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By Sarah Scully
Irma Galvan used to drive eight hours to Mexico to find the pablano peppers and Mexican spices she wanted for her namesake restaurant near Minute Maid Park. That was 25 years ago. Now, like a growing numbers of chefs in Houston, she can find those ingredients from Houston's Sysco Corp., as well as at local farmers markets.
Here and across the country, a growing number of Latin flavors are becoming more popular, as consumers still want tacos but also seek out pupusas, empanadas and ceviche.
Restaurateurs and suppliers are getting in on the trend, offering up a wider variety of ingredients. And Houston-based Sysco is seeking to become a larger player in the field.
For the last 2½ years, Sysco has been doing research on how to better serve restaurants offering Hispanic foods, with a goal of doubling its market share in the next two to three years.
"Muy bueno" translates to "very good" referring to the taste of fresh melons sold at the wholesale produce market on Airline Drive.
"It's no secret this is the fastest-growing market segment in the U.S.," said Diego Rondon, who heads the initiative for Sysco.
Sysco, one of Houston's biggest companies by annual revenue, delivers food from suppliers to restaurants, hospitals and schools across the country. A pending merger with US Foods would significantly increase its reach if approved by regulators.
Last year, Sysco tried out its research and outreach initiative in five markets - Dallas, metropolitan New York, Los Angeles and Riverside, Calif.; and Miami. This year the company has expanded to 10 more markets, including Houston.
Major outreach effort
Sysco is staffing more bilingual salespeople and people who are knowledgable about Hispanic foods and cultures. More of its marketing campaigns use Spanish, and Rondon said that when Sysco markets to Hispanic restaurants, it gets better responses to its Spanish email newsletters than its English ones. The company, last month, launched Sobremesa, a site in English and Spanish with information about Hispanic flavors, recipes and attracting millenials.
Sysco focuses on independent restaurants specializing in Hispanic foods and suspects it already has 10 to 15 percent of that $10 billion market nationwide. Sysco declined to give numbers on its sales of Hispanic products.
Last week, Mauricio Funes presented breakfast pupusas, chicken tamales, curtido - like a spicy Salvadoran coleslaw - and corn and sweet potato drinks in Sysco's test kitchen in Houston. Funes opened El Pupusaton, a Salvadoran restaurant, in northeast Houston 20 years ago. This month he closed the restaurant - he has a second location still open in Spring Branch - to turn it into a commercial kitchen.
Five years ago Funes started selling his frozen pupusas at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, and in the last year the business has taken off.
He started working with Sysco last fall to expand sales across the U.S. and turn more of his recipes into retail products.
"As we're exporting out of the state, things have picked up a lot," Funes said.
Sysco has also helped him find ingredients as his company, Grupo Salvatex, grows. Some ingredients, such as banana leaves for the tamales, Funes still has to import from El Salvador. He said he tried Mexican plantain leaves, but they didn't have the same flexibility and broke when folded around the corn masa.
Ideas for other uses
As Sysco employees tasted Funes' food, they threw around ideas for how else the products could be used in Hispanic and other restaurants.
"How about that as a sauce for fish?" Sysco corporate executive chef Neil Doherty said after tasting the sweet and thick corn and sweet potato drinks. Lucio Amador, the Houston sales and marketing associate who brought Funes to Sysco, suggested they could be seasonal soups.
Mini-pupusas - though harder to make - would be great for catering, Funes said.
Funes doesn't expect most of his customers to be Salvadoran - at his restaurants they usually aren't. More often they're people who have been introduced to Salvadoran food but don't know how to make pupusas themselves.
"He's taken authentic and been able to manufacture it without adding preservatives and without additives," Doherty said.
Houston restaurateur Galvan, a longtime Sysco customer, has given the company a few tips and is working with it to get a better selection of spices. She orders rice, beans and cheese - Oaxaca, cotija, queso fresco - through Sysco, from brands she's been using for years.
In the early days, Galvan would drive to Matamoros and Laredo, Mexico, to buy fresh poblano peppers, dried hibiscus petals and cumin. Finding these ingredients, at least at the quality she wanted, was harder to do in Houston when she opened her restaurant in 1989.
Now she buys from Sysco as well as area growers in what is still a highly fragmented market.
On Tuesday, Galvan visited the farmers markets on Airline Drive, where she goes two to three times a week to pick out fresh produce and spices. She weeded through bunches of cilantro.
"See, I would not buy this because the sun's already hit it, and it's getting wilted," she said. The vendor pulled out another crate of cilantro - stiff-stemmed and bright green, the leaves fanned out in all directions. A van came by, and a few guys hopped out and bought the first crate. This is why Irma trusts no one else to do her shopping.
Behind Canino's, where wholesalers sell vegetables by the crate and spices by the pound, most of the signs are in Spanish. Bags of flakey foot-long cinnamon sticks are labeled "canela." Discussions of price and freshness are conducted in Spanish. The market supplies a number of Hispanic restaurants in Houston.
"Mexican restaurants are doing really, really well," Galvan said. "Even the gringos are putting up Mexican restaurants."
A growth trend
And the opportunity for Sysco and others only looks to keep growing.
In 2013, 17 percent of Americans identified as Hispanic, according to census data. But across demographics, Americans' appetite for Latino flavors is increasing.
Sales at order-at-the-counter Mexican restaurants, including places like Chipotle and Taco Bell, grew 6.1 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to food industry research firm Technomic. Full-service Mexican restaurant sales grew 3.4 percent in the same period. Both were higher than the 3.2 percent overall restaurant industry growth.
Across restaurant menus, the number of Mexican entrees rose by 5 percent between 2008 and 2013, Technomic said. And research firm IBISWorld expects 2.6 percent growth in Mexican restaurants annually through 2019.
With Americans traveling and becoming more adventurous in their eating, they're looking increasingly for authenticity.
"The growing demographics, in Houston particularly, are having an impact on the type of food that we are being exposed to," said Laura Murillo, CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Murillo noted the growing presence of Hispanic foods and flavors in grocery stores, Campbell's soup, and restaurants that are not traditionally Hispanic.
"You can't ignore this market. You just can't," Murillo said.
In 2013 Hispanics made up 43.7 percent of Houston's population; a third of Houston's population was Mexican, according to census data. Texas had the third-largest number of Hispanic-owned businesses, at 20.7 percent, in 2007, according to census data, coming in behind Florida and New Mexico.
A deeper look
Part of Sysco's research has been into the subsets of different areas. Houston is home to a lot of Mexicans and Central Americans, while South Florida is more Hispanic Caribbean and South American, said Sysco's head of marketing, Bill Goetz. Galvan, for one, calls herself "a Texas-born Mexican."
With such a variety of competitors out there, it's hard to assess Sysco's competition, analysts said. BB&T Capital Markets analyst Andrew Wolfe said that companies do well when they have knowledgable salespeople to work with customers at a local level.
"The good thing about this segment is they're hungry, for information, for help," Rondon said. "The engagement has been tremendous."
At a meeting in St. Louis two weeks ago, restaurant owners told Rondon they needed a more culturally aware and bilingual sales force to help them find ingredients. Several asked for help on reaching customers through social media. Rondon said Sysco might help with that in the future, or connect restaurant owners with other partners.
Suppliers are also responding to demand, and offering more authentic ingredients, Rondon said.
"There's a wider variety of Hispanic flavors coming in, and that's because people have been primed," said Chris Tripoli, president of A'La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group in Houston. It started with Mexican food, and now "those same people are enjoying the street tacos and the smoked Yucatan seafood wrapped in banana leaves."
About a third of A'La Carte's business comes from established restaurant groups in Mexico who want to bring their services to the United States. A Mexican client with restaurants in Acapulco and Mexico City has plans to open a spot - Peska - near the Galleria in March, with a Latin fusion menu. Economic opportunity in the U.S. is attracting the restaurateurs, he said.
Tripoli's staff is bilingual and draws up recipe books and staff handbooks for restaurants in English and Spanish.
He's also seen more interest among distributors in carrying a great variety of Hispanic products that they might have passed over before.
'A worldly city'
"Houston is such a worldly city," he said. "It means that we're a good pocket for entertaining development of worldly foods."
And that gives Sysco an opportunity to sell into its home base as well as move local products into other markets.
For example, with Sysco's help, the company says, Funes' pupusas could find a new home in, say, restaurants in Idaho, in a matter of weeks.
© 2017 Hearst Newspapers, LLC.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bullards Spirits is celebrating a sensational win as its Norwich Dry Gin is named the World's Best London Dry Gin in the World Gin Awards 2017.
Following rigorous taste testing conducted by a leading panel of influencial judges, Bullards Norwich Dry Gin was shortlisted among nine other gins from around the world in the World's Best London Dry Gin category. And finally, after months of waiting, last night it was announced the overall winner.
Now, with this top accolade under its belt, Bullards Spirits is hoping to put its flagship Norwich Dry Gin firmly on the map at home and abroad.
“The award for the World's Best London Dry Gin in the World Drinks Awards has come as a complete shock, but a huge pat on the back for everything we've achieved in just a year since we launched,” explains Russell Evans, co-founder of Bullards Spirits. “Our distiller, Peter Smith, is one of the youngest distillers in the UK and has so many innovative ideas and expertise to bring to our brand. We only launched a year ago, but already we are achieving more than we thought possible.”
Bullards Spirits is the only gin distillery in Norfolk and the first to use Tonka Bean in its recipe. Now with this prestigious accolade, the brand is looking to make its mark nationally and internationally and has even undergone a modern rebrand to give it greater presence.
“Our new labels really reflect the quality and USP of Bullards Gin and prove that we are now ready to target new customers across the UK and beyond, both in the on-trade and in retail,” adds Russell.
2017 is set to be an exciting year for the fledging brand, with the new packaging just a starting point for many exciting things to come.
Bullards Spirits produces Norwich Dry Gin and Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin. It is based at the Ten Bells Pub in Norwich, owned by Greene King, and boasts its own
on-site gin distillery and guided tours. For more information visit www.bullardsspirits.co.uk or contact company director, Craig Allison, on 07762139858 or email firstname.lastname@example.org
For images, samples or interviews please contact Nikki Whiteford on 07733 261843 or email email@example.com
Small, boutique gin distillery based in Norwich making Norwich Dry Gin and Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin
27 Apr 2017 13:15
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It appears that there is an inflow of mid-range smartphones arriving with a premium feel, thanks to the luxurious appeal of the chassis that these devices are adorned with. The latest such handset to join in the race is the LG Zero.
Fans may take delight in the fact that the manufacturer has finally unveiled a smartphone with a full metal form factor. According to report on Tech Radar, the LG Zero has an “Arc Glass” design, boasting of a solid aluminum casing which gives it a sleeker look.
This mid-range smartphone features a 5-inch display with 1,280 x 720 resolution and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core chip and 1.5GB RAM. The storage on the device reads out to be 16GB and it sports a micro-SD card slot. It is fueled by a 2,050mAh battery and runs Android Lollipop. Fans wanting to get hold of this device could probably keep their fingers crossed in the hope that this may receive a Marshmallow update.
While that remains to be seen, the aspect that stands-out on this mid-range handset is its 13MP primary snapper and an 8MP secondary camera for clicking those selfies. The snappers are right in-line with the ones on the company’s current flagship – LG G4. So those wanting a good camera on a device that sits somewhere in the middle of the pack, may want to check this option out. The handset will come dipped in shades of silver and gold for buyers to choose from.
As per Engadget, the device will become available in Taiwan starting this week, and then will gradually be rolled out to markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America. The handset will be dubbed as the LG Class when it lands in Germany, Korea, Russia or Singapore.
The details on the pricing in the respective regions will become available once the LG Zero begins shipping. Keep coming back to check for updates.


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Now Silicon Valley techies think they can live for ever
Arram Sabeti pulled back his T-shirt sleeve to reveal a disc about the size of a £2 coin implanted in his shoulder. “It’s a glucose monitor,” he said proudly. “I change it every two weeks.”
Sabeti is not diabetic. At 31, he is trim and, as he said proudly, “pretty damn healthy”. But he likes to watch, in real time, as his body reacts to what he eats.
Sabeti, founder of ZeroCater, a kind of high-end Deliveroo for businesses, wants to live for a long time. A very long time.
Every three months he endures a battery of metabolic and body composition tests, as well as a blood panel, then collects all the data and stores it in an ever-growing spreadsheet. He takes metformin, a


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Want to join the conversation?
Barry McCarver of Stephens asks about the new contracted revenue of $40MM under the fiber segment. $CSAL CEO Kenny Gunderman said some of this will actually be hitting the income statement this year and then there will be some in 2017 and 2018.
$DB is going to cut off services for about 3,400 clients in equities trading.
$F stock slid more than 2% after the company issued two safety recalls involving more than 650,000 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ model cars.
The new CEO of $SBUX, Kevin Johnson, has some pretty large shoes to fill but there are many who have good faith in his ability to do so.
$TSLA opening a showroom in Michigan. A bold move !!


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Even though customers in deregulated cities routinely pay more for electricity, there is a bright spot. The gap between the average price paid for electricity between deregulated cities like Houston and regulated cities like San Antonio have dwindled to the narrowest point ever to 8.8 percent. Back in 2006, customers in deregulated cities were paying nearly 47 percent more for electricity than their counterparts in regulated cities.
Texas deregulated most of the state's electricity markets in 2002, a move aimed at lowering electricity costs by letting consumers choose their own electric power providers and their own plans. Some parts of Texas continued to be regulated, including those that get power from municipal utilities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities that operate outside the state's primary power grid.
Energy deregulation in Texas means you have the opportunity to shop electric companies to find the one that's right for you. What are the best electricity companies? That depends on what YOU want. Here at SaveOnEnergy.com®, we work with nearly all the top electric companies to make sure you'll get reliable, straightforward service and plans, regardless of the retail electricity provider you choose.


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McDonald's is being sued by a California mother of two who claims the fast-food chain's advertising violates California consumer protection laws, luring children into its restaurants by offering toys in its famous Happy Meals.
Because of the popularity of its Happy Meals, McDonald's is one of the top toy distributors in the world. McDonald's is not alone in enjoying the success of kids' meals; chains including Wendy's Arby's, Taco Bell and Burger King, among others, also offer free toys in their kids' meals.
Happy Meal toys and other fast-food kids' meals toys have been called into question lately after a New York City councilman, following in the footsteps of a measure adopted in San Francisco last year, proposed that free toys be banned from fast-food meals intended to appeal to children unless the meals meet certain healthfulness guidelines.
Parham admitted she often says "no" to her kids when they ask for Happy Meals, leading McDonald's to counter that "she was not misled by any advertising, nor did she rely on any information from McDonald's."
"In short, advertising to children any product that a child asks for but the parent does not want to buy would constitute an unfair trade practice," McDonald's said, in describing their argument against the lawsuit.


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Zooming in on 2021
In the brave new world of virtual industry events, webinars and Zoom meetings are proving surprisingly good substitutes for real-life seminars. The Perennial Plant Association put on a great one in September: “Looking Forward to 2021.”
Five speakers represented a broad green swath: public gardens, wholesale growers and retail IGCs, all sharing their remarkably similar COVID-19 pandemic responses.
Art Vanden Enden, Vice President, Garden Centre Operations, Sheridan Nurseries, Canada. (Wholesale/retail, eight IGCs.): Early 2020 looked like a washout. But once allowed to open, “Retail business recovery was miraculous. It’s a record year for outdoor living.” Sheridan suspended programs like kids’ activities, public events, photo ops, even plant warranties. They streamlined, trimmed hours to avoid employee burnout and diligently enforced safety protocols.
“Where’s the bottleneck in your business?” Art asked. “You need to turn guests faster.” That sounds cold, but getting customers out the door quickly, or keeping them in their cars, isn’t just better for your bottom line. It’s good customer service.
Kristen Thoroman, Director of Education and Exhibitions, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia: Her theme: “Pause, Pivot, Reimagine.” Ginter’s garden shop converted to online selling and contactless pickup. Musical events were spread to multiple locations, avoiding crowding. Big weddings: Out. Mini-weddings and elopements: In. “Catered elopement” would normally be oxymoronic, but “normal” has been
Unlike retailers, public gardens cannot recoup lost revenue. To compensate, Ginter’s gardeners are leaving perennials in the ground for next year, buying fewer plants in. Kristen summed up, “A smaller budget just means more creativity.”
Heather Wheatley, Educational Coordinator, Homestead Gardens, Maryland (Retail IGC/wholesale landscape contractor supplier. Since they service farmers, they stayed open with limits.): Her theme: “The Retail Rebuild.”
Their new 30-acre “agrotourism” campus with brewery, restaurant and wedding venue was heavily impacted. Their website became hugely important: “E-commerce is something we’re going to have forever. Our whole goal is to grow gardeners.”
James Gagliardi, Supervisory Horticulturist, Smithsonian Institution: The “nation’s attic” has 13 gardens. Gardening around the National Mall always has challenges, but most stem from too many people, not too few. “It was a beautiful spring in D.C.,” James said, but nobody came to see it. Downtown crowds dwindled by 90%. The gardens closed just before their biggest visitation time.
Government funding conveys no immunity to funding cuts, layoffs and ensuing maintenance problems. The gardens finally reopened in mid-August, with closed bathrooms, bare soil and signage stressing hygiene, distancing and face-covering.
Taylor Pilker, co-owner, Cavano’s Perennials, Maryland (Wholesale): Taylor closed the proceedings stirringly, recapping challenges met and lessons learned. Each generation learns this one: hard times can be good times. Said Taylor, “When we face challenges, we grow gardens.” Speaking not just of our industry, but of humankind, he said, “We’re a resilient species. We not only survive, we thrive in tough circumstances.”
• We’ve gained 16 million new customers. Help them! Don’t insult, don’t assume. I’ve told gardening groups, “Never feed a dry root” almost apologetically, but they wrote it down.
• Don’t plan for 2021 assuming COVID-19 is suddenly “solved.”
• After-hours activities have gone prime time. Let guests see you sanitizing carts and surfaces. Wear the mask. Walk the talk.
• Think protocol slippage won’t hurt business? Wrong. When my local beer distributor scoffed at masks after a month, I changed vendors.
• Adapt. As Art said, “The historical guide on what we can accomplish has been thrown out the window.” GP
John Friel is marketing manager for Emerald Coast Growers and a freelance writer.


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According to Brian Murphy of the Idaho American Statesman, Nike and Boise State have agreed to terms on a new uniform and merchandising deal with more than $6.24 million for 6 years. The deal is still waiting approval from the State Board of Education (who meets this week), but that seems like a formality at this point.
An excerpt from the article:
Under three existing contracts with Nike, Boise State receives approximately $280,000 per year in cash and products.
Under the new deal — which includes all sports in a single contract — the Broncos will receive $6 million worth of product and equipment.
Breakdown by year:
2013-14: $1 million
2014-15: $1 million
2015-16: $1.15 million
2016-17: $1.15 million
Additionally, the contract calls for an additional $75,000 per year in product allowance when the Broncos’ football program joins the Big East.


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SPC has announced the sale of its iconic IXL Jam and Taylor’s Marinade and Sauces brands to the Kyabram Conserves company for an undisclosed fee.
SPC Managing Director Reg Weine said the new owners would retain the existing workforce and continue local production of both brands from the existing site in Kyabram.
“We welcome the commitments from the new owners for continued local production and jobs, and a continued focus on delighting Australians with this world-class range of jams, sauces and marinades,” he stated.
He said the sale was a good outcome for both brands and good news for the Goulburn Valley.
“IXL and Taylor’s are great brands, but the Spreads and Sauces/Marinades categories were a small part of the SPC portfolio and it was better we focused on areas where we have a more distinct competitive advantage,” Mr Weine continued.
“However, we had a great sense of responsibility in ensuring these heritage brands found a good home and that’s been achieved in this sale.”
Founded by Henry Jones in Hobart in 1891 as H. Jones & Company, IXL was acquired by SPC in 2004 and has since become the no.2 selling Jam brand in Australia, behind Cottee’s owned by Heinz.


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Google is making its wearable computing device, Glass, available today. For one day only, people can buy Glass for $1,500 plus tax. Buyers can choose from plain lenses, prescription lenses or sunglasses.
Until now, only people handpicked by Google had access to the device, through Google's Glass Explorer program.
The device allows people to constantly monitor e-mail and calls, surf the web and take photos and videos, which has raised privacy concerns.
Scott Stein, a senior editor for CNET, has been using Google Glass since it first came out last year, and tells Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson whether Glass is worth all the hype.
This segment aired on April 15, 2014.


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Forget the Post Office, now the Waffle House wants to get into the business of providing innovative ways to have packages delivered. The Wall Street Journal reports:
In the latest bid to disrupt FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc., startup Roadie Inc. aims to entice college students and other travelers to earn some extra pocket money by delivering packages on the way to where they’re already going.
Waffle House Inc. will unveil a partnership Tuesday to become part of the network of pickup points for the service, offering a place for drivers to rendezvous with both senders and receivers.
Roadie is still small but it joins Lyft, which lets you get a ride from work with the click of an app and Airbnb, which lets you find a place to crash for the night via your smart phone, as innovators.
Waffle House has more than 1,700 locations in 25 states and plans to use those restaurants as the launching pad and hub for delivery service activity. They say that possible earnings for drivers could be substantial.
Still very early, but if Roadie is workable, it would put Waffle House in direct competition with the U.S. Post Service, FedEx, and even Amazon which has been innovating in getting deliveries to customers as quickly as possible. Uber has also been experimenting with delivery services over the past few years from fresh groceries to household items.
We don’t know if Roadie will fail or prosper, but we do know that this is an example of the market at work: the market throws up new services and products and they rise or fall because of market-driven factors. If it succeeds, it will be because it finds a way to deliver a great new service people want. If it fails, it won’t cost the taxpayer a cent.
The Fiscal Times explains how the system will work:
If there’s one thing the sharing economy needed more of, it’s waffles. Now it’s getting them.
Waffle House’s 24-hour diners will serve as part of a network of meeting points for those senders and drivers, or drivers and package recipients — putting the restaurant chain firmly in the territory of FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. Roadie drivers can get a free waffle for downloading the app and a free drink when they make a delivery (plus 80 percent of the fee Roadie gets, which reportedly will range from $12 to $200).
Roadie just launched in the Southeast last month… For now, though, the app has only been downloaded about 7,500 times, according to The Wall Street Journal, and Roadie drivers have only been asked to deliver about 50 items.
Roadie will undoubtedly face some challenges as it looks to grow, like making sure drivers aren’t used to deliver contraband or illegal items — an issue that has resulted in legal troubles for the much larger FedEx and UPS — and convincing would-be drivers to go out of their way, even briefly, for a few extra bucks.
Millennials love innovation –especially when new companies use technology to deliver the goods and services we rely on in a more efficient, less costly way. Most Americans like to get more options and quantities what they want at lower prices.
However, not everyone is hot on innovation: established industries. As we've seen how the taxicab industry has responded to Uber and Lyft, cronyism fights back against market competition by running to government to secure new protections and regulations to keep entrepreneurs and innovators out of.
The tidal wave of what is called the sharing economy is too much to ignore though. The global sharing economy market was valued at $26 billion in 2013 and some predict it will grow to become a $110 billion revenue market in the coming years, making it larger than the U.S. chain restaurant industry. While still new and largely concentrated in urban areas with Millennials, there is tremendous room for growth among a generation that sees social, environmental, and fiscal value in sharing or renting the assets we own.
Roadie must address challenges over whether this service can be safe and convenient, and it will likely face legal battles from established businesses that try to close down competition. If ride-sharing is any indication of the fight ahead, Roadie may want to start thinking through contingency plans for legal battles now.


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The Canadian economy has seen its own high’s and low’s in recent years. In the beginning of 2013, their GDP had grown 0.7% with an annualized rate just below 3%. Domestic demand has been slowly increased per household with a final consumption expenditure of +0.8%. Business gross fixed capital has seen a half percent decline, however investment inventories have rose. The 2% increase in economy growth experienced last year is a good prediction that this year will be continuing along those trends. A selection of top Canadian company logos from large businesses among multiple industries in Canada are compiled below.
The Canadian automobile manufacturing industry has seen a rapid growth of 0.2% in their economy. This was double the original prediction expected for this industry. The rise in manufacturing proves to be a positive indicator of expected sales to come. This years GDP is predicted to hit 2.7%in 2014.
Last month, more than 2 million people visited Brandon's blog. He shares exactly how he took his blog from zero to 1 million monthly visitors here. His path to success was not easy. Brandon had to comeback from being disabled, by a rare health disorder, for most of his thirties. God delivered him from hardship and has blessed his family in so many wonderful ways. You can send Brandon a message here.


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The first thing you need to do is choose a news reader, if you already don't have one. This is a piece of software that checks feeds you have requested and lets you read any new articles that have been added. There are various types of news reader. You should choose one that will work with your computer’s operating system.
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Turkey’s tobacco exports surged to $90.3 million in July, a 120 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) data.
Turkey is expected to export over $1 billion worth of tobacco this year, surpassing $845 million worth of tobacco exports last year.
The tobacco sector was the second-highest exporter in July after the olive and olive oil sector. The sector’s exports increased to $90.3 million in July from $41 million last July. Most tobacco was exported from the Aegean province of İzmir, Istanbul and the southern province of Mersin. Most of the tobacco, meanwhile, was exported to Belgium.
200 billion liras spent on cigarettes in last 10 years
Around 200 billion Turkish Liras has been spent on cigarettes in Turkey over the last decade, according to Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority (TAPDK) data.
While consumers spent $5.5 billion for around 108 million cigarettes in 2003, they spent around $15 billion for 99 million cigarettes in 2012 mainly due to higher taxes. Turkey now obtains more than $10 billion in tax revenues per year from cigarettes, according to Finance Ministry data. HUrriyet Daily News
Related News in English
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|By PR Newswire||
|November 18, 2012 02:39 AM EST||
NORWICH, N.Y., Nov. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder of Chobani, has been named the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2012 Overall Award winner. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award is the country's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award encourages entrepreneurial activity and recognizes leaders and visionaries who demonstrate innovation, financial success and personal commitment as they create and build world-class businesses.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59137-ernst-young-national-entrepreneur-of-the-year-hamdi-ulukaya-greek-yogurt
Ulukaya was recognized for bringing together his passion and entrepreneurial vision to turn a start-up yogurt company into a catalyst for America's Greek yogurt boom that has since changed the way U.S. consumers think about and eat yogurt, ultimately initiating a health revolution. He was honored at the Entrepreneur Of The Year gala, the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum® in Palm Springs, Calif. The Forum is the nation's premier gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. Awards were given in ten additional categories. All Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges from 244 regional award recipients.
"Entrepreneurs continue to be a driving force in leading the economic recovery. Their ability to see around corners and find new, better ways of doing things makes them an engine of growth," said Bryan Pearce, Americas Director, Entrepreneur Of The Year, Ernst & Young LLP. "Ulukaya's ability to not only see an opportunity in the market, but to reinvigorate and innovate an entire product category is inspiring."
Ulukaya was recognized with the Retail and Consumer Products category award, besting other nine category winners to take home top honors. In addition to Ulukaya, the 2012 Entrepreneur Of The Year winners include:
- Media, Entertainment and Communications: Michael T. Fries, President and CEO, Liberty Global: recognized for his foresight and ability to expand into regions of the world not yet explored by other cable providers.
- Real Estate, Construction and Lodging: Gary Jabara, President and CEO, Mobilitie, LLC: recognized for his ability to employ a unique business model to build a trusted company that is now considered the premier provider of wireless coverage solutions.
- Distribution and Manufacturing: Eric Lofquist, Founder, Co-owner and President / CEO, Magnus International Group: recognized for his leadership in transforming vegetable oils and naturally derived emulsions into sustainable global products.
- Emerging: Tonya Mallory, President, CEO and Co-founder, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.: recognized for her commitment to improving healthcare delivery through preventative disease management services.
- Energy, Cleantech and Natural Resources: Michael G. O'Neill, Founder and CEO, Preferred Sands: recognized for his leadership and innovation in supply of sands and other materials for hydraulic fracturing.
- Financial Services: Richard McVey, CEO and Chairman of the Board, MarketAxess Holdings, Inc.: recognized for pioneering a new way of trading and transforming the way business is conducted in the fixed income market.
- Life Sciences: Joe Kiani, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Masimo Corporation: recognized for revolutionizing today's health care technologies with the invention and commercialization of non-invasive patient monitoring devices.
- Services: Brian Sharples, Co-founder and CEO, HomeAway, Inc.: recognized for combining his entrepreneurial desire and innate ability to spot business opportunities to develop the world's leading online vacation rental marketplace.
- Technology: Mike Morhaime, CEO, President and Co-founder, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.: recognized for his commitment to a high standard of quality and propelling to the pinnacle of the gaming industry as an internationally recognized leader in interactive entertainment.
Hamdi Ulukaya: a journey of passion and unparalleled leadership
After leaving his family's dairy business in Turkey to pursue higher education in the United States, Ulukaya recognized a gap in America's dairy offerings and the opportunity to tap a relatively untouched market: Greek yogurt. Instinctively following his gut, he purchased an old Kraft yogurt plant in 2005 with the goal of bringing superior products to the U.S. market. He spent his days endlessly perfecting a yogurt recipe that would eventually, in 2007, come to be known as Chobani, or "shepherd" in Turkish. Ulukaya hired four ex-Kraft employees to hand package yogurt and fill orders. Seven years later, Ulukaya still walks the floor every day to oversee operations and prides himself on finding employees who share his same passion and work ethic.
Grassroots marketing done right
In less than four years, Ulukaya has built the Chobani story beyond imagination. While other competitors focus largely on mass marketing and TV advertising, Ulukaya has kept his brand different from the rest. He has instead taken a more creative, grassroots approach, capitalizing on social media and word of mouth marketing to build a cult following around the brand. With almost 600,000 Facebook fans, Chobani prides itself on being engaged and connected with its growing community.
Nothing But Good: a champion for positive change
Despite rapid expansion of the Chobani brand, Ulukaya sticks by his company's philosophy: "Nothing But Good." His philanthropic initiatives have supported more than 50 groups globally. In 2010, Ulukaya created the Shepherd's Gift Foundation, an independent 501c(3) in honor of his mother. The foundation contributes 10 percent of all Chobani post-tax profits to those working for positive, long-lasting change.
Ulukaya's also using his vision to expand into new product lines and grow Chobani's domestic and global footprints. He recently launched Chobani Champions, the first Greek yogurt for kids. Ulukaya is also undertaking a major expansion of the current New York plant and is constructing a new 900,000 square-foot plant in Idaho that, when finished, will be the largest yogurt plant in the country. On a global scale, Ulukaya acquired Bead Foods in Australia in 2011 and is planning to move into Canada as well.
Ulukaya's hard work, creativity, passion and leadership have enabled him to be an inspiring global leader. Despite his success, he will always stay true to his promise to make high quality, fairly priced products so that everyone can have access to the best tasting yogurt.
Video and photos
To view video clips of all of the Entrepreneur Of The Year winners, please visit ey.com/us/eoy. Photos of the winners are also available by request.
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in 50 countries.
About Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets practice
Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
For more information, please visit ey.com.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a client-serving member firm of Ernst Young Global Limited operating in the US.
SOURCE Ernst & Young
The world's leading Cloud event, Cloud Expo has launched Microservices Journal on the SYS-CON.com portal, featuring over 19,000 original articles, news stories, features, and blog entries. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. Microservices Journal offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. Follow new article posts on Twitter at @MicroservicesE
Mar. 30, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,483
SYS-CON Events announced today the IoT Bootcamp – Jumpstart Your IoT Strategy, being held June 9–10, 2015, in conjunction with 16th Cloud Expo and Internet of @ThingsExpo at the Javits Center in New York City. This is your chance to jumpstart your IoT strategy. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the IoT Bootcamp is not just based on presentations but includes hands-on demos and walkthroughs. We will introduce you to a variety of Do-It-Yourself IoT platforms including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Spark and Intel Edison. You will also get an overview of cloud technologies s...
Mar. 30, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,136
SYS-CON Events announced today that SafeLogic has been named “Bag Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo® New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. SafeLogic provides security products for applications in mobile and server/appliance environments. SafeLogic’s flagship product CryptoComply is a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic engine designed to secure data on servers, workstations, appliances, mobile devices, and in the Cloud.
Mar. 30, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,485
After making a doctor’s appointment via your mobile device, you receive a calendar invite. The day of your appointment, you get a reminder with the doctor’s location and contact information. As you enter the doctor’s exam room, the medical team is equipped with the latest tablet containing your medical history – he or she makes real time updates to your medical file. At the end of your visit, you receive an electronic prescription to your preferred pharmacy and can schedule your next appointment.
Mar. 30, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 869
Wearable technology was dominant at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) , and MWC was no exception to this trend. New versions of favorites, such as the Samsung Gear (three new products were released: the Gear 2, the Gear 2 Neo and the Gear Fit), shared the limelight with new wearables like Pebble Time Steel (the new premium version of the company’s previously released smartwatch) and the LG Watch Urbane. The most dramatic difference at MWC was an emphasis on presenting wearables as fashion accessories and moving away from the original clunky technology associated with t...
Mar. 30, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,453
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York June 9-11 will find fresh new content in a new track called PaaS | Containers & Microservices Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda. With the launch of Docker's initial release in March of 2013, interest was revved up several notches. Then late last...
Mar. 30, 2015 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,245
The WebRTC Summit 2014 New York, to be held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 16th International Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, Big Data Expo, and DevOps Summit.
Mar. 30, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,635
SOA Software has changed its name to Akana. With roots in Web Services and SOA Governance, Akana has established itself as a leader in API Management and is expanding into cloud integration as an alternative to the traditional heavyweight enterprise service bus (ESB). The company recently announced that it achieved more than 90% year-over-year growth. As Akana, the company now addresses the evolution and diversification of SOA, unifying security, management, and DevOps across SOA, APIs, microservices, and more.
Mar. 30, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,073
GENBAND has announced that SageNet is leveraging the Nuvia platform to deliver Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) to its large base of retail and enterprise customers. Nuvia’s cloud-based solution provides SageNet’s customers with a full suite of business communications and collaboration tools. Two large national SageNet retail customers have recently signed up to deploy the Nuvia platform and the company will continue to sell the service to new and existing customers. Nuvia’s capabilities include HD voice, video, multimedia messaging, mobility, conferencing, Web collaboration, deskt...
Mar. 30, 2015 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,489
SYS-CON Media announced today that @WebRTCSummit Blog, the largest WebRTC resource in the world, has been launched. @WebRTCSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. @WebRTCSummit Blog can be bookmarked ▸ Here @WebRTCSummit conference site can be bookmarked ▸ Here
Mar. 29, 2015 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,835
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cisco, the worldwide leader in IT that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cisco makes amazing things happen by connecting the unconnected. Cisco has shaped the future of the Internet by becoming the worldwide leader in transforming how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco and our partners are building the platform for the Internet of Everything by connecting the...
Mar. 29, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,259
Temasys has announced senior management additions to its team. Joining are David Holloway as Vice President of Commercial and Nadine Yap as Vice President of Product. Over the past 12 months Temasys has doubled in size as it adds new customers and expands the development of its Skylink platform. Skylink leads the charge to move WebRTC, traditionally seen as a desktop, browser based technology, to become a ubiquitous web communications technology on web and mobile, as well as Internet of Things compatible devices.
Mar. 29, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,871
SYS-CON Events announced today that robomq.io will exhibit at SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. robomq.io is an interoperable and composable platform that connects any device to any application. It helps systems integrators and the solution providers build new and innovative products and service for industries requiring monitoring or intelligence from devices and sensors.
Mar. 29, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,500
Docker is an excellent platform for organizations interested in running microservices. It offers portability and consistency between development and production environments, quick provisioning times, and a simple way to isolate services. In his session at DevOps Summit at 16th Cloud Expo, Shannon Williams, co-founder of Rancher Labs, will walk through these and other benefits of using Docker to run microservices, and provide an overview of RancherOS, a minimalist distribution of Linux designed expressly to run Docker. He will also discuss Rancher, an orchestration and service discovery platf...
Mar. 29, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,449
SYS-CON Events announced today that Vitria Technology, Inc. will exhibit at SYS-CON’s @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Vitria will showcase the company’s new IoT Analytics Platform through live demonstrations at booth #330. Vitria’s IoT Analytics Platform, fully integrated and powered by an operational intelligence engine, enables customers to rapidly build and operationalize advanced analytics to deliver timely business outcomes for use cases across the industrial, enterprise, and consumer segments.
Mar. 29, 2015 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,197
SYS-CON Events announced today that Liaison Technologies, a leading provider of data management and integration cloud services and solutions, has been named "Silver Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Liaison Technologies is a recognized market leader in providing cloud-enabled data integration and data management solutions to break down complex information barriers, enabling enterprises to make smarter decisions, faster.
Mar. 29, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,490
SYS-CON Events announced today that Solgenia will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Solgenia is the global market leader in Cloud Collaboration and Cloud Infrastructure software solutions. Designed to “Bridge the Gap” between Personal and Professional Social, Mobile and Cloud user experiences, our solutions help large and medium-sized organizations dr...
Mar. 29, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,877
@ThingsExpo has been named the Top 5 Most Influential M2M Brand by Onalytica in the ‘Machine to Machine: Top 100 Influencers and Brands.' Onalytica analyzed the online debate on M2M by looking at over 85,000 tweets to provide the most influential individuals and brands that drive the discussion. According to Onalytica the "analysis showed a very engaged community with a lot of interactive tweets. The M2M discussion seems to be more fragmented and driven by some of the major brands present in the M2M space. This really allows some room for influential individuals to create more high value inter...
Mar. 29, 2015 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 4,684
The list of ‘new paradigm’ technologies that now surrounds us appears to be at an all time high. From cloud computing and Big Data analytics to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT), today we have to deal with what the industry likes to call ‘paradigm shifts’ at every level of IT. This is disruption; of course, we understand that – change is almost always disruptive.
Mar. 29, 2015 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,143
SYS-CON Events announced today that Akana, formerly SOA Software, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo® New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Akana’s comprehensive suite of API Management, API Security, Integrated SOA Governance, and Cloud Integration solutions helps businesses accelerate digital transformation by securely extending their reach across multiple channels – mobile, cloud and Internet of Things. Akana enables enterprises to share data as APIs, connect and integrate applications, drive part...
Mar. 28, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,571


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Stocktake: Cheers! Now let’s get to work
With the unbanning of liquor and tobacco product sales under Level 2 of #lockdownSA, these industry sectors can get back to work – but, devastatingly, not without huge job losses and business closures.
With the unbanning of liquor and tobacco product sales under Level 2 of #lockdownSA, which comes into effect at midnight tonight, two industry sectors which employ hundreds of thousands of people and even more indirectly through suppliers – including the packaging industries; road freight; marketers; advertising agencies; promotors; and of course the restaurant industry, etc., can now get back to work and start rebuilding.
Wine industry body, Vinpro, estimated that the initial nine-week ban on local wine sales, as well as the five-week ban on exports, will result in 18 000 lost jobs; and the closure of 80 wineries and 350 grape producers in the year to come – in the wine industry alone. Stats SA food and beverage data for April and May shows a decline in revenue for this sector of 94% and 87% respectively from 2019 revenues. Wine is the third biggest export product of the Western Cape Economy and contributes 6.5% of the value of exports from the province and the wine industry is dominated by smaller businesses. In turn, British American Tobacco SA (Batsa), said there had already been 30,000 job losses in the industry since lockdown was implemented along with a tobacco ban, and that the ban had cost the state R35 million every day in excise tax losses (over R4 billion in the first 4 months of #lockdownSA).
Franchising remains a stable sector for investment
The Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) has called on the banking sector to come up with funding solutions to stimulate growth in the sector. FASA has supported Business 4 South Africa (B4SA) in calling for urgent action to turn the economy around. It joined other business organisations in putting forward B4SA’s economic blueprint that should go some way to mitigating the devastating fall-out due to the pandemic by implementing far-reaching economic reforms that will drive growth and employment and restore consumer and business confidence.
The franchise sector, which in South Africa is represented in around 14 different business sectors, represents the highest and most diverse range of entrepreneurial endeavours and is the most suited to lead the post-Covid recovery. FASA’s 2019 survey showed a sector that contributed R734 billion (almost 13,9%) to the country’s GDP through its over 800 franchise systems, its 48,000 outlets employing close to a million people. “This should instil confidence in the business sector for development funders, banks, landlords and other stakeholders”, says Vera Valasis, executive director of FASA, “But unfortunately no meaningful offers have been forthcoming from the banking sector, for example. Now more than ever before, there is a huge responsibility on the banking fraternity to acknowledge the unique benefits of franchising as well as the sector’s successful track record and the fact that they have benefitted from this sector for over 50 years. They should step up to the plate now with funding solutions that are less risk averse with simple application processes that can stimulate growth for franchisors by way of rapid distribution growth which in turn would create jobs and stimulate disposable income; which in turn will stimulate the growth of further franchise brand growth as the industry depends largely on consumerism.”
Despite the doom and gloom of our current health and economic situation, Valasis, said she believes that the franchise industry will make a faster and better recovery post-Covid than most other business categories due to assistance from franchisors and the support from being part of a network. “Even if individual or family owned business owners do belong to small business networks or other industry bodies, these organisations – although they offer help and assistance – will never have the intimate knowledge and understanding of their business model like a franchisor and fellow franchisees would have.”
She said success will require franchisors to support franchisees and customers by pivoting their business models to better suit the changing marketplace. Already many of FASA’s members are re-strategising and re-shaping their business formats to incorporate smaller stores, ‘dark kitchens’ and online trading. As a case study in this regard, franchise group Real Foods is leading the way in post-Covid recovery by diversifying its business and growing its footprint abroad; has launched two new brands and acquired a food manufacturing business. Locally, Real Foods launched Free Bird, a free-range crispy chicken burger concept. Free Bird is initially trading as a virtual brand in dark kitchens around Cape Town, Sandton and Pretoria – available via UberEats and Mr D, with plans for physical retail locations over the coming months. “It’s been a challenging few months, but we have reacted quickly and in step with government’s guidelines, to find new routes to market to serve our customers, and have launched exciting new products and brands that have been well received. The various teams have also continued to work throughout lockdown on building a pipeline of projects that will be rolling out in the second half of the year,” said Real Foods CEO, Dean Kowarski.
Growthpoint completes major upgrade at Lakeside Mall
Lakeside Mall, Benoni, has concluded the final phase of a three-year, R135-million upgrade programme; and added new anchor tenants Pick n Pay and Dis-Chem to its 130-strong retailer mix. Pick n Pay opened at Lakeside Mall in a 2,500sqm store and Dis-Chem in a 1,400sqm store at the end of July 2020, amid the COVID-19 national lockdown. Pick n Pay Liquor will open in 130sqm premises once Level 2 takes effect and the alcohol ban lifts. Placing these popular national retail brands side-by-side has created a powerful anchor that balances and complements the weighty combined appeal of Lakeside Mall’s Woolworths, Shoprite and Clicks, which are on the opposite side of the 67,000sqm regional shopping centre.
The redevelopment concludes Growthpoint’s three-year, multimillion-rand programme of investment and improvement at Lakeside Mall. In 2018, it began upgrading the mall’s interior to achieve a modernised aesthetic. This refurbishment created a clean, contemporary look with new entrances, ceilings, tiles, columns, handrails, upgraded ablution facilities and energy-efficient lighting. The recent upgrades, alternations and additions refreshed and enhanced the unique features of Lakeside Mall including its 160-metre long steamboat that appears to be floating on Benoni’s Civic Lake and its town square surrounded by the facades of buildings within the mall’s building. In 2014, Lakeside Mall’s 5,000sqm 13-cinema complex closed and remained empty. Mark Langley, retail: head of development at Growthpoint Properties, reveals, “The reconfiguration and introduction of Pick n Pay and Dis-Chem to Lakeside Mall was made possible by Shoprite waiving the exclusivity clause in its lease for the benefit of the shopping centre and its customers, which is commendable indeed.” To restructure the former cinema space for retail purposes, Lakeside Mall’s owner, Growthpoint Properties, invested R75-million in its redevelopment; and the parking area was upgraded and new delivery access constructed and delivery sites.
Dis-Chem plans 17 new stores this year
Dis-Chem Pharmacies added seven new stores to its footprint during July and August, adhering to its planned expansion timetable. July saw the group opening doors to its new stores at the Valley Hyper (Nelspruit), The Neighbourhood (Linksfield), Benoni’s Lakeside Mall and the Musina Mall (Musina). Further openings in Mooirivier Junction (Potchefstroom), Makhado Crossing (Louis Trichardt) and Parow (Cape Town) are scheduled for August. Adding to this is the scheduled opening of an additional store in the Gallo Centre in Francistown, but this is dependent on the reopening of borders. Once the Francistown store opens, it will take the total number of Dis-Chem stores in Botswana to two; with a concomitant footprint increase in South Africa to 180 sites. The July and August openings will increase Dis-Chem’s total retail space to just over 241 000m².
Ivan Saltzman, Dis-Chem’s CEO says the group plans to open a further 10 stores before the end of the year, although certain locations may be hampered by construction delays or catch-ups. “We are currently on track to meet our expansion plans and we are fortunate that the delays brought about by lockdown have not had a material impact on the roll-out of new sites.” He said unanticipated delays may result in a small number of site openings being pushed into early 2021, but these will run alongside expansion targets. Dis-Chem says 21 new stores have already been identified and secured for FY2021 and growth in the brand has made it an anchor store in malls, to reach the group’s target of 200 stores by 2021/22.
This week in numbers:
Vinpro estimated that the initial nine-week ban on local wine sales, as well as the five-week ban on exports, will result in 18 000 lost jobs; and the closure of 80 wineries and 350 grape producers in the year to come – in the wine industry alone. Stats SA food and beverage data for April and May shows a decline in revenue for his sector of 94% and 87% respectively from 2019 revenues. So, while we head to Level 2 and the ban on the sale of alcohol has been lifted, the economic impact has been catastrophic on the industry.
QUOTE of the week:
“People are looking for authenticity; they are looking for brands that will solve problems, solve their needs, and to connect with people like human beings. That is really easy to forget, that at the end of the day, you are selling to warm blooded human beings and the margin for any business is in the magic and in the messy human interaction. That is where profit margins lie. So, follow human beings and connect with people on a personal level,” said economist and futurist, Bronwyn Williams, interviewed in RetailingAfrica.com.
*Stocktake is a weekly roundup of current FMCG retailing and brand news, curated and edited by Retailing Africa Publisher & Editor, Louise Burgers. Keep the industry updated and send your announcements and news to: email@example.com.
Louise Burgers (previously Marsland) is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.
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Alza Launches DTC Effort For Ditropan With Direct Response Print Ads
The campaign targets women over 50, encouraging them to discuss the symptoms of overactive bladder with their doctors and to consider Ditropan XL. Alza has been marketing the product, which was approved last December and has been available in pharmacies since February, to targeted physicians for the past several months.
The direct-to-consumer campaign was launched with direct response print ads in the New York Times last week and in the July issues of several national magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Reader's Digest, Prevention and Health Monitor. Direct response TV advertising kicks off after the July 4 weekend, with spots on major networks and cable channels, including Lifetime and A&E.
The advertising directs people to a toll-free phone number and to a Web site (www.ditropanxl.com) where they can obtain more information about the condition and the product.
The campaign is designed to coax people past the phobia of talking to their doctors about an embarrassing problem and to create awareness that treatment options are available.
"Overactive bladder is something a lot of people don't realize is a treatable condition," said Anneke Cole, a spokeswoman for Alza. "A lot of people think it is a natural part of aging, so I think a big part of the campaign is to educate consumers that overactive bladder is not a normal part of aging, that it is treatable and also educate them about what the symptoms are so that they can go in and talk with their physicians about the problem."
Alza received some help from a competitor in its effort to educate consumers about the condition when Pharmacia & Upjohn last year launched advertising supporting its treatment for overactive bladder, Detrol. That campaign began with educational messages that did not name the product, but did create some awareness about the availability of pharmaceutical treatments. The company recently switched to a branded campaign in which it names both the product and the condition for which it is prescribed.
"We think the efforts that Pharmacia & Upjohn have done will benefit us," Cole said. "This is a condition that affects 17 million people in the United States, and currently only about 10 percent of those are seeking treatment. There is a very large percentage of people who have not gone to their physicians or who have not yet talked openly about their symptoms."
Alza said its advertising emphasizes its points of differentiation from Detrol. Among those are the fact that Ditropan is the only once-a-day treatment - Detrol is taken twice per day - and that it performed much better than a placebo in reducing bladder accidents in a clinical study. The marketing materials also tout the relatively minor side effects, stating that only 7 percent of patients in a clinical trial discontinued using the product because of side effects.
In addition to the print ads and TV spots, Alza also is advertising the product through take-one leaflets that are being positioned near the adult diaper section of drugstores. A shelf talker states, "Before you pick a pack of pads… pick up this. Important information about overactive bladder." The leaflets encourage consumers to talk to their doctors about Ditropan XL.
Consumers who respond to the toll-free number in the print ad or the TV commercial will be sent a personalized letter thanking them for their interest and encouraging them to talk to their doctor about their condition, in addition to a brochure listing the symptoms of overactive bladder and describing the benefits of Ditropan XL.
Cole said that other than the fulfillment packages, there were no immediate plans to follow up to the database of names the company collects from its direct response marketing efforts. The company plans to mail a newsletter about overactive bladder to those consumers who request it, although the frequency of the mailing had not yet been determined, Cole said.
The consumer campaign, which was created by Rubin-Ehrenthal and Associates, New York, uses many of the same visual elements that were employed in the campaign targeting physicians, Cole said, including a picture of bowl of water on the verge of spilling.
"It was a visual that that people across the board responded very strongly to, and it became one of the stronger elements of the campaign," Cole said.


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- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Coffee is being commercially grown in California and coffee drinkers can't get enough of the locally produced beverage, which currently retails for about $18 per cup. Anyone who is interested in growing, processing or marketing specialty coffee in California is invited to a Coffee Summit on Jan. 18 at Cal Poly Pomona.
Until recently, American coffee was grown commercially only in Hawaii. To make the most of their precious water, California farmers have begun experimenting with coffee plantings and producing beans that fetch a premium.
“There are about 30,000 coffee trees now planted on about 30 farms and that acreage will continue to grow during 2018 with programmed new plantings,” said Mark Gaskell, UC...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The sub-tropical fruit lychee could be a new crop for farmers along California's coast, according to Mark Gaskell, the UC Cooperative Extension advisor to small-scale farmers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
A ping-pong-ball-sized tree fruit with white, jelly-like flesh, the red-skinned lychee is popular among Asian consumers. They appear to be adapted to roughly the same conditions as avocados, Gaskell said. Since the fruit is well accepted in areas where it is available, the potential market acceptability of lychees is high. And, demand for fresh lychees already exists in Asian markets that carry whole, frozen, unshelled...


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Columbus, Ind.-based Cummins Inc. said last week that it will seek a strategic buyer for its Kuss Filtration business. Kuss Filtration, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cummins Fleetguard, is located in Findlay, Ohio. Kuss was determined to be outside the core strategic interests of Cummins and Fleetguard.
Kuss Filtration has been a leader in the development of filtration solutions for automotive, medical and consumer goods industries since 1949. It employs 350 people with sales of $32 million.


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The market for plant-based foods has actually grown over the last few years. These alternatives to pet items are now a $7 billion sector that is expanding at two times the price of overall food sales. In the previous year alone, grocery store sales of plant-based foods that change pet products have actually enhanced by 27%. Consequently, meat companies are purchasing the growth of plant-based meat alternatives. If you enjoyed this article and you would such as to obtain even more info pertaining to https://trycloudy.com/products/caffeine-diffuser kindly browse through the web-page.
Beyond Burgers are not entirely meat-free, yet they do include beet juice remove, which simulates the bloodiness of beef. They are additionally one of minority plant-based hamburgers that do not have soy, gluten, or genetically modified ingredients. The firm does not disclose how it makes its items, yet a fundamental process is utilized to develop a fibrous texture prior to including plant-based fats, flavors, as well as binders.
Past Burger is not just an excellent vegan choice for vegetarians, but additionally for those that take pleasure in junk food yet do not intend to give up meat. It’s now offered in lots of lunch counter, as well as also at the Bistro Bars at Courtyard Hotels.
Malina Farias’ artisan “cheeses”.
Malina Farias’ artisan cheeses make use of a tofu base and also umami-heavy components to develop a rich and satisfying appearance. They melt as well as crumble similar to milk cheese and are fantastic for salads or grilled cheese. Due to the fact that they contain no fabricated ingredients, these vegan cheeses are gluten-free and also can be used in any type of dish that asks for milk cheese.
Rich’s advancing to deliver even more plant-based alternatives for the pastry shop.
Rich’s has lately increased its line of non-dairy, premium components. This consists of the addition of oats, which are a wonderful source of protein. The business has actually likewise introduced desserts made with oat milk. These are offered in standard tastes as well as do not consist of artificial shades or tastes. Furthermore, they are complimentary of the Big 9 irritants.
Outstanding Foods’ brand-new nationwide distribution.
Superior Foods is a brand-new plant-based treat brand name backed by stars and chefs. Chef Dave Anderson co-founded the business, which currently generates PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds and also has recently introduced PigOut Pigless Bacon Seasonings. The firm recently elevated $10 million in Collection A funding and also intends to increase its retail footprint, develop brand-new items and also increase its advertising efforts.
Superior Foods’ most current funding round was led by SternAegis Ventures and also includes contributions from Javier Valez-Bautista as well as Kenneth Harris. The company introduced in 2015 and also is currently available in more than 1,000 stores, consisting of Whole Foods as well as Hy-Vee. The business prepares to expand its reach additionally, including entering 7-Eleven locations in Southern The golden state. If you adored this article and also you would like to obtain more info relating to https://trycloudy.com/products/caffeine-diffuser nicely visit our own internet site.
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Trieste, Italy (PortSEurope) November 6, 2020 – A few days before the merger of France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Italy’s Fincantieri SpA, the relevant parties agreed to postpone finalization of the deal until 31 December 2020. The delay was agree by the French government (84.34% shareholder), Naval Group (11.67%) and Trieste-based Fincantieri. The reason given for the delay was to give the European Union further time to come
to a judgment on the merger. In October 2019, Brussels decided to open an in-depth investigation into the proposed merger following objections from cruise ship companies Carnival and Royal Carribean, and labour unions. The French Senate is concerned about possible job losses in France and there are also concerns about potential intellectual theft in China where Fincantiei has a joint venture with China’s CSSC on the cruise ship building industry. The China State Shipbuilding Corporation is the largest shipbuilding conglomerate in the world. Headquartered in Beijing, the CSSC handles mostly shipbuilding activities. Copyright (C) PortSEurope. All Rights Reserved. 2020.
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The 3D printing industry is racing ahead, but it has hit some bumps in the road. Some of the larger players in the consumer and corporate markets have been both winners and losers.
Stratasys Ltd. said its Makerbot Thingiverse unit has reached 1 million uploads and 200 million downloads. The website is a sharing platform for 3D designs and has more than 2 million monthly active users.
However, Stratasys said that it will have to write down the value of the consumer-oriented MakerBot because of slow orders in the third quarter. Some Wall Street analysts have said that Hewlett-Packard Inc. could buy Stratasys since it plans to join the 3D printing market next year.
“We are disappointed with our third-quarter results, which reflect a continuation of the challenging macroeconomic environment and weaker conditions in our market that we observed in the first half of 2015,” said CEO David Reis. “Despite these near-term challenges, we remain convinced of the long-term growth opportunity within 3D printing.”
Voodoo Manufacturing opens for B2B market
Despite MakerBot’s difficulties, some of the talent it has acquired and nurtured is staying close by. Voodoo Manufacturing this month began offering 3D printing as a service to small and midsize companies that don’t need to bring 3D printing in house or outsource it to a large commercial printer.
The Brooklyn-based startup allows customers to upload files and get instant quotes on orders of up to 10,000 units. These small batches support rapid prototyping, but the company wants to get into manufacturing and production.
CEO Max Friefeld said that orders of fewer than a dozen 3D-printed prototypes will be 30 percent cheaper than from competitors and that they’ll ship out the next day. “The real goal here is to produce end-use parts,” he told Fortune.
Voodoo Manufacturing spun out of MakerBot in August and still has many connections to its parent company. Friefeld had co-founded Layer By Layer, a Y Combinator startup that MakerBot acquired in 2014. At MakerBot, Friefeld’s team developed software for running clusters of 3D printers.
Although it’s now independent, Voodoo Manufacturing uses 127 MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printers, runs the networking software developed at MakerBot’s Innovation Center, and shares MakerBot customers such as Autodesk.
A MakerBot Innovation Center opened at Central Michigan University and is the only one in the Midwest. It has 30 MakerBot 3D Replicator printers and five MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanners. It is also connected to a merchandise lab, and the center and the lab cost a total of $800,000 to set up.
Voodoo Manufacturing has raised $300,000 in funding so far. Its clients include Intel, which wanted a 3D-printed dress for New York’s Fashion Week, and Viacom, which needed custom keychains for a Nickelodeon and MTV event.
3D Systems legal woes lead to CEO departure
Stratasys rival and 3D printing pioneer 3D Systems Corp. said it would challenge an arbitrator’s award of $11.2 million to Ronald Barranco, the co-founder of Print3D, which 3D Systems acquired in 2011.
“We firmly believe the arbitrator’s ruling is not supported by the facts of this case or the agreement between the parties,” said Andrew Johnson, executive vice president and chief legal officer at 3D Systems.
More on the 3D Printing Industry:
- 3D Printing as a Production Tool: New Era of Productivity
- Carbon 3D Gets $100 Million From Google Ventures
- 3D Printing to Aid Next Land-Speed Record
- GE, Boeing Use 3D Printing for Durable Aircraft Parts
- What’s the Right 3D Printing Technology for Your Application?
- HP Wades Into 3D Printing; Is It Now Harder for the Little Guy?
Print3D developed software to give users instant price quotes for printing objects designed with computer-aided design applications.
According to Barranco’s lawyers at Gaw Poe LLP, 3D Systems had promised to create a business unit with him as manager.
“It’s not uncommon to hear about entrepreneurs who sold their company in exchange for an earnout or other deferred compensation, and were then cheated out of what they were promised,” said Randolph Gaw, partner at Gaw Poe.
Avi Reichental this week stepped down from the CEO and president post after 12 years, “by mutual agreement with the company’s board of directors,” according to 3D Systems. Johnson has been appointed interim CEO.


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A status hearing has been set for September 29 for the proposed $3.3 billion merge deal between General Electric Appliance (GE) and Electrolux, and the case is scheduled to go to trial on November 9, according to reports. Electrolux believes the antitrust suit from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is based on a flawed analysis of the global appliance industry, particularly in the U.S.
Electrolux is expected to cite a number of recent major appliance industry developments to support its case including the major U.S. push by Turkish powerhouse Arcelik, Haier’s $72 million expansion of its South Carolina manufacturing plant; Midea’s planned $2.7 million R&D facility, and Best Buy’s rollout of Samsung appliance stores.
Electrolux lawyers will call on Samsung and LG as part of the discovery process, which was granted by a U.S. District Court judge in late August.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie Overton has stated that the merger would “leave millions of Americas vulnerable to price increases for ranges, cooktops and wall ovens.”


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By Jonathan JonesSource: BloombergBusinessweekDecember 22, 2017, 12:30:09The currency used by some countries in Latin America and Africa to conduct transactions, bitcoin, has a history of being used to evade taxes.
The cryptocurrency has been used to launder money, evade government surveillance, and, at times, to hide money from authorities.
However, as the country of Belize recently banned Bitcoin on Dec. 12, some investors are taking advantage of the move to buy and sell it on the black market.
Bitcoin, which is the acronym for “Bitcoin” or “digital currency,” is the most popular and widely used digital currency.
The currency is created by a group of computer programmers in the United States in 2010.
Bitcoins are a form of digital currency that cannot be controlled by a government or bank, but instead is created and held in a digital wallet on computers that are linked to a central network.
The network is overseen by an independent computer program known as the blockchain, which keeps track of all transactions and is used to verify that each transaction is legitimate.
Bitcoin transactions are recorded in a public ledger called the blockchain and cannot be reversed.
The cryptocurrency has a long history.
In 2009, bitcoin was used to buy drugs in the U.S. It was also used to pay for sex in Mexico, pay for prostitution in China, buy drugs and weapons in Thailand and buy drugs from Russia.
In 2016, the U,S.
and other countries banned Bitcoin.
Belize, which has about 20,000 people working in the country, said in a December 19, 2017 press release that the ban was intended to stop money laundering and terrorism financing.
Bitcoin is still legal in Belize and other Caribbean countries.
A month later, Bitcoin was banned in Uruguay.
Belmopanos, an independent cryptocurrency website, reported that bitcoin was being sold for $2,500 in Montevideo on Dec 12, 2017.
Bitcoin was used as a means of paying for drugs in Mexico City, Mexico.
The drug trade has been a major source of income for the cartels, and they use the cryptocurrency to buy illicit goods.
A 2015 study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the United Kingdom and Germany have $2.6 trillion in illicit assets.
The U.K. government last year said it would begin taxing bitcoin sales in the currency.
Belizes and other Latin American countries have recently enacted laws that make Bitcoin illegal, though they have not yet gone into effect.
Bitcoin is traded in digital wallets that are stored on computers around the world.
It is often referred to as the “cryptocurrency of tomorrow,” and the currency is now used to purchase goods and services.
A currency exchange site that connects people with different cryptocurrencies also operates.
The price of a bitcoin fluctuates widely from month to month.
Bitcoin prices are tracked on a cryptocurrency exchange that connects traders to one another.
In December, Bitcoin fell by more than 4% to $1,066.
The bitcoin price in New York was $1.15, up from $1 and up from a low of $1 in November.
The crypto currency was not the only cryptocurrency being used in Belmopans illicit activity.
Belopans police said in December that the illicit drug trade was also fueled by bitcoin.
In June, Belmopanias federal police arrested seven people suspected of running a large drug trafficking organization.
Police also said the group’s operations were run out of a rented apartment, and police believe drug trafficking was the primary source of revenue.


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Next Vauxhall Zafira and Meriva MPVs to use PSA platforms
Vauxhall's new Zafira and Meriva MPV range will be based on technology developed with PSA Peugeot Citroen
Now that Chinese firm Dongfeng has bailed out Peugeot, Vauxhall and PSA are still forging ahead with a partnership that will include three all-new models.
Vauxhall's European boss, Karl Thomas Neumann, told Auto Express that it was crucial for the company to cut costs by entering into such deals, although the original plan to build a small city car has been ditched. Instead the next Meriva, Zafira and a new commercial vehicle will all use Peugeot platforms and engines.
“Opel is the third largest carmaker in Europe, we built a million cars last year but we need volume platforms. Only two cars that don’t sit on those platforms.” Said Neumann. Apparently GM will pay PSA a set transaction price per car as part of the deal, but the exterior and interior design will still be bespoke to Vauxhall.
“Of course they cannot be the same car [as PSA] because as soon as they leave the factory they are competitors, but we will make sure it feels like an Opel.”
He went on to explain that Vauxhall’s new £7,000 city car – which was originally planned as a partnership – will now be developed exclusively by Vauxhall. This means that they can bring it to market faster – and include more GM content.
Neumann said: “Ideally I would build every car on a GM group platform, because it means that I can fit our latest engines, and our technology, but for those two cars there is not enough global volume to justify the cost of developing one.”
Next Vauxhall Zafira could be a 7-seat crossover
Although he would not be drawn on the exact details, Neumann also hinted that both of these cars are likely to become more crossover than MPVs. He said: “Crossovers are becoming more and more popular, and we will follow what these customers want, so both of those cars will move in that direction”
That might mean that the seven-seat Zafira will become a replacement for the Captiva and create space for a larger SUV to join the range with a Buick chassis, but Neumann was tight-lipped about this, but he did unerline the difficulty of launching a car in that category: “The larger the car, the more brand sensitive the buyers so for now we focus on smaller, more intelligent cars in Europe.”
In its first full year this tie-up between two major European players, which also includes logistics and purchasing of materials, will save both companies €60m with more savings further down the line as the new models arrive and go on sale.


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Predictive marketing platform Rocket Fuel ANZ has announced a number of additions to its team.
Phil Murrell, former sales director at Rocket Fuel UK, has joined Rocket Fuel Australia as director of strategic accounts. Murrell has previously held senior sales roles at both online networks and publishers including Virgin Media and Kontera.
Joining as a senior analyst, managing analytics and insight delivery across the Australia and New Zealand market, is Sam Elassad. Previous employers include the Commonwealth Bank and Ernst & Young.
Also joining the team is Rachel Williams who will take on the role of account manager. Williams comes from MCN in the agency sales team working across several agencies in a post-sales capacity.
Linda Nguyen has been promoted to the newly created role of head of platform. Nguyen will be responsible for driving widespread adoption of Rocket Fuel’s Predictive Marketing Platform across current and prospective clients.


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Wealthier parts of the world waste a lot of food, at huge environmental and social cost. One estimate holds that 40% of America's food supply is wasted. However, the second largest supermarket chain in the UK is salvaging something from the wreckage,
Sainsbury's has abandoned the practice of sending food waste to landfill. Instead, their food waste will power selected stores. “It was the right thing to do, but also it was the right commercial thing to do," Paul Crewe, head of sustainability at Sainsbury's told Fast Company. "Putting food waste into landfill costs £150 per ton, and the alternative of [turning it into energy] is significantly cheaper. It's putting that waste to true, positive use."
Organic material that can't be used by foodbanks or for animal feed is taken to biogas plants, where methane produced when it rots is burnt for electricity. Until recently that power was fed directly into the grid. The energy produced was equivalent to that used by three of Sainsbury's 1200 stores.
However, Sainsbury's happens to have a supermarket quite close to one of the power plants, so Crewe decided to run a line direct from station to store. The move doesn't change the overall environmental benefit of using the waste in this way, but it does provide a powerful symbol of what is possible, running the supermarket purely on the energy produced from waste. Crewe also sees benefits for Saisnbury's in being less reliant on the national grid.
Solar panels placed on the roofs of its supermarkets are making an even larger contribution to reducing Sainsbury's emissions, making the chain the largest solar power generator in Europe as of 2012. Energy efficiency measures have cut consumption by 9% over four years, despite substantial growth in stores.
The efforts do not address the problem of wastage after food has been bought, which recently drew the attention of the House of Lords. Food waste has also been demonstrated to provide a potential source of biodegrable plastics. However, the most radical out of the box solution might come from the French chain Intermarché, who realized much of the waste came from fruits and vegetables people won't buy because of their looks. Through a combination of discounting and humor, Intermaché's “glorify the inglorious” campaign slashed the amount of waste food needing disposal.


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Senator Al Franken image: The New York Times
You know Apple messed up when your senator gets involved. In the case of the latest story about your iPhone collecting your geographical location, Senator Al Franken wants answers, reports CNN. Apple’s handling of the situation ticked off Franken enough to write a two-page letter to Steve Jobs, demanding “prompt response” to his concerns:
Anyone who gains access to this single file could likely determine the location of the user’s home, the businesses he frequents, the doctors he visits, the schools his children attend, and the trips he has taken over the past months or even a year.
It’s not known why Apple collects this data, but they’ve been doing this in every iOS release since version four, released a year ago. This means Apple’s been amassing a year’s worth of location data on you that gets stored on your computer in the iPhone backup file at each iTunes sync. The Senator also couldn’t resist the urge to mention the dreaded viruses.
Apple, meanwhile, says it “intermittently” collects location data, including GPS coordinates, of many iPhone users and nearby Wi-Fi networks and transmits that data to itself every 12 hours, according to a letter the company sent to U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas) last year. Apple didn’t respond to requests for comment
It is also entirely conceivable that malicious persons may create viruses to access this data from customers’ iPhones, iPads, and desktop and laptop computers. There are numerous ways in which this information could be abused by criminals and bad actors. Furthermore, there is no indication that this file is any different for underage iPhone or iPad users, meaning that the millions of children and teenagers who use iPhone or iPad devices also risk having their location collected and compromised.
UPDATE: [April 21, 2011 12:50pm Eastern] Ars Technica reports that Senator Ed Markey wants some answers, too, and he wants them “within fifteen business days”. He is inquiring whether Apple allows users to stop this beyond turning off location services in Settings, which doesn’t prevent iOS from logging cellular and location data.
“Is Apple concerned that the wide array of precise location data logged by these devices can be used to track minors, exposing them to potential harm?” he asks.
- Did Verizon sell three million iPhones? (9to5mac.com)
- Here’s how to see the location data the iPhone has been logging (9to5mac.com)
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Fendequip has recently announced that it has formally appointed AMI Marine as a distributor of their range of fender covers for polyform fenders. The news was formally announced on the first day of METS 2013.
Fendequip is an established company which has been suplpying fender covers and mooring related products to yachts for over eight years.
Vince Tranchita, managing director for AMI Marine commented, “We are enthusiastic about adding this Global brand to our portfolio, we are already an exclusive distributor of Polyform Norway fenders and adding Fendequip fender covers to our range will further strengthen our position as a wholesaler within the market place”.
Australian based AMI Marine is the leading wholesale distributor and agent for the marine, electronic, offshore & safety products throughout Australia & Southeast Asia.
Paul Chown, managing director of Fendequip said “We’re delighted to have signed AMI to represent Fendequip products in the southern hemisphere; we look forward to a long and successful partnership”.
For more information visit Fendequip.


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Grammy-winning producer, Mike Will, will host his 4th Annual Wish Fest at The WXLLXM (874 Joseph E Lowery Blvd. NW). He will be hosting more than 250 families this holiday.
The Wish Fest is Powered by Footlocker, in partnership with Reebok and Goodr, who are joining this event for the first time. The annual event is described as an immersive experience with food, games, and more. Included will be a Goodr Pop-up Grocery Market and gift giveaways including toys courtesy of Mike Will and Jakk’s Toys and shoes provided by Foot Locker Atlanta and Reebok (while supplies last).
The event will take place on Tuesday, December 21st, and run from 5-8 PM. This year’s event is designed and powered by Six Degrees, an Atlanta-based full-service creative marketing agency. All in attendance are required to wear masks.
“I think we all should consider one another’s wishes, that’s why I started Making Wishes Matter Foundation with my family.” Will says. “We are aware that some have more than others… But At the end of the day, as a culture, we all we got. The more we work together as a culture to fill the missing voids, the stronger we will be as a community.”
“Goodr is excited to be a part of this annual event for the first time.” Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe states. “It’s wonderful to see folks like Mike Will giving back to his community and we are more than happy to do our part.”
“This year our foundation partnered up with 6degrees, Jakks Toys, Foot Locker, Reebok and Goodr, to bring our annual toy drive to life!!!” Will finishes. “This year we at The Wxllxm!”


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Have you read the news lately? Then you know just how crazy people can be. Every day there’s another story Read more →
Images From A Starcraft: Ghost BlizzCon 2005 Pamphlet Put Online
Reddit user Jorand put up 4 scans of a 2005 pamphlet showing information about shelved game Starcraft: Ghost. The information shows off the vehicles, Terran units, Zerg units, and multiplayer game types.
Originally unveiled in 2002, Blizzard shelved Ghost back in 2006. With only a novel release after the announcement, we have not heard about the future of Ghost since.


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DES MOINES, Iowa – American Enterprise Group, Inc. (AEG), parent company of Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC®), has reported 2022 as a record year for growth of its preneed business. Preneed sales volume topped $200 million in 2022, a 10% increase over 2021. AEG attributes this exceptional performance to a dedicated team that has found innovative approaches to grow organically while building strong relationships.
Great Western Insurance Company reports a record year for preneed growth
To support continued growth in 2023, AEG has announced the promotion of Allen Whitmer to director, national sales distribution for preneed. Whitmer will oversee the company’s preneed regional sales managers and continue to report to Aubrey Ryan, assistant vice president, national sales distribution at AEG.
“We are thrilled to see continued growth and recognize the contributions of our sales team,” said Dennis Case, chief sales officer at AEG. “Al and Aubrey have done a tremendous job initiating proactive ways to help us grow our preneed business in a highly competitive market. Their efforts have complemented the hard work of our regional sales managers, who also contributed to our success.”
Whitmer joined AEG in March 2020 as a regional sales manager and was promoted in March 2022 to national sales distribution manager. He is the third generation of his family to work in funeral services with 13 years of industry experience and a passion for the profession.
“The pandemic hit right after I joined AEG,” Whitmer said. “Given the depressed sales the preneed industry experienced in 2020, it’s rewarding to see sales continuing to rebound first in 2021 and especially now, having achieved our biggest year ever.”
The record year in sales resulted in a record number of preneed agents qualifying to attend the 2023 sales conference in Costa Rica. The company plans to build on this momentum in 2023 with new incentives and offers.
“One opportunity we are really excited about is a potential increase to the growth rate on new preneed business,” said Case. “We are exploring our options and look forward to sharing more details with our funeral homes and marketing organizations once available.”
About American Enterprise Group, Inc.
American Enterprise Group, Inc., has multiple insurance company subsidiaries under the American Republic®, Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC®), and Medico® brands. These companies offer life and health insurance product solutions to help people secure their financial futures through various distribution channels and are licensed in 49 states, plus the District of Columbia. American Enterprise is based in Des Moines, Iowa, and employs more than 400 people.