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VALVIGNA, Italy — A vertical industrial structure is almost par for the course today in the luxury industry, but Patrizio Bertelli, executive director of the Prada Group, on Thursday made a point of letting reporters gathered at the company’s plant in Valvigna, Tuscany, know that he is not jumping on the bandwagon — on the contrary.
In his usual feisty manner, Bertelli said that back in the ‘90s when he started building the network of plants that has grown in time to comprise 24 industrial facilities, of which 21 are in Italy, he was challenged by popular opinion. He recalled that he was told then that his strategy “did not make sense, and people wondered why I would not simply turn to the existing manufacturers. Today, I see you are here and the press is interested in our factories. Why did you change your mind?” he demanded.
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Bertelli blamed “a general lack of respect for the factory” back then, which he viewed as an obsolete “attitude from the 19th century on the exploitation of work.” He trumpeted his decisions from long ago, “which have impacted the life of people,” investing in structures “where people are happy to work.”
The first artisan that he employed, Lisetta Mazzoni, is now 75 and still works for Prada, he said proudly, and “she has no intention to retire.” That was a fact that later that day she firmly reiterated to the press.
“The factory represents 50 percent of the life of people and you know that your strategic decisions as an entrepreneur will impact the life of people,” Bertelli continued. “We have made the factories a comfortable place. The factory is a family. It sounds banal, but we’ve seen births, divorces, lives spent together that at times are complex, and journalists never spoke well of factories, also because they were identified with the entrepreneur, while often the factory is even better than the entrepreneur.”
He prided himself on creating the group’s own pipeline, from product to retail, a model that “the French interpreted and followed. It’s an enormous commitment, but it’s an asset which I think of in a long-term frame, 20, 50 years, not five.”
As an entrepreneur, the challenge is “to understand the expectations of a young worker today, who is entirely different from a young person in the ‘90s. People must feel integrated and part of the factory’s daily life, given more responsibilities.”
He pointed to his son Lorenzo, head of corporate social responsibility, who is expected to take the lead in the future, and said that he “will have to deal with changes in Africa and India, new technologies, robotics, everything that is manual, but the real challenge will be to integrate cultural changes of young people.“
His son admitted “the only pressure when I wake up is to guarantee the salary” of the group’s employees, now totaling 13,768. “The rest does not count.”
The company has grown to reach sales of 4.2 billion euros last year, with a presence in 70 countries and 612 directly operated stores. While his father and mother Miuccia Prada have always “been passionate about their job, they did what they liked and had fun, and the result of having fun was growth, but they also feel the responsibility of paying the salaries. If we follow with the same approach, listening to people and being curious, results will continue to be positive. I think that the values of our company are aligned with the evolutions of society today. I connect the dots and hopefully will give even better visibility to what they have done.”
Lorenzo Bertelli, together with industrial director Massimo Vian, headlined the event of the day, focusing on industrial strategy and sustainability through tours of the Valvigna plant, a one-hour drive from Florence, and the nearby Levanella logistic hub. “Our motto is to be drivers of change and this is founded on three pillars: the planet, people and culture,” he said.
Vian praised the beauty of the Valvigna factory, which is full of natural light, surrounded by gardens and plants, which leads to “happy workers, and the excellence of products.” The facility, which was completed in 2018, spans over four buildings and 356,400 square feet and employs 770 individuals. Vian said 100 percent of Prada and Miu Miu samples are made in-house. There is also an archive with 45,000 references.
Vian said that, from 2019 to the end of 2022, investments totaled around 140 million euros, of which 120 million euros were in capital expenditures, and 22 million euros in acquisitions. Asked about potential targets, Lorenzo Bertelli said, “we are scouting for new opportunities in 2023,” but demurred from providing details. Vian said the group is “very well positioned” in the leather goods segment, which will likely not be considered for future M&A activity.
In 2022 almost 70 million euros was invested in vertical integration, technology, industrial processes, plants expansion and efficiency improvements.
Almost 60 million euros are planned in capex investments in 2023.
Propelled by strong growth of its Prada and Miu Miu brands across all product categories, the group is on an upward trajectory. As reported, the company’s full-year results beat analysts’ expectations and achieved margin targets ahead of schedule. In 2022, net profit soared 58 percent to 465 million euros on the back of a 25 percent gain in revenues to 4.2 billion euros.
By the end of 2023, Prada will double the size of its knitwear factory in Torgiano, in Umbria, a long time knitwear manufacturing hub. It is also planning to have a fully automated shoe production line inside its Levane plant near Arezzo in Tuscany.
Next year, the group is eyeing setting up a new leather goods plant near Siena.
In line with its sustainability initiatives, in August Prada will work on a new waste water treatment plant at its Tannerie Limoges site.
The Levanella hub was completed in December, designed by Guido Canali, who also conceived the ValvIgna plant, and it’s equally immersed in greenery. A walk-through of the site is impressive, comprising eight buildings, and where almost 226 people work. Inventories at the end of March totaled around 500,000 pieces. At the end of December, inbound traffic amounted to around 3.2 million pieces and outbound to 4.5 million units.
The group will be hiring more than 400 people by the end of the year to strengthen its production capacity and craftsmanship expertise in Italy.
The investment will help achieve greater agility and a reduction in time-to-market. The group already carries out all quality checks on raw materials and finished products, and manages all logistics internally.
A considerable proportion of the new positions will be filled by students of the Prada Group Academy, where new entrants will learn manual and craft skills.
The academy, which was founded in the early 2000s, “will become increasingly crucial for the future preservation of our know-how and the one of the sector,” said Vian, a former Luxottica executive who joined Prada in 2020. “We feel a responsibility to invest in young talent who will become the next generation of expert craftspeople.”
More than 200 new professionals will be trained over the next year across leather goods, footwear and ready-to-wear.
The group will also establish a new permanent branch of the Prada Group Academy at its Scandicci plant, near Florence, dedicated to leather craftsmanship. Around 30 students will be part of the first program there.
The new positions will be opened across some of Prada Group’s main manufacturing facilities in Italy, including around 100 new hires in Scandicci, representing a 50 percent increase in the current workforce.
Vian admitted it’s a commitment to train new workers, “costly but profitable in the medium-short term. We need to be attractive and we can offer highly advanced technology and guarantee opportunities to grow.”
Lorenzo Bertelli said the group will communicate a new project focused on bio-diversity soon. He also spoke about the progress made on decarbonization, the conversion of heating systems to electric power, and reaching 54 percent of green cars, among other issues. He noted that 66 percent of electricity is derived by certified renewable sources and that the procurement of raw materials represents more than 70 percent of Scope 3 GHG emissions. The group has more than doubled the number of LEED-certified stores to 181.
Thanks to gaming, there has been a substantial development in the 3D software to design ready-to-wear, where even the characteristics of the fabrics are digitalized. “This is very important in terms of sustainability because you save time and money in the use of fabrics and prototypes,” Vian said. The shoes in the women’s show last February were developed for the first time in 3D, he remarked.
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Posted by: Matt Vella on May 09
As Nintendo gears up its next big thing – the May 19 release of Wii Fit – games blogs and websites are abuzz over what might be described as the accessory’s lack of tact. In fact, if you’re overweight, Wii Fit may just call you fat.
Ok, not exactly. But, the Wii Fit – a $90 kit that includes a motion- and pressure-sensitive board and software to help players lose weight and improve their fitness – doesn’t pull any punches. Interestingly, when Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president and CEO, visited BusinessWeek’s offices last month, he said the Fit’s designers had toyed with sugar coating results, worrying about alienating players by potentially calling them overweight or even obese. But, to make the product “useful and honest,” they ultimately decided not to.
Still, gamers are wondering if Wii Fit may come off as harsh. It analyzes a player’s fitness in part via their body mass index. (See the picture to the right below.) But, according to this discussion thread that might turn some players off. User “Mrs Hobbes” relates the story of her ten year old grand-daughter who 4ft, 9in tall, weighs 92lbs and was deemed over-weight by Wii Fit. (This BMI calculator says she would be “normal weight.”) Mrs Hobbes wrote:
She is solidly built but not fat. She was devasted to be called fat and we had to work hard to convince her that she isn’t. I know it is just a game but seriously we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves to look like the magazine models and now we have a game that tells them their fat. This to me is very worrying and I hope that is doesn’t cause emotional problems for any youngsters out there :(
For more, games site Gamespy has an in-depth look at the experience of being deemed overweight by the new Nintendo accessory.
Still, the minor flap hasn’t done anything to dampen excitement for Wii Fit, which is already selling briskly. In fact, some retailers have stopped taking pre-orders thanks to strong demand. Amazon blew through its entire stock in about a month, according to blog WiiFanBoy. Another blog, GoNintendo, is also reporting that Toys R Us may be doing the same thing.
Nintendo is preparing one of the biggest roll-outs in its history, targeting an even broader range of non-traditional gamers than it did when it launched the Wii. Think advertising in The View and Women’s Health. “Consumer-level advocacy is marketing nirvana,” Fils-Aime told me last month, underscoring how important the company anticipates word-of-mouth being.
He added that he’s expecting two big waves of Wii Fit sales, an initial surge made up largely of people who already own Wii consoles and a later wave of players that would be new to the system.
No longer child's play, the booming global games market is worth billions of dollars. In Games, Inc., BusinessWeek Innovation writer Matt Vella and Tokyo correspondent Kenji Hall analyze emerging business trends in video games and interactive entertainment. They’ll examine everything from button-mashing, chart-topping, console games to serious games commissioned by big corporations to train staff. They’ll also map the evolution of expansive virtual worlds and go behind the strategies at companies that are turning play into big business.

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PayPal Or Bitcoin? It Is A Binary Choice?
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PayPal or Bitcoin? Can both survive as alternatives to credit cards, or do we already need to choose a winner in a battle that hasn’t even begun in earnest?
PayPal’s stock value posted gains of 80% so far this year, pushing its market cap above American Express.[i] PayPal soared further on better-than-expected Q3 earnings. Combined with the impressive gains made by Bitcoin this year (despite continued infighting), this may indicate that online payment services are starting to gain ground against credit cards and investors are starting to notice.
What Does PayPal’s Increased Value Mean For Bitcoin?
PayPal’s increased Q3 earnings means primarily that there is demand for convenient online and mobile payments. Millennials are especially getting used to the idea of paying for purchases using their mobile phones and apps like Venmo, as evidenced by the fact that Venmo’s revenue jumped by 93% to $9.4 billion.[ii]
We’re used to big banks flipping over Bitcoin and blockchain apps that could do their jobs better, cheaper, and faster than they can. They’re scared of being replaced or at least having their role reduced by a technology that doesn’t care about international borders. The ones who aren’t running for the hills (or trying to convince everybody that Bitcoin is a scam) are quietly looking for ways that they can integrate the blockchain into their own operations so that they can compete in a future economic environment in which ordinary people don’t necessarily have to rely on banks.
However, financial institutions may also be secretly worried about PayPal turning them into a “back-end” service that is only useful for confirming a PayPal account or squirreling away the cash before PayPal has a chance to notice an unusual transaction pattern or an unusually large payment. Then they can only compete on pricing structures because customers will have finally realized that they all fundamentally do the same thing.
In fact, Bloomberg seems to confirm that banks are panicking by saying that they are suddenly extremely interested in creating payment options of their own.[iii] No longer is it good enough to hold the moneybags until the customer needs access to their cash. Payments need to be easy, seamless, and secure too. While Bitcoin wasn’t directly mentioned, mobile payment options like Apple Pay were apparently very much on the mind of banking giants like Barclays.
“That [payments space] may be where the battleground of finance is fought over the next 15 years,” said Barclays CEO Jes Staley.
Whether it’s PayPal or Bitcoin that Staley was thinking of, can Bitcoin insiders focus on where, when, and how cryptocurrencies can compete in the payments space? PayPal’s increased earnings and stock value does indicate that there is demand for convenient online and mobile payments. This may become a matter of whether cryptocurrencies should compete directly with PayPal, strike off on their own to see where its target markets are, or do a little of both.
Market Share, or Different Markets?
The interesting question is whether PayPal or Bitcoin – and of course, credit cards – are jockeying for market share throughout the entire online payments niche or are simply looking for their own specific markets in which they can dominate. It’s fair to say that there are people who use both PayPal and Bitcoin, or who would have no qualms about using Bitcoin to pay a credit card bill if they can find a way to do it. However, there are markets in which there wouldn’t be much overlap; it’s either PayPal or Bitcoin – and that means Bitcoin can dominate in certain markets if entrepreneurs are willing to take a chance on them, and not get too hung up on certain people’s inability to show a photo ID card or provide bank account information.
If PayPal tried to compete in markets in which there isn’t a robust banking system or the economy is unstable, its system is set up in such a way that it would get squashed like a bug. PayPal probably knows that, as evidenced by the fact that it doesn’t do business in some countries.[iv] Many of the countries that PayPal refuses to operate in have suffered from the effects of poorly considered economic policies. It’s been rumored that some countries refuse to abide by U.S. financial regulations, so PayPal covers its hind end by refusing to reach out to these markets.
Likewise, the use of credit cards is not very common in some parts of the world and may even be discouraged by the standards of certain societies. For instance, the use of credit cards has been slow to gain ground in Muslim-majority countries because Shariah law forbids taking out a loan from a financial institution that charges interest.[v] Even when they are legal and common, credit card companies usually won’t get involved in cases of fraud and may report suspicious purchases made with your credit card information to law enforcement authorities.[vi]
In markets that PayPal won’t touch and where credit cards haven’t really caught on, Bitcoin has the edge by basically being Honey Badger, which can follow its nature without caring much about what government authorities or large financial institutions think as long as its users are smart enough to cover their own hind ends.
If you are one of those unlucky people who has trouble getting on an exchange, there are ways to earn bitcoin and then use it to buy (most of) the everyday things that you would normally buy anyway and even buy some services that you wouldn’t want showing up on a credit card statement.
That means Bitcoin can reach the markets that PayPal and credit cards won’t touch, or that consider certain payment options to be untouchable. Market share only matters in environments in which multiple, equally valid options can compete on a level playing field. Market dominance will come into play in an environment in which PayPal is interested only in covering its ass and credit cards can’t gain a foothold.
Can PayPal Adapt to the Existence of Bitcoin?
PayPal could adapt to this new environment in which cryptocurrencies that don’t depend on governments or banks if it can pull its head out of the sand long enough to notice that it’s no longer the only fish in the sea. Even when people can and have confirmed a PayPal account, they can also dabble in Bitcoin out of simple curiosity or jump over to cryptocurrencies altogether if PayPal shuts down their account and steals their money for no good reason other than being greedy and lazy.
To be fair, PayPal has to cope with the fact that it’s tied to banks and, therefore, has to deal with a heavy regulatory load. It’s already given a heads-up to banks that they need to create a seamless payment experience by gaining ground in both revenue and stock value in 2017, especially in the last quarter. Now it just needs to improve its customer service.
Example: it may be understandable to ask some tough questions if a fundraising effort confuses potential donors by combining an attempt to express displeasure over the storyline of a video game with an attempt to raise funds for a nonprofit called Child’s Play.[vii] But PayPal seriously needs to clarify what to do if users want to use its donation buttons to raise funds for a charitable effort, so that there isn’t a repeat of Regretsy having to refund donations for a Secret Santa campaign while PayPal keeps the fees.[viii] In fact, Regretsy should try again, only making sure to use Bitcoin this time. If PayPal wants to avoid bad publicity of this sort in the future, then it should learn that it is sometimes okay to give somebody the benefit of the doubt.
More importantly, issues like this are a large part of the reason that PayPal is not as good a tool for helping the less fortunate as Bitcoin could potentially be. If in doubt, PayPal is going to protect its own interests even at the expense of the people who would benefit the most from easy-to-use online payment options. When combined with the fact that 2 billion people on this planet wouldn’t be able to confirm a PayPal account no matter how much PayPal would prefer to rope them in as users[ix], this makes PayPal effectively unusable as a tool for helping the underprivileged.
Decentralized cryptocurrencies are designed to dodge that problem and even have the added benefit of a fair amount of competition among top altcoins. If Bitcoin ever becomes outright unusable to the less fortunate, then Litecoin, DASH, Monero, Ethereum, or any combination of altcoins could take its place. Nobody minds taking second place to Bitcoin if they are ready to take the top slot if Bitcoin were ever to fall.
The Competitive Landscape: Why PayPal OR Bitcoin At All?
Effectively, PayPal has to compete with cryptocurrencies that are designed to include everybody even if they don’t have a bank account or photo ID card and banks have to compete with both PayPal and Bitcoin in the payment processing niche.
PayPal doesn’t look like it’s hurting too badly considering that its revenues and stock value are both up, but has had to deal with bad publicity when it shut down efforts to help the less fortunate. And itc can’t compete in some markets that Bitcoin can easily reach with a little foresight from entrepreneurs who can look beyond the next quarterly report.
Banks are getting nervous because PayPal or Bitcoin could theoretically instigate a joint task force, working together to squeeze them into a lesser role if they can’t come up with a seamless and competitive payment experience for their customers. Americans tend to forget that credit card use isn’t as prevalent in some parts of the world and developing countries may well welcome a financial infrastructure that includes Bitcoin and the ability to compete on an equal footing with the rest of the world even if banks aren’t as large a part of the picture as they could have been if they had cared to make the investment. Which of these options could come out on top in terms of market share and even market dominance in some regions?
The next few years are likely to get interesting as they jockey for position among their respective target audiences. These payment options might have to learn how to coexist in some regions and get used to watching another option gain ground in regions that they can’t touch.
At the end of the day, it may not be PayPal or Bitcoin at all – who knows if one of the upcoming payment systems ICOs might actually pull off a surprise and put them both out of a job? (Hint: probably not this one.)
Stay tuned, because this is likely to be quite an interesting competition in an environment where a respectable surge in PayPal’s market cap is enough to put it ahead of American Express and make banks go from nervous to outright terrified.
Which would be a nice reversal of roles.


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Maritime lawyer Howard Sacks has sued Princess Cruise Lines so many times over the years that a Long Beach judge recently joked with him in open court that he must be a regular stowaway.
For the record, he’s not. In fact, the San Pedro-based attorney never has set sail with Princess as a legal passenger – much less undercover.
“I’ve never taken a cruise,” Sacks said, with just a hint of a smile. “And I never will.”
It might be a classic case of too much information.
Sacks, 64, has filed thousands of lawsuits against Princess during the last three decades, most of them trip-and-fall negligence claims on behalf of passengers all over the world.
He once represented a Florida couple whose cabin on the Star Princess filled with smoke from a nearby fire and sent them crawling for breathable air in March 2006.
Then there were 150 people injured – and one killed – on a Crown Princess cruise in July 2006 when the ship violently tilted, apparently due to a helmsman error. Sacks represents 10 of the plaintiffs.
But one of the most recent cases he’s been involved in is also one of the most unusual: a high-seas fraud suit involving two wealthy art collectors and a painting titled “Tranquil Remorse.”
The case quietly settled in a Long Beach courtroom last month – the same courtroom where Judge Joseph Di Loreto made the “stowaway” crack about Sacks. The plaintiffs were Terrie Kifer and Joyce Sexton, a Delaware couple who claimed they paid $71,600 for an “original, one-of-a-kind” oil painting while on a 2004 Baltic cruise before realizing the piece may have been a reproduction.
The giveaway? They took a Mediterranean cruise a year later and saw what appeared to be an identical version of “Tranquil Remorse” for sale on the ship. It sold at auction for some $50,000.
“They became absolutely shocked,” the lawsuit states. “To the plaintiffs, it appeared as if the painting had been taken off the wall in Delaware and transported back to Princess for this unveiling.”
Sacks served as local counsel to a Florida lawyer named Brett Rivkind, who represented Kifer and Sexton. All lawsuits against Princess must be filed in Los Angeles County, even when they originate elsewhere.
In the art-fraud case, the plaintiffs claimed that the cruise lines and the painter, Martiros Manoukian, had devised a scheme to “sell questionable art at inflated prices” in order to increase profits and commissions.
Princess, as well as the artist, reached a confidential settlement with the plaintiffs last month but admitted no wrongdoing.
On Friday, Princess spokeswoman Julie Benson released a brief statement on behalf of the company.
“The accusation that Princess was involved in a scheme to sell fraudulent art to our passengers is absolutely ridiculous,” she said.
According to the lawsuit, Princess created an Art Connoisseur Program wherein VIP members were invited to sail for free and participate in private auctions of works by famous artists – such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Edgar Degas – as well as lesser known artists, such as Manoukian.
At the request of the cruise line, Manoukian often personally appeared onboard to talk with potential buyers, who were treated to champagne receptions and issued appraisals and certificates of authenticity.
But the lawsuit alleged that the art was often overpriced and misrepresented. The people who regularly appraised the art and issued certificates of authenticity, for instance, were employed by the cruise lines and “do not have an unbiased, objective and impartial relationship with the seller of the art.”
Following the Mediterranean cruise, Kifer and Sexton “further learned from their art expert that the `Tranquil Remorse’ was a situation of `oil reproductions’ where the artist cleverly tries to represent each version of the Tranquil Remorse as an original,” the lawsuit stated.
Manoukian has steadfastly denied that claim.
His attorney, Edward Bialack, said that his client created all versions of “Tranquil Remorse” entirely at his own hand – which is all that is needed by law to constitute an “original” piece.
He didn’t use a machine or copy over a reproduction, Bialack added. He painted the pieces and titled them accordingly – such as “Tranquil Remorse,” “Tranquil Remorse II,” and so on.
“He essentially sold them to Princess, and then Princess auctioned them off,” Bialack said.
But Sacks said he was confident that Kifer and Sexton were intentionally led to believe that their painting was unique – a belief reflected in the high price they paid for it. He also said he believed the couple were not the only victims.
“We think it’s a practice,” Sacks said, adding that Princess takes in millions of dollars a year through onboard auctions. “It’s big money.”
Then he added: “I wouldn’t buy art on a ship – period.”
From his third-floor office above the San Pedro Post Office on Beacon Street, Sacks has a great vantage point of his customer base. Princess ships dock in the harbor, as do tug boats, fishing boats and container ships.
But of all the maritime law he does these days, cruise ships have become his bread-and-butter. With so many regular cruisegoers over the age of 50, Sacks said, it’s little wonder: Simple trip-and-falls easily turn into a broken hips.
That’s not to say Princess is an easy adversary. Ninety-five percent of his cases settle before trial, but not without a fight.
Even so, Sacks is quick to point out that – as cruise ships go – Princess is unquestionably one of the best. And, with few exceptions, the lawsuits against the company can be chocked up to the price of doing business. Rarely, he said, do claims involve intentional acts.
“Princess is a good company to sail with,” he said. “There’s others I wouldn’t step foot on.”


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Are you supplying packaged food or alcohol into the EU?
7 January 2022 Written by Narinder Williams
The EU legislation for food labelling is changing...
Growth in store for stem cell innovator after Innovate UK EDGE support
6 January 2022 Written by James Cortis
Innovate UK EDGE has helped a stem cell bank to streamline its operations with lean processes and achieve a 30% sales uplift, following support with sales and marketing.
Devon-based MedTech innovator, Biovault Family, is helping families access advanced medical treatments by collecting and storing stem cell samples taken from placentas, umbilical cords and cord blood at birth.
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Announcing Innovate UK KTN
24 November 2021 Written by Simon Ward
Innovate UK is changing its relationship with its Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) to create Innovate UK KTN.
Novel carrier for teacups storms US market with Innovate UK EDGE help
24 November 2021 Written by James Cortis
A Cornwall innovator has revamped its business strategy, secured a £23,000 bank loan and expanded into the US market, all with help from Innovate UK EDGE.
muggi has developed the ‘world’s most versatile drinks carrier’, using a combination of recycled post-industrial, household, and marine plastics.
Innovate UK Plan for Action for Business Innovation launches today
19 November 2021 Written by Simon Ward
Scaleup Programme leads to bright future for Photocentric
16 November 2021 Written by Simon Ward
With help from Innovate UK EDGE's Scaleup Programme, an innovative Cambridgeshire company has restructured for rapid growth.
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Do you sell products into the European market?
3 November 2021 Written by Narinder Williams
If so, you might be interested to have your say on a proposal which the European Commission is preparing which could have future implications for your business. The Commission is looking to amend the existing EU product liability rules, to bring them up to date for our digital and circular economy age.
Innovate UK EDGE: Accelerating businesses growth with design skills
2 November 2021 Written by Simon Ward
Businesses expand more quickly by making the most of the UK’s thriving design sector, so Innovate UK EDGE is enhancing its innovation & growth specialist-led support with 'Design for Growth'.
Innovate UK EDGE drives growth in the South West of England
11 October 2021 Written by James Cortis
In spite of the global pandemic, Innovate UK EDGE has helped South West regional innovators with business growth, raising over £32m in equity investments and loans, and more than £24m in grant funding, during the time since the first national lockdown.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – Combating a growing threat together
4 October 2021 Written by Craig Gordon
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) develops when bacteria, fungi or viruses are exposed to antibiotics, antifungals or antivirals. As a result, the antimicrobials become ineffective and infections may persist. In addition, medical interventions including surgery, chemotherapy and stem cell therapy may become impossible.


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The TiNDLE Classic Katsu Burger is available now for a limited time at the restaurant's Lynnwood location.
Seattle's beloved Katsu Burger has recently announced that a new meat-free katsu burger is being tested at its Lynnwood location, and is available this weekend only for just $5!
According to a post on Katsu Burger's Facebook page, the "TiNDLE Classic Katsu Burger" will be available starting Thursday, August 18th until Sunday, August 21st.
The sandwich is swapping out its signature katsu-fried chicken cutlet for TiNDLE, a new plant-based chicken alternative by Next Gen Foods.
According to TiNDLE's website, TiNDLE is made from plants and tastes as well as looks very much like chicken from birds. TiNDLE can be deep-fried, pan-fried, grilled, sauteed, battered and coated, and molded into shape.
This versatility allows chefs to get really creative in the kitchen, allowing them to re-create some of their favorite meat-heavy dishes into plant-based versions, something Katsu Burger can definitely use to expand their menu and customer base.
TiNDLE is currently produced in Europe and is available in over 500 restaurants across the globe. It has recently gained more popularity here in the US, having just landed a major deal to partner with Veggie Grill, where TiNDLE will be available nationwide at more than 30 Veggie Grill restaurant locations across the country.
TiNDLE chicken in itself is suitable for vegans but does contain soy and gluten for those with dietary allergens. However, it's unclear whether Katsu Burger's version will be vegan-friendly or not, based on the bun, toppings, and sauces used.
A plant-based burger at one of my favorite Seattle burger joints is something that I personally find very exciting since it has been a struggle finding places where both my girlfriend (vegan & Gluten-free) and I (omnivore) can enjoy the tastes and preferences we individually crave, together.
The TiNDLE Classic Katsu Burger will unfortunately only be available at the restaurant's Lynnwood location this weekend, however, who knows - maybe with enough positive response, they will decide to give it a more permanent spot on their menu and spread it across its other 8 locations across King County and Snohomish County.
The restaurant has previously held a "Meatless Monday" promotion in the past, served a Beyond katsu Burger featuring katsu-fried Beyond Beef, Though I am unsure if this item is currently available at any of their locations.
Regardless, this just shows that Katsu Burger - like many other restaurants across the Pacific Norwest and beyond -has started to see the value of adding more plant-based items to its menus.
I plan on visiting this weekend to try out this sandwich myself and will update this article with pictures and my impressions.


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Charities must ensure they are using digital effectively so as to engage with young people; the next generation of donors.
In a recent article for the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network, Damien Austin-Walker, head of digital at vInspired, discusses how to create a digital strategy which will not only engage but encourage a call to action.
- Locate key influencers and advocates. Ask celebrities or people with a strong, trusted online presence to start a hashtag trending on twitter, for example.
- Curate relevant content. Share content your audience is interested in. Videos and images are typically more likely to be shared via social media.
- Think about incentives. Rather than offering a chance to win a prize, perhaps offer something relevant to the cause so that the person can see where their donation has gone.
GlobalGiving has announced a three-week programme of free online training on crowdfunding – but only for charities who apply before the 5 October deadline
Increased cloud adoption is being fuelled by cloud-native applications, including security and the Internet of Things (IoT) cloud-based solutions
As readers of this site will no doubt be aware, digital has a massive part to play in the future growth of ... read more
eBay has proved to be one of the more effective ways to engage donors online and raise funds. While a lot of the money raised comes from the sale of goods, successful charities have also managed to establish a donor base that allows them to raise ongoing funds.


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PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Isaac Beraha and his girlfriend were sleeping on Christmas Eve when they heard the sound of glass shattering.
The sound was that of the glass door to the shower spontaneously shattering.
"It happened like an explosion," Beraha said.
Beraha captured the aftermath with his cellphone.
Local 10 News has learned this is happening across the country.
Since January 2012, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has filed 195 reports of shattering glass shower enclosures involving different manufacturers.
A few years ago, Kohler recalled about 100 of its shower doors after consumers reported that they were shattering. In a recent comment by the company posted on SaferProducts.gov, the manufacturer explained that all the doors are made with tempered glass.
Pierre Mayrand, president and chief executive officer of Glass Doctor in Miami, told Local 10 that tempered glass is designed to break into many small pieces. It's a safety feature making the glass far less dangerous than fewer, large shards of glass.
Damage to the edge of the tempered glass, he said, or perhaps microscopic imperfections could be behind a door's spontaneous shattering. Mayrand recommends making sure that clips holding glass shower doors are secure and checking the edges for cracks.
In the complaints filed with federal regulators, most people were not near the doors when they shattered. But they were hurt while trying to clean up the mess.
Mayrand recommends wearing safety boots.
Beraha is working with his Hallandale Beach landlord to contact the door's manufacturer for a replacement. In the meantime, he's using a shower curtain as a shield just in case it happens to the other door.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled glass shower doors when it finds a pattern of defects in a specific make and model of a product.
Reporting these incidents helps them to find these patterns.
To report an unsafe product and read recent glass shower shattering reports, visit SaferProducts.gov.
Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @CallChristinaTV
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10


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EFM Health Club Gym Mt Barker franchise moves to a new purpose-built facility
Due to its continuing success, leading health club and gym franchise, EFM Health Clubs , moves its Mt Barker, South Australia studio to a larger, purpose-built facility.
EFM Health Clubs partnered with Cornerstone College to launch the initial studio, with EFM Health Clubs offering fitness programs for Cornerstone College students, parents and staff.
Due to its steady growth and popularity within the community, EFM Health Clubs saw the need to move to a larger facility. Still located on campus, the new health and fitness franchise is now the premier exercise facilty and gym in the Mt Barker area.
EFM Mt Barker head fitness coach, Rob Tyndall has extended the gym's opening hours to cater for the influx of members who are keen to experience the leading gym facility.
Looking at buying a franchise with a unique business model?
EFM Health Clubs have over 60 fitness franchises across Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Launceston and regional centres. EFM offer three distinct and unique fitness business models:
- Onsite Fitness Businesses at hospitals
- Onsite Fitness Businesses at schools
- Onsite Fitness Businesses at corporate organisations


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Jun 29, 2020, 1:50 pm17 ptsMultistate marijuana operator Acreage Holdings said it has closed on a deal to acquire a New Jersey medical cannabis operation for $10 million, plus the assumption of debt. The acquisition, announced last year, gives Acreage a firm foothold in a marijuana market positioned for potential adult-use…
Trending Today on NewsBudz
NewsBudz is a marijuana and medical cannabis news app. The site delivers a daily feed of the latest cannabis news. We aggregate over 30 of the web's best sources for news about marijuana, hemp and legalization to keep you informed.
Stay on top of the latest news headlines, trends and developments worldwide around recreational and medical marijuana. Sit back and relax, while you read learn and share. On the web or your mobile device, NewsBudz is your cannabis news stream.


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The king of the killer heels was in Manchester to celebrate the recent opening of his new boutique at Selfridges.
French footwear designer Christian Louboutin visited the store at Exchange Square to pose for photos for fans and to sign some of his famous towering heels.
Stiletto fans rejoiced as the world-renowned designer, whose stilettos can cost up to £6,000 a pair, appeared at the entrance to Selfridges wearing a bright red beret to match the signature red-lacquered soles of his heels.
One fan, after taking a photo of the iconic designer, gasped: “My husband just wouldn’t understand.”
The new Louboutin boutique at Selfridges Manchester – the biggest in the north – is based within the new £3mn shoe department at Exchange Square.
The boutique, with plush red carpets and birdcage-like frameworks, has been inspired by the elegance of 19th to 20th century Parisian architecture, such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower.
Loubys are beloved by WAGs and celebrities everywhere, from Kate Moss to Kim Kardashian. And Manchester United style queen WAG Coleen Rooney is rarely seen on a night out without her pair of Louboutins.
And it isn’t just women getting their fill of the footwear, the boutique also stocks a full range for men too.


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Monday, August 29, 2011
WASTE WARRIORS: AN INDUSTRY EMERGES FROM PHILADELPHIA’S RECLAIMED GOODS Once again, we see why recycling isn’t just good for the planet - it's good for the local economy. All around the city, innovative folks are making a living by creating cool new products from things we used to toss into a giant hole. Check out this article, then go support these local companies who are doing the right thing and making a living at the same time.
Posted by chefamy at 6:11 PM


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With the first Playboy Club set to open in India next year, the Playboy Bunnies made a smashing debut with an Indian version of the flamboyant bunny suit.
The Indian Playboy Bunny suit, designed by Mohini Tadikonda, a New-York based fashion designer, was unveiled at a press conference in Mumbai.
To appease Indian values, the outfit was modified into a one-shouldered top with a sheer, full-length skirt with a slit
While the first outlet is expected to open in Goa by March 2013, Playboy plans to expand eventually to about 120 stores in the country.
Iron Man Character Poster for Avengers: Age of...
First look of Kangna Ranaut from Katti Batti
Official Poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron
Akshay Kumar's new film 'Airlift'...
'NH10' First Look Posters


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Business and consumer confidence in Nebraska reversed course during October.
The latest Consumer Confidence Index-Nebraska shows an increase last month compared to September.
But UNL Bureau of Business Research director Eric Thompson says the indicator is still low.
“I think, as wages have improved over the last year or so, consumer confidence has improved. However, it’s improved from very weak levels and, still, you couldn’t call it strong,” Thompson tells Nebraska Radio Network affiliate KLIN. “The key thing is to see if wages continue to grow over the next year or so, will we get strong consumer confidence in our state.”
At the same time, Nebraska businesses are scaling back their optimism for the next six months.
The October survey shows sales are expected to be neutral.
Thompson says the outlook for hiring during the next six months will be minimal.
“Businesses were positive about the economy over the next six months, but only slightly positive. Not really expecting any increase in sales and just a small increase in employment,” he says.
Ten percent of Nebraska businesses that responded in October report plans to increase hiring into next year. Seven percent expect to cut jobs.
Thompson says businesses are expressing concerns about the agricultural commodity prices.
Jane Monnich, KLIN, contributed to this story.


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A survey undertaken by Transversal, a provider of web self-service and knowledge management solutions, has revealed that consumer opinions of particular brands have decreased after contacting a call centre. Over half of the respondents (53 per cent) said their opinion had decreased with financial services companies, in particular, cited as the major culprits. However, First Direct bank was singled out for praise, by the 17 per cent of people whose opinion of a company had been enhanced by the call centre experience.
Contacting a call centre by phone was still the favoured medium for 83 per cent of respondents, with the remainder opting for e-mail. This indicates that very few organisations have established an effective way to deal with e-mail enquiries, despite the ease of communication it can offer to them and their customers.
When asked about ways to improve call centres 57 per cent said: Employ agents who know more and are able to handle my call quickly, followed by 35 per cent saying: Reduce the number of automated menus. Despite many companies outsourcing their call centre operations abroad, no one admitted relocating to India.
Gerard Buckley, CEO of Transversal, commented: Customers are still banging on the same old drum and its clear from this survey that organisations still have some way to go to satisfy them. Greater speed, knowledge and consistency of response are still seen as the key requirements for customers.
The irony is, the technology exists that will make sure customers get the answers they need whether theyre online or calling a call centre. The latest online customer service technologies can even provide call centre agents with intelligent answers to customer questions, any time agents are stuck for the answer.


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Unresolved Issues Swirl Around Securing Mobile PaymentsNovember 16, 2012While many mobile payments startups are using both traditional and nontraditional authentication methods, regulatory uncertainty still exists around liability for fraud attacks on customers using mobile payments.
Experts Debate the Security of EMVOctober 27, 2011While many in the financial industry acknowledge that the EMV standard is not 100-percent secure, some say it may be the best option available for securing POS payments.
Q&A: Security Pros Identify Key Themes at the NICE Actimize ForumOctober 18, 2011Shawn Swartout, VP and security director at Spokane, Wash.-based Sterling Savings Bank and Ben Knieff, director of product marketing and enterprise fraud prevention expert at NICE Actimize say that managing customer relationships is key to a successful sec
The New Battleground in Customer ExperienceAugust 16, 2011The new battleground in customer experience is not simply about building better websites and branches; it's about defining the brand and ensuring consistency and effectiveness across channels to win customers' loyalty.
BB&T Selects NICE SmartCenter to Enhance Customer ServiceDecember 14, 2009NICE SmartCenter is a suite of pre-packaged business solutions that address specific business issues, powered by functional components spanning call recording, quality management, multi-channel interaction analytics, workforce management and performance ma
Tsunami Relief Efforts Get Record Online DonationsJanuary 04, 2005Major relief organizations have received a record amount of money from online donors, helping the nonprofits in getting emergency supplies to victims of the South Asia tsunami disaster.
Answering the Call May 06, 2004Financial institutions continue to adapt cutting-edge call center technology to the needs of their very fussy customers. Here's a look inside some of the changing call centers they run.


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Used car values record largest drop in a month in over a decade
#car #values #record #largest #drop #month #decade
results about Used car values record largest drop in a month in over a decade
The average value of a used car at three years, 60,000 miles, fell by 4.2% in October, equivalent to £850, according to new figures from Cap HPI.
It is the largest drop in a single month since the introduction of Cap Live in 2012 and the largest fall since May 2011, more than 12 years ago.
Derren Martin, director of valuations at Cap HPI, said: “It has been a fascinating month witnessing how prices have been affected and Cap Live values have moved during the hugely challenging month of October.
“Whilst used values do generally remain high from prior years’ increases, there is no escaping that this is a considerable reduction in value.
“Indeed, In the last 10 years, we have only witnessed monthly drops in Live values of over 3% on three occasions – November 2014, May 2019 and November 2020, and this is the largest October fall ever recorded.”
It is a considerable realignment, according to Martin, with values now having dropped by a cumulative 13.6% in seven months since April.
“Overall, October has been a ground-breaking month for used value drops,” he said. “Large reductions both for the time of year and in general, a considerable realignment following three strong years of upward movements or stability.
“Market prices are shifting, but they remain close to 20%, for petrol and diesel vehicles at least, above where they were at the start of 2021. This remains a realignment, albeit significant, not a crash.”
Values at the one-year age dropped by an average of 3.6% in the month, equivalent to around £1,225, not helped by more late-plate cars and some pre-registration activity.
At older ages, values dropped by 4.3% at five years and by 4.5% at 10 years, equating to £550 and £240, respectively.
Petrol cars dropped by an average of 4.6%, diesel by 4%, hybrids by 4.1% and plug-in hybrids by 3.9%.
For the second month in a row, EVs were the best-performing fuel type in terms of value movements, with an average drop in October of 2.4% or around £650.
Remarketers reported healthy demand from many retailers to source EVs, but businesses continue to take the strategy to replace rather than stock up.
The two models that performed well are the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf due to the attractive, relatively low, retail price points. Both models saw an increase of around 2% at three years old.
Convertibles and coupe cabriolets are the worst affected, dropping by 5.4% for the former and 7% for the latter, for both, this is over £1,300 at three years old on average.
A seasonal movement is usual for these niche sectors; however, cost-of-living concerns and increasing insurance premiums have exacerbated the downward moves.
The largest sector in volume terms, SUVs, have experienced a not dissimilar drop, with an average of 5% removed from values in October, which is more than £1,000.
Martin said: “All value moves are based on considerable evidence in trade data, with retail advertised data also heavily referenced.
“We expect supply into the market will continue to increase, with manufacturers’ supply constraints eased and a renewed push for market share, volume, and to hit environmental targets.”
He added: “It is highly likely that we will continue to see values drop over the coming weeks. Indeed, it is at times like this that monthly values become out-of-date almost before they are published, and we would encourage the whole industry to embrace live, daily values in such turbulent times.
“Since Cap Live was introduced in 2012, we have twice witnessed drops in excess of 3% during November, and it would be no surprise for that to happen again this year.”
For more on market expectations for the used and new car market from Cox Automotive, click here.
Thank you for reading Used car values record largest drop in a month in over a decade


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Put a brand in the hands of any number of local Instagram or TikTok stars and there is almost a guarantee of sales success – and the pandemic has done little to change that
The Redzone discussion and Arye Kellman, chief creative officer at TILT, looked into how marketers in SA have added value to their consumers during Covid-19 and their plans for the future
The FM Redzone and Arye Kellman chat to Jordan Rittenberry MD at Edelman on how trust is looking across South Africa.
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PlayStation Now customers will quickly have the ability to stream sure video games at 1080p decision, Sony has introduced on Twitter. PlayStation Now is Sony’s cloud streaming subscription service that enables PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC customers to play PS4, PS3, and PS2 video games. There are over 800 video games that may be streamed on the PS4 and PC whereas over 300 video games could be downloaded to the PS4. PlayStation Now is simply out there in just a few areas and India is just not one in all them.
Sony via its PlayStation account on Twitter announced that PlayStation Now will begin to help streaming 1080p succesful video games from this week. The characteristic will probably be out there in Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan which is the place PlayStation Now is accessible. The rollout will happen within the coming weeks to those areas.
Till now, PlayStation Now streaming has been capped at 720p however with the brand new characteristic, video games that help 1080p could be streamed at that decision on PS5, PS4, and PC. Sony mentions “1080p capable games” which probably signifies that solely video games that natively run at 1080p could be streamed utilizing PlayStation Now. It must be famous that loads of video games don’t run natively at 1080p and Sony has not shared an inventory of appropriate video games but.
PlayStation Now prices $9.99 (roughly Rs. 750) per 30 days or $24.99 (roughly Rs. 1,900) for three months. There can also be an annual plan that prices $59.99 (roughly Rs. 4,500). As talked about earlier, there are over 800 video games that may be streamed and over 300 that may be downloaded. Not all these video games will help 1080p streaming. The service is just not out there in India but.
Sony additionally said that Borderlands 3 and Marvel’s Avengers, which the corporate recently added to PlayStation Now, will probably be out there until September 29 and July 5 respectively.
Competitors like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna already permit for 1080p streaming and Stadia even delivers 4K streaming. Microsoft’s xCloud, nevertheless, can also be capped at 720p streaming for now.
#PlayStation #Support #1080p #Game #Streaming #Week


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Vitacost appoints a permanent CEO
February 22, 2011 11:06 AM
Vitacost.com Inc. today named Jeffrey J. Horowitz as CEO. He has worked since Aug. 16 as interim chief executive officer of the online vitamin and supplement retailer, which is No. 80 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. He also was appointed in August to the company’s board of directors.
“We are delighted to announce Jeff’s appointment as CEO given his in-depth knowledge of the health and wellness industry and his strong leadership abilities,” says Michael Kumin, Vitacost.com's interim board chairman. “Jeff is an ideal leader to further position the company for long-term profitable growth.”
Horowitz was founder and CEO of Vitamin Shoppe Inc., No. 177 in the Top 500 Guide. At Vitacost, he replaced CEO Ira Kerker, who also resigned as company director. “I believe the health and wellness category will continue to exhibit strong growth and believe Vitacost.com will continue to expand its online health and wellness leadership position by offering customers superior value and quality on the best selection of products,” Horowitz says.
In early January, Vitacost said it would appeal a delisting from the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stock exchange said the retailer violated listing rules when it missed a deadline for filing its quarterly financial statement.


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While we’re still waiting for the Gingerbread update for our Sidekick 4G phones, T-Mobile has pushed out a new update for the phone over the weekend. The update is said to be a maintenance release that includes various bug fixes and enhancements based on customer feedback. The update will bring the sidekick software up to version T839UVKG2.
Since it is a staggered roll out, not everybody will be getting it at once. Fortunately it is an OTA update, so users won’t have to do much besides click accept and wait for the update to be downloaded and installed. Still no word on when Android 2.3 will be arriving on the device, but let’s hope it won’t take too long.RELATED
- Alcatel Idol X+ To Be Accompanied By Smart Devices?
- White Droid Ultra And Droid Mini Available On Verizon Now
- Nokia Guru Could Be The BH-121 Touch
- Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 Sports Dual SIM Capability
- New Nokia Lumia 1020 Ad Touts Camera Capability
- Follow: Android, ota, Samsung, t-mobile, update,
- Seen at: tmonews


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2 versions of iPod, for both Mac and Windows users, which highly increased the sales and the number of potential customers. Actually, the iPod sold at such a high rate, that the permanent improvement of the product, in order to maintain the lead.
level of violence perpetrated in the homophobic attack. of the key aims of Norwich Pride is to ensure that Norwich is a safe city where everyone is able to be themselves. year Nike Flyknit Chukka Golf Shoes
om as far away as France, Australia and Florida, and are planning an anti homophobia party to raise awareness of the a statement, Norwich Pride, which organises an annual gay parade in the city, urged people to unite in condemning the attack and to send a message of solidarity and support to the landlords. The statement said: Pride is shocked and angered by the horrific Nike Flyknit Roshe Black
The evolution from the first iPod, which was revealed almost 10 years ago, till the iPod video reveals the intense and permanent research of the specialized engineers. The next significant step in the evolution of this device was the release of the Nike Flyknit Barefoot
at the end of July thousands of people join the Pride parade and participate in events across the city to celebrate our diverse cultures and people of all sexual orientations. The newest and most popular innovation in iPod technology is, for sure, the iPod video.
Still, getting to this innovative device is just the result of a long research through the history of the iPod making. The appearance of the iPod was owed to an increased marketing request: the lack of quality of the digital music players was noticeable to the interested consumers, as opposed to the growing number of digital devices, such as cameras, camcorders and organizers. It was due to this fact, that Apple industries established a team of qualified Nike Flyknit Air Max Crimson engineers in order to develop the mechanism and design of the soon to be first iPod, which resulted in less than a year of technical and practical research. The launching of this new and exiting product was held on the 23rd of October 2001 and soon, the market embraced it.
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Vancouver’s Hootsuite, creators of a social media dashboard tool for enterprise and individuals, has raised $35 million in funding ahead of an anticipated initial public offering (IPO). Previously we speculated at the chance for the heavily-funded company to go public.
Today several media outlets including the Wall Street Journal confirmed that the company, which previously raised the largest round of Canadian venture capital, has now brought on an additional $35 million at an $800 million valuation.
“The financing from the Fidelity-led group gives Hootsuite, one of Canada’s most high-profile technology firms pegged to go public, an implied value of close to $800 million, up from about $725 million previously, according to one person familiar with the matter,” wrote WSJ. “The company, which offers a platform that helps companies engage with customers through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media, is still months away from a possible initial public offering, according to the person familiar with matter. But the planned financing from Fidelity signals an IPO remains the ultimate goal.”
Hootsuite also announced that it had surpassed 10 million users and acquired Vancouver’s Brightkit, a solution for creating gamified social marketing campaigns. The company also rolled out its new “Hootsuite Campaigns,” based on the Brightkit solution. Brightkit has worked clients like the Kentucky Derby, Dwell, Cassidy Turley and American Media.
BrightKit had already been working with Hootsuite prior to the acquisition as Brightkit was added to Hootsuite’s app directory in 2013. Moreover, the same parent incubator that spun out Hootsuite, called Invoke Labs, spun out Brightkit.
Techcrunch speculated that a “large number” of Hootsuite’s 10 million users are using its free software, including 744 Fortune 1,000 companies. Additionally the company offers a “pro” option for $9.99 per month per user, and an “enterprise” tier priced on an individual basis. Techcrunch is also awaiting word back from Hootsuite as to how much money it’s actually making, how many users have transitioned to paid ones, and more.
To date Hootsuite has raised around $225 million in funding.


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General Mills on Pivoting to Virtual Startups During Covid-19
Safety first during Covid-19 for General Mills. Engineers Mariah Bohks and Jimmy Popp discuss pivoting to remote startups.
Jan 18th, 2021
Remote Access Technologies Help Keep Food Sanitation Workers Safe
Dec 18th, 2020
Harpak-ULMA Launches Bakery and Confectionery Market Initiative
Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC.
Dec 16th, 2020
Smart Glasses Ease Troubleshooting Communication
Nov 13th, 2020
Harpak-ULMA Supports COVID-19 Manufacturing Initiatives
Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC.
Dec 1st, 2020
CPGs Lean on OEMs During the Pandemic
From equipment startups to training to more automation, manufacturers are asking machine builders to adopt new technology and service roles in difficult times.
Nov 24th, 2020
Fighting COVID-19 with Big Ass Fans
The new Clean Air System uses ion and ultraviolet technology to eliminate airborne pathogens.
Nov 9th, 2020
Factory Plants and Offices Coming Out of COVID-19
Stats show improvements in quotation index levels but an increase of denial of access into CPG plants.
Oct 14th, 2020
COVID-19 May Boost Cloud and Edge Computing
Though there is much discussion of “the cloud” in manufacturing, its use is not as widespread as it might appear, though the pandemic may prompt expanded use.
Oct 6th, 2020
Keeping Food Processing Safe During COVID-19
Pandemic causes food companies to cut back on product offerings to simplify supply chains and meet consumer demand. Labor crisis remains top challenge for industry, as COVID-19 accelerates challenge to make food manufacturing jobs attractive to workers.
Sep 24th, 2020
Workers Wanted? Contact the Robot Employment Agency
Start-up MusashiAI introduces intelligent autonomous robots for quality inspection and forklift driving—allowing the redistribution of human labor to more value-added jobs.
Aug 6th, 2020
The Pandemic is Shaping the Future Supply Chain
Some of the greatest innovations happen during times of disruption.
Aug 24th, 2020
Cobot Deployment Shines in COVID-19 Pandemic
Leading up to its virtual Cobot Expo this week, Universal Robots highlighted several cases where small companies have been using collaborative automation to keep production going amid the crisis.
Jul 27th, 2020
Remote Technologies From Honeywell Enable Continued Operations
Encouraged by the COVID-19 pandemic to push remote capabilities out to a wider swath of industries, Honeywell Process Solutions has released products and services geared toward remote operations, safety, commissioning, lifecycle services, and more.
Jul 21st, 2020
Latin American CPG Challenges from COVID-19
Based on the recent survey among nearly 450 Mundo PMMI readers, this article looks at two measures companies are considering implementing: changes in packaging features and properties, and using remote diagnostics.
Jul 13th, 2020
Latin American CPGs and COVID-19
Based on the opinions of 432 CPG professionals throughout Latin America, this article traces the most relevant effects the pandemic has had on consumers and market dynamics.
Jul 8th, 2020
Latin American CPG COVID-19 Response
Responses to the survey conducted by Mundo PMMI reaching 432 entrepreneurs and professionals from various CPGs in Latin America reveal uncertain and contrasting views of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jul 6th, 2020
How Morrison Container Handling Solutions, SaniLux Teamed Up to Fight COVID-19
Pioneer Tank & Vessel Opens SaniLux to Produce Sanitizer Using Custom Rebuilt 1970’s Pfaulder Bottle Filler.
Jun 16th, 2020
Virtual FAT Guidelines from OpX
The OpX Leadership Network releases best practices and leadership guidelines for executing virtual factory acceptance tests (vFATs), to address the changing operational landscape brought on by COVID-19.
OpX Leadership Network
Jun 29th, 2020
Hershey's Unwraps their COVID-19 strategy with employees and suppliers
Hershey’s Josh Becker sat down with PMMI’s Sean Riley to talk about a customer’s perspective on how Hershey is handling visits from suppliers, training and service issues.
Jun 25th, 2020
Despite COVID-19 global packaging market expected to grow.
Euromonitor International analysts anticipated growth in 2020 for most key goods categories that use packaging, despite the impact of COVID-19, at Webinar organized by EXPO PACK México and Mundo PMMI.
Jun 23rd, 2020
Hershey's Expectations for Suppliers during COVID-19
Hershey's Josh Becker explains how the chocolate giant has adapted and what it expects from visitors to its facilities.
Jun 19th, 2020
How Machine Builders Can Participate in Manufacturing Day 2020
Manufacturers need to hire candidates to fill more than 4 million jobs. However, manufacturers will struggle to fill just 2.4 million positions because of the shrinking talent pool.
Jun 19th, 2020
Field Service Technician Travel During COVID-19
What does back to work look like for field service technicians who are heading back out into the field?
Jun 16th, 2020
OEM COVID-19 #14 - Update on PACK EXPO International and Healthcare Packaging EXPO
PMMI's Laura Thompson shares the latest and greatest on planning for November's event, including variables like virtual and hybrid options.
Jun 15th, 2020
Leuze Jumps on ‘Alternating Quarantine’ Concept to Keep Business on Track
The sensor supplier is defying recession forecasts by keeping its workers on a rotating shift model, keeping them socially distanced and avoiding Kurzarbeit, Germany’s short-term work program.
Jun 8th, 2020
COVID-19 Resources for Machine Builders
The coronavirus has completely changed the way OEMs operate. Here are resources from PMMI to support builders as they deal with the evolving pandemic.
Jun 4th, 2020


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By Chester Tay
KUALA LUMPUR–Mr. DIY Group (M) Bhd. is up in early trade after the stock was picked for inclusion in the MSCI Malaysia Index at a semi-annual review.
Shares of the operator of home-improvement stores rose as much as 10% before paring gains to trade 4.7% higher at MYR3.59, putting the stock on track for its biggest one-day gain this year.
Index provider MSCI late Thursday said it will add Mr. DIY to its Malaysia index, effective as of market close on May 31, and cut Westports Holdings Bhd. and Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd. from the index. Shares of Westports and Fraser & Neave fell 9.8% and 3.4% in early trading, respectively.
The review is attracting more buying interest in Mr. DIY because certain funds are benchmarking themselves to the MSCI index, said Loui Low Ley Yee, Malacca Securities’ head of research.
He added that some investors could also be adopting a strategy of buying ahead of Mr. DIY’s earnings report expected today, with plans to take profit afterward.
Mr. DIY Group reported a 24% growth in its fourth-quarter net profit as more of its stores came into full operation with Malaysia’s easing Covid-19 restrictions.
Write to Chester Tay at [email protected]
Credit: www.marketwatch.com /


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First our subs are too short. Now we’re told our beer is too watery. It’s enough to make you suspect a corporate conspiracy to make us thinner.
But here’s one difference between the class-action suits against Subway and the ones accusing Anheuser-Busch InBev NV of mislabeling the alcohol content of Budweiser, Bud Ice, Michelob and other beers.
The “Footlong” plaintiffs substantiated their claims by purchasing subs and using a ruler to measure their length. How do the beer plaintiffs know that Anheuser-Busch is allegedly watering down its brews? Did they notice people walking out of Fenway Park in a suspiciously straight line?
The answer, at this point in the litigation, is we don’t really know.
The lawsuits filed in California, New Jersey, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Texas are vague about the basis of their claims. They say that Anheuser-Busch uses sophisticated laboratory instruments to measure the alcohol content of its beverages.
But the plaintiffs claim the analysis isn’t for the benefit of the consumer:
AB does not use this precision technology, and resulting high accuracy, to provide consumers with exactly what is on the labels; instead, AB uses its precise knowledge of the alcohol content of its products to deceive consumers. During AB’s “finishing adjustment process,” the last process the malt beverage undergoes before it is packaged, AB waters down its products, “shaving” the total alcohol content to well below the percentage stated on its labels.
Anheuser-Busch said the claims are “completely false” and the lawsuits are “groundless.” The company says its beers are “in full compliance with all alcohol labeling law.”
Law Blog asked a beer expert to take a look at the lawsuits. “Alcohol level can be determined from lab analysis. Based on the complaints it appears that it has not been determined,” said Erica Nelson, who manages quality assurance for Highland Brewing Company, a North Carolina brewery not connected to the litigation.
Corey Bennett, an associate at Mills Law Firm, a California firm that’s acting as the plaintiff’s lead attorney, told Law Blog that plaintiffs were tipped off by former Anheuser-Busch brew masters, whom he did not identify. There’s no reference to those ex-plant employees in the suits. He said the firm did not conduct its own analysis of the beer.
Mr. Bennett, though, said he expects the claims to be backed up in discovery.
Anheuser-Busch, meanwhile, defended its reputation in full-page ads in Sunday newspapers. Without directly referencing the litigation, the ads show a can of water — one of tens of millions that Anheuser-Busch donated to disaster relief organizations — under the headline, “They must have tested one of these.”


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Project Tango, first announced in 2014, is a project originated from Google ATAP, one of the search giant's coolest and most secretive research labs.
The basic idea behind Project Tango is to give smartphones and tablets a set of "eyes" that can understand depth perception, just like humans can.
To date, Project Tango has only been available in the form of a slightly unsightly, pricey tablet, designed for developers to get a taste of the platform. With this announcement, Lenovo has confirmed that it will be the first to bring Project Tango to consumer smartphones later in 2016.
"We don't believe this technology is one that has a short lifespan," said Lenovo tablet boss Jeff Meredith. "Some innovations last 6 months and fall by the wayside."
I got a little hands-on time with these Project Tango apps, and it works very well. This could be really big — and might turn out to be the hottest announcement out of CES 2016.
To demonstrate why this is going to be so cool, Google Project Tango lead Johnny Lee showed off a bunch of real, useful apps running on the Project Tango platform — though since Lenovo's still working on the design of its Tango-powered phone, he had to show it off via the existing developer tablet.
"There's much more information in the spaces around us than we can see with or eyes," Lee said.
First off, he showed off how Project Tango can actually take the measurements of stuff like furniture. Line up the camera's viewfinder with one edge of the couch, and then again on the space you want to measure, and it returns a totally accurate measurement.You can do it for surface area, too, like if you're going to paint a wall. You can also measure floor to ceiling. A Google spokesperson describes it as "like the Calculator app," insofar as it's going to come with Project Tango-capable phones and be something that people use a lot. Lee also showed off its space-sensing capabilities. It can detect that a flat surface high off the ground is probably a table, and project images onto them, or that a floor is a floor. It can even build a total 3D model of the room, starting from scratch.
In one example, he played Jenga with a spokesperson, leaning in, clicking on the screen, and then leaning out to pull out a block. A more useful example came via an app powered by home improvement chain Lowe's, so you can project an image of a new fridge, for example, and see how much space it'll actually take up in your room.
A big part of why Lenovo and Google are aiming to release a consumer device, the companies say, is that it's time for developers to really get their hands on it and build more stuff that takes new and novel use of the Project Tango sensor system.
Other potential uses include indoor mapping systems that can help you find your way inside buildings, or that help map out where your friends are in crowded spaces.
"We're gonna take this product and launch it to the realm where developers can feel comfortable working on their apps," Meredith says.


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The threat of a cyber security attack to UK businesses is an ever-growing risk. As the numbers rise and the frequency quickens, it is becoming more and more essential that each and every organisation across the country invests in a cyber strategy. It is only by applying these processes and guarding against potential breaches that the likelihood of an attack can decline. Statistics from the BIS 2014 Information Security Breaches Survey indicated that 81% of large organisations have experienced a breach in some way, with costs ranging from anywhere between £600,000 and £1.5m as a result. Two years on, the situation is even more serious.
Ransomware is a particularly malicious form of malware that gains access to a user’s system and then proceeds to prevent them from accessing their own data. In some cases, the files on the system are encrypted so as to be irretrievable without the key, and in others access is simply denied to the device’s owner. In both situations the hacker will demand a ransom is paid to unencrypt the files or have access given back to the user.
For small and medium sized businesses across the UK there appears to be a real disregard for cyber security. When implementing Health and Safety processes you will find that most companies are attentive, and when isolating potential HR nightmares they are vigilant, but when it comes to protecting their data, and the data of their clients, the response is sadly lacking. In many ways this is to be expected. The ‘Digital Age’, although in full swing, is still something that is being adapted to, and businesses becoming more and more aware of the possibility technology holds.
Many people see 2015 as the year that data breaches and hacking were brought to the fore for businesses across the globe. From Ashley Maddison, to TalkTalk, the major brands experienced huge upheaval, thanks to the weaknesses in their online security systems being expertly exploited by cybercriminals. Interestingly, off the back of what was a disastrous year for many, January 28th 2016 was coined as #DataProtectionDay, with an awareness campaign organised to tackle the ignorance surrounding security.
As a business based in Harlow, it is a worrying statistic that, outside of central London, Essex has the highest amount of recorded cyber fraud of anywhere in the United Kingdom. In the past 6 months alone, there have been 6,679 fraud cases documented. Of that figure, 66% were related to business, and 25% (a quarter of the full figure) were to do with cyber-crime. We are not talking about small data breaches either. One company was the victim of a malware attack that cost them in the region of £80,000. The scariest part of all? That staggering sum was lost in just 10 minutes.
Many view the services of cyber security specialists as a way to protect against faceless, nameless hackers who are sending harmful attacks externally. By putting up walls around your network, and manning them on your behalf, these companies keep your organisation safe from attack, and breaches of confidential data. An issue that is becoming more and more prevalent in the security industry though, is the insider attack. It has highlighted the fact that just because the wall is up, it doesn’t mean that you are safe from a data breach, either from an intentional act, or an accidental one.
For many in the cyber security spectrum, 2015 was considered ‘The Year of the Hack’. A record number of attacks, of all varieties and levels of viciousness, were undertaken last year, bringing digital security and online protection to the forefront of both people’s minds, and the media’s attention. Many companies will feel that they have now caught up again, and feel safe from potential hacks. This is though, in reality, a false security. Whilst businesses have been playing catch-up, criminals have been evolving their own methods, and will always be looking to find that advantage that keeps them one step ahead in the game.
When it comes to cyber security attacks, by far the most common is that of phishing. This form of attack is performed by criminals who acquire sensitive or personal information from victims through the use of deception. Hundreds, if not thousands of emails will be sent out to unsuspecting recipients, and made to look as if they have been sent by a reliable source, for example a bank or some other trusted organsiation. In reality this is a rouse in order to gain access to your confidential data, such as usernames, passwords or credit card details, or, failing that, they may instead look to utilise your mail server and send emails to your contact list.
When it comes to digital security, the use of third party firms to supply you with IT solutions is generally a risky option. A third party firm is anyone who you pay to supply IT services, and that has access to your data. You may rely on a company to store certain documents, for example. The risk here is that your data is exposed to their system administrators to view, share and, should they choose to, sell. This potentially valuable data could find its way into the hands of your competitors, and cause irreparable damage.
The cloud is a fantastic piece of ingenuity. The ability to store huge amounts of data away from your machine creates a wealth of space, as well as ensures that your documents are accessible from anywhere on the globe. The cloud as a concept is a brilliant one, and gives companies the ability to sell software as a service. Rather than simply sell a customer a storage device, they are able to instead charge an ongoing rate. Big industry names, such as Salesforce and Sage, are such big hitters in the market thanks in part to their ability to utilise the cloud to create a more seamless experience. Everything about the cloud seems to work. Everything except its security.


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The sales tax hike put in place by the coalition government will be followed by a noticeable rise in internet, telecomms and TV bills, from next month in particular, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Tuesday.
While all of Estonia's service providers will be affected, Telia, which has the largest turnover of them all, is to raise significantly its prices from March.
Holger Haljand, CEO of Telia Eesti, told AK that this was in fact the result of the disappearance of "lower speed" packages from the company's service selection, in the interests of maintaining quality while consumption volumes rise.
In any case, this will mean price rises.
The lowest-cost home internet package with Telia will cost the consumer €19 per month from March, up from the €16.26 charged at present.
While in this case the higher price is at least accompanied by faster internet speeds, in the case of the TV package, the higher price does not bring any additional benefits.
Haljand said: "In the case of the TV service, in fact, only in the case of the mini-package and of one additional service will prices rise. In the case of the mini-package, the increase will only be 89 cents. Such surges are a requirement to be able to ensure that TV content continues to be maintained at the highest quality, that the TV service itself is maintained at the highest quality."
The most affordable TV and internet combined package will cost consumers an additional €43 per year, AK reported.
Telia's 2022 reported profit was €54 million, and the company increased the prices of services in line with the new VAT rate, from January 1.
However, due to rising consumption – which the company says has tripled in recent years – Telia will be raising its fess further from March.
While the VAT increase came into effect at the start of the year as noted, Tele2, another major service provider, has pledged not to hike prices next month, February.
In fact the company already upped its tariffs last year, saying it was offering a more secure service in return.
Tele2's 2022 sales revenue came to €85.1 million.
Sten Argos, Business Manager at Tele2 Estonia, told AK that "Also last year, we added some extra services to help with the security on several packages."
"This will, it is true, carry with it a certain price correction. But it also comes with a rise in the so-called needs growth, and security needs growth, in respect of our customers. On the basis of what our customers want, we proceed, we offer a price guarantee, reasonable prices and adjust the packages accordingly. We have not made any major fee rises for quite a long time, in relation to services," Argos went on.
Elisa, the third of the big three service providers in Estonia, also hiked its fees last year, as a result of the rising energy prices.
Evelin Tulp, Elisa Eesti telecommunications services department head, told AK That: "If by chance now there should be any changes in the economy beyond our control – in the external environment, in input prices – then in the long run, of course, we will have to react, but in the near future there is no such plan."
To meet the growing state budget deficit at a time of economic downturn, the Reform-Eesti 200-SDE coalition, on entering office in April last year, announced a two percentage point hike in the basic VAT rate, more accurately a sales tax, to 22 percent, from the start of this year.
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera,' reporter Veronika Uibo.


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The mid-engine sports vehicles - formerly known as the Boxster and Cayman - will now be known as the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, respectively. The reason behind the name change is because of the history associated with the 718 badge. The year was 1957… Porsche released a sports car badged the 718, which was very successful in the motorsport realm during this period.
The choice of this designation is also due to the fact that future Cayman models will feature flat-four turbocharged engines, which are perhaps the biggest news. Other changes include the fact that the Boxster will now be priced above the Cayman, much like in the 911 range, where the Cabriolet is more costly than the Coupé.


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Now the election is done and dusted, we in the small business community are intent on assisting the government achieve its election promises, particularly on competition policy and contracts. We know the government wants to honour these promises, but we also know that there will be many well-funded, well-resourced organisations fighting to have the promises withdrawn or watered down to a point where there is no impact.
In many ways, it seems nothing has changed since 1977, when the Council of Small Business of Australia was established. Back in those days, our founders realised that there was not an unambiguous voice in Canberra for small business. The other industry groups in the nation’s capital had mixed membership, including those from the big end of town. Even then, the big landlords, large franchisors and Coles and Woolworths compromised the ability of the industry groups to lobby professionally about small business issues.
A review of the minutes from that very first COSBOA meeting shows associations with big and small members are still compromised now just as they were then, and end up lobbying for big businesses (the millionaires) rather than small. This is why COSBOA has changed its approach to advocacy in more recent years, with more aggression and a willingness to publicly challenge those who are compromised and are not completely for small business. After all, any foe of small business is also an enemy of a healthy economy.
Here we are in 2013, and organisations such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the NSW Business Chamber are claiming to be the voice of small business. The trouble is these groups are still compromised by their membership, which includes Wesfarmers, Woolworths, large landlords and big developers as well as large franchisors. As a result, their campaign 'Too big to ignore' — which was supposed to be a call to arms for small business leading to the election — ignored the sector’s two biggest issues: competition policy and contract law.
The likes of the Shopping Centre Council and the Franchise Council of Australia can walk into the offices of the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and other ministers and claim there are no problems with contracts or competition because ACCI, ‘the voice of small business’ (rather than 'a voice of small business') did not mention these issues.
This is what happened the last time we tried to address the problems associated with contract negotiations. Not long after the 2007 election, the Rudd Government seemed keen to address the legal shortcomings on these two issues, which have caused many small business people great stress and physical and mental health problems. But big business representatives from ACCI, NSWBC and others lobbied hard to retain the unfairness and the lack of transparency in contract negotiations and processes and the government backed down. For the past five years, small business owners have felt bullied and stressed by the big landlords, the largest of the franchisors and the duopoly.
COSBOA is on the front foot when it comes to supporting the government and the new Small Business Minister, Bruce Billson. Billson is tough and knows his facts, but many at the big end of town know no favour when it comes to maintaining their business model. We have formed our own taskforce of small business people and small business experts to help counter what will inevitably be a very aggressive and relentless campaign from ACCI, the NSWBC, the Shopping Centre Council, the Franchise Council and their moneyed supporters.
COSBOA has established a good dialogue with the Business Council of Australia, which will feed into our support to the government. Although BCA members include the grocery duopoly, big landlords and the like, they do not claim to represent small business and we do not claim to represent big business. We know what we will disagree on and we also know the many issues we have in common. There are many good relationships between big and small that should not be ignored. This relationship is well placed to discuss the issues, to determine the facts and perhaps to take action to resolve issues without government intervention.
We’ve also developed a professional working relationship with the banking sector, often seen as lacking understanding of small business. We have worked with the Australian Banking Association and NAB, and together are gathering more and more information on issues around financing for small business. We will soon publish information that will better inform comment and policies. This has occurred through a focus on small business, our bailiwick, without any compromise from big businesses who may feel threatened by fairness and transparency, or by the discovery of any damning facts that may be found. The banking sector has been open and focused on improving service and determining the facts. Other sectors should learn from this unless they have something to hide.
We will, however, take a different approach with Wesfarmers and Woolworths and competition policy. We will be hosting a national forum on issues to do with the duopoly and will call together industry groups and businesses, including Coles and Woolworths, to work out some way of determining facts, confirming what impact their obvious domination has on other businesses, whether the current competition environment is truly fair, and if there are issues and problems what can be done.
The domination and demands for ever-increasing profits by the two giants is at the expense of their suppliers and to the detriment of many honest professional retailers. We will also discuss whether urban planning has an impact on competition. This may go nowhere and end up being an anger fest, or it may help inform policy, company behaviour and the Australian economy, depending on the behaviour of those involved. In the meantime, we are ready to fight for the health of the people who run Australia’s small businesses.
Peter Strong is the executive director of The Council of Small Business Australia


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Plano-based enterprise solutions provider CloudMellow has acquired Idea Marketing Group, a Chicago-based website design company and digital marketing agency.
CloudMellow offers branding, web design, digital marketing, application & product development, hosting and managed services to an array of industries.
“This acquisition is a collaborative strategy to strengthen our capabilities around search engine optimization and search engine marketing in this ever-changing landscape,” CloudMellow founders Shreyans Jain and Vijay Konda said in a joint statement. They added that the acquisition will help CloudMellow provide niche enterprise digital solutions to its clients.
Additionally, the acquisition will further strengthen CloudMellow’s portfolio of award-winning digital agencies, the founders said. Most recently, CloudMellow was recognized by Inc. magazine on the 2023 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies list.
Recognized for website design
Founded in 2009, Idea Marketing Group provides website design, hosting solutions and digital marketing services with capabilities that include creative, UI/UX, mobile applications, software development, and search engine marketing.
Idea Marketing is recognized in Clutch as a top website design firm. Since its founding, the company has enlisted high-profile clients ranging from mid-size businesses to Fortune 50 clients.
Idea Marketing Group delivers services to a robust list of companies mostly within the health, education, finance, and non-profit sectors, the company said.
Idea Marketing Group Key Principal Darren Fox will stay on board along with his team of designers, developers, digital marketers, and project managers, the company said. The Chicago firm will now be called Idea Marketing Group, a CloudMellow company.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“The company, team, and culture I have built are very sacred to me,” Fox said in a statement. “I knew this was the right group to continue leading this company. I can’t wait to be part of a bigger narrative and provide professional and personal growth to a team that means so much to me.”
In addition to its Dallas headquarters, CloudMellow has offices in Jacksonville, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; Indi; and now Chicago.
CloudMellow also owns Primary360, a Boston digital marketing company best known for its award-winning creative work in the real estate marketing space, and The Creative Momentum, an award-winning enterprise website design and managed services company.
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Phase 3 Marketing and Communications of Atlanta has acquired Dallas-based digital printing company Technology Media Group Inc (TMG). Phase 3 Marketing and Communications is an integrated marketing services company that also has offices in Dallas, the New York City metropolitan area, Nashville, and Charlotte. No financial details were released. TMG’s capabilities will strengthen Phase 3’s fabrication, embroidery, and branded merchandise product offerings, the company said. Also, with the acquisition, Phase 3’s vertical services will include commercial architectural outdoor signage. “TMG has an admirable history behind them, and we’re eager to incorporate their expertise into our operations,” Max Nair, co-Founder and…
Idea Grove has announced four promotions to its senior leadership team. The unified PR and marketing agency for business-to-business technology companies, promoted Katie Long to president and Liz Cies to executive vice president. Also, the agency promoted Cecil Cross to vice president of creative and digital, and Jarrett Rush to vice president of strategy and content. John Lacy, who has served as president and COO of Idea Grove since October 2019, will stay with the agency in a senior advisory role. Long will report to Idea Grove CEO Scott Baradell. Promoting from within “Katie brings 20 years of PR experience,…
Vidya Chadaga joins RKD Group as executive VP of Products, poised to reimagine fundraising strategies and create seamless donor experiences in the digital age.
Plano-based Ribbon Communications Inc. announced that industry executive Joni Roberts has been named chief marketing officer, senior vice president, and that she will run the company’s global marketing strategy, marketing organization, and investor relations. She will report to CEO Bruce McClelland. The CEO says Roberts’ wide-ranging experience, together with tech acumen, a deep understanding of its business, and customer focus will be a tremendous asset to Ribbon. “Improving brand awareness amongst customers and investors is a key objective as we execute on our strategy to grow our business and establish Ribbon as a major networking technology provider,” McClelland said in…


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Paddy purchases in progress in Polonnaruwa
Mar 11, 2010 7:59:04 AM - itnnews.lk
The purchase of paddy in the Polonnaruwa District is being successfully undertaken.
The paddy is being purchased jointly by the Paddy Marketing Board and Cooperatives. 80 purchasing centres have been set up in the Mahaveli B area. A kilo of Samba is being purchased at 30 rupees while a kilo of Nadu at 28 rupees. Marketing [...]


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Amazon has a Fathers Day sale going on right now with the Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for just $39.99. Or you could get the HD Fire TV Stick is on sale for just $29.99. Both of these options come with the new Fire TV remote that also controls your TV. You need […]
The post Amazon’s Fathers Day Sale Has The Fire TV Stick 4K On Sale For Just $39.99 appeared first on Cord Cutters News.
Source: Cord Cutters News


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What Is It?
At its core, the Subaru STI Performance Concept is a high-performance version of Subaru’s BRZ sports car — essentially, the tuned BRZ many enthusiasts have been clamoring for since the coupe first went on sale for the 2013 model year. But as you might expect from the word Concept in the sports car’s name, this thrilling coupe may never see the open road.
Here’s what we know: On the outside, the STI Performance Concept offers some serious upgrades over the standard BRZ thanks to Subaru’s high-performance STI division. There’s a very noticeable body kit, bigger wheels and tires, a huge rear wing, a center-mounted exhaust, a huge rear diffuser and even a wider track for better handling and cornering.
While Subaru hasn’t announced exactly what’s been upgraded under the skin, we have our guesses. Most notably, we suspect there’s sport suspension for better cornering, larger brakes for more stopping power and the usual assortment of steering and weight-saving improvements that are necessary to turn a standard road car into a souped-up performance model.
And then there’s the engine. While the standard BRZ makes do with a 2.0-liter boxer 4-cylinder that puts out just 150 horsepower, the STI Performance Concept uses a turbocharged race-car engine that makes around 300 horses. It’s every BRZ fan’s dream — but remember, this is just a concept car.
Will They Ever Sell It?
Enthusiasts have been clamoring for a high-performance BRZ for 3 years now, and Subaru hasn’t relented. It’s the same story over at Toyota, who sells a rebadged version of the BRZ as the Scion FR-S. Given just how vehemently both automakers have denied rumors of more power, we suspect this one will forever remain in the concept-car stages. It’s a shame.
Why It’s Important
At the very least, the arrival of the Subaru STI Performance Concept shows that Subaru is listening to its customers, though apparently Subaru still doesn’t believe there’s a case for giving the BRZ any additional power.
More importantly, the automaker is using the concept car to showcase its high-performance STI brand, noting that drivers can improve the performance of their own Subaru models by adding STI performance parts. In the end, we love the idea of the STI Performance Concept — even if it simply turns out to be purely a concept car designed to raise awareness of STI and keep us dreaming of what we can’t have.