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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A company that first started in the basement of a Birmingham grocery store will soon be shutting down its local plant.
On Monday, Utz Quality Foods announced in an SEC filing that effective July 3, it would be closing its Golden Flake plant at 1 Golden Flake Drive in Birmingham. The closure would affect 175 jobs at the plant. According to the filing, the employees at the plant were notified Wednesday.
“Golden Flake and other products currently being produced at the Facility will continue to be produced at other Utz manufacturing facilities following the ceasing of manufacturing operations at the Facility and the Company expects no distribution or availability issues due to the Manufacturing Closure,” the statement read, adding that the decision was based on the company’s “dedication to network optimization and cost containment.”
Golden Flake was originally founded as Magic City Foods in 1923 by Mose Lischkoff and Frank Mosher in the basement of the former Hill’s Grocery Store in Birmingham. Over the years, it became a major regional brand that was served in many places across the southeast. In fact, at one point, former Alabama football coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant was a spokesperson for the company, doing commercials for Golden Flake. In 2016, the company was bought by Utz.
There are currently 275 people who work at the Golden Flake Birmingham plant, 100 of whom will continue to work for Utz in different capacities in the city.
“Despite ending our manufacturing operations, our distribution center and logistics team will continue serving our independent operators and distributors, in the area,” said Kevin Brick, vice president of regulatory and community affairs in a statement sent to CBS 42. “We will continue to have a presence in Birmingham and will stay an active part of the community.”
In his statement, Brick said that Golden Flake remained an “important part of Utz’s portfolio,” and that outside of the plant closure, making and distributing the brand would not change.
“We are grateful to our Birmingham manufacturing colleagues for their many contributions to Utz,” Brick said. “Our leaders have spoken to those associates directly, and we are committed to providing them with support throughout the next few months and through their transition to their future endeavors.”
With the closing of the plant, Utz expects to incur $1.5 million in severance costs and up to $3.5 million in closing and production transfer costs. Utz owns and operates 13 different snack brands.


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Future Lawyer Week (FLW) USA is excited to announce the launch of its newly branded website as part of the FLW conference series returning to New York this coming 14th – 15th of March, 2022!
You can learn more about the 2-day interactive legal innovation conference on our newly remodeled website, which has intriguing content and professional speakers. Panel debates, standalone presentations, product showcases, networking breaks, exhibitions, and more will all be part of FLW USA’s knowledge-sharing and social activities.
FLW USA will have a speaker lineup of experienced Legal Tech professionals, and we can’t wait to see that list grow as our network of speakers continues to expand! From firms such as UBS, Thomson Reuters, Fisher Phillips, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Wolters Kluwer and more, our speakers operate within both private practice firms and in-house legal departments. Check out the rest of our speakers on our website below!
The FLW USA sponsors have eagerly jumped onboard to be a part of the worldwide FLW series of conferences, with both familiar and new faces this coming 2022! Join us in welcoming headline sponsor Luminance plus other giants in the sector such as: Thomson Reuters, Wolters Kluwer, Definely, Josef, Epiq, CRMCS, Compliance and more. Interested in seeing who else is involved? Check out the sponsors section of our website here!
Remember that tickets are also already on sale, and you can get 20% off by subscribing to our mailing list on the FLW USA website homepage – so make sure to take advantage of our offers!
Stay tuned for more FLW USA updates in the future through our blog section!
Categorised in: FLW

domain: news


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Top tips on business
A NEW Weston company has been launched and is set to give some top tips on business.
Spirit Business Training will be providing class-based courses and consultancy for small to medium companies and enterprises.
The one-day sessions will cover skills such as starting a new business, accounting, PR, marketing, sales, purchasing and operations.
Wendy Thorne, founder of Sprit Business Training, which is based in Merton Drive, Weston Village, said: “Most new businesses are built on a skill, passion or interest, but to achieve financial success, it’s important for entrepreneurs to also recognise their weaknesses and either build on these skills or bring new people into the business, perhaps as equity stakeholders if paying them a salary is not an option.
“However, essential skills such as understanding the difference between cost and price, how to put together a marketing mix and promotional mix and tackling tax returns can be easily and quickly learned and really help to bring overhead costs down.”


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Citrus Farm Prices Projected to Decline Further
LAKELAND | The Florida Citrus Commission Wednesday heard a gloomier forecast on citrus farm prices for the 2008-09 season.
Mark Brown, chief economist for the Florida Department of Citrus, told the commission Wednesday Florida orange growers could expect an average farm price of just $1.25 per pound solids this season, an 11 percent decline from an average of $1.40 growers received last season.
Bob Norberg, the department’s deputy executive director for research and operations, told the Citrus Commission last month he expected declines in retail sales and farm prices for juice oranges during the 2008-09 Florida citrus season.
But Brown lowered Norberg’s forecast of $1.37 per pound solids on average for all juice orange varieties to just $1.25 this season.
Florida juice processors, who buy 95 percent of Florida’s orange crop, pay growers based on pound solids, a measure of the amount of juice with a certain sugar content squeezed from the fruit.
Brown revised Norberg’s forecast after the Oct. 10 U.S. Department of Agriculture citrus forecast of 166 million boxes of oranges, about 10 million boxes more than earlier estimates.
The higher crop, the high inventories held by Florida processors at the beginning of the season and a projected decline in U.S. OJ sales for the eighth consecutive season are the main factors depressing orange farm prices, Brown said.
His forecast breaks down to an average $1.20 per pound solids for early and mid-season oranges, picked from October to March, and $1.30 for late-season Valencias, picked from March to June.
But that represents Brown’s best estimate of the final farm prices in 2008-09, he said. The early-mid price could go as low as $1.10 or up to $1.30 while Valencia oranges could range from $1.20 to $1.40.
All farm prices represent an average of the current cash market and the prices growers will receive under multi-year contracts with processors, which typically have a floor price, Brown said.
The current cash market price is just about 85 cents per pound solids for early-mid oranges. The typical floor price would be $1.25 or more, according to industry sources.
The good news is that imported OJ should drop in 2008-09 because of a projected decline in Brazil, the world’s largest orange grower and OJ processor, Brown said. He predicted a nearly 48 percent decline in OJ imports to 123.6 million gallons, down from 236 million gallons in 2007-08.
“The significant figure is we’ll have less need for imports, they’ll have less to send us,” he said.
Declining imports should help reduce OJ inventories in Florida from 619.4 million gallons at the end of September, nearly a 30-week supply based on current sales trends, to 599.1 million gallons by Sept. 30, 2009, a 26.4 weeks supply. The OJ inventory a year ago was slightly below the historical average at 363.1 million gallons, a 16.9 week supply.
Brown projected Florida processors will sell 1.17 billion gallons of orange juice at retail stores; bulk sales, primarily to food service organizations such as restaurants, schools and medical facilities; and exports. That’s essentially flat compared from 1.16 billion gallons sold last season, and per capita consumption should stay at 3.8 gallons.
At the retail level, domestic OJ sales should increase to 624.5 million gallons in 2008-09 up slightly from 620 million gallons last season, Brown said. With a price drop, sales could rise to 638.4 million gallons, but it could fall to 611.3 even if the retail price remains the same.
On the price front, Brown said retail OJ should hold at the current price of $5.91 per gallon even in his most pessimistic scenario. His best estimate had it falling to $5.73 per gallon and perhaps as low as $5.56.
The retail OJ price jumped from $4.69 in 2005-06 following two season of hurricanes that devastated the Florida citrus crop.


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Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has registered an impressive growth of 39 per cent in their total sales in August 2013. It makes the last month the highest sales month since its 13 years of operations in the country. The Japanese manufacturer sold 3,08,932 units in August 2013 as compared to 2,222,613 units in the corresponding month last year.
In Juy 2013, the company sold a total of 2,87,177 units where they managed to grow 20 per cent. The motorcycle segment for the company grew by outstanding 50 per cent where they managed to sell 1,56,629 units as compared to 1,04,253 units in the same month last year. The scooter sales increased by 29 per cent at 1,52,303 total units .
It looks like the company’s strategy of launching new product every quarter is working well for them in a big way. The company currently stands in second position at 26 per cent in the domestic two-wheeler market which is currently led by Hero MotoCorp.


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Quantum Pigeon, a Canadian messenger-first app that claims to empower creators to take ownership of their privacy and content, announced the launch of the newest version of its app.
The QP app was released in July 2021 under Canadian entrepreneur Alex Clark, attracting users like Ed Moses and Jewel Staite. The platform says creators on the app have a combined follow count of 52.1 million, with a goal of reaching 100 million users by the beginning of 2022.
QP is leveraging its position as a new social media app to present itself as a creator-first platform, directly addressing criticisms waged against major existing platforms like Facebook (Meta (META)), Instagram, and TikTok. Social media users, parents, and regulators are increasingly concerned with issues like Instagram’s impact on teenage girls, the promotion of dangerous and racist content on TikTok, and targeted advertising on Facebook following the release of internal Meta documents by whistleblower Frances Haugen. QP claims to serve as a “private and secure” way for creators to monetize their content.
Creators on QP receive a 90% cut of their income which they can make through donations and subscriptions to their content. The app claims to protect creators’ privacy by deprioritizing advertising.
Clark, the company’s chief executive officer, is hosting a virtual launch event November 16 where he will discuss his vision for the app.
“The big social media players have clearly lost the trust of their users by putting profits before people,” Clark said. “Market dominating apps like Facebook utilize ad-based business models which force creators to choose platform[s] that are inherently incentivized to sell their privacy and the creators as the ‘product’ itself. That’s a major problem and that’s exactly what we set out to fix with QP.”


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Chennai: Whenever Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) president A P Gandhi gets up from his chair, after a days long work, he is reminded of the future a future in which HMIL would play a crucial role in its Korean parent Hyundai Motor Companys global strategy. What reminds, prompts and drives Gandhi and his team towards that goal is a simple architects design of the futuristic plant layout.
Currently spread over 28 acres, HMILs $614-million Irungattukottai plant which has an annual capacity of 1.2 lakh cars and similar numbers of engine and transmission sets, and an aluminum foundry to stamp out cylinder heads is the $14-billion Hyundai auto groups largest facility outside Korea.
So where does HMIL, with unused 522 acres, fit in the Hyundai groups future plans? Gandhi has an answer. HMIL is going to be here for a long time to come, come whatever may. This plant will be the only production base for a particular type of car. The world car is now only on in a conceptual stage, and it would take some time to crystallise.
The world car project would evolve in the second phase of the project, for which more than US $400 million has been set about. HMIL had earlier announced that the first phase of the project would come to an end when it sells 1.2 lakh cars every year. We can attain this figure very soon, he says.
Fine, the world car will take some more time to roll out of the design boards, but HMIL is now on the mode of expanding its portfolio. The countrys second-largest carmaker recently came out with another Accent variant the sixth one, a 1.6-litre, 16-valve, double-overhead camshaft (DOHC) Accent Tornado for Rs 7.08 lakh ex-showroom, Chennai.
The new variant, with imported engine, costs Rs 63, 000 costlier than its predecessor. After the launch, HMIL hopes to sell around 20, 000 Accents this year and, well, they intend to maintain its leadership in the segment. And they are confident. The company wrested out the number one position from Ford India. Swan Kwon, the deputy-managing director of the company, says his firm has sold 12,822 Accents till date.
Says a Ford India dealer: This is just a temporary phase. Now, Ford India is driving its dealers hard with stiff targets to regain the lost spot. He is also buoyant about the imminent launch of Fords premium car, Mondeo, to be priced at the range of Rs14-16 lakh. But what really queers the pitch in the mid-segment is the launch of Palio, by Fiat, with an aggressive price-line.
Gandhi is not perturbed. We actually welcome competition. What Fiat did with Palio is nothing to talk home about; they are actually following our footprints whether in terms of pricing or promotion. If HMIL roped in cine star Shah Rukh Khan to promote its cars, Fiat could contract cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to push Palio into the market. Well, we wish all of them good luck. This is what Gandhi, the soft-spoken, has to say about the new kids on the block.
He also brushes aside the spare-parts price reduction strategy of some carmakers. This actually shows the level of profits they were enjoying earlier. Our pricing strategy has always been rational, and others are following suit.
In the same vein, he says that HMIL never got into price-cutting even with its vendors when the sourcing volumes once went up. The policy is to hold the price-line at constant levels sans passing on the inflation effect to the customers.
Reports are galore about an imminent launch from the Hyundai stable, but Gandhi emphatically says that that will not happen before 2003.
also see : Car wars


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When Russ Roberts, the George Mason University economist and host of the EconTalk podcast, visited the Reason office last week to be a guest on our podcast, he was asked about President Donald Trump's economic policies. Roberts offered a succinct, and powerful, rejoinder to the president's view that America's trade deficit with China is a problem—an opinion that Trump has repeatedly expressed since well before his campaign for the presidency began, and one that seems to lie at the center of his hardball trade tactics with one of America's largest trading partners.
"It is certainly true that China doesn't play fairly in the economic game of international trade," he said. "But not because we run a trade deficit with them. That's not a result of unfairness. That's the result of the fact that we, in general, import more stuff from the rest of the world than they import from us, and at the same time they invest more in the United States than we invest in their countries."
That's neither uniformly good nor uniformly bad. It means that America is a good place to invest, and that's why people invest their money here. That capital surplus means that Americans generally have more money to spend on goods and services—hence why we run a trade deficit with other countries.
This basic dynamic of macro-economics seems lost on the current occupant of the White House. But Trump's hostility toward China—and, more importantly, the underlying idea that trade is a zero-sum game with winners and losers—is not the product of his late-in-life transformation from hotel mogul to reality TV star to politician. It fits with the rest of the nationalist economic message Trump used to catapult himself to the top of an increasingly nationalistic Republican Party, but it has roots that go deeper than that. For a man as inconsistent as Trump, he's been remarkably consistent on his views of international trade for decades.
Unfortunately, he's been consistently wrong.
Here's something Trump said in a 1990 interview with Playboy:
I think our country needs more ego, because it is being ripped off so badly by our so-called allies; i.e., Japan, West Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, etc. They have literally outegotized this country, because they rule the greatest money machine ever assembled and it's sitting on our backs. Their products are better because they have so much subsidy. We Americans are laughed at around the world for losing $150 billion year after year, for defending wealthy nations for nothing, nations that would be wiped off the face of the earth in about 15 minutes if it weren't for us. Our "allies" are making billions screwing us.
If you didn't know those comments were 28 years old, you might think they were plucked from the president's Twitter feed this morning (minus the mention of "West Germany"). The basics of Trumponomics are right there. We are being "ripped off so badly" and we are being "laughed at" by our supposed friends while we are "losing" billions in trade.
In the same interview, Trump talked about how he would like to put "a tax on every Mercedes-Benz rolling into this country and on all Japanese products." He also said he could someday be president because "the working guy would elect me. He likes me." And, lest you think his tendency to praise authoritarian regimes is new, Trump also praised the Chinese for cracking down on the Tiananmen Square protests, because it showed "toughness." No wonder that Playboy interview has become something of a Rosetta Stone for understanding Trump, with foreign officials studying it for clues about how to woo the president.
Jibran Kahn, who highlighted those old Playboy quotes in a piece he wrote last week for National Review, notes, points out that there is one Trump comment in the interview that perfectly highlights his misunderstanding of trade. In describing his concern about the booming Japanese economy of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Trump said the Japanese "double-screw" Americans.
"First, they take all our money with consumer goods, then they put it back in buying all of Manhattan," he said. "So either way, we lose."
Think about that for just a second. When Americans buy consumer goods from Japan—this is the crux of Trump's current complaints about a trade deficit with China—that means America is losing. And when Japanese businesses buy real estate in America, that means America is losing again. Apparently, we are losing whether we buy or sell.
This is some sort of reverse tautology. An argument that is true solely because it is true in Trump's head. There is no arguing with that.
This is not mere economic illiteracy; it is economic illogic. And it is on this basis that Trump is pursuing policis that he doesn't seem to understand. Trump's tariffs have increased the price of steel and aluminum, which have increased production costs for myriad American businesses and left those same businesses at a competitive disadvantage against foreign competitors. Another wave of tariffs against thousands of Chinese goods is planned, and retaliatory tariffs from China will do further damage to American farms and businesses. It's not the Chinese or Japanese who are trying to "double-screw" America—it's the guy who says we need protection from the benefits of trade.
As Roberts said at Reason last week, there's good evidence that China is indeed cheating on trade with regard to intellectual property and technology. But tariffs, he added, are unlikely to solve that problem, and may in fact create many more.
"The trade deficit with China is not evidence that they are cheating," says Roberts. "That part of the Trump story about the tariffs is misleading, xenophobic, and encourages them to put tariffs on our stuff. It's horrible."
Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.


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Photo Credit: Pexels
The pandemic brought nearly every industry to its knees, but it wasn’t strong enough to beat Canadian CRE (Commercial Real Estate). It has proved resilient time and time again, with some CRE submarkets seeing better numbers than ever before.
The growing momentum for Toronto’s streetfront retail is the latest proof that the market is getting back on track. Here are three reasons why the momentum is growing for Toronto’s retail properties.
Reason #1: Larger Retailers Are Leasing More Space
U.S. news have been filled with headlines about larger retailers closing their stores; however, in Canada the opposite is happening. There is pent-up demand amongst retailers. More and more are beginning to enter the market and they are leasing up more space.
Canadian CRE retail owners are taking advantage of the demand. They have been enticing large retailers to take on big box spaces by lowering the rents. For retailers, in an effort to increase their profitability, they are seizing the opportunity and signing deals on new space.
The lower rents are only being offered to larger retailers. Those with less than 2,000 ft2 of space have not seen significant changes in rent prices. The demand keeps growing and leading to more retail leases and property transactions this is why the momentum seems to be growing.
Reason #2: Retail Leasing Demand Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
Retail leasing in Toronto saw a 60% increase from Q1 to Q2 2021, and it has not stopped growing since.
To quote Arlin Markowitz, the Executive Vice President at CBRE and founder of the Urban Retail Team: “There’s been more leasing in the past 60 days than probably in the past year and a half”.
Vaccinations played a part in the retail leasing growth, aside from lower retail rents. Ever since Canada relaxed travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Americans on August 9, they have entered the country without quarantining.
Some of the most notable recent retail leasing deals include Nike, Apple, and LCBO. Nike leased a 25,000 ft2 store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Apple leased nearly 20,000 ft2 of space at The One, while LCBO leased 12,000 ft2 for its new store in the Manulife Centre.
Retail leasing at The Well is picking up as well. The mixed-use building at the heart of Toronto’s west end will offer 420,000 ft2 of retail and foodservice space.
Some of the recent tenants who leased space at The Well include the Sweat and Tonic fitness club, the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy chain, a major restaurant group, various coffee shops, and banks. According to Markowitz, many other retail tenants are about to sign new leases as well.
Reason #3: Retail Investment Activity Is Heating Up
Streetfront retail investment activity in Toronto hit a new record in Q1 2021, reaching a whopping $181 million in traded properties. That’s a huge improvement from Q2 2020, when it hit rock bottom, seeing a 35% decrease from 2019.
With many street-front retailers selling their properties due to vacancies, investors are seizing more development opportunities for mixed-use properties. Since the multifamily market is booming once again, we expect to see more retail real estate projects mixed with multifamily.
Momentum is growing for Toronto’s streetfront retail sector and it has not shown any signs of slowing down. Thanks to higher demand from larger retailers, lower rents for larger spaces, and overall stronger leasing and investment activity, Canadian Retail CRE is expected to continue to thrive through the end of the year.


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La Prairie is bringing a new dynamic to the market this fall: Cellular Power Serum, part of the company’s existing Power Collection.
Cellular Power Serum will make its debut in September and is the third stockkeeping unit in the collection.
“First, we had Cellular Power Infusion, to boost and energize skin four times a year,” said Lynne Florio, global brand president of La Prairie. “Next, we developed Cellular Power Charge Night, to recover and recharge skin while you sleep. Now with Cellular Power Serum as part of the trio, every potential aging sign in skin is slowed down.” Cellular Power Infusion was launched in February 2011 and Cellular Power Charge Night in September 2011.
“This daily serum is quite literally a triple threat against aging, ensuring synergistic energy, protection and defense,” added François Le Gloan, vice president, Americas & Oceania for La Prairie.
The product features a trio of proprietary complexes, said Le Gloan. Defense-Fortifying Complex, a plant-infused complex containing giant knotweed, blue microalgae and heart leaf globe daisy, is said to support the functionality of skin’s oxidation sensors and prevent glycation, which can lead to a loss of skin suppleness and creation of wrinkles. Cellular Power Complex, which includes such ingredients as Swiss snow algae and tissue guidance matrix, is said to fuel defense and stimulate the skin’s natural processes for repair. Cellular Complex, which includes ginseng root extract, horsetail extract and glycoproteins, is said to help stimulate the skin’s renewal process while moisturizing and energizing skin. The formula also includes panthenol and sodium hyaluronate for moisturizing properties.
The serum will be available in about 220 specialty store doors in the U.S., including Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, and will retail for $475 for 1.7 oz. Pricing is on par with the other items in the collection.
A digital advertising campaign will break the first week in September and run through the end of October on beauty, fashion and lifestyle Web sites, noted Amanda Macino, national training director, La Prairie.
While executives declined comment on projected sales, industry sources estimated that the new serum would generate $60 million at retail globally in its first year on counter, with about 15 percent of that figure expected to be done in the U.S.
Supermodel @helenachristensen teamed up with longtime friend and designer @camillastaerk on a joint @paredeyewear collaboration. The lineup features three styles and 11 offerings, all of which embody a vintage feel. Get all the details on how they celebrated the collab on WWD.com. #wwdaccessories #wwdeye (📷: @slovekinpics)
“It’s a hard industry to keep motivated, as well, so finding different subjects and people is what makes it worth it – when you’re like, oh, I’ve met great people, I feel like I’ve done something good, and I feel proud of having done this,” said French actress Stacy Martin on being grateful for the variety of roles she’s take on. Read @ktauer’s full interview with Martin on her her latest film “Godard Mon Amour.” #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
After showing in front of the Eiffel Tower for his last two women’s ready-to-wear collection, it looks like @anthonyvaccarello may be heading to the Big Apple. Sources say the designer will stage his next @ysl show in NYC on June 6. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
EXCLUSIVE: Two and half months after John Targon, cofounder and codesigner of Baja East, was hired as creative director of the contemporary division at Marc Jacobs, he has left the company, WWD has learned. Marc Jacobs International, which is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, confirmed Targon’s departure in a statement: “John Targon is a talented designer and we appreciate the work he has done here. Ultimately working together did not make sense for the brand and we wish him the best.” Read the story by @jessiredale, link in bio. #wwdnews
@theluxurycollection is officially launching a collection, tapping Sofia Sanchez de Betak for the capsule. Over 30 styles will be featured in the Chufy x The Luxury Collection, debuting next month at Bergdorf Goodman, The Webster, FiveStory and more. De Betak, known as “@chufy,” drew inspiration for the collection from her trips to Japan in the past year #wwdfashion
@lhd, founder and CEO of @thewebster, has teamed up with @lebonmarcherivegauche for the European launch of her ready-to-wear line, LHD. The launch will come with an exclusive pop-up opening today that’s set to run through May 20. Located on the second floor, it carries her debut Miami-themed resort collection, launched in November as see-now-buy-now. #wwdfashion


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Vend: Getting its Lucky Brake in the UK
Cloud-based point-of-sale software Vend is a fast growing New Zealand technology company building its profile in the UK.
Over the last year, Brands2Life has established Vend as a thought leader in retail technology. We’ve created comment on the challenges facing smaller shops and profiled its executive team in The Times, The Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, The Evening Standard and Wired.
We’ve also supported the marketing team in making the most of customer references. Following a meeting with a customer called Lucky Brakes, a bike maintenance social enterprise, at an industry event; we’ve took their story and turned it into a major feature in The Evening Standard.
It is a great example of how we create news stories from scratch and convert them into national and business coverage week in, week out.


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The most highly anticipated tech event of the year is just a few days away. Apple will unveil the iPhone 13 line on September 14th, and that’s no longer just a rumor. Apple confirmed the virtual press conference earlier this week. And in doing so, it practically told fans the iPhone 13 would launch by late September, just as rumors said. That’s why it makes a lot of sense to see Google release a brand new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ad right now. Google is reminding handset buyers that it’s been working on something special of its own before they decide they want to preorder the iPhone 13. And the Pixel 6 is probably the only Google phone in recent years worth getting excited about.
The Pixel 6 commercial shows the phone’s full design and Google’s first-gen Tensor chip. Then there’s a social media Pixel 6 post to go along with it. But the Pixel 6 promo primarily focuses on the phone’s Material You design coming with Android 12. By showing all these new Pixel 6 marketing images, Google might have inadvertently confirmed an important Pixel 6 launch date.
Today’s Top Deal
Amazon’s #1 best-selling electric power tool is 5-star and it’s 25% off!
You Save: $50.00 (25%)
The post Google might have confirmed the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro release date appeared first on BGR.
Today’s Top Deals
- Finally: Amazon has a wireless CarPlay adapter that works in any CarPlay-equipped car
- Finally, a mosquito trap that works – 30,000 Amazon shoppers can’t be wrong
- This best-selling Vizio soundbar is $56 today at Amazon, but it’s going to sell out
- Amazon’s Windows laptop deals somehow start at just $205 right now
Trending Right Now:
- A new stimulus check is coming next week – here’s when you’ll get it
- Sony confirmed the craziest ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ spoiler
- Amazon just unveiled its own TVs with prices you won’t believe, and preorders are live


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Unveiled on April 14, 2021, “Health Travel Switzerland” is video campaign that aimed to promote Swiss health and wellness tourism as global healthcare destination.
Medical tourism in Switzerland is one of the rising star and one of the most growing sectors. The Swiss tourism board, Switzerland Tourism, also plans to turn the country into one of the world’s leading health tourism destinations. Corresponding promotional activities are also planned in the target markets of China, Russia and the Gulf States.
Switzerland Tourism plans to develop more the sector of health tourism and has entered into a partnership with around 30 Swiss hospitals and clinics to develop the image of Switzerland as a health tourism destination.
According to Switzerland Tourism, patients arriving from abroad for private treatment are often accompanied by relatives. The demand for medical treatments is growing strongly, especially for China, Russia and the Gulf states. Therefore, the focus will initially be on these markets.
According to an estimate, medical tourists currently generate around 490,000 overnight stays in Switzerland and, with accommodation, excursions, and meals, a tourism turnover of CHF 196 million (178 million EUR) per year. The Swiss authority expects this tourism sector turnover to increase by a quarter to CHF 245 million (222 million EUR) by 2022.


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Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium Adds New Members And Completes Cross-Carrier, Cross-Border Mobile Payment Field Trials
Barcelona and California, February 22, 2019 – The Carrier Blockchain Study Group (“ CBSG ”), the global blockchain consortium of telecom carriers, today announced that Taiwan-based Asia Pacific Telecom Co., Ltd. (“ APT ”), U.A.E.-based du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (“ EITC ”) and South Africa-based MTN Group (“ MTN ”), have joined the consortium to collaborate on building a next-generation global cross-carrier blockchain platform and ecosystem. This increases the number of trailblazing carriers in the consortium to 15.
The CBSG Consortium is also announcing successful field trials of its cross-carrier, cross-border, mobile payment service that is enabled by TBCASoft’s Cross-Carrier Blockchain Platform called CCPS (Cross-Carrier Payment System). In January 2019, CBSG carrier members including Taiwan-based Far EasTone Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (“ Far EasTone ”) and Japan-based SoftBank Corp. (“ SoftBank ”) completed mobile wallet transactions on the payment network of the other carrier. SoftBank mobile users traveled to Taiwan and purchased goods at a participating retailer using their mobile wallet while on Far EasTone’s network. The trials use either (i) direct carrier billing where transactions are conveniently billed and paid through their carrier in their home-currency and potentially avoiding credit card overseas-transaction fees, or (ii) an OTT payment adapter to link CCPS to popular OTT payment solutions. Similarly, Far EasTone mobile users traveled to Japan and made successful retail mobile wallet purchases while on SoftBank’s network. CCPS provides a prompt settlement mechanism in cross-carrier services and offers users a friendly payment experience. The two carriers have discussed a high-level business model for the payment service and to evaluate future commercial trials.
The CBSG Consortium is the leading telecom blockchain consortium. It was launched in September 2017 to enable the joint development of an innovative blockchain platform designed specifically for telecom carriers, led by U.S.-based blockchain technology company TBCASoft, Inc. (“ TBCASoft ”), and SoftBank, with U.S.-based Sprint Corporation (“ Sprint ”), and Far EasTone as initial founding members. CBSG aims to provide telecom members and their customers various services such as secured global digital payments, clearing and settlement, personal authentication, IoT applications and other services using blockchain technology.
NanRen Huang, President of APT said, “There’s a considerable amount of hype over the promise of 5G. In managing such a complex ’ecosystem’ will require greater computing power and enhance security capacity. It will promote blockchain technology as a new service in telecoms by higher speed connection enables transparency and efficiencies in the transaction. It takes us the opportunity to cover new markets that were unreachable before, such as cross-carrier and cross-border services.
Farid Faraidooni, Deputy CEO – Enterprise Solutions of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company said: “At EITC, we continually strive to leverage best-in-class technologies to create world-class solutions that drive the future of the UAE, the Middle East region and the world. We believe that blockchain developments have great potential to shape and redefine the Telecom ecosystem, especially with regards to next-generation use cases. By joining CBSG, we are proud to solidify our commitment to this expert consortium of blockchain experts and to remain akin to the futuristic agenda of the UAE, as well as the country’s Blockchain Strategy 2021.”
Nikos Angelopoulos, Group CIO of MTN said, “Blockchain technology has real potential to transform many facets of our business. As we are going through the advent of the ecosystem economy, it is crucial for us to harness technologies like blockchain to create fast, efficient and innovative solutions for our customers and our partners. There are potentially limitless opportunities in existing core areas (e.g. customer management, fraud management, asset management, roaming, wholesale, supply chain) and for exciting new capabilities (e.g. identity-as-a-service, eSIM/IoT, 5G enablement, payments). To be successful, we need to deploy the right services at the right time in order to create and capture value in the marketplace. By joining the CBSG consortium, we will learn together with leading major telecom operators to use blockchain as one of the vehicles of the Digital Transformation journey."
Sherman Lee, Executive Vice President of Far EasTone said, “There are many successful stories of applying blockchain technology in different industries. Far EasTone has been pursuing opportunities to collaborate with partners in various industries, market segments, and locations, and even globally. As an initial founding member of CBSG Consortium, we acquire the know-how and obtain new opportunities in the field of innovation. Far EasTone has applied blockchain technology to mobile wallet roaming trials early this year. With the increase of new members, we see more opportunities and can provide more various applications and secure services in the future.”
Ling Wu, Founder and CEO of TBCASoft, and Co-Chairman of the CBSG Consortium said, “I am very happy to welcome three progressive carriers into the consortium. This increases the number of mobile users that we may reach through our consortium members, to 1.3+ billion. I am also excited to announce the first successful field trials of our blockchain-based cross-carrier, cross-border payment service, by the CBSG Consortium carrier members. TBCASoft is working together with Far EasTone, SoftBank, and soon other CBSG members on a production plan so we can provide secure blockchain-based payment services to their global users in the near future.”
About Asia Pacific Telecom
Asia Pacific Telecom is a leader in the provision of wireless telecom needs in Taiwan. In 2014, APT launched 4G brand “Gt”, which stands for “Good Time”, to bring consumers better value at a lower price. Gt Intelligent Life is the APT brand identity under which it provides mobile, broadband, digital services, and hardware and software solutions. The year of 2016 was a transformation for APT, began to offer the use of LoRa, low-power wide area networks, to increase connectivity for the Internet of Things, a milestone in the development of the IoT in Taiwan. Now, Asia Pacific Telecom is ready to meet the challenges of the Internet of Things and 5th-generation mobile networks with a seasoned, forward-looking team.
Ever since it opened for business in 2006, du has worked hard to enhance and expand its bouquet of services in an industry that is at the heart of economic and social transformation. Bringing people and businesses together is what it does best, offering mobile and fixed telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services to people, homes and businesses all over the UAE. du also provides carrier services, a data hub, internet exchange facilities and satellite services for broadcasters.
About Far EasTone
Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) is a leading company in Taiwan which provides telecommunications and digital application services. FET honors “Trustworthy, Agile, Innovative, Collaborative” as its core values. Since its inception in 1997, “Closing the Distance” has always been the brand spirit of FET, and the company continues to innovate and develop in the hopes to “Fit, Transform, Grow”. Far EasTone was the first telecom operator in Taiwan to start operating 4.5G/LTE on 2,600MHz band in 2016. Furthermore, FET worked with Ericsson to establish the first 5G Lab in Taiwan. FET has continued to introduce new products and services utilizing access technologies, including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi. FET proceeds the pursuit of customer satisfaction and strengthens vertical integration of the ICT industry and secure enterprise cloud services for the business community, to come to our vision of “FET Connects and Enriches Life”. More information on http://www.fetnet.net.
About MTN Group
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN”. As of 30 September 2018, MTN recorded 225,4 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, eSwatini, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.
[SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434), a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO:9984), provides mobile communication, fixed-line communication, and Internet connection services to consumers and corporate customers in Japan. Leveraging the innovative technologies of other SoftBank Group companies, SoftBank Corp. is also expanding into AI, smart robotics, IoT, FinTech, cloud security and other business sectors. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/.
TBCASoft is a U.S.-based company developing innovative blockchain technology specifically for telecommunication carriers. Its consortium-based blockchain platform enables telecommunication carriers to create innovative services for their subscribers under a more secure, robust, and efficient environment. TBCASoft is located in Sunnyvale, California, the center of Silicon Valley. To learn more, please visit TBCASoft at www.tbcasoft.com.
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Prices are skyrocketing and consumers are complaining. Foroyaa reporters have been taking note of the high prices of essential commodities. It is not uncommon to see the people congregating to buy biscuits and other items from the market without looking at the expiry date of the product.
Many supermarkets are now careful in selling expired food. Expired foodstuff find their way in the market. Consequently those who could not afford to buy quality products would turn to those people who are selling those products at giveaway prices.
Foroyaa intends to aid consumers in fighting for quality products at more affordable prices by conducting general interviews with those who are selling quality products at reasonable prices for publication or broadcast. It is hoped that those interviews will reveal those who are committed to selling quality products at reasonable prices so that the consumers would be able to identify those who are committed to the public interest. We are convinced that unless a determined effort is made consumers will continue to get poor quality products.


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New Delhi: State-run Shipping Corp of India (SCI) has ordered 29 vessels including bulk carriers and tankers for Rs3,500 crore ($781 million), which would boost its fleet by 37%, a company executive said on Friday.
The company aims to take delivery of 17 vessels -- including two in July -- in the current fiscal year ending March, Sunil Thapar, director of the bulk carriers and tankers division, told reporters at a conference.
He said SCI, which currently has 79 ships, was formulating a strategy to strengthen its fleet and aims to also buy platform supply vessels and offshore supply vessels.
“We are devising a strategy to buy more ships over and above what have been decided so far,” Thapar said.
He said SCI’s iron ore shipments declined an annual 13% to 87.3 million tonnes in 2010-11, following a ban by Karnataka government on export of the major steel making raw material.
The state -- supplier of about a quarter of India’s iron ore shipments -- had banned the shipments from 10 ports and stopped its transport to other ports for exports in July last year. It lifted the ban this April.
China is the top buyer of Indian iron ore but it has recently raised quality concerns.
However, Bright Ruby Resources, a key Chinese client for Indian iron ore, said it plans to buy up to 15% more from India in 2011 from 8 million tonnes in 2010.
“We are looking at low grade iron ore from Goa,” said Victor Wang, vice-president at resource purchase department of Bright Ruby Resources.
Goa is one of the biggest Indian iron ore exporting ports.
He said current delivered iron ore prices of about $176/tonnes in China are expected to ease in one to two months by about $10/tonne.


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Alexander Wang relocates 30 percent of manufacturing to Europe
US designer label Alexander Wang has its sights set on bringing part of its manufacturing closer to its main markets.
In 2014, 90 percent of the label manufacturing took plan in Asia - today this amount has been dialled down to 70 percent as 30 percent of the designer's collection are currently produced in EU countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal and Turkey.
Part of the label's decision to manufacture its items in Europe stems from a shift in its overall approach to market as its moves away from a "contemporary" design focus to "designer," which signals a change in product design as well as production.
"We’re always looking to improve our product," said Alexander Wang in an interview with Business of Fashion. "When we push design, with design comes the resources to manufacture it — whether it’s innovative technologies in cutting materials or gluing."
The brand currently produces most of its tailoring in Italy, with a number of jersey items for T by Alexander, the younger, more affordable basic range from Alexander Wang being produced in Portugal and accessories such as shoes and handbags being made in Italy. However, as 60 to 70 percent of Alexander Wang's knitwear contains silk, the majority of this will continue to be made in Asia.
"We are looking at this as a long-term investment, so that we can work back in on our margins to support that in the long-term," said the designer, adding that the label's new manufacturing locations will no affected the retail prices of its products in any way.
However, part of the brand's decision to move part of its production to Europe is also linked to consumer perception. "I think certain consumers definitely pay attention," said Wang. "Probably an older consumer who shops a lot of different categories and has a history of the brand."


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Latest product launch at ACAud conference from our clinicians on the ground
This year’s trade exhibition was, as usual, very interesting. All the major hearing aid manufacturers are exhibiting their latest products. The only manufacturer releasing a new product at ACAud conference this year is Oticon, who launched a rechargeable option on their Opn mini RITE hearing. With the new recharger, wearing hearing aids is more convenient. You simply charge overnight to have full power for the whole day. And the great news is that for anyone who already has the Oticon Opn miniRITE hearing aids, they are compatible with the recharger.
Contact us for more information.


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Microsoft Up 4%+ Afterhours Despite Missing Q2 Revenue Expectations
Just after the markets closed on Tuesday, January 24th, Microsoft published its earnings report. While the firm missed its projected revenue of $52.9 billion, the results proved impressive enough for investors as the firm’s shares were up more than 4% in after-hours trading.
Microsoft Narrowly Misses Revenue Projections
While analysts projected Microsoft will have earned $52.9 billion in Q2 2023, the firm’s earnings report published on January 24th proved them wrong, albeit only slightly. The tech giant made $52.7 billion—up 2%. Its net income, however, is down 12% and reported to be $16.4 billion.
Despite the narrow miss, Microsofts shares were trading around $252 after-hours, more than 4% above their closing price of $242.04. The tech giant’s stock has been doing relatively well since the start of 2023 and has managed to maintain its price—despite two large drops in the first, and third week of the year—even rising 1% from the January 1st value of $239.58.
Much like many other tech firms, Microsoft has seen a decline throughout 2022, albeit not as dramatic as Tesla and Meta. Furthermore, the giant’s attempt to buy Activision for around $70 billion in the largest acquisition in the history of the video game industry has faced a roadblock in the form of an FTC complaint in December.
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Microsoft Lays Off 10,000 Workers, Invests $10 Billion in OpenAI
By January 10th, around 17,000 workers in the tech sector have been fired, and by last week, the number increased more than twofold as Microsoft announced it would lay off 10,000 employees. Around the same time, Amazon and Alphabet announced similar moves meaning that the three firms collectively shed around 40,000 people.
Interestingly though, recent reports indicate that most tech companies still employ more people than they did just before the start of the covid-19 pandemic. This is generally the result of the skyrocketing profits during the era and the subsequent hiring spree. Microsoft alone added 40,000 people to its workforce between 2021 and 2022 meaning it is up about 30,000 workers, despite the massive layoffs.
Perhaps indicative of how the tech giant sees its future is the news it has renewed its partnership with OpenAI, the creators of the now-famous ChatGPT. Allegedly, Microsoft is planning to invest up to $10 billion in the firm that has recently challenged Google’s search engine dominance.
Do you think Microsoft’s massive investment in OpenAI will pay off? Let us know in the comments below.


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Industry News: SIHH No More, Meet Watches & Wonders - Geneva
The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) is all in on the Watches & Wonders concept.
What started as consumer-focused fairs in Miami and Hong Kong, Watches & Wonders has now supplanted the mightiest of horological showcases. Beginning in 2020, the FHH will re-brand the SIHH as Watches & Wonders. This is a LOT to unpack, so let’s take it step by step.
The show that has been known as Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) since 1991 will see a total transformation in 2020. In theory, 2020's major watch shows will start with Watches & Wonders Miami, that has taken place in Miami’s Design District each February. We’ve been told this show is still very much on the calendar for 2020, but final details and dates are yet to be announced.
For the purposes of today’s article, we are going to take a look at the way this re-branding affects the SIHH Salon in Geneva. As you’ve already read on Watchonista (HERE), SIHH is moving to April to more closely align its timing with Baselworld. While many expected a traditional SIHH fair for 2020, the FHH is going all-in on an entirely new concept.
Watches & Wonders - The Salon
The show that has been called SIHH will see a re-branding to 'The Salon.' The 2020 version is still set to take place at Geneva’s Palexpo Convention Center – yet the similarities to editions of years past end at the door. For 2020, visitors will experience an entirely different salon.
The FHH says in their press release that 2020's Salon will be, "More outward-looking, more experiential, more interactive and more connected.” In addition, the previously invite-only press and retailer days (typically occurring a few days prior to the public days) will be abolished. For the first time ever, consumers will be able to attend The Salon on any of the open days for a fee of 300 CHF.
Two additional components from prior years will also see their return in 2020, The Lab and Live concepts will bring immersive experiences to all attendees. Expect CEO presentations, workshops, exhibitions of exclusive innovations, and a hearty focus on the world of digital and social media. According to the FHH, the new focus will be on conversation and content. As a media we will welcome this with open arms!
Watches & Wonders - The Salon is set to take place from April 25 to 29 at Geneva’s Palexpo.
Watches & Wonders - In The City
And now for something entirely different. For 2020, the FHH is introducing Watches & Wonders - In The City. It's a showcase that will take place in and around Geneva, which will see the city involved as an extension of the Watches & Wonders experience. The best part? Watches & Wonders - In The City is entirely open to the public and free of charge.
Most notably, the In The City concept will include a slew of brands that don't currently show at SIHH, including the mighty Patek Philippe and their Geneva-based Museum. Expect boutique showcases, manufacture visits, and brand activations that will take place all over the city of Geneva.
"SIHH's transformation into Watches & Wonders cements a crucial rapprochement with end customers and watch connoisseurs. For an artisan brand such as MB&F, this broader concept gives us a platform for reaching new audiences. We are very proud to be part of this project which begins in Geneva and extends around the world," says Maximilian Büsser, CEO of MB&F.
FHH's ‘In The City' concept aims to present a rich program of activities open to everyone. This inclusive event also has the support of the City and Canton of Geneva. Expect more news on this front.
Watches & Wonders – In The City will also take place from April 25 to 29 at locations throughout Geneva.
What to expect from Watches & Wonders – Geneva
The FHH is also relocating its office to the center of Geneva, a strong indication of the strengthening of the organization. Clearly, the Fondation means business. As we know, watch trade fairs are in desperate need of an evolution, and the daring concept of Watches & Wonders could be precisely what retailers, collectors, and the media have been yearning for.
"Hermès welcomes this ambition to open up the Salon. It gives a wider audience the opportunity to discover our exceptional watchmaking savoir-faire both in Geneva and internationally," declared Laurent Dordet, CEO of Hermès Watches.
Watches & Wonders – Geneva will be taking place in and around the Canton of Geneva from April 25 – 29, 2020. Stay tuned to Watchonista as we bring you more news and updates on what is sure to be a busy 2020.


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Marketing on Instagram is maturing, and brands need to consider it more than just an outlet for driving engagement, according to a new study on the visual platform released this week by HubSpot and Mention.
The latest research found Instagram is delivering the goods in terms of basic engagement levels and that video posts are the best for pumping the numbers on that metric. Clips on Instagram see a 100% uptick in engagement compared to other posts, which is measured in the number of comments and likes.
However, brands appear to have tunnel vision and a sole focus on engagement, as 80% of those surveyed said it was the most important metric. While engagement is a crucial factor for determining the success of content campaigns, Mention noted that the ever-evolving nature of Instagram makes it hard for many to look beyond the metric.
“Unlike other social platforms, its growth and expansion weren’t paced and they never meant to be. Instagram is a trendsetting platform that’s functionality is developing quickly, making it hard to keep up with,” Mention CMO, Joel Gaudeul, said.
He added: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for organisations to learn and adapt to updates and changes on the platform. Businesses that are selling their brand stories today must understand that Instagram goes beyond engagement, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
HubSpot and Mention analysed more than 48 million posts published by 306,278 top users on Instagram. They found the average post gets just shy of 6,000 likes, though as the study is centred on users on the more influential side of the spectrum, it can be difficult to ascertain how less-visible brands perform.
However, since the median number of likes for all users is 100, it suggests much of the engagement is front-loaded towards the most popular users. This number is higher for video posts, which usually get the most likes and have seen the fastest pace increase in engagement during the last year.
Video posts also get the most comments at 150 per clip on average, though this falls to a comparatively small number of four per video in some cases, which again highlights how the large swathes of Instagram’s user base see little-to-no engagement on a regular basis.
Hashtags are also a useful way to amplify the reach of content, and the study found the average post has just one of these, while the recommendation is to have five or less for every clip or photo to maximise engagement.
The study concluded by saying that Instagram has developed into perhaps the most powerful marketing changes of the current day and that brands and influencers must now tap into the vast range of capabilities to connect with audiences and improve their experiences. HubSpot and Mention said brands do not quite know the best ways to do this just yet and urged them to adopt an insights-driven approach to social media to ensure they can improve their creative processes this year.


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- September 4, 2021
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- Posted by: admin
Hand & Mirror Hair Studio has opened at 24 W. Brookland Park Blvd. in Northside. (Jack Jacobs photo)
A new salon wants a cut of the Brookland Park Boulevard corridor in Northside.
Hand & Mirror Hair Studio opened Wednesday at 24 W. Brookland Park Blvd.
The salon’s space was previously occupied by Tommie’s Barber Shop. Cory Weiner’s CW Performance Group, which is working on a few mixed-use projects along Brookland Park Boulevard, bought the salon’s building last year.
Salon owner Maddie Wallace began to work as a stylist locally after she moved to Richmond in 2017, making stops at Parlor Salon and Birch Salon. Wallace lives in the Northside area and discovered the salon’s eventual home on walks around the neighborhood.
“Every time I walked past, I was always like, ‘Oh man, if I started my own salon, that’s where I’d want to do it,’” Wallace said.
Hand & Mirror uses a booth-rental model in which independent stylists pay for use of the space.
“Basically, it’s a place where other independent stylists can work and make their own schedule,” Wallace said.
Wallace said that between herself and two other stylists already on board, the salon has space for two more users. Chairs are rented at a weekly rate of $300. Stylists set their own prices for services.
The salon currently has four hair-cutting chairs, and Wallace plans to add two chairs in six months. Wallace declined to share her investment in the space.
“This business model will feel like an open salon. It feels like a commission salon but you have the autonomy of running your own business,” she said.
While Richmond has other salons with a similar concept, the Hand & Mirror team thinks it has found a gap in comparable offerings to carve out a niche, salon manager Manda Sesko said.
“A lot of these places we see opening up are centered on downtown, the Fan, the Arts District,” Sesko said. “We’re farther out and we hope to garner a kind of neighborhood spot vibe.”
Hand & Mirror is just one of the latest business ventures to take root in the Brookland Park area.
Brookland Park Market recently revamped itself as a restaurant after it opened as a market last year. The Smokey Mug opened a few blocks from Hand & Mirror late last year.
Jack joined BizSense in 2020, covering startups, retail, healthcare, public companies and nonprofits. He previously reported for the Virginia Gazette and Tidewater Review. He is a graduate of Christopher Newport University. Reach him at [email protected] or 804-554-6545.
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On Monday, Axios, which was among the first to report on the Peace Prize's new structure, published a list of what to expect.Here are a few of the highlights: The Peace Prize will be awarded to individuals and groups who have achieved at least 10 years of peace with one another, and that have made significant and lasting improvements in the quality of life for all people in their communities, the...
As many people are aware, the world is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis.
The economic situation is dire, and we have seen a drastic increase in hunger and malnutrition.
To alleviate these conditions, we have come up with the concept of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange.
We have already started to see an increase in adoption in the Spanish market.
Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer, anonymous digital currency which is used by individuals to conduct transactions.
This is a very important concept for Spain because it allows us to do business in many different markets and it is also the medium of the exchange for goods and services in Spain.
A new currency is emerging, Bitcoin, and it has been attracting much attention and interest.
In fact, this new currency has already taken off in Spain and we can expect it to continue to grow and expand.
In this article, we will look at how to use Bitcoin for purchasing goods and the purchasing of food in Spain, and then discuss the potential implications of this new cryptocurrency.
First, a few basic facts about the currency Bitcoin The currency Bitcoin was launched in 2008 by a mysterious and mysterious person named Satoshi Nakamoto.
The Bitcoin network has been running for more than nine years and it was officially announced on October 11, 2009.
The blockchain is a record of all transactions, and the ledger of transactions can be used to record all transactions made within a country or an entire nation.
Bitcoin, however, is not the first cryptocurrency.
There are many other cryptocurrencies that are used as payment systems, and some of them are more similar to Bitcoin than others.
There is also an old currency called Euro, which is also used as a form of payment.
We will not go into detail on these currencies, because they are not the same.
Bitcoin has its own blockchain, and its own digital currency.
Bitcoin also has a history.
The original blockchain is made up of transactions between two parties.
These transactions are recorded in a database known as the blockchain.
In the blockchain, a transaction is recorded as a transaction and then the transaction is confirmed by a number of people.
A transaction is verified if it is made from a specific address and not from the same address.
Transactions are not recorded in the blockchain for the first two weeks after they are made.
If a transaction cannot be confirmed, then the network is considered invalid and the transaction cannot ever be verified.
The number of confirmations per day varies based on how much the network has grown and how many transactions are made every second.
When a transaction can be confirmed without a number exceeding a certain threshold, the transaction becomes a valid transaction and is recorded in an online ledger called the block chain.
The block chain is not publicly accessible, and people are not allowed to see the information on it.
This information is made available to other parties via a website known as a blockchain explorer.
The information on the blockchain explorer is public and cannot be changed without the user’s permission.
The first time a transaction occurs on the network, it is recorded on the block explorer and can be verified by any user.
The transaction can only be confirmed if there are more transactions that are made in the block with the same transaction number.
The next time a block is found, the confirmation of that block is confirmed, and that confirmation is recorded again.
Each transaction recorded on a blockchain can be changed by anyone with a computer or an internet connection.
These confirmations can be done by anyone on the internet, and can take up to two minutes to process.
It takes a lot of time to confirm a transaction, and sometimes the confirmation time will be longer than the transaction amount.
This time delay can be compensated for by using a block explorer.
In addition to the blockchain information, the information recorded on blockchain explorer also contains information about the users and other information.
The data in the data on the ledger is called a blockchain.
This ledger can be found in any number of places, but is usually called the blockchain because it contains the information that the blockchain is written on.
This blockchain can also be viewed on an internet-connected computer.
Each block on the chain can be linked to a block in the chain.
There can be more than one block in a block.
A block can only exist if the network confirms all the transactions that have been made on the previous block.
Each subsequent block will only have a single transaction, but the network will verify each subsequent block.
This can take a very long time, and as a result, the number of transactions recorded on this blockchain increases rapidly.
This process also allows the blockchain to maintain a balance of transactions.
The amount of data recorded on each block can also change in a certain amount of time.
This change in the amount of transactions is called confirmation time.
Bitcoin transactions can take place in blocks, but they can also occur on other blocks, or on a different block.
The current block, or the last block on this chain, is known as an orphan block, and is the first block that does


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Kapitall Wire noted that 3D Systems reported earnings for the first quarter exceeding the expectations. The expected revenue $4 million, was exceeded by incredible $73.9 million, totaling $77.9 in earned revenue.
April 25 3D Systems announced the release of the next generation ProJet™ 3500 professional series that allows the user to make several configurations and settings, and have the material abilities for higher definition usage. According to the VP of Product & Channel Management said, “We have listened to our customers and advanced our ProJet(TM) technology to professional-grade performance and ease-of-use. We are excited to bring next-generation 3D printers that deliver greater productivity, enhanced performance and production-floor-readiness for the benefit of our growing installed base globally.”
According to DailyFinance, another industry giant Stratasys just recently announced a strategic acquisition of Objet in order to reach more markets, grow in scale and offer a better selection of products.
Note for investors
Revenues are growing, but should be noted that 3D printing is still expensive for the end user. Who ever comes up with a way to reduce that cost will likely to place on top of the game.


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“Today's conclusion of the regulatory review by China's State Administration for Market Regulation clears the way for United Technologies to proceed with the proposed acquisition announced on Sept. 4, 2017,” UTC said Nov. 23. “The acquisition is expected to close within three business days.”
Chinese approval may come as a relief to investors and analysts as questions had lingered whether Beijing was holding the deal hostage under larger trade disputes between U.S. and China. UTC leaders had said they did not believe trade tensions would hold up their deal. U.S. officials approved the acquisition Oct. 1 after mandating a couple of divestitures (Aerospace Daily, Oct. 2).
Next up, UTC is expected to reveal the results of a strategy review of their conglomerate that could result in a corporate breakup, including the potential formation of what could be the largest Tier 1 aerospace supplier and engine maker. Wall Street has been anticipating the review, which could be publicized before the end of the year.
“We would view a split of the business positively, although not with the degree of upside described by some activists,” Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Doug Bernstein said Nov. 23.


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Probably the best word to describe most of the 1st quarter of 2017 is flat.
Price movements along the supply chain have been very light through the first two months keeping retail gasoline in a relatively tight range so far this year.
The remarkably flat price structure through the first two months of the year starts with crude oil as a tug-of-war of sorts keeps prices from moving too much one way or the other. The OPEC production cut has indeed taken barrels off of the market, but at the same time, it has opened the door for more U.S. crude oil production. According to government data, domestic crude oil has risen back above 9 million barrels per day for the first time since April of last year when output was in a decline in the aftermath of the massive price declines.
So far this year, WTI futures have seen prices shift between the low and mid $50’s and does not have much of an appetite to break out of that range.
Wholesale gasoline prices have shared the same price patterns with prices not breaking out significantly one way or another. That trend though should begin to change in March as markets start to kick winter grade gasoline out of the system in favor of the more expensive summer blends. An appreciable price increase may take some time, but it is expected to come by the end of the month.
Supplies that continue to hold at least a small surplus to last year’s bloated supply status remain, which could delay any upward momentum in prices, though some purging of the system could bring gasoline surpluses to a deficit relatively quickly. Gasoline demand is also a concern. 2016 was confirmed as the year with the highest gasoline demand topping the record from 2007, but 2017 is likely to see a bit of gasoline demand destruction.
March will most likely end up as a “sloppy” month for supply and demand and so far U.S. retail gasoline prices have not broken much from a 10 cents range of $2.26-2.36 per gallon and this month may not change that range.


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German brewer Warsteiner has enjoyed a link to the art world ever since pop art icon Andy Warhol immortalized the brewery’s signature tulip in a bespoke silk-screen trilogy back in 1984. Now, nearly three decades later, Warsteiner is set to celebrate its 260-year anniversary in grand fashion by inviting a series of artists to reinterpret its packaging. Using the bottle as a canvas, Stefan Strumbel, 123Klan, Aaron De La Cruz, Brooke Reidt, INSA and Nychos have all created personalized designs of their own. Look for one of the six designs now in all Warsteiner Premium Verum cases sold within German borders. In addition, check out our previous interview with Warsteiner’s Andy Chiu regarding his role in applying footwear industry-derived techniques towards the marketing of a classic brand.
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HYPEBEAST 100: The innovators from all realms of creativity in the spotlight.
With in-depth interviews, focused features and fashion-forward editorials, our print publication features long-form coverage of the topics valued by readers.
Explore and be inspired by the latest women's fashion news and trends.


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Makes 1 cup Serve this icing spooned over cake or ice cream. April 2012Print Ingredients 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons hot espresso or very strong coffee 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
We’ve seen multiple different approaches to smartwatch design over the last few years, with some companies like Pebble taking the button control route, while platforms like Android Wear rely on touch voice.
Our friends at Foursquare dug through their troves of user data to compile the list. Because the site now allows users to save and favorite venues they love, Foursquare was able to track down which burgers
Another sequel to AA Milne’s children’s classic has been approved. Time to consider the authors who should write it, says Alison Flood We live deep in the Hundred Acre Wood in our house these days. My
Rovio today announced a new Angry Birds game, Agri Birds. No big news there, except this one features guns, glam and gore. “Big news today bird-flingers! We’re happy to announce a new addition to the Birds


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The Shopping Center Group Arranges Metro Atlanta Retail Sale
- Nov 18, 2016
by Evelina Croitoru
Atlanta—The Shopping Center Group (TSCG), one of the largest privately owned retail real estate advisory firms in the U.S., has announced the sale of Duluth Highway Shops, a newly built, unanchored retail center located near the intersection of two of Gwinnett County’s main commercial corridors in Lawrenceville, Ga. The property traded for $7.9 million, being acquired by a private West Coast investor from seller NLA Lawrenceville Inc.
“This reinforces the strength of this submarket in this densely-developed retail node, as well as the center’s superior location rooted in the heart of an upper-middle-income pocket in Atlanta’s northeast region,” Neal Pringle, director of investment sales and finance with The Shopping Center Group, said in a prepared statement.
According to Pringle, the newly acquired asset is located on roughly 8 acres near the intersection of State Route 120 and Lawrenceville Suwanee Road. The center’s tenant roster includes Jason’s Deli, Pacific Dental Services, Willy’s Mexicana Grill, AT&T Wireless, Penn Station East Coast Subs, Sport Clips Haircuts and BurgerFi.
“This highly developed, million-plus square-foot retail corridor serves the daily needs of the high-density, affluent population that has infused Lawrenceville and all of Gwinnett County over the past two decades,” Pringle adds.
During construction, Pringle teamed up with the late Mark Cooley, partner of The Shopping Center Group, to secure the buyer. TSCG also secured construction and equity financing in addition to the sale.
Image courtesy of The Shopping Center Group


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- 2 min read
Walmart sheds its grow-everywhere plan in refining strategy
Walmart is pursuing faster-growth markets overseas, including China and India, while battling e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. in its core domestic market.
The world’s largest retailer said Monday that Asda will combine with British retailer J Sainsbury Plc, mixing the U.K.’s second-biggest supermarket chain with No. 3 Asda in a deal worth about 7.3 billion pounds ($10 billion). Walmart will retain a 42 percent stake in the combined company, and will take a noncash loss of about $2 billion on the transaction, according to a statement.
Walmart is pursuing faster-growth markets overseas, including China and India, while battling e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. in its core domestic market. It’s close to completing a deal for a majority stake in India’s biggest online retailer, Flipkart Online Services Pvt, Bloomberg reported last week.
“They’ve consistently exited underperforming markets or markets where they just haven’t been able to really get their offering deeply embedded with the customer base,” said Jennifer Bartashus, senior consumer analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. Moving ahead, “it’s going to be much more of a contained strategy in areas where there’s a substantial amount of income and population growth that will become a key customer base.”
Walmart probably will expand in countries where it already has a presence and international partners for now, rather than targeting entirely new markets, she said. The company may shed its investment in its struggling Brazilian unit, she said.
Walmart bought Asda for 6.7 billion pounds in 1999, during a time of aggressive expansion for the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant. Asda was seen as appealing to price-conscious consumers, where Sainsbury targeted a higher-end demographic, and both trailed industry leader Tesco Plc. However, the entrance of two low-price players into the U.K. scene -- Lidl and Aldi -- ate into Asda’s market share.
Walmart can now apply what it learned from Asda, especially in online retailing, to other markets including its U.S. operation, Bartashus said.
“They’ve extracted a lot of knowledge out of that, and this may be an instance where at this point they may be deciding to focus on higher-growth international markets given the competitive landscape in the U.K.,” she said.
In recent years, Walmart has pulled away from international markets ranging from Germany to South Korea, while growing rapidly in China by partnering with that country’s second-leading online mall operator, JD.com Inc., and expanding its Sam’s Club stores. The next few months could see a flurry of activity as Walmart narrows its focus further.


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Change in the world business dynamics after coronavirus pandemic and an ongoing crude price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia may impact Mukesh Ambani's plan to make Reliance Industries (RIL), India's most profitable company, a zero net debt company by March 2021. As per the plan, RIL will have to conclude three major deals - Rs 1.1 lakh crore deal with Saudi Aramco, Rs 7,000 crore deal with BP Plc, and stake sale in Reliance Jio's tower infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) - within one year to cut the net debt of Rs 1.5 lakh crore to zero. According to sources in the banking industry, conclusion of these deals at a time of low valuations and global crisis is impossible.
The email sent to RIL did not elicit any response.
Saudi Aramco, the oil giant run by Saudi Kingdom, has slashed its spending plans by $10 billion after the Kingdom launched a price war that sent the value of crude tumbling to $25 a barrel. It will spend between $25billion and $30 billion this year, down from the $35 billion to $40 billion outlined before its record-breaking $1.7 trillion public offerings of shares late last year, and down from the $32.8 billion it spent last year. Lower oil prices had reduced its net profit by 21 per cent to $88.2 billion last year, but still, the company is world's most profitable company. If the crude price continues to be lower, it will hurt the price realisation and profitability of Aramco this year also, leading to slow-moving in its planned deals across the world.
Ambani, the richest person in India, had termed the debt reduction plan as a "very clear roadmap" in his annual general meeting (AGM) speech in August 2019. According to the plan, RIL has agreed to form a long-term partnership with Aramco in oil to chemicals (they call it O2C) division. Aramco is expected to invest Rs 1.1 lakh crore for 20 per cent stake in O2C division at an enterprise value of $75 billion. "This partnership will cover all of RIL's refining and petrochemicals assets, including 51 per cent of the petroleum retail joint venture," Ambani said at the AGM.
The European oil major BP Plc and RIL signed a definitive agreement in December to form the new Indian fuels and mobility joint venture after an initial agreement in August. The JV, where RIL will hold 51 per cent and BP the balance 49 per cent stake, will take ownership of RIL's existing 1,400 fuel retail network and aviation fuel business. BP will pay Rs 7,000 crore to RIL for the stake in JV. They plan to set up a network of 5,500 retail outlets under 'Jio-BP' brand across India.
RIL has been in the process to sell its stake in tower InvIT when its share price crashed by 40 per cent in a month until March 23. The market valuation crumbled by around Rs 3.5 lakh crore because of corona and crude impacts.
In early 2019, RIL transferred Reliance Jio Infratel's fibre and the tower businesses into two InvITs - Digital Fibre Infrastructure Trust and Tower Infrastructure Trust. Along with assets, gross debt of Rs 1.07 lakh crore of respective businesses have been transferred to the trusts. An affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management has already invested Rs 25,215 crore in the Tower Infrastructure Trust, which has 51 per cent stake in Reliance Jio Infratel.
RIL has also been looking for strategic and financial investors in consumer businesses - Jio and Reliance Retail. Of late, there were reports that RIL is in talks with Facebook to sell 10 per cent stake in Jio. The company didn't respond to the reports.
Besides, Ambani has been planning to sell some of real estate assets (it might include land that RIL bought for building special economic zones in Mumbai) and exit from some of the financial investments. Most of these plans will see a delay because of the corona driven financial crisis. RIL has invested Rs 5.4 lakh crore over the last five years for building and expanding its businesses - it spent Rs 3.5 lakh crore for building the assets of Jio and rest largely for the capacity expansion of petrochemicals business and expanding the network of Reliance Retail.


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Although there are particles in retail goods and on Dutch farms, it is uncertain how they may affect people’s health.
Microplastic contamination in beef, pork, and farm animals’ blood has been discovered for the first time.
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in the Netherlands discovered the microparticles in every blood sample and in 75 percent of the meat and dairy products they analyzed.
Additionally, they were discovered in each sample of the examined animal pellet feed, pointing to a possible significant point of contamination. Another approach is the plastic packaging used for food goods.
The same techniques were applied to investigate living animal products after VUA researchers made their initial investigation of microplastic particles in the human bloodstream in March. The fact that the particles were found in blood indicates that they may move around the body and settle in organs.
The effect on the health of farm animals or people is not yet known. Scientists remain concerned despite the fact that it is already known that air pollutant components enter the human body & bring millions of avoidable deaths each year and that human cells are harmed by microplastics in scientific experiments. Microplastics are also known to affect some species.
Microplastics have polluted the whole world, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans, due to the massive volumes of plastic garbage thrown into the ecosystem. It was previously known that people inhaled the microscopic particles and ingested them through food and water.
According to Dr. Heather Leslie( a representative of VUA), “by sampling blood, you’re figuring out the absorbed dosage from all the numerous exposure routes. These included air, water, food, etc.” The fact that it quickly informs you of what is entering the river of life makes it incredibly intriguing.
The pilot investigation determined whether there were microplastics in dairy, meat, and farm animals. According to Leslie, it should serve as motivation to further investigate the extent of exposure and any related hazards.
The researchers examined 12 samples of blood taken from cows and 12 samples from pigs and discovered microplastics, including polyethylene and polystyrene. The 25 samples comprised hand-milking, milk from farm tanks, and milk from storage containers. Microplastics were present in 18 samples, at least one of each kind.
Five of the eight pork samples and seven of the eight beef samples had contaminants. The paper said, “it remains uncertain if there are any potential toxicological hazards of these results.” Even though in 2021, microplastics were discovered on farms and in milk purchased in France and Switzerland, respectively, other countries have not yet tested farm animals or meat.
“Given that microplastics are prevalent in animal feed, it is not unexpected that a clear majority of the meat and dairy products, such as milk, were tested. They all included some amount of microplastics,” said a representative of the Plastic Soup Foundation, which funded the study. Plastic must be eliminated entirely from animal feed to safeguard human and animal health.


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06:14PM, Tuesday 07 April 2020
The team at Specsavers in Windsor have been busy supporting key workers and providing urgent essential eye and hearing support to residents during the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week staff prepared a pair of glasses for a nurse whose usual opticians were closed and replaced a set of reading glasses for an ambulance worker who had lost his pair.
They've also helped a teacher with a new set of glasses who was struggling to mark online wearing contact lenses.
Although the store is closed for all routine eye and hearing tests, customers are being urged to call the store if they need urgent support or they have issues with their glasses, contact lenses or hearing aids.
If anyone is required to attend the store, they will be asked to do so – and key workers will be prioritised. Any face to face contact will be minimal and will be handled in line with current Government guidelines.
Rupal Patel, store director in Windsor, said: "We’re proud that we’ve been able to offer urgent and emergency eye and hear care services through this difficult period, here at Windsor.
"We’ve taken a significant number of worried phone calls about eye and ear care, and it’s been our pleasure to address and alleviate these concerns through continued access to professional optical and audiology services, whilst the community remains in isolation.
"It’s been a tremendous honour being able to help our NHS colleagues to continue their work in fighting this virus. We want the local community to know that we are still here to support people with their essential eye and hearing care needs – so please give us a call if you need us."
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The sprays can be used in conjunction with the brand's Fragrance Paintbrush
Fragrance maverick Jo Malone MBE is looking to once again evolve the traditional concept of wearing fragrance with the launch of a new collection of fragranced body sprays to her Jo Loves brand.
The new sprays launch on the heels of...
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This news has come as a surprise and source of excitement around North America, as the fans of League of Legends who are in North America, will now be able to play their favorite games on their phones anytime and anywhere very soon. Quite recently, at a very big and fancy event, where the makers detailed on how the New Year will be for the game and for its players, it was then that the developer of League revealed the big new about Wild Rift making its way to North America soon. The developed specifically announced the mobile and console version of the League of Legends, is said to launch in the North America around March, in open beta. One thing which has taken the fans by confusion is that they did not clarify as to exactly which platforms will have beta available on them, since the open betas in the previous times were only available on the IOS and Android.
Apart from this, another important detail about the event is that Riot made it very obvious that his plan is to openly support Wild Rift all through the year. This also includes within all the regular events, a great example for this could be the Lunar New year festival which takes place in the month of February, along with this the ranked season which tends to kick off in a couple of regions this very week, and every month there is an addition of two new characters in the game for the consistent excitement guaranteed to the players.


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NFI misclassification lawsuit will proceed as class action
September 1, 2020
A misclassification lawsuit against National Freight Inc. will proceed as a class action nearly five years after the complaint was originally filed in federal court.
On Aug. 25, a panel for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied NFI’s petition for permission to appeal. On July 14, NFI filed the petition after a New Jersey district court certified the class of truckers on July 1. That certification was granted nearly 10 months after a motion for class certification was filed.
Now that the appellate court has denied to weigh in on the class certification, the lawsuit against NFI will proceed in the district court as a class action.
The attempt to stop the class certification further delayed litigation that has been in the courts for several years. In November 2015, NFI driver John Portillo filed the lawsuit alleging the company misclassified drivers in an attempt to keep wages low.
According to the complaint, NFI entered into at least 135 independent contractor agreements with drivers that should have been considered employees.
The lawsuit alleges that the drivers were misclassified as independent contractors. Consequently, they missed out on wages owed if they were classified as employees.
According to the complaint, NFI hired both employee drivers and independent contractors to deliver goods from Trader Joe’s warehouses to various stores on the East Coast. The lawsuit alleges that employees and independent contractors performed the same job.
More specifically, drivers would pick up loads in one of two warehouses. One warehouse was in Nazareth, Pa., and the other in Hatfield, Pa. Those loads were delivered to stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Independent contractors were required to have their own trucks. However, NFI also required that all trucks carry the NFI logo and operate under its U.S. Department of Transportation number.
Furthermore, drivers in the lawsuit claim they were entirely dependent on NFI for their business. According to the lawsuit, they were not allowed to perform delivery services for anyone else during the time at NFI.
Independent contractors would report to the Pennsylvania distribution each day to pick up the trailers. At the same time, employee drivers would be performing the same loading tasks.
For more details about the lawsuit, click here.


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Andrea Edmunds got a great deal when she decided to buy a small business. But that still didn’t make it easy.
Edmunds recently bought back PoshTots and PoshLiving, two linked retail companies she had co-owned until three years ago. The firms’ new parent company was in bankruptcy court and Edmunds wanted to buy the businesses back, even though the companies’ sales were way down and financing is hard to get.
“I had enough confidence and faith that it’s going to turn around,” Edmunds said of her businesses and the economy.
Edmunds managed to accomplish what many would-be entrepreneurs are hoping for in a troubled economy: to buy a small business despite the many obstacles that are making deals hard to complete.
Business brokers, who bring buyers and sellers together, say there are a growing number of people who want to buy, including many who have lost their jobs over the past year and need to make a living. And there are plenty who want to sell, including baby boomers hankering for retirement.
Getting financing for deals is still tough, although the government has taken steps to make Small Business Administration loans easier to obtain. The brokers say banks are not only uneasy about borrowers, they’re also questioning the health of the companies up for sale.
“Even with those changes, we feel that it seems as if the money may never reach the small business owner,” said Jeff Hoops, senior vice president of The Haley Group in Paso Robles, Calif.
Small businesses have found it hard to borrow from banks for years, long before the recession; a neophyte owner or company has been too risky for many banks to take on. The recession and banks’ unwillingness to lend in general over the past six months have made it that much harder.
Edmunds said her financing came from a private, locally-owned bank that was supportive of her plans. The fact that she knew her businesses so well was a plus, and the purchase price was down dramatically ? $735,000, compared to the $12 million she and two partners got three years ago. The companies, based in Glen Allen, Va., sell upscale home furnishings.
Brokers are seeing lower prices in general along with fewer transactions.
Peter Berg, managing director of Transworld Business Brokers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said the volume of deals his firm did last year fell 10 percent but the value of all the deals put together went down 30 percent.
Meanwhile, deals are taking longer to complete while banks give prospective borrowers and companies much closer scrutiny. Emmet Apolinario, who owns a Sunbelt brokerage in Columbus, Ohio, said that before the credit crisis, a purchase could close in 45 to 60 days after an offer was accepted. Now, one of his pending deals will take five months to close.
Would-be buyers have been hit in several ways. Besides the bank financing issue, the nest eggs they would have used for down payments have shrunk as the stock market plunged. They can’t draw on home equity because housing prices are down, and if they already had a home equity line of credit, their banks have very likely pulled the accounts or cut them drastically. Also, banks that are willing to lend are demanding bigger down payments.
Sellers have their own set of problems. More of them are having to act as lenders to close the deals. Apolinario has been telling them, “there is no way I can get you 100 percent cash. You will have to provide some seller financing.”
That does have an upside for sellers, though: They get income from the interest on the loans they grant their buyers.
But, Apolinario said, many owners are also finding that they can’t get the price they expect on their companies; these assets have fallen in value along with real property and stocks.
Brokers see small signs of a possible pickup in deals. Apolinario said the SBA loan changes have led to more prospective buyers calling.
Berg said he sees many people actively looking for a company: “They either have been laid off or are afraid of being laid off and want to be pre-emptive.”
Still, he said, “it doesn’t mean an uptick in the number of transactions. We’re just seeing an uptick in the number of inquiries.”
Hoops expects the climate for buying and selling to start picking up perhaps as early as June, “when people get comfortable with the fact that they’re going to have to live with this (economy) for a while.”
He expects prospective buyers to say, “things are bad, but I’ve got to plan for what I’m going to do next, no matter what happens in the economy.”
Franco Ferrari, owner of a Sunbelt business brokerage in Casselberry, Fla., near Orlando, expects that the entrepreneurial spirit is what will bring more buyers in, rather than expectations that government steps will heal the economy. “There’s confidence in their ability as a mom and pop operator that they can go in there and make that business produce,” he said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.


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The director of Coroflo Wins two Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards
The head of Dublin-based startup Coroflo was named twice in the Business Worldwide Magazine 2021 CEO Awards.
The awards seek to recognize and celebrate the most respected C-level executives across the globe, from diverse sectors. Instead of focusing on the company as a whole, the emphasis is on their bosses, using their stories to inspire others to achieve similar success. Rosanne Longmore won two categories: 'Growth Strategy CEO of the Year - Ireland' & / a runner-up CEO for the year Ireland.
Coroflo combines microtechnology and innovative medical research to improve the lives of mothers and babies. According to Coro, breast milk volume is measured so mothers can tell how much milk their baby gets, addressing one of the main reasons women stop breastfeeding sooner than planned, concerns about low supply.
The scientific research continues to show the significant benefits of breastfeeding. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed exclusively for six months, but globally less than 40% achieve this target.
The silicone nipple shield is a revolutionary product that solves the problem of deciding whether babies need to get enough milk. The microflow sensor lets mothers wear it like regular shields. The quantity of milk measured as a baby feeds, and the data can be tracked on mum's mobile phone by the app. Coro is the only product that can give accurate, accurate and real-time data.
Longmore said that the product's official launch in 2022 is a huge anticipation. "We are proud of the support and accolades we've received so far, but for us the real goal is to get Coro into the We want to empower women who breastfeed to do that."
On the company website, complete with the detailed information on Coroflo and its revolutionary breastfeeding monitor, and the full explanation, instruction and updated news, can be found in detail on the website. http://www.coroflo.com/ https://serios.oc/ .
An article on the company is available on Business Worldwide magazine's website: https://www.bwmonline.com/21/08/15/coro-know-how-much-milk-your-baby-is
Those and companies who earned a certain award for the CEO Awards 2021 can be found at https://www.bwmonline.com/ceo-awards-winners-2021/.
About Business Worldwide Magazine Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence in the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal allows an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and legislation. This readership includes CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies, to name a few.
Contact us David Jones Awards DepartmentE: [email protected]
W: http://www.bwmonline.com/: / http/ pww/web/.
SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine.