sharp contrast to the popular 1950s western town which children assembled from figures cutout from the box.
“If you collected all 9 boxes and you would create this three-foot square town,” Martin explained.
As fun as it is to reminisce, it’s Martin’s job to keep the message relevant.
“I think the magic of Cheerios is it took something people love — oatmeal — and made it convenient, ready to eat, instantly,” he said.
But 68 years after Cheerios first appeared on store shelves, it lost its billing as the best-selling cereal in America, only because it was replaced by a more popular offshoot of the original, Honey Nut Cheerios, which till remains as the top-selling brand in America and Canada.
Honey Nut Cheerios is among the 12 varieties and flavors born from the original. Together, the single brand controls 12 percent of the U.S. cereal market — one in eight boxes pulled from grocer’s shelves carries the Cheerios label.
“One of the reasons why Cheerios is two-and-a-half times bigger than the next biggest brand in the cereal category is because we’ve kept it relevant with consumers over time, while staying true to what the brand is about,” Harmening explained.
So how has the Cheerios brand managed to stay on top all these years? Carlos Torelli is a professor of marketing at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
“This is what I think Cheerios is very good at, the product has been embedded in the fabric of the culture,” he explained.
Torelli points to the brand’s cultural authority. Examples of that would be recent television commercials that embrace a father’s role in raising children, as well as commercials which place an emphasis on a healthful diet.
“A lot of brands are doing that now but Cheerios did that a long time ago,” Torelli said. “So they’re very fast realizing where the consumer is going and trying to be there with them with a solution, a communication.”
The latest example of that will roll out in July 2015, when General Mills unveils its gluten-free Cheerios. The process is made possible by renovations to the company’s oats processing facility in Fridley. The plant can now separate out the minutest grains of wheat, rye or barley that would previously contaminate an entire shipment of pure oats.
“We will just continue to evolve as we need to too fit the American diet,” Martin said.
And continue to satisfy the breakfast cravings for generations to come, with those little O’s in the big yellow box.


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The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius was rescued by the California Highway Patrol on Monday, after his vehicle accelerated suddenly, reaching speeds as high as 94 mph, according to a report on ABC News.
Since last fall, Toyota has recalled 6 million vehicles in the U.S. for problems involving sudden acceleration. The recalls started in September, when Toyota announced it was recalling and replacing floor mats on approximately 4.2 million vehicles which were allegedly causing accelerator pedals in the vehicles to become stuck in the depressed position, leading to uncontrollable and rapid acceleration of the vehicle. On January 21, Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles due to accelerator pedals on those vehicles becoming stuck in a depressed position, causing unexpected and unsafe acceleration.
The 2008 Prius detailed in the ABC News report was included in the floor mat recall. But its driver, 61-year-old James Sikes, maintains there was nothing wrong with his floor mats. Sikes told ABC News that he had received a recall notice – for what he did not specify – but when he took his vehicle to his dealer, he was told his Prius was not on the recall list.
According to Sikes, he noticed his Prius seemed to be accelerating on its own while he was driving on a California interstate. He tried to bring it under control himself, but called 911 on his cell phone when the vehicle began traveling faster than 90 mph.
Twenty miles after the incident began, a California Highway Patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and began giving Sikes instructions over his public address system to used his brakes and his emergency brake to slow the car down, ABC News said. The car finally slowed to 55 mph, and Sikes was – after several attempts – able to turn it off via the ignition button.
The patrolman who came to Sikes’ rescue told ABC News he “could smell his brakes” when he pulled along side the Prius. For his part, Sikes said he was literally standing on his brakes in an attempt to slow the Prius down.
In a statement on Monday’s sudden acceleration incident, Toyota said it “had dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance.”


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OK guys, the recession has been officially over for a while now.
It’s still not that pretty out there, as we know.
But big corporates, by and large, are sitting on piles of cash.
And large companies are not exactly the most trusted institutions in town.
CR budgets should be improved next year. Communications/External affairs are waking up to the importance of environmental, social and governance issues.
CEOs say increasingly how much they want to embed CR into their businesses. Many claim they already have.
So really there’s no excuse for the continued lack of innovation in CR that we’ve seen in 2009/10.
Why do I say this? Well, it’s not just me, many of my contacts, customers and other commentators have noticed the lack of ambition, ideas and creativity out there too.
Our conferences have been, let’s be honest, quite dull this year.
It’s been “slowly slowly catchy monkey” for far too long on CR innovations.
Tell me I’m wrong. But our review of the year shows that there’s a lack of big creative ideas out there.
There are some significant moments in the PDF below. Such as Unilever’s big announcement, BP’s travails, ISO 26,000, and the California slave labour disclosure law. But Unilever, M&S and a few others aside, its not been a great year for corporate sustainability innovation.
in key emerging markets, big companies missed a chance to really innovate in areas such as supply chain ethics. Our China briefing also below, analyses this in some detail.
It feels to me like large companies are doing more reacting to pressures around climate change, sustainable supply chains, biodiversity and communication, than really helping set the agenda.
That’s a real shame. It’s also a missed opportunity
So in 2011, let’s hope big companies can raise their corporate responsibility game and get out in front of the issues a bit more, as PR folks like to say.
After a hiatus populated with a new notable exceptions, it’s about time.


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Comikaze Expo is Now Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con, Takes Place Oct 28-30
Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con Flys Into LA October 28-30
By Nolan P. Smith
As fans of the hit convention Comikaze Expo get ready for the 2016 convention, they will be attending the show with a brand new name. Now known as Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con, the convention is packed with fan favorite celebrities, comic book creators, pop culture icons, convention exclusives and more as the show invades Southern California October 28th-30th.
Taking over the Los Angeles Convention Center, Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con has plenty to offer. First and foremost, the man himself, the father of Marvel Comics, will be on hand for the newly christened con in his name, Stan “The Man” Lee. The con boasts a who’s who of the comic book industry, with Deadpool co-creator and Image Comic’s Co-Founder Rob Liefield, Image Comic’s Co-Founder Marc Silverstri, the iconic painter/artist Joe Jusko, comic book legend Neil Adams, and more.
Guests of Honor include pop culture icon Dita Von Teese, Flash Gordon himself, Sam J. Jones, Supernatural star Rob Benedict, Candice Patton, star of the CW’s The Flash and more. The dynamic duo will be on hand as well, as Burt Ward and Adam West will join Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether for a Bat-tastic reunion at the con. Cary Elwes, star of the cult classic The Princess Bride, will be on hand as well. Celebrities scheduled for the show include the villainous Zoom from the CW’S The Flash, Teddy Sears, the YouTube sensations from The Hillywood Show, and more.
If you are a collector, then make sure to visit the Hot Topic booth at the convention for a chance to scoop up two exclusive Funko Pop collectibles: a glow in the dark She-Hulk and a chrome Colossus. These are the last Pop figures that will feature the old Comikaze logo on them, sure to be a collectible item down the road.
For tickets, visit http://www.stanleeslacomiccon.com/.


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CEAT to double outlets to 1 lakh in 2-3 years: COO
NEW DELHI: CEAT Ltd plans to expand its tyre sales network in places with population of 5,000-10,000 via its FMCG style of distribution, aiming to double outlets to 1 lakh in two to three years, company COO Arnab Banerjee said on Friday.
The company, which has partnered with kirana store operators, small automobile spare parts sellers and puncture repair shops, feels it has more or less “saturated” penetration in places with 25,000 population in the country and there is a need to go to even lesser populated areas for its two-wheeler tyres.
What started around 2011-2012 as a step to come closer to rural two-wheeler customers, who otherwise had to travel over 25 kilometres to buy replacement tyres, has now yielded good returns for CEAT, contributing around 70 per cent of its overall sales from the replacement segment, Banerjee said.
“We have a total of 50,000 outlets, which we plan to double to 1,00,000 in the coming years. For that one huge operation is going on for further improving penetration. We think we have (reached) saturation in places of up to 25,000 population but below 25,000 there are gaps,” he said.


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Stuttgart, Aug 21, 2020 -
Since 2016, Mercedes-Benz has been offering its customers the option of equipping as yet unconnected vehicles from older model series dating back to 2002 with the Mercedes me Adapter.
Stuttgart, Jul 21, 2020 -
The global sales strategy ‘Best Customer Experience 4.0’ consistently places customers and their needs front and center. That is why contact between Mercedes-Benz and its customers in recent months has been taking place mainly via its numerous digital channels.
Stuttgart, Jul 20, 2020 -
The digitalisation of sales and aftersales, which has been accelerated even further by the COVID-19 pandemic, is the focal point of the seventh episode of the Meet Mercedes DIGITAL news format. With “Best Customer Experience 4.0”, Mercedes-Benz is offering its customers a seamless and convenient luxury experience whenever they want to contact the brand – online and offline.
Stuttgart, Jul 13, 2016 -
On the successful road to the future, Mercedes-Benz is investing massively in the development of its digital competence as part of its "Best Customer Experience" sales and marketing initiative.
Stuttgart/ Beijing, China, Apr 24, 2016 -
Mercedes-Benz has opened the world's largest Mercedes me store in Sanlitun, the scene district of Beijing. As well as an interactive brand experience, the store offers contemporary architecture, top-class gastronomy and numerous events. Following Hamburg, Milan, Tokyo,
Hong Kong and Munich, China's megacity Beijing is now the sixth city with a Mercedes me store.
Stuttgart, Sep 12, 2015 -
In keeping with the sales and marketing strategy "Best Customer Experience", Mercedes-Benz is bringing the needs and wishes of women even more sharply into focus. The inspiration platform "She’s Mercedes", which is starting in parallel with the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA), is at the heart of the new, holistic initiative. With innovative event and information offers, Mercedes-Benz wants to enter a more intensive dialogue with women and significantly increase the brand's attractiveness for this target group.
Stuttgart / Tokio, Japan, Jul 22, 2015 -
Following the launch of the stores in Hamburg and Milan, Mercedes-Benz opened its third Mercedes me Store worldwide at Tokyo HANEDA Airport on July 22. As the first store in Asia, it offers an interactive brand and product experience. Customers and interested persons can find out about the brand and its services and the vehicle range via digital interactions or conversations with the store personnel. Integrated into the Mercedes me Store is a “Collection Shop”, which offers stylish fashion and lifestyle ideas as well as exclusive travel equipment.
Hamburg/Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 5, 2014 -
Mercedes-Benz has opened the first Mercedes me Store directly on the Hamburger Binnenalster. The city store at Ballindamm offers an interactive brand and product experience on an area of 550 square meters. At touch screens, configuration tools or in personal talks, customers and persons interested in the Mercedes Benz brand can inform themselves about the vehicles and all services. The brand experience is rounded off by a restaurant lounge and exhibition area for art exhibits, readings or concerts.
Stuttgart/Genf, Mar 3, 2014 -
On the eve of the 84th International Motor Show in Geneva, Mercedes-Benz presented its new "Mercedes me" service brand. Under this new umbrella brand, the Stuttgart-based premium automotive manufacturer is bundling all existing and future service offers, making them easily accessible at any time on a digital platform that is scheduled to go online in Summer 2014.
Stuttgart, Jan 8, 2014 -
The Mercedes-Benz Road Trip 2014, which is based on the motto "Guarding the new C-Class" and due to last five days, is set to get under way today. International opinion leaders and digital multipliers are accompanying the new C-Class from one of its global production locations in Tuscaloosa (Alabama, USA) to the world premiere at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which is taking place from 13 to 26 January 2014 in Detroit.
Stuttgart, Nov 8, 2013 -
Mercedes-Benz has won a coveted "Golden Apple" at this year's ADAM Awards. In the L category (up to 500 square metres), the exceptional Pavilion and Europe-wide Roadshow promoting the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class secured first place. The Awards Presentation Ceremony was held yesterday in the Glass Hall of the Leipzig Trade Fair.
Stuttgart, Sep 13, 2013 -
At the Frankfurt International Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz will present not only new models to the world public, but will have a very special innovation to offer as well: as the first car manufacturer, the premium brand is launching its own digital radio programme – broadcasting 24 hours a day with a fixed programme schedule and editorial content.
Stuttgart, Sep 3, 2013 -
Daimler AG is increasing its focus on customers and markets to ensure the sustained implementation of growth in all its divisions. Therefore the Board of Management of the Stuttgart automobile manufacturer has decided to strengthen the organization of its divisions.
Stuttgart/Maastricht, Aug 16, 2013 -
Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are major factors that contribute to Daimler AG’s sustainable success in the passenger car and commercial vehicle sectors. Since its establishment in 1998, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in Maastricht (Netherlands) has been a key precondition for customer satisfaction. At the beginning the CAC offered Mercedes-Benz customers services such as roadside assistance and complaint and enquiry management for 11 countries in six languages.
Stuttgart/Warschau, Jul 30, 2013 -
Since 20 July Mercedes-Benz has been showcasing its brand through a pavilion in the Powisle district of Warsaw, due to remain there for three months. The brand has chosen this location for its new temporary brand experience quite deliberately: Powisle with its parks lies in close proximity to the city centre and is a popular meeting place for Warsaw residents, especially during the summer months.
Stuttgart, Jul 23, 2013 -
Success in the future requires changes today. Mercedes-Benz is also following this maxim in marketing and sales, with its growth strategy "Mercedes-Benz 2020". By the year 2020 it is not only new products and vehicle segments that will ensure further growth, but also precise adaptation of the sales organization to changing customer wishes.
Stuttgart, Apr 29, 2013 -
The „Mercedes-Benz Connection“ city store opened in Osaka on Friday, highlighting Mercedes-Benz continued commitment to a strategy of personalised customer communication. It is the second city store based on the new concept to open in Japan, after the first was launched in Tokyo. There are now more than ten of these worldwide. In addition to a café and restaurant lounge, the 600m2 Mercedes-Benz Connection offers visitors an interactive brand and product experience.
Stuttgart/Paris, Apr 4, 2013 -
Mercedes-Benz is marking the market launch of its new four-door coupé, the CLA, with an internationally unique exhibition of photographic art. The digital photo installation #Untamed opened yesterday in a Mercedes-Benz pop-up store in the centre of Paris. On display are hundreds of personal photos taken by Instagram users from around the world, all of which reflect the philosophy behind the CLA: unconventional, unusual and untamed.


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Is the Supply Chain Ready for Black Friday?
- The future of the supply chain is still undetermined.
- More companies pulled their inventory to warehouses earlier this year.
- The U.S. may consider options to become more independent in the future.
2021 could very well be remembered as the year that supply chain went mainstream. What was once a niche topic discussed only by those in logistics, has now made its way into regular conversations for people across the globe.
This is due, in part, to the fact that the supply chain touches every industry in one way or another. Those who have tried to purchase a new or used car over the past year have discovered how disrupted this industry has become as a result of the global chip shortage. This is just a snapshot of how one industry has been impacted by the disruption of a system that remained delicately balanced until COVID-19 and a host of other factors threw a figurative wrench into it.
From toiletries to food, the availability of goods has been severely impacted by the pandemic. David Beaird, President of Beaird Supply Chain, joined Tyler Kern to discuss these global supply chain issues and whether or not retailers are ready for Black Friday.
Before the pandemic, the U.S. was a just-in-time supply chain with stable supply and demand. The pandemic caused those who manage inventory to go offline, and supply cessation occurred simultaneously with increased demand.
Because of the backlog, many companies are re-examining their supply chain. Holding inventory decreases uncertainty, but it is “cash on the floor,” which companies want to minimize. But with increased demand, many companies have opted to pull merchandise into warehouses earlier this year. Beaird explained, “The amount of investment on the personnel and the tools, and the technology, and the external help that a company will need to get through this, I think a lot of companies will reevaluate this.” He added, “I think people are now really truly seeing what the advantage of a strategic supply chain is.”
Forward deployment, where companies push supplies as close to demand as possible by using a series of small, scattered, distribution centers, could be the future of supply chains. The U.S. may rethink overseas supply and examine how to obtain supplies within the continent. The supply chain is still dynamic, so whether the U.S. will return to a global supply model or switch models to a regional model has yet to be determined.
“I think people need to understand the fact that they can get in the car for the most part and go 20 miles and pretty much get anything they want off the shelf. They need to realize that’s a miracle,” said Beaird. Immediate gratification is not something we can constantly expect. Beaird commends how retailers have prepared early to be ready for Black Friday but hopes the U.S. will prioritize vocational studies and leveraging technology to become self-sufficient.
More Stories Like This:
One Ship, a Worldwide Crisis: How Can Supply Chains Get Unstuck?
How America’s Crumbling Roadways Impact Coast-to-Coast Supply Chains
Can Technology Put an End to Human Trafficking, Sextortion, Retail Crime, and Cybercrime?
Noel Thomas, CEO of Zero Trafficking discusses the tools and technology needed to defeat human trafficking, sextortion, retail crime and cybercrime at the ISCPO 2023 Conference. Zero Trafficking and Dark Watch are two separate initiatives aimed at combating human trafficking. Zero Trafficking is a campaign that seeks to end human trafficking by focusing on prevention, […]
How to Identify & Fix the Problem with Your Girdling Roots
In this enlightening clip from the field, Vice President of Operations for TreeNewal, Wes Rivers, dives into the often-overlooked issue of girdling roots and their significant impact on tree health. Through firsthand observations and expert insights, Wes sheds light on the hidden consequences of girdling roots and emphasizes the importance of early detection and proper […]
Mobile PA – Clear Audio to large, active spaces
See how the Mobile PA supports teachers and students in a variety of learning settings.


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The NFC Zone will be opened during the second half of the year, Yu-Shik Kim told delegates. Major merchants including Dunkin’ Donuts, Home Plus, Lotte Mart, GS 25, GS Caltex, and SK Energy will be taking part in the project. Financial partners include Visa, MasterCard, HyundaiCard and BC Card.
- Apple reports growth in US Apple Pay acceptance
- US credit unions report increase in mobile payment transaction volumes
- Church of England doubles donations with contactless collection plates
- Alipay gets second European e-money license
- Swatch brings its contactless payments service to Europe


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Workforce remains top concern for Florida small business
October 24, 2019 - Workforce quality continues to be the top concern among Florida small businesses, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Fourth Quarter Small Business Index survey. It is the 10th quarter out of 11 that small businesses have ranked this issue among their top concerns, the chamber said. Economic uncertainty ranked No. 2 for the small businesses surveyed. Despite those concerns, 70 percent of the small businesses expect to have higher sales next year than during the previous year. See the full survey here.


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Telstra today commercially launched the first mobile broadband device to work on its newly branded "4G" network and has promised to deliver 4G smartphones and tablets in the first half of 2012.
The Telstra USB 4G modem is the first device to work on Telstra's Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an "LTE enablement of the Next G network". The 4G LTE component compliments the existing Telstra Next G network and promises to deliver faster uplink and downlink speeds along with higher latency. It will operate on the LTE 1800MHz spectrum band, which was previously used for 2G services.
The Telstra USB 4G modem goes on sale across Australia today, with initial "4G" coverage stretching across all eight capital cities and their respective airports in Australia, along with 30 out of a possible 80 regional and metropolitan centres. If 4G is not available, the device will "switch across" to the regular HSDPA+ Next G network.
Telstra says the 4G LTE network will approximately double download speeds and triple upload speeds compared to its regular Next G network. The company is quoting typical download speeds of between 2 megabits per second (Mbps) and 40Mbps and typical upload speeds of between 1Mbps and 10Mbps.
"We see this as another string in our bow to provide an even more reliable network," said Anthony Goonan, Telstra's director of network and commercial planning. "The additional capacity that 4G technology offers allows us to continue to provide a reliable network for our customers."
Telstra says its 4G LTE coverage will span 5km from capital city GPOs (General Post Office) and 3km from regional and metropolitan GPOs. Amongst the metropolitan and regional areas to currently boast 4G LTE coverage include Albany, Broome, Dubbo, Nowra, Singleton, Orange, Mt Isa, Devonport, Victor Harbour and Ballarat. Goonan said Telstra will continue the LTE rollout into other coverage areas "where demand requires the extra capacity". The telco has also promised to enable 50 further locations by the end of the year.
In addition to the USB 4G modem, Telstra also announced that the first LTE smartphone — the HTC 4G Android phone — will be available in first half of 2012. The telco refused to reveal specific details but the working model shown to journalists yesterday is believed to be the HTC Raider 4G: an LTE capable Android phone which just launched in South Korea. The HTC Raider 4G has a 4.5in qHD screen, a 1.5GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash.
Telstra has also promised LTE tablets in first half of 2012, but provided no further details aside from saying most device manufacturers "have committed" to LTE.
Telstra's 4G LTE modem will be sold in two variations: the Telstra USB 4G modem for business customers and the BigPond USB 4G modem for personal users. Both modems are identical aside from the branding.
The BigPond USB 4G can be purchased by consumers for $0 on a $49.95 per month plan with 4GB of data (over 24 months), while the Telstra USB 4G can be purchased by business customers for $0 upfront on the $39 Telstra mobile broadband standard plan with 4GB of data (over 24 months). For more information on plans, visit Telstra's Web site.
Today's commercial 4G LTE launch follows a test of the USB 4G modem for 2000 selected business customers last month.


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IHS has completed its acquisition of R.L. Polk & Co. R.L. Polk & Co. consists of two divisions – Polk and CARFAX – that provide market intelligence, tools and analytics and vehicle history information. . Previously, IHS had announced its intent to acquire R.L. Polk & Co. on June 9, 2013; closing occurred on July 15.
The total deal price is $1.4 billion. 90% cash and 10% equity. The stock issuance has a 2-year lock up. 50% of shares can be sold after year one and 100% of shares can be sold after year two
R.L. Polk is headquartered in Detroit and has $400 million of current annual revenue, 75% recurring revenue with 90%-plus renewal rates. 60% of its revenues come from the CARFAX brand and 40% from the Polk Division.
The company is principally focused in North America, with 9% of sales in EMEA and 3% in APAC. It has an adjusted EBITDA margin in mid-20 percent range.
“Now that R.L. Polk & Co. is part of IHS Automotive, their comprehensive information on vehicle registrations, ownership and repair allow us to offer auto makers, automotive parts and technology suppliers and dealers an unparalleled suite of products and services that span from portfolio planning to the end of a vehicle’s life,” said Scott Key, IHS president and CEO. “No one has connected automotive information so comprehensively in markets around the world, or created the analytics solutions and tools that we are currently developing to support the strategic decisions of our customers.
“With this acquisition, IHS truly becomes the scaled, global player in the capital-intensive automotive information industry, which also relies heavily on electronics, chemicals, plastics and energy,” Key continued. “The addition of Polk and CARFAX furthers our vision to become the source of information, insight, expertise and knowledge across all of our target industry sectors and to provide converged solutions that create exceptional value for customers.”
Key added that IHS intends to expand Polk and CARFAX globally, building on IHS infrastructure and presence in EMEA, APAC and high-growth markets in Brazil, India, Russia and the Middle East and the combined information and expertise of these great assets.
“The combination of IHS and R.L. Polk & Co. clearly strengthens both companies and creates more growth and greater opportunities to increase value for our customers,” said Stephen Polk, chief executive officer of R.L. Polk & Co. “We look forward to enhancing key information and insight on which our customers have come to rely to make critical decisions.”
USA, Englewood, CO & Detroit, MI
- IHS acquires Intellichem June 27, 2013
- IHS acquires PFC Energy Posted on June 21, 2013
- IHS to acquire global automotive information business R.L. Polk & Co. for $1.4BN Posted on June 9, 2013
- IHS acquires Fekete Associates Posted on April 8, 2013
- IHS Acquires IMS Research for $46M Posted on March 22, 2012
- IHS closes three acquisitions: Posted on March 5, 2012
- IHS makes five acquisitions – CMAI, ODS-Petrodata, Dyadem International, EIATrack & CSM South America Posted on June 14, 2011
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Gourmet retailers club swells with Foodhall expansion
By Swaminathan Balasubramanian | Vjmedia Works | January 13, 2014
Though gourmet chains have their challenges, Future Group is looking at break-even deadlines of a year
The truth is somewhere in between, and many promoters are trusting Generation Next with gourmet brands as they increasingly reach out for produce such as vegetables, mushrooms and avacado priced over Rs 1,500 a kg, transported fresh from foreign shores. An executive at the latest Foodhall, a gourmet store format from the Future Group, points out that the exotic vegetables were being purchased in good measure every day.
The market for preserves, sauces, dressings and other accompaniments for a gourmet spread have also been expanding with both domestic brands and imported brands being stocked by retailers to ensure the consumer can get that elusive ingredient on her (or his with increasing frequency) shopping list.
Foodhall is a standalone format that intends to sell only gourmet offerings. The fifth Foodhall, that has an inventory of 8,000 to 9,000 products worth around Rs 2 crore at any point, was opened in Gurgaon in the Delhi-NCR earlier this week. Avni Biyani, younger daughter of Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani, is behind the chain. Having opened the first Foodhall in 2011 when she was 22 years of age, she is targetting quick profitability in every store: "I want to ensure that each store breaks even between six months and one year of launch. In our Vasant Kunj store, we were profitable in the third month." Enthused by the Delhi market, Biyani plans to launch another in Saket
If Foodhall is the brainchild of Biyani, Spencer's gourmet brand, Epicuisine, is being nurtured by 23-year-old Shashwat Goenka, son of the chairman of RP Sanjiv Goenka Group and its retail sector head. In a recent interview, Shashwat had said, "We wanted to offer something experiential and different to customers. Epicuisine served the purpose as a combination of epicure and cuisine. We are looking at young people living alone, nuclear families and those who don't have the time to cook. It doesn't make sense to order from restaurants every day, so we decided to look at the home meal replacement concept." The rebranded food centre will offer everything from gourmet to specialty meals, dairy, fresh fruit, bakery and cold cuts. Also available are sushi and Russian salads.
Spencer's is planning to open 10 hypermarkets in the current financial year and 12 to 15 next year. All of these will carry a range of gourmet products, even as about 40 per cent of the new stores are being opened in Tier-II cities and a few in Tier-III cities, mostly in Andhra Pradesh. The company's largest gourmet store is in Gurgaon, the same place that now hosts Foodhall.
Valued at about $1.7 billion (0.75 per cent of the total food industry worth $225 billion) and expected to grow at 20 per cent, the luxury food market is set to expand in 2014 as retailers open more such stores.
Apart from Spencer's Epicuisine and Future's Foodhall, key brands that dominate the Indian gourmet industry are Godrej Nature's Basket, Le Marche Foodworld Gourmet, Mason D'Gourmet, Le Marche and Nuts 'n' Spices. The three established players - Foodhall, Nature's Basket and Le Marche - operate 42 stores between them. Most of the gourmet food stores are located in the top 10 cities as of now, according to Tarun Jain, vice-president, food & agriculture, Technopak.
While both Spencer's and Future are talking of expanding the gourmet brands, Nature's Basket, which operates small-store formats, is expected to open 15 stores over the next three years, according to industry sources.
It helps that the economic downturn has not affected the gourmet segment. It caters to affluent consumers whose spending capacities have remained unaffected by the slowdown, argues Gaurav Gupta, senior director, Deloitte India.
The various formats - standalone gourmet stores, specialised segments within larger stores and smaller outlets - are likely to co-exist. But the industry players may have to introspect on sustainability. One cannot keep on opening small stores with high real estate prices. A store with a gourmet section is more sustainable, according to Mohit Bahl, partner and advisory, KPMG. In a country with rampant power cuts and high retail staff attrition, the biggest challenges for gourmet food stores is inventory management and getting the right staff, points out an executive chef of Foodhall.
Import regulations, labelling and packaging norms, currency rate fluctuations are the other challenges that the import-dependent industry faces, according to Jain from Technopak.
Meanwhile, most leading brands are not looking to venture into Tier-II and Tier-III cities in the next two years. Big cities are where the high-end buyers are, after all. For now, even online gourmet stores such as Foodesto and the Gourmet Company concentrate on few of the metros.


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Apple just released an unprecedented behind-the-scenes (BTS) look into the making of Usher’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show — and it was all shot on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Usher performed his epic Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11.
To shoot the documentary-style short film behind the making of Usher’s Halftime show, director Mike Carson used more than 40 iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max devices.
The filmmakers positioned the 40 iPhone devices throughout the show and rehearsals, strapping them to performers, and rigging them into set pieces and instruments.
Super Bowl viewers typically only get to see the final 12-minute Halftime show. However, the filmmakers say they were able to use the iPhone to give unique insight into rehearsals and the performance and offer one-of-a-kind perspectives not shown in the live broadcast with traditional cameras.
The filmmakers particularly praised iPhone features like the 5x Telephoto camera and its low light capabilities.
‘Dream Amount of Coverage’
“Choosing iPhone allowed me to have my dream amount of coverage, which was necessary for a docu-style project like this because we had to be in so many places at once,” director Carson says.
“And since it is an all-in-one device, and we didn’t use any external lenses, we were able to have a multitude of angles and operators in spaces that would have proven to be both difficult and expensive, given the sheer scale needed for this film.”
Carson described how much easier for the camera operators to switch lenses instantly with the iPhone 15 Pro and how the unobtrusive design of the iPhone helped capture more spontaneous shots.
“Being able to switch lenses instantly when the moment called for either more information or a more intimate close-up allowed our team to stay focused on their frames versus having to overthink, especially in high-pressure, ‘think quick on your feet’ scenarios,” Carson explains.
“For example, we embedded camera operators into the field cast/mosh pit of the live performance, and our operators were able to literally have a camera a few feet away from guest talent’s face, creating beautiful wide angle frames, and 10 seconds later when action was happening on the main stage 50ft away, we’re able to have a high-quality medium shot instantly.”


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Obama's Inequality Speech in Kansas
We simply cannot return to this brand of “you're on your own” economics if we're serious about rebuilding the middle class in this country. (Applause.) We know that it doesn't result in a strong economy. It results in an economy that invests too little in its people and in its future. We know it doesn't result in a prosperity that trickles down. It results in a prosperity that's enjoyed by fewer and fewer of our citizens.
Look at the statistics. In the last few decades, the average income of the top 1 percent has gone up by more than 250 percent to $1.2 million per year. I'm not talking about millionaires, people who have a million dollars. I'm saying people who make a million dollars every single year. For the top one hundredth of 1 percent, the average income is now $27 million per year. The typical CEO who used to earn about 30 times more than his or her worker now earns 110 times more. And yet, over the last decade the incomes of most Americans have actually fallen by about 6 percent.
Now, this kind of inequality -- a level that we haven't seen since the Great Depression -- hurts us all. When middle-class families can no longer afford to buy the goods and services that businesses are selling, when people are slipping out of the middle class, it drags down the entire economy from top to bottom. America was built on the idea of broad-based prosperity, of strong consumers all across the country. That's why a CEO like Henry Ford made it his mission to pay his workers enough so that they could buy the cars he made. It's also why a recent study showed that countries with less inequality tend to have stronger and steadier economic growth over the long run.
Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and it runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. (Applause.) It leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them, that our elected representatives aren't looking out for the interests of most Americans.
But there's an even more fundamental issue at stake. This kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise that's at the very heart of America: that this is a place where you can make it if you try. We tell people -- we tell our kids -- that in this country, even if you're born with nothing, work hard and you can get into the middle class. We tell them that your children will have a chance to do even better than you do. That's why immigrants from around the world historically have flocked to our shores.


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Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market apparently has two standards: a lower standard for its store at Speedway and Swan in Tucson, and a higher standard for its store in Oro Valley and its stores in metro Phoenix.
The chain must think that lower standards are okay with residents of the City of Tucson.
Most days, the Tucson store has rusty, dirty shopping carts corralled in front of the store, litter strewn about outside, and grimy cement entryways and sidewalks that appear to have never seen a pressure washer.
Admittedly, these conditions are better than the sorry conditions of the ugly building across the side street to the west. The building is vacant and surrounded by a chain-link fence. Naturally, like so many neighborhood streets in Tucson, the side street is in sorry condition, with crumbling pavement and weeds along shoulders.
The Tucson Sprouts store stands in sharp contrast to the one in Oro Valley and the ones patronized by my wife and me when we lived in metro Phoenix. The conditions at these other stores match the nicely-landscaped and nicely-maintained shopping centers where they are located. Even the shopping carts are in better condition than the ones at the Tucson store.
Maybe it’s a company policy to send beat-up shopping carts to Tucson to make way for new ones in other locations.
Or maybe the company’s chief financial officer has concluded that it would be a waste of money to maintain higher standards in Tucson, because Tucsonans will shop at the store regardless of conditions.
Whole Foods is another chain with a double standard. For weeks, it had a tacky banner 4 ft. high and 20 ft. long on the public right-of-way in front of its store at Oracle and Ina, in unincorporated Pima County. It doesn’t do this at its stores in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
One wonders how companies headquartered elsewhere learn that they can have lower standards in Tucson.
Perhaps they learn from Tucson-based businesses, many of which have non-existent or poorly-maintained landscaping, with tacky illegal signs and banners plopped around the perimeter of their property. It’s even the same with some churches, schools and public offices. If locals don’t have community pride, why should outsiders?
These conditions are noticed by corporate scouts who evaluate cities for the location of high-wage offices and headquarters.
Tucsonans deserve better. But until they demand better from businesses and local government, they won’t get what they deserve.


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With the presidential election less than a year away, the folks at running shoe brand Asics have to be on edge.
You see, for the last 19 years, the President of the United States, has gone for runs and walks in their brand.
It's nothing contractual with the White House. It turns out it's just blind luck.
"President Clinton liked our shoes when he was governor of Arkansas," said Gary Slayton, the brand's vice president of emerging business who was then the vice president of marketing. "He used to go a specialty running store in Arkansas to get his GT II's."
When Asics moved on from making the GT II's, they ran off more pairs for Clinton and stored them at the store in Arkansas, which would get them to him when he needed them.
As it turns out, Clinton's successor George W. Bush, when he was the governor of Texas also ran in an Asics shoe: The GT 2000's.
Since it was hard to store anything at the White House, Asics officials found out that the commander of Air Force One was a fan of the brand. So they stashed away Bush's GT 2000's in the belly of the plane, Slayton said.
"In his second term, he had knee troubles and started cycling more," Slayton said.
When Obama was on the campaign trail, the folks at Asics noticed that what would be come the future president was working out in Asics' Gel Nimbus 9's.
When he became president, Asics contacted Obama's staff to set up what had become the usual Asics presidential relationship. Slayton said it was relayed to him that Obama was clear he didn't want anything official.
"His PR people told us that he wanted to use the brands he was comfortable with buying," Slayton said. "He was and is buying Asics, but he also wanted to wear Nike for basketball."
Obama's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, is the coach of the Oregon State men's basketball team, which is sponsored by Nike .
While everyone will seemingly be focused on the words from the candidates over the next year, Asics officials will surely be looking at their feet.
Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com


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ROCHESTER, Minn. – 55 local businesses will share $100,000 as they look to emerge from Minnesota’s pandemic lockdown.
The City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center donated the money to the “Keep It Local COVID-19 Innovators Grant Program. It was distributed among the recipients to collaborate on new technology or business models in response to the coronavirus.
To see a list of grant recipients, click here.
Some of the money went to the Rochester Art Center to team up with 3D Virtual REALty to create a virtual tour of its gallery.
"Access is an issue we continually consider, but now more than ever, we are thinking about how visitors can engage with this project safely in different ways," says Kali Morrison of the Rochester Art Center. "With these grant funds, we are excited to try something new and capture the exhibition [through] a 3D virtual gallery with the intention of sharing to a wider audience in a time when some may not be able to safely or comfortably leave their home."
Another example is Med City FC, which got a grant to produce soccer technique training videos with Fagan Studios.
“Through this grant, we'll be able to create valuable, professionally edited video content that will live long beyond this summer and reach far beyond the borders of Rochester and southeastern Minnesota," says Med City FC general manager and co-owner Frank Spaeth.


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An ICT expert, Victor Oshodi, has urged government and organisations to deploy technology solutions to promote their businesses and thrive in today’s digital world.
Speaking with journalists at a forum organised by NITRA in Lagos, he said businesses fail in the 21st century because they refused to allow technology to drive them.
Oshodi, who is also the CEO of Pearly Bleuwaters International, noted that the world is going digital, saying “every business, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) must automate their operations in line with modern technology to align with global trends in business.”
Also speaking at the event, the Operations Director at Pearly Bleuwaters International, Joseph Ogunleye, urged ICT firms to provide unique technology-backed solutions to SMEs and corporate organisations based on their needs and challenges.
According to him, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution developed by his firm addresses the issue of big data analytics, saying “organisations could gather data, analyse such data and use the outcome for on-the-spot business decision.”


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The company sold 135,781 trucks between January and August, four percent down on the same period last year.
Figures for Volvo’s Nissan Diesel subsidiary, which only reported for the April-August period, were down 16 percent on the same period last year. The Japanese company sold 119,109 vehicles in the five month period.
Volvo sells trucks under the Volvo, Mack, Nissan Diesel and Renault Trucks brands.
Combined sales in North America were down 59 percent and in Western Europe by 4 percent. Sales in other markets saw increases – 158 percent in Asia and 54 percent in Eastern Europe.
The fall in North America was explained partly by the introduction of more stringent emissions rules in January this year. Many companies had timed brought forward purchases to come in ahead of the rule changes. The effects of weakness in the US house market was also put forward as an explanation, as were transitional problems at the Volvo Trucks factory in New River Valley, Virginia.


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Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance celebrates its 20th anniversary at Roger Sherman Park on June 3rd, 4th and 5th. The event described as “A Festival of Speed and Style” includes two days of collector car,motorcycle and boat displays and as well Bonhams auction house will be holding its collector car auction on Sunday June 5th at the Concours.
The festival events are as follows:
Friday June 3rd– Concours entered vehicles will participate in a grand tour parade down Greenwich Avenue at 4pm.
Saturday June 4th– The Greenwich Concours Americana– will feature American cars and motorcycles with a special display honoring Ford performance cars including the Ford GT 40 which celebrates its famous win over Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans race back in 1966. There is also a preview of the cars to be sold at the Bonhams auction. Saturday’s show will also highlight Brass Era cars, prewar classics, rare muscle cars, incredible Corvettes, fabulous 1950s cars and early Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Sunday – The Greenwich Concours International – will feature a field of foreign makes from 1900 to the present. There will be a special circle of historic BMW s including a 1937 BMW 328 MM Bügelfalte, as the brand celebrates its 100th anniversary. Ferraris starring on Sunday include a 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet, 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning 1961 Ferrari 250 TRi/61 Spider, 1958 Ferrari 180 Testa Rossa Pontoon-Fender Children’s Car, 1949 Ferrari 166S Coupe and 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Coupe fresh from receiving a platinum award at this year’s Cavallino Classic.
Bonhams will host its Greenwich Concours Auction on Sunday, June 5th, 12:00pm. Viewings are on Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 9am-12:00pm. A Concours ticket and purchase of a Bonhams sale catalog are required for admission to the Sunday auction.
This year’s Grand Marshal of the will be Connecticut’s own Wayne Carini, car restorer, collector and host of Velocity Channel’s “Chasing Classic Cars”.
Admission: $40 for one day, $60 for both days. Hours 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Roger Sherman Baldwin Park 100 Arch Street Greenwich, Ct
For more information:
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Sound’s great. Too bad it’s too far for me


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Update, November 1: After significant delays, Ubisoft’s Wildlands documentary has finally released, chronicling the real stories that inspired the game’s depiction of the South American drug trade.
One of the stranger marketing tie-ins in recent memory – and there’ve been a lot – is coming full circle, as Ubisoft’s documentary on the South American drug trade is finally out, even if it comes quite a bit behind the release of Ghost Recon Wildlands.
Check out the best co-op games on PC.
The feature-length documentary, simply titled Wildlands, is available now on Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, and iTunes, and features the real-life stories that inspired the making of the game.
The documentary was originally slated to launch in March alongside the game, but director Colin Offland says the delay was to preserve the film’s integrity. “When we finished the original edit, we felt that there were a few loose strands connecting the past to the modern-day cocaine trade and it was a key decision to delay the launch and protect the integrity of the story that we wanted to tell. For the first time as a viewer, you can see an abridged, true depiction of the birth and proliferation of the cocaine trade.”
It’s interesting to see the documentary finally come to fruition, particularly given that the game’s own depiction of reality was dreadful enough to sink most of its strong points.
Update February 2, 2017:Ubisoft’s marketing boss has spoken about what inspired the decision to make the Wildlands documentary.
Earlier this week we heard that Ubisoft were making a serious, feature-length documentary exploring the drug trade in South America as a kind of marketing stunt for their forthcoming squad shooter, Ghost Recon Wildlands. As marketing stunts go, it’s rare – perhaps unique – and must’ve been pretty expensive. Ubisoft’s UK marketing director, Mark Slaughter, has spoken about what drove the decision.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft’s UK marketing director Mark Slaughter says the decision reflects the changing entertainment landscape, and Ubisoft’s continuing determination to bestride it all.
“As our audience viewing habits change, how we engage as brands also changes,” he says. “Our marketing should reflect that.
“This is the wonderful nature of the videogames industry. We are already seeing amazing campaigns, which constantly look to push the boundaries with innovative concepts – whether that’s through video content, feature films, novelisations of franchises or, in our case, a feature film documentary.
“I fully expect us, as an industry, to continue this trend and lead the way in taking marketing to new levels.”
If you’re worried that a serious issue which disrupts millions of lives across the developing world is trivialised by its documentary being part of a game’s promotion, the Ubisoft marketing team and the Wildlands producers are keen to emphasise that the project is authoritative and respectful. Slaughter stresses thatthey “set out to create a truly compelling piece of content, which could stand alone alongside any documentary in its genre”.
Ubisoft have done more than most to push into media beyond gaming, with the Assassin’s Creed movie releasing earlier this year and many more projects in novels and comics. The step into non-fiction is a new one, though; maybe we’ll see documentaries on the viability of Mass Effect’s fictional science, or the mythological inspiration behind the next epic fantasy IP.
Original story January 31, 2017:In a tie-in project of rare ambition – and worth – Ubisoft have made a feature-length documentary on the drug trade in South America, which they claim will offer “one of the most revealing insights to date” on the subject. It will showcase the real stories behind the forthcoming Ghost Recon Wildlands, and is due for release on March 6 – the day before the game is due.
The documentary explores the real-life stories of the figures who have been at the heart of the war on drugs for the past thirty years. It is narrated by Rusty Young, author of Marching Powder, a memoir of a friend’s experiences in a Bolivian prison.
Young travels from Bolivia to the USA, interviewing those on both sides of the law who shape the cocaine trade: from coca farmers, through the drug supply chain, to the real-life special forces who fight the war on drugs in the most literal sense (as you will, if you pick up the game).
Among the interviewees are George Jung, a major player in the cocaine trade during the 70s and 80s, whom Johnny Depp played in the movie Blow; Adam Newbold, a former Navy Seal with over 20 years of combat experience; and Tomas McFadden, a former drug trafficker and subject of Marching Powder.
“We spoke to the people who know the drug trade better than anyone else,” says Colin Offland, the director. “The war on drugs is a complex one and we give viewers unprecedented insight to the people who have shaped this landscape, enabling a better understanding of a global issue which affects us all.”
Ghost Recon Wildlands is a tactical squad shooter set in a near-future version of Bolivia. Exploring an open world based on that nation, you can play solo or co-operatively with up to four friends as you work to liberate the country from the grip of drug cartels. It’s due for release on March 7.


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Clorox”s sales of disinfectant wipes jumped 20 percent last month, when Ebola fears and the onset of flu season prompted Americans to stock up on cleaning supplies.
While it”s hard to say how much Ebola fueled demand, the year-over-year gain helped get the wipes into more households, company executives said today in an interview at Bloomberg”s headquarters in New York. About half of U.S. homes currently use Clorox wipes, compared with more than 80 percent for liquid bleach, they said.
The Oakland-based company is increasingly marketing the wipes for both the back-to-school season and fighting the flu, helping boost demand. While bleach also kills the Ebola virus, Clorox has been careful not to capitalize on consumers” concerns, Chief Operating Officer Benno Dorer said.
“We go out of our way not to be opportunistic,” said Dorer, who is slated to take the chief executive officer job on Nov. 20. “We don”t want to fuel any fears.”
The wipes business is a bright spot for Clorox, which is mired in an industrywide slump for consumer products. Slow wage gains, higher commodity costs and currency fluctuations have hampered the company”s growth in recent quarters. Clorox, which also makes Glad trash bags and Fresh Step cat litter, expects sales to be little changed this year.
To get more consumers to use wipes, the company also has introduced versions for cleaning glass, bathrooms and heavy-duty jobs.
Clorox shares have gained about 9.5 percent this year. Shares colosed down Tuesday 0.3 percent to $101.35.
Americans” Ebola fears have subsided in the month since the death of Thomas Eric Duncan, the only person to die of the disease on U.S. soil. Seven other Ebola patients treated at various American hospitals have survived. That includes New York doctor Craig Spencer, who contracted Ebola while treating patients in Guinea. He was declared free of the virus and released from Bellevue Hospital Center on Tuesday after almost three weeks of treatment.


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Fifty Best Tech Startupsby
When Christophe Bisciglia worked at Google, the 28-year-old computer scientist quickly became the company's top evangelist for cloud computing, teaching academia and industry how to churn through mountains of data to discover new insights by shifting heavy digital workloads from islands of PCs and data centers to the globally interconnected Web. As a founder of startupCloudera, he's aiming to capitalize on those lessons.
Bisciglia's eight-month-old Cloudera teaches companies how to "compete at Google scale." Cloudera sells technical support for open-source software called Hadoop, which analyzes huge amounts of data much faster than traditional computers by distributing the work across hundreds of machines. For companies in fields that routinely require heavy number-crunching like biotech, online advertising, and finance, Cloudera's service could help find opportunities that might not be apparent using traditional computing methods.
With a management team made up of Google (GOOG) and Facebook veterans and $11 million from venture capital firms Accel Partners and Greylock Partners, and high-profile angel investors including VMware (VMW) co-founder Diane Greene and former MySQL CEO Marten Mickos, Cloudera is emerging as a player in the nascent field of cloud computing and a resource that companies dealing with quantities of data should be aware of.
fledglings attracting buzz
There are plenty of young companies just like Cloudera. That's why BusinessWeek and market researcher YouNoodle have teamed up to identify 50 promising startup companies flying below the radar in 2009. You won't find Twitter or Facebook on this list. Instead, you'll discover new tech companies from the U.S., China, India, Israel, and Russia that are attracting some early buzz. Most of these fledgling companies started in 2005 and later, and all are poised to grow beyond their regional or niche-market origins.
The companies on our list may be well-known among the digerati, but they haven't achieved wider fame that would make them household names. Others on this list may never achieve that level of celebrity status but are worth watching because their top-tier investors and experienced management teams could make them significant players in their industries.
The entrepreneurs behind these startups all have lofty goals. Former SAP (SAP) executive Shai Agassi's Project Better Place is building a network of electric car charging stations around the world to try to usher in a new era in transportation, garnering tax incentives in Israel, Denmark, and Hawaii. Document and e-book-sharing Web site Scribd has seen rapid growth in traffic and on June 12 signed a deal with Simon & Schuster (CBS) to sell nearly 5,000 e-books on Scribd. On the consumer Web, Max Levchin, CEO of widget software maker Slide, has a different goal: He wants to either sell Slide or take it public for a value that exceeds the $1.5 billion eBay (EBAY) paid for his last company, PayPal.
memory and e-mail help
Several companies on our list hope to capitalize on the new frugality by offering corporate customers technologies that can cut costs or help augment sales. Fusion-io sells a device that lets computers store information on flash memory chips like the kind used in iPods or digital cameras. Flash memory is faster, lighter, and draws less power than traditional disk drives. Dell (DELL) (also an investor), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), and IBM (IBM) have included Fusion-io's technology with some of their products. In April, the startup received $47.5 million from LightSpeed Venture Partners and other investors. The company got a brainpower boost in February when Apple (AAPL) co-founder (and recent Dancing with the Stars contestant) Steve Wozniak joined as chief scientist.Xobni—the name is "inbox" spelled backwards—wants to remake corporate e-mail. Its software, which has been downloaded more than 2 million times, works with Microsoft's (MSFT) Outlook program to help users find messages and attachments faster, and organize conversations by the people they're held with. The company has raised over $14 million in venture capital, including $7 million from Cisco Systems (CSCO) and $3.2 million from BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's (RIMM) investment arm.
In the clean technology arena, VCs are getting choosier. Venture investments in cleantech companies soared 54% in 2008, to $4.1 billion, providing a bright spot in the chilly venture market. The sector is also benefiting from provisions of the government's stimulus package aimed at promoting construction of energy-efficient buildings and electrical grids, development of batteries for electric cars, and other green technologies.
Investors are realizing that startups cultivating alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and biofuel power consume lots of cash, face powerful competitors, and need to deal with government regulations. "There's so much that they can't control," says Paul Deninger, vice-chairman at investment bank Jefferies (JEF). Now VCs are turning to startups with more modest goals, including reducing the energy used by lights, buildings, and computer networks, he says.
two cleantech plays
Companies on the BusinessWeek-YouNoodle list illustrate both types of cleantech plays. Bloom Energy, founded by a former NASA scientist, is developing fuel cells for homes and businesses that produce clean, efficient electricity through chemical reactions. Its main product is a cell that can convert natural gas and plant products into hydrogen fuel. Bloom has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Los Angeles-based Nila, on the other hand, makes energy-sipping LED movie and TV lights that are lighter and easier to carry around sets than traditional movie lights. Nila's lights have been used in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace and by CNN (TWX) for coverage of last summer's political conventions.
The ground is shifting for investors in consumer Internet companies as well. A couple of years ago, entrepreneurs flocked to build social networks or add-on applications for them. The field has become so saturated that smart startups are carving out niches alongside the established players.Zynga's Texas Hold Em poker is one of the most popular applications on Facebook, and the maker of casino, word, and party games on the Web is generating annual sales of about $100 million, at a profit. Zynga's success reflects a trend toward social media companies selling premium games and virtual goods (like poker chips), vs. trying to build a business based solely on assembling a big audience for ads.
Meanwhile, Ning, co-founded by Marc Andreesen of Netscape fame, has raised $104 million to offer free software that lets users build their own social networks. So far, Ning says its software has been used to create 1 million social networks.
No one can predict the next Google, Twitter, or Facebook, but this list includes 50 startup companies worth watching.