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Dr Anthea Blackburn, senior scientist for catalyst development at Econic Technologies, discusses how adapting the way plastics are produced to become more environmentally friendly, we can help reduce the impact this key material has on the planet.
That humans have had a profound effect on the environment is beyond doubt. As the media rallies against plastic pollution, it comes as no surprise that this material is facing the brunt of the blame for the current environmental crisis. Those who have seen the images of marine life sharing their habitats with bottles, bags and other plastic products will be minded to agree.
These views are not totally misguided. Of the 6,300 million metric tonnes of plastic created since 1950, almost 80% has ended up in landfills or the oceans. And so it is understandable that there have been calls to ban the material entirely.
The issue is that, in our modern lives, plastic is abundant and there is no simple solution, no matter how many coffee drinkers switch to reusable cups. There is no denying that consumer demand and our attitude to disposing of materials need to change, and whilst our concern over single-use materials is commendable, a ban on all types of plastic is simply unfeasible.
Plastics feature constantly throughout our everyday lives, and people may not realise just how much they rely upon the material. But plastic is not synonymous with single use; and even ‘bad’ plastics, like polypropylene and polyethylene (frequently found in disposable bottles and plastic packaging) are often used in clothing, right from our trainers to thermal base layers, and typically feature in industrial machine components and cars, as well as the reusable plastic containers people are turning to in a bid to save the planet.
With the attitude that ‘all plastics are bad’ gaining traction in the media, it’s easy to forget the many advantages of plastics; it is the vast range of applications that means a total ban on all plastic is simply inconceivable. Instead, we would benefit by focusing on our poor use of plastic, and our tendency to consume and dispose of product.f
Following several high-profile campaigns, a change in society’s mindset is already in motion. Consumers are becoming ever more conscientious in their use of products and number of multinational corporations, such as Coca Cola and Ikea, are taking action to ensure their plastics are recyclable or compostable and include increasing proportions of recycled plastic. The Government is also committing to reducing plastic use, from the ban on microbeads in early 2018, to the announcement in the Autumn Budget of a tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% of recycled materials.
Nevertheless, there is still much to be done. To move forwards, plastics need to be made as environmentally friendly as possible, by considering the impact of raw materials used, the production process of plastics manufacture, and whether the final material can be recycled.
One plastic that is present in our day-to-day lives more than we may expect is polyurethane. As the third most widely used plastic in the world, polyurethanes can be found in the adhesives that prevent our shoes from falling apart; the rigid foam panels that insulate our homes to reduce heat loss by up to 60%; and the coatings that extend the longevity of our floors and vehicles. The multifaceted benefits of polyurethane make it the material of choice for many applications.
When considering the energy-intensive production process of polyurethanes, one might believe that using biodegradable and natural products is the obvious transition. However, replacing polyurethane insulation with a less carbon intensive material, such as cork glass fibre or mineral wool would actually require twice the material to provide the same level of insulation – not to mention the strain that producing these natural alternatives has on agricultural resources.
Producing polyurethanes has historically been reliant upon petrochemical-based feedstocks, which make up the polyols inherent in the structure of polyurethanes. Such polyols are often produced from epoxides, using methods such as oxidation or hydrochlorination, which have a large carbon footprint. But what if we could find an alternative feedstock? What if carbon – so widely maligned – could be utilised?
After all, atmospheric CO2 is abundant. Thanks to developments in catalytic science, it is possible to use CO2 as a feedstock in the production of plastics, significantly reducing the environmental impact of the material. Importantly, it is possible to produce polyurethane using CO2 as a raw material on an industrial scale. A number of industries have been taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint on the world, and the plastics industry can now also follow suit.
Adopting CO2 as a raw material is a win-win situation: for every tonne of epoxide replaced by CO2, three tonnes of CO2 would be avoided or utilised. Polyols using CO2, known as polyethercarbonates, are increasingly becoming the focus of a number of companies aiming to reduce their impact upon the Earth. At Econic, we have been able to take this approach a step further: our catalyst technologies allow for the bespoke incorporation of CO2 into polyols at industrially relevant temperatures and pressures, thereby allowing polyol producers to tailor their products for their downstream polyurethane users’ needs.
On top of this, incorporating CO2 into polyols also offers significant advantages to the product: the subsequent rigid foams have improved flame retardance properties, whilst coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers show increases in their chemical, temperature and hydrolytic resistances. Economically, waste CO2 is currently, and is expected to remain, considerably cheaper than its petrochemical-based alternatives. Indisputable advantages can be achieved in all aspects of the production of these green polyols, benefits which are in turn passed through to the wider polyurethane industry and their consumers.
There is no doubt that the plastics crisis is a serious issue, and that we need to encourage a change in attitude towards the single-use mindset of society. But we have to keep in mind the environmental and economic benefits that plastics offer, and use innovation to find a solution. By adapting the way plastics are produced to become more environmentally friendly, we can help reduce the impact this key material has on the planet.


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Global Energy Management Leader Announces Expanded EV Charging Station Product Line at EVS26 Symposium; New EVlink DC Quick Charger Allows Users to Charge 80 Percent of the Battery in Less Than 30 Minutes
Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced U.S. availability of its new EVlink DC Quick Charger for electric vehicles (EVs). As part of Schneider Electric's comprehensive line of EV charging stations, the new EVlink DC Quick Charger further expands Schneider Electric's reach to EV drivers and stakeholders in settings such as public parking, shopping malls, gas stations and rest stops, fleet applications, car sharing programs and rental companies.
"By adding DC quick chargers to our portfolio, we're now offering customers one of the widest product ranges in the industry backed by Schneider Electric's leadership position in comprehensive energy management solutions," said Mike Calise, Director, Electric Vehicles, Power Business, Schneider Electric. "We are committed to offering EV charging solutions to help our customers manage their energy more efficiently while keeping safety and usability top of mind."
As states such as California promote the use of EVs, with Governor Brown recently signing an executive order laying the foundation for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roadways by 2025, there is more need for DC quick chargers. "We know more DC quick chargers will improve 'effective range' of electric vehicles helping to solve range limitations and encourage wider spread adoption," said Calise. "With easy access to fast and reliable chargers, people will be more comfortable buying and driving EVs."
Schneider Electric uniquely offers a comprehensive range of energy management solutions to meet EV charging station owners' needs -- from EV charging station infrastructure, upstream distribution equipment, energy data collection to building management systems and smart grid applications.
Schneider Electric's EVlink DC Quick Charger provides a simple, efficient and safe way to quickly charge electric vehicles.
Schneider Electric's EVlink DC Quick Charger is currently available for purchase through Schneider Electric's authorized channel partners.
For more information on Schneider Electric's products and solutions, please visit: www.schneider-electric.com/us(http://www.schneider-electric.com/us).
Schneider Electric is exhibiting at the Electric Vehicle Symposium, EVS26, taking place May 6-9, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA. Come see Schneider Electric's electric vehicle charging solutions at booth 953.

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An increasing number of auctions’ records these days. Recently held Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York recorded a new record for the famed pop artist Andy Warhol. His large-scale Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) was sold for $105 million and smashed his previous record by more than $30 million. The buyer wasn’t identified.
This painting dated back from 1963, and is the only one of four car crash paintings on this scale, from the artist’s seminal Death and Disasters series. The monumental silkscreen, which measures 8 feet by 13 feet captures the immediate aftermath of a car crashing into a tree.
Warhol’s painting of an oversized Coke bottle, titled as Coca-Cola (3) sold for $57.2 million Tuesday at Christie’s auction house, while his previous record was set in 2007 when “Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)” sold for $71.7 million.


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On the far side of the pond, there is a rumor that Renault is not going to pull out of the UK market as many had predicted. Rather, the mongers of rumors would have us believe, the French automaker is going fight to gain market share in the land of William and Kate with a sedan that may, if the words are correct, slay the dragon that is the Passat.
Speaking about how automakers must compete in Europe, Stephen Norman, Renault's marketing chief, said, Fifty per cent of the upper-medium car market is in the UK and Germany. If you want to succeed in that market, you have to succeed in those countries. We can't leave the Passat to succeed on its own in the upper-medium market.
It is these types of comments that have the Euro-tongues a-wagging. Up until just recently, the word in Europe was that, at best, Renault was satisfied trying to survive on the crumbs found in the lower levels of the auto market or, at worst, going to shut its dated shutters forever. If Renault does produce an upper-medium sedan for the UK market, industry observers believe it will be for model year 2016.


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7/7/2008 12:28:00 PM
Ad-funded videos for Orange's contract and prepay customers
Orange has announced the launch of a new ad-funded video magazine service.
Prepay and contract Orange customers with video enabled handsets will be able to watch free video clips on the Zap service in exchange for watching an advert before their video.
The service, which launches on 25 June, will feature celebrity, lifestyle, news and entertainment clips from broadcasters such as ITV, Sky, BBC Worldwide and ITN including shows such as Little Britain and Soccer AM.
Head of partnerships services at Orange Steve Wallage said: ‘It’s fantastic to be able to offer our customers video entertainment for free, while offering advertisers a unique opportunity to interact with a captive audience.
‘Orange has already seen success in ad-funded trials, and offering video services to our entire customer base is quite a step.’


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LINUO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. won ‘Faster Growth Enterprise in China Pharmaceutical Industry Award 2017’.
Recently , the 34th National Medical Industry Information Annual Conference was held in Chengdu. More than 1,000 people, including government officials , elites in the medical field, professionals at home and abroad, and practitioners, participated in the conference to deeply understand the new trends in the development of the current medical field , analyze the risks and challenges of the road of integration and development, and jointly seek for them. The opportunity for the development of pharmaceutical enterprises under the new ecosystem .
Beginning in 2015, the China Pharmaceutical Industry Information Center, in conjunction with the China General Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Research , Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry and other institutions , has formed an expert selection group to study the development of the industry , tap the most prominent growth potential of the industry, set up a benchmark for growth enterprises, and set up a benchmark for enterprises in the pharmaceutical industry . To conduct research and analysis based on objective data is the most authoritative information issuing organization of Chinese pharmaceutical industry government .


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This Is America’s Favorite New Year’s Hangover Food, According to GrubHub
New Year’s Eve, as historically one of the biggest party nights of the year, is guaranteed to cause more than a few groggy headaches the morning after. That’s why we’re dubbing GrubHub’s recent data that reveals the most-ordered food on New Year’s Day, America’s favorite hangover food to ring in 2016.One food that is overwhelmingly popular on January 1 is deep dish pizza. Apparently, Chicago-style pies are popular remedies for getting back on your feet following a night of Champagne toasts.
On New Year’s Day 2015, GrubHub customers were 3,252 percent more likely to order a deep dish pizza than on any other random Thursday. Deep dish pizza won by a landslide, but other popular options included hash browns (which spiked 290 percent on January 1), eggs benedict (270 percent), Belgian waffles (251 percent), and omelettes (231 percent). It seems that when you go beyond the deep dish, most people start out their new year with brunch delivery. (Hey, it beats out trying to scramble for a brunch reservation at an actual restaurant!)
“I think of it as the Cyber Monday of the restaurant delivery year," Sandra Glading, GrubHub head of communications, told CNBC. "You can tell that people are treating themselves on the first day of the year.”


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JB Hi-Fi and CatchOfTheDay have been named the most popular retailers on Facebook.
The CatchOfTheDay Group is at it again with the launch of its fifth deal site Mumgo.com.au, which will not only offer deals but a socially engaged online community, expert blog posts and product reviews for mothers.
The CatchOfTheDay group has entered in the wine space by acquiring a majority shareholding in specialist daily deal wine site vinomofo.com.
The company celebrated five years in business with its strongest September quarter on record, reporting year-to-date group revenues up 100 percent on September 2010 figures.
After a successful 12 month trial, CatchOfTheDay's grocery site, groceryrun.com.au, has been officially launched ready to give the supermarkets a run for their money.
The brothers behind Scoopon and CatchOfTheDay have managed to buy themselves a stake into US daily deal site Groupon for an undisclosed amount.
CatchOfTheDay has sealed a deal with Tiger Global Management, James Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings, Andrew Bassat, co-founder and CEO of Seek, and Glenn Poswell, founder of Gannet Capital.
This Thursday online retailer CatchOfTheDay.com.au will defy the economy and attempt to sell $1.5 million of Samsung LCD TVs, online, in less than 24 hours.


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Attention Black Friday shoppers: If you’re looking for a midnight snack after the first round of Black Friday doorbuster deals, Firehouse Subs is answering your call.
Select locations of the Jacksonville-based chain will open their doors at 12:01 a.m. Friday, offering Firehouse Subs’ full menu for a 22-hour run, through 10 p.m.
With several retailers – including Kmart (8 p.m.), Target (9 p.m.) and Walmart (8 p.m.) and others – opening their doors on Thanksgiving evening, some restaurants are following suit, taking advantage of the late-night and early-morning crowds.
Participating Jacksonville-area Firehouse Subs restaurants opening at the midnight hour include:
● 10261 River Marsh Drive (St. Johns Town Center)
● 13470 Beach Blvd. (Beach & Hodges)
Additionally, Firehouse Subs at 36 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park will open at 8 a.m. Friday.
And for those who can’t get enough turkey on Thanksgiving, consider my favorite Firehouse sub: The Turkey Bacon Ranch.
Know of any other restaurants opening early on Black Friday? Tweet them to me, @garytmills.
Interactive map: Catch up with restaurant openings, closings in Northeast Florida
Follow: Get news and more in 140 characters or less via Twitter with @garytmills
Read: Get more restaurant news in our Dining Notes blog
Send: Send your news and notes to email@example.com


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Omnichannel in retail has transformed from a buzzword to an essential part of conducting business.
Vendors and retailers previously have used the term to signify any other channel of retail beyond selling at a store. However, the editors at Digital Commerce 360 have tried to narrow the meaning to discuss the integration of online and stores sales at retail chains.
Even this notion may also soon be dated. For example, omnichannel retail is an important part of Warby Parker, a digitally native eyewear brand, which launched in 2010 and now has more than 100 stores. Omnichannel is a core part of its operations, co-founder Dave Gilboa said at the 2018 Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition. And transforming into an omnichannel retailer from a born-on-the-web brand looks a lot different than being a traditional omnichannel retailer or a legacy chain integrating online operations.
Even Amazon, once just a web-only giant, is an omnichannel merchant, with dozens of book stores, a few “4-star” stores with top-rated products, thousands of pickup lockers, a handful of Amazon Go convenience stores and hundreds of Whole Foods grocery stores.
Store and online operations have merged even more in 2019. Here’s a quick recap of omnichannel trends in 2019.
More digital natives open stores
Like Warby Parker, more digital natives have started opening physical retail stores in 2019, with plans for more store openings in 2020.
Digitally native vertically integrated bedsheet brand Boll and Branch, for example, secured a $100 million investment from private equity firm L Catterton in August to catapult its plan for stores into reality.
The retailer, which currently has a single store near its New Jersey headquarters, wants to have more than 10 stores operating within the next few years, says Scott Tannen, Boll & Branch founder and CEO.
Similarly, mattress retailer Saatva Inc. opened its first store in December 2019 and plans to have a dozen or more stores in major markets in the next 24 months and up to 20 stores within a few years after that, says Ricky Joshi, co-founder and chief strategy officer.
Warehouse operations shift to accommodate omnichannel
With more shoppers buying online, retail chains are looking to have a single view of their inventory—both in warehouses and in stores—to more efficiently fulfill both store and online orders. However, for an ecommerce site to have visibility into what inventory is at the store, online and store back-end systems have to talk to each other. This often means time-intensive and costly upgrades.
Many large retailers have discussed their warehouse and inventory management technology upgrades with Digital Commerce 360 in 2019, including both Urban Outfitters Inc. (No. 46 in the Top 1000) and Lucky Brand LLC (No. 712).
Lucky Brand overhauled one of its two distribution centers to handle both online and in-store inventory.
Having a combined distribution center will make its operations more efficient because it will reduce split shipments, says Michael Relich, Lucky’s chief operating officer.
Urban Outfitters already has a combined distribution center, and it updated its warehouse management system to make it even more efficient. The system prioritizes orders that its warehouse system picks and allows it to pick orders for stores and ecommerce orders simultaneously in the warehouse.
With the upgrade, Urban Outfitters increased its order throughput by 32%, which means the distribution center ships orders 32% faster on average from the time they enter its system to the time they leave the distribution center, said Mike Sparks, manager of supply chain systems and information technology at Urban Outfitters.
Pushing further with curbside pickup
Retailers that have long mastered buy online pick up in store are now working to make the pickup process even more convenient for customers.
And that means curbside pickup, or when a shopper orders online, drives to a store and a store employee brings the shopper’s order out to the customer without her leaving her car.
Target, Walmart and Nordstrom have offered curbside pickup for at least a year and have continued to roll out the programs in 2019. Walmart, for example, has 2,700 Grocery Pickup locations.
In Target Corp.’s third quarter 2019, curbside delivery fulfillment volume increased more than 500%, and it has 800 more Target locations offering curbside pickup compared with Q3 2018, the retailer says. Fulfilling online orders with curbside is more cost-effective for the retailer than to ship them, Target says.Favorite


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A U.S. jury on Monday left the total damages Samsung Electronics Co Ltd must pay Apple Inc. unchanged at $119.6 million, after additional deliberations in a trial where the South Korean smartphone maker was found to have infringed three Apple patents.
During the month-long trial in a San Jose, California federal court, Apple accused Samsung of violating patents on smartphone features including universal search, while Samsung denied wrongdoing.
On Friday, the jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple $119.6 million for infringing the iPhone maker’s patents. But Apple attorneys argued at the time that the jurors made a technical mistake in awarding Apple damages on a patent covering one of Samsung’s phones. The jury was ordered back to court Monday to resolve that issue.
Juror Margarita Palmada, a 69-year-old retired high-school Spanish teacher, said she wished the two sides had been able to work out their issues without resorting to litigation.
“It would have been so much simpler for all involved,” she said in an interview after the jury wrapped.
Some of the jurors had initially been in favor of awarding Apple more but eventually arrived at the consensus verdict, she said, but declined to offer more details.
Apple and Samsung have been litigating around the world for three years. Jurors awarded the iPhone maker about $930 million after a 2012 trial in San Jose, but Apple failed to persuade U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to issue a permanent injunction against the sale of Samsung phones in the United States.
The current case involves five Apple patents that were not in the 2012 trial and that cover iPhone features such as slide-to-unlock and search technology.
Apple is seeking to ban sales of several Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S III, as well as monetary damages. It will now be up to Judge Koh to decide whether a sales injunction is warranted, though legal experts deem that unlikely.
In the San Jose trial, the jury found that Samsung had infringed two patents, and the judge had ruled before trial that Samsung had infringed a third.
The jury also found Apple had infringed on one of the Korean company’s own patents. Samsung, which asserted a $6 million damages claim, was awarded $158,400.
During the trial, the two tech leaders also sparred over how Google Inc’s work on the software used in Samsung phones affects Apple’s patent claims. Samsung’s phones run on the Android mobile operating system developed by Google.
Google was not a defendant in the case, but during the trial Samsung pointed out that some of the features Apple claims to own were actually invented by Google, and called a handful of executives from the Internet search company to testify on its behalf.
But on Monday, jury foreman and International Business Machines Corp executive Tom Dunham, 59, said in an interview that Google’s role had not factored much in the jurors’ deliberations.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, 12-630.
(Reporting by Dan Levine; Editing by Peter Henderson and Richard Chang)


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Uber Technologies’ shares fell practically 9 p.c of their New York Stock Exchange debut, marking a rocky begin for one of the excessive-profile US firms to go public since Facebook seven years in the past. US shares are off to a gradual start as investors eye a surge in coronavirus cases, whereas tensions rise between the US and China over Hong Kong’s security regulation.
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Rbi Permits Loan Restructuring For Individuals, Msmes Hit By Contemporary Covid
Australian cities have considerably slipped in the world rankings of the costliest locations for workers working overseas, a new analysis survey has found. Apple has introduced its chief design officer Sir Jonathan Ive is leaving the corporate. Today marks the beginning of the brand new financial yr and this means big modifications to your superannuation. Coca-Cola Amatil has finalised the sale of its SPC fruit and vegetable processing enterprise to Shepparton Partners Collective. ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac may reduce their businesses amid a regulatory push to increase the capital – or net price – they are required to have in New Zealand.
The coronavirus pandemic has quick tracked major adjustments within the pharmacy sector with startup Chemist2U seeing fast uptake of its identical day prescription medication since launching final 12 months. Quotas must be a central part of our current debate about improving economic outcomes for each women and society at large. Aerial mapping supplier Nearmap mentioned it’ll vigorously defend itself towards legal motion by a US rival which claims the company has infringed its patents relating to lucrative aerial roof stories. Market information data displayed on The Sydney Morning Herald is sourced from Morningstar and ASX and is topic to their terms and situations as set out in our circumstances of use. The Sydney Morning Herald does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy and/or completeness of such information or information.
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After the Registration Statement has been declared efficient, CCIV will mail a definitive proxy assertion and other related documents to its stockholders as of the document date established for voting on the proposed transactions. The Company’s complete web expenses, after revenue tax expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 had been approximately $38.7 million and $42.8 million, respectively.
News of a new Brexit deal has despatched the pound hovering and European stocks to an 18-month high even though its passage via UK parliament is unsure. Like last yr, the IRS pushed the tax deadline back this 12 months due to the pandemic. Poorly managed companies may not be on everybody’s radar, but they’re high picks for activist traders trying to enhance shareholder worth. Finance Monthly is a worldwide publication delivering news, remark and analysis to those on the centre of the company sector. We hear from Graham Norton-Standen on the hottest stocks to spend money on proper now. Is Ideanomics a Good Electric Vehicle Stock to Add to Your Portfolio? The commercial electrical vehicle and fintech operator Ideanomics, Inc. has been trying to diversify its portfolio by making strategic deals.


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MNB Content Guy Kevin Coupe finds a story that strikes him as so outrageous that it prompts him to say, "You gotta be kidding me!" And then, go figure ... it provides a metaphor that is no joke. And maybe a business lesson.
This week, MNB has had a couple of stories detailing treatment of vendors by two companies - Ahold Delhaize and SpartanNash - that suppliers found to be tone-deaf, insulting, and, in the end, bad business.
Now, both companies seem to be backing off, making nice with their vendors.
First, some context.
In the memo to vendors provided to MNB by one of those suppliers, Ahold Delhaize thanked the manufacturers for "continued support" meeting the challenges of the pandemic, and told the companies that it needs their help "in making sure we deliver on our commitments." But it also told the vendors that "pandemic-related costs will be evaluated. As we continue to evaluate the impacts of this pandemic on our business, we will review ancillary costs we are incurring and revisit with each supplier as needed at a later date."
Suppliers with whom MNB spoke saw the memo as serving them notice that Ahold Delhaize intends to charge them for as many of the costs incurred during the pandemic as it could. And they were not pleased.
And then several vendors provided MNB with a letter from SpartanNash to its suppliers saying that because of supply chain issues that caused some trucks to come in light, the company "made the decision that beginning with the ship date of March 16, 2020 and until the COVID-19’s impact on deliveries is rectified, SpartanNash will deduct for freight dollars" where it deemed appropriate, and that "SpartanNash cannot be burdened with a higher landed cost of goods due to product availability issues and we are not able to order excess inventory (not needed) to achieve a best truckload bracket price."
Again, vendors were not pleased.
In both cases, suppliers told MNB that they also were incurring higher costs, which were being ignored by Ahold Delhaize and SpartanNash, and that it seemed clear that the two companies intended to pass off as much of the cost of operating in a pandemic reality to manufacturers. Which they felt was unfair, and betrayed a continuing lack of trust and cooperation, even in a time of crisis.
In other words, "we're all in this together" only went so far.
Now, both Ahold Delhaize and SpartanNash are backing off.
In a letter to vendors from SpartanNash signed by Lori Raya EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, and Walt Lentz EVP and President, Food Distribution, it is said that the original letter was not supposed to go out. (That letter was signed by David Frizzle, SVP SpartanNash Transportation, and Steve Bidgood, Regional VP - Transportation.)
Here's the text of the new letter:
Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the letter you received on Friday, April 10, 2020.
We deeply regret the letter was sent without final approval as it did not properly communicate our intentions, nor reflect the value we place on our relationship with you. Our teams have been working diligently to respond to the unprecedented demands, evolving protocols, and additional procedures brought on by COVID-19, and unfortunately inaccurate information was sent out.
For that, we apologize and ask for your understanding.
The relationships we build with our CPG partners are critically important to us. While we each play complimentary roles within the supply chain to ensure our communities receive the food, medicine and essential household goods they need; we believe we both have the same objective. Plain and simple, we want to sell as much of your company’s product as possible to our customers. To date, we have done so by building solid, transparent relationships and working with you to forge mutually beneficial solutions. It is our sincere hope that we continue to do so throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
We are most grateful for you collaborating with us during these unprecedented times to drive freight efficiencies and creative solutions that will ensure freight costs are covered. We also want to call out that we will not bill retroactively, as erroneously stated in our previous letter.
We wish you continued good health and encourage you or your team to reach out to your SpartanNash contact so we remain aligned to execute mutually beneficial opportunities for both parties.
Ahold Delhaize didn't acknowledge any problem with the original memo, but did try to take a different approach:
Dear Vendor Partners,
Thank you for the support you have shown our team, our stores, and our customers. Your partnership has allowed us to continue to serve our communities during this unprecedented health crisis. To show our appreciation, we have created the attached special vendor offer for you to use the next time you or your team visits our stores.
Again, we’re truly grateful for everything you do day-after-day to support our critical work. We have always been in this together and now, more than ever, our shared work will ensure that we can continue to be there for our customers.
And, the Ahold Delhaize letter came with an attachment.
For as long as I've been writing about retail, I've heard retailers and suppliers talking about the need for greater trust and cooperation, and, inevitably, people on both sides do stupid stuff to undermine relationships.
So the original emails were not a huge surprise.
I'll give SpartanNash more credit for its mea culpa … Ahold Delhaize's follow-up seemed a little more grudging, and I think it'll be seen that way by vendors.
I have no idea if MNB had any role in getting either company to back off a bit. I'm just glad that they did, and hope they've learned their lesson.
Yesterday, Clarion Events, which handles the National Grocers Association (NGA) trade show, sent out an email to previous attendees selling booth space for the 2021 event in Las Vegas … which struck me as incredibly tone-deaf at a time when businesses are stressed, a lot of people are sick or dying, and nobody has any idea what 2021 will look like.
"NGA Show is an experience that brings the grocery industry together, and while we cannot physically do that at this time, we wanted to provide a way for us, and our exhibiting community, to come together and provide support," the email said. "Just as the grocery industry has come together to safely support their local communities with essentials, here at Clarion Events we believe as an organization that we also have a role in helping our industries and communities, especially in times like these."
Okay, they offered a discount if you book in the next two weeks. And sure, they offered to donate a small percentage of their payments to the Red Cross. But the email also conceded that "with supply shortages and costs rising for many communities, we know the coming weeks will be challenging."
But not so challenging that Clarion isn't willing to hit people up for some cash.
The email was signed by Ed Gallo, Clarion's sales director for the NGA Show, which actually make explain something.
I'd like to think that NGA would be smart enough to understand that its retailers, and the suppliers that support them, are under enormous pressure right now, and the last thing they need is to be pitched for a convention that may or may not take place 10 months from now. While it makes sense for trade associations to sometimes outsource the management of their shows to companies that specialize in such things, it does create the risk that those companies will have less of a tactile feel for the business, and will be laser focused on sales, sales, sales at a time when compassion and subtlety are called for.
This isn't really an attack on Clarion, or NGA. I think there is a bigger point here - that every business has to put itself in the shoes of its customers, and understand that business-as-usual is definitely not the way to go. But there are a lot of organizations out there that have had to cancel or postpone events, and I think that the ones I''ve talked to are trying to be as empathetic as possible about their members' and supporters' current priorities and issues.
Random and illustrative stories about the global pandemic, with brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• As of this morning, there have been 678,210 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in the US, with 34,641 deaths and 57,844 reported recoveries.
Globally, there have been 2,193,558 confirmed coronavirus cases, 147,378 deaths and 555,533 reported recoveries.
• The Washington Post reports that the Covid-19 coronavirus is quickly becoming the most fatal disease in America: "In early and mid-March, when America began widespread closures, quarantines and social distancing, covid-19 caused many fewer deaths than other common causes — fewer in a week than chronic liver disease or high blood pressure, and far fewer than suicide or the common flu. By the end of March, the toll was closer to the average weekly deaths from diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Into April, weekly covid-19 deaths climbed past those from accidents and chronic lower respiratory disease. And last week, covid-19 killed more people than normally die of cancer in this country in a week. Only heart disease was likely to kill more people that week."
The Post notes that these are only confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus cases.
• Meanwhile the New Atlantis, which describes itself as a "journal of science and technology," offered a chart showing "coronavirus deaths along with deaths from other common causes in the past to which the disease has recently been compared," such as car crashes and other kinds of flu.
• Axios makes the point that even as the federal government has published "guidelines" for steps states could take as they begin to step back from pandemic-prompted restrictions, and even as governors make decisions about how far and how fast they can safely go, business leaders are confronting a basic reality - people are unlikely to return to their "normal" lives if they don't feel safe. And, businesses need to protect their employees and customers, and are only going to embrace policies that do so.
The Axios story points out that "a range of CEOs and government leaders agree that scaling up testing is crucial to convince Americans it's safe to engage in pre-coronavirus activities."
The piece quotes Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as saying in his annual shareholder letter that "those who test positive could be quarantined and cared for, and everyone who tests negative could re-enter the economy with confidence."
(In his letter, Bezos wrote: "We’ve begun the work of building incremental testing capacity. A team of Amazonians - from research scientists and program managers to procurement specialists and software engineers - moved from their normal day jobs onto a dedicated team to work on this initiative. We have begun assembling the equipment we need to build our first lab and hope to start testing small numbers of our frontline employees soon. We are not sure how far we will get in the relevant timeframe, but we think it’s worth trying, and we stand ready to share anything we learn.”
And J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon as saying that people "will only return to work 'after there’s enough capacity in the hospitals, after there’s proper amount of testing'."
The bottom line, Axios writes, is that "reopening the economy will look different across America — but it will mean very little anywhere if people don't feel safe enough do the things that keep the economy humming.
"One stark warning: 'If we don’t get this right, the public health and economic costs could become even more daunting,' Suzanne Clark, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO, wrote in a USA Today op-ed."
I'm no CEO, but it always has seemed evident to me that the financial crisis can only be resolved when we effectively address the health crisis … which can only mean vast and available testing, which will have to do until we have a vaccine.
Reuters reports this morning that, echoing similar pacts made by governors on the east coast and west coast, seven governors of Midwestern states have agreed to "work in close coordination to reopen their economies battered by efforts to contain the coronavirus."
According to the story, "The governors for Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky have formed a partnership to work together on restarting the economies in their states, they said in a statement.
“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region,” they said. “This doesn’t mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right.”
The seven states represent about 16 percent of US economic output; the eastern (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island) and western (California, Oregon, Washington) states that made their own pacts account for about 38 percent of US economic output.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday signed an executive order "requiring companies in the food sector that employ 500 or more people to provide two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave for full-time workers who contract COVID-19 or are exposed to the virus and need to isolate themselves," the Los Angeles Times reports. "Under the order, part-time workers are eligible for a lesser amount of sick time determined by the number of hours they typically work in a two-week period."
“We don’t want you going to work if you’re sick, and we want to make sure that you know that if you’re sick, it’s OK to acknowledge it,” Newsom said. “It’s OK to let your employer know and still know that you’re going to get a supplemental paycheck for a minimum of two weeks.”
The executive order is supported by both the California Grocers Association (CGA) and the United Food and Commercials Workers (UFCW).
“I’m not aware of anywhere where there has been a standard that applies to all workers in a division or sector,” said John Grant, president of UFCW 770. “This is pretty significant.”
“Today’s announcement expands on safety efforts already underway and provides added comfort to valued grocery store employees and customers that a consistent set of best practices is being followed by all essential retailers regardless of size and location,” said Ron Fong, CGA's president.
• The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes Kenneth Sullivan, CEO of Smithfield Foods - the nation's largest pork producer, which has been forced to close down three different plants around the country because of Covid-19 coronavirus issues - as saying that "the U.S. cannot allow coronavirus cases to derail meat industry operations."
The Journal writes that Sullivan believes that "elected officials and the public must recognize meatpacking plants as infrastructure critical to national security … They must work with meat companies to strengthen safety practices and ensure plants continue to produce bacon, ground beef and chicken breasts, he said.
“'We’re going to have positive Covid cases,' said Mr. Sullivan, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus, Covid-19. 'The question is what do you do in the face of that—do you stop the harvest, or continue, because it’s essential to life? There’s only one option there … The right thing for Americans is that we operate these plants,' Mr. Sullivan said. The country is grappling with an 'atmosphere of fear' over the coronavirus, he said, and public support for meat-processing employees and keeping plants open is necessary to help workers feel comfortable going to work."
However, companies like Smithfield also are facing pressure to do more for employees affected by the pandemic: "Oxfam, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and other groups that have advocated for protecting workers on Thursday sent a letter to meat processors calling for paid sick leave for plant employees, new gloves after every break, job protection for employees dealing with illness and other measures. When Covid-19 cases are identified, parts of the plant or the entire facility need to be shut down, the groups said."
• The Washington Post reports that "people working during the pandemic have filed thousands of complaints regarding their exposure to the novel coronavirus and a lack of safeguards at their places of employment, according to records obtained under a Freedom of Information request … The employee complaints offer a snapshot of the fear experienced by the Americans compelled to work while the majority have been urged to stay at home, and they arise from an array of workplaces: hospitals, airlines, construction companies, call centers, grocery stores, beauty spas, pharmacies and shipping companies, among others.
"Collectively, the records depict the desperation of the employees as well as their frustrations with employers who in their view were at best simply unprepared for a pandemic and at worst callously unconcerned with worker safety."
The Post notes that it "requested all worker complaints regarding the coronavirus filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from January through early April. There were more than 3,000 such complaints filed. The records do not state what actions were taken as a result."
• The Wall Street Journal reports that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has extended the state's "on pause" directive to at least May 15, "asking people to stay home as much as possible during the coronavirus pandemic and maintain social-distancing.
"Mr. Cuomo said he would assess when to lift the policy in coordination with nearby states, depending on the rate of infections. The governor imposed the policy by executive order on March 22, saying all nonessential businesses statewide would be closed, and all nonessential gatherings canceled."
In addition, the story says, Cuomo "said all people riding in and driving private taxis should wear masks. This came after his announcement Wednesday that he was signing an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings when in a public setting where they can come into contact with others, such as shopping in stores and using public transit. The order takes effect at 8 p.m. Friday."
• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said yesterday that schools in the state will remain closed in the state at least through May 15.
• Fox Business reports that "Wegmans is requiring all of its employees to go through a wellness check before the start of each shift as it strives to keep its stores safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Employees will be asked questions regarding their health and asked to do a temperature check with an infrared thermometer … An employee exhibiting symptoms or carrying a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be asked to leave and contact a medical professional, but will still be compensated for the shift, Wegmans said."
The story notes that "The grocer is among a growing list of companies adopting additional precautionary quarantine procedures in an effort to keep their facilities operating virus-free. Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon and Tyson Foods and Starbucks are among the retailers who have implemented similar measures as they continue to face a surge in demand."
• Kroger announced "the acceptance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Pickup. The low-contact, convenient service allows customers to shop online for groceries on Kroger.com or the Kroger app and pick up their order curbside at a nearby Kroger store."
“Kroger is rolling out a payment capability across our nearly 2,800 grocery stores to allow more customers to access fresh, affordable food and essentials through our Pickup service,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “We are committed to supporting all families as we work together with our associates and communities and government agencies and health organizations to flatten the curve during this unprecedented pandemic.”
• Fox News reports that "BJ’s Wholesale Club is offering free membership and reserved hours for all first responders and healthcare workers starting Sunday … The big-box chain announced in a press release Thursday that it would be designating Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. as 'Appreciation Hour' for first responders and healthcare workers to shop – even those without a BJ’s membership – beginning April 19."
• CNN reports that "Starbucks is adopting a 'monitor and adapt' strategy to reopen some cafes in the US following their closures in mid-March.
"CEO Kevin Johnson told employees in an open letter that the initiative means 'every community will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation' and decide when to fully reopen their cafes depending on local conditions.
"Johnson acknowledged the decision is a 'human one,' based on complex and ever-shifting information. But field leaders will assess the situation in their areas based on four main factors: 'the local status of the public health crisis, guidance from health and government officials, community sentiment and store operational readiness'."
The approach, CNN points out, mimics that taken by Starbucks in China to positive effect.
• The Wall Street Journal has a story about perennially "beleaguered" drug store retailer Rite Aid, where new CEO Heyward Donigan is "banking on a strategy that, in part, has the company’s pharmacists playing a more central role in tending to customers’ health-care needs - a move she says the pandemic is likely to accelerate. Meanwhile, Rite Aid is hiring 5,000 extra workers to help meet a coronavirus-fueled surge in business," and has "announced plans to open drive-through coronavirus testing sites outside stores in seven states, overseen by company pharmacists."
"If we can get through this in a way that allows us to go back to business as usual—which is a question mark—we are going to be a changed organization," Donigan tells the Journal. "We have adapted to work-from-home unbelievably well. I had a philosophy that I want to hire the best and the brightest even if they work from a different location, and now, ironically, we’re all working from another location. We’ve learned that we can work remote, and we can now hire and manage a company remotely."
Donigan also says that "the question is going to be, 'How much can a pharmacist do now that, otherwise, a physician would do?' We do vaccines, though that’s not our focus now. We do, in some cases, testing. So, in a crisis like this, we’re asking, “What services can we be allowed to do with some sort of a waiver program, with some type of oversight from a provider, just to lessen the load?”
• MarketWatch reports that Bed Bath & Beyond is saying that it is seeing "a 400% year-over-year jump in sales of bread makers during the past month and a 100% increase in the number of vacuums purchased in the past week."
CEO Mark Tritton says that "consumer demand has shifted during the stay-at-home period and is now focused on categories including water filtration, air purifiers, kitchen appliances, and cleaning and coffee needs."
The story notes that "Bed Bath & Beyond has rolled out curbside pickup and buy-online-for-pickup-in-store capabilities as its locations were shuttered."
• Idaho News 6 reports that "all Albertsons and Safeway stores in Idaho are providing a free stamp for absentee ballots in the upcoming May 19 election. Due to the coronavirus, all voting for the election will be done through absentee ballots.
"When the absentee ballot is filled out, people should make sure there is not already postage on the return envelope. The voted ballot should be placed into the ballot return envelope, sealed and then signed. This ensures the ballot cannot be tampered with."
Good for them. It is critically important that no voter be disenfranchised, and that every effort is made to make voting easier.
• The BBC reports this morning that the Covid-19 coronavirus has caused China's economy to shrink "for the first time in decades in the first quarter of the year, as the virus forced factories and businesses to close. The world's second biggest economy contracted 6.8% according to official data released on Friday."
The story points out that "the financial toll the coronavirus is having on the Chinese economy will be a huge concern to other countries. China is an economic powerhouse as a major consumer and producer of goods and services … Last year, China saw healthy economic growth of 6.4% in the first quarter, a period when it was locked in a trade war with the US. In the last two decades, China has seen average economic growth of around 9% a year, although experts have regularly questioned the accuracy of its economic data."
• From Fast Company:
"As demand for rides plummets during the coronavirus pandemic, Lyft says it’s now delivering food, medical supplies, and other necessities with a new pilot service called 'Essential Deliveries' … Lyft is recruiting drivers to deliver 'meals, groceries, life-sustaining medical supplies, hygiene products and home necessities' for nonprofit groups, government agencies, and - Lyft wrote on its blog - 'businesses and healthcare organizations.' Lyft says the deliveries will be 'contact-free,' and it plans to pay drivers as if they were fulfilling standard rides."
“We are committed to running this current program so long as it is helpful for our communities during the COVID pandemic,” the company said in a prepared statement.
…with brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• The Organic Produce Network and Category Partners are out with their regular quarterly report, saying that total organic produce sales were up 22 percent in March, compared to the same period a year ago, and up eight percent for Q1.
“Organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter of the year were strong, and the impact of COVID-19 in March pushed numbers even more,” said Matt Seeley, CEO of the Organic Produce Network. “And we continue to see organic fresh produce sales outpace the dollar and volume growth rate of conventional fresh produce.”
Organic produce sales may be up, but the pandemic also has claimed yet another meeting casualty - the annual Organic Produce Summit, originally scheduled for mid-July in Monterey, California, has been cancelled this year.
I've been privileged to speak at and facilitate numerous sessions at the Organic Produce Summit since its inception a few years ago, and I've always found it to be one of the most energizing events I do each year. Matt Seeley already has booked me for next year's dates - July 14-15, 2021 - and I'm already looking forward to it.
Brian Dennehy, whose credits ran from films like Tommy Boy and Cocoon to plays like Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night," has passed away. He was 81, and the family noted that it was from natural causes and not related to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
One of the finest stage performances I've ever seen was Dennehy in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," for which he justifiably won a Tony Award. (I've seen "Salesman" on Broadway in three different iterations - Dustin Hoffman and Philip Seymour Hoffman played Willy Loman the other two times. Talk about a trifecta of extraordinary actors matched to an amazing role.) But Dennehy's great gift was that he could bring the same intensity and investment to roles in Presumed Innocent and Silverado as he did to scores of great stage roles and dozens of TV movies and series.
I'm happy to announce that tonight, between 5:30 and 6:30 pm EDT, we're going to do it again … an MNB Virtual Happy Hour.
We did one back on March 27, and people seemed to enjoy it, and so, since we're all still grounded for the duration, I thought it was worth another effort.
The folks at GMDC have once again agreed to sponsor and host it, and here is the link.
Hopefully, you can put it on your calendar … choose a libation for Happy Hour … and then prop up your laptop or warm up your computer for a conversation and a drink. (You don't have to let me know you're coming, but it would be nice to know.)
One other thing - if you are on the west coast and the timing is a little early for you, I'm going to do another one on Friday, May 8, but I'll do it at 5 pm your time just to make it easier. Of course, everybody is welcome to join either one or both.
I've been making way through Amazon's new series, "Tales from the Loop," but I haven't seen enough of it to comment yet. (I like it, but I'm still trying to understand what whole the various episodes add up to … just hoping it doesn't add up to a hole.)
The sixth season of "Bosch" has dropped on Amazon … and I can't wait. I'll definitely have something to say about this next Friday.
I haven't even tried any new wines to recommend.
Just been working.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
I do have a puppy picture…
I promise to do better next week.
Have a great weekend … I hope I see you tonight at the MNB Virtual Happy Hour … and I'll be back Monday.


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The upcoming NIST Privacy Framework will help enterprises manage privacy risks
Citing the success of its cybersecurity framework and the advent of IoT devices, artificial intelligence, and other technologies that are making it more challenging than ever for enterprises to protect their customers’ privacy, NIST has launched a collaborative project to develop a voluntary privacy framework. The NIST Privacy Framework project will kick off with a public workshop in Austin, Texas, on October 16, 2018. The workshop will also be live-streamed online, recorded, and posted on the NIST Privacy Framework website for future access.
NIST is launching its Privacy Framework project in an environment where consumers are growing increasingly concerned about what data enterprises are collecting from them, what they intend to do with it, and how securely they are storing and handling it. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), 73% of internet-using U.S. households have data privacy and security concerns, and at least one-third have been deterred from certain online activities due to these fears.
Stronger Data Privacy Laws Are Coming
The NIST Privacy Framework will be voluntary, but the NTIA’s request for public comment is a preliminary step that could ultimately lead to a federal data privacy law. The development of such a law will be a long and complex process, and whether the end result will amount to an “American GDPR” is debatable. However, one thing is certain: Stronger data privacy laws are coming.
Some states, notably California, have already taken matters into their own hands. The prospect of having to comply with 50 different state laws has softened large organizations’ views towards federal data privacy regulations. At last week’s Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing, representatives from AT&T, Amazon, Twitter, Apple, and Charter Communications stated that they were open to a federal data privacy law, and Google published its own ideas for a data privacy framework prior to the Senate hearing.
The best way for enterprises to prepare for stricter data privacy legislation in the future is to practice proactive cyber security and solid data governance, compliance, and risk management now.
The cyber security experts at Lazarus Alliance have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest information security threats, and are committed to protecting organizations of all sizes from security breaches. Our full-service risk assessment services and Continuum GRC RegTech software will help protect your organization from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.
Lazarus Alliance is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-7580 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help your organization adhere to cyber security regulations, maintain compliance, and secure your systems.


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Nas took to Instagram to seemingly confirm The Lost Tapes II, in a video where he’s seen holding a broken cassette with the project’s name.
The video seemed to many to be the start of a promotional roll out for the album. The first Lost Tapes album was released in 2002 and has been considered one of Nas’ top albums to date. The acclaimed project featured unreleased tracks from his 1999 album I Am… and 2001’s Stillmatic. The Lost Tapes II has been anticipated for years, and fans were amped up after seeing Nas tease it online.


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Clothing designer moving flagship store downtown
Published in TIMESDAILY: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Famed clothing designer and Florence resident Billy Reid is moving his flagship store and corporate headquarters to downtown Florence.
The Billy Reid clothing name is recognized worldwide and the company has retail stores in New York City, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Tenn., and Charleston, S.C.
Beginning in late May, company business will be conducted from 114 N. Court St. in Florence, in the building that housed Anderson's Bookland for decades.
Renovations have already started. When completed, the building will showcase the entire Billy Reid men's and women's collections, which were previously shown in full only at the New York store.
Reid's design studio will be placed upstairs, where he will also set up an area to fit customers for his signature hand-tailored, made-to-measure clothing.
The corporate offices will also be housed upstairs in the store, with about two-thirds of the bottom floor being dedicated to distribution, according to Reid. The corporate and warehouse operations are now being conducted in Dallas.
The other third of the downstairs portion of the store will be used for the retail operation. Reid said business in the Shoals has been good since he moved to the area, plus he added that many out-of-town customers shop at the local store.
Reid said Monday that 10 people will be involved in the Florence operation when it opens in late May. He said others will likely be added when the economy rebounds and business returns to normal levels.
"The Bookland building is really a great building with a lot of character and history," Reid said.
"There are some beautiful architectural details in the building, a lot of which had been covered up during moderation efforts. It is our intention to restore it to its original glory by exposing its incredible details and raw charm."
Reid said he and his staff had been contemplating for months the possibility of moving all operations under one roof. He said it made sense to move them to Florence where he lives, and the Anderson's Bookland building made perfect sense.
Billy Reid's local operation has been in the Pickett Place residence in Florence since spring 2004.
"Pickett Place has been a wonderful home for our shop and my studio over the past four years and we have fond memories of our time here," Reid said. "As our business grows, we felt the need to bring all our company's functions and key people to Florence. This move will certainly make us more efficient.
"Our goal all along was to build the company globally from right here in the Shoals, and this is a big step toward those objectives."
New York magazine recently cited Billy Reid as the best men's store in New York City. In 2001, Reid won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Perry Ellis Award after he released the William Reid collection. His clothing has also earned recognition from media outlets such as GQ, Details, Elle, men.style.com, Vogue and others.
In addition to being available in the Billy Reid stores, the high-scale clothing and accessories are available at billyreid.com.
Reid said online sales continue to be strong.


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Self-driving cars News
Self-driving car: Hyundai Motor Group, Aptiv join hands to set up $4bn venture
Tue, Sep 24, 2019
Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis will collectively contribute $1.6 billion in cash and $400 million in research and development resources and others, valuing the joint venture $4 billion, Hyundai Group and Aptiv said in a joint statement.
Self-driving cars: Samsung Electronics tops in number of patents filed in Europe
Mon, Dec 31, 2018
According to the data compiled by the European Patent Office (EPO), the number of applications related to self-driving cars filed in Europe came to 3,998 in 2017, growing more than threefold from 922 tallied in 2011.
BlackBerry launches cybersecurity software for self-driving cars
Tue, Jan 16, 2018
Canadian software maker BlackBerry Ltd on Monday launched a new cybersecurity software, which identifies vulnerabilities in programs used in self-driving cars.
JLR partners with Lyft for self-driving cars; invests $25 million in ride-hailing firm
Mon, Jun 12, 2017
JLR joins several other automobile companies that are partnering with ride-hailing companies in the development of autonomous driving cars today.
Baidu to launch self-driving car technology in July
Wed, Apr 19, 2017
It will gradually introduce fully autonomous driving capabilities on highways and open city roads by 2020
Apple's permit from DMV in California signals its self-driving cars interests
Sat, Apr 15, 2017
Although it has never openly acknowledged it is looking into building an electric car, Apple has recruited dozens of auto experts in recent years, and the permit pulls the curtain back a bit on any possible plan.
Alphabet's Waymo sues Uber self-driving unit for stealing technology
Fri, Feb 24, 2017
This development has put a hurdle in the autonomous car segment which several companies have ventured into developing.
UK plans to remove insurance barriers for self-driving cars
Thu, Feb 09, 2017
Britain plans to introduce new insurance rules to ensure victims of accidents involving self-driving cars are compensated quickly in a bid to remove a major obstacle for the nascent industry.
Google's Waymo to expand self-driving partnerships
Mon, Jan 09, 2017
Waymo, the autonomous car subsidiary of Google`s parent company Alphabet, announced Sunday at the Detroit auto show that it would develop its self-driving technology with multiple partners, positioning itself as an automotive supplier.
Tech stories that changed the face of 2016
Tue, Dec 27, 2016
From virtual reality becoming a possibility to age old favourite video game - Super Mario coming to the mobile platform, this year saw it all. Here are a few of the top picks from the technology sector. Virtual Reality Goggles:
Volvo Cars raises $500 million in step towards IPO
Tue, Dec 20, 2016
Geely`s Volvo Cars have raised 5 billion Swedish crowns ($532 million) from a group of Swedish institutional investors in a step towards a listing of the Chinese-owned company.
Uber defies regulator warning, launches self-driving car in San Francisco
Thu, Dec 15, 2016
Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.UL) rolled out its self-driving car fleet in its hometown of San Francisco on Wednesday, but faced a backlash from state regulators who say the company needs a permit to keep the vehicles on the road.
Apple shows ambition to get into self-driving car race
Sun, Dec 04, 2016
Apple Inc is wading in to the debate over regulation of self-driving cars, declaring it is excited about the potential for automated transportation and calling on US regulators not to restrict testing of such vehicles.
Tesla to build self-driving tech into all cars
Thu, Oct 20, 2016
Tesla will build self-driving technology into all the electric cars it makes, running it in "shadow" mode to gather data regarding whether it is safer than having people in control.
Tesla rolls out security patch for bugs in Model S sedan's software
Wed, Sep 21, 2016
Tesla said it was able to remedy the bugs uncovered by Tencent using an over-the-air fix to its vehicles, which saved customers the trouble of visiting dealers to obtain the update.
US moves to regulate self-driving cars
Tue, Sep 20, 2016
The United States unveiled a sweeping new regulatory framework for the unexpectedly rapid rise of self-driving automobile technology, just days after Uber broke ground with its first driverless taxis.
Volkswagen eyes deals to boost its self-driving car plans
Fri, Aug 19, 2016
Europe's largest automaker is also looking for more alliances with technology firms as it tries to capture new business post-Dieselgate.
Ford, Baidu invest in US self-driving car sensor firm
Tue, Aug 16, 2016
Ford Motor Company and Chinese internet giant Baidu on Tuesday said they have invested a combined $150 million in Velodyne, a US company specializing in laser sensors for self-driving cars.
Full text: Here's what Elon Musk has to say about Tesla's future plans
Thu, Jul 21, 2016
This included Tesla production, solar roofs, car sharing, self-driving capabilities and SolarCity and Tesla coming together.
BMW revamps ''i'' electric car division to focus on self-driving tech
Thu, Jun 02, 2016
BMW has transformed its "i" division into a development centre for self-driving cars, a board member told Reuters, a major strategic shift for the unit previously focused on making a family of lightweight electric vehicles.


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real-time news and commentary for investors
Wednesday, Mar 20
Yahoo (YHOO -0.2%) acquires Jybe, a startup that developed one of the many personalized...
Yahoo (YHOO -0.2%) acquires Jybe, a startup that developed one of the many personalized recommendation apps in existence. The purchase, which bears a strong resemblance to the Oct. acquisition of Stamped, is another acqui-hire: Jybe contains 5 ex-Yahoos, including former VP of search technology Amab Bhattacharjee. However, Yahoo also plans to use Jybe's personalization tech throughout its empire. Separately, BGC has downgraded Yahoo to Hold, citing the potential for new COO Henrique De Castro's sales restructuring to hurt near-term display ad sales.


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The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has formally issued three TD-LTE 4G licenses to the three major Chinese telecom carriers: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.
Meanwhile, MIIT lifted its limit on China Mobile's operation of fixed-line businesses, allowing this company to enter the fixed-line broadband market. China Mobile's fixed-line communications businesses will be operated by its subsidiary China Railway Communication Company, which is also known as China Tietong. This means China Mobile has finally received a full-business license in the 4G age to sell services to both mobile and non-mobile clients.
With this new full-business license, China Mobile will be able to effectively enter the broadband market with low costs, which will bring pressure to its competitors China Telecom and China Unicom.
China Mobile has already started promoting its broadband strategy in China, while the convergence of fixed-line and mobile networks has become the development trend in the global telecom industry. With the issuance of the full-business license, China Mobile will enter the fixed-line communications sector, which is expected to further drive China's broadband development, accelerate the implementation of broadband strategy, and promote 4G network construction and business development in China. At the same time, it will help create a market environment with convergence development and full-business competition.


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Digital Life writer Gillian Shaw is in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress. Shaw takes a look at the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phone. The phone is all metal and has Gorilla glass. There have been improvements to the camera and the battery features faster charging and wireless charging.
Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin and Chicago Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland get tied up Friday night in their pursuit of the puck during National Hockey League action at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks won 2-1 in a shootout.


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Superdrug are selling a lipstick called “Gordon Brown” and people have opinions
News reaches the make-up desk at Poke HQ that Superdrug are selling a lipstick named after Gordon Brown.
We’ve checked and it’s a real product:
And people are reacting:
I really, really hope that Gordon Brown is aware there's a matte lipstick set named after him. It certainly brought me joy. pic.twitter.com/nqHf1sEzfA
— Imogen Shaw (@ImogenShaw_otr) December 12, 2017
So many reactions
I'd have bought Gordon Brown just for the pun, if brown weren't such an unflattering lipstick colour on my skin tone.
— Emily (@emmyl_13) December 9, 2017
So much love for Gordon Brown
I would buy a lipstick called Gordon Brown. Sensible, classy, and will never let you down in a crisis.
— Sue Marsh (@suey2y) January 1, 2018
So many opportunities for fun
Brilliant. It's my fashion-obsessed Tory sister's birthday next month.
— Philip Bak (@niinegames) December 31, 2017
The Poke has reached out to Gordon Brown for his response.


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Amazon office in New York City will create 2,000 jobs
This latest investment and expansion will create 2,000 new, high-paying jobs in finance, sales, marketing, and information technology.
To encourage Amazon's expansion in New York State, the company was offered up to $20 million in performance-based taxed credits through Empire State Development's Excelsior Jobs Program.
Amazon will invest $55 million to outfit the 359,000 square-foot office space at 5 Manhattan West using energy-efficient standards.
The expansion will create 2,000 new jobs in finance, sales, marketing, and information technology that will earn an average of $100,000 annually. Amazon will also retain over 1,800 jobs in New York State.
Amazon's new office at 5 Manhattan West joins several of Amazon's job-creating expansions in New York State.
Since 2012, Amazon has invested $9 million into an innovative Fashion Photography and Videography Studio in Brooklyn, creating over 50 direct jobs and supporting more than 300 jobs, with $2 million in performance-based tax credits offered through the Excelsior Jobs Program.
In 2014, Amazon established a 350,000 square foot administrative office at 7 West 34th Street, creating over 500 jobs with $5 million in tax credits offered Excelsior Jobs Program ■


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Among the more than 40 companies grouped in the Startup Pavilion – located alongside more than 700 other exhibitors and near the business stage – are businesses championing climate smart ingredients ranging from upcycled solutions to more sustainable grains and climate-resistant plants.
Others will display proteins that leverage food-tech or plants to deliver nutrient-dense alternatives to conventional animal-based options.
Alongside these companies are others bringing novel food safety and processing solutions that will also help reduce waste and pollution while also more efficiently using limited resources.
Climate-smart and -resilient plants offer alternatives to resource-intensive crops
Ingredients that offer more but require less are gaining traction with food and beverage companies that are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and meet consumer demand for more sustainable products.
At IFT’s Startup Pavilion, Sustain-A-Grain, Terviva, Banzo Brands and ChickP are all using more sustainable alternatives to common, and potentially more resource-intense, ingredients.
For example, Sustain-A-Grain (booth #S4287-E) is leading grower and supplier of Kernza – a perennial intermediate wheatgrass developed at The Land Institute and grown in the Midwest that efficiently sequester carbon and uptake hard to access nutrients and water with its long roots that extend 10 feet or more into the ground. The plant also is more prolific than annual wheat.
Food and ag company Terviva (S4286-E) also is fostering development of another carbon sequestering powerhouse – the pongamia tree, which helps improve soil health and water quality in land that is too harsh for other crops – while also producing an abundant, protein- and oil-rich legumes.
Banzo Brands (S4285k) and ChikP Protein (S4286M) both are leveraging chickpeas in unexpected ways to offer allergen-friendly, plant-based, high-protein ingredients.
Upcycling turns would-be trash into treasure
Other companies are turning would be waste or byproducts into novel and nutritious ingredients, including Evergrain, Appao, Nutraberry, Regrained and others.
Evergrain Ingredients (S4286) and Regrained (S4271-B) both use spent grain from the brewing process to create protein- and fiber-rich ingredients that can be used in a wide range of finished products – from snacks to pastas to breads and even milks.
Apparo (S4285-o) is upcycling sunflower seed meal with its Total Crop Utilization technology platform to create two proteins and a nutraceutical that can be used in plant-based meats, high protein baked goods, cereals, snacks and in ready-to-mix beverages.
Nutraberry (S4285-G) is taking another frequently discarded but nutrient dense plant part to create functional ingredients for the food and personal care segments. Specifically, it upcycles PNW berry seeds from the production of seedless purees into powders and cold-pressed oils.
Continuing the sustainability trend, several startups will showcase alternative proteins and plant-based meat.
Sourcing ingredients from deep underground and under water, Back of Yard Algae Sciences (S4286-N) develops food colors and flavors, protein powders and biostimulants to boost vertical farming and cell-based growth media from algae and mycelia.
Blue Canopy (S4287-G) also offers mycelium based and brewed meat proteins to support plant-based meat and pet-food production, as does Opera Bioscience (S4285-Q), which supplies proteins for cell-culture, cultivate meats and biomaterials.
Cella Farms (S4285-B) also leverages microbial protein technology but focuses on fermenting grains to create high protein flours that deliver all nine essential amino acids to boost the nutritional profile of plant-based food.
The Startup Pavilion also is home to several companies that support new companies, offer innovative packaging and food safety solutions and a handful of consumer goods ranging from Rollicking Buckaroo Pepper Jam (S4286-I) to Cane’d (S4286-K) cold pressed sugar cane juice.


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Former Microsoft wireless architect joins
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the trade association responsible for the creation and promotion of Bluetooth wireless technology, today announced the appointment of Dr. Michael Foley to the position of Technical Director.
Foley will direct the development of future versions of the short-range wireless specification, champion both interoperability and usability initiatives while overseeing the various working groups responsible for the technology’s growth. The Bluetooth SIG created this position to meet market demand for the burgeoning technology and to ensure the specification continues to lead the way in the short-range wireless space.
“Globally this past year the market for Bluetooth equipped products nearly doubled, and we are encouraged for similar growth in 2004. We felt it was critical to create this new position to ensure a high quality experience for the growing number of users and to better prepare the technology to support forthcoming wireless scenarios,” said Markus Schetelig, senior manager, local connectivity group at Nokia and chairman of the board for the Bluetooth SIG. “Mike Foley brings the perfect mix of wireless know-how and Bluetooth specific background to this position.”
Foley is not new to the Bluetooth landscape. While at Microsoft he served as the SIG’s Chairman of the Board and was intimately involved in the launch of Bluetooth enabled Microsoft hardware products and worked toward the integration of Bluetooth into future versions of Microsoft operating systems.
“Since its inception, I could see the potential for Bluetooth wireless technology. The growing momentum the technology has seen over the past several years makes this an exciting time in the wireless industry, I am looking forward to being a part of it,” said Mike Foley, newly appointed technical director of the Bluetooth SIG.


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Omdia: 2020 TV Shipment Outlook Drops 10% Due to Coronavirus
Expected shipments estimated to drop nearly 20 million from 2019
LONDON—With the impact that coronavirus is having around the world, Omdia is adjusting its global television shipment projections for 2020, estimating a nearly 10% downturn.
After 222.9 million TV shipments in 2019, Omdia now projects that number to be around 203.5 million in 2020, a 8.7% decrease. The original projections for 2020 was for an increase of 1.1% to 225.4 million units. So, all told, the coronavirus is causing a 9.8% downswing in Omdia’s projections.
“Just one month ago, things were looking up for TV sales, with 2019 having ended on a hopeful note and all indications pointing to mild television shipment growth in 2020,” said Paul Gray, research director, consumer devices, for Omdia. “However, that hope has completely evaporated during the past month as concerns about supply interruptions have been eclipsed by rising industry anxiety over a coronavirus-driven demand crash.”
Omdia says that this swing is a result of the global restriction of individual movements and the impact that has on their consumer habits. In addition, the suspension of the international sports calendar, including 2020 UEFA and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has also put promotional parts of the industry on hold.
Seeing 10% swings in a region is not uncommon, Omdia, says, but it is unprecedented to see such declines everywhere simultaneously. “This phenomenon has never been seen in the history of the TV market,” Gray commented.
The second quarter is expected to see the biggest drop—16% compared to Q2 2019. China is expected to start its recovery in Q2, but Europe and North America markets are estimated to fall more than 40%; declines in other regions are expected to be smaller as they put in measures thanks to advance warning.
Even though the market is currently on the decline, TV shipments are only loosely connected to overall economic performance, according to Omdia.
“Development markets shrugged off the 2008-2009 recession and television sales still grew solidly,” said Gray. “This is largely because television remains good value entertainment—far cheaper than going out. … Omdia also expects that a flurry of rescheduled sports events in 2021 will boost television sales.”
Omdia's “TV Sets Market Track” is available online.
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Vivo XPlay 5 to have dual curved screen design
There have been rumors about an upcoming new Vivo XPlay smartphone for some time, and now it looks as though the device is finally nearing its official launch. Vivo has released a teaser that confirms the name as the Vivo XPlay 5 and also reveals that it will have a dual curved screen design.
The fact that Vivo is now posting teasers about the device is a sure sign that it will be officially unveiled soon. The Vivo XPlay 5 succeeds the XPlay 3S that arrived on the scene in 2013, so to say it has been quite a wait is an understatement. One teaser image simply states the name of the phone, while another gives away something about the design.
It shows a dual curved screen panel that would give this device a borderless design and be a real highlight and selling point. It’s said that the curved panel used in the Vivo XPlay 5 is likely to be produced by Samsung. This follows recent reports that the company has upped the production capacity of these panels and would start supplying the component to further manufacturers. In fact if this is correct Vivo might be the first maker other than Samsung to use such a panel.
GizmoChina reports that leaked unofficial specs of the Vivo XPlay 5 include a Snapdragon 820 processor, 6-inch display with Quad HD resolution, and a whopping 6GB of RAM. If this amount of RAM is genuine it would be a huge point of interest. Other leaked specs include Hi-Fi audio and a 4000 mAh battery.
We’ll caution that you should take the above specs with a proverbial pinch of salt for now, as there have been mixed leaks so far. Nevertheless, if accurate it sounds as though the Vivo XPlay 5 might be a smartphone worth getting excited about. Are you following developments about the Vivo XPlay 5? We’ll be back with more as we hear it, so do check back with us from time to time.


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11 Jan 2018
January news and forecast from BHS Scotland.
15 Dec 2017
Horse riders, cyclists and walkers in England are currently at risk of having their access to our countryside restricted, warns The British Horse Society.
13 Jan 2015
The Food Standards Agency hopes the new requirement of Food Chain Information (FCI) will ensure equines treated with veterinary medicinal products that are not authorised for use in animals destined for human consumption do not enter the food chain.
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If the insanely high-res screens of the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab 7.7 have you drooling, you're certainly not alone. But if you live in the US, it's all too likely that you will never have the opportunity to see either of the devices in person.
At IFA 2011, the very same conference where the 7.7 and the Note were made official, a Samsung representative told GottaBeMobile that there are currently no plans to sell the gadgets in the US. Read More
Apple has a long history of being ironic, and not in the positive sense of the word. Their latest bout of ironic shenanigans: accusing Samsung and Motorola of being "anticompetitive." Frankly, this is such an outrageous accusation that I just don't know where to start with it.
- First off, a little history: as Daily Tech points out, Steve Jobs famously said "We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas." What changed?
Thanks to Samsung's Unpacked app, we already knew that the South Korean company would be announcing the Galaxy Tab 7.7 today, but now we have official confirmation along with a full list of specs to match.
It goes without saying that the latest addition to Samsung's tablet family will have a 7.7-inch display, but this display will pack a resolution of 1280 x 800, the same as the recently announced Samsung Note smartphone. Read More
No, that isn't a typo in the title - Samsung has indeed just unveiled a 5.3-inch phone, the 'Galaxy Note', at IFA 2011 to join the rest of its growing Galaxy family. The insanely big device doesn't just stop there, though, as Samsung has paired it with one of its Super AMOLED displays at a resolution of 1280 x 800. That happens to be the same resolution as my 13-inch laptop, so you get an idea of just how sharp this thing is, with a pixel density of 285ppi. Read More
The Samsung Galaxy W is looking like a strong mid-range Android phone, packing a 1.4GHz processor, a 5MP rear shooter, 3.7" WVGA display and 4GB internal memory. Before its debut (slated for next month on Three network in the UK) Samsung has generously posted the device's source code.
For those who want to set to work on the W source code right away, grab the download here. Read More
A recent report from ComScore indicates that as of July 2011 82 million Americans own smartphones, with Android running on 41.8% of those devices, iOS on 27%, BlackBerry OS on 21.7%, Windows Phone on 5.7%, and Symbian on 1.9%.
The survey clearly indicates that significant gains have been made by Google and Apple at the expense of RIM, Microsoft, and Nokia.
Additionally, the survey also looked at the market share of hardware manufacturers and interestingly Samsung was well ahead of the rest with 25.5% market share. Read More
We've all been waiting for weeks - nay, months - for Sammy to bring the Galaxy S II to the US. Announcement day is finally upon us despite a bit of a delay due to bad weather, but Sammy has already revealed the Sprint version of the GSII, named the Epic 4G Touch, ahead of tonight's event.
The Epic 4G Touch will sport a larger, 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, verses the 4.3-inch screen of its global counterpart. Read More
We told you about Rogers' plan to bring LTE to the Toronto area this morning, which included a mention of the LTE infused Galaxy S II. More information about this monster device has now surfaced, and it is chocked full of upgrades.
Aside from the inclusion of LTE connectivity, this device will be housing a 1.5GHz processor (most likely Exynos), NFC, and a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display, making this the most likely candidate for beastliest device of the year. Read More
When news broke earlier this month that Google had agreed to buy Motorola Mobility, many members of the tech community immediately began wondering just what would come out of the deal. The Android manufacturers LG and Samsung lauded the decision, both proclaiming that they welcomed the acquisition and Google's commitment to defend Android's interests.
Evidently, however, the South Korean government has some concern about the purchase and has begun nudging Samsung and LG in an effort to bring them away from Android and toward a "coalition of other South Korean companies," intending to build a new mobile OS developed in South Korea. Read More
Nope, Verizon still hasn't changed its mind about skipping the Galaxy S II, but if BGR's latest exclusive proves to be true, Android fans on Big Red needn't be disappointed. Indeed, the carrier is said to be launching the Samsung DROID Prime - likely a rebranded version of the long-rumored Nexus Prime - as early as this October.
The DROID Prime's primary claim to fame will, of course, be its operating system: BGR says it'll be the first Ice Cream Sandwich device on the market. Read More


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Tag: iphone 14 pro max
Does the iPhone 14 have improvements where it counts, will Twitter’s edit button satisfy its users: Vertical Hold Ep 395
Has Apple really gone "Far Out" with the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods Pro 2? Will Twitter users be happy with a limited, paid-only edit button? Special guest The Oz/Gizmodo's Alice Clarke!
Award-winning Australian technology news podcast Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News dives into the big stories of the week. Joined by Australia’s leading tech journalists every Friday, co-hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman channel-surf through the headlines in search of the big picture. About/Contact us


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Good times downtown
Published 12:00 am Sunday, August 1, 2004
Good news just keeps coming for downtown. The News-Herald reported Saturday that three new and different types of eateries will be opening with a block or two of the old downtown over the next few months.
Pisces Seafood and Raw Bar in the former Nansemond Drug building, should be open in a matter of days or weeks, as will 149 North Java, an artsy-type coffee house; and an unnamed Mexican restaurant in the former Crystal Restaurant building.
The willingness of entrepreneurs to invest in downtown suggests a couple of things: that there’s a great deal of confidence in the future of the area; and that the long complained of downtown parking problem may be largely illusory – it’s hard to imagine people making such large capital investments if they thought customers did not have access.
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The new restaurants will thrive on lunch trade, most of which will come from people who work downtown. It will be wonderful to have more choices within walking distance of most office buildings and it will be healthy for Suffolkians to rely more on their legs to get around, a central trait of a downtown existence. Not to mention the fact that there will likely be fewer automobiles attempting to navigate downtown at lunchtime, a source of frustration for many.
It’s a good time to be in Suffolk, as the saying goes, particularly downtown. We hope all the new ventures meet with success.


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Workshop attendees eager for hemp-growing legalization; proposed laws on the way
March 25, 2013
Hemp’s history in the U.S.
1700s — American farmers are required by law to grow hemp in Virginia and other colonies.
1776 — The Declaration of Independence is drafted on hemp paper.
1890-1940s — USDA Chief Botanist Lyster Dewey grows five varieties of hemp at Arlington Farms in Virginia, the current site of the Pentagon.
1916 — USDA Bulletin No. 404 shows that hemp produces four times more paper per acre than do trees.
1938 — Popular Mechanics article “New Billion Dollar Crop” explains that new developments in processing technology could use hemp to manufacture over 25,000 different products, “from cellophane to dynamite.”
1942 — Henry Ford builds an experimental car body made with hemp fiber, which is 10 times stronger than steel.
1942-1946 — American farmers harvest more than 150,000 acres of hemp through the USDA’s Hemp for Victory program.
1957 — Hemp is last grown in the U.S., due to the government including hemp with drug varieties of the plant.
1998 — The U.S. begins to import food-grade hemp seed and oil.
2005 — A bill is introduced in the U.S. Congress for the first time to allow states to regulate hemp farming, but to date no committee hearing or floor vote has taken place.
2011 — Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., introduces H.R. 1831, The Industrial Hemp Farming Act, in the House of Representatives.
2012 — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduces S. 3501, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 1831.
LOVELAND — Mark Daly drove from Wyoming to Loveland and back Thursday with hopes of resurrecting a business he lost about 12 years ago.
Like Daly, many of the 120 others at the Industrial Hemp Workshop were optimistic and enthusiastic — eager to bring back to U.S. farms a crop that has thousands of uses, they said, requires limited irrigation, has rapidly growing markets, but has "mistakenly" been lumped into marijuana talks and outlawed by the federal government since the 1950s.
Thursday's workshop brought together entrepreneurs, lawmakers and crops growers — some in their 60s, clad in overalls and baseball caps, and others in their 20s, wearing hooded sweatshirts and trendy, think-framed glasses — to discuss hemp's past, present and future.
Perhaps the event, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, is the start of a new chapter for U.S. ag — a general cheer that came from many in attendance, including by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass, who's leading efforts to draft legislation that would structure how Colorado farmers could grow hemp.
Schwartz said she hopes to introduce her bill next week.
Last year's passage of Amendment 64 in Colorado legalized the possession and cultivation of marijuana and hemp, but growing hemp, and marijuana, is still illegal under federal law.
Schwartz said she wants to start small with industrial hemp growing — not drawing the attention from the federal government.
If Colorado can push such a bill through during this legislative session, it could be the first state to grow industrial hemp since it was made illegal in the U.S. in 1957.
And such legislation could one day help get Daly back in business.
About 15 years ago, Daly, a Cheyenne resident, was making non-tobacco chew out of hemp — hemp imported from a supplier based in Canada, where the crop has been grown legally since the late 1990s.
Daly, a life-long tobacco chewer, said his hemp-chew substitute helped him and his customers kick tobacco, and — because of hemp's Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids — also healed his lips and gums after decades of chewing.
The side business was a good one, and he wanted to make it a full-time career, but, after 9/11, the U.S. tightened its restrictions on hemp imports, Daly said, to the point that his Canadian supplier got out of hemp exporting.
Since then, Daly, now a lumber trader, hasn't been able to find the hemp "herds" — portions of hemp stalks — he needs to get the business up and going again.
But he hasn't given up after more than a decade.
"If we can make this happen, I'll have what I need, and could have someone locally to do business with," Daly said of legalizing the growing of hemp — which is genetically a "cousin" to marijuana, but contains little or none of the psychoactive substance, THC.
During Thursday's workshop, which was held in a conference room at The Ranch, enthusiasts highlighted hemp oil's and hemp protein's unique health benefits.
Hemp today is used in food, nutrition supplements and animal feeds, and also fiber glass, fabrics, paper, soaps, cosmetics, paints, coatings and its byproduct could be used eventually in biofuels, as hemp proponents explained at the workshop.
With its many uses, the hemp industry overall is expected to see a 50 percent increase in growth during just the next 12-18 months, according to Shaun Crew, president of Canada Hemp Oil, which is Canada's largest hemp-seed processor.
And growing hemp can be profitable for farmers, said Andrea Hermann, a hemp agronomist and president of the Hemp Industries Association in Canada.
In her presentation, Hermann referred to a study that showed hemp-growers — based on yields of about 700 pounds per acre — profited an average of $255 per acre on Canada's prairie lands, with corn and wheat growers bringing in $208 and $100 per acre in profits, respectively.
Some farmers afterward noted, though, that differing factors in the U.S. could limit such profits in hemp growing.
As far as Leonard Roskop is concerned, hemp-growing in the U.S. is a "no-brainer."
The longtime Weld County farmer of corn and other crops said in previous years he's spent time in Denver discussing the legalization of growing hemp.
He said he likes the health benefits of hemp oils, among the many other uses for the plant, and also noted the fact that it requires less water than others crops.
"Considering our water situation here, we need to look at changing what we grow," added Roskop, who said last year he was only able to grow about half the crops he normally does, because of drought and limited water.
Whether certain farmers see hemp fitting into their rotations, Schwartz wants to give crop growers the choice.
With oversight from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Schwartz's bill, she said, would call for hemp growers to start on 10-acre research-and-development plots, and have plants tested to make sure they contain less than .03 percent THC.
Hemp growers would have to register with the ag department — not required for any other crop in Colorado, according to Ron Carleton, Colorado's deputy agriculture commissioner.
"We still have a ways to go before we know exactly how this all plays out," Carleton said. "I really don't know enough about it yet to understand all of the benefits, or any potential drawbacks.
"It seems, though, that there's a fair amount of people interested in this."