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Maryland Food Bank Reaches $12M Goal To Fund COVID-19 Response PlanThe Maryland Food Bank has reached its $12 million goal to help pay for the first phase of its COVID-19 food access response plan.
Food Lion's 'Summers Without Hunger Campaign' Aims To Help Maryland Food Bank Amid Coronavirus PandemicIf you've been looking for a way to help during the coronavirus pandemic, Food Lion has you covered. They're launching the "Summers Without Hunger" campaign.
Maryland Food Bank Provided Nearly 4.5M Pounds Of Food In April To Families In NeedFor struggling families, the Maryland Food Bank has been a vital resource. In April, they distributed almost 4.5 million pounds of food, that’s 2 million pounds more than last April.
Maryland Food Bank Donates 4.4M Pounds Of Food In AprilThe Maryland Food Bank announced it gave out 4.4 million pounds of food in April.
Maryland Food Bank, South Baltimore Gateway Partnership To Provide 350 'Back Up Boxes' To Cherry Hill ResidentsThe Maryland Food Bank and South Baltimore Gateway Partnership announced Wednesday they will provide 350 "Back Up Boxes" of food to Cherry Hill residents Thursday.
Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti's Foundation Donates $1M To Support Maryland Food BankThe Maryland Food Bank received a $1 million donation from a foundation founded by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and his wife Renée.
O's Team Up With Dunkin' To Feed Volunteers At The Maryland Food BankThe Baltimore Orioles want to make sure everybody working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic does not goes unfed.
AutoStream Car Care Center Donates $6K To Maryland Food BankAutoStream Car Care Center announced it has donated $6,000 to the Maryland Food Bank in an effort to keep those in need fed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maryland Farm Bureau, Maryland Food Bank Launch #HungerHeroes CampaignThe COVID-19 pandemic has left food banks across the country under pressure to meet the skyrocketing demand of hungry families and individuals.
M&T Bank Will Donate $200K To Maryland Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank To Help During Coronavirus PandemicM&T Bank will contribute $200,000 to the Maryland Food Bank and Capital Area Food Bank to help them buy and distribute food to those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and related economic crisis throughout Maryland and Greater Washington area.
Royal Farms Donates 20K Pounds Of Food To Maryland Food BankHunger is a continuing concern for Marylanders as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery Donating 500 Loaves Of 'Brewers Bread' Weekly To Maryland Food BankThe Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore can't pour beer right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, but they're finding other ways to give back to the community.
Coronavirus Latest: State Will Invest Additional $4 Million To Local Food Banks, Gov. Hogan SaysGov. Larry Hogan announced Friday that the state is investing an additional $4 million to the Maryland Food Bank and the Capital Area Food Bank amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Donate To The Maryland Food Bank & WJZ's Virtual Food DriveWJZ is proud to partner with the Maryland Food Bank to host a Virtual Food Drive to support local communities.
Maryland Food Bank Hires 30 Temporary Workers To Help Pack Food For Families In Need During COVID-19 PandemicThe Maryland Food Bank has recently hired 30 temporary full-time employees to help pack "back up boxes" amid the coronavirus pandemic.


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BBB cautions consumers to watch out for a website that is falsely charging for BBB complaint resolution services. OnlineBusinessScams.com charges consumers an upfront fee of $1500 to $2000 for assistance in collecting money owed from businesses only to forward consumers’ complaints to BBB.
OnlineBusinessScams.com told one consumer that in order to help him collect money owed from a business he needed to pay 30% of the amount owed. The site requested half of the 30% upfront, which he paid.
After receiving the fee, OnlineBusinessScams.com asked the consumer to provide the details of the dispute so the site could determine whether to handle the “case.” Afterwards, the consumer received an information packet that included an envelope addressed to BBB. OnlineBusinessScams.com told the consumer that they would recover his money within 90 days. It’s now been 90 days and the consumer tried to contact OnlineBusinessScams.com to no avail.
BBB wishes to remind all consumers that their services are free. Consumers never have to pay a third party in order to receive help from BBB. To file a complaint against a business, please fill out BBB’s online form
or contact your local BBB

domain: news


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QUARTER OF HOLIDAYMAKERS SAY THEY’LL SWITCH TO GREENER PLANS but only 6 per cent put their money where their mouth is
November 10, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Travel NewsNOVEMBER, LONDON, UK: Few holidaymakers are prepared to part with their cash in order to fulfil green travel aspirations, according to a new study. And the Spanish are putting the rest of Europe to shame, boasting a population far more inclined to fund sustainable travel than any others.
In the TNS Travel & Tourism study, an embarrassing 7 per cent of the British have gone so far as to make a payment towards minimising the impact of their travel – such as a carbon offsetting scheme – compared with 12 per cent of Spaniards. With almost a fifth of British people claiming they expect to change travel plans in order to reduce the environmental impact of their journeys, the study shows a sharp contrast between our green ideals and the practicalities of us paying for sustainable travel.
Britain is lagging behind the average of the six countries surveyed*, with 19 per cent saying they will switch to greener plans, compared to an average of 23 per cent. This rises to an impressive 32 per cent of Italians. However, we’re by no means the worst culprits – with Americans the least inclined to take steps to reduce their environmental impact (16 per cent).
And the Germans are the holidaymakers least prepared to pay to fund offsetting projects – just 2 per cent of those surveyed have done this.
The study comes at the start of the annual World Travel Market (12-15 November 2008 at Excel, London) where the heated debate over the future of air tax is set to rage. Britain is likely to champion the cause, as it boasts the highest percentage of travellers likely to choose an airline with a reputation for fuel-efficient planes (44 per cent vs a cross-country average of 30 per cent). We are also the country most likely to switch from plane to another form of transport (stated by 37 per cent of people questioned) and are strongly in favour of switching from car to public transport (36 per cent).
Unsurprisingly, the Americans are the least willing to give up their cars to the green cause – and again it is the Spanish who are the most likely to put some personal effort into achieving a sustainable holiday. Thirty-seven per cent of Spaniards questioned would take a holiday involving conservation-related activities, compared to just 23 per cent of British people.
Tom Costley, Head of TNS Travel & Tourism, comments: “The World Travel Market presents a great opportunity for operators across the industry to share ideas for the future of travel. There’s no doubt that green travel will be high up the agenda – but operators need to acknowledge that not all holidaymakers think of sustainable tourism in the same way. Our study reveals that the Spanish and Italians are happier to fund offset schemes directly – but the British would much rather take a less direct step, such as switching transport methods. We found that the Germans are the least likely to opt for a green hotel or conservation activities – and that market is also least happy to fund offsetting. Clearly one size does not fit all – and a green future for travel requires some important understanding of conflicting attitudes across markets.”
*TNS Travel & Tourism study of over 6,000 people in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and North America, 18-22 October 2007
Notes to Editors:
TNS is a global market insight and information group.
Our strategic goal is to be recognised as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help our clients to make more effective decisions.
As industry thought leaders, our people deliver innovative thinking and excellent service to global organisations and local clients worldwide. We work in partnership with our clients, meeting their needs for high-quality information, analysis and foresight across our network of over 70 countries.
We are the world’s foremost provider of custom research and analysis, combining in-depth industry sector understanding with world-class expertise in the areas of Retail and Shopper Insights, Stakeholder Management, New Product Development, and Brand and Communications. We are a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and internet, TV and radio audience measurement services.
TNS is the sixth sense of business. www.tnsglobal.com
For more information please contact:
Maja Rode / Emily Luscombe, Camargue, tel: 020 7636 7366, email: firstname.lastname@example.org / email@example.com


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Shoppers Stop, one of India’s premier retail chains with over 250 apparels and accessories brands, has chosen the global data warehouse and analytic appliances major Netezza Corporation to avail a comprehensive sales data analytics. The development is a part of company’s plan to expand retail operations across India.
As part of this deal, Netezza will develop an exclusive data warehouse for Shoppers Stop to provide a complete solution to manage latter’s loyalty card program that include managing sales data with ease and simplicity.
Arun Gupta, customer care associate and group chief technology officer, Shoppers Stop, said, “We are committed to building world-class retail capabilities and a focus on business intelligence and analytics is a key component of that.”
While Vishal Daga, director – India operations, Netezza, said, “We are very happy because the leading organisations like Shoppers Stop nowadays are choosing Netezza for their data warehouse solutions to gain advantage over their competitors as it delivers a unique combination of performance, time to value and agility that together can help redefine analytic possibilities.”
Earlier, Shoppers Stop used to manage its data through a Structured Query Language (SQL) server, which became inadequate to manage its growing data.


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SOUTH SALT LAKE, UT – GranQuartz, a distributor of stone fabrication tools, equipment and supplies, has plans to recognize its vendors and customers with a special event scheduled for Thursday, July 29, 2021 at its South Salt Lake store in Utah. All are welcome from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hawaiian Food will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to meet the Utah store team, view live demonstrations and learn more about their favorite products.
In addition, GranQuartz wants to let everyone know it will be offering sizeable discounts and free giveaways while supplies last.
GranQuartz stores are sanitized daily, offer contactless checkout, and curbside pickup and same-day delivery.


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In a world where we are punishing politicians, publishers and sportspeople for various lapses of judgment, you know there’s a collective shift in expectations of institutions – and that includes brands. After all, today’s all-powerful consumers are ready to boycott brands they don’t trust.
Gone are the days of a food or fashion manufacturer bleating about how great they are and expecting us to believe it; there’s just too much information too readily available to all of us. There’s no running, no hiding; the only way is to ’fess up.
Admitting to brand mistakes is appealing
Brands that get it wrong are stepping out the wings and sharing their shame – and laughing at themselves. When Lynx was pushed into removing what many deemed a sexually offensive online ad, they swiftly posted a follow-up ad featuring the model Lucy sadly handing back the props that were used in the original execution.
Last year, Innocent emailed customers a money-off voucher that had an incorrect barcode; the follow-up apology email they sent out suggested that their customers ‘keep [the old voucher] as a memento of our stupidity.’
And when an American Red Cross employee tweeted that they were planning to get totally hammered (or ‘slizzered’) from the corporate Twitter account instead of their personal one, the company deleted the tweet and posted “We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we’ve confiscated the keys.” It turned into an overnight viral hit, with readers pledging donations because of their understanding stance.
Don’t stifle the customer’s voice
Negative customer feedback can easily be hidden, but a site that gives just rave reviews is now seen as suspect; to address and act upon complaints is far more effective. So when Virgin America upgraded their reservation system, customers were frustrated by the difficulties and complained en masse; Virgin didn’t delete them, but replied to the 12,000 comments individually, winning loyalty and a lot of positive feedback. After complaints about quality, Domino’s Pizza launched a month-long campaign in New York’s Times Square, where a digital hoarding communicated live-streamed both good and bad customer feed-back from Twitter. A bold move by any standard.
For some brands, even being actively disliked becomes something to not just acknowledge but celebrate as a point of difference. Marmite and Miracle Whip are both playing on the idea that people are divided between lovers and haters. So Marmite asked online consumers what their stance was under the slogan ‘Love it or Hate it’, and opened up a Facebook page that encouraged both praise and abuse.


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WATERLOO — The University of Waterloo is among the top-ranked post-secondary institutions in the world when it comes to graduates who create unicorns — startups that are valued at more than $1 billion.
In a report prepared by Verve Research in London, UW places 11th for graduating entrepreneurs who founded unicorns.
Waterloo grads founded Kik Interactive, Instacart, Wish and Jasper — startups that achieved unicorn status, so named because they are nearly as rare as the single-horned creatures of fantasy literature.
With six grads responsible for four unicorns, Waterloo was ranked just behind the University of Southern California, and just ahead of INSEAD — a graduate school of business with campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
UW is the only Canadian school to make the list.
"I think it is fantastic news," said Jay Shah, director of Velocity, the UW program that supports startups. "There are a lot of outstanding institutions on the planet, and so I think that is a pretty outstanding ranking."
Stanford University tops the list with 51 graduates who founded unicorns. It was followed by Harvard (37), the University of California (18), the Indian Institute of Technology (12) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (nine).
Kik, headquartered in Waterloo, was founded by Ted Livingston and Chris Best. The instant messaging platform has 300 million registered users, including one-in-three American teenagers. It is the only unicorn founded by UW grads that has a head office in Waterloo Region.
Instacart, founded by Apoorva Mehta, is an online shopping service for groceries. Based in San Francisco, it secured funding from some of the most high-profile investors in Silicon Valley, including venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
Wish, co-founded by Danny Zhang and Peter Szulczewski, is an online shopping platform with millions of users. The company, also based in San Francisco, uses algorithms and machine-learning technology to match a user's tastes to product.
Jasper, based in Detroit, was founded by Omid Aminfar. It is a bot powered by artificial intelligence that recruits engineers. It is at the cutting edge of applying artificial intelligence to the search for new talent.
The unicorns founded by UW grads are "representative, for sure, of the tenacity of our alumni and our graduates, the problems they are able to take on," Shah said.
The valuation of private companies can look arbitrary because startups don't have to publicly disclose their revenue, costs and profits, if any. It typically is based valuations made when investors put money into the startup.
Unicorn status comes and goes. Vancouver-based Hootsuite Media achieved it, only to lose it when a major investor downgraded the startup's value about a year ago.
For that and other reasons, Shah looks at the potential impact of new technology and momentum in growth in his work at Velocity, rather than the value placed on it by private investors.
"That unicorn definition, that one billion mark, is kind of arbitrary," he said.
Maximizing the impact of new technology and scaling it is far more important.
"At the early stages of new venture creation, and certainly within tech, we look for momentum," Shah said.
He closely follows the changing focus on entrepreneurs to better help them. The startup scene here started with a focus on mobile software, then hardware and now life sciences. Each one needs different partners, mentors and physical space.
"So we are looking at what the next trends are," Shah said. "We are seeing some interesting demand for food technology."
The global rankings were prepared by Verve Research, a marketing company with offices London, Chicago and Toronto.
James Barnes, a creative writer and researcher at Verve, headed up the project on university rankings. He said the data was gleaned from TechCrunch, Crunchbase, CB Insights and VB Profiles.
"We kind of create stuff that others will find interesting," he said in a phone interview from England.


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Hours after President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that the US would hit $50 billion worth of Chinese goods with a 25% tariff, the Chinese government hit back with retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
China’s Ministry of Commerce warned that the country will apply tariffs on US goods at the “same scale and the same strength.”
Its statement also declared that all trade agreements made between the two countries during recent negotiations would be void due to the new US tariffs.
“China does not want to fight a trade war,” the Commerce Ministry said. “However, in the face of short-sighted behavior that the United States has done against people’s disadvantages, the Chinese side has to give a strong blow back, resolutely safeguard national interests and the interests of the people, and resolutely defend economic globalization and the multilateral trading system.”
China also called on all nations of the world to take joint action to end Trump’s “regressive behavior, and firmly defend the common interests of humankind.”
“We call on all countries to take joint actions, resolutely put an end to this outdated and regressive behavior, and firmly defend the common interests of humankind.”
“My great friendship with President Xi of China and our country’s relationship with China are both very important to me,” Trump said Friday. “Trade between our nations, however, has been very unfair, for a very long time. This situation is no longer sustainable.”
Trump said in the statement that the U.S. would pursue additional tariffs on Chinese goods if China retaliates.


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NEW YORK – At least 50 million hits have been recorded on the Web site of the Sept. 11 commission (search).
Meanwhile, another 200,000 copies of the book version of the commission's report on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been ordered, bringing the total in print to 800,000, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
"Our random sampling of stores indicates that a number of them have sold out their entire stocks," Louise Brockett, a spokeswoman for publisher W.W. Norton, said.
Publication of the $10 paperback coincided with the release July 22 of a report by a bipartisan panel on the deadliest terror attack (search) in U.S. history. Citing multiple government failures, the commission called for a national counterterrorism center headed by a Cabinet-level director to centralize intelligence efforts.
An estimated 350,000 copies had been sold through Sunday, according to Brockett, and the book for days has topped the best seller lists for Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. A hardcover edition, with a suggested price of $29.95, is scheduled to come out at the end of August. Brockett said the hardcover will include an extensive index, which the paperback does not have, and will be sold primarily to libraries.
Any profits would be donated to charity, Brockett said.
The report is also available for free on the commission's Web site. Spokesman Al Felzenberg said 50 million hits were received as of Friday.
"I've gotten calls from China asking if there will be printings in other languages," said Felzenberg, who did not know how many Web visitors had downloaded the text. "It's gratifying that so many people have bought it and are engaged by it."
Translations are planned in Arabic, Mandarin, French, German and other languages.


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In mid-October, the fun festivities of Red and White Week brought forth the unveiling of a new Howling Cow ice cream flavor, Icing on the Cake, calling for a deeper dive into how this delicious campus treat is made.
Howling Cow is part of the Dairy Enterprise System within the department of food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As such, NC State students, faculty and staff are involved in every step of the process helping to support the University’s mission through the sale of milk and ice cream.
Just like the name suggests, it all begins with the howling cows.
“My program spans from the dairy farm, which is on Lake Wheeler Road, where I collaborate with animal science and the vet school for dairy husbandry,” said Carl Hollifield, director of the Dairy Enterprise System. “They grow crops, they feed cows, they milk cows and then I bring the milk over here to Schaub Hall, where the dairy processing plant is.”
From there, the raw milk is pasteurized, homogenized and packaged in various forms before it is distributed to campus.
“Anything that you get at the dining halls is Howling Cow milk,” Hollifield said. “We also make the soft serves for the dining halls and the awesome Howling Cow ice cream that you have. All the milk products go back to campus. They go to the convenience stores on campus, the dining halls, the two shops in the libraries and our shop at the dairy farm.”
Beyond purely producing and processing the milk and ice cream, Howling Cow continually develops new flavors to add to its extensive list, the newest of which is Icing on the Cake.
“Within the department of food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences, we have a world class sensory and analytical chemistry unit and they have a bunch of ‘supertasters,’” Hollifield said. “We’ll run samples by them and basically ask ‘What do you taste in them? Do they taste good, do they taste bad, is it the right kind of flavor but doesn’t fit well with the other ingredients?’... It’s a lot of trial and error.”
According to Hollifield, a birthday cake style flavor is something they had been working on for a while before accelerating its development for Red and White Week.
“It was going to end up being a new flavor possibly in the coming year, maybe for the spring, but I moved up the production timing a little bit,” Hollifield said. “We tested a bunch of different ice cream base flavors, some cake style inclusions, some swirls to go in it and we developed that flavor in a pretty short amount of time.”
The result of these efforts is a light pink-colored ice cream mixed with sprinkles and chunks of cake batter that captures the sweetness of a cake without going overboard on the icing. The new flavor was a success, with it being sold out everywhere except the Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery, which is located next to the dairy farm on Lake Wheeler Road where the milk originated.
“Because of supply chain [issues] we were only able to get enough ingredients, inclusions, to make one batch. So that was the only batch that we've made, we made it once for the event,” said Hollifield. “It went to all the different stores, we’re [almost] sold out now, but we do intend to bring it back for the spring.”
Those lucky enough to have tried the new flavor can appreciate its creamy, cakey sweetness that sings “Happy birthday to you” with every bite. In the meantime, students can still enjoy familiar favorites while waiting for Icing on the Cake’s return.
“I go after the Lemon Wafer or the Banana Pudding to be honest,” said Yucheng Niu, a second-year studying computer science. “I used to come [to Talley Market] every week at minimum. Now, because I live on Centennial, sometimes I’ll get a pint from here or I’ll just buy an entire tub from somewhere else.”
Sometimes, a new favorite can even be found in an old flavor.
“I recently tried Wolf Tracks for the first time — I bought a pint of that,” said Vee Rothgeb, a fourth-year studying communication. “I think I went on a kick this week, and I was like, ‘I'm gonna get ice cream for like a week straight,’ even though the weather just turned colder.”
From cow, to lab, to hungry student, NC State’s Dairy Enterprise System is working hard to educate students while producing the sweet treat we know as Howling Cow ice cream. As new flavors come and go, students and others keep coming back, proving that we all howl for ice cream.


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Report: 63% of [In-Store] Smartphone Shoppers Were Pushed Towards a Samsung Device
August 8, 2014 1:58 PM
comment(s) - last by
Samsung gets plenty of love from wireless carriers
A recent survey conducted by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has revealed some interesting trends when it comes to how Americans purchase new smartphones. First and foremost, while many of us tech geeks pride ourselves on purchasing as much of our gear online as possible, a full 64 percent of Americans actually purchase their smartphones in-store.
Only 24 percent purchase their smartphones online, with the rest we assume purchasing them over the phone through their carrier.
But what’s perhaps most interesting is what smartphones are being pushed by carriers. Kantar’s research found that 63 percent of customers that walked into a retail store to buy a new smartphone were recommended a
. What’s most interesting is that this was double the rate for Apple recommendations and nearly 10 times the rate for
smartphones made by Nokia
And it should come as no surprise that 59 percent of those who were nudged towards a Samsung device walked out with one. 35 percent left with an Android smartphone made by another manufacturer, and only 6 percent purchased an
But Apple needs not worry about its customers straying too far from the herd. iPhone users remain incredibly loyal, with Kantar describing a “strong emotional connection with the Apple brand and its devices.”
Kantar adds that consumers purchasing Apple’s iPhone models are the ones doing the least amount of pre-purchase research in part due to the strength of the brand, the rabid fanbase, and high satisfaction rate with iPhone hardware.
Kantar World Panel [PDF]
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: It's a matter of choices availble
8/11/2014 10:20:22 AM
Apple released smaller tablet because they were losing marketshare to Android. Fact.
Apple released "cheaper" iPhone 5C because they were losing marketshare. Fact.
Apple to release two larger sized phones, a first EVER, because they are losing marketshare despite their "one size fits all" mantra. Fact.
Apple's China Mobile deal. A HUGE market that Apple had horrible market share in.
Honestly what more proof do you need?
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For many of us, company is coming soon so it’s no wonder that kitchen updates are especially popular on HGTV.com right now.
Nancy Fire, Design Director for HGTV HOME, says there are many ways to get a fresh new look, like a new tile backsplash in updated colors and geometric layouts. “Also, galvanized steel flat sheets can make a backsplash updated with a modern flair.”
Nancy says many homeowners are painting the inside of their glass-front kitchen cabinets with a contrasting color or using wallpaper. “Patterns like stripes and geometric two-color patterns are trending.” Continue reading


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In a news conference Friday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced that the province will be limiting gas purchases in the province in an effort to prioritize its use for essential vehicles, while also keeping it available to all British Columbians.
This limit is put in place under the powers of the Emergency Program Act and is a temporary order to ensure fuel remains available for essential vehicles in affected areas of the province.
The order, which is effective immediately until December 1st, applies to all fuel suppliers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope region, the Sea-to-Sky region, Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
Residents in these regions will be limited to 30L per visit.
Retail gas stations and wholesale distributors will also be prohibited from profit-margin price gouging and people will be prohibited from buying gas for the purpose of reselling it.
“We are asking people to limit their fuel consumption and vehicle travel at this time and are putting in place orders under the provincial state of emergency to support this,” said Farnworth.
“These steps will keep commercial traffic moving, stabilize our supply chains and make sure everyone gets home safely. We are asking people not to travel through severely affected areas – for their own well-being, but also to make sure the fuel we do have goes toward the services people need in this time of crisis.”
The announcement comes after recent heavy rain and flooding impacted supply and the delivery of gasoline to many areas in the province.
Many areas across the province, including Victoria are in very short supply due to this as well as panic buyers who depleted the supply.
“If we’re greedy, we’ll fail” Farnworth said, “It’s that simple.”


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The Canadian-based Cirque du Soleil Média venture from Bell Canada has lined up a collaborative kids project with Saban Brands that will result in a TV series, web content, interactive content and merchandise.
The kids property will be based on the Cirque du Soleil brand, and it will have consumer products potential.
“At Saban Brands, we are constantly striving to deliver high-quality entertainment brands and experiences. It’s thrilling for us to partner with the creative innovators at Cirque du Soleil Média,” said Elie Dekel, president of Saban Brands, in a statement Monday.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) brokered the deal with Saban Brands on behalf of its client Cirque du Soleil Média.
In December 2012, Bell Media and Cirque du Soleil partnered to launch https://kidscreen.com/2012/12/18/cirque-du-soleil-partners-with-bell-media-to-launch-media-co/ the joint venture of Cirque du Soleil Média to make films, TV series and online content for worldwide distribution.
From Playback Online


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19. RICK COHEN, CEO, C&S Wholesale Grocers, ES3
Key developments: Growing C&S Wholesale Grocers in volume and geography.
What's next: "One-source" warehouse to drive down costs and boost efficiency.
Rick Cohen is the distributor who last year became a re-distributor.
In one of the most spectacular stories in the food industry over the last year, Cohen's Keene, N.H.-based company, C&S Wholesale Grocers, purchased and subsequently spun off and/or swapped the various assets of bankrupt grocery wholesaler Fleming. While the dust and dollars from the Fleming deal are still settling today, C&S emerged with around 1,000 new customers and $1.7 billion in new volume. Cohen in the meantime saw his reputation for influence in the grocery industry growing.
Cohen eschews publicity and declined SN's request for an interview. Observers describe him as an aggressive executive who has grown C&S into a powerhouse by focusing on efficient execution, skillful deal-making and bright employees.
"He's the most aggressive executive that's come into U.S. wholesale and retail in the last half-century," said Burt P. Flickinger III, manager director of Strategic Resource Group, New York. "C&S continues to make more and more money."
C&S differs from other wholesalers in that Cohen leads an organization focused solely on low cost and not on related services, said Jack Haedicke, founder of Arena Consulting Group, Eden Prairie, Minn.
"His whole strategy is based on efficiency of supply. While a lot of distributors try to be all-encompassing, for example, providing category management, C&S focuses purely on the lowest cost," said Haedicke. "The other difference is that while 90% of the business from a Supervalu comes from small chains, C&S is the opposite. It focuses on very large chains who outsource distribution to C&S."
Cohen's beliefs in outsourcing and efficiency are crystallized in a York, Pa., distribution center operated by C&S' logistics spin-off, ES3. Known as a collaborative warehouse, the York center is pioneering a "one-source" distribution hub to be shared by branded manufacturers and retailers for fast-moving items. The concept "is pretty nifty," said Haedicke.
"Manufacturers have warehouses and retailers have warehouses -- they both do the same thing. Why not put one the middle," Haedicke explained. "It's ike a public utility."
There are obstacles to making such a system work, observers acknowledge. "Manufacturers have embedded capital structures that they can't necessarily abandon, so it's not a small consideration for any of them," Haedicke said. However, giants such as Campbell's Soup and ConAgra are on-board with the plan already and additional branded manufacturers are said to be on their way.
20. THOMAS INFUSINO, Chairman and CEO, Wakefern Food Company
Key development: Helped make Wakefern No. 1 co-op.
What's next: Molding the organization's future.
In a career that began when he was a teenager in the late 1930s, Thomas Infusino has maintained a passion for the food business, coupled with an unwavering commitment to the basic principles of good service and competitive prices.
It's a philosophy that has guided Infusino through his 33-year tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of the Wakefern food cooperative, and as a member of its board since 1967. At 83, Infusino, who is also president of the Nutley Park ShopRite, Nutley, N.J., continues to play a key role in Wakefern's success -- and the success of its 38 cooperative members and their roughly 200 stores, including about 47 corporate stores. Elizabeth, N.J.-based Wakefern, with 2003 wholesale/warehouse sales estimated at $6.1 billion, is now the nation's largest cooperative grocery wholesaler, and its third-largest food wholesaler overall. Its members' stores -- mostly under the ShopRite and PriceRite banners -- are collectively believed to be among the strongest food operators in the New York Metro market, with among the highest market shares. The stores have competed effectively against chain competition like A&P and Pathmark in its core market in New Jersey.
Infusino, one of three executives to make SN's list of 50 visionaries who transformed food retailing, as well as this year's Power 50 list, told SN his role today remains much the same as it has been, adding, tongue in cheek, "I try not to be out too many nights a week."
He defined that role as "a moderator" as well as "a liaison" between membership and Wakefern's professional staff, making sure that both "mesh pretty well." One longtime Wakefern observer told SN that Infusino continues to be "in the loop on major decision-making," and a sounding board whose philosophy "still permeates the organization."
Infusino also still works on expanding Wakefern's membership base, whose growth has been critical to its success, he said. By adding to its volume, Wakefern is able to offset cost increases without raising prices, he noted. New members come from Wakefern's own professional staff as well as other retailers.
Wakefern is known for the support services it offers members, many of them small operators, such as store design and renovation, accounting and market research. "Whatever it takes for them to be successful," he said.
As for the future, Infusino, whose good health has allowed him to remain in his position, acknowledged that Wakefern does have a succession plan so that "the company will not be rudderless." He declined to elaborate on that plan.
In one concession to age, he has turned the reins of his one-store ShopRite operation over to his son David, who runs it with the son of Infusino's former partner, recently deceased. "I do go in on a daily basis," he added.
Infusino also continues to be "extremely active" as the longest-standing board member of the New Jersey Food Council, a state lobbying group he helped to found 35 years ago, said Linda Doherty, president of the organization. "We're successful because of Tom's input, dedication and passion for our organization," she said.
21. ROBERT A. MARIANO, President and CEO, Roundy's
Key development: Continuing to transform former wholesaler into a primarily retail operation.
What's next: Launching three- to five-year remodeling cycle for Rainbow Food Stores to align store assortments with neighborhood needs.
MILWAUKEE -- When customers talk, Robert A. Mariano listens.
Since joining Roundy's in 2002 as president and chief executive officer, Mariano has been listening to customers to find out what they want. The company is about to embark on remodelings and initiatives to deliver it to them.
Roundy's bought 31 Minneapolis Rainbow Food Stores from Fleming in mid-2003. Mariano has spent a lot of time visiting the stores to communicate with customers and employees, "listening to them and reinforcing our commitment to them," he told SN.
Dale Riley, who left the company last month as general manager of the Rainbow operation, said Mariano's presence in the stores has been inspirational for employees who had been expecting to lose their jobs while the stores were owned by Fleming. "Bob spent part of each week at the stores for the first nine months so people would get to know him, and they revere him and are happy and proud to be working for Roundy's. He's been able to breathe spirit back into the employees."
With the employees revved up, Mariano's next task was to determine what customers wanted Rainbow to be, he explained. With that process now completed -- one on one and through consumer research -- Roundy's intends to try to meet those needs over the next three to five years by remodeling the stores into combination food-and-drug units with a neighborhood slant "and aligning our assortment accordingly," he said.
Mariano said it's taken several months to begin the process of remodeling the Rainbows "because we didn't have the merchandising staff ready to go. Even if we'd had the staff, we didn't know what they needed to be ready to do because we hadn't determined what the marketplace needed."
Included in the remodeling efforts will be initiatives aimed at looking at ways to improve the customer experience using technology at the point of sale, Mariano told SN. For example, a remodeled store in downtown Milwaukee that's scheduled to reopen under the Pick 'n Save banner in August will have "line busters" -- employees with handheld scanners who will try to speed up front-end service by checking customers out while they're still in line. Roundy's also hopes to allow customers to utilize the handheld scanners themselves at a store still to be determined, he added.
The Milwaukee store will also use fingerprint identification technology to enable customers to check out more quickly without the need for checks or credit cards, Mariano said.
This is Mariano's second tour of duty in the industry. He spent 25 years at Dominick's Finer Foods, Chicago, ultimately becoming president and CEO, before the company was sold to Safeway in 1999. He spent the next three years as a consultant, "but that was not very satisfying because I like seeing things get done, not just telling someone how it ought to be done.
"The wonderful thing about being a retailer is, you get together with other people to figure out how to deliver something to customers and then the customers respond. So you learn very quickly if you've been listening to them or not."
Roundy's is continuing to shift its focus from primarily wholesale to primarily food retail -- a process under way when Mariano got there, he noted. The sales mix is now 61% retail to 39% wholesale, he said, "and we will continue along that path by adding more retail businesses."
Mariano said he sees opportunities for growth through ongoing industry consolidation and expects most of Roundy's retail growth to come in states contiguous to Wisconsin and Minnesota where its 120 retail stores operate under the Pick 'n Save, Copps and Rainbow banners.
Most growth will be funded by internal cash flow, he pointed out. "But if an acquisition that makes sense comes along of a size that requires substantial financing, then Willis Stein & Partners [Roundy's Chicago-based major equity investor] would consider putting in additional equity," Mariano said.
22. GARY PHILLIPS, President and CEO, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Key development: Bringing in 480 stores and six warehouses from Fleming.
What's next: Continuing to attract new retailers.
Fleming's struggles last year created a rare opportunity for other wholesalers to attract Fleming-served independents. Gary Phillips made the most of it for Associated Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Kan.
AWG picked up 480 new stores that boosted volume by $1.25 billion, according to Phillips, its president and chief executive officer for almost four years. Along with those stores, AWG acquired six Fleming distribution centers, of which three were kept, two were closed, and one was sold.
Overall, AWG's sales were up 18.5% to $3.7 billion last year, enabling the co-op to climb six notches to No. 28 on SN's list of the top 75 food distributors (retailers and wholesalers). AWG is now the nation's third-largest co-op, serving over 1,300 stores from six DCs.
"Our company has taken advantage of tremendous opportunities," Phillips told shareholders in April. "The cooperative approach to supplying goods and services has proven to be very efficient." AWG is continuing to attract retailers who sought out short-term distribution solutions during the Fleming fallout.
Phillips, 57, began his career at AWG in 1974. He led its Springfield, Mo., division for 14 years as senior vice president and general manager before becoming AWG's chief financial officer in 1996, and CEO in 2000. He is the current chairman of the National Grocers Association.
Jim Queen, who retired as vice chairman of AWG's board five years ago and whose son Barry runs the family's four Price Chopper stores based in Paola, Kan., has known Phillips since the 1960s. Queen described Phillips as a "hands-on" CEO who is able to relate well to retail members regardless of their size.
"So many CEOs get into that position and focus their attention on the big guys," said Queen. "Gary's not that way. He's sensitive to small retailers, and AWG has many small retailers."
Queen credited Phillips for AWG's success in the Fleming acquisitions, calling him a "great negotiator." The additional volume has given AWG a new "sense of direction," while giving it greater buying clout -- crucial in the competition with Wal-Mart, he noted.
Barry Queen, who sees Phillips regularly as a member of AWG's board, said Phillips' ability to talk in comprehensible terms about the complex financial and legal issues associated with Fleming "absolutely blows me away." Phillips, added Queen, "is a powerful man. I don't know what we'd do without him."
The Fleming acquisitions have started AWG in the dollar merchandise business as one of the Fleming warehouses has been deployed for that product line. Under Phillips' leadership, AWG has also become more active in using technology, including voice-based picking in its DCs and Web-based EDI.


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Nintendo has revealed the release date of the next installment in the Mario Kart series, coming exclusively to Wii U. For many players, this is the title that would accelerate sales on the latest console according to Kyoto.
Very popular since the first part came out in the early 90s on Super NES, Mario Kart series is well appreciated by many gamers. To succeed the aging of Wii which is out there a few years ago, Nintendo plans to bring Mario Kart 8 to Wii U.
Expected this spring, the title is now more specific about its release date. Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president, said at a recent financial conference that Mario Kart 8 will be released in May 2014 on Wii U.
As per several retailers, the game will boost the flow of the latest console of the manufacturer, which fails to meet sales targets, despite a previous official price drop.
Also note that some online shops offer their own tariff reductions on the console.


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A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) study has concluded that organic blueberry production has expanded tremendously over the past decade. Yields reached 77.5 million pounds in 2019 compared to 11.9 million pounds in 2008.
Florida has contributed to the rise in organic yields. It produced less than 160,000 pounds in 2008 but increased to 1.9 million pounds in 2019.
Washington State has been the largest producer of organic blueberries in the U.S. since the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service first started collecting data in 2008.
California observed the largest jump in organic blueberry production. Its yields jumped to 17.3 million pounds in 2019 after harvesting below 400,000 pounds in 2008.
The increase in yields has led to an increase in the value of organic sales. They reached $205 million in 2019. Washington leads in the value of sales at $74 million, while California production was valued at $64 million.
Global demand and high grower prices for organic blueberries has sparked growth in global supplies. Fresh organic imports reached 72 million pounds in 2020, a substantial increase from 1.3 million pounds in 2011. Organic blueberries represented 1% of imported fresh blueberry volume in 2011, increasing to 15% in 2020.
The U.S. imports the majority of organic blueberries from Chile, Mexico and Peru. Chile was the largest supplier to the U.S. until 2020.


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- Developing commercial applications for its Radiant Energy Vacuum dehydration technology in the cannabis, food and pharmaceutical industries.
- EnWave's technology can reduce the time required to dry cannabis from between five and seven days to less than an hour
- Pursuing a licensing strategy with partners around the globe
What EnWave does:
EnWave Corp (CVE:ENW) is developing commercial applications for its Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) dehydration technology in the cannabis, food and pharmaceutical industries.
The Vancouver-based advanced tech company offers industrial-scale dehydration technology, and also provides machinery for drying bulk biological materials and pharmaceuticals in vials.
REV dehydration is a rapid, low temperature drying method that maintains the product’s colour, flavour, and nutrients during the drying process. The company says it is faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave licensed the original REV technology from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1996, developing it to commercial scale in 2008.
The idea behind REV is a pairing of microwave energy under a vacuum to quickly dehydrate materials. EnWave's patented vacuum-microwave technology allows for uniform drying with flexible moisture content, a benefit as compared to freeze-drying or air-drying.
In the cannabis world, time is money and EnWave's technology can reduce the time required to dry cannabis from between five and seven days to less than an hour. The company says its low temperature drying retains cannabinoids and terpenes and its low-pressure drying prevents oxidation.
The small machine footprint can help reduce the need for oversized drying rooms, with the drying time at an estimated 40 minutes from fresh to dry. The low temperature drying retains cannabinoids and terpenes, the low-pressure drying prevents oxidation, and can deliver "excellent" aroma and appearance, according to the firm.
EnWave is pursuing a licensing strategy with partners around the globe. The firm has licensed royalty partners for cannabis and hemp drying in the United States, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia.
How is it doing:
EnWave recently reported the highest number of large-scale Radiant Energy Vacuum machines in fabrication during its fiscal 2020 first quarter.
It signed six new licensing agreements during the quarter, boosting its revenue to C$8.6 million, up 10% from C$7.8 million compared to the year-ago quarter.
In January, Enwave revealed it had inked a royalty-bearing commercial license agreement with Colombian snack maker Pacifico Snacks SAS, who will use a REV machine to produce dried-fruit snacks for the North American grocery market. The license was the first signed by EnWave in Colombia and was its 38th worldwide.
Another significant deal with a German maker of freeze-dry units is expected to accelerate the potential commercialization of REV technology.
Under the agreement, EnWave will formally collaborate with GEA Lyophil to scale-up and refine REV machinery, leveraging GEA Lyophil’s deep expertise and intellectual property in GMP-pharma equipment manufacturing. The agreement will allow for the integration of EnWave’s proprietary freezeREV pharmaceutical drying technology into GEA Lyophil’s industry-leading equipment design and manufacturing capabilities for the pharmaceutical industry.
If successful, GEA Lyophil will leverage its robust pharmaceutical industry network to manufacture, market and sell REV machinery for use on a global basis for pharmaceutical applications and will pay EnWave an undisclosed royalty on the sale of any future GMP-pharma REV machinery.
What the broker says:
Analyst Steve Hansen at Raymond James has put a C$2.50 share target on Enwave’s stock, seeing the firm as "poised to demonstrate very robust revenue/EBITDA growth throughout our forecast horizon."
"While EnWave shares have historically traded in tandem with the firm's reported revenue progression, we note this relationship has significantly broken down in recent months -- a divergence that, we believe, presents an attractive entry point opportunity given our financial outlook,” he added in a recent note.
What the boss says:
“With a disruptive technology, success begets success,” EnWave CEO Brent Charleton told Proactive recently. “The more companies who adopt the tech, the less perceived risk is there. We’re looking to ramp up sales of our machinery in multiple food verticals as well as in the cannabis space on a global basis this year.”
Contact Angela at email@example.com
Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas


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_Booth of Buzzvil at Ad-tech Tokyo _
As mobile advertising platforms are being developed at a rapid pace these days, more and more companies are becoming interested in effective advertising technology. Last December, we had the chance to participate in one of the most popular global advertising technology conferences, introducing our services to various advertisers, publishers, and technology providers from 24 different countries around the globe.
The 7th annual ad:tech Tokyo attracted 17,000 attendees, 115 partners and exhibitors, and 182 speakers for 54 conferences and 6 keynotes. As a result, this year’s event turned out to be the largest global marketing event in Japan’s history, providing a glimpse at the visions of industry players. Marking Buzzvil’s first presence at an overseas industry conference, we took steps to further boost our presence as a global advertising company. The basic theme of our booth was a “snack bar” full of japanese confectioneries, enabling us to catch the eyes of attendees and introduce them to Buzzvil in a comforting environment.
We attended ad:tech Tokyo to promote Honeyscreen as a publishing platform in Japan, introduce BuzzScreen to the local market, and further establish Buzzvil as a global advertising business. With our distinctive booth drawing over a thousand visitors, we’re proud of our significant progress on all fronts.
Based on our accomplishments and lessons from ad:tech Tokyo, we will continue heavily promoting Buzzvil as a global company. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at advertising industry conferences this year!
- #Buzzvil News


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A payments app developed by Ireland’s high street banks to compete with digital banks has hit a snag after it was announced that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) would launch an investigation.
The money-transfer app, called Yippay, was developed by a joint venture, Synch Payments, set up by AIB, Bank of Ireland, KBC Ireland and Permanent TSB.
More than €5.9 million has been raised to fund the project, according to a filing with Companies Registration Office made in late November.
The original submission to the CCPC was rejected in January for a lack of detail
A second application was made to the CCPC in April with a launch scheduled for early 2022 pending regulatory approval.
However, the launch may well be put back following the decision to investigate the competitiveness of the project.
“Following an extended preliminary investigation, the CCPC has determined that a full investigation is required in order to establish if the proposed transaction could lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the State,” stated the authority.
The CCPC had called for submissions from other market participants including the online payment providers such as Revolut, Stripe and N26 that the Synch Payments was aiming to rival.
Not only are the high street banks concerned about losing market share in the payments market, they are also fearful of fintechs building up a client base from where they can start to offer a wider range of banking services.
Unsurprisingly, the plan was opposed by the Electronic Money Association, a lobby group which represents the likes of Stripe, PayPal, Facebook and Revolut.
Revolut has seen its user base rise to more than a million this year, although the UK-based fintech has reportedly abandoned plans to set up a European wealth management hub in Dublin.
According to the Irish Times, Revolut has instead secured a MiFID licence from Lithuania, where it also has a banking licence.
In the meantime, Revolut will continue to seek authorisation as an e-money institution in Ireland.


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In a bid to ease the stress of their customers, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has added new features to its Artificial Intelligence chatbot, Leo, to Google Business Chat and Instagram.
Unveiled in January 2018, Leo is designed to enable customers to use their social media accounts to carry out key banking transactions.
As a leading African financial institution, UBA noted that Leo has been repositioned for customers to now carry out their activities in a 3D animated format.
Over the years, Leo evolved to become a custom-fitted, personalised virtual banker to several UBA customers across 20 African countries. Before now, UBA’s Leo was servicing customers on Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp and Apple Chat.
Some of the benefits of the upgrade is that customers can carry out more activities such as funds transfer, checking balances, buying airtime and data, and getting their bank statements with ease, from any of these social media platforms.
Speaking on the upgraded features of Leo, the GMD/CEO, UBA Plc., Kennedy Uzoka, said, “UBA is always on the lookout for innovative ways to develop strategies aimed at easing transactions for the bank’s numerous users, while ensuring utmost safety of their transactions.
“At UBA, we have been working with technology giants that have the global capacity to ensure not only seamless but also effortless banking for millions of our customers across Africa.
He affirmed that at UBA, they have collaborated with the very best to actualise this unbeatable innovation that is capable of revolutionising the way banking is done in Africa.
Uzoka listed further that Leo’s activities have aptly spread across Africa, changing the face of e-banking in other key African locations.
They include Cameroon, Zambia, Côte D’Ivoire, Senegal, Congo DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, Mozambique, Zambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
According to the GMD, the uniqueness of Leo lies in its convenience. Customers can initiate transactions without leaving their favoured phone applications.
By bringing Leo to the comfort zone of its customers, he continued, UBA’s chat banking became a pioneer innovation and has since enjoyed leadership status in the chat banking space.
“Without mincing words, it is noteworthy that since inception, Leo has been effortlessly enhancing the digital customer experience in banking and also achieving a range of other benefits like 24/7 availability.
“The chatbot Leo stays available round the clock to assist customers and handle the common financial queries asked by the customers,” says Uzoka.


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FSD Kenya, which aims to create value through financial inclusion, have just released their 2017 Annual Report which contains findings from ongoing research projects around Kenya.
The unregulated digital credit space in Kenya, mainly phone loans, has overtaken other forms of credit in the country with 19% paying digital loans, much more than 17% repaying family/friends or 14% paying shopkeepers for goods taken on credit.
45% of borrowers through mobile phones are now female. Usage has shifted from day-to-day to investing in businesses, but 14% are (900,000 individual) are juggling multiple loans, and half have defaulted or delayed loan repayment.
Tweaking Agri-Finance: There is lack of access of credit to agriculture which receives just 4% of banking credit. This could be partly due to lack of data so they are partnering with M-Kopa Labs to research other models. Hall of M-Kopa customers make money from agriculture and buy solar products so the research aims to see of if the pay-as-you-go model can be applied to other products like farm inputs, water tanks, fertilizer, animal feed etc.
Youth Finance products: 40% of the population is under 15 years but youth are underserved by the banking sector. They see money as a means of survival and savings as being for buying something not long-term or unanticipated needs. There is a lack of appropriate financial products for the youth, and this could be because older adults are the ones developing financial solution for the youth. One outcome of this research, funded by Funded by SIDA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could be a new class of lending to the youth, a development by FSD Kenya and the Kenya Bankers Association.
@bankelele so true which is why @KenyaBankers & @FSDKe are developing a policy proposal introducing youth-led (I.e. autonomous) bank accounts…youth being 11 to 18 years. It’s a project Im passionate about … and hope will help stimulate youth financial inclusion & empowerment. https://t.co/fvItQtufV0
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) statistics from the first quarter of 2018 show that there are 120,000 locally issued credit cards and 18 million debit cards/ ATM cards. With interesting patterns of credit cards usage over the last few years, for various reasons, there are some new entrants out to take on ubiquitous Visa-branded cards in Kenya.
MasterCard:GT Bank Kenya is rolling out a series of World MasterCard credit cards. The Gold and Platinum cards come with perks of travel and rewards including international airport lounge access, complimentary nights at 175 Starwood Hotels, luxury apartment discounts and Hertz Gold Plus car rentals along with enhanced insurance benefits that are easy to claim and a 24/7 concierge who offers personalized travel services. There are also tailored dining offers for Diani, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa, Nairobi. Ukunda and Watamu as well as towns in Nigeria.
Previously, one of the most-popular MasterCards on the market was the prepaid global card by Nakumatt that was supplied by KCB and Diamond Trust banks. They have been inactive since early this year following Nakumatt’s difficulties that started before the supermarket chain went under voluntary administration.
American Express: Also, Equity Bank and American Express have just extended their 2013 partnership. The bank which issues the American Express Green Card and Gold Card is the sole issuers of the globally accepted American Express cards in East Africa. With the signing of a now exclusive merchant acquisition agreement, Equity will be the sole merchant acquirer of American Express card transactions and will manage all aspects of merchant relationships including acquisition, statements, and marketing. Equity Bank earned Kshs 278 million in AmEx commissions last year, a 54% increase from 2016. The Bank also issues Union Pay, Diners, and JCB cards in addition to Visa and MasterCard.
Kenya’s Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has signaled an end to interest rates capping, saying the interest rate controls have contributed to a slowdown in credit growth to the private sector and denied small businesses’ access to credit.
In his FY 2018/2019 $30.4 billion budget speech to the National Assembly on June 14, Rotich said the interest capping law had not had the intended effect but instead resulted in banks shying away from lending to riskier borrowers such as ordinary businesses and individuals who used to borrow at rates above the 14% that was set through an amendment of the banking law that was passed a year and a half ago.
Rotich observed that he would ask parliament to repeal section 33 (b) of the Act to enable banks to provide more credit to riskier borrowers. He added that the government was also proposing a credit guarantee scheme for micro, small, and medium enterprises, and new credit institutions through the creation of the Kenya Development Bank and Biashara Kenya Fund and other new laws to help protect consumers of financial products.
The interest rates debate continues next week with a session on Monday, June 18 at the Strathmore Business School that will facilitate debate on the impact of the interest rates ceiling and floor.
Organized by the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and Fanaka Digital, among other partners, the televised session will feature perspectives from the Treasury Cabinet Secretary, MP’s Jude Njomo – who sponsored the 2016 banking amendment that capped interest rates, and Moses Kuria, who is a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Advertising: A person without a financial conduct license cannot put out an advertisement for the provision of credit. This also applies to building owners (billboards?), or in newspapers, magazines, radio, television. Also, lender advertisements must be truthful. They cannot be misleading by deception.
Credit Limits – cards/overdrafts: Once a credit limit is approved, a financier can’t reduce the credit limits or decline to replace a lost credit card
Credit Reference: No release of credit reports to unauthorized people
In-Duplum: There is also roundabout way of reintroducing the in-duplum rule. There is a clause that if a loan goes into default, the interest, fees, and other charges to be repaid cannot exceed the balance of the loan on the day it went into default.
Insurance: Loans cannot require a borrower to get insurance from a specific company.
Guarantors: The new laws protect guarantors and requires that they be made aware of all clauses in loan contract before they give guarantees, and with no variation to guarantor terms allowed. This is probably inspired by one guarantor and default dispute involving a cousin of the President that has seen over a dozen cases litigated in several courts over 25 years.
Pre-Receivership Management: The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) can appoint a person to assist an institution to implement its directives when the CBK believes a bank or its officers are not in compliance with the act. The new law provides tools to assist troubled banks without shutting them down, and CBK can also order some shareholders to wind down their interest in institutions within a specific time.
Spam messages? Bank shall not communicate marketing messages to customers unless the customer loan agreement authorizes it.
Statements: Requires all borrowers to be given term sheets before signing for loans, and a copy of the loans contract afterwards. They are also entitled to a free statement every six months and other copies within ten days of a request.
Variations:loan agreements shall not have clauses to vary interest during the loan, or be based on a different rate other than the reference rate of the lender.
Wide Regulation: The new laws will apply to all providers of more than fifty loans and issuer of loans have six months to obtain the new licenses. What of loan apps?
Whether this new law which cracks down on unsavoury banking and consumer finance and behaviors will ease out the 2016 interest rate capping law while assuring parliamentarians who championed the setting of maximum interest rates that bank behaviour will be better-regulated remains to be seen. Also if the clauses will help borrowers who have shifted to other more expensive lending platforms regardless of the consumer finance terms and interest rates charged there.
But the bill also creates a host of new financial regulators including; (i) a Financial Markets Conduct Authority (ii) Financial Services Tribunal (iii) Conduct Compensation Fund Board (iv) Financial Sector Ombudsman (v) an Ombudsman Board who may trip over other existing financial regulators.The bill is in the public participation stage and interested persons can send in feedback on its clauses to ps_at_treasury.go.ke before June 5.
“SheTrades” aims to grow one million female entrepreneurs, and is starting with Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Bangladesh, in export-ready fields of apparel (textiles), agriculture (tea, coffee, avocado) and services (ICT, tourism). The program will offer training, capacity building and support to enable women, entrepreneurs to be more competitive, and prepare their companies for export markets such as through obtaining certifications, connecting to buyers and being able to talk they way into deals.
The SheTrades program is based on seven principle of quality data, fair policies, public procurement, striking business deals, enabling market access, unlocking financial services, and securing ownership rights. Kenya is acknowledging for having female supportive laws such as setting aside 30% of government procurement for women, youth and persons with disabilities, though the uptake of this has lagged. It also has some women-focused funding initiatives while Barclays Kenya has a program with ITC to increase women’s access to international trade opportunities.
SheTrades is funded by the UK’S DFID and the SheTrades Commonwealth Kenya initiative is open to companies that are at least 30% female-owned and female-managed are eligible for sign up on the SheTrades website.


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Hailey Bieber showed off her casual sense of style as she sported a bomber jacket and jeans during an outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The Rhode founder, 26, was recently slammed by makeup artist Jeffree Star amid the model’s reported ‘feud’ with Justin Bieber’s ex, Selena Gomez.
The daughter of Stephen Baldwin opted for comfort as she stepped out during the overcast day wearing a pair of loose-fitting, light blue jeans.
She added a green-colored bomber jacket on top that was zipped up towards the collar, partially concealing a gray hooded sweatshirt that she wore underneath to stay warm in the cooler temperatures.
Keeping it casual: Hailey Bieber, 26, showed off her casual sense of style as she sported a bomber jacket and jeans during an outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Her shorter locks were partially covered with a dark green and white cap that coincided with the color scheme of her outer piece.
The star, who recently appeared on the cover of Vogue Australia, accessorized her ensemble with a pair of flashy, gold earrings but chose to not add any other pieces of jewelry to the minimalistic outfit.
Despite the gloomy weather, the businesswoman opted to throw on a pair of oval-shaped black sunglasses for a finishing touch.
Hailey recently opened up about her fashion sense during a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, and stated, ‘I get photographed so much that I feel like sometimes I put pressure on myself.’
‘Even if I’m just throwing on jeans and a T-shirt, I want it to be a dope pair of jeans and a great T-shirt!’
Her outing comes just days after YouTuber and makeup guru, Jeffree Star, blasted Hailey in a recent TikTok video by giving a negative review based on her Rhode products.
Brandishing its minimal grey box and inlay card — which features an image of an expressionless Bieber — he said: ‘Okay, so the packaging is so boring. And then I open it up and — girl — she literally looks like she wants to die.
‘Like focus. Oh my god, that face is like, “Why did I do this? Why did I create a skincare brand?”‘
Referring to Bieber’s apparent nepo-baby status as the daughter of Hollywood star Stephen Baldwin, he added: ‘So when you’re privileged and you use daddy’s money and you’ve never worked a day in your life, I guess this is what we’re doing.’
Flashy touch: She accessorized her ensemble with a pair of flashy, gold earrings but chose to not add any other pieces of jewelry to the minimalistic outfit
Recently slammed: Her outing comes just days after YouTuber and makeup guru, Jeffree Star, blasted Hailey in a recent TikTok video by giving a negative review on her Rhode products
Opting to skip a straightforward assessment of the range, which originally launched in July 2022, Star admitted he was throwing it into the nearest bin.
‘In this house we are team Selena and we are team not bullying anyone,’ he said. ‘So we’re going to skip today’s review — oh wait, she doesn’t even deserve a pink trash can — and just like Shawn Mendes said, “Bye.”
The ‘feud’ with Selena Gomez surfaced a few months earlier in January when Hailey appeared in a TikTok video with close pals, Kendall Jenner and Justine Skye.
In the since-deleted reel, the trio could be standing close together while the trending audio, ‘I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right,’ played in the background.
Social media users speculated that the video was aimed at Selena, who was being body shamed at the time.
The following month, the Only Murders In The Building actress reacted to the TikTok when a fan reposted the clip and commented, ‘It’s OK! I don’t let these things get me down! Be nice to everyone!’ according to Page Six.
Hailey also explained that the clip was simply just, ‘a random TikTok sound for fun. It’s not directed at anyone.’
However, the drama sparked up again in February when Kylie Jenner uploaded a selfie of herself while spending time on set. In a caption added on the photo, she had written, ‘this was an accident?????’
Shortly before, Selena had admitted in a TikTok video that, ‘I accidentally laminated my eyebrows too much,’ while showing off the look. Kylie also shared a close-up screenshot of her eyebrows, as well as Hailey’s, during a video call.
The ‘feud’: The ‘feud’ with Selena Gomez surfaced a few months earlier in January when Hailey appeared in a TikTok video with close pals, Kendall Jenner and Justine Skye
Moving on: Hailey also explained that the clip was simply just, ‘a random TikTok sound for fun. It’s not directed at anyone’
Social media users once again speculated that the content was aimed at the former Disney channel star, and labeled Hailey and Kylie as ‘mean girls.’
The Kardashians star quickly jumped to her own defense, and wrote out in the comment section on a separate TikTok video shared by a fan, ‘This is reaching. No shade towards Selena ever, and I didn’t see her eyebrow posts! u guys are making something out of nothing. this is silly.’
Selena also responded to Kylie to shut down drama rumors and typed, ‘Agreed @kyliejenner. It’s all unnecessary. I’m a fan of Kylie.’
The actress and singer soon took a brief break from social media, and earlier this month after her return, called for people ‘to be kind’ in a TikTok video of her own.


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President of Swedwood Group Bruno Winborg (left) celebrates the opening of his firm's new Malacky plant with Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda.
photo: Patrik Jandak
Plagued by debt and a wood surplus on European export markets, wood processing companies in the sector have lacked the finances to upgrade their technology, while loggers have been unable to make full use of the six million cubic metres of wood they fell in Slovakia each year.
Now, logging representatives hope that Swedwood's 1.5 billion crown ($41 million) Malacky investment - the company's largest ever investment into a single production plant - will solve some of their financial problems, allowing them to sell 'low-grade' wood which would otherwise be left to rot, and will bring payment discipline to the sector.
Swedwood already has two Slovak furniture plants in Trnava and Závažná Poruba.
"We had been searching for a long time in both Slovakia and abroad for a customer who would buy the low-grade wood which we wouldn't otherwise be able to use. Now Swedwood will buy it and use most of it for production at its new plant," said Miloš Vaňo, commercial director at state-owned logging company Lesy SR, which has the logging rights to 53% of Slovakia's forests.
In felling trees, many Slovak logging firms discard much of the low-grade wood (the bark and outer rings of a tree) they cut down. Some of the higher-grade wood they fell can be exported, since low production costs in Slovakia allow firms to offer lower prices for similar quality wood than domestic producers in other European countries.
But with a wood surplus general across the continent, much of the low-grade wood, which is far more difficult to sell cheaply because of its poor quality, remains a wasted resource, left as off-cuts in the forests. What is more, few Slovak wood processors have the technology needed to process such scrap into particle board for furniture-making.
The Agriculture Ministry says that these factors result in one million cubic metres of low grade wood lying unused in Slovak forests every year.
But Swedwood's investment, which will give jobs to 500 people and produce 4.5 billion crowns of goods by 2003, will bring more modern technology, allowing the firm to process 200,000 cubic metres of this low-grade wood.
Swedwood's operations will in turn give regional loggers the chance to sell more wood, and thus rake in needed revenues and increase the efficiency of their logging operations.
"Local wood businesses would never be able to sell such low quality wood abroad. Swedwood's modern technologies for processing low quality wood mean that more furniture will be produced in Slovakia, which will certainly increase the profits of suppliers," said František Šulek, director at the department of wood-processing at the Ministry of Economy.
Štefan Sústrik, managing director of Swedwood Slovakia added: "We have good contacts with the local logging businesses. The more we expand, the more local logging firms profit because they can deliver more and produce more."
Even for Swedwood's competitors, the move is a welcome one.
"One job in a wood processing firm generates six other jobs in related businesses. The investment will help the sector and create possibilities for growth," said Alexander Pažúr, business director at Kronospan Prešov, one of the two domestic wood processors in the country.
An extra benefit
Apart from increasing the efficiency of the industry by allowing more low-grade wood to be used, Swedwood's latest investment is expected to bring a degree of financial responsibility to the sector.
Slovakia's wood industry, which has a 7% share on the country's annual overall industrial production, has suffered from debt problems since the early 1990s.
Privatisations at the start of the decade left former state wood companies in the hands of new owners who rapidly found their firms short of cash and unable to upgrade technologies or pay loggers for the wood they received.
The problem remains, and in January 2001 logging companies' claims amounted to 626 million crowns ($13 million), 400 million of which were deemed irrecoverable by accountants.
But according to Marek Jakoby, an analyst with economic think tank MESA 10, Swedwood's investment may go some way to solving this problem.
"This [Swedwood's] investment will help to unfreeze financial flows in the sector. Loggers could generate more profits and their relations with processing firms could improve. This is a must for the sector," Jakoby said.
"The best thing about Swedwood for us is that we now have long-term contracts and see them as a reliable partner in paying invoices," said Lesy's Vaňo.
"Because of these contracts there will be much better relations between loggers like ourselves and wood processors like Swedwood."
Swedwood's competitors are hoping for the same.
"Today, the biggest problem in the sector is to guarantee payments. In this area companies like Swedwood are expected to have a positive influence," said Kronospan's Pažúr.
According to Swedwood's Sústrik, the roots of such cooperation have already been planted.
"Our mutual trust with logging firms has generated a good climate," he said.


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The UK fared worse than most countries in terms of the economic hit of Covid-19 and, being one of countries most connected by air in the world, it suffered when borders slammed shut.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed just how hard hit the travel sector in the UK has been. In May 2020, turnover in travel and tourism businesses fell to just 26.0 per cent of February levels, compared with 73.6 per cent in all other industries. However, travel agency businesses saw the sharpest decline in turnover, falling to 9.3 per cent of their February levels in May.
The plummeting turnovers in the travel agency sector were further evidenced in research by Travelogix that looks at some 10.5 million transactions made by TMCs in 2019 and 2020. The company reported that the 7.8 million transactions by its clients in 2019 had fallen to just 2.71 million in 2020. Worse still, the company’s research found that average transaction value fell by 64.2 per cent from £296.50 in 2019 to just £106.12 in 2020. In October 2020, the average transaction value fell below zero, reflecting the unsustainable effect of refunds on an industry that is based around transactions.
It was no surprise then when, in October 2020, the Business Travel Association launched a rapid consultation into TMC remuneration models, which looked at subscription models such as those offered by Netflix as a potential way forward which would reduce the dependence on transaction fees.
It is not an easy change from one remuneration model to another. On the face of it, it could look like you are paying more
BTA chief executive Clive Wratten said at the time, “It is not an easy change from one model to another. On the face of it, it could look like you are paying more. When talking to corporate buyers, there is an appetite for the ability to choose what services they have and feel they might get better value for it."
There was good reason for TMCs to be concerned as they fell through the cracks of government support. While the furlough scheme covered people’s salaries if they were not working, the TMC sector had a huge amount to do in order to repatriate travellers and process refund requests.
The support governments around the UK gave the travel sector was uneven too. Holyrood approved a £5 million lifeline for Scottish agencies in December. A scheme followed for Northern Irish agencies in March 2021, but no such support has been forthcoming in England.
In August, BTA chief executive Clive Wratten wrote to the government calling for targeted financial aid to cover TMC employees’ salaries, a 12-month business rates holiday and a 12-month suspension of Air Passenger Duty.
In the event, in November, the furlough scheme was extended into 2021 but other measures were not, leading to ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer to say “It is time this government stepped up and supported the UK travel industry”.
He added, “Other sectors that have been hit hard by the pandemic have received tailored support from the government – but travel has been left waiting in spite of clear evidence of the harm that is being done. While the extension of furlough may seem positive on the face of it, it needs to be much more flexible for it to make a difference to jobs and businesses in the travel sector. Taking into account that staff will have to work on re-bookings and refunds but won’t be generating any income.”
It was perhaps inevitable that some TMCs would not be able to make it through. Business Travel by STA ceased trading in August 2020 followed by Thornton’s Travel in October. The next month oil and gas specialist TMC Horncastle Executive Travel closed its doors for good too, and that wasn't the end of it.
What the future holds for the TMC sector in the UK will depend largely on the vaccine rollout in the face of new variants of concern of Covid. International travel did reopen on 17 May but with many of the key demands of the sector unmet – no reopening of travel between the UK and the US, by far the most important business travel corridor. The traffic light system did include a number of countries for which quarantine was no longer required but the number was limited and still required travellers to undergo expensive testing.
The increased levels of M&A activity in the TMC sector this year suggests that some TMCs can no longer afford to wait for business travel’s recovery
The announcement prompted Scott Davies, CEO of the Institute of Travel Management to say: "It’s encouraging to hear that the government’s global travel taskforce recognises the importance of meeting face-to-face, that international travel reunites people and is crucial to rebuilding the UK economy. The announcement of the 12 green list countries is a very tentative step towards unlocking travel [but it] is primarily going to benefit the leisure travel industry."
He added: "It’s not going to make much difference to the business travel sector. The traffic light system and its different testing, quarantine and isolation protocols are complex and will deter companies from booking business travel unless it’s absolutely essential. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction towards facilitating business travel. But there’s still a way to go in terms of vaccination programmes and consistent Covid testing regimes globally to ensure the safe return of significant levels of business travel."
The increased levels of M&A activity in the TMC sector this year suggests that some TMCs can no longer afford to wait for business travel’s recovery.
Discover the background to Europe’s multinational TMCs whose presence span the continent, read analysis of the UK, French and German TMC markets, and explore the mergers and acquisitions reshaping the industry


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Kia Is Officially, and Surprisingly, a Luxury Brand
The brand has shed its humble image to become a high-end contender.
In the past 10 years, hundreds of thousands of KIA cars were recalled due to corrosive control arms, steering loss, and disruptive breaks and faulty engines, among other issues. While KIA has a history of flawed manufacturing, the brand has recently changed its image to become a more high-end, reliable car company.
KIA started its reputation revamp in 2015, when it decided to partner with Lebron James. James, who has been driving a K900 for years, collaborated with the company to release a 2016 model complete with enhanced technological and design aspects.
“LeBron is pushing people to question everything they think they know about our brand, and we could not be more proud of the fact that he can often be seen driving in and around the Cleveland area in a Kia K900,” said Tim Chaney, KIA’s VP of marketing communications.
In 2016, KIA ranked 69 on Interbrand’s list of “100 Best Global Brands,” alongside corporate giants like Facebook, Amazon, Nissan, and BMW. The brand’s value today is estimated at more than $6 billion—more than 6.5 times higher than its value in 2007.
The company is also adding celebrity endorsements and advertisements to its repertoire. KIA recently partnered with Madmen star Christina Hendricks in a commercial for its 2017 Cadenza, its high-ranking premium Sedan. This past September, KIA made its debut at New York Fashion Week, showcasing the Cadenza and the new 2018 Stinger at events hosted by Eva Longoria, Rosario Dawson and Kristin Cavallari.
KIA’s new luxury image is about more than just partnerships. The models themselves are redesigned and well-made with unique features and advanced technology. Recent successes include the 2017 KIA Soul Turbo and the 2018 Stinger.
The KIA Soul Turbo has 201-horsepower 1.6-liter engine. The small, sporty crossover is deceivingly roomy, with five seats and a large trunk. The 2018 model goes for roughly $28,000 and features a chrome grille, Apple CarPlay, a telescopic steering column, a heated steering wheel and an LCD screen meter. In case you were wondering, the Scion xB and the Nissan Cube inspired the Soul’s modern and sleek design.
The 2018 Stinger features up to 365-horsepower, making it faster than the 440i BMW Gran Coupe and the Porsche Panamera RWD V6. It also contains Aircraft-inspired interior upholstered with Nappa leather, its rounded elegant hood, drive and blind-spot warning systems and Android Audio. Let's not forget the Brembo brakes.
KIA has totally revamped its image and has the revenue to boot. The company sold more than 3 million cars in 2016, and just opened a new manufacturing plant in Mexico that will create 10,000 jobs by the end of this year. The KIA Stinger and the KIA Picanto are also on track to win “Car of the Year” in Australia next month.


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WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - President Barack Obama took steps on Tuesday aimed at curbing what the White House called frivolous lawsuits over patent infringement, directing his administration to craft new regulations and urging Congress to pass new laws.
The president's package of proposed legislation and rule-making takes aim at suits brought by companies - disparagingly called "patent trolls" - that do not make or sell anything but merely license patents and sue others for infringement.
Such lawsuits have ballooned in recent years, creating expense and aggravation for businesses, particularly in the technology sector.
Cisco Systems Inc, Apple Inc, Google Inc and other big technology companies have been pushing for legislation that would reduce the number of times each year that they are sued for infringement by "patent trolls." Cisco, among others, has been further aggravated by companies that sue its customers - often stores and coffee shops - alleging infringement of certain patents merely because they provide Wi-Fi services or have a website.
The White House called on Congress to pass legislation to make it easier for a federal judge to award legal fees to the winner of a patent case if the judge deems the lawsuit abusive.
It also asked lawmakers to require companies that sue for infringement to have updated ownership information on file with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Obama's actions were aimed at improving incentives for high-tech innovation, a major driver of economic growth, the White House said in a statement.
"Stopping this drain on the American economy will require swift legislative action, and we are encouraged by the attention the issue is receiving in recent weeks," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
The White House said Obama took executive action to direct the Patent and Trademark Office to construct new regulations that would make it harder for "patent trolls" to hide their activities using shell companies, the White House said.


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SoftBank Group reported the highest ever quarterly profit for a Japanese company Wednesday thanks to an unprecedented windfall from its Vision Fund, whose ¥2.3 trillion profit was supercharged by the blockbuster IPO for Coupang in March. Net income was ¥1.93 trillion ($17.7 billion) for the three months ended March 31, Bloomberg reports.
Meanwhile, the microchips may be down, but Toyota has managed to navigate the pandemic and its economic fallout for fiscal 2020, boosting its net profit by 10% from the previous year to ¥2.25 trillion, Kazuaki Nagata reports. The firm also revealed Wednesday a projection that about 80% of new car sales by 2030 will be electric vehicles, including hybrids.
Crisis-hit Nissan, meanwhile, narrowed its net loss to ¥448.7 billion for the fiscal year, from a loss of ¥671.2 billion a year earlier, beating its own forecast — though the carmaker warned Tuesday that the outlook remains clouded by the global chip shortage.
With international travel still mostly on pause, the year hasn’t been as kind to Japan’s airlines. The parent of All Nippon Airways reported a record net loss of ¥404.62 billion last month for fiscal 2020. And on Friday, Japan Airlines announced a hit of ¥286.69 billion for the business year, JAL’s first red ink since relisting in 2012 following business rehabilitation.


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Protectionism on the rise
The timing - on the brink of Brexit - of the Department of Finance’s public consultation on anti-transfer pricing tax rules is not ideal
When the history of the early 21st century is being written, I wonder if commentators will identify the rise of protectionism as a phenomenon. We have seen a dwindling of confidence in liberal trade values in the last decade.
This has made it difficult to get the likes of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the proposed new US/EU trade agreement across the line. The Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, the trade deal between the EU...
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Private rental sector remains strong despite Covid-19
Demand continues to outstrip supply in both residential and PRS markets, while developers adapt new build designs to take the pandemic into account
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Comment: US must defuse Covid-19’s ticking time bomb of debt
The United States cannot defeat the pandemic like a military foe but it can learn from looking back at its post-war economic recovery


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When you give Dr. Craig Forest an inch, he takes a mile. The mild-mannered Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Georgia Tech helped set up the Invention Studio on the first floor of a nondescript engineering building at the heart of the university’s verdant campus. Founded in 2009, the 3,000 square-foot space grew and grew, eventually taking over the entire lobby and multiple workshops. The Studio, which features 3D printers, laser cutters, injection molding machines, and literally everything else a maker could want, is now a powerhouse and sponsors line up to donate cash to the free, 24-hour hacker space.
“A lot of the students who came out of here have started their own companies. They instantly know how to design and build things,” said Forest as he took me through the studio. There are millions of dollars worth of equipment, all available at all hours, and the studio is entirely student-run with experienced mentors who train newbies on the machinery. Forest says there’s a culture of safety that ensures no one slices off a pinkie on the metal saw or lases an elbow on the cutter.
The layout will be familiar to anyone who’s ever been in a high school wood shop but the tools are much cooler and there’s no grumpy proctor managing the gear. Students can do almost everything in the shop except sell the things they produce – it ensures nobody mass produces a thousand widgets on school hardware – and it’s entirely sponsorship-driven with sponsoring companies getting their pick of the engineers that come out of the program.
Other schools are trying to copy the Invention Studio on their own campuses, a sign that the idea has enormous potential. By bringing tech, academia, and students’ innate creativity together in one place, Georgia Tech has created a clubhouse, hideout, and imaginarium all in one sprawling floor.


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ORLANDO, Florida — In preparation for the 2013-14 school year, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida is asking parents and students to consider donating and shopping at the nonprofit’s retail stores. Not only do they boast a wide variety of name brand and fashionable clothing, proceeds from sales of donated items help people with barriers to employment find work.
“At Goodwill, it’s easy for young people to make a big impact in the community,” said Bill Oakley, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “Simply by cleaning out their closets, donating those items to us and shopping at our stores, they are helping to change the lives of others.”
When Goodwill sells donated items, the revenue funds job training programs and community-based services for people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience, or who have other challenges to finding employment.
“Our job training and placement services helped more than 17,000 people – just this year. That wouldn’t have been possible without the revenue generated from the sales of donated items at our Central Florida stores,” added Oakley.
2013 back-to-school shoppers can find everything from clothes and school supplies to books, electronics and sports equipment at their local Goodwill stores. To find the nearest location, visit www.goodwillcfl.org.


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With Christmas and New Year parties just around the corner, health authorities on Tuesday issued 16 food safety tips for the holiday season.
The Food and Drug Administration said the tips aim to help people avoid becoming ill due to contaminated food.
"During the holiday rush, consumers must always remember to be very careful in the selection, purchase, preparation, handling and storage of food," acting FDA director Kenneth Hartigan-Go said in Health Advisory 2012-015.
The advisory dated Nov. 12 was posted on the FDA website only on Tuesday.
He said symptoms of foodborne illnesses usually include vomiting, diarrhea and flu-like symptoms, which could manifest a few hours or days after consuming contaminated food.
Severe symptoms include hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, cholera, typhoid fever, amoebiasis, and food poisoning.
Food safety tips
When buying and preparing food, FDA advises the following, as posted in their advisory:
1. Buy from reputable food sources.
2. Check the physical condition of the product. Canned goods should not be dented, bulging, or deformed.
3. Read food labels, including ingredients and allergens declaration. Avoid foods if you are sensitive or concerned about certain food ingredients.
4. Check open date marking (expiry, 'consume before' or 'best before' date) for perishable products.
5. Double-check on Holiday Promo items, including "Buy 1 Take 1" and "Freebies," which should still be within the safety guarantee period.
6. Avoid unlabeled repacked food said to be the same as or made by the manufacturers of known food products. These must bear the proper label information and prepared in a hygienic facility and manner.
7. Buy fruits and vegetables that are fresh. Wash them thoroughly with running water before cooking or eating.
8. Wash your hands thoroughly before, during and after food preparation, after using the toilet, and as often as necessary.
9. Prepare food only in clean work area using clean containers, utensils, cutting boards and sponges.
10. Before buying street food, check if it was prepared, cooked, and handled in a hygienic manner.
11. Cook food at the proper temperature.
12. Keep food out of the danger zone temperature range (5 to 60 degrees Celsius) for more than two hours. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.
13. Keep food covered to prevent insects from coming in.
14. Refrigerate and/or properly store leftovers promptly.
15. Immediately discard spoiled and suspected spoiled food. Reheating or recooking these will not help.
16. Eat and drink alcohol moderately.
–KG, GMA News