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BOSTON, MA — A new study suggests that to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease it is simply not enough to eat a plant-based diet but that the foods in that diet must be high quality.
After two decades of follow-up in more than 200,000 adults, researchers found that adherence to a plant-based diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes was associated with a substantially lower relative risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), whereas following a plant-based diet emphasizing less healthy foods such as refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages had an adverse effect.
Their findings were published July 17, 2017 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“I think an important contribution of this paper is about the public health message,” lead author Dr Ambika Satija (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA) told theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology. “Just because you’re vegetarian or eating more plant-based foods doesn’t necessarily mean you have a healthy diet. It’s important to think about the quality of foods you’re consuming; more whole grains rather than refined grains, more whole foods rather than juices—that’s the right direction to take.”
She noted that this approach is already reflected in the latest 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends focusing on nutrient-dense foods across all food groups.
Dr Alice Lichtenstein (Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA) was vice- chair of the US dietary guidelines committee. “What the guidelines said is that there are a number of different dietary approaches—Mediterranean, DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension], or vegetarian, which will get you to the same end, and that’s not inconsistent with what this is saying,” Dr Lichtenstein said, commenting on the current findings.
“Because it doesn’t matter what basic diet you consume; but if you consume more plant-based foods, you’re going to have a better outcome,” she added. “The new factor here is that not all plant-based diets are created equal and you have to use some judgement in choosing the plant-based foods you’re going to include in that diet, just as you use judgment in the animal foods you include in your diet.”
Previous studies have linked plant-based diets with a lower risk of CHD, but have defined these diets dichotomously as being vegetarian or not, and treated all plant foods equally, the investigators note in the article.
To overcome these limitations and understand how gradual reductions in animal foods affect cardiovascular health, Satija and colleagues examined data from semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaires including about 133 foods collected every 2 to 4 years from 73,710 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), 92,329 women in the NHS2, and 43,259 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up study.
The data were collapsed into 18 food groups within three larger categories (healthy plant foods, less healthy plant foods, and animal foods), and then ranked into quintiles.
Positive scores were assigned for healthy plant foods (whole grains, fruits/vegetables, nuts/legumes, vegetable oils, tea/coffee) and reverse scores assigned for less healthy plant-based foods (fruit juices, refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets/desserts) and animal foods (animal fat, ice cream, meat, miscellaneous animal-based foods). Group scores were summed to create plant-based diet indices.
The indices ranged from a median of 42–44 in the lowest decile, to a median of 66–68 in the highest decile. Animal food intake ranged from 3–4 servings per day in the lowest decile to 5–6 servings per day in the highest decile.
Participants with higher scores on the plant-based diet index (PDI) and healthy PDI (hPDI) were older, more active, leaner, and less likely to smoke than those with lower scores. Concerningly, high consumers of an unhealthy PDI (uPDI) were younger, less active, and more likely to smoke.
Over 4,833,042 person-years of follow-up, 8631 participants developed CHD, defined as nonfatal MI and fatal CHD.
After full adjustment for relevant covariates, adherence to PDI was inversely associated with CHD (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92 comparing extreme declines; 95% CI 0.83–1.01). The association was modest, but Satija said this makes sense because the PDI is an aggregate, and thus participants who have a higher intake of both healthy and unhealthy plant foods may have a higher score on the PDI.
“This is kind of getting at the idea that, okay you’re a vegetarian, but if we don’t know the quality of plant foods you’re consuming, we don’t know what your risk profile for CHD is going to be,” she added.
When the hPDI and uPDI were analyzed separately, however, the inverse association was considerably stronger for hPDI, lowering the relative risk of CHD by 25% (HR 0.75 comparing extreme deciles; 95% CI 0.68–0.83, P<0.001 for trend). At the same time, uPDI was positively associated with a 32% higher relative risk of CHD (HR 1.32 comparing extreme deciles; 95% CI 1.20–1.46, P<0.001 for trend).
The associations of hPDI and uPDI with CHD risk were consistent across age, BMI, family history of CHD, and sex.
Associations of both indices were significantly stronger among more active relative to less active participants (P for interaction=0.002 for both), a finding that should be interpreted with caution, Satija said. “We don’t know exactly what’s going on and it would be good to look in an intervention at what happens if you do both a physical intervention and dietary modifications.”
To quantify the benefit of the hPDI due to lower red meat intake, the final model was individually adjusted for red meat and the results were largely unchanged (HR 0.93 for extreme PDI deciles; 95% CI 0.84–1.03).
“For those people who want to improve their diets, want to have a vegetarian or vegan diet but think that change is too extreme or that they won’t be able to make this big lifestyle change, this is good news,” Satija said. “Because even if they reduce the amount of animal foods by a couple of servings per day, they still benefit in terms of CHD risk.”
In an accompanying editorial, Drs Kim Allan Williams and Hena Patel (Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL) concur that it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition: “Just as physical exercise is a continuum, perhaps an emphasis on starting with smaller dietary tweaks rather than major changes would be more encouraging and sustainable.”
Although the study can’t address the benefits of a purely vegan diet, they note that it “adds to the evidence of gradations of adherence to an overall PDI with CHD incidence, such that one could propose a risk-based approach to PDI prescription: secondary prevention after cardiovascular events and patients at high risk having a stronger recommendation for a strictly hPDI.”
Finally, while a plant-based diet is more environmentally sustainable, Williams and Patel point to the potential implications of a healthier diet on downstream healthcare costs. “If, for example, widespread adoption of plant- based nutrition reduced the incidence of hypertension to 25% of the current rate, this could result in savings of nearly 30% of the Medicare budget.”
The study was supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Satija reported no financial relationships. Disclosures for the coauthors are listed in the paper. Lichtenstein, Williams, and Patel reported no relevant conflicts of interest.
Article by Patrice Wendling, published July 17, 2017 originally at :http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/883047_print
Follow Patrice Wendling on Twitter: @pwendl.
1. Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Spiegelman D, et al. Healthful and unhealthful plant-based diets and the risk of coronary artery disease in US adults. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 70:411-422. Abstract
2. Williams KA, Patel H. Healthy plant-based diet: What does it really mean? J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 70:423-425. Editorial


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Our thoughts on the 2018 INTERMOT trade show in Cologne, Germany and what it means for the motorcycle industry.
We get up-close and personal with the Indian FTR1200 street tracker at the INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany.
Here is what it was like to be one of the first to ride the new Indian FTR1200 street tracker.
What happens when you dominate American Flat Track racing? You build a street bike. You build the Indian FTR1200.
Here is a rundown on all the new motorcycles that are going to debut at INTERMOT, AIMExpo, and EICMA for the 2019 model year and beyond.
A teaser video from the Indian tells us that the FTR1200 street tracker will debut at the INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany next week.
A patent application with the USPTO gives us our first look at the 2019 Indian FTR1200 street tracker.
Indian’s heavyweight models aren’t really our cup of tea, though we do get an immature chuckle when we hear them talk about their “Thunder Stroke” engine platform. Childish jokes aside, some interesting news caught our eye about the American brand’s 2019 models.
Included as part of the 2019 Indian Chief, Springfield, and Roadmaster models is a number of new features, the most interesting of which is the inclusion of rear-cylinder deactivation.
We have seen this technology most recently in the World Superbike Championship (and it is no stranger in the land of four wheels), where manufacturers deactivate cylinders mid-corner to improve bike’s response during partial throttle applications.
Indian is using this concept in a different way though – one that will be more applicable to riding on the street.
The Indian Motorcycle Company is recalling a bunch of 2017-2018 Indian Scout motorcycles right now, which includes the Scout Sixty and and Scout Bobber variants.
All told, 4,185 motorcycles are affected by a recall that concerns the anti-locking brakes system (ABS), which may have air left in the system after the assembly process.
Since air in the brake lines can impact a motorcycle’s braking ability, Indian has decided to recall the affected machines, in order to ensure rider safety.
President Trump’s trade war is about to see another player in the motorcycle industry jump ship from American soil, and this time it is heavyweight Polaris Industries. According to a report by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Polaris is considering moving some of its production capacity to Europe, eyeing a production facility in Poland that would build units for the European market. The move is a direct response to the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union on motorcycle imports, which itself was a response to the Trump Administration’s taxing of steel and aluminum imports.
Today is the day. Today is the day that the European Union begins taxing the importation of motorcycles from the United States into Europe. A retaliation to the Trump administration’s tariffs on aluminum and steel, the EU will now impose a 25% tariff increase on all motorcycles, 500cc and up, coming from the United States. This means that the new tariff provisions will affect both Harley-Davidson and Indian, but will not affect Zero Motorcycles, as electric motorcycles are not included in the trade war provisions. Specifically, the European Union is imposing the 31% tariff (there was already a 6% tariff on motorcycles from the USA) to the goods that fall under HS code 87114000 & 87115000 on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

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You must be aware of the huge security breach suffered by Sony Pictures, and that the FBI has blamed North Korea. The supposed impetus for the attack was the imminent release of Sony's movie "The Interview," a comedy in which two TV journalists (Seth Rogen and James Franco) travel to North Korea and assassinate leader Kin Jong-un as part of a CIA plot. The hackers uploaded documents, emails, movies, and extensive personal information from Sony's servers to the Internet. And they threatened terrorist attacks on theaters showing the movie. As a result, Sony withdrew the film from distribution.
A rumor keeps popping up that Apple may be developing a new 4-inch iPhone that it will launch next year alongside its larger brethren. According to a post on AppleInsider, which cites a market analyst with sources in Apple's supply chain, the phone may be called the iPhone 6s mini and have the same styling as the current iPhone 6 models, such as curved screen edges. It would take its place of the low end of Apple's offerings, replacing the iPhone 5c. And I'm guessing also the iPhone 5s. It's also rumored that Apple will use low-cost components from Qualcomm to keep the costs down.
I'm continually amazed at how useful Siri is to control the various functions of my iPad. I often use it to set an alarm or a timer. Doing so is so much faster than interacting with the Clock app itself. You can also use Siri to tell you the time and date, as well as the time at a specific location around the world. And you can ask Siri to tell you the date for a particular day of the week.
According to AppleInsider, which cites a survey by the investment firm Piper Jaffray, some 7 percent of iPhone users say they're planning to buy an Apple Watch. That doesn't sound like a lot, except that over the past 3 years Apple has sold over 450 million iPhones worldwide. So 7 percent of that figure is 31 million. That's a significant number, and some analysts are predicting that Apple will sell that many Apple Watches in 2015. Interestingly, that figure of 7 percent is a slight decline from the 8 percent who said after the September Apple Watch announcement that they were planning to buy. AppleInsider suggests that consumers have a wait-and-see attitude toward the Apple Watch: they're waiting until they have more information before making a decision.
All indications are that iPhone 6 users love Apple Pay, finding it both convenient and secure. In fact, new users of Apple Pay use the service approximately three times more frequently than new PayPal users, according to a report by ITG Investment Research. Their analysis found that "60 percent of new Apple Pay customers used Apple Pay on multiple days through November, suggesting strong customer engagement. In comparison, New PayPal customers used the service on multiple days during the same time period just 20 percent of the time." The top five locations where people used Apple Pay in the first six weeks of its availability were Whole Foods, Walgreens, McDonalds, Panera Bread, and Subway.
I use reading glasses for some things, a concession to middle age, but fortunately I don't ever need them when I'm using my iPad. That's because I've adjusted the settings so that the text is larger and bolded, making it much easier to see. These settings apply to all of Apple's apps and to third-party apps that support Apple's Dynamic Type. Previous to iOS 8 you could make adjustments to these settings, but they were located in different places. With iOS 8, however, Apple has gathered text size, bold, view, and brightness into a single panel in Settings.
I have a lot of apps on my iPad Air, and I can't always remember what folder I've put them in. Also, sometimes I do remember where the app is located, but it means swiping through a bunch of screens to get to the app. I'm finding that there's a much faster way to launch apps: simply ask Siri. Not only can you use Siri to launch apps, Siri can also help you find and download apps of interest.
Other manufacturers must find it difficult competing with Apple, a fact that's clearly in evidence in a new survey showing that Apple is the top brand in wearables — even though the Apple Watch isn't out yet. The survey, by Ipsos, asked the over 2,000 respondents which brands they would consider purchasing in the wearables category. Apple led the way, with 62%, followed by Google (44%), which has Google Glass, and Samsung (43%), which has the Galaxy Gear watch. According to Ipsos, this is because the dominant consideration when consumers purchase a wearable is integration across devices, and Apple has long led the way in this regard. Consumers want to be able to easily integrate their wearable device with their smartphone, computer, and tablet. Other important factors are brand confidence and reliability. The survey found that 70% will only choose a brand they trust.
Everyone likes movies. And no one likes wasting time on the lousy ones. So no doubt you check out the reviews to see what people are saying about it. Siri can help. Siri will not only let you find out what's playing at local theaters and play the trailer, but will also tell you how a movie is rated.
Apple's holiday ad last year, titled "Misunderstood," won an Emmy for "Most Outstanding Commercial." It featured a boy playing with his iPhone over the course of a holiday family gathering, seemingly on the periphery, and keeping to himself. But all the while he was shooting and editing a video of the family's activities, which he then played for everyone — and touched their hearts. This year's ad, titled "The Song," is equally moving.


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“It’s not about the gear. It’s about the sweat” (said in heavy Zlatan accent)… Swedish superstar and all-round master magician Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be currently on the look out for a new club, but that hasn’t stopped him launching his business career with a new sportswear brand.
A–Z is the result of a joint venture of Zlatan and Petter Varner, head of the Norwegian clothing giant Varner, and cover a variety of slick-looking sporting gear and clothes ranging from jackers, shorts, tops, outerwear and even boxers. Nice going.
See more a-z.com and prepare to be Zlataned.


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On April 11 one of the world's largest bond settlement facilities announced they have completed the initial phases of a gold trading platform on the blockchain that they hope to bring fully online before the end of the year.
Euroclear is one of two primary clearing houses for securities in Europe, and has acted as a major player for the U.S. Treasury as countries began dumping their dollar denominated bonds over the past five years. And with the advent of the blockchain and its potential as a virtual platform for a myriad of financial products, Euroclear decided to use the technology as a way to bring gold trading fully onto the digital sphere.
Clearing and settlement services firm Euroclear has expanded the scope of its blockchain-based gold trading platform project, eyeing a full launch for later this year.
The company announced today that it completed the second stage of testing for its platform, developed in partnership with blockchain startup Paxos, with a group of 16 financial institutions including Citi, Scotiabank and Société Générale. More than 100,000 bullion settlement transactions were conducted over a two-day period.
The pilot comes months after Euroclear announced the completion of the first phase, during which about 600 transactions were conducted. Euroclear first unveiled the platform in June.
According to the firm, the successful test paves the way for a full production launch sometime in late 2017. - Coindesk


text: For its 60th anniversary year, Universal Music Enterprises has begun reminding fans that “Motown Did It First“; now, the label that launched The Sound Of Young America is revisiting a box set that was released in celebration of its 50th anniversary a decade ago. Motown: The Complete No. 1s featured more than 200 international chart-toppers, plus a handful of bonus masters that went to No. 1 through cover versions or samples. And the packaging was a delight: the discs were housed in five digipaks, all carried in an intricate replica of 2648 West Grand Boulevard – the Detroit building that served as the label’s first office and studio space (and today is open to the public as The Motown Museum). That package has been replicated, while a 6-song bonus disc adds a handful of extra Motown magic right up through recent remixes of Diana Ross classics, which have topped Billboard”s dance charts in the past two years.


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During the G20 G20 summit, US President Donald Trump made a very unexpected announcement regarding Huawei. He removed some of the prohibitions regarding the cooperation of American companies with a Chinese corporation and once again hinted at the possibility of lifting all trade restrictions.
The head of the White House during the G20 summit said that US companies will be able to continue selling their products to Huawei. According to him, it really does not harm national security.
“American companies that produce products will be able to sell it to Huawei. I gave them my permission. I like our companies selling something to others. Our companies were very upset, but we are lifting the ban. If it does not harm national security, we allow them to cooperate, ”said Donald Trump.
The US President noted that further discussions on a possible trade agreement with Huawei will be held later. Probably next Tuesday. He does not exclude the complete removal of all trade restrictions from the Chinese company. However, this must be supported by a trade agreement between the United States and Huawei. Donald Trump said he would discuss this issue with the Department of Commerce.
It also became known that Trump and Jinping agreed to resume trade relations between the United States and China. The truce is temporary and all details will be clarified in the course of further negotiations. Donald Trump also promised that the United States would not introduce new trade duties on Chinese goods.


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Minnesota House of Representatives reports…
Taxes can be complicated, but sometimes tax law makes things more complicated than they need to be. Take, for example, the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program that Minnesota launched in 2014.
It was designed to make the internet more accessible to residents throughout the state, and, in 2017, its accompanying tax provisions were revised to create a sales tax exemption for such telecommunications capital equipment as fiber and conduit. Or so legislators thought.
It turns out that the Department of Revenue had a narrow interpretation of what constituted “telecommunications capital equipment,” applying it only to telephone service. Hence, companies providing both phone and internet through their fiber optic cables have had to, for tax purposes, separate out the portions of fiber that have data or information from those used exclusively for telephone service. And that’s hard to do.
HF4422 is out to fix that. Sponsored by Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL-Hibbing), it would exempt from state sales and use taxes any fiber and conduit purchased by broadband or internet service providers to provide retail internet access service. The exemption would be effective retroactively for sales and purchases made after July 1, 2017, with a special refund provision governing refund claims for the retroactive purchases.
The bill was laid over…
The House Taxes Committee laid the bill over, as amended, Thursday for possible inclusion in the omnibus taxes bill, which is expected to be released on Monday. Its companion, SF3480, sponsored by Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), awaits action by the Senate Taxes Committee.
The Department of Revenue estimates the change would reduce the General Fund by $14 million in fiscal year 2023 and $6.3 million in the 2024-25 biennium.


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Artisanal Production Reaches National RetailersBy Gabriela Mastache | Thu, 05/28/2020 - 16:03
Transforming an SME into a larger company is a necessary transition to move to a more competitive position, says Jorge Valdés, Co-founder of Bolis d Lucy. “It is a significant challenge moving from an artisanal to a quasi-industrial production.”
In less than 20 years, Bolis D Lucy, a Mexican company that manufactures and commercializes flavored ice pops, or bolis, moved from being a micro business operating through street vendors to marketing its products through leading retailers such as Liverpool. “Bolis d Lucy’s operation started out as part of the informal market and we commercialized our products outside of schools,” says Lucía Rangel, Co-founder of Bolis d Lucy.
According to Rangel, the company started with one person producing 60 bolis and six flavors per day. Since then, it has introduced more than 40 flavors. The company’s production capabilities evolved at first through inertia, Valdés says. “When our daily production went from 60 to 400 bolis, we still did everything manually. We had work tables of people working as if they were on an assembly line. After we reached the 400 mark, we realized that we had surpassed our manual capabilities.” The change in the production was felt mainly in the filling and packaging processes. “We acquired special liquid filling machinery, since we needed them to be able to manage the viscosity of our different flavors,” says Valdés.
With a total of 44 employees, Valdés says the company manufactures 15,000 ice pops on a daily basis and has the capacity to increase production. “We make around 35 bolis per minute and manufacture 15,000 bolis per day. We could reach a daily production of 22,000 but that would entail reaching the ceiling of our current manufacturing capabilities.”
Although the company started as an informal business, Valdés says that its transformation to the formal economy and its entrance to “Orgullo Morelos,” a state government program that guarantees the quality and authenticity of products from the state of Morelos, helped the company to position its product with national level retailers like Liverpool and Oxxo. “We started selling a small number of products through Liverpool in 2014 and now it is close to becoming our main client, purchasing almost a million units per year,” says Valdés. Bolis D Lucy has also entered 60 Oxxo stores in the state of Morelos and is in Sears stores in Mexico City, from where it hopes to expand to Sears stores in other parts of the country.
With commercial operations in 21 states through company stores and through retailers like Liverpool and Oxxo, Valdés says that growing the company’s production capabilities is a must. “Our medium-term vision is to set up a production site in Irapuato, Guanajuato,” he says. Setting up production in the Bajio region obeys to two key factors that are needed for the continuous growth of the company: logistics and inputs. “From Irapuato, we can distribute our product through the rest of the country more easily than from Morelos. Moreover, the region is an important dairy basin that will allow us to obtain milk at a much more competitive price,” says Valdés.
The quality of its inputs is a key factor in the company’s success, adds Valdés. “The quality of our product has helped us to stay ahead of our competitors. From the beginning, we have used high-quality products that are leaders in their category. We do not use substitutes or inferior products.” Moving its production from Morelos to Guanajuato would allow Bolis D Lucy not only to reduce costs but also to control the production process from start. “Given that 80 percent of our product input is milk, our intent is to obtain raw milk and carry out the pasteurization process ourselves. This would allow us to reduce our costs by around 40 percent,” says Valdés.
Bolis D Lucy has enjoyed significant success in the retail arena, and Valdés says that establishing its manufacturing plant will allow the company to easily triple production. “Working the same shift we are currently working, we hope to produce at least 45,000 pieces per day.” The increase in production would allow it to position bolis in more Oxxo stores, not only in Morelos but also in Mexico City. “Morelos has 315 Oxxo stores and we are present in 60. We also see an opportunity to enter Oxxo stores in Mexico City, where they have over 3,000 stores.” Rángel says that the company still has significant room for growth in the country. “We want to focus in the states in the center of the country. We believe that if we can build a strong foundation in the center of the country, growing to other states or other countries will be easier.”


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Generations influence marketing trends
April 08, 2008
by Stephanie Bloyd
HARLEYSVILLE, PA. — Consumer decisions often are influenced by a shopper’s generation, per the new annual trends report just released by the Natural Marketing Institute.
For example, Generation Z (25-45 year olds) represents a generation fueled by caffeine-packed energy drinks. The report cautioned against the increasing trend of busy working families "opting out" of consumer culture in favor of a simpler life and renewed focus on "quality versus quantity."
The aging population heading toward its "Golden Years" is redefining old age, with unprecedented levels of autonomy, choice and lifestyle participation.
A new immunity trend driven by consumer desire to be more proactive in health care decisions is fueling the growth of organic foods and non-toxic home products.
The report authors noted a duality across most trends. The countertrend of new immunity, for example, was shown among a group labeled "Eat, Drink and be Merrys" who showed little regard for health or environmental factors.
But the overall culture of sustainability is predicted to permeate every aspect of consumer lifestyles.


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Natural beauty aficionados have a magazine to call their own. Organic Beauty hit shelves in January and targets the consumer who has helped grow the natural and organic personal care category into a $7 billion global business. Actress and Activist Olivia Wilde graces the inaugural issue, which features articles on green alternatives in personal care products, cosmetic surgery and injectables. Overseen by former Elle editorial director, Rona Berg, and published by Washington, D.C.-based Sovereign/Homestead, the bimonthly will include the lastest news on naturals, as well as fitness, fashion and lifestyle features.
"You start one way as a baby, but why shouldn't you be able to choose your own path as opposed to culturally people telling you which way to go?" - Thom Browne at his men's spring 2018 show, where he celebrated gender fluidity. #pfw #wwdmens (📷: @delphineachard)
"I think that all anyone really wants in life is to have people understand us for who we actually are, despite everything," says Ruth Negga. The actress talks "Preachers" season 2 and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Dan Doperalski)


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BC Wine Institute Welcomes New Board of Directors and a New Name at its First-ever Virtual 2020 Annual General Meeting
Kelowna, BC – In a year full of change, the BC Wine Institute (BCWI) held its first-ever virtual annual general meeting on September 1, 2020 welcoming a new board of directors and a new name for the organization.
Nine voting BCWI Directors represent all British Columbia wineries. Newly elected or re-elected members of the Board of Directors are:
- Greg Berti, Andrew Peller
- Josh Stewart, Arterra Wines Canada
- Vice-Chair Darryl Brooker, Mark Anthony Group
- Christa-Lee McWatters, TIME Winery
- Charlie Baessler, Corcelettes Estate Winery
- Santiago Cilley, Phantom Creek Estates
Continuing their directorships are Chair Erik Fisher (Monte Creek Ranch Winery), Leo Gebert (St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Winery) and Dapinder Gill (Kismet Estate Winery). BC Grapegrowers’ Association representative David Kozuki and BCWI President & CEO Miles Prodan continue as ex officio non-voting members.
“It has been a busy and challenging year in the BC wine industry, and we appreciate the time commitment and dedication of our volunteer Board of Directors and committee members,” notes Prodan. “We look forward to working with our newly appointed Board members and our continuing Board members to evolve the BC wine industry, adapt to our new reality and work together to ensure a bright and strong future for BC wine.”
The BCWI would also like to thank outgoing Director Ezra Cipes (Summerhill Pyramid Winery) for his contributions to the Board during his term.
Prior to the Annual General Meeting, the BCWI Board of Directors identified the importance of rebranding both the BC Wine Institute and the BC wine industry to Wine Growers British Columbia to better align with other provincial and national associations. BCWI members voted unanimously to make the change, and the BCWI looks forward to officially launching the new brand in early 2021.
“The rebrand helps to reposition the BC wine industry as a high value agri-food producer and economic growth generator, representing and supporting grapegrowers and wineries as part of a family farm network,” says Prodan. “It also better aligns with our Canadian wine colleagues, Wine Growers Canada, Wine Growers Ontario and Wine Growers Nova Scotia to strengthen our collective identity and ultimately the Canadian wine industry.”
The BCWI Industry Recognition Awards which would typically follow the Annual General Meeting, and which recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond to support and enhance British Columbia’s grape wine industry, will now be held in October. Nominations are being accepted until Friday, September 25. Visit WineBC.com for more details.
About British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI):
Since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC's wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing exceptional wine tourism experiences.
The BCWI markets the wine and regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC's wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of industry that contributes $2.8 billion in provincial economic growth annually.
The BCWI represents all wineries in British Columbia to grow the premium market share for the Wines of British Columbia, while driving awareness of our world-class wines and tourism product - currently drawing 1,000,000 visitors with $600 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact every year.
For more information about BC Wine Institute's programs and services, please visit WineBC.com.
Follow us on social media at the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page and follow @WineBCdotcom on Twitter and Instagram .


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Audi has decided to join the trend and come into competition against General Motors' maven and BMW ReachNow. The company will launch Audi Share Fleet by next year, which is an app-generated car sharing service. What are the specs and features?
Four 2017 A4 Sedans have been deployed by the company for generating the incoming Audi Share Fleet - an app-generated service for customers who wish to utilize vehicles temporarily and nonexclusively.
The said Audi Share Fleet was defined as a running car-sharing pilot program for the company, which would first see the light of day in North Carolina. The customers would be able to pay by the minute or hour to use four red 2017 Audi A4 sedans, according to Auto Blog.
On top of which, the users would be able to locate, claim, and unlock the cars for the service and would be timed while they are using it. Payment options have not been revealed by the company but were deemed to possibly be through online payments as the users would be utilizing the app for the services.
Why North Carolina
North Carolina has been deemed to cater to tech-industry Millennials, which were considered the target market of the service. They were deemed to be the people who would most likely need a car but would not be income sufficient to purchase their own vehicles. With that, more than 700 people work in American Underground, the technology incubator provider for the program. The said people were expected to be the most frequent customers of the service, according to Cnet.
When Will The Service Be Available?
Per recent reports, the company is currently testing the service in Durham. Its initial trial would then be followed by a nationwide launch of the application to be utilized for the service. The Audi Share Fleet has finally decided to join the trend for car sharing - the next big thing for the millennials of tomorrow.


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ST Microelectronics has been recognised as one of the ‘350 Most Admired Companies’ for the second consecutive year, according to FORTUNE Magazine’s 2011 ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ survey results.
ST Microelectronics is a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications.
ST Microelectronics is one of only eight companies from the semiconductor industry to earn a place in this year’s FORTUNE annual listing, which ranks the top overall most-admired companies and provides industry-specific and regional lists.
Ranked as the 6th most admired company in the semiconductor industry, ST is also the second highest-rated company based outside the United States and the highest-rated Europe-based chip maker in the sector.
According to Didier Lamouche, Chief Operating Officer of ST Microelectronics, the company is proud to have been recognised as one among FORTUNE’s Most Admired Companies by their partners, suppliers and various stakeholders who contributed to the survey.
All semiconductor companies in the industry-specific ranking were rated based on nine factors, including quality of products or services, quality of management, global competitiveness, and soundness of financial position.
ST Microelectronics placed seventh-or-better in six of the nine reputation-attribute categories including the industry’s fourth highest-rating for social responsibility.
ST is also the highest-rated European semiconductor player in eight of the nine categories.
FORTUNE’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ survey, which debuted in the US in 1983 and began ranking companies worldwide in 1997 is the ‘definitive report card on corporate reputations’.
To participate in the ranking, companies must be Fortune 1000 businesses, non-US companies on the Fortune Global 500 list or top foreign businesses operating in the US.
Of over 1400 companies considered for the survey, a total of 673 companies from 32 countries across 57 industries were surveyed for the ranking.
Respondents in the survey included approximately 4100 top executives and directors from eligible companies along with financial analysts who assessed companies in their own industries, and also voted on companies being considered for the overall most admired list.


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Recently, India’s Supreme Court issued a stern admonition towards the government’s inertia in formulating cryptocurrency regulations. The court’s criticism surfaces in light of a growing number of crypto-related illegal activities, emphasizing the urgency for clear regulation in the world’s sixth-largest economy, home to 15% of global Bitcoin users.
Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta insisted on the establishment of a specialized national agency. They envisage this body as a powerful tool, equipped to investigate and handle crypto-cases properly. Their request emerged amidst petitions concerning a surge of cryptocurrency frauds across Indian states, an issue estimated to have resulted in a shocking loss of INR 2,000 crore in 2022 alone.
The government’s procrastination on drafting a comprehensive crypto bill, initiated in 2018, has frustrated many. The lack of clear guidelines leaves investors, entrepreneurs, and even consumers navigating through uncertain waters. Meanwhile, the criminal world is exploiting these legislative gaps, contributing to the significant surge in crypto-crime.
Contrarily, the introduction of stringent cryptocurrency taxation laws in April 2022 was quick and decisive. The new tax laws were enforced during a bull market, when India was emerging as a global leader in the crypto market with numerous crypto unicorns and soaring trading volumes. Yet, the imposition of these tax laws dampened the formerly burgeoning Indian crypto market, leading to an exodus of established firms due to the lack of regulatory clarity.
While the Indian government grapples with creating a crypto bill that could protect investors and limit crime, it’s important to examine international practices too. Many countries are coming up with their unique solutions and India could certainly learn from these global efforts.
The Supreme Court’s reprimand is a significant move that underscores the need for immediate and comprehensive legislation. As the world rapidly embraces digital currency, it’s crucial that India’s regulatory environment evolves to provide a clear, fair, and safe platform for all parties involved in the crypto universe.


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Latest OSI Restaurant Partners Stories
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- OSI Restaurant Partners joined the National Restaurant Association as an Inaugural Leader at its launch today of Kids LiveWell, a nationwide initiative that provides parents and children with a growing selection of healthful menu options when dining out.
FORT MYERS, Fla., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AccuData Integrated Marketing(TM), a leading full-service database marketing firm, today announced it signed a contract with OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC (OSI) to provide Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine with a database marketing solution designed to increase store visits and electronically manage customer relationships.
TAMPA, Fla., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Outback Steakhouse, a longtime supporter of U.S. military troops, today announced its commitment to donate $1 million to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides emergency and morale support for active troops, veterans and their families.
TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- OSI Restaurant Partners (OSI) is now offering its customers a $20 bonus card for every gift card purchase of $100. In order to receive bonus cards, gift card purchases must be made before December 31, 2009.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 17th, the new Bonefish Grill restaurant located at 5062 4th Street North in St.
Where 2 Get It, Inc., a leading provider of mobile and Web location-based services that drive consumers into local businesses, announced that Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has selected its Mobile Web Locator as a key component of Fleming's new mobile presence.
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheeseburger in Paradise(R), well-known for its long-standing musical heritage, is calling all music lovers to help the VH1 Save The Music Foundation to fund instrumental music programs in public schools.
UAT&T has signed a two-year contract with the US-based OSI Restaurant Partners, to provide AT&T Business Network Voice Access service to approximately 1,200 OSI locations, including at Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Roy's and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar restaurants.
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. today announced a two-year contract with OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC.
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC will host a conference call on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.
- The parings of haberdine; also, any kind of fragments.


text: If you're thinking apropos investing in a rental worth, experts voice poor home prices combined with scanty good rates rectify this the most desirable occasion in years to become a real-estate investor. What's more, the real-estate store is starting to recover: U.S. houses damned $489 billion in value during the at the outset 11 months of 2009, but that was significantly take down than the $3.6 trillion fallen during 2008, according to real-estate website Zillow.com. This can some time be misleading to the European investors who supply in but We haven't seen lodgings prices this low in so many years, coupled with the rates being so despondent," says Jill Sjolin, an go-between with Windermere Real Assets in Woodinville, Wash., who specializes in investment properties. "When the money is budget-priced to bum and the houses are niggardly to buy, it's genuinely the foremost one of these days to invest." While the timing may be open, these five tips can help first-time investors retain b challenge profit of what effect be the chance of a lifetime. If you gain a mark with hopes of renting it broken, place is key. Homes in high-rent or very populated areas are ideal; stay away from bucolic areas where there are fewer people and a mini lagoon of capacity renters, Sjolin suggests. Also, look championing homes with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms in neighborhoods that have a bawdy felony rate. "Renters gravitate to a safe neighborhood, and if they secure kids, they see fit after a elevated institute neighbourhood," Sjolin says. Also think about hidden selling points for your property. If it's not far off public transportation, shopping malls or other amenities, it settle upon entice renters, as articulately as unrealized buyers if you pick out to put across later. The more you participate in to offer, the more suitable you are to wish potential renters, Sjolin says.


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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who spoke at the Babacar Ndiaye lecture series in Indonesia yesterday fired shots at Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari over his failure to sign the African free trade agreement (AfCTA).
Obasanjo who described the Nigerian President as weak, said President Buhari’s hand is too weak to sign African free trade agreement. He said:
“Africa cannot overcome fears of trade wars till it achieves 50 percent intra-Africa trade. The AfCTA is a good idea and for Nigeria, hopefully, we will have a president that will be able to sign it because the one that is there now, his hands are too weak to sign.”he said
This is comin after reports that 49 out of the 55 members of the African Union signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The chairperson of the African Union and the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame made the announcement in Nouakchott during the closing ceremony of the 31st summit of the 55-member African
The AfCFTA will be the largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organisation, according to the AU. It could create an African market of over 1.2 billion people with a GDP of 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars, according to the pan-African bloc.


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Tortilla Price RisesBy Sofía Hanna | Thu, 03/11/2021 - 16:03
The Federal Consumer Protection’s Office (PROFECO) recently announced that the price of a kilo of tortilla rose to between MX$18 (US$0.87) and MX$20 (US$0.97) in most states of the country. In December 2020, the government made an announcement clarifying that they reached an agreement with flour manufacturers so they would not increase costs. However, during today’s morning press conference, López Obrador mentioned that given international corn price increases, the price of tortillas rose as well. The issue is that this staple Mexican food can disrupt the basic food basket, according to Milenio. “By Feb. 18, the basic salary was only enough to buy six kilos (of tortilla). We care a lot about improving purchasing power and that there is no inflation,” said López Obrador.
The president had said that the price of tortillas would not change, but that has not been the case. Earlier this year, reports cited prices climbing as much as 60 percent.
Interested in more? Here are the week’s major headlines in Agribusiness and Food!
- The Ministers of Agriculture of Mexico and the US, Víctor Villalobos and Thomas James Vilsack, had a meeting to discuss scientific collaborations for the agri-food industry. “Technological knowledge is fundamental to face climate phenomena. The objective is to achieve better production and guarantee food security,” Villalobos said after the meeting. Talks on agriculture between Mexico and the US will continue in the future. The agenda will include discussions on the development of biotechnology for fertilizer management, pest and disease management to harmonize sanitary protocols and access to the US market.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, announced the signing of an agreement with the Customs Agents Foundation for Child Assistance, A.C., Food Banks of Mexico and the Confederation of Mexico’s Associations of Customs Agents to distribute food withheld in customs to low-income people. This agreement is based on the UN’s Second Sustainable Development Goal.
- Villalobos participated in the inauguration of the Mexico Pavilion at Foodex Japan 2021. He mentioned that this represents a big step forward to resume commercial activities and promote the opportunities that the Japanese market and the Asian region offer to national producers. “The numbers and records are important and motivate us to continue growing, but we never forget that behind the foreign trade figures there are success stories of companies, producers and people who are the face of the transformation of the Mexican countryside,” mentioned Villalobos.
- Since the pandemic began, a “dry law” was implemented, which has affected the sale of beverages like beer and tequila. Karla Siqueiros, General Director of the National Chamber of the Beer and Malt Industry (Cerveceros de México), mentioned. “It has been observed that these measures have little effectiveness and end up not achieving the expected result, which is that people stay at home. What we have observed in Mexico is that the restrictions encourage illegal markets. Demand for illicit suppliers increases and, therefore, there is a clandestine sale.” With a somewhat uncertain outlook due to lingering lockdowns, beverages industries expect 2021 to be less challenging and are confident that the results will be better than in 2020.


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Oki to debut pro920WT printer at SGIA 2011 Oct 05, 2011 17:00 by Huw Carrington
Oki will debut its new pro920WT digital colour printer ink machine at the 2011 Speciality Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) Expo later this month.
The company will showcase its high-quality, full-colour capable product, with its white toner facility for graphics and textiles transfer, at the tradeshow.
On top of this, Oki claims that the new system is cost-effective and believes it will attract a lot of interest at the event, in New Orleans, taking place between October 19th and 21st.
Rich Egert, general manager in the business group at the firm, said: “Oki is excited to offer SGIA Expo attendees the first look at the pro920WT and demonstrate its unique colour and transfer printing capabilities.”
“There is no other white toner-based product in the world that delivers something as unique and as innovative as does the pro920WT,” he added.
Recently, Oki launched its new MC861 and MC851 A3 colour multifunctional printer ink devices designed to replace its current MC860 machine.
Posted by Michael Derges


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Kellogg’s UK has begun the fun season in style, debuting a new collection of popified characters for its famous Blankos Block Party game in the metaverse. Kellogg’s has entered the metaverse as the NFT market continues recovering following a recent market crash, which was attracted by the collapse of crypto change FTX.
In a November 25 press release, Kellogg’s UK, a subsidiary of the American cereal company, confirmed integrating its famous open-world Blankos Block Party in the metaverse. The crypto developments appear at the same time its parent company has inked another partnership with Santa ahead of charismas festive next month.
Kellogg’s Enters The Metaverse
Launched in 2020, Blankos Block Party is an open-world multiplayer video game allowing players to play alongside their friends in various game modes without any coding skill. The video game is popular among many youths of 18-24 years.
In that context, the mythical game has teamed up with Pop-Tarts to accelerate brand campaigns among the targeted youths. Under the new partnership, the joint team will create a set of non-fungible tokens dubbed Hip Pop, Punk Pop, and Glam Pop.
Kellogg’s anticipates the new NFTs will drive fun engagements across generation Z, who are less familiar with the brand. Kellogg’s believes gaming is the crucial passion point that attracts many youths.
Blankos Block Party Metaverse
The new Blankos Block Party metaverse game will promote individuality and self-expression and offer fun among youth this festive season. While commenting about the new metaverse project, Emer Hayes, Kellogg’s Pop-Tart brand lead, remarked:
“We’re very excited to take Pop Tarts into the metaverse, a first for Kellogg’s in the UK. Pop-Tarts is a fun brand, and by creating NFT characters for a playful virtual world, we can better engage with people, particularly Gen Z consumers.”
According to Kellogg’s, the success of Pop-Tarts in the Blankos Block Party will be gauged across different metrics, including the number of Blanko NFTs sold, the percentage of players in the popified level, and the percentage of players visiting Pop-Tart Blankos in-game store.
In the meantime, Blankos Block Party is currently free-to-play on Epic Games Store. The new NFT project marks the celebration of 100 years since the Cereal Breakfast firm launched in the U.K.
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Biosimilars Seen as a $3.7 billion Drug Market by 2015
The worldwide market for copies of biotech medicines will grow to $3.7 billion by 2015, from just $243 million in 2010, as a raft of branded drugs lose patent cover, according to market analysis firm Datamonitor.
Many drugmakers are seeing potential in the business of producing copycat versions of expensive biotechnology drugs as regulators draft new rules for their approval.
Because of the complexity of such drugs, which are produced through biological processes that generally involve recombinant DNA technologies, they are known as "biosimilars" rather than generics.
Europe has led the way in setting out guidelines for biosimilars but U.S. regulations are also in the works and Japan, too, is addressing the issue.
Impetus for biosimilars will come from the fact that more than 30 branded biologics with sales of $51 billion are set to lose patent exclusivity between 2011 and 2015, Datamonitor said on Monday.
A number of generic drugmakers have made biosimilars a priority for future growth, including Teva, Novartis unit Sandoz and Hospira. They are being joined by several branded drugmakers, such as Merck.
In their sights are current blockbuster biotech treatments from companies including Roche and Amgen.


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REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 24, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has built a world-class video ad serving solution for the Associated Press (AP) Online Video Network (OVN) using MSN® Video and Atlas AdManager. AP media-member and customer Web sites will now have the capabilities to sell and deliver local advertisements with local content. This is the first joint solution from MSN and Atlas since the close of the aQuantive Inc. acquisition, marking a major collaborative milestone for Microsoft’s newly formed Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group.
Powered by a “white-labeled” version of the MSN Video player and featuring exclusive AP content produced specifically for the Web, the AP OVN provides high-quality, in-depth reports from the world’s largest news-gathering agency, reaching 61 million unique visitors and serving more than 1,800 affiliates across the United States. With the new ad serving platform, the AP OVN will now be able to serve local video ad inventory, allowing such OVN affiliates as WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C., and The Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn., to drive deeper audience engagement in their sites and generate additional advertising revenue.
“Video advertising is growing in popularity, and the ability to attach local ads to local content is something that customers like the AP are seeing as a tremendous competitive advantage for their business,” said Karl Siebrecht, president of Atlas. “This solution for AP is a great example of several Microsoft® teams coming together to deliver real value for a customer, and we are thrilled to have created this solution for one of the most dynamic news agencies on the planet.”
The hybrid ad serving platform will use Atlas AdManager to serve local video ads that will be sold directly by the OVN affiliates. National video ad inventory will be served by Microsoft adCenter and sold exclusively by the Microsoft advertising sales force.
“The competition for eyeballs online in the news business is very tough, and our affiliates are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to more actively engage their users,” said Jessica Hawk, director of Online Video for AP. “The ability to attach local ads to local content via this new solution from Microsoft is a big step forward in our capabilities to deliver the type of experience that we believe will drive deeper engagement, increased value and ultimately loyalty for end users, while also driving additional ad revenue for our affiliate sites.”
Atlas provides digital media technologies for agencies, advertisers and publishers. Atlas solutions for agencies and advertisers enable the unified management of digital marketing campaigns across display banners, rich media, search, video, and Web sites. Atlas solutions for publishers help maximize advertising revenue across all available and developing digital media platforms. With advanced tools and close collaboration, Atlas helps our clients achieve dramatic, measurable results.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.


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Business booming but locals leaving
Confidence in the Nelson region's economy is improving, but it needs to halt the outgoing tide of residents to secure its longer-term future, a new economic indicator report says.
The Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency's six-monthly regional economy report, released yesterday, says a summary of all the key indicators suggests that the economy is moving in the right direction in most respects.
But it did highlight one key area in which the region could do better, EDA chief executive Bill Findlater said.
"Nelson-Tasman is still experiencing net emigration, and this is an issue that needs attention if the region is to continue to thrive in the longer term."
The report showed that in terms of net migration as a proportion of the population, the region has fared worse than New Zealand as a whole every year since 2000.
The primary sector was the biggest driver of the estimated 4.6 per cent growth in the region's economy in the year to March 2013. Compared to the rest of the country, Nelson was much more specialised in primary production, the report said.
Horticulture was the region's largest employer, with around 2500 employees.
The EDA has always been a strong supporter of the proposed dam at Lee Valley, because of the risk of dwindling growth in primary production without an adequate water supply.
At a public meeting last week on options for water use in the future, the Tasman District Council said that without the proposed dam, water allocations and restrictions would be extreme by 2016.
Mr Findlater said the whole region benefited from increased production.
The volume of food exports through Port Nelson rebounded by 7 per cent in 2013, after falling by 5 per cent in 2012. Fruit exports increased 14 per cent.
A total of 421,187 tonnes of primary produce was exported through Port Nelson in 2013, of which 288,714 tonnes (69 per cent) was fruit. Foodstuffs exports increased marginally, but dairy and seafood exports fell slightly.
Port company chief executive Martin Byrne said that in general, there were some encouraging signs. Apple exports were starting to pick up, and fishing and log exports to China were doing well.
"We're cautiously optimistic," Mr Byrne said.
There was still adequate space for growth in cargo volumes through the port, despite the potential for changes to shipping in and out of Nelson, he said.
Maersk - the world's biggest container line - was on the brink of pulling out of Nelson in 2012 but was persuaded by major exporters and Port Nelson Ltd to continue its service. Maersk said then it would continue to serve the port "for the foreseeable future" but warned that this was not an open-ended guarantee.
The EDA's report said that last year in Nelson city, the three largest industries were manufacturing, healthcare and social assistance, and the retail trade. Together, they accounted for 42 per cent of the area's GDP of $1.99 billion.
In Tasman district, the three largest industries were agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing, and the retail trade. They accounted for 61 per cent of the district‘s GDP of $1.85b.
Measured on a rolling annual basis, retail sales in the region had been on an upward trend for the past two years, but they had yet to recover to the peak levels seen in mid-2008, the report said.
Long-time Nelson retailer David Waine, who owns Urban Beach in Trafalgar St, said that on the whole, things were improving, but retailing was still no match for the heyday of 2006-07. He had seen a drop in the number of overseas tourists at his store as the kiwi dollar strenthened, but sales figures from this summer were slightly ahead of last summer.
He said the loss of large events such as the Gathering dance festival was still being felt by retailers.
"On the whole, we're not going backwards, and things have improved over the last 18 months."
The report said more businesses across the region had gone under than had opened in the past four years.
In 2013, 90 new business were started for every 100 that closed.
Mr Findlater said the global economy appeared to have turned a corner, and looking at the strong growth in the wider New Zealand economy, 2014 promised to be "another good year".
HOW WE ARE DOING
The Nelson region grew rapidly in 2013:
Total GDP up 4.6 per cent, compared to 2.9 per cent nationally.
GDP per capita up 4.2 per cent, compared to 2.1 per cent nationally.
Employment growth was 1.5 per cent, compared to 0.2 per cent for the country as a whole.
Labour productivity up 3.1 per cent, compared to 2.7 per cent nationally.
Food exports through Port Nelson in 2013 were up 7 per cent on 2012.
Visitor nights: international up 3.6 per cent; domestic up 4.3 per cent.
Does Nelson deserve to be classed as a city?Related story: (See story)


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|Bid||50.82 x 900|
|Ask||50.84 x 800|
|Day's range||47.75 - 51.88|
|52-week range||2.11 - 66.99|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||2.79|
|PE ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings date||28 May 2020|
|Forward dividend & yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y target est||54.97|
Lordstown Motors gets ready to bring its electric pickup truck called the Endurance to market. Yahoo Finance chats with Lordstown Motors founder and CEO Steve Burns.
As of 1:15 p.m. EST, NIO's American depositary shares were down about 5.5% from Friday's closing price. Investors who have been around The Motley Fool for a while know that some stocks that seem expensive now often look cheap in retrospect.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) joined the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) with declines, but none of the indexes fell more than 1% on the day. NIO (NYSE: NIO) has been a big winner in the electric-vehicle (EV) industry, but its stock fell on Thursday in response to heightened competitive pressures. Meanwhile, retail giant Walmart (NYSE: WMT) was also a big loser for investors as it delivered mixed news in its quarterly financial report.


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«For my part, if Roe v. Wade had been overturned, ladies would flip to comparatively secure medications that can be bought over the internet,» Stanley Henshaw, a researcher for the Guttmacher Institute, advised The Washington Put up in a 2019 reality-test article. «There could be some deaths however probably not as many as there have been in the 1960s.»
Boots stated it’s launching a covid vaccines pharmacies ireland-19 PCR testing service in a small number of stores in Eire to cater to Government pointers that got here into effect on 29 November. These tips permit for passengers arriving from a designated orange, pink or gray region to end their motion restrictions in the event that they obtain a detrimental PCR take a look at taken a minimum of five days after arriving in Ireland.
(3) The place, throughout the period for bringing an attraction (which incorporates that period as prolonged by advantage of paragraph 10(3)), an appeal is introduced in opposition to an appealable fitness to practise choice in respect of a direction («the later direction») that extends, varies or replaces an earlier course, the sooner course continues to have effect until the date on which the attraction is finally disposed of, is abandoned or fails by motive of its non-prosecution.


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HYPR Corp is promoting its biometric tokenization platform in the wake of recent findings on Android smartphones’ security vulnerabilities.
The findings come by way of the Black Hat USA conference, at which hackers and security experts have been discussing the many ways they have found of breaching security on a number of systems. One pair of hackers found that it’s possible to copy user fingerprint data from the HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy S5, while another team found that HTC smartphones were storing users’ fingerprint in image files stored in open, world readable folders.
While the security researchers pointed to clear, obvious solutions such as taking advantage of Android devices’ Android Trust Zone, which isolates data from the OS, and storing data in encrypted files, HYPR offers a solution that could provide a valuable additional layer of security: Its biometric tokenization SDK. It’s device agnostic technology capable of tokenizing facial, fingerprint, and voice biometric data, and keeping that data offline.
Its a solution that the company has developed for the mobile world, but its underlying technology also has applications in the growing Internet of Things, and HYPR has already adapted it accordingly. Given its proficiency in such advanced, front-line digital security efforts as well as its membership with the FIDO Alliance, it may be worth smartphone-makers’ while to pay attention to what HYPR has to offer.


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Growth of alternative powertrain vehicles sales will be limited by consumer concerns about costs as well as functionality, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Green Automotive Study(SM) released today.
Despite a rapid increase in the number of alternative powertrain vehicle models projected for the next several years, automakers will be fighting over the relatively few consumers who are willing to drive green.
The inaugural study examines attitudes of U.S. consumers toward four primary alternative powertrain technologies: hybrid electric vehicles; clean diesel engines; plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; and battery electric vehicles. The study gauges consumer consideration rates of these powertrain types for their next new vehicle purchase and explores specific perceived benefits and concerns that factor into the decision-making process.
While consumers often cite saving money on fuel as the primary benefit of owning an alternative powertrain vehicle, the reality for many is that the initial cost of these vehicles is too high, even as fuel prices in the United States approach record levels. Reduced expenditure on fuel is the predominant benefit cited by considerers for each of the primary alternative powertrain technologies examined in the study.
Although the environmental benefits of these vehicles are recognized, they are mentioned far less frequently than saving money on fuel. For example, 75 percent of consumers who indicate they would consider a hybrid electric vehicle cite lower fuel costs as a main benefit. In contrast only 50 percent cite ‘better for the environment’ as a main benefit of these vehicles.
According to VanNieuwkuyk, concern about the purchase price of alternative powertrain vehicles—particularly for hybrid electric vehicles—has become even more of an issue in 2011. At the end of 2010, tax credits from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 were phased out.
“Hybrid electric vehicles have been available in the automotive market for more than 10 years, and consumer awareness and understanding of them has grown during that time,” said VanNieuwkuyk. “As concerns about the functionality and performance of hybrid vehicles have abated, vehicle price has become more prevalent as the primary purchase impediment. Without a tax credit to offset the price premium, consumers must absorb all of this additional cost. Furthermore, aggressive government subsidies are unlikely to be sustainable over the long term. Ultimately, the true cost of the technology needs to come down substantially.”
Although there are also significant price premiums for battery electric vehicles, functional concerns are more likely to limit consideration rates for this powertrain. Driving range and the availability of charging sites away from home are the two concerns cited most often by those not considering this powertrain. This “range anxiety” contributes to the lowest consideration levels of the primary alternative powertrain technologies.
By the end of 2016, J.D. Power and Associates expects there to be 159 hybrid and electric vehicle models available for purchase in the U.S. market. This is a significant increase from only 31 hybrid and electric models in 2009.


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Royal Enfield First Electric Bike: Royal Enfield is continuously launching new models in the country and abroad. Although all the customers are waiting for the company’s electric bike. Recently, Royal Enfield has issued a statement regarding its first electric bike.
Royal Enfield Electric Motorcycle: Royal Enfield is continuously launching new models in the country and abroad. The company launched its Hunter 350 bike in India a few months back. Recently, the company has brought Meteor 650 in the overseas market, which will also be launched in India in 2023. After this, the Bullet 350 is also to be launched on a new engine and platform. Although all the customers are waiting for the company’s electric bike. Recently, Royal Enfield has issued a statement regarding its first electric bike.
Earlier, the electric Royal Enfield came into the limelight when the Managing Director Siddharth Lal answered the questions of journalists during the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 launch. At that time, he had said that the company is not planning to launch an electric Enfield at the earliest, but is instead taking the time for R&D.
Now during Eicher Motors’ Annual Financial Results Conference, Royal Enfield CEO B Govindarajan reiterated the same point, stating that R&D work is underway at the company’s technical centers in the UK and India. He said that almost three years are left for the arrival of electric Royal Enfield.
Govindarajan also elaborated on the success of the Hunter 350 and how it is creating a new segment of Royal Enfield fans. Govindarajan says that there hasn’t been any significant change in the sales of the Classic 350 with the advent of the Hunter as the Hunter 350 is a different category of bike. The company is the third best selling brand in Europe. He said that the annual growth for RE in the international markets has been 14 per cent this year.


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We already had a hunch that Mazda’s Koeru concept will make it – in one form or another – into production, but it never hurts to find out even more juicy details about the upcoming automobile from a Mazda official.
As if a camouflaged prototype wasn’t the biggest hint yet to unofficially announce the model, Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai told Automotive News that the concept, which debuted in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, envisions a new entry in the car maker’s line-up.
Mind you, Mazda’s boss was keen to point out that the future automobile is unrelated to anything in the Japanese car manufacturer’s current portfolio.
“It’s a totally new car”, said Kogai. “It’s a lower, sporty SUV. It’s close to a wagon. The CX-9 rides higher. So do the CX-3 and CX-5. [The Koeru] aims to generate more driving pleasure.”
So, it seems that Mazda got a taste for the SUV/crossover market, with its latest debuts, but the Kogai stressed that the Koeru’s low-profile, fastback, five-door layout will be a sporty crossover/wagon alternative for the CX-5.
Believed to hit the streets under the revived CX-7 moniker, the will apparently be reminiscent of the Subaru Outback, as the CEO continued: “That kind of genre. We’d like to see how it is evaluated globally, so we are collecting customer feedback.”


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Millennials choose Netflix over nights out to save money
Over two thirds (68%) of millennials who save money each month say they consciously miss out on going to bars, eating out, holidays, concerts and festivals as they’re saving for big purchases such as holidays, getting on the housing ladder, birthday and Christmas presents, and luxury items like handbags or cosmetics.
Instead, they prefer to spend time watching Netflix, going on walks, baking and finding free things to do where they live, according to the study by RCI Bank, who has dubbed them ‘Generation Sensible’.
The average millennial saves £202 a month to achieve their savings goals, the research found.
Jean-Louis Labauge, CEO of RCI Bank, said: “It is promising to see that millennials like to enjoy a range of activities with friends and family that don’t break the bank. Contrary to the mainstream belief, our research shows that they are actually sensible with their money, and enjoy celebrating these lowlights so that they have the financial ability to enjoy the highlights when the time comes.”
However, the picture isn’t all rosy with 25% of millennials saying they don’t save at all. The main reasons are lack of income, paying off existing debt, and the cost of living.


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‘Destructive to the overall economy’: Calls to extend the fuel excise cut another six months
By Sourced Externally
September 12, 2022
There are fears of a ripple effect when the fuel excise cut ends, with concerns it will be “destructive” to the Australian economy.
There are concerns that when the fuel excise cut ends it will cause a ripple effect, with many people likely to reduce their spending on retail and restaurants because they cannot afford to drive anywhere.
The Albanese government has ruled out extending the fuel excise cut when it ends on September 29, but many are calling for it to continue for another six months.
National Retail Association chief executive Dominique Lamb told NCA NewsWire the group wanted an extension, noting the impact on supply chains.
“Our retailers are being impacted by a whole raft of increases across the board and of course supply chains is one of those which is directly impacted by the cost of fuel,” she said.
“Anything that the government can do in order to support those industries that are part of our ecosystem is incredibly important because you’ve got to remember in a country like Australia most of our freight is on roads.
“Fuel is an incredibly important resource, particularly when it comes to things like getting projects into our region.”
Ms Lamb said from a consumer point of view there was also a concern that if people could not afford fuel they would be less inclined to go out to spend money on retail and hospitality.
“There’s no doubt that consumers are starting to tighten their belts, especially when it comes to discretionary spend,” she said.
“Consumers are spending more on essential groceries and fuel, but the softening figures are coming from those discretionary items and other categories in that non-essential component of the market.
“So it is of concern to us because I think at the end of the day where there is consumer confidence, then they’re more likely to spend.”
Ms Lamb noted that when people were investing, such as buying or building more homes, there was also a spike in retail spend.
“What we’re seeing right now is people making different decisions because of course they’re being hit with inflation, interest rate rises, fuel costs, electricity and all of those things,” she said.
“There is definitely concern about consumers changing their habits and we’ve already had so many changes to habits post-Covid.
“It’s probably just something else we don’t need. We don’t want to see people restricting what they’re spending their money on, or where they’re going, or what they want to do.”
There are concerns that if people cannot afford fuel they will be less inclined to go out to spend money on retail and hospitality. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui
Warren Reynolds, the executive chairman of West Australian drive-through coffee franchise Muzz Buzz, said there was no doubt that rising fuel prices impacted customer behaviour.
“It’s there in black and white; as fuel prices rise, customer numbers drop off,” he said.
“People make calculated choices on how often they can afford to drive and exactly where they’re driving to and from.
“For some customers, this will mean travelling only for the absolute necessities and avoiding any unnecessary trips to retailers – whether it be visiting their favourite coffee shop or picking up something extra at the shopping centre. This is having a significant impact on businesses.”
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) transport affordability index last month revealed households were spending more than $100 per week on fuel for the first time since the index began in 2016.
Mr Reynolds said the pressure on households would only worsen once the excise returned to its usual rate of 44.2 cents per litre.
“If households are already struggling with the current fuel prices, it makes no sense to add an extra 22 cents a litre at the end of the month,” he said.
“Allowing the excise to return to its usual rate is destructive to the overall economy.
“This is one way the federal government can continue to offer some immediate, short-term support, at least until economic conditions improve.”
AAA managing director Michael Bradley told NCA NewsWire the group never supported halving the fuel excise for six months.
“It reduced revenue available for infrastructure investment by $3bn while doing nothing to address the sustainability or fairness of Australian motoring taxation, nor the factors that continue to drive up prices, and there was no guarantee the cut would be passed onto motorists by fuel retailers,” he said.
“When excise is returned to its full rate, the government needs to commit 100 per cent of fuel taxes to build projects that get Australians and our economy moving again.
“Motorists deserve to get something back for the taxes they pay, so we are calling for every cent of the fuel taxes they pay to be spent on transport projects that make their commutes faster, their families safer and their communities stronger. “


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Social Media Hit or Miss: Pride vs Preferences
|Here’s our take on which brands have made an impression, for better and for worse, across the social media sphere this week. Brands are chosen based on compelling recommendations, best practices and overall reach and impact.|
|Cookie Pride||Fair targeting – or misleading pricing?|
|A picture is worth a thousand words, eh? Well consumers who didn’t appreciate Oreo’s “Pride” cookie certainly made their voices heard (and those who liked it did, too!) As of today, the photo of an Oreo with rainbow colored creme in the middle has over 53,000 comments, 86,000 shares and over 275,000 likes.#BrandHitLearning:
||Orbitz, taking from its findings that “people using Macs spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels,” decided to show initial hotel results with higher prices to Mac usersthan those using the site with a PC. Social media users erupted with plans to “never use Orbitz again” and Orbitz became a trending topic on Twitter.Note: To be fair, it’s just the initial results that are pricier and Orbitz isn’t actually raising the prices of any hotel rooms – this simply affects the overall order.


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THE list of cancelled – or postponed – industry events in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak continues, with news today that Scottish Skipper Expo 2020, scheduled for May 15-16, will not now go ahead.
The show, due to be held at the P & J Live arena in Aberdeen, will be staged at a later date, said organiser Mara Media.
Hugh Bonner, managing director of Mara Media, said: ‘It is with great regret that we’ve decided to postpone Scottish Skipper Expo 2020; the wellbeing of our exhibitors and visitors is paramount.
‘Postponing now also brings an end to any uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors about whether the expo was going ahead on the planned dates.
‘We value tremendously the support of everyone involved in Scottish Skipper Expo and we would like to thank them for their patience during this challenging time.’
Mara Media said it would identify a new date for Scottish Skipper Expo, and updates would be published on the show website – https://theskipper.ie/scottish-skipper-expo/ – as soon as is practicably possible.


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Does Four Loko help live la vida loca?
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When it comes to defending free enterprise, it seems some people believe that every frontier is worth defending to the last drop of blood.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute, which challenged regulations protecting investors from Enron-grade accounting fraud, recently contributed to the cacophony of comments on a proposal to protect the public from the dangers of high-octane alcoholic beverages.
The proposal, unveiled by the Federal Trade Commission in October, would require the makers of Four Loko to disclose on their label that one 23.5-ounce can of their concoction -- with an alcoholic content of 11 or 12 percent -- contains as much alcohol as four or five beers. One place Four Loko is made is the former Rolling Rock brewery in Latrobe.
Phusion Projects, the Chicago company that makes the fruit-flavored, malt-based beverage, would also have to make its 23.5-ounce can resealable. Theoretically, that will restrain young users from drinking it in one sitting, a practice health officials say meets the definition of binge drinking.
Phusion Projects agreed to the proposal to resolve the FTC's charges of deceptive advertising. But the company did not agree with the FTC's perspective on the issue and denied it had done anything wrong.
"We are again demonstrating leadership, cooperation and responsible corporate citizenship," company co-founder Jaisen Freeman said in a statement issued when the settlement was announced.
Before the settlement becomes final, the FTC must weigh comments on the proposal submitted by more than 100 organizations and individuals. Once those are digested, the commission will take a final vote.
Some of those filing comments are outraged by the settlement, saying the government's tacit consent to permit packaging the equivalent of four or five beers in one container sends an inappropriate message.
"To believe that putting a label stating the standard drink equivalent and adding a cap will in any way prevent or deter binge drinking is laughable," one commenter wrote.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute, while opposed to the "overregulation of commercial speech," backs the proposed settlement. But, unlike those concerned about health issues, the institute does not want the FTC to tread any further.
"Commercial entities, like individuals, have a right to free expression, and that freedom ought to extend to their ability to freely communicate the attributes of their products to any potential customer," the institute's Michelle Minton said in comments to the FTC.
In a commentary posted at the "what others are saying" page on Phusion's website, the institute states there is no "need for some nanny-state bureaucrat to step between this trade."
It is a little late for that, since this is not the company's first brush with nanny-state bureaucrats.
In November 2010, the FTC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned the company and three of its competitors that their popular, inexpensive products violated food safety laws and maybe laws governing deceptive marketing practices. The action came after protests from state officials including those in Michigan, which banned the drinks, and in Pennsylvania, where the Liquor Control Board asked retailers to voluntarily halt sales until the FDA determined whether the drinks were safe.
A day before federal regulators acted, Phusion announced it was eliminating caffeine from Four Loko. The ingredient was what concerned the FDA and some health officials who said the combination created dangerous, wide-awake drunks.
In September, the company introduced a pint-size, less potent version of its product. Poco Loko comes in 16-ounce cans, contains 8 percent alcohol and is available in green apple, black cherry, mango and lemonade flavors.
Also weighing in on the latest issue were officials from Pennsylvania and 17 other states that operate state-owned liquor stores who said the proposed settlement "does not go far enough in providing necessary information to consumers."
The National Beer Wholesalers Association opposed the settlement. The group said states should be the primary regulators of alcoholic beverages. It is also concerned that putting information about the potency of Phusion's 23.5-ounce offering could entice, rather than discourage, young drinkers.
The Beer Institute also gave it a thumbs down, saying the labeling requirement conflicts with labeling requirements issued by states and the U.S. Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
"The beer business would have been better off if it had never begun to flirt with these neon-colored, fruit-flavored, high-alcohol content, no-beer alcoholic beverages," said Cristopher Hoel, a Pittsburgh attorney who specializes in beverage law.
Mr. Hoel said because so-called alcopops are regulated as malt beverages, just as beer is, they are taxed at a considerably lower rate than distilled spirits and are available in more places and in more consumer-friendly serving sizes.
While health advocates try to protect our children and others try to protect us from nanny-state bureaucrats, remember this: Regulations are necessary only because some people behave irresponsibly, sometimes with encouragement from others. How much freedom they should have to do that is a societal choice, one the FTC must make about a product called Four Loko.
Please regulate responsibly.
First Published January 8, 2012 12:00 am


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The excitement is building: This evening, Apple will present the long-awaited XR headset at WWDC 2023 (Worldwide Developers Conference). The RhinErender team is as excited as you are. We'll be following the event closely to provide you with the latest updates.
The XR headset is a futuristic piece of technology that combines the realities of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The rumor mill has been brewing for a long time. Now the excitement among tech fans all over the world is almost palpable, just a few hours before the official presentation.
What can we expect from Apple's latest innovation? Details will of course be kept secret until this evening. However, the tech world speculates that the XR headset could offer a whole new type of interactive experience that could be of interest to both home users and businesses.
Here at Rhinerender.de, we are particularly interested in how this new headset could influence the world of 3D visualization. We're constantly looking for ways to improve the way 3D renderings are created and presented. The capabilities that the XR headset could bring certainly offer plenty of exciting possibilities.
So don't forget to stop by our website tonight. Tomorrow, we'll be reporting on the latest developments and announcements from WWDC 2023. Stay tuned for our expert opinion and analysis of how Apple's XR headset could change the world of 3D visualization!


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China’s demand for cheap home appliances is waning as the government phases out subsidies. In response, domestic companies are entering Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHIA)’s market with high-end devices, including a red washing machine that sterilizes shoes and can cost eight months of a family’s disposable income.
Export of the fancy appliances, including three-door refrigerators, may follow if the products are successful and will mean increased Chinese competition in the expensive end of the appliance world.
Sales for white goods may drop by as much as 10 percent this year, Capital Securities Corp. analyst James Hu estimates. The slowdown is boosting competition in China’s $77 billion appliance market as local brands that traditionally made cheaper products use premium lines to bolster profits.
Manufacturers are marketing swankier offerings, including Qingdao Haier Co. (600690)’s 13,999 yuan ($2,219) red washing machine, to attract China’s increasingly affluent consumers. That may help them draw local shoppers, and eventually global ones, from overseas competitors such as Philips and Siemens AG (SIE).
“Some domestic brands have shown strong ability to develop new, better products,” said Chen Jun, a Beijing-based analyst at Boxin Capital. “It’s a perfect time to upgrade, as they’ve made a lot of money from the favorable policies and aren’t worried too much about cash.”
A government program that gave shoppers as much as 400 yuan to subsidize purchases of new home appliances helped drive sales the past two years. The incentives, part of government moves to boost domestic consumption, ended Dec. 31.
Time to Upgrade
That has made premier products more important for Chinese appliance makers, which traditionally focused on cheaper offerings as foreign competitors sold more expensive items.
Chinese consumers have more to spend on discretionary items. Per-capita disposable income for households in towns and cities almost doubled to 19,109 yuan in 2010 from 2005.
Monthly disposable income of urban households in China (CNGDPYOY) averaged about 1,818 yuan last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
“Many Chinese consumers who have higher purchasing power used to prefer foreign brands because they think they’ve got reliable quality,” said Chen. “Things have changed recently. Some domestic brands have shown strong ability to develop new products.”
Qingdao Haier’s China sales more than doubled in the two years through 2010 to 54 billion yuan. China sales at air- conditioner maker Gree Electric Appliances Inc. (000651) during the same period grew 57 percent to 47 billion yuan.
China’s appliance industry is expected to grow to 862.3 billion yuan in 2016 from 485.8 billion yuan in 2011, according to estimates by London-based researcher Euromonitor International.
The business environment for the appliance industry “isn’t very promising” this year, Zhang Tieyan, a spokeswoman for Haier Group, said in a response by e-mail. The closely held appliance maker, the biggest shareholder of Qingdao Haier, will focus on innovation and push for market share through premium products such as frost-free, three-door refrigerators, she said.
Qingdao Haier’s 13,999 yuan “Casarte Duplex Front-loaded Washer” has a traditional washing machine and a sterilization section below, where shoes can be disinfected. At the Shanghai store, the red machine with a touch screen was four times costlier than a more basic, white Siemens machine.
The line offers “high technology for an elegant lifestyle,” Zhang said.
“Business is quieter for low-end products, as most people who want to buy have done so,” said Gu Mingfei, a Haier sales representative at a Shanghai store. “For the high end, a few hundred yuan of subsidy doesn’t matter to buyers. They would pay more attention to its quality, design.”
The bigger ambitions of Chinese brands will mean more competition for foreign brands such as Philips locally and eventually overseas.
China’s GD Midea Holding Co. (000527) has a 19 percent market share in China’s consumer appliance industry and Haier Group has 8.1 percent, according to Euromonitor. Philips is third with 6 percent share.
Chinese companies export mainly low-end products, said Wang Nianchun, a Shenzhen-based analyst at Guosen Securities Co Ltd.. “It will be a gradual process for them to upgrade their offerings to foreign consumers,” she said. “It’s a direction they will have to take.”
Philips didn’t comment, saying it is in a “quiet period” before reporting earnings.
Nicole Neuer, a spokeswoman for BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH in Munich, said China, where it mostly sells higher-end products, is one of its biggest markets globally. The company is a joint venture between Siemens and Robert Bosch GmbH that sells home appliances globally.
“We expect single-digit percentage revenue growth in China this year and expect to gain further market share in the country,” Neuer said. “Our competitive position is excellent.”
Even as higher-end lines offer a potential boost, local companies still face weakening economic growth. The higher margins from more expensive products “isn’t enough to offset declining sales,” said Chen. China’s economic growth is poised to weaken to 8.5 percent this year from about 9.2 percent in 2011, according to the median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg News survey.
Air-conditioner sales are expected to grow 5 percent this year after surging about 18 percent in 2011, estimates Zhu Zheng, a Shanghai-based analyst at Ping An Securities. Refrigerator sales may be little changed after growing 14 percent last year and washing machine sales growth may slow to 4 percent from 9 percent, he said.
Qingdao Haier shares lost 37 percent last year, compared with a 22 percent drop for the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index. Gree Electric lost 4.6 percent in Shanghai trading last year.
Local brands may have an edge. “Foreign brands will find it hard to compete with domestic brands, especially in central and western areas, because they don’t enjoy advantages on costs or distribution network,” said Wang.
The government is studying policies to encourage spending on energy-saving products, online shopping and tourism, Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Jan 5.
China could introduce new policies that favor only certain appliance categories, such as energy-saving products, later this year, said Hu. Some appliance sales in rural areas continue to be subsidized.
Global and local appliance makers still have room to grow in China. There were about 42 air conditioners and 58 refrigerators in every 100 households last year, according to Ray Li, a Shanghai-based analyst at Euromonitor International.
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Michael Wei in Shanghai at email@example.com
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Frank Longid at firstname.lastname@example.org; Stephanie Wong at email@example.com


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With the release of the 2020 top class regulations just days away, ACO President Pierre Fillon teased the crowd on hand at Scrutineering today, explaining that the ACO has been working closely with manufacturers with the aim of attracting a healthy number of them to sign up for the seasons to come.
And notably, he suggested McLaren when asked about potential interested manufacturers, in addition to Toyota.
“We will present the 2020 and the 2024 regulations next Friday as we want to give constructors significant visibility,” he said.
“We really want to reduce costs after Audi and Porsche brought in a lot of technology but scared off new entrants.
“We want manufacturers to return. Le Mans must remain a laboratory for new technology. So [future] cars will have hybrid technology and bodywork allowing people to recognize a brand or make… say like Toyota or McLaren!
“We have been working with several manufacturers [including potential new ones] over the past six months. Let’s see on Friday who that could possibly be.”
In addition to the obvious choices to sign up for a top class program (which may or may not be known as LMP1), there’s also the potential for some smaller or lesser-known manufacturers to join the fray.
Two of them might stem from current LMP2 programs. Jackie Chan DC Racing’s David Cheng and Signatech’s Phillippe Sinault both hinted at potential future programs today.
“There have been some movements (on the prospect of a Chinese manufacturer joining with Jackie Chan DC Racing for an LMP1 program),” Cheng said. “A few months back after the Paul Ricard test, we had a work group in China to figure out the potential new regulations and there was a lot of initial interest. How to turn interest into reality takes a lot of work. It can start looking realistic once the new regulations are out.
“A lot of efforts have been made for people like myself and my team to achieve the target of bringing in a Chinese manufacturer to Le Mans. The late mayor of Le Mans(Jean-Claude Boulard, who died last week) has helped us tremendously in that respect. I wish to pay him my regards as well.”
Signatech’s Sinault also expressed interest, hinting that an LMP1 program for the Alpine brand — which began selling its new A110 road car last year — is under discussion. Notably, Signatech build both the single-make and the GT4 iterations of the A110.
“I hope Alpine will take the final step to LMP1 one day,” he said. “It was part of several discussions we had over the summer. The priority of Alpine in 2018 was to launch its GT car and develop a car dealership network. It made sense… we could not do it then but a potential move to LMP1 in the future is still something we are thinking about.”


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ORYX GAMING TO PROVIDE GAMES TO BETCONSTRUCT
Deal widens choices on BetConstruct's platform.
Online gambling games developer Oryx Gaming has agreed to supply its entire content portfolio to i-gaming platform and services provider BetConstruct.
Oryx's content will be made available through BetConstruct's online casino platform, giving players access to games like The Anaconda Eye, Sceptre of Cleo and Golden 7 Classic on mobile devices, tablets and desktop.
Matevz Mazij, CEO of Oryx Gaming, said the agreement widens access to his company's games in target markets well suited to the products.
BetConstruct's head of gaming, Greg Loucaides, added that the inclusion of Oryx games extended BetConstruct's ability to supply its clients with quality, diverse and innovative content.