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NATIONAL SWITCHGEARS LTD Q2 RESULTS
Nalco posts Rs 28 crore loss in Jul-Sep
Total income of the company declined to Rs 2,420.11 crore during July-September quarter as against Rs 3,131.20 crore in the year-ago period.
NMDC posts Q2 profit of Rs 703 crore
Total income fell to Rs 2,369.30 crore during the quarter, compared with Rs 2,568.87 crore a year ago.
Torrent Power Q2 profit rises 83% to Rs 755 crore
Total income rose to Rs 3,891.29 crore in the quarter under review from Rs 3,488.66 crore.
DHFL postpones release of financial results
DHFL was scheduled to announce its financial result on November 25.
IGL Q2 profit more than doubles on tax cut, higher sales
The company availed the lower corporate tax rate announced by the government which resulted in a "gain of Rs 143.12 crore," it said.
United Breweries Q2 profit slumps 30% to Rs 115 crore
The maker of Kingfisher reported a 7.6% increase in net sales in the second quarter at Rs 3589.6 crore.
Indiabulls Real Estate shares jump 5% on upbeat Q2 results
The company's scrip gained 4.04 per cent to close at Rs 76 on the BSE. D
PNB Q2 profit at Rs 507 crore; provisions spike 44% QoQ
Gross non-performing assets rose sequentially to 16.76 per cent in the September quarter.
Jubilant Life Q2 profit up 19% to Rs 249 cr; firm to demerge Life Science Ingredients biz
Total revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,265.93 crore for the quarter under consideration.
IndiGo reports record Q2 loss of Rs 1,062 crore
IndiGo posted a 31% increase in its revenue from operations to Rs 8,105 crore.
Hexaware to see business impact in Q1-Q2 on account of Covid-19
The company had transitioned to a work from home model almost a week before the 21-day national lockdown was announced. 99% of its IT services and 75% (by revenue) of the BPO operations were currently being run from home, with no impact on client delivery.
Blue Star Q4 results: Net profit down 89% to Rs 8.9 crore, sales decline 18.5%
The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 79.84 crore in January-March quarter a year ago.
Corporation Bank net profit rises 26% to Rs 130 cr; bad loans come down
The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 103.01 crore in the corresponding quarter of 2018-19.
PNB expects 8-10% credit growth and 10-12% operating profit growth in H2: CEO
Our endeavour will be to bring net NPA below 6% by March 2020.
View: India’s economy needs PM Modi to reinvent himself — again
Modi has already reinvented himself once, from a business-friendly CM to a welfarist PM.


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by Kirk Douglas
Every January tech journalists and the tech community at large, rally around the year’s biggest event for consumer electronics. CES, or the Consumer Electronics Show, aptly named for the many tech unveilings [eventually] geared toward consumers, draws massive crowds in the Las Vegas area annually.
Once a stage for America’s Flagship computing brands, in recent years CES has been relegated to smaller tech firms, upstarts and large accessory manufacturers since Apple and Microsoft have withdrawn from headlining the event years ago.
The trade show has since become known primarily as a place many products come to hit the show floor and get some hands-on time with Journalists. If you’ve read any tech blogs over the last week or so, you’ve probably read countless stories about the many “Smart Home” utilities, endless wearables, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality gadgets for show. Not to mention autonomous vehicles, hoverboards, and drones among others.
The consensus among most of my findings has been that robots were in attendance in a big way, home appliances were given ‘smart’ upgrades and journalist universally noted the uptick in wearable tech and the widespread adoption of USB-C by computer and accessory manufacturers. With no particular “breakthrough” front and center this year, all of the aforementioned are products that build on prior-year tech announcements or exists to help capitalize on the recently increased adoption of up-and-coming consumer tech trends.
The question everyone has been asking since the show ended of course, is who were this year’s clear winners? The answer, by the account of others in attendance is that there really wasn’t just one. A number of products made headlines for different reasons. Here’s a few to take note of.
Panasonic (re)released under its Technics brand the widely praised DJ favorite, the ‘SL-1200’. In addition, and also in a bold move toward harnessing the recently revived interest in vinyl, Sony also announced a new turntable of their own, the USB connected ‘HiRes Audio’-capable HX500. Both products made a splash due to the notoriety of both brands but also their re-entry into physical media, previously thought to be dying a slow death at the hand of digital streaming services.
In Virtual Reality, companies including HTC, Sony and Oculus all had product demos on the show floor with most attendees who were lucky enough to try them casting their vote for the veteran Oculus product, the Oculus Rift; citing a market-leading lineup of games, spatial audio and some impressive controls called the Oculus Touch Controllers. There was however, some surprise voiced over the impressive “Vive Pre,” an HTC product that offers spacial mapping that works alongside their VR Experience. The product seemed to garner a fair amount of positive press for its technological achievements albeit, with a very limited library of content to show.
A number of stand-alone (meaning, not connected with wires whatsoever) Bluetooth headphones showed up at the conference as well, with Doppler Labs Active listening earbuds not playing music but instead offering a sort of equalizer for the ambient real-world sounds around you. For music lovers, the Bragi Dash wireless earbuds were top choice for music playback, receiving high praise for portability and audio quality. Both products seemed to garner a fair amount of positive attention for their unique offerings.
LG and Samsung were dually noted for unveiling smart fridges, both of which offering features that include hands free opening and closing of doors and on-screen displays. Samsung in this case received most praise for the unique software features offered in its Tizen based touchscreen while neither company announced pricing or release dates.
Rollable displays, MacBook (2015) PC “clones” and a number of various audio headphones, cameras and drones played a role in this year’s offerings as well with many of them praised for being much improved over years-past unveilings. Scour the web and you’ll easily find first-hand accounts of these products and many more not mentioned here.
CES tends to be an interesting blend of technology for technology sake and technology for mass market and this year the feeling most expressed seemed to be that the latter was taking hold.
Overall, although I didn’t attend CES and would have really liked to, as a spectator’s sport this year seems like we’re seeing a bit of a tech industry who’s products are coming into maturity.
For an event like CES, with countless years under its belt and countless products many have often considered ‘vaporware’ (those which never come to market), it’s hard to dismiss the generally-positive notions reported across the web early 2016.
Let us hope that it’s year’s like this one where we look back and see CES as a major turning point for future product successes.

domain: news


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Johnson Controls celebrates 40 years of battery production in Guardamar, Spain
The Johnson Controls plant in Guardamar, which specializes in the production of VARTA® car batteries, celebrated its 40 years anniversary with employees and politicians on May 4. More than 300 employees work in the battery plant that has produced 110 million batteries since the start of production in 1976. The plant produces car batteries for local car manufacturers and workshops/garages not only in Spain, but also in Europe, Turkey and Middle East.
Guardamar is one of the Johnson Controls’ key production locations. The focus of production is on starter batteries with the PowerFrame® grid technology. “Guardamar is leading in the installation of PowerFrame® grids, a unique technology which minimizes corrosion and optimizes the flow of current,” says plant manager Francisco Gil.
The plant’s newest product was developed in cooperation with the German headquarters: The new VARTA® automotive MEA range batteries. Thanks to their outstanding heat resistance, the batteries’ life span is prolonged even if ambient temperatures are high – a quality that makes these batteries particularly useful for car owners in hot countries in Middle East and Africa.
Innovation has a tradition in Guardamar: In 1976, a young team started the battery production in Guardamar as one of the most modern in Europe. The plant was not only equipped with state-of-the-art technology, it was staffed with employees who came up with new ways of producing batteries.
Ever since its founding, the plant has grown steadily. Guardamar has 300 employees and over the years, its capacity increased 7-fold in comparison with the 1990s. Thereby, the plant has strongly contributed to the growth of the community in Guardamar. Jose Domingo, Vice President Operations Johnson Controls Power Solutions EMEA summarizes the plant’s success story in the region: ‘During these 40 years, commitment, talent, innovation and teamwork have been the key to our company’s success. Moreover, our commitment to Guardamar and the region is firm and thus shows our history. We maintain a high level of investment and create employee stability, which contributes to industrial and economic growth in the region.’


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There was a lot of excitement at the Market Basket store in Biddeford Thursday after the company's board of directors approved the sale of the grocery chain to Arthur T. Demoulas at a meeting Wednesday night.
Twitter is known for short-lived phenomena, and here's another one: a parody account for JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon only lasted about 24 hours before being suspended.
Hackers have managed to break into seven of the top 15 banks. Here's what you need to know.
Apple has set Sept. 9 as the date for a big announcement.
After ceding the smartphone and tablet size war to competitors like Samsung for the past few years, it appears Apple had finally decided that bigger is better.
Prefer heels to cleats? A new startup offers the competition of fantasy football -- brackets, voting, prizes -- for those whose sport of choice is, well, shopping.
Dollar General says it hasn't given up on the idea of buying Family Dollar.
Apparently spiders like Japanese cars a little too much. Suzuki became the fourth Japanese automaker forced to recall cars because of problems caused by spiders spinning webs inside of the cars.
Looking for a job in the legal marijuana industry? There's an app for that.
Malaysia Airlines now knows more about the financial cost of its horrifying year.
U.S. stock markets are sitting at all-time highs, but can investors hope for yet another record?
A crane picked up a 19th century bell tower on Thursday for planned renovations and a move.
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In August last year, Whatsapp surprised everyone by announcing to share their users’ phone number with Facebook.
This clearly meant that the ads would increase and the privacy would decrease.
Consultation on technical matters Pamela Clark Dickson of Ovum said that many users of the WhatsApp as were feeling cheated.
On this Thursday, the European Commission has imposed a fine of $ 12 million on the issue of false information while purchasing Whatsapp by Facebook.
This is the first time that the European Commission has taken action against any company due to “lying” during the merger.
‘European Commissioner for Competetion’ Margarette Westier said that the penalty is correct and will give the correct message too.
Facebook had promised that they will not add whatsapp accounts to facebook, but they were not firm on it.
However Facebook spokesman has said that the company worked with good sense and tried to give the right information every time.
Why facebook wants your number?
One answer may be that Facebook can advise you to make friends with whom you are connected to the phone but not through the social network.
All of them see that the ads appearing on Facebook are personalized according to every user.
When you search on Google, Facebook will start showing you ads related to that.
And brands take advantage of this. They send advertisements for users divided into categories according to different ages, interests, cities and many other information.
But for this, the information that Facebook has received from Whatsapp can also be used.
According to news agency Reuters, the new system of sending select advertising through Whatsapp is also underway.
According to a research, companies can send advertisements directly while targeting the potential consumers through Whatsapp.


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Southwood Shopping Center on Route 45 in West Deptford — Courtesy: Vantage Commercial
By Joshua Burd
A family has sold an 83,000-square-foot shopping center in Gloucester County after more than 60 years, in a transaction arranged by Vantage Commercial.
The brokerage firm, which represented the undisclosed seller, said a development group purchased and now plans to renovate the Southwood Shopping Center on Route 45 in West Deptford. In the process, it hopes to revitalize a stretch of the highway, which connects the nearby borough of Westville to Salem County.
Vantage Commercial Senior Adviser Corinne Giletto brokered the off-market deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. The new owner, which has retained the firm as its leasing broker for the center, now aims to attract new tenants, modify the anchors and reinvigorate the center in hopes of providing products and services to the surrounding communities.
“This is a project close to my heart and the community in Gloucester County in which I live,” Giletto said. “I am invested in transforming this center and my team has already uncovered opportunities that were previously missed.”


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If you're suddenly using flushable wipes, don't put them in your toilet.
That's the urgent request by Illinois American Water, which says the wipes can cause serious clogs.
"With a shortage of toilet paper, many households are increasing their use of 'flushable' wipes, but Illinois American Water warns against flushing these items down the toilet," he company said in a press release. " ... Flushing baby wipes — even those that are labeled flushable or biodegradable — and paper towels down the toilet can lead to sewer backups and in-home plumbing issues."
In the release, Vice President of Operations Beth Matthews said, “Many sewer blockages occur between the house or business and the utility’s sewer main, where the property owner is responsible for correcting the problem. We want to help our customers avoid blockages and a plumbing emergency.”
She added that flushing the wrong things down the drain can cause problems in the local sewer system.
“While it might seem to make your daily life easier, putting the wrong thing down the toilet or drain can and does cause blockages, which take time and money to fix," she said.
Added company spokeswoman Karen Cotton, "The wipes should be thrown in the trash. They should not be flushed down the toilet. This is the same with paper towels, etc.."


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We all use credit cards to shop. They can get us cash back and rewards and they help us build credit.
But the next time you swipe your card at the checkout, you could get hit with a brand new fee.
Historically, retailers haven't been allowed to charge you for buying something with a credit card, as opposed to using cash or debit. But all that could change.
Consumer advocates are warning that, starting this Sunday, Jan. 27, merchants will be allowed to charge you up to 4 percent extra, just for using your credit card.
This is all the result of a lawsuit settlement between retailers and several major banks, plus Visa and Mastercard, according to Consumer Action. The lawsuit was settled and preliminarily approved by a judge.
When you pay with a credit card, it costs a store or website money to process the transaction. As part of the settlement of the lawsuit, retailers will now be allowed to pass those costs on to customers like you, Consumer Action reports.
They're usually between 1.5 and 3 percent, but they can be up to 4 percent, according to Consumer World.
Most retailers probably won't want to impose extra charges that will turn customers away from them, but consumer advocates worry the charges will become the norm after some time.
Here's what you can do: Retailers will be required to post the surcharge clearly in their stores and on their websites if they're going to charge it. Watch out for those notifications.
Consumer World reports that retailers will have to post a notice at the store's entrance and at the register. Online sellers have to disclose that the surcharge will be applied "on the page of the website where credit cards are first mentioned."
Also, there could be different fees for different cards. Consumer Action published a guide for you at KnowYourCard.org , explaining consumer rights and responsibilities.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RIGHT NOW: Top Stories
A newlywed bride accused of deliberately pushing her husband to his death in Montana's Glacier National Park agreed Thursday to plead guilty to second-degree murder.
The residents said they smelled smoke and saw fire in the back of the house. They got everyone out before firefighters arrived.
The next storm system to move into Arizona is upon us, bringing chances for rain and snow. Find out when you could start to see the precipitation.
Your odds of getting all six numbers correct for the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 259 million.
When a single mom was assaulted inside her Michigan home earlier this week, she began preaching the Bible to her attacker and telling him, "God loves you, you don't want to do this."
A fire official said a man was grinding down a metal screw in a shop area where gun powder was stored and the gunpowder flashed, starting the fire.


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man walks under an overhang Wednesday afternoon outside
of Menards in West Bend.
John Ehlke/Daily News
During the Oct.
17 West Bend Common Council meeting, aldermen and Mayor Kraig
Sadownikow voted to approve a resolution asking Gov. Scott Walker
and state legislators to protect residential property owners and
independent business owners from a potential tax increase because
large retailers are asking the values of their properties be
“If you decide
to pass this resolution, it will let the governor and legislators
know that these loopholes are not good for Wisconsin municipalities
and the shift of property tax to other residential owners,” Assessor
Jeff Yoder said. “Basically, like Adam (Williquette, alderman for
District 7) said, there are two different issues out there. “One is
with your lease-type properties — there are arguments about how to
assess that correctly. The other item is the big box dark store
theory where they are saying that my thriving store is only worth
what a dark, vacant store is worth.”
resolution, parts of which were obtained from the Wisconsin League
of Municipalities, Wisconsin residents pay more than 70 percent of
the total statewide tax levy and there are lawsuits in the state
that compel assessors to value stores from large retailers at a
lower amount than what they believe is the true market value.
references the Indiana and Michigan state legislatures that passed
legislation regarding the matter, and implores Wisconsin to do the
properties deal with the Walgreens store, but the dark store tax
issue is a separate topic that could dramatically decrease the
amount of property tax revenue the city collects from large
retailers such as Walmart, Menards or Shopko.
the city’s commercial consultant, said locations are valued based on
sales of similar properties that are sold.
type of things,” Lorier said when asked what factors are considered.
“Is it the same use? Is it another grocery store, another tavern —
that type of thing? Is the economics the same?”
In terms of
dark stores, retailers want their properties assessed using
saying you can only use properties of dark stores, properties that
are sitting vacant,” Lorier said. “Those are the ones they want to
use. Our argument there is a reason they left. The location isn’t as
good. It is not desirable. There is a reason it is vacant. It is not
the same as it is now.”
Stores that are
vacant will be assessed at a lower price because of economics — it
is not worth as much if empty compared to one that is in use because
there isn’t any monetary value. The store is not generating sales,
and Yoder and Lorier argue it is not comparable to one in an area
that is active.
officials are involved in two cases against two retailers, Menards
and Shopko, who want their properties valued at the same amount as
similar stores that are vacant.
fallout can be significant because differences in the valuations
between the opposing sides is in the millions of dollars. In total,
if the retailers receive a favorable ruling, the city of West Bend
could lose more than $150,000 annually.
potentially understates the loss because retailers want back pay and
interest from when they paid taxes for the higher assessment.
scenario, municipalities collect less revenue but must still provide
a level of service, including law enforcement and emergency calls.
“If they are
not going to pay their fair share of taxes and not pay enough to
cover your police and fire, and all the services that go to it, do
you really want them in your community?” Lorier asked rhetorically.
will navigate a maze of consequences and decide if large retailers
are worth the revenue they generate despite the increased services
tightening budgets, many areas must cover revenue losses in some
other fashion and the burden is shifting to residential property
owners. From an issue briefing published by the League, homeowners
could experience an 8 percent estimated increase in their property
taxes, about a $250 increase if the theory is fully implemented.
spokesman Jeff Abbott asked the Daily News to send the question by
email and would comment via written response if someone is willing,
but no email was returned.
sent to Shopko representatives LeAnn Harley and Michelle Hansen, but
there was no reply.
not the only state dealing with the issue. Big box stores are large
retailers that have an advantage of applying the theory to other
states if it is deemed appropriate — so the trend may continue.
from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy said it is starting to
affect states such as New York. It is an important issue in Indiana
director of state affairs from the Michigan Municipal League has
concerns the dark store valuation method will spread to other
“What we saw in
Michigan were 30, 40, 50, 60 percent appeals for reductions in
value,” Hackbarth said. “Then you started to see it ripple to your
Target stores, to your Menard stores, Home Depots and your Lowes,
and it just spread to every single one of those entities. Now our
concern is what other entities start looking at that same set of
arguments and making a claim to them.”
there is a difficulty in estimating the potential fallout because
the data is decentralized, but he said it could be anywhere from $75
million to $100 million in local property tax revenue that has been
lost over three years.
officials had to make decisions to compensate.
“I know in some
of those Upper Peninsula communities, they had library hours
reduced,” Hackbarth said. “They have had services and hours reduced
in cities. It is a very real impact in services, especially in some
of those smaller communities where that one store may be a big chunk
of the tax base.”
officials are turning to the state for assistance.
League came up with a proposal and that was for the resolution, so
that is coming from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and they
are proposing the legislators pass a couple of items that will help
with the dark store issue and the leasing issue,” Yoder said.
State Sen. Duey
Stroebel’s Communications Director Ethan Hollenberger wrote as much
in an email to the Daily News.
“As I mentioned
to you, Senator Stroebel is working with stakeholders to find a
legislative solution to the “dark store” tax theory,” Hollenberger
wrote. “At this time, a piece of legislation is being drafted for
introduction when the legislative session begins in January.”
said he deals with this issue on daily basis.
assessments get dropped in half, it will shift it to the rest of the
tax base,” Williquette said. “Residential properties will see it. It
is a loophole. It is not a consistent — so there is an opportunity
in the legislative session this year in Madison to fix it and give
us a clear direction on how these assessments should happen going


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U.S. Retail Sales Held Steady in July
August 17, 2022
U.S. consumers maintained their level of spending last month, even amid persistent inflation. Shoppers shifted the money saved by falling gasoline prices to increased online purchases of everyday goods.
Overall retail sales, which include spending at stores, online, and in restaurants, were flat in July compared with the prior month’s downwardly revised 0.8% increase, according to the Commerce Department. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected a 0.1% increase.
A measure of spending that strips out gasoline and auto sales rose 0.7% last month from June.
Retail sales numbers are adjusted seasonally, but not adjusted for inflation. In July, the consumer price index was flat on a monthly basis.
A precipitous drop in gasoline prices from record highs seen earlier in the summer pushed down sales at the pump, with gas station receipts off 1.8%. Motor vehicle and parts dealers sales also fell sharply, declining 1.6%.
This freed up money from consumers to shop online, where retail sales increased 2.7% for the month.
Still, it appears that consumers are being stretched by higher prices and consumption may be slowing when inflation is taken into account. Food sales for the month rose just 0.2%, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics food price index showed that prices increased 1.1%, suggesting that consumption is not keeping pace.


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Apple to open flagship store in Melbourne1:33
Apple will be launching its first global flagship store in the Southern Hemisphere in Melbourne.
APPLE recently revealed plans to build a new $50 million Australian flagship store in the Melbourne’s Federation Square.
It has already been dubbed the “most significant store in the Southern Hemisphere” and will be a two-storey pavilion with a public park, views of the city and access to the Yarra River.
While the company might be thrilled with the upcoming flagship store, residents have different sentiments.
The new Apple store replacing the Yarra building at Fed Square is radically different architecture and converts cultural/civic space to commercial. And despite this being a public centre, the changes to the planning scheme have already been approved without any public process. pic.twitter.com/9JkfjRGgiL— Rohan Leppert (@RohanLeppert) December 19, 2017
whaaaaat????? the building they are demolishing won numerous awards and is totally a part of the overall design of Fed Square... So instead of cultural tourism, an Apple store? https://t.co/KoC4EsQ8Ix— Beth Spencer (@bethspen) December 20, 2017
Really shocked part of Fed Square will be demolished to make way for an Apple store. Love it or hate it there’s a clear and coherent artistic vision behind what exists now. Removing part and leaving the rest is the worst of all worlds.— Myriam Robin (@myriamrobin) December 20, 2017
@FedSquare CEO says this will be a "flagship Apple store, there are only about five of these world wide". Neglects to mention there is only 1 Fed Square and only 1 Yarra Building.— Hands off Fed Square (@Save_Fed_Square) December 20, 2017
I've always thought Fed Square was monstrously ugly, but the concept art for the Apple Store doesn't look much better! 😅— Dan (@dan_or_dc) December 20, 2017
Not one person I have talked to in Fed Square so far likes the idea of the Apple super store— Andrew Lund (@andrew_lund) December 20, 2017
Fed Square is objectively pretty shit, but giving public land to Apple is still a terrible decision.— Niko (@negative_niko) December 20, 2017
Fed Square is the closest Melbourne has come to creating a successful public space and it's pretty hard to see how an Apple store contributes to its civic and cultural objectives. Maybe the charter is just too loosely worded.— Ben Wilkie (@benvwilkie) December 20, 2017
The Apple store Fed Square idea is one of those things that is so spectacularly stupid sounding I'm waiting for the punchline.— Marcus Westbury (@unsungsongs) December 20, 2017
Fed square is one of the few public spaces where Melbournians can gather in large numbers. To put an Apple shop at the centre of it feels... wrong. https://t.co/K7vaW0RirE— Asher Wolf (@Asher_Wolf) December 20, 2017
The Apple Store for Fed Square could not look more out of place. They’re ruining a cohesively designed complex by plonking in a radically different design which fits with nothing. Not to mention the disgusting commercialisation of a public space. I’m just furious.— Lee Milton (@LeeMilton) December 20, 2017
I’m an Apple fan, a Melbourne and Fed Square lover but this is a shocking misuse of public space— Eagle with a Goatee (@EagleGoatee) December 20, 2017
I am livid that the Andrews Government has sold off a massive chunk of Fed Square to Apple. #SpringSt— BT (@Br_Tr) December 20, 2017
They’ll knock the rest down and build a Maccas next.— Paul Jurdeczka (@Bay35Pablo) December 20, 2017


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In just a little under a week since its release, “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” has already proven to be a massive hit.
The new game from publisher Devolver Digital has already accumulated 2 million sales on PC since it was released on Aug. 4. A press release mentions that sales at this level make Fall Guys the “most successful launch ever” for both Devolver Digital and developer Mediatonic, GameSpot notes.
Just recently, Devolver Digital had announced that Fall Guys reached 1.5 million players across PS4 (where the game is free with PS Plus) and PC (where it is paid). Traditionally, Sony does not like to announce player numbers for its PS Plus freebies, which may explain why no PlayStation 4 numbers have been revealed.
“It has been overwhelming and humbling to watch the launch and reception of Fall Guys,” said Mediatonic co-founder and chief games officer Paul Croft in a release. “We’re incredibly grateful to all of our players for their support and have big plans for the game in the future.”
Those big plans from Croft have yet to be elaborated on and “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” has not been announced for either a jump to Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, but a move is becoming more likely to happen given all of this success.
On top of the two million sales on PC, “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” has generated 23 million viewing hours on Twitch. GameSpot notes that players have also grabbed 1.5 million crowns and died 60 million times on the game. However, it has not been made clear if these are accumulated PC and PS4 numbers or PC only.
The massively multiplayer party game that is “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” can have up to 60 players engaged in a free-for-all struggle through round after round of escalating chaos until one victor remains.
However, the game has encountered server issues, more than likely due to the immense traffic populating the servers. Mediatonic has previously said that they are working on the game’s first patch to hopefully address this problem and prevent its recurrence in the future.
It has also been reported that some cheaters are flocking to “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” in hopes of gaining the upper hand over other players. Unhappy players have taken to Twitter, Reddit, Steam, and beyond to voice their displeasure over this development.


text:
Beyond the Footsie: Tuesday close
SMALLER company shares ended lower for a third consecutive session, matching the weak trend in the wider market. The FTSE SmallCap index closed 13.3 points down at 2,064.1.
Airbath Group was among the index's best performers, after the baths and bathwares designer and manufacturer revealed trading in the first quarter was 'a little below' last year but in line with expectations as it reported maiden full-year profits of £944,000 on turnover of £12.9m. A cautiously optimistic outlook helped the shares rise 1 1/4p to 9 1/4p.
Express Dairies shares were lifted 1 1/4p at 30 1/4p by news that its milkmen will start delivering post on their milkrounds after the company was granted a postal licence.
Biopharmaceutical company Protherics took on 1 1/2p at 21 3/4p. It told shareholders at its AGM that the second half may be stronger than the first, as its manufacturing capability expands.
Redbus Interhouse added 1/2p to 6 1/2p after fellow internet host UK2 Group was revealed to be buying its shares. Its holding is now 28.09%.
Redbus shareholders will vote next month on proposals to remove the group's management team, which includes UK2 director John Porter, at an EGM called by founder Cliff Stanford.
Telewest led the gainers, jumping 63% as speculation continued over the next move for the indebted cable group. Last week, Liberty Media chairman John Malone withdrew his tender offer for Telewest bonds and removed three of its representatives from the company's board. But Liberty, which is Telewest's biggest shareholder, has said he still wants to be involved in the group's future.
Telewest shares ended 0.70p higher at 1.80p.
Vague speculation of corporate action also aided Baltimore, up 1.25p to 7p.
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1981 Alfa Romeo Veloce Spider on 2040-cars
Keene, New Hampshire, United States
THIS 1981 ALFA ROMEO VELOCE SPIDER CONVERTIBLE RUNS AND DRIVE GREAT AND HAS HAD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON THE RESTORATION INCLUDING A NEW TOP. WE RECENTLY TRADED THIS VEHICLE TOWARD A NEW VEHICLE SOLD AT OUR DEALERSHIP. YOU CAN HOP IN AND DRIVE AWAY, THE ONLY COSMETIC FLAW IS A 12 INCH RUST ARE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ROCKER PANEL. THIS SPIDER IS BEING SOLD AS IS WHERE IS UNTIL THE END OF TIME ONLY DUE TO THE AGE. SELLER HAS THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT ANY OR ALL OFFERS. PLEASE BID WITH CONFIDENCE AND EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS. TAX TITLE AND REGISTRATION NOT INCLUDED
Alfa Romeo Spider for Sale
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Sun, 06 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST
A report in Bloomberg adds more details to the plans for Alfa Romeo's fourth turnaround plan in Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's tenure, and this time Ferrari is apparently going to be part of the show. In December Automotive News Europe reported that a new Maserati-derived rear-drive architecture would be the centerpiece at Alfa Romeo, as well as coming Chrysler and Dodge products. At the time, ANE said the platform would support a new midsize sedan and wagon perhaps to be called Giulia, a fullsize sedan and a midsize crossover, with retail appearance of the product initiative commencing perhaps as soon as next year. It would be part of Fiat's $12.3-billion spend on new models and European recovery.
Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:58:00 EST
The Bloomberg report says that particulars haven't been finalized, but the plan is to have six new Alfas appear over the next five years, two of which would be SUVs. The futures of the Mito and Giulietta, two of the three cars Alfa currently sells and 99 percent of sales last year, aren't assured, meaning that the lineup in six years could be seven cars (including the 4C), six of which we haven't any definitive clue of yet. The top-tier versions of those cars, according to the report - perhaps the Quadrifoglio Verde - "will be equipped with motors developed by Ferrari."
Marchionne wants to get sales up to 300,000 units per year when the lineup is complete, pairing Alfa sales with Jeep's global dealer network to open up the retail channel. That kind of volume would get Fiat's Italian plants back in business properly, even though Marchionne's stance on Italy-only Alfa production would mean the end of the anticipated roadster that was to be twinned with the coming Mazda MX-5 Miata. Alfa's direction will be laid out in Detroit in May as part of the overall strategy presentation for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
Sergio Marchionne and his Fiat empire have a lot riding on the US return of the Alfa Romeo brand. The endeavor has been in progress for what feels like a lifetime - certainly for as long as Fiat has had the Chrysler brand under its Italian wing.
Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST
It's not surprising that Fiat CEO Marchionne needs a perfect first Alfa to mark a return to America. And here's where things get dicey. Nobody would argue with Marchionne's insistence that Alfa Romeo's be powered by Italian engines - as Marchionne himself is quoted to have said at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, "There are some things that are well done in Italy."
If not what he said, then, it's how he said it that has eyebrows raised. "I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won't. I won't put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine." Wait, what's that?
For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.


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Getting a foothold in China’s payments market isn’t easy for foreign companies, but for Hong Kong-based Geoswift Ltd, business is booming.
Geoswift enables payments for Chinese citizens studying abroad in the U.S. and Canada, and its operations have grown to include 24 walk-in centers in eight cities in China. Consumers and business operators can send funds in their own currency to an increasingly diverse range of recipients in other countries, who receive the funds in their home currency.
“Convenient, affordable services for Chinese citizens to send and receive funds to foreign universities and other companies in their own currency is huge, and it’s something that’s still lacking for a lot of corporations that want to avoid expensive, time-consuming business-to-business bank wire transfers,” said Raymond Qu, Geoswift’s founder and CEO.
And China has been cracking down in recent years on black market remittance traffic, which is helping to expand Geoswift’s business, according to Qu. “Many underground operators that were illegally sending a lot of money between the China and the U.S. and the U.K. have been shut down by regulators in the last couple of years, which is a big change in the industry and it’s driving plenty of growth.”
Now the privately held Geoswift is planning to significantly expand its reach in 2016, by extending its cross-border payments capabilities between China and businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where the company sees big opportunities, Qu said.
Though Chinese banking authorities tightly control direct competition from non-Chinese companies in its financial sector, Geoswift—like PayPal and MoneyGram—conducts its remittance business by establishing carefully curated partnerships with Chinese banks and corporate partners.
“China needs help with cross-border payments because demand is so strong with the size and momentum of the Chinese economy, and China’s banks aren’t equipped for the huge volume and types of payments needed,” Qu explained, adding: “We have one client that sends over 300,000 small transactions a day into China.”
It’s a huge potential market with room for more foreign players. Global cross-border payments by Chinese consumers will reach $1.1 trillion by 2020, according to a report by Amsterdam-based Payvision, an international payments processor.
Capturing even a fraction of any part of China’s vast payments volume is a huge opportunity, experts say.
“China is one of a handful of countries where only a few basis points of market share can translate to enormous top and bottom line growth,” said Jordan McKee, a senior analyst with 451 Research.
But entry into China is no easy task, McKee. “While the payments market in China is opening up, it’s dominated by a small pool of vendors that will not be easy to displace. Partnerships are a requirement for success, at least initially and those vendors that bring a level of differentiation into the market, and are creative and flexible with their partnership approaches, will find traction first,” he said.
Though Geoswift doesn’t release its financial figures, the company—founded in 2010—says it’s the fifth-largest non-bank acquirer of China’s state-run UnionPay International operating in North America.
Geoswift’s foreign study-abroad business is soaring, as more Chinese nationals opt to study in the U.S. and Canada, and now in the U.K., where Geoswift opened an office two years ago, Qu said. “Previously only the wealthiest Chinese sent their kids to school in the U.K., but recently more middle-class Chinese can afford it so we’re seeing very strong growth with our cross-border payments service for the educational market in Britain,” Qu said.
The other big growth area for Geoswift is high-volume, low-value business-to-business transactions between the U.S. and China for companies in the travel, insurance and sales sectors paying commissions and reimbursements, Qu said.
To cope with its growth, Geoswift, which also has offices in Shanghai, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, recently hired Robert Miskin as Geoswift’s first managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Miskin was previously head of sales for Europe for Isle of Man-based payments processor Optimal Payments (now Paysafe Group PLC). In September 2015, Geoswift hired Visa Inc. veteran Michael Kireopoulos as global head of compliance.
Geoswift is one of only four non-bank entities approved by China’s State Administration for Foreign Exchange (SAFE) for foreign-exchange conversion within China. “This gives us the ability to collect, settle and clear money flows in and out of China, which is a big advantage,” Qu said.


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Helping to Smooth Channel Conflict
Monday, December 7, 2009
Avinash Malshe, assistant professor of Marketing in UST's Opus College of Business, says the unique business model used by Reshare has potential in resolving any conflicts between manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
Read the full story at http://www.startribune.com/business/78572522.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
Originally published: 12/07/2009, StarTribune.com


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“British consumers have begun trading in smartphones from Huawei Technologies Co. in growing numbers since the Chinese tech giant was hit by a U.S. supply blacklist,” reports Bloomberg:
Trade-in and price-tracking companies report a surge in U.K. consumers trading in devices from the Shenzhen-based manufacturer, while interest from buyers fizzles. The numbers show that concerns around the company have extended beyond trade talks and corporate procurement and turned into backlash at retail, where Huawei makes most of its sales.
Gadget trade-in website WeBuyTek, which buys and resells about 36,000 handsets a year, has seen a 540% increase in the number of Huawei devices booked this week versus last. That’s the biggest jump it’s ever seen, the company’s director, Paul Walsh, said by email. “‘We have temporarily stopped accepting any new trade-ins, as we expect the value of these devices to plummet,” he said… The website http://bit.ly/2X7ivFd reported a rise of up to 282% in the number of people assessing the value of their Huawei handsets from May 20 to May 22, compared with previous days, according to a representative…
The rush follows the decision by BT Group and Vodafone Group to pull the Huawei Mate 20 X phone from their launches of fifth-generation wireless products. The British carriers joined others from around the world, citing uncertainty after Huawei was cut off from U.S. companies by new trade restrictions and barred from receiving software support for the Android operating system from Alphabet Inc.’s Google.
In other news, Microsoft removed Huawei laptops from its online store on Friday.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
May 26, 2019 at 04:34PM http://bit.ly/2EyJLoF


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Stelios jumps ship to fund ventures
SELF-STYLED serial entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou looks set to to raise more than £100m to pump into his latest ventures of mobile phones, minibuses and Mediterranean cruises.
The 37-year-old Greek-Cypriot founder of the easyJet budget airline is set to get about $182m (£102m) for his 27% stake in the Stelmar shipping line he set up 12 years ago.
The board of Stelmar, based in Athens but quoted on Nasdaq in New York has accepted a $677m cash takeover offer from US private equity house Fortress Investment.
However, the announcement of the deal is unlikely to end Stelios's feud with Stelmar company directors, who he feels have betrayed him.
Stelmar has been at war with Stelios for much of the past year. Only last week, he threatened to take Stelmar's directors to court in an attempt to dislodge Peter Goodfellow, the chief executive he picked to run the company.
Stelios accuses the directors of withholding information in breach of their fiduciary duty.
The spat comes after Stelios brokered a deal with rival OMI earlier this year to buy Stelmar, which was subsequently blocked by the Stelmar board. A spokesman for Stelios, who is in Hong Kong on business, said he would be making a comment today in which he would be urging the Stelmar board to be 'transparent' in detailing the Fortress
While the offer will satisfy Stelios's demands that any takeover should be pitched at a significant premium to the share price of between $33 and $34 at which Stelmar has been trading this summer, it is believed he may be less happy with a private equity deal that will effectively keep Stelmar's management in their jobs but under different owners.
Today's offer prices Stelmar stock at $38.55.
Other bidders for Stelmar that have emerged during the summer include Restis of Greece and, most recently OSG, the US bulk carrier, which was unable to live with Fortress's higher valuation of the company.
Stelios's spokesman denied that any proceeds from the Stelmar sale would automatically go into his many loss-making easyGroup ventures.
'Stelios has a diversified portfolio of interests ranging from quoted companies like Stelmar and easyJet [of which he owns 41%] to his riskier, potentially higher return ventures,' he said.
'The sale of Stelmar would obviously imbalance that portfolio, so quite where the money will go remains to be seen.'
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Japan finally joined the US and the EU in their grand 2-percent-inflation-forever experiment in 2005. Many Japanese politicians have benefited from this. Meanwhile, nothing has been done in Japan to actually help the economy defend itself against the next economic disaster.
Natural rights are fundamentally different from goods and services. Judge Napolitano explains in his new book how the acquisition of a mere service — security — cannot be based on the destruction of rights, which cannot be traded away.
In his new book The Forgotten Depression , James Grant, investor and founder of Grant's Interest Rate Observer , explores the Depression of 1921, a "forgotten" economic bust when the government failed to intervene, thus allowing the economy to cure itself.


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DairyBusiness Update: June 9, 2014
Corn Crop 60% in Good Condition
The Agriculture Department’s latest Crop Progress report, issued this afternoon, shows 15% of the nation’s corn, grown in the 18 states which comprised 91% of the 2013 crop, is rated in excellent condition, as of the week ending June 8. That’s up from 13% the previous week and 10% a year ago. Sixty percent is rated good, down from 63% the previous week, and compares to 53% a year ago. The states are listed below:
State Week Ending
Very poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
Colorado - - 23% 54% 23%
Illinois 1% 2% 23% 53% 21%
Indiana 1% 5% 22% 55% 17%
Iowa 1% 2% 15% 64% 18%
Kansas 2% 6% 45% 42% 5%
Kentucky 1% 3% 17% 63% 16%
Michigan - 2% 17% 68% 13%
Minnesota - 2% 18% 65% 15%
Missouri - 6% 27% 56% 11%
Nebraska 2% 4% 24% 59% 11%
N Carolina 1% 4% 20% 66% 9%
N Dakota 1% 2% 8% 81% 8%
Ohio 1% 2% 20% 60% 17%
Penn. - 1% 14% 77% 8%
S Dakota - 1% 14% 77% 8%
Tennessee 2% 5% 19% 56% 18%
Texas - 5% 45% 37% 13%
Wisconsin - 2% 17% 67% 14%
Corn emerged is rated at 92%, up from 80% the previous week, up from 83% a year ago, and 2% ahead of the 5-year average.
The report shows 87% of the soybean crop is planted, as of the week ending June 8, up from 78% the previous week, up from 69% a year ago, and 6% ahead of the five year average. The data shows 71% of the soybeans are emerged, up from 50% the week before, and 46% a year ago, and 9% ahead of the five year average. And, 12% of the soybean crop rated as excellent, with 62% rated as good.
There is 89% of the cotton crop planted, up from 74% the week before, up from 87% a year ago, but 2% behind the five-year average. The report shows 8% of the cotton squaring, up from 5% the previous week, up from 6% a year ago, and 2% behind the five-year average. The report shows 13% of the cotton crop is rated in excellent condition and 37% as good.
Importance of Month-End USDA Reports on Corn Examined
Dr. Darrel Good, of the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economic at the University of Illinois, writes in his FarmdocDaily posting that the USDA will release its quarterly Grain Stocks and Acreage reports on June 30. These reports provide important fundamental information that will set the tone for the corn market going into the critical stage of the growing season. There is always opportunity for surprises in these reports and there is particular interest in the estimates this year given the $0.70 decline in corn prices over the past month.
The stocks report will provide an estimate of the inventory of corn on June 1, revealing the pace of feed and residual use during the previous quarter and providing for a clearer expectation of the magnitude of stocks at the end of the 2013-14 marketing year. Given the difficulty of anticipating the magnitude of quarterly feed and residual use revealed in the report, it is useful to calculate the magnitude of the stocks estimate that would be considered neutral for prices. That calculation is based on the magnitude of use in other consumption categories during the March-May quarter, the USDA's forecast of feed and residual use for the year, and revealed feed and residual use during the first half of the marketing year.
Quarterly estimates of corn use in non-feed and residual categories (ethanol production, other processing uses, and exports) can be reasonably estimated based on monthly and weekly reports of use during the quarter. Based on monthly and weekly estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ethanol production during the March-May quarter this year exceeded that of last year by 7.8 percent.
Assuming corn consumption increased by the same amount, corn use during the quarter should have totaled about 1.286 billion bushels. As a side note, to reach the projection for the entire year, ethanol production during the last quarter of the year needs to average about 37.84 million gallons per week. Production during the most recent 4-week period averaged about 39 million gallons per week. The production rate may slow somewhat due to some build-up of stocks, but it appears that ethanol production, and therefore corn consumption, will reach or slightly exceed the current forecast.
Estimates of corn consumption for other domestic processing uses are not readily available, but quarterly use is very consistent from year to year. Based on the USDA's projection of use for the year and use during the first half of the current year, use during the March-May quarter should have been near 375 million bushels.
Estimates of corn exports are available in weekly USDA reports and monthly Census Bureau reports. Census estimates become the official estimates in the USDA corn balance sheet, but are currently available only through April. Cumulative Census export estimates through April exceeded USDA estimates by 26 million bushels. Assuming that margin persisted through May, USDA export estimates suggest that exports for the March-May quarter totaled 619 million bushels, equal to the record exports for the quarter in 1981.
To reach the USDA projection of 1.9 billion bushels for the year, exports will need to average 41 million bushels per week during the final quarter of the marketing year. The most recent 5-week average for corn export inspections was 43.9 million bushels.
Read the complete posting at: http://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2014/importance-of-month-end-usda-reports-corn.html.
Milk Flowing to the Vat
Cheese production was mostly steady last week with many plants operating full schedules, reports Dairy Market News. Milk volumes available for manufacturing were heavy. Discounted milk is becoming available for those plants wanting or able to increase production. Some plants are turning back some offered milk to better balance their inventories to match current demand. Retail demand is moderate to good. Export demand has slowed with some resistance to current price levels. Buyers are looking to increase spot orders on price breaks.
Butter Inventories Not Being Built
The butter market tone is steady, according to Dairy Market News and butter operators churned at mostly steady rates. Demand for butter is good, especially bulk supplies, while a few manufacturers noted slower print sales in the Central region. Supplies are adequate for contractual obligations, but many manufacturers have not yet built up inventories like in years past.
“Mother Government” Knows Best
The KATO Institute’s Walter Olson writes “We warned at the time that the ill-conceived Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 would tend to choke off many non-industrial food sources. Now the FDA, interpreting FSMA as part of its regulatory process, is moving to ban the aging of cheese on wooden boards, a process that dates back thousands of years and has been practiced safely by many of the world’s finest cheese makers.
The agency apparently intends to apply the same standard to imported cheese as well, which means that in addition to devastating artisanal cheese producers in this country, the move would cut off Americans’ access to large numbers of classic European cheeses, many of which, like Comte and Reblochon, “are required to be aged on wood by their standard of identity.” [Jeanne Carpenter, Cheese Underground (Wisconsin); Matt Spiegler, Cheese Notes]
Our coverage of FSMA, including its many-sided impact on traditional and artisanal farm and food practice, is http://overlawyered.com/?s=fsma“>here.
Mielke Market Daily
(A daily wrap-up of dairy markets and the things affecting them, from DairyBusiness Update associate editor Lee Mielke)
Trades moved the cash cheese up a bit this morning. The Cheddar blocks were up 1¢, to $2.06/lb., on 1 carload. The Cheddar barrels, inched up 0.5¢ on a trade, to $1.9725/lb.
FC Stone dairy broker, Dave Kurzawski, wrote in this morning’s Insider Opening Bell that “The market needs a bullish prod or it will get weaker. Cheese is just not that tight right now." He adds that "Fresh cheese is available. Deals are getting done. The spot block market seems to be pretty well in balance between $1.95 and $2.05."
Cash butter continued its meltdown, losing 1.25¢ this morning on 4 trades, following last week’s 7.75¢ decline. Two offers at that price were left on the board.
Grade A nonfat dry milk was unchanged at $1.8575/lb., following a 0.25¢ loss Friday, and there was no activity today.
Today’s Market Closing Prices
Butter: Down 1.25¢, to $2.21/lb.
Cheddar blocks: Up 1¢, to $2.06/lb.
Cheddar barrels: Up 0.5¢, to $1.9725/lb.
Grade A nonfat dry milk: Unchanged, at $1.8575/lb.
Class III milk: June $21.27, +3¢; July $20.54, +16¢; Aug. $20.44, +11¢; & Sept. $20.41, +9¢. Based on today’s CME settlements, the Third Quarter 2014 average now stands at $20.46, +12¢ from Friday. The Fourth Quarter average is now at $19.53, -1¢ from Friday. The First Quarter 2015 average is now at $18.39, +5¢ from Friday.
July Class I milk prices will be announced tomorrow by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for the Golden State. The Federal order Class I base price is announced by USDA June 18. The Agriculture Department issues its latest milk production and milk prices estimates in its monthly World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates report on Wednesday, along with the National Dairy Products Sales Report (NDPSR).
Tuesday on DairyLine:
U of Wisconsin’s Brian Gould on the shaping of the Farm Bill’s Margin Protection
Dr. David Reid joins us with some udder health talk in our second half.


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Card Factory’s sales have been propelled by strong online growth as the cards specialist revealed a jump in profits as it unveiled its first full-year results as a public company.
The card retailer’s underlying operating profit, which strips out costs relating to the IPO in May and senior debt refinancing, grew by 8.9% to £79.4m for the year ending January 31.
Like-for-likes increased by 1.8% during the period, while total revenues rose 8.1% to £353.3m. Meanwhile, underlying EBITDA grew by 9.6% to £88.2m.
Revenue at the retailer’s Getting Personal ecommerce site increased by 23.1% to £15.5m and EBITDA surged by 67.6% to £2.8m.
Card Factory’s Richard Hayes said: “It is pleasing to report another record year for Card Factory in terms of both revenue and profit. Our unique, vertically integrated model remains a real point of difference and a source of long-term competitive advantage in what is a very resilient market.
“We will continue to strongly defend our market-leading position, whilst maintaining our focus on delivering best-in-class margins.”
Card Factory, which makes its own cards, claims there was a successful introduction of new card and non-card ranges during the period.
The retailer recorded slightly lower like-for-likes during the second half of its year, reflecting “selective localised pricing strategies, ongoing expected decline in the lower margin Christmas-box card segment and competitor promotions”.
Card Factory opened 51 net new stores during the year, bringing the total number of stores up to 764. There are plans to open a further 50 stores in the next financial year.


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#MacBookPro #MacBookAir – MacBook Pro and MacBook Air: Why You Should Hold Off On Buying One : Apple will soon be unveiling its new set of highly technological gadgets, as it is speculated that another new MacBook will be unveiled to the public. If all of these speculations turn out to be true, then obviously, these times are the worst time to get yourself a new Apple MacBook.
Apple is on the verge of showing to the public that the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air would be the subject of a major revolutionary improvement.
The MacBook Air Will Be Revolutionized
Bloomberg says that a new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro will have a Retina display, as well as a slimmer build. It will also feature a bigger ForceTouch trackpad matched with an OLED touchscreen display.
As of now, the MacBook Pro is being polished into perfection in terms of its new touchscreen features. Waiting for the new MacBook Pro 2016 is totally worth it because then, you’ll get to experience the replacement of the traditional function key rows you are used to. With this new laptop, you will surely feel like having an all new laptop that you haven’t used before.
The MacBook Air Will Be Faster, More Powerful and More High-tech
The MagSafe charger will also be removed from the system as it will be replaced by a more powerful and faster USB Type-C port that supports Thunderbolt 3. The MacBook Air will also be featuring a USB Type-C which is the very first reversible USB port. It is the new standard for devices these days, motivating Apple to incorporate this into their system and see to it that it is in sync with the trend that akes products tick.


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Sinochem Corp. (Sinochem), the country's leading agrochemicals producer, has agreed in principle to buy Australia's Nufarm Ltd. for 2.8 billion Australian dollars (2.44 billion U.S. dollars), in a move to expand its farm chemicals business overseas, China Daily reported Tuesday.
Sinochem Monday signed agreements with Nufarm, under which the company would offer 13 Australian dollars per Nufarm share, the newspaper said, citing a statement of the Australian company. The price is a near 17-percent premium to Nufarm's last traded price.
The acquisition of Nufarm, should it proceed, is consistent with Sinochem's strategy to become a leading global company in the total crop protection value chain including research and development, production, distribution and services, the newspaper said, citing Sinochem's statement.
The deal is subject to approval from regulators in both China and Australia, Nufarm shareholders, the Australian court and to no material adverse change in Nufarm's business prior to completion of a transaction.
Sinochem is being assisted by the Royal Bank of Scotland as financial adviser and Blake Dawson as legal adviser.
Analysts said the deal would expand Sinochem's manufacturing facilities of pesticides and herbicides, as well as extend its overseas network.


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PAAPAM opposes import of used tractorsOctober 18, 2015
Karachi: Chairman Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (Paapam) Mumshad Ali has said the import of used tractors would damage the local industry and a huge employment base would experience a severe blow.
‘After having suffered losses in the import of used cars already, the government should not step into the similar venture again as it would create big issues for the tractor industry and farmers alike,’ he added.
Chairman Paapam added that the local tractors industry, which is heavily underutilized at the moment, is already producing best quality tractors as per global standards that are also cheapest in the world, therefore, allowing imports would put a further dent on the exchequer.
He said the foreign players in the industry never sustained, as witnessed in the past. ‘Even Chinese tractors failed to capture local market because our tractors are best with cheapest prices. The government should learn from past experience and refrain from repeating the same mistake again,’ suggested Chairman Paapam.
Mumshad added the government should not disturb this established tractor industry through this kind of policies. ‘Tractor industry is almost independent of import as it has achieved over 95% localization and this all is to get disturbed by the import of used tractors,’ added Mumshad.
Chairman Paapam said the import of used tractors would also hurt farmers because there would be no assurance of their quality once sold to them. ‘The big question is who would assure the buyers of the quality of the imported used tractors,’ he asked.
The farmers, he added, would not be able to get the parts of these used imported tractors while availability of trained mechanics for repairing the same would also be an issue. ‘The local tractor manufacturers have permanent local presence and a huge network of workshops providing guarantees to farmers,’ added Mumshad.
Besides a big blow to the vendors industry, he added, the imported used tractors would also disturb the allied industries of tractor manufacturing. ‘The local tractor manufacturing consumes 0.1 million ton of steel which is approximately 10% of the total annual production of Pakistan Steel Mills,’ he said.
So, he added, in case of imported used tractors the backward integrated benefit to allied industry would also get disturbed. ‘Our tractor industry has big export potential as we are producing the cheapest tractors in the world. Our tractor costs around $7000 while the same quality tractor manufactured by other countries of the world cost around $14000,’ said Mumshad.
The government should help the tractor industry in taking advantage of this edge, said Mumshad, adding that sadly there is no national policy, no mechanization plan, no scientific development, and no legitimate protection for the tractor industry.
‘World over countries provide rational and legitimate level playing field to their local industries but this is not the case with Pakistan. The government should safeguard and promote the local tractor industry and encourage it to boost exports which would not only generate huge foreign exchange but enormous employment opportunities in the tractor and allied industries also, helping the revival of economy,’ suggested Mumshad.


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Even though Final Fantasy VII Remake could come to other platforms one day, Square Enix still isn’t say that this is in the plans.
Just yesterday, a new post from Xbox Germany seemed to indicate that Final Fantasy VII Remake would be coming to Xbox One. While the post was quickly deleted and met with an apology from one of the team members at XboxDACH, it still raised a lot of questions about the potential of Final Fantasy VII Remake coming to platforms outside of PS4.
Well, now, Square Enix has once again spoken out following this event and has again clarified that FF7R will not be coming to any other platforms when it launches next March. In a statement given to IGN, Square Enix said, “As previously announced, Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released for the PlayStation 4 on March 3rd 2020. We have no plans for other platforms.” It’s a pretty cut and dry statement that continues to verify that Final Fantasy VII Remake is still PS4-exclusive.
That said, Square Enix has never said in the past that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be PS4-exclusive forever. In fact, when the game was first revealed all the way back in 2015, the wording around the announcement said that fans would be able to, “Play it first on PlayStation 4.” Because of this, it has seemed like only a matter of time until Square reveals the game for other platforms.
Still, if Final Fantasy VII Remake is set to one day come to Xbox One and PC, it’ll likely happen months, if not over a year, after the title arrives on PS4 next March. Given the history of timed-exclusivity, which is what FF7R seems to be, most games typically arrive on other platforms a year or so after the initial launch. We don’t know if that will be the case here with Final Fantasy VII Remake, but it seems possible.
No matter what happens, if the game is set to come to other platforms besides PS4, Square Enix will surely inform us at some point in the future. Until then, you can expect Final Fantasy VII Remake to drop next year on March 3, 2020, exclusively on PS4.


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Steam News offers details on the release of the Source Software Development Kit (SDK) Tools via Steam, described as the precursor to the release of the full SDK. Also, Steam News also details preloads of more Half-Life 2 content. Here's the deal on the SDK:
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Chatbear v1.4.0/blue++: Page generated 13 February 2016, 10:44.


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US tech giant Apple unveiled the first glimpse of the future of series-TV programming on Apple Music with trailers for its first two series.
Footage of both unscripted series was unveiled. Officials said they are planning a spring launch date.
Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said "Karaoke" will premiere in April, while no specific date has been set for "Planet", reports variety.com.
"Four years from now, I don't know where we're going to be in relation to this (Apple's strategy with regard to Hollywood)," said Cue, who skirted queries on whether Apple could potentially acquire a studio.
"We're trying different things. How fast it grows or where it goes remains to be seen," he said.
"Karaoke", in each episode, will feature celebrities such as John Legend with Alicia Keys and Billy Eichner with Metallica.
There are rumours that Apple is already producing "Vital Signs", its first scripted series with Dr. Dre, Cue made no mention of the series.
Questioned about comparing its business to that of Netflix, Cue said: "We're not out trying to buy a bunch of shows. We're trying things that are creative, that move culture, that Apple is adding some value to. We'll see."


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As the tech world turns its eager eyes towards Apple’s next big reveal, recent leaks have set the stage for what could be one of the most transformative iPhone lineups yet. Alleged dummy units for the iPhone 16 series, surfaced on Weibo and further shared by tech enthusiast Majin Bu on X, have sparked discussions and speculations about potential hardware shifts that Apple may introduce with its latest iteration. Here’s an exploration of the rumors and what they might mean for Apple aficionados and the smartphone industry at large.
A Glimpse into the Future: Size Matters
Among the standout revelations from the leaks is the suggestion of increased screen sizes for the flagship models. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max might see their displays grow to 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. This modification hints at a strategic move by Apple to enhance the visual and interactive experience by optimizing the phone’s real estate without significantly altering its dimensions. Such a change would not only cater to the demand for larger screens but also consolidate Apple’s position in the high-end smartphone market, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max potentially emerging as the most colossal iPhone to date.
Bridging the Divide: Pro Features for All
The leaks suggest a democratization of features across the lineup, with the introduction of the Action Button to the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models. This feature, previously exclusive to Pro variants, underscores Apple’s commitment to providing a richer, more versatile user experience across its product range. While the exact functionalities of the Action Button remain speculative, its inclusion is anticipated to enhance user engagement and convenience, offering quick access to frequently used apps or settings.
Proceed with Caution: The Reality of Leaks
It’s crucial to approach such leaks with caution, recognizing that until official confirmation arrives from Apple, these speculations remain in the realm of possibility. Nonetheless, the leaks have ignited excitement and curiosity among the tech community, setting the stage for what could be a landmark release for Apple.
The Countdown Begins: What to Expect in September
- Expansive Viewing Experiences: The potential increase in screen sizes for the Pro models promises an even more immersive visual experience, catering to both media consumption and productivity needs.
- Inclusive Innovation: The extension of the Action Button to non-Pro models signifies a more unified and feature-rich iPhone lineup, ensuring a premium experience regardless of the model.
- Redefining the High-End: The rumored dimensions of the iPhone 16 Pro Max could set a new benchmark for large-screen smartphones, appealing to users who prioritize maximum screen space.
Anticipation for the Official Reveal
As September draws near, the tech world waits with bated breath for Apple to lift the veil on its latest innovations. The iPhone 16 series, as suggested by the leaks, could mark a pivotal moment in Apple’s journey, potentially introducing significant hardware enhancements that reaffirm its dedication to pushing the boundaries of technology and design.
Stay tuned for Apple’s official announcement, where all will be revealed, and the future of the iPhone will take shape.


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Today, SIIA joined with the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Technet in a letter to Senate and House leadership on the American Data Privacy and Protection Act. While uniform federal privacy law is essential for consumer protection, promote global trade and more — the legislation contains several provisions that concern our collective member companies.
We believe that there is a path forward to resolve these issues. That path involves Congress stating clearly that its federal privacy law will be the uniform standard and that state laws creating qualitatively equivalent rights or duties are preempted. If that path must involve a private right of action, such a right must prevent class action abuse and be narrowly tailored to remedy substantial privacy harms that are specific, individualized, and tangible. Such an approach enables consumers to have clearly defined rights and businesses to have streamlined and scalable compliance. It also provides redress for individual consumers that are truly injured while enabling the federal government to create uniform rules of the road.


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Latest. Updates, News
Things will never be the same again.
It’s a phrase often used but rarely in history has it meant as much as it does right now.
Yes, we are aware of the current health crisis and the economic one which will surely follow, but few have truly grasped just how seismic the drastic change in human behaviour, belief systems and the exposure of our obvious weaknesses will do to the world in which we live.
Sure, you may accuse us of grandstanding but what we say is not without historic precedent.
The Black Death in the 1300s brought about the end of the ingrained feudal system right across Europe, ushering in the concept of employment. The 100-year war in the 1600s created an innovation drive (by necessity) that changed the face of food production. Even the relatively small SARS outbreak changed the face of retail across Asia, creating monumental growth in ecommerce.
And, it could be argued, that none of these had quite the same level of global impact as Covid19 does right now.
One man that knows this better than most is celebrated investor and entrepreneur Marc Andreessen; the man behind the accurate future-looking essay called Why Software is Eating the World from 2011. He has been so moved by what the structural shift in the economies of the world that he issued a rallying call to the world, entitled, It’s Time to Build.
His thoughts resonate with my own earlier post right here on the Haatch blog, a forward-facing look at ‘what comes next’.
Start-ups have a duty
Today I want to drill into that subject further with some thoughts around why start-ups, the part of the ecosystem we are so passionately embedded within, are so integral to what will be, for all intents and purposes, a post-war style rebuild. Sure, it won’t be a bricks and mortar tangible rebuild, of the type we saw post-1945, but it will be a rebuild all the same.
So why are start-ups so important to the cause’ this time? The answer can be summed up in two simple words:
We have already seen how poor the current ecosystem is poor at both of these, subdued by a layer of red tape and bureaucracy that is preventing the public and private sectors from being able to respond effectively to even the simplest of requests.
But start-ups do not suffer the same fate. There is no need to ‘pivot’. No requirement to conform or protect the ‘cash cow’. Without such legacy challenges you can move at pace, ship MVPs and disrupt the old economy businesses still mopping up around them and counting the cost of the pandemic.
Such agility will be a superpower in the 2020s and, combined with a relentless focus on problem discovery and solutions, will create a band of unstoppable scale ups moving too fast to be stopped.
Those that truly invest in innovation and in solving the problems laid bare by the forthcoming economic revolution will be the employers of tomorrow. The tax contributors of the next Roaring 20s and Haatch is very excited about playing a major part in the game.
Demand in a time of the new normal
So which areas may be ripe for disruption and will see an increase in demand as we readjust to the new normal?
As we’ve already written we will undoubtedly see disruption across a number of key economic areas. It is a view shared by many. In a recent study by global thinktank and policy lobbying group the Atlantic Council technology experts responded overwhelming to the question around what impact Covid would have on innovation, with 90% agreeing it would accelerate significantly. The following five fields came out on top:
So, what may we see in these spaces in terms of start-up and innovation opportunity? Let’s look at each in turn:
The Future of Work
Remote working is here to stay. Period. It perhaps won’t be as prevalent as it is now but there is little doubt that the enforced ‘stay at home’ has opened employers’ eyes to the benefits that a more flexible approach can offer. Smaller office cost less and will need to be redesigned in a world where fewer will be in, for less time and that space would be better utilised for meetings and project working than our current designs.
And outside of the office the existing suite of software to ensure we stay connected will grow not just across comms and day-to-day organisation but also in aligning longer term objectives like annual KPIs and OKRs as well as remotely and transparently tracking company-wide financial and other strategic objectives. Think PDPs at distance and in real time.
And then we come to the wellness challenge. The likely shift will impact morale, productivity and mental health too. And raises a much greater question:
How can you keep employees focused on the task of building a business longer term? Solve this and you can rule the world!
Data, AI and Automation
The second area is so vast that it is almost impossible to capture all of the opportunity in a few paragraphs, but there is little doubt that the evolution of the big data revolution will move even further and faster.
A 2017 report by global consultants McKinsey predicted a third of workers in the US would be replaced by automation and robots by 2030. Expect this timeline to accelerate now as big tech accelerates its acquisitions of start-ups showing promise in all areas of artificial intelligence; whether that’s in finding ways to replace tutors, fitness trainers and financial advisors, to discovering ways in which we can make our utilities more efficient and effective or even how we develop drugs. It’s already being used to help doctors triage patients and screen for the virus at one NHS hospital in Bolton.
Automation falls into this category too and one of the key areas for acceleration. In a bid to remove the risk now associated with a biological workforce a plethora of companies will look to robotics and other options to remove the human element of what they do as much as possible.
Walmart, the world’s biggest grocer, is already using robots to clean its floors. Hospitals will follow. McDonalds are testing tech that will replace cooks and waiters, while Amazon is keen to remove people from its warehouses completely.
And that’s before we even start to think about how consumer behaviours will change around potential germ and virus contamination points. With awareness now very much switched on to health risk there will be a push towards the touch-free operation of things such as doors and lifts, for instance as well as a move away from physical interaction more generally. This will usher in an acceleration of the move towards non-psychical shopping experiences.
On one end of the spectrum that trend will see home delivery services, such as our own portfolio company BuyMie, explode alongside the elimination of human-to-human checkout experiences, while at the other that demand could be met by mixed reality services and virtual reality. Could the High Street be reinvented and reborn in the virtual world? Will physical changing rooms be replaced by virtual ones? It’s certainly more likely now than it’s ever been.
The possibilities are endless.
Trust and Supply Chain
Then there is one of the most impacted of all economic sectors – the supply chain. The disruption we have seen as a result of global lockdown will reverberate through history, making the moment at which globalisation, as we know it at least, came to an end. For any government, or individual business, there is a now a realisation that a reliance on a supply chain where goods are not a lorry ride away builds in tremendous risk to an entire organisation and that means everything will change.
Most likely that will mean we welcome in a new era of distributed, coordinated and trackable supply chains broken down into score of micro-suppliers, rather than any reliance of a single factory or partner. A system that is built in the right way should be able to maintain economies of scale whilst reducing risk and it is likely that blockchain will play a significant part in its foundations.
It will also lean heavily on other new technologies like 5g, robotics and the Internet of Things to create a mesh-like framework which knows where everything is, all of the time. Expect it to then also have an impact at the delivery end too – with drones and driverless cars built into the ‘network’ at the consumer end.
You may then be thinking ‘what has this got to do with space’? Outside of the need for better global internet coverage (thanks Elon Musk and Starlink) to disseminate information better what we should really focus on here is how our communal and built environment space is designed.
We have seen how technologically advanced cities such as those in Taiwan, Singapore etc have fared better than most thanks to smarter information sharing. The benefits of this will force a rethink of how we create our urban environments to ensure they can better manage the next outbreak.
Part of this will be building with more ‘space’ but a lot will be to do with understand who is moving around them and where they are. Expect conversations around personal freedoms to clash with governmental requirements for data and also to an exodus of people moving into the ‘countryside’, away from risk and partly fuelled by the increase in remote working.
Medical and Bioengineering
And we couldn’t end such an article without a view on an area which is outside of our usual hunting ground; ‘pharma’ and bioengineering. The clamour for a vaccine, and for wider testing has exposed many challenges that the sector faces and as well as a reconsideration of the vast amount of red tape in the space we can expect to see much more rapid development in the emerging medicine space. With it we will see a massive spike in demand for ‘cross over’ specialists such as AI engineers, deep learning experts and programmers as a new arms race begins and such experts start writing their own cheques.
Complex supercomputers will become a must have for all in the space and many of the successful applications of simulation, machine learning, and additive manufacturing will be highlighted over the coming months as the world addresses the pandemic.
The long-term advantage is to open the door to new approaches that will save development time and get safe and effective medical treatments to patients as quickly as possible, not only during global health emergencies, but also as a bioengineering approach for many problems going forward.
So, what are you waiting for…
Rarely then in the history of the modern world has there been more opportunity for start-ups with visions of disrupting whole industries and creating entirely new ones.
If you are an entrepreneur, or an investor in those start-ups for that matter, then your country needs you more than ever right now as we attempt to (re)build the future we’ve all been waiting for.
What do you think? We’d love to see your comments below….


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Pandemic progress for young entrepreneurs
Small business owners and entrepreneurs continue to persevere through monumental change. In the rural economies of southeastern New Brunswick, the challenges can be particularly great.
Mount Allison University works to support communities and entrepreneurship is a focus of the University’s academics and real-world learning. The Reisman Internship program was created in 2016 by the Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation and provides Mount Allison students with entrepreneurial ideas with start-up grants, mentoring, and other supports.
We checked in with current and former Reisman Interns to get their pandemic stories and thoughts on what they see as coming next.
Anthony Maddalena (’17)
Anthony Maddalena started Bagtown Brewing as a class project while a Mount Allison Commerce student and grew the craft brewery into a business thanks to his Reisman Internship. In early 2020, Maddalena was renovating his current location on Main Street in Sackville, NB, after moving from a smaller building across the street. His plan was to open mid-March, but the pandemic changed everything.
“We began offering curbside pickup when inside seating was restricted, expanded our patio seating, and hosted trivia nights outside,” says Maddalena.
Bagtown also partnered with other craft breweries in the province to begin cross-marketing and selling products.
Social media played a big role in Bagtown staying in touch with its loyal customers and attracting new interest. Maddalena says he started using social media to engage more with customers, creating online conversations and getting feedback on his beers and ciders.
Maddalena offers several signature brews throughout the year as well as various seasonal and limited-edition drinks, such as his Pumpkin Ale and Hot Sugar Winter Warmer. Recently, he created the Donald, a stout named after a local cat frequently spotted around the town. Someone has even set up a Facebook group where people share sightings of Sackville’s famous feline traveller. It turned out Donald’s owner was a loyal Bagtown customer and welcomed the idea of Maddalena creating a stout in honour of his cat. The Donald was a hit with customers and generated media attention for Bagtown.
“Anthony’s perseverance is indicative of the path and challenges that face many young entrepreneurs, especially those in smaller communities,” says John Wishart, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton. “The easier path would have brought him and others to a dead end. But this new generation of rural entrepreneurs found new ways to connect with customers, used their social media savvy and other tools to actually grow their customer base during two years of pandemic.”
The chamber has offered pandemic-specific supports and resources to its members. Maddalena has attended several chamber seminars and says it’s important to network and feel like you are not alone during this time.
Maddalena says diversification and versatility have been key to Bagtown surviving the pandemic. He is also grateful for Bagtown’s loyal customer base — when Bagtown re-opened after the most recent mandated closure in January, customers braved walking through a snowstorm to visit the brewery. It’s the kind of thing that helps Maddalena feel confident business will grow in the months ahead.
“This past fall, with restrictions lifted and students returning in full force to Sackville, I was starting to get ‘regulars’ and a what I can only describe as a great vibe, especially on Friday afternoons as professors and students gathered together,” says Maddalena. “I’m looking forward to getting that back.”
Maddalena’s work ethic was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton’s 2021 Business Excellence Awards, where he was runner-up in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category.
Maddi Pond (’21)
Maddi Pond, another former Reisman Intern, opened Amp It Up dance studio in May 2019.
“Classes came to an abrupt stop in March 2020 and my next in-person class was not until July 2020, but with limited numbers,” says Pond. “Since then, we have been shut down and made to go virtual twice more.”
Located in the village of Salisbury, NB, (population just under 2,300), the studio offers a variety of classes for ages 2 to 18. From the start, Pond was determined to set her studio apart from the competition by tackling body image issues. Amp It Up has no height or weight requirements and no gender specification and is built around principles of inclusivity and creativity. It’s these values and brand of personal commitment to students that Pond thinks has helped her studio innovate and even grow during the pandemic.
When the studio moved classes online, almost all its students continued to participate. At any given time, Amp It Up now has more than 100 students enrolled in classes, and the studio has tripled its enrolment since May 2019.
It has been far from easy, says Pond, with Public Health-required closings and restrictions causing her to constantly re-think and pivot both her dance choreography and business plans. She feels lucky to have clients who are passionate about dance, believe in her business, and want to work with her to make classes available, adopting whatever space restrictions are required.
In 2020, Pond was named a Top 30 Under 30 Innovator by Atlantic Business Magazine, and in 2021 was nominated for the national RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Ones to Watch. Pond’s five-year plan includes opening a second studio in southeastern New Brunswick.
For other Reisman Interns and young entrepreneurs, the pandemic has also been an opportunity to cultivate new skills with business potential.
When the pandemic was keeping everyone at home, artist Libbie Farrell decided to try rug hooking — popular in the Maritimes, it was an artform Farrell first learned of when moving to New Brunswick from Alberta for school. She loved it, applied for a Reisman Internship, and by fall 2021 Farrell had launched Rugs By Libbie and was attracting international clients with her custom offerings.
“I also reached out to other local artists and found a welcoming community,” says Farrell. “I’ve collaborated with other artists on shows and co-creating designs. I like the idea of small business supporting small business, especially now.”
Artist Sophia Lawrence, owner of Marigold Studio, also used the pandemic as an opportunity to explore new artforms and materials.
“My art style has changed and developed,” says Lawrence. “I became more creative and open to new designs.”
Lawrence started selling her original art greeting cards under the banner Marigold Studio when she was just 13 years old. Her Reisman Internship in 2020 was the first opportunity for the now 21-year-old Lawrence to focus fully on Marigold Studio. She created an online store, and when the pandemic closed regional art and craft shows, she used the downtime to get creative and expand the types of art she would sell.
Lawrence says the pandemic has also proven to be a valuable time to explore social media and make Marigold Studio more active online.
“I used social media to guage responses to my work, and I also saw an immediate correlation between my social media posts and visits to my e-commerce store,” she says.
“Sophia, Libbie, Maddi, and Anthony are all wonderful examples of facing adversity with ingenuity and perseverance,” says Rivers Corbett (’85), who was recently appointed Mount Allison University’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence and has more than 20 years of experience leading businesses.
“When I meet with young people at Mount Allison, I’m hearing a wealth of ideas and ambitions that respond directly to current economic and social realities, as well as really trying to innovate what comes next,” says Corbett. “It gives me a great sense of hope for the future, and I think it’s important we support Reisman Interns and others in their journey of growing ventures. The outcomes will support our local rural economies and communities elsewhere.”
The Reisman Internship Program at Mount Allison University was created in 2016 by the Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation. The program has supported 25 internships with grants of $10,000 or $15,000 each, along with invaluable coaching and mentoring. The next group of interns will be announced soon.