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Dec 4, 2013, 6:58 am EST
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Gannett and Tipico Sportsbook Form an Exclusive Partnership
Gannett Co., USA Today’s parent company, has collaborated with Tipico USA Technology in starting a variety of online gambling content which helps viewers invest their time and money in their favorite sports. The companies have struck a deal worth $90 million for five years. The proposed company will provide iGames, and online casino gambling and will integrate betting trends, free-to-play games, odds, and props.
As per the recent announcement that was made on Tuesday, Tipico will co-brand the NFL team sites. It is also reported that in New Jersey and Colorado, Tipico’s sportsbook will go live in the fall.
Gannett CEO and Chairman Michael Reed said that Tipico adds incredible expertise from their European operations and next-generation product capabilities, which offer Gannett’s sports enthusiasts and local consumers a way to become even more invested in the games and sports they care about.
Gannett has a highly engaged audience of over 46 million sports fans who, according to Reed, crave betting insights, odds, analysis, and unique features, which the company aims to provide with their Tipico alliance.
Tipico is Germany’s biggest sports betting company and is a leading betting firm in the world. Tipico will co-brand the NFL Wire team sites and For The Win as part of the partnership announced on Tuesday. This would include a re-launch of the Bets portion as “Bet For The Win.” It will also publish odds pages online and in print across the USA TODAY Network.
Coinciding with the start of the NFL season, branded betting-related content is planned to appear in August. This autumn, Tipico’s sports betting businesses in Colorado and New Jersey will be online, allowing users to bet using Tipico Sportsbook.
Gannett’s operations and vast local reach, combined with Tipico’s technology, which includes iGaming proprietary betting products, will provide a slam dunk combo for American sports fans.

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- Global demand was up 1.1.% in January this year compared to January 2019 and 3% higher compared to December 2020
- All regions saw month-on-month improvement, with North America and Africa the strongest performers
- Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand fall 3.2% in January 2021 year-on-year. This was an improvement from the 4.0% fall in December 2020
- Manufacturing conditions remain robust despite new COVID-19 outbreaks that dragged down passenger demand
For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, global air cargo demand returned to pre-pandemic levels in January 2021, buoyed by improving manufacturing and export conditions, according to the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
January demand also showed strong month-to-month growth over December 2020 levels.
Global demand was up 1.1.% compared to January 2019 and 3% higher compared to December 2020. All regions saw month-on-month improvement, and North America and Africa were the strongest performers.
In contrast, the recovery in global capacity was reversed owing to new capacity cuts on the passenger side. Capacity shrank 19.5% compared to January 2019 and fell 5% compared to December 2020, the first monthly decline since April 2020.
IATA said the operating backdrop remained supportive for air cargo volumes:
- Conditions in the manufacturing sector remain robust despite new Covid-19 outbreaks that dragged down passenger demand. The global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was at 53.5 in January. Results above 50 indicate manufacturing growth versus the prior month.
- The new export orders component of the manufacturing PMI—a leading indicator of air cargo demand—continued to point to further demand improvement. However, Covid-19 resurgence has negatively impacted export business in emerging markets, and should this continue or expand to other markers, it could weigh on future air cargo growth.
- The level of inventories remains relatively low compared to sales volumes. Historically, this has meant that businesses had to quickly refill their stocks, for which they also used air cargo services.
“Air cargo traffic is back to pre-crisis levels and that is some much-needed good news for the global economy. But while there is a strong demand to ship goods, our ability is capped by the shortage of belly capacity normally provided by passenger aircraft,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.
He urged governments to share their plans for restart to inform the industry of how soon more capacity can be brought online. “In normal times, a third of world trade by value moves by air. This high value commerce is vital to helping restore COVID damaged economies—not to mention the critical role air cargo is playing in distributing lifesaving vaccines that must continue for the foreseeable future.”
By region, Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand for international air cargo fall 3.2% in January 2021 compared to the same month in 2019. This was an improvement from the 4.0% fall in December 2020. International capacity remained constrained in the region, down 27.0% versus January 2019, which was a deterioration compared to the 26.2% year-over-year decline recorded in December. The region’s airlines reported the highest international load factor at 74.0%.
North American carriers posted an 8.5% increase in international demand in January compared to January 2019, far surpassing the 4.4% gain in December 2020 compared to December 2019. Economic activity in the US continues to recover and its January manufacturing PMIs reached a record high, pointing to a supportive business environment for air cargo.
European carriers’ international cargo demand slipped 0.6% in January compared to same month in 2019. This was an improvement from the 5.6% fall in December 2020 over the year-ago period.
Middle Eastern carriers posted a 6.0% rise in international cargo volumes in January versus January 2019, which was an acceleration over the 2.4% year- over-year gain recorded in December compared to December 2019. Of the region’s key international routes, Middle East-Asia and Middle East-North America have provided the most significant support.
Latin American carriers reported a decline of 16.1% in international cargo volumes in January compared to the 2019 period, which was an improvement from the 19.0% fall in December 2020 versus a year ago.
African airlines’ cargo demand soared 22.4% compared to the same month in 2019, eclipsing the 6.3% year-over-year increase for December 2020. Robust expansion on the Asia-Africa trade lanes contributed to the strong growth.


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U.K.-based Bango announced an agreement "to provide payment services to Facebook," Bango said. But neither company is offering any more info than that.
Bango is best known as the service used by BlackBerry AppWorld to process payments.
But Bango also does carrier billing -- taking mobile transactions and putting them on your mobile phone bill. So Tim Bradshaw at the Financial Times argues that Bango might be used to take payments with Facebook Credits and transfer them to your cell phone bill so you don't have to enter credit card info.
Credits began as a way for people to spend real money to buy pretend goods for the Facebook games they play. Last year, Facebook expanded credits beyond games to things like movie rentals and Facebook's Groupon-like Deals platform. It is now the only form of payment accepted on Facebook.
As of last summer, word was that 200 million people have used Facebook Credits at least once.


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Is Thomson TV made in China?
Thomson is a renowned French brand making a comeback in India after three decades. And the good news is that it is offering latest of TV technologies at a dirt-cheap price. Though launched last year, it has received good reception with its TV models being sold within a few minutes at the time of launch.23-Feb-2022
Is Thomson a Indian company?
Thomson India is a completely make-in-India brand given SPPL’s experience, leadership and overall strength as an OEM.
Which TV is best MI or Thomson?
All the three TVs feature a 32-inch LED display with HD resolution (1366 x 768 resolution) and 60Hz refresh rate. All the three TVs also have a viewing angle of 178 degrees. The Thomson Smart TV and Vu Smart TV are rated for 450 nits of brightness, whereas Xiaomi hasn’t provided max brightness figure.14-Apr-2018
Who manufactures Thomson in India?
Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd
How old is Thomson TV brand?
Which TV is not made in China?
Today, there are only a handful of TV brands left outside of China: Samsung and LG (South Korea), Sony (Japan), Philips (EU) and Vizio (US). A company in China had attempted to acquire Vizio in 2016, but that deal never happened so as of now they’re still a US company (they recently had their long-awaited IPO).15-Jun-2021
Which TV brand is best in India?
Summary Table: 10 Best TV Brands In India
Is TCL Thomson?
TCL took a 67 percent stake in the joint venture, with Thomson SA holding the rest of the shares, and it was agreed that televisions made by TCL-Thomson would be marketed under the TCL brand in Asia and the Thomson and RCA brands in Europe and North America.
Who is the owner of Thomson TV?
Which is India’s No 1 Smart TV brand?
1. Sony – Top Tv Brand in India. One of the most well-known best TV brands in India, which is constantly improving its technology. For an immersive audio experience, Sony TVs include an OLED display with a screen vibrating sound.19-Aug-2022
Does Thomson TV have Bluetooth?
This TV is Bluetooth- and HDMI-enabled, and it supports USB connectivity. Thanks to that, you can connect a wide range of peripherals to it. Also, it has Chromecast (Android) and AirPlay (iOS) to help you cast your smartphone or even your tablet on the TV’s display.
Which TV is better than Mi TV?
While the pricing of both Mi and VU televisions is quite competitive and reasonable, it should definitely be noted that the features offered by VU are better and higher in quality than Mi at the same or close price.
Who makes Thomson products?
Curtis International Ltd.
Is Thomson TV available in India?
Read MoreList Of Thomson TVs in India Updated on 10 September 2022.
Does Thomson support Netflix?
The Thomson official Android TV series comes with a variety of popular apps pre-loaded, including Google Play Movies, Google Play Music, YouTube, and Netflix. Apart from that, users can access the Google Play Store and install any of the 5000 apps that are currently available for Android TV.13-Jun-2019
Is Thomson Smart TV?
Starting at just 13, 499 Rupees, Thomson TV certainly deliver value for money. Their latest range of Smart TVs sure are becoming a rage, so if you want to be future ready, we suggest a Thomson Smart TV for your home.
Is Thomson and Kodak same?
Ltd. (SPPL) which is a Kodak brand licensee will now also be selling Thomson TVs in India. Thomson, a France-based Technicolor SA-owned consumer electronics brand is all set to unveil its latest TVs for the Indian market today at an event to be held in New Delhi.12-Apr-2018
Which brand Smart TV is best?
Top 10 smart LED TVs in 2021
- Sony Bravia 55 inches 4K UHD android LED TV KD-55X9500G.
- LG 55 inches smart ultra HD 4K OLED TV OLED55C8PTA.
- LG 77 inches OLED 4K UHD TV (OLED77W8PTA)
- Mi LED TV 4X 138.8 cm (55 inches) ultra HD android TV (Black)
- Samsung (55 Inches) Super 6 Series 4K UHD LED smart TV UA55NU6100.
Which TV brand is the best in the world?
The 6 Best TV Brands – Summer 2022 Reviews
- Hisense. Hisense U9DG. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com. SEE PRICE.
- LG. LG G2 OLED. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com.
- Samsung. Samsung S95B OLED. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com.
- Sony. Sony A90J OLED. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com.
- TCL. TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com.
- Vizio. Vizio OLED 2020. SEE PRICE. Amazon.com.
Which TVs are made in Japan?
LCD / LED TVs made in Japan
- Samsung RM40D 40” 1080p Smart Signage LED TV.
- Sharp 52LE830 52-inch LED TV.
- Sharp 46LE830 46-inch 3D LED TV.
- Sharp LC32LE600E 32″ LED LCD TV.
- Sharp Aquos LC40LE810E 40″ LCD LED TV.
- Sharp Aquos LC40LE705 40″ LCD LED TV.
- Sharp Aquos LC52LE705EV 52″ LCD LED TV.
What is the No 1 TV brand?
Samsung is a TV brand you’ve almost certainly already heard of, given its position as the biggest seller of TVs worldwide – as well as all kinds of other tech products.16-Aug-2022
Is Thomson TV made in China?


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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wal-Mart
(WMT) is having to recall "Five Spice" donkey meat from stores in China after fox meat was found in the packages. The provincial government in China has ordered a halt to the sales of donkey meat by the supplier, Dezhou Fujude Food Group, according to an article in Bloomberg Businessweek.
If Wal-Mart shares fall on the news, investors should look upon this as an opportunity to buy the stock at a discount for the long term.
After all, investors were rewarded for picking up shares when Wal-Mart's Mexican bribery scandal surfaced in April 2012. At that time, Wal-Mart shares were trading for less than $60 a share. Now they're changing hands for about $78.90.
Warren Buffett bought more than 7.6 million shares of Wal-Mart at $61 in the first quarter of 2012. At present, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) owns close to 50 million shares of Wal-Mart, its seventh largest holding.
When scandals hit that do not affect the core operations of a company, they can present an excellent opportunity to accumulate shares.
A recent series of articles on TheStreet, "Least Favored in 2013," discussed companies that had been affected by "shockers" in 2013. These included Caterpillar (CAT), the biggest heavy equipment maker in the world and a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. As I wrote in an article for that series, Caterpillar lost a great deal of money because of its purchase of a Chinese company that had fraudulent accounting.
But Caterpillar recovered from that scandal and is up more than 11% in the last six months.The same should be expected of Wal-Mart if the stock price falls due to the donkey meat scandal.
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Killington masters the bumps, some say at expense of locals
Staff Writer | July 13,2008
Correction: This story was updated to list the correct price of Stratton Mountain Resort's no black out season pass .t pass price is $979..
KILLINGTON — If the end justifies the means, then count Killington/Pico's first season under new ownership a success.
Under Powdr Corp. the resort made a tidy profit with combined skier visits at both ski areas topping 640,000.
Getting to that point, however, wasn't easy and some in the Killington community, including businesses whose fortunes are joined at the hip to the resort, are still adjusting to a different management style.
When Powdr Corp., a Utah-based ski resort company, and SP Land, a Dallas-based real estate development company, purchased Killington and Pico resorts from American Skiing Co. in May 2007 for $84.5 million, the changes were immediate and not always well received.
Among the changes: Powdr scaled back the length of the ski season, raised season ticket prices, shortened Pico's week from seven to five days, shut down the Skye Peak gondola two days a week, laid off a number of workers and served notice that it would no longer honor so-called lifetime season passes.
Relaxing over a cup of coffee at the resort's golf course clubhouse recently, Killington president and general manager Chris Nyberg acknowledged that the changes, while painful, were necessary to get the ski resort back on sound financial ground following years under financially strapped American Skiing Co.
"In order to put our new business model in place a lot of changes were necessary in order to make that all happen," Nyberg said. "Any time you make change, particularly when you make the types of changes we made that affects people's lives, that's very disconcerting, not only to the individuals that it affects but also the employees that we have and the community in general."
But as a believer in change, Nyberg said those changes should be made as quickly as possible rather than piecemeal, or as he put it, "death by a thousand cuts."
Looking back on the way he rolled out the company's business model, Nyberg said he would have sought the community's input a lot earlier.
"Probably the overriding thing that I could see would have been a better thing to do early on was involve different elements within the community and our skiing population and riding population in our focus groups that we started," said Nyberg, who has more than 30 years experience in the ski business, including a decade years at the company's Mount Bachelor resort in Oregon.
He said those changes were necessary to improve the skiing and snowboarding experience to ensure that those same customers return to Killington.
One significant move that's proved to be a public relations mess for Killington's new owners was the decision to terminate the 1,243 existing "lifetime" season passes. The passes were issued as a way to entice investment in the then-fledgling ski area, which opened in 1958. Some of the investor passes could be sold or transferred only once while others have been sold repeatedly over the years.
Powdr's position is that the investor passes were only valid for as long as Sherburne Corp., Killington Ltd. and its successor corporate entities existed. Because Powdr purchased the resort's assets and not the company, the passes expired along with the company when the resort was sold last year. The resort is now run by a new corporate entity, Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners.
Powdr's rationale didn't convince the lifetime pass holders, some of whom spent thousands of dollars to buy passes on the open market. Four pass holders are suing the resort's current and former owners. The lawsuit is pending in federal court with the plaintiffs seeking to certify the lawsuit as a class action on behalf of other pass holders.
Asked how much honoring the investor passes would have cost the company, Nyberg declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. Powdr points out that it continues to honor lifetime passes issued to former Killington employees.
The company's restructuring of the resort also included layoffs last year. Although the company wouldn't comment on the number of layoffs, a couple of workers who received pink slips put the number of layoffs at between 30 and 90. A Killington spokesman said many of those workers were rehired, some in different positions, or reclassified as part-time seasonal workers.
Killington/Pico employs 300 year-round workers and 1,800 workers during the peak ski season.
The treatment of the investor pass holders mirrors the company's effort to right-size the business and make it more manageable. Nyberg said the fruits of that effort were evident in the bottom line at the end of the recent season.
"Our earnings are up significantly and we're very pleased with that," he said.
Powdr, a privately held company with seven resorts, doesn't release skier visit numbers. But Nyberg said those numbers "significantly passed" the 640,000 skier visits reported by rival Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow.
Even Pico, operating just five-days a week, was profitable.
"I'm pleased to say Pico made money on a standalone basis and that's the first time in a long time that's happened," Nyberg said.
When Nyberg announced last year that Pico would close two days a week, he encountered some criticism, especially from locals. But he said closing the resort on days when there were few skiers was one reason Pico was profitable.
One business directly affected by Pico's shorter week is the Inn at Long Trail – directly across Route 4 from the resort.
"I'm sure it had some effect. I don't think it was a huge effect," said inn co-owner Patty McGrath. "Would we like to see Pico open seven days a week? Absolutely."
But McGrath also said she understood Powdr's decision, saying that if the skier numbers weren't there it made sense to close Pico on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Although Killington was profitable under Powdr's first season, the number of skiers coming to the resort in recent years has declined precipitously.
Under founder Preston Leete Smith and his company, skier visits topped 1 million a year at Killington alone in the 1980s but declined to a low of 400,000 to 500,000 skier visits a year under former owner American Skiing Company, according to a recently released draft of the Killington Master Plan Review.
The number of skier visits is the traditional industry yardstick for measuring success. For example, Vermont reported 4.3 million skier visits for the 2007-2008 season, breaking the 10-year average of 4.1 million skier visits and a significant improvement over the 3.8 million skier visits the previous season.
Skier visits translate into dollars for the resorts and the state's economy. Vermont's ski industry generates $750 million in direct spending and another $705 million in indirect spending each year, according to the Vermont Ski Areas Association.
But for Powdr, skier visits alone don't tell the whole story. The company bases its success on customer satisfaction surveys and how that translates into a profit at the end of the season. Nyberg said that profit is what allows Killington to invest money back into the resort.
"We're spending $8.4 million in capital (improvements) and that's the result of earnings we were able to achieve from last winter," he said.
Powdr pumped $3.3 million in improvements at Killington and Pico last season, including upgrades to the Pico sports center.
Of the $8.4 million planned for this summer, $5 million is earmarked for a detachable quad lift at Skye Peak and related trail improvements. Pending Act 250 approval, Killington also will build a new snowboard park called The Stash – only the fourth snowboard park of its kind in the world.
Burton Snowboards founder Jake Burton came up with the idea for the park which has 34 features made from all natural materials, wood, rocks and natural terrain. It will be accessible off the new Skye Peak Express chair.
On the environmental front, starting last month the resort offset all of its annual electric usage, 26,199,909 kilowatt hours, through the purchase of renewable energy credits from Renewable Choice Energy. The offsets will eliminate more than 17,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
While Powdr Corp. runs the ski resort, SP Land's interest and financial stake is developing a ski village at the base of the mountain.
SP Land's investment in the resort's real estate predates Powdr's arrival on the scene.
The concept of a ski village has been kicking around in one form or another since the 1960s. With its shops, restaurants and other amenities, Powdr sees the ski village as an anchor to compete with other resorts in Vermont and around North America.
Killington is the largest resort in the East with 150 trails and 27 lifts but it lacks a village center. Those amenities – inns, restaurants, shops, nightclubs — are located along Killington Road, a five-mile stretch from Route 4 to the base of the resort.
The village, however, is on hold indefinitely. SP Land announced earlier this year that it would delay its plans until the town completed a master plan review and economic study that would include the effect a ski village would have on local businesses. SP Land's decision came after the town Planning Commission told the company that it needed to submit revised plans for its village.
"It stems from a situation where everybody needs to get caught up on new plans and changes that people perceive," said SP Land President Steve Selbo, whose company owns more than 1,000 acres at Killington and Pico.
Both Selbo and Nyberg said there's no question the town wants to see the ski village go forward; it's a matter of when and how the village would take shape. Selbo said the slump in the real estate market and the economy played no role in the decision to put the project on hold.
Fully developed over 20 to 25 years, a village at the base of what is now the Snowshed and Ramshead base lodges would be a self-contained commercial center on 408 acres with a single base lodge that would straddle Killington Road, 50,000 to 60,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, entertainment and 500 housing units. That's a potential concern for Killington Road business owners, who for the first time could face significant retail competition from the ski area.
"We'll wait and see what the consultants say, but we can't see an example where building a village is a detriment to the community," said Selbo, just prior to the draft report being released last month.
The draft Town of Killington Master Plan presented to the Town Planning Commission in June concluded that the economic impact of the village on town businesses would depend on the commercial makeup.
The report, prepared by LandWorks in Middlebury and Economic Policy Resources in Williston, said that how much competition the 70 local businesses would face "will only be possible once the details of the retail and commercial establishment offerings associated with the proposed development are known and who will be operating those establishments. Until that point, we have to assume that at least some of the new retail-commercial development associated with the proposed development will in fact be competing with existing town businesses."
Selbo said the goal is make Killington more of a four-season resort. "If we can get it up to nine-and-a-half to 10 months of activity here, everybody will benefit," he said.
Tied to the village, Nyberg said, is construction of the long-awaited interconnect between Killington and Pico. He said, however, that won't happen until the village is built, which in turn will attract enough skiers to justify connecting the two ski areas.
When Powdr and SP Land took over the resort last May, the town and businesses along Killington Road were forced to adjust to — as one person put it at a meeting earlier this year on the town's future — to the "800-pound gorilla in the room."
Over the nearly 50 years since Smith opened the ski area, shops, restaurants, nightclubs and inns have sprung up along the road leading to the resort. The livelihoods of those businesses and the tax base of the town are tethered to the resort.
If measured by the bountiful snowfall and the number of skier visits, the 2007-2008 should have been a highly profitable one for the dozens of businesses along Killington Road. While the resort itself said it was pleased with the bottom line, the same can't be said for a number of businesses in town.
The most often heard complaint was that closing earlier than the accustomed late May date hurt business. Killington was scheduled to close April 13 but the resort extended the season an additional week. That was a case of good news, bad news for businesses because there was little advance notice the ski area would remain open until April 20.
Phil Black of the Lookout Bar and Grill said he had a great year until April 1, but gave back much of that business after that date for several reasons, including the fact that Easter fell in March, the weather was less than stellar and many skiers thought Killington would close by a date certain.
"I think the perception Killington was going to be closed on April 13 and people made plans by the time they extended the season," Black said.
The changes that the ski area implemented weren't always well received but Black said he understood many of those decisions made business sense, including raising season ticket prices. He said under American Skiing Co. skiers at Killington were spoiled by the relatively cheap prices for season passes. Under ASC, those passes were also valid at other ASC resorts in the East.
For next season, a Killington/Pico adult season pass with no blackout dates costs $1,199, if purchased by Oct. 15. A season pass at Stratton Mountain Resort, one of Killington's closest competitors, is priced at $979.
"I think season passes need to be $1,000," Black said, adding that unlike western resorts Killington and other eastern resorts go to considerable expense to make snow. "We don't get free skiing like they do out West."
But Black also expressed concern about other decisions like the hefty price increase for children's ski and snowboard lessons that could drive families to other resorts.
"They (Killington) took a beating on kids and that was the No. 1 thing that I constantly heard from people that had been coming here for years," Black said. "They can't afford to ski here as families."
At the time the kids' lesson prices were released, resort officials responded to the criticism pointing out that they improved the instruction by limiting the size of each class.
Aspen East owner Lee Quaglia said business this season turned out to be a little better than the year before. He said it could have been even better if Killington had more terrain open early in the season. "I think we lost a lot of clientele that could have come in early season because they didn't have enough novice and intermediate terrain open in the beginning of the season that other ski areas did have open," Quaglia said.
Over the years, Killington gained a reputation for being the first ski resort to open and last to close in the East – staying open until late May and often the first of June. The skiing is always extremely limited at that time of year but the resort was able to get some publicity out of it. Nyberg, however, said the cost involved in keeping the resort open that late into the season couldn't continue.
"The shoulders of the season is where you have to manage the business closely," he said. "So the beginning of the season when it opens and the end of the season when it closes are critical to your overall ability to retain those earnings that you achieved during the peak portion of the season."
Nyberg agreed with Quaglia that one mistake Killington made was not opening more terrain in the week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. He said the ski area remains flexible in the opening and closing dates, noting that given the skiing conditions and business levels, the resort stayed open a week later (April 20) than scheduled.
On the KillingtonZone.com message board, comments posted were mixed about the season with some bemoaning the shortened season.
"Aside from the early closing, I found this year to be better than the previous," one skier wrote.
Another skier was less kind in their comments.
"You should add bond pass cancellation, midweek lodge closings, midweek Pico closing, midweek lift closings, absurd children's program pricing, spotty trail resurfacing, increased ticket prices, no hiking policy and decreased access road business. Now tell me about all the positives," said the post.
Owned by John Cumming and his family, Powdr's way of doing business has also raised concerns among locals at its resort in Oregon. The problems at Mount Bachelor in Bend, Ore., led to the recent firings of four key executives. To right the operation, Powdr dispatched Killington/Pico marketing manager Dave Rathbun to turn things around in Bend as president and general manager.
Killington Select Board Chairman Norman Holcomb said while the changes Powdr made upset some in the community, the resort enjoyed a very profitable year and that helps put the ski area on sound financial footing for the future.
"Certainly there were some decisions they made during the year that were very difficult and perceived by many people as being negative or didn't seem like the business was being operated in the same way," Holcomb said.
For businesses dependent on the ski resort, Holcomb said he's gotten mixed reports on the season with some doing just as well or better than a year ago under American Skiing Co. while others didn't fare as well.
Another longtime Killington businessperson remains hopeful Powdr will be able to turn the resort around. Like others interviewed, Steve Durkee said Powdr's decisions were "rough on a lot of people."
But Durkee said Powdr inherited a resort that had its profits siphoned off by debt-laden American Skiing Co., profits that should have been used to enhance and market the resort.
Durkee also acknowledged that Powdr's decision to operate a shorter season hurt some businesses in town. "The shoulder parts of the season are important to people like us but at the same time there just isn't any growth in the ski industry and at this point there are larger economic forces at work," said Durkee, who has run a number of businesses in town over the past 30 years.
Chris Karr, president of the Killington Chamber of Commerce, agreed that Powdr came in and made some hard-and-fast decisions that caught many in the community by surprise. But Karr, who owns the Pickle Barrel nightclub, said as the season wore on Powdr adjusted the way it did business and got better at communicating.
"I think they made some adjustments in their operations later in the year once they got more of the public feedback," he said.
As an example, Karr said one adjustment resort management made was to reverse course and operate the Skyeship gondola seven days a week for the 2008-2009 season.
Karr credited Powdr with excellent snow quality and fixing up the resort after several years of deferred maintenance under American Skiing Co..
Given the abundant snowfall this season, some businesses were disappointed with their bottom line and pointed a finger at Powdr for alienating customers. Karr, who said his own business was close to being on par with a year ago, said there was bound to be some pain as Powdr made changes in the way the resort is run.
With the reality that Powdr will operate a shorter season, the town is starting to focus its attention on four-season tourism. Tied to that, will be an estimated $673,000 a year generated from the recently approved 1 percent local option tax that's earmarked solely for economic development. It's a tax that the resort fought to have defeated on Town Meeting Day in March. In lieu of the tax on rooms, meals, retail sales and alcohol, the resort proposed a cash payment of $250,000, with the prospect of future annual payments. Future payments would be made if at least 30 percent of the businesses subject to the state rooms, meals and alcohol tax agreed to a voluntary 1 percent surcharge.
Killington/Pico has grown over the last half century to a sprawling and complex resort with 200 trails and more than 30 lifts. But what worked in the past to attract skiers is not quite working any more, Nyberg said, pointing out the steady decline in the number of skiers coming to Killington.
"We've got to make it more it efficient but without taking too much away from the overall experience," he said.
For next season Killington will refine its marketing strategy, a key component of which is its Web site. But Nyberg said print and radio advertising will play a significant role as well with ads in such well-known publications as Ski and Skiing magazines.
Even with extensive snowmaking operations, resorts often remain at the mercy of the weather. But coming into next season the dark clouds of the current economic slump coupled with ever-rising gas and home heating oil prices are a wild card. Will skiers cut back on the number of trips to the slopes?
Nyberg, like others in the tourism industry in the state, believes that when it comes to higher fuel prices Vermont is better positioned than resorts in the West.
"I think the fly-to destination resorts are probably going to be impacted more than we are as drive-to resorts here in the East," Nyberg said.
Because of its extensive snowmaking system, Nyberg said even poor weather conditions can work to Killington's advantage, guaranteeing adequate snow cover even.
But what Killington has in terrain and snow cover, it lacks in amenities offered by many other major resorts throughout North America. According to the recently released master plan, Powdr and SP Land expect skier visits to increase 5 percent a year and up to 10 percent a year "once the village has been developed."
Nyberg said the resort has to make improvements if it's going to regain its competitive edge. If the resort continues operating as it has the past 10 years, riding on Killington's legendary name alone, the rate of growth will be minimal at best.
"The expectations and the competition on all sides of us, our guests and the competitors that are out there, it will be marginal," he said. "We can't continue to operate on the virtues of what we currently have."
Contact Bruce Edwards at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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CSK Auto Names Mondry as Its Chief Executive Officer
CSK Auto Corp., the operator of Checker and Murray's auto-parts stores, said it named Lawrence N. Mondry as president and chief executive officer to replace Maynard Jenkins. The shares hit a 52-week high.
Jenkins has been chief executive since January 1997. The company said in September he planned to retire after the appointment of his successor. His plans were announced the same day CSK Auto said it had fired its chief operating officer and chief administrative officer after an accounting probe.
CSK said in December it is being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for accounting irregularities. The Phoenix-based company found mistakes in inventory and how expenses were accounted for. It hasn't reported full financial results since the quarter that ended Oct. 30, 2005.
``It's certainly a positive in that the uncertainties that have been overshadowing the company are now behind it,'' said Cid Davis, an analyst with Kevin Dann & Partners in New York who has a ``hold'' rating on CSK Auto shares.
At least two analysts upgraded the company's shares after today's announcement, including Gary Balter of Credit Suisse, who raised his rating to ``outperform'' from ``neutral,'' and Daniel Scalzi of Matrix USA, who raised his rating to ``hold'' from ``sell.''
Mondry, 47, served as chief executive officer of Dallas- based electronics retailer CompUSA Inc. from November 2003 to May 2006. He will assume the president and chief executive positions at CSK Auto after Jenkins retires next month, the company said in a statement.
CFO to Leave
The company also said today that Chief Financial Officer James B. Riley will leave at the end of the month to take a position with Ormet Corp. (ORMT), an aluminum producer in his home state of Ohio. CSK will name a temporary replacement in the ``near future'' and will begin a search for a permanent replacement. Riley had been CFO since October 2005.
Shares of CSK Auto rose 70 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $18.92 as of 4:03 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest one-day gain since September. They had risen 50 percent in the 12 months before today.
To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Dolmetsch in New York at firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joanne Norton at email@example.com.


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The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA), Meridian Port Services (MPS) and other industry stakeholders joined Hapag–Lloyd to celebrate its 175 years of existence as a global shipping line and 16 years of operating in Ghana.
The company is commemorating 175 years of transformation with a range of activities throughout the year, including a scholarly conference, a party for employees and stakeholders, and a congress.
Head of Freight and Logistics at GSA, Fred Asiedu Dartey and Hapag-Lloyd Country Manager, Mr Florian Nittscher
At a customer and vendor appreciation event held at the Accra Marriott Hotel last Friday,14th October, 2022 the Country Manager for Ghana, Mr Florian Nittscher said that Ghana is a key market for Hapag-Lloyd.
According to Mr Nittscher, “Hapag Lloyd connects Ghana to the world via three direct services, the WAX which connects Ghana directly to Europe, the MWX, connecting directly to the Mediterranean, and the MIAX connecting the Middle East and India with West Africa.”
The event was also attended by local and international dignitaries including the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Daniel Krull and a Delegation of German Industry & Commerce led by Mr Burkhardt Hellemann.
From left – Hapag-Lloyd Country Manager, Mr Florian Nittscher and Managing Director for West and Central Africa, Mr. Vishal Bundhun attending to guests
Hapag-Lloyd Area Managing Director for West and Central Africa, Mr. Vishal Bundhun, said that Hapag-Lloyd has been “enabling trade around the globe since 1847, with a strong tradition of transporting goods and connecting countries, markets, and people for the last 175 years.”
He expressed gratitude to Hapag-Lloyd customers and added that the company is, “constantly looking at opportunities to further improve our service and coverage to and from Ghana.”
From left – Marketing and Public Affairs Manager, Tema Port, Abena Serwaa Opoku Fosu, Head of Freight and Logistics at GSA, Fred Asiedu Dartey, Marketing and Principal Marketing and Public Affairs Officer, Port of Tema, Lydia Tham
The Head of Freight and Logistics at the GSA, Fred Asiedu Dartey wished the company well and encouraged them to improve their digital service platforms to help in enhancing their services to shippers.
He further commended them for banning the use of single-use plastics in Hapag-Lloyd offices in Ghana and across West Africa as a means to promote environmental sustainability.
Head of Freight and Logistics at GSA, Fred Asiedu Dartey and Emmanuel Ohene Addo, MPS Operations Manager


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Wasabi isn’t exactly a cutting-edge flavor, especially now that most supermarket delis sell boxes of ready-made sushi with a dab of the fiery green Japanese horseradish paste. But, says today’s New York Times, diners at Eat’n Park, a chain of 78 restaurants in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, balked at ordering trendy wasabi-encrusted salmon.
In “Wasabi to the People: Big Chains Evolve or Die,” (Wednesday, July 11, 2007, Dining In, pp. D1 and D4), Micheline Maynard says senior vice president Brooks Broadhurst was perplexed by customers’ reaction, “although he did wonder whether the fish, with its pale green coating and pale green sauce, looked unappealing on the laminated multipage menu, especially next to the sundaes and pies covered in whipped cream.”
Americans crave exotic, ethnic flavors, and mainstream restaurant chains are under growing pressure to come up with dishes that use trendy ingredients that appeal to palates piqued by Top Chef and other venues for celebrity cooks. But there’s a fine, often unpredictable line between “cutting edge” and “unacceptable.” At Atlanta’s Bread Company, goat cheese salad bombed, but a Cuban roast pork loin sandwich was a winner with Hispanic customers. Meanwhile Panera Bread is serving a grilled salmon salad with Meyer lemon dressing at its 1,000 restaurants.


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1 May 2013
Kerry Group has said growing revenues at its ingredients business has more than offset a slowdown in its consumer food sales.
29 April 2013
Wal-Mart, Kroger and Supervalu are among the US retailers presenting at a Barclays sector conference next week. The first-quarter results will continue to roll in, with Kellogg, Kraft Foods Group and Canadian retailer Loblaw part of a group of companies to publish numbers.
26 March 2013
A prominent academic has suggested the international food industry was lucky the horsemeat scandal related only to the fraudulent use of an apparently safe raw material.
20 March 2013
Kerry Group chief executive Stan McCarthy has predicted there will be fewer companies involved in the supply of meat as the industry responds to the recent horsemeat contamination saga.
5 March 2013
Nearly two months into the horsemeat scandal that has rocked the food industry, UK figures highlighting a sales slowdown in ready meals raise the question of whether this is a temporary blip or a long-term structural decline.
26 February 2013
Kerry Group booked a double-digit increase in sales and earnings for fiscal 2012, with growth driven by its ingredients and flavours arm.
31 October 2012
Irish food firm Kerry Group has said that it expects to meet full-year growth targets, after booking an increase in sales during the first nine months of the year.
23 October 2012
Ireland's food and drink sector is a "key lever" in the country's plans to drive economic growth, Prime Minister Enda Kenny has told just-food.
15 October 2012
The IGD's annual convention attracts the leading executives from the UK FMCG sector and last week they heard the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Unilever and Heinz discuss the economy, multichannel strategies, labelling and innovation. Elsewhere, Wal-Mart outlined its expansion plans for next year, Mars called on the chocolate sector to co-operate more on sustainable cocoa (which it said would cost billions) and Kellogg revealed the possible financial impact of its latest recall.
9 October 2012
Kerry Group has announced plans to establish a EUR100m (US$129.4m) global R&D centre in Ireland.
9 August 2012
Irish food manufacturer Kerry Group has booked a decline in first-half profits.
28 June 2012
Kerry Group is to close its production site in Durham in the UK by the end of July.
15 May 2012
Kerry Group has launched its Richmond brand, best known for sausages, into the cooked ham category in the UK.
2 May 2012
Irish food manufacturer Kerry Group said its businesses performed "satisfactorily" in the first quarter as profits climbed on the back of acquisitions.
18 April 2012
With some major national events on the horizon - the London Olympics, Paralympics and the Diamond Jubilee - the UK looks set to see an upsurge in patriotic sentiment this summer. The country's food manufacturers and retailers have invested a pretty penny to ensure that they can cash in on this jubilant atmosphere. However, Katy Askew suggests, the industry should be equally prepared for the comedown.
17 April 2012
Kerry Group is launching a range of "sausageballs" under its Wall's brand designed to build on the growing popularity of pasta in the UK.
30 March 2012
The Food and Drink Expo took place in Birmingham, UK, this week, hosting a raft of manufacturers and grocers from across the UK's food and drinks sector.
29 March 2012
Kerry Group today (29 March) told workers at a production site in the UK that it plans to close the facility, a local trade union has said.
26 March 2012
Unilever, Danone and Heinz were among the food industry heavyweights to present at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of Europe investor conference in London this week - and just-food.com provided exclusive media coverage. Here is a selection of soundbites from the event.
21 March 2012
Irish food company Kerry Group has insisted that, while M&A plays a central role in its growth strategy, its global scale and technological know-how also offer a competitive edge that will drive sustainable sales expansion.
13 March 2012
After last month's CAGNY conference, the annual event that sees leading FMCG companies present to financial analysts in the US, the industry spotlight will next week pass to London, where the third Consumer Analyst Group of Europe conference will take place - and just-food will be the exclusive media sponsor of the event.
27 February 2012
CAGNY, the annual conference where leading US food makers face Wall Street analysts, saw the likes of General Mills, ConAgra Foods and Heinz this week reflect on the trading challenges facing the industry. Elsewhere, Pfizer tried to cool fresh speculation around the sale of its baby food business, Kerry Group said it would slow its rate of acquisitions this year and there were rumours a French state fund was in talks to invest in poultry giant Groupe Doux.
21 February 2012
Highly acquisitive Irish food and ingredients firm Kerry Group has indicated that it will ease of the throttle and reduce its level of takeover deals during 2012.
21 February 2012
Irish food manufacturer Kerry Group has booked an 11% increase in annual pre-tax profits despite "weak" consumer confidence – notably in the UK and Ireland - and input cost pressure.
21 February 2012
Kerry Group today (21 February) announced that it has expanded its presence in the African flavours market through the acquisition of South African firm FlavourCraft.
13 February 2012
A new strategy - which has led to thousands of job cuts - at PepsiCo and the prospect of a new CEO and CFO at beleaguered Diamond Foods caught your attention last week but, beyond those headlines, just-food analysed organic food in China in its Brics and beyond column, we issued the latest data from our Promo Tracker and heard why columnist and SymphonyIRI vice president Rod Street believes suppliers and retailers need to develop a multi-channel strategy now.
10 February 2012
Kerry Group has told just-food that it is "astonished" at claims it is taking a "hardline anti-union stance" over potential job cuts at a UK facility.
6 February 2012
Kerry Group has begun consultation on the future of its frozen ready-meals facility in the UK town of Grimsby.
22 December 2011
A year ago, there was consensus that M&A activity would pick up in 2011. As we look back on the last 12 months, there were some major deals but concern over the economy meant the numbers of deals fell short of expectations. Dean Best reports.
22 December 2011
The year began with predictions that sustainability would continue to rise up the corporate agenda this year, and so it has proved.


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As published in Fintech Finance.
Brankas, the leading Open Finance technology provider in Southeast Asia, announced today a strategic partnership with Southeast Asia-based payments leader, 2C2P to introduce their modern Open Banking solution to Indonesia.
Through Brankas’ API integration, customers of 2C2P’s merchants will be directly connected to major Indonesian banks including Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia. Built on the principles of open banking, the partnership allows Indonesia businesses to offer customers a direct debit option during the checkout process to make payments from their personal banking accounts with the aforementioned banks immediately. Since the payment is authenticated directly between the consumer and the bank, merchants can avoid higher transaction costs and chargebacks generated due to fraud or an inability to capture funds.
The partnership extends the reach of 2C2P’s Direct Debit payment feature, enabling merchants to offer their Indonesian customers a seamless, secure, and faster payment option. Currently available in Indonesia, Brankas and 2C2P aim to bring these benefits to consumers and merchants in other markets in the region.
Read the full article here


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New Lawrenceville restaurant collects medical supplies for Ukrainian war effort
A new eatery in Mercer County is hoping its customers give back to help the people of Ukraine.
Wioletta Wyszynski says that she saw a need for an establishment that served healthy and convenient meals. She opened Crave Nature’s Eatery – a fast and casual style restaurant.
Beyond her mission to feed the community, the Poland native also wanted to give back.
“It’s unimaginable, the situation that’s happening in Ukraine. So, I like to call everyone to help as much as they can,” Wyszynski says.
LIVE UPDATES: The latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis
She is hoping her new customers rise to the challenge.
“I would like to ask everyone, when you visit Crave, to bring medical supplies like tourniquets, bandages – anything you possibly can think of for medical needs for Ukraine. We will be shipping them over to help,” Wyszynski says.
The restaurant has a contact in Poland who will help deliver the supplies.
A box is also set up inside the restaurant for people to drop off donations.
Crave will also donate some of the proceeds from its sales to relief efforts overseas.


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Taking its name from the Japanese word for ‘sniff’, Kunkun Body is a pocket-sized device that allows people to self-test their sweat in four locations – near the head, behind the ear, under the armpit and around the feet – for three categories of smell.
The app connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone app that sends you the results, warning if “immediately care is needed.”
Camera company Konica Minolta developed the app to alert workers to what the Japanese call ‘sumehara’ or ‘smell harassment’ – when people annoy their colleagues with their body odour, The Guardian reports.
No need to sweat it out
Their studies showed that body odour was the number one problem in the workplace, but there were no smell-detecting devices on the market. At the same time, people found it difficult to tell their colleagues that they had BO (been there before!)
The device is now selling for 30,000 yen (US$265) as part of a crowdfunding campaign ahead of its release later this year.
Sadly there are currently no plans to sell it outside of Japan. It’s a shame – they sound perfect for summer on Sydney’s public transport.


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Thought leadership has emerged as a pivotal area of focus for OECM over the last year. Our corporate communications team works collaboratively with our partners and teams to establish opportunities for our senior management and other subject matter experts across the organization to highlight their industry knowledge and insights. We are excited to share our expertise and experience with our customers, supplier partners, and sector partners and foster a healthy dialogue that generates innovation and change through knowledge-sharing.
In November 2022, OECM’s Director of Sourcing Solutions, Perry Arzumanian, contributed to a detailed piece for the Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA) titled “A Collaborative and Strategic Approach to Supply Chain Troubles.” The piece analyzed how supply chain delays, shortages, and pricing fluctuations will continue to impact the broader public sector for the foreseeable future. As a result, there is an imminent need for collaborative strategic sourcing to produce purchasing power and create economies of scale to decrease overall costs. A second article for the OPBA featuring OECM’s Director of Communications and Customer Relations, Sonia Gallo, was published in February 2023. OPBA sat down with Sonia Gallo for a discussion on what drives effective customer engagement and the value of customer communication for strong collaborative procurement.


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Altech to sell off West African business
BUSINESS| Sept. 27, 2012, 10:17 a.m.
Allied Technologies Limited (Altech) has announced that it plans to dispose of its 75% share in Altech West Africa Limited (AWA).
Altech said in a statement that AWA launched in Nigeria, in 2005. The company produces cash recharge vouchers for the cellular network operators in Nigeria and has more recently commenced the manufacture of plastic card products for Nigerian banks and other clients.
While AWA was highly profitable for most of the time since its inception, it has become loss-making during the last 18 months. Altech says this is due to a reduction in demand for its secure recharge vouchers (as opposed to cheaper non-secure products made by other suppliers) and delays in the up-take of plastic chip cards by banks. In addition, its “pioneer industry” tax-free status expired recently.
These factors, plus the costs involved in maintaining Altech management control of AWA from South Africa, additional investment required to enhance AWA’s production facilities, as well as the fact that AWA‘s product area is non-core to the Altech group, has prompted Altech to reached agreement to dispose of its 75% interest in AWA.
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Epic Games and Funko have announced a new partnership to create Fortnite toys and merchandise for release later this year.
Funko says that the new collection will feature numerous new product lines. These will include the Pop! Figures, Pint Size Heroes, Pop! Apparel, and more.
Brian Mariotti, the CEO of Funko, says that the company is thrilled to collaborate with Epic Games and looks forward to expanding the collection.
“This collection will be a true celebration of Fortnite’s incredible popularity and cultural significance, and we believe our Funko Fortnite collectibles will strongly resonate with fans of the game. We look forward to expanding this collection and combining our leading product capabilities with our strong retail platform. Ultimately our goal is to create a powerful merchandise strategy for the Fortnite™ brand, as well as bring these amazing collectibles to fans around the world.”
The Vice President of Epic Games, Mark Rein, echoed Mariotti’s sentiments, stating that the company hopes that Fortnite players will be excited about the partnership.
“We’re all big fans of Funko’s collectibles, so we were thrilled when we had the chance to partner with them on the Fortnite collection. We hope our players are as excited as we are about all of the cool stuff that’s on its way.”
Funko produces products for a variety of high profile brands and companies, including Marvel.[ad name=”article3″]
The news that Fortnite toys and collectibles are on the horizon will come as no surprise to anyone that has followed the game’s meteoric rise in popularity over the last year.
The 100 player Battle Royale version of the game has taken the world by storm with its innovative building mechanics and its fast paced, addictive gameplay.
Known for creating a variety of pop culture collectibles, Funko’s most famous lines include the Pop! Figures and bobbleheads.


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California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 793 into law, banning the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in the state, effective January 2021. Written by Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), the bill was supported by the American Lung Association and the American Heart Association. The new law will make the sale of electronic (”e”)-cigarette cartridges and flavored cigarettes subject to a $250 fine to the retailer. This was announced just about one year after Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in the state of New York. As reported by Dr. Bruce Y. Lee for Forbes, New York’s governor described flavored e-cigarette sales to teens as “a public health crisis.”
The goal of these laws is to reduce the lure of teens and tweens to engage in vaping, now known to be a significant issue in middle and high school students. Flavors such as cotton candy, mango, melon twist, and tropical fruit have been draws for the younger set to try and soon after get hooked on vaping. Nicotine, the addictive component in vaping products and cigarettes can be equal to or up to twenty times higher in vaping products than that of traditional tobacco cigarettes. While the largest seller of vaping products, Juul, has restricted even online sales to those over age 21 years, children have become one of the largest markets for flavored tobacco products. None of the online sales will be affected by the bill, even if products are shipped to California. Adolescents and young adults and teens under age 25 comprise over 60% of e-cigarette users.
The rise in popularity of electronic or e-cigarettes and vaping devices, collectively referred to as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), especially in minors, has come with concerns over the links to further tobacco or substance use, as well as serious life-threatening side effects. As of February 2020, ENDS have been implicated in over 2,800 cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and 68 deaths nationally. Initially marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarette smoking and a tool for smoking cessation, ENDS have seen the additional complications of injury and deaths to its users. The new law restricts retail sale of flavored tobacco products of any kind, including ENDS and cigarettes, but excluded restriction of flavored premium cigars and hookah tobacco. Hookah pipes are water-filled pipes that carry flavored tobacco. Also thought to be a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, they also carry similar risks of any smoked tobacco product.
Perhaps the biggest hit from the bill is to the sale of menthol cigarettes, more often used by adult smokers, and less so by teens and tweens. Banning the retail sale of menthol cigarettes, made by brands such as Newport and Kool, has generated heated debates. Those opposing the ban have stated that it unfairly restricts sales of these products by and for people of color, and is favoring those who buy premium, pricey flavored cigars, costing $12 or more per unit.
In 2009, the federal Tobacco Control Act was passed to ban all flavored cigarettes except for menthol, leaving a substantial array of “menthol flavored” products available for sale. As menthol was considered to be less appealing as a flavor to entice children (think “bubblegum”-flavored toothpaste over “mint”-flavored toothpaste for the younger set), menthol squeaked by. But no longer.
While vaping and flavored tobacco in ENDS has targeted the teen population with child-friendly flavors during this past decade, the menthol cigarette market has been around for close to 100 years. The creation of these products, adding peppermint and other mint flavors to tobacco, gives the false sensation of a cooling effect when inhaled. As this somehow seems healthier than non-menthol cigarettes, these products boomed in popularity throughout the mid- and late-twentieth century. The menthol cigarette industry has had several demographic target populations, including e-cigarette-smoking 12-17-year-olds as well as Black smokers. One study looking at young adult new smokers found that 93% of new Black smokers were smoking menthol cigarettes as opposed to 44% of new White smokers. Female smokers are also more likely to smoke menthol cigarette products, as are LGBTQ adults, particularly those identifying as female.
While there remain countless means to purchase flavored tobacco products, primarily online, the added retail restrictions in the nation’s most populous state will hopefully reduce new use and later addiction to tobacco products. With close to 500,000 tobacco-related deaths annually in the United States alone, Governor Cuomo’s calling this a “public health crisis” is not far off.


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Skelly's passion for toys started growing when he was a kid, and it hasn't stopped. On Sunday, he'll hold the 31st Annual Greater York Toy Extravaganza from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. at the York Expo Center in West Manchester Township.
The show features more than 800 tables filled with thousands of toys, old and new, ranging from cars to trains to dolls. In its first year, the show had 50 tables.
Skelly said vendors from 15 states plan to attend and that the show usually draws about 3,000 people.
"It's just a good time of year for something like this," he said.
Skelly, who's also a collector, travels the toy-show circuit throughout the year to buy and sell merchandise. He most recently went to shows in Allentown, Chicago and Rochester, N.Y. He said his show is one of the largest in the U.S.
Vendors will sell toys from the 1930s through 1990s. Manufacturers include Mattel, Aurora, Revell, Hubley, Buddy L, Tonka, Lionel and more. Skelly said he's most passionate about the history of toys and that toy manufacturing gained momentum after World War II.
"They just made so many neat things that probably couldn't be duplicated today because of the way they were made," he said.
Skelly said his show offers collectors and other shoppers a hands-on experience, versus online shopping. When buying toys that were made years ago, that's important.
"People can look at an item, feel an item and hassle with the buyer," he said.
Skelly said his show - originally called the Greater York Toy-Train-Doll Show - appeals to people of all ages.
"You get a lot of young kids who start collecting Hot Wheels and action figures to guys in their 80s," he said. "It's amazing just to see all the stuff."
- LEIGH ZALESKI,
IF you go
WHAT: 31st Annual Greater York Toy Extravaganza
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Memorial Hall East and West, York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., West Manchester Township
COST: $5 admission; children 12 and younger admitted free
DETAILS: Visit www.yorkexpo.com or call 717-848-2596


text: The FRIENDS of New Milford Library will host its first-ever special clearance sale tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the library, located on Main Street. The sale will feature coffeetable books, many of which are in like-new condition, as well as pre-1980 books, including adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's books. In addition, some of the older books have copyright dates from the mid-1800s to early 1900s. The bargain books, most of which will be discounted 70 percent off the FRIENDS' original prices, will not be available at the organization's Annual Book Sale, which is set for July. Proceeds will benefit the library. For more information, call Laura Vochis at (860) 355-8280 or the library at (860) 355-1191, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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IBM recorded far more new license revenue growth than any other application server software vendor last year, but BEA Systems continues to lead the market, Dataquest, a unit of Gartner said Wednesday.
The worldwide application server market suffered a severe growth slowdown last year as companies curtailed IT spending. New license revenue grew 20 percent, down from 92 percent in 2000. New license revenue amounted to US$1.18 billion in 2001, up from $990 million the year before, Dataquest said.
IBM outpaced the market with 71 percent new license revenue growth, giving the Armonk, New York, IT giant a 31 percent share of the market, up from 22 percent in 2000. Rival BEA Systems in San Jose, California, increased its market share by 1 percent to 34 percent in 2001 with revenue growing 23 percent, Dataquest said.
"The net result of the IT spending slowdown and the more cautious tone for emerging new software companies made IBM a safe bet and helped it pull more application server revenue," Joanne Correia, vice president of Dataquest's Software Industry Research Group, wrote in a research brief.
BEA and IBM are by far the market leaders. Sun Microsystems Inc., Iona Technologies PLC and Sybase Inc. trail with 9 percent, 3 percent, and 1 percent of the market, respectively, according to Dataquest.
Dataquest spots two trends in the market. It is splitting, with IBM and BEA offering high-end products that can handle millions of transactions per minute, while other vendors cater to those with lesser needs. Also, vendors are bundling application servers with other products; creating a new segment Dataquest calls application platform suites.
The trend of packaging application servers with other technologies will "increase dramatically" in 2002, Correia wrote. In fact, vendors including Oracle Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. never sold an unbundled application server. IBM and BEA will also bundle application servers with, for example, portal products and development tools, Dataquest said, adding that unbundled application server products will continue to exist.
Dataquest predicts that the application server market will grow at a 22 percent compound annual growth rate to just under $3.2 billion by 2006.
IDC, which also released its application server software platform market forecast on Wednesday, expects the market to reach almost $4.4 billion by 2006. IDC agrees with Dataquest that the market "failed to show the phenomenal growth in 2001 that it showed in the previous two years," but sees significant opportunities for vendors as the economic situation improves.
IDC also says the gap between market leader BEA and IBM has "narrowed significantly," but gives the two companies a smaller share of the market with 47.8 percent of the market in terms of revenue.
IDC is a division of International Data Group Inc., the parent company of IDG News Service.


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Serving up obesity? Supermarket ready meals double in size in a decade
Quick and easy, but are ready meals encouraging obesity?
Supermarket ready meals have ballooned in size over the past 15 years - provoking fears they are encouraging a national obesity epidemic.
Products such as curry, cottage pies, pasta dishes and casseroles can be more than 50 per cent bigger than in the 1990s.
At the same time, the portion size of some ready meals aimed at children is on a par with the adult products of 15 years ago.
The Food Standards Agency commissioned the research following evidence from the U.S. that supersize portions, laden with saturated fat, were fuelling weight gain. The watchdog estimates that Britons are eating 20 per cent too much saturated fat every day, which is contributing to some 200,000 deaths a year from coronary heart disease.
It has set itself a target to reduce the proportion of food energy from saturated fat from an average of 13.3 per cent to 11 per cent by 2010. This, it claims, would prevent 3,500 premature deaths a year.
Saturated fat is associated with fatty meats and dairy products such as full-fat milk, butter, cheese and cream.
The FSA's researchers looked at changes in portion sizes on everything from yoghurt to fast food and soft drinks.
A lack of historical data on portion sizes meant it was difficult for the team to track changes in the amount people are eating in a single meal.
However, they did find significant increases on many ready meals and the typical weight for a slice of bread, which means sandwiches are bigger than they used to be.
In 1990, Asda was selling a chicken korma without rice in a pack weighing 227g. Today, the nearest equivalent product is 54 per cent bigger at 350g.
A Marks & Spencer spaghetti bolognese for one has jumped from 283g 15 years ago to 400g today, which is an increase of 41 per cent. There are some ready meals where the increases appear to be even bigger, although it is possible the new larger sizes are being shared rather than eaten by one person.
Iceland's beef stew and dumplings had a weight of 285g in 1990s, while the product now on shelves weighs in at 500g, which is 75 per cent bigger.
Professor Malcolm Law, head of preventive medicine at London's Wolfson Institute, has lobbied for the end to supersize portions and two-for-one offers on sweets and junk food. He said it is time for the Government and FSA to take tough action to put a stop to it. 'There is a lot of evidence that portion sizes are getting bigger,' he added. 'It is no good asking supermarkets and manufacturers to take voluntary action to put a stop to it, that won't work.
'The Government needs to get them all in a room and require a uniform change to smaller portions.
'There is an epidemic of obesity. The increase in portion sizes and two-for-one offers on sweets and other unhealthy foods is self-evidently a factor in this.'
The FSA researchers identified a number of children's ready meals with a portion size of 300g, which is around the level of adult products in the 1990s. They also found that sliced bread is likely to be thicker than in the 1990s. A medium slice from a Warburtons white loaf is up 10.7 per cent from 36.4g to 40.3g.
The largest portion of fries available from fast food giants such as McDonald's and Burger King also appears bigger than in the 1990s.
The FSA said the comparisons provide a guide rather than a definitive picture of portion changes. It said the pack sizes might have risen in some cases because these products are likely to be shared.
Rosemary Hignett, head of nutrition at the FSA, said: 'The agency is committed to doing what it can to encourage everyone to eat a balanced diet.'
The Federation of Bakers said consumers have plenty of choice on how thick a slice of bread should be. 'People want to be able to buy thicker sliced bread,' it said.
The British Retail Consortium, which speaks for supermarkets, said: 'Portion sizes are based on how much customers want and the value they expect for their money.
'There's no point making portions so small that people buy two. All packs have full nutritional information to help customers choose a balanced diet.'
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LENDY is expanding into the auto-investment space with two products aimed at high-net-worth (HNW) investors, under its new brand Lendy Wealth.
The peer-to-peer property lender said on Wednesday that it is launching the Lendy Wealth365 account, which will offer returns of up to 10 per cent per annum for a 365-day access account.
The other product is Lendy Wealth60, which allows money to be accessed in 60 days and offers a return of six per cent per annum.
Money is invested in a diversified and managed property investment portfolio, in accordance with Lendy’s standard lending criteria. The portfolio will be managed by a dedicated account manager.
This is Lendy’s first foray into auto-investing, after issuing a survey to its customers to establish how much interest there would be in the product. It currently only offers manual lending, whereby investors self-select each loan.
“Full Financial Conduct Authority authorisation gives us an opportunity to launch new products to meet investor demand, including Innovative Finance ISAs, which we hope to launch later in the year,” said Robert Kelly, COO of Lendy.
Read more: Lendy continues hiring spree
“Our Lendy Wealth60 and Lendy Wealth365 access accounts are ideal for HNW investors looking for high rates of return with the minimum hassle.
“The accounts provide natural investment diversification across a board portfolio of loans, helping to mitigate the risks of property investing.”
The accounts have a minimum investment of £50,000 and a minimum withdrawal of £5,000.
Read more: Lendy appoints former banker as CFO
The firm said the products will be soft launched at Lendy Cowes Week 2018, which starts on 4 August.
The accounts are currently available via introducer only but Lendy said there will be a direct option soon.
Read more: Lendy secures full FCA authorisation


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Should high-caffeine energy drinks be sold to under-16s?
Campaigners have been calling for a complete ban on selling energy drinks to children due to their high sugar and caffeine content.
And now Waitrose has announced it will stop selling high-caffeine energy drinks to children aged under 16. From March 5, the supermarket will ask customers buying drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to prove they are over 16.
Waitrose said its decision was built on existing industry labelling guidelines, which require any soft drink with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to carry a high-caffeine content warning and state it is not recommended for children.
The British Soft Drinks Association introduced a voluntary code of practice in 2010 stating that high-caffeine soft drinks should not be promoted or marketed to those under 16.
Simon Moore, Waitrose director of technical and corporate social responsibility, said: "As a responsible retailer we want to sell these products in line with the labelling guidance.
"These drinks carry advice stating that they are not recommended for children, so we're choosing to proactively act on that guidance, particularly given the widespread concerns which have been raised about these drinks when consumed by under-16s."
Teachers' union NASUWT welcomed Waitrose's move, saying that one in 10 teachers cited energy drinks as a key cause of poor pupil behaviour in schools.


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So far, 2019 has proved a dismal year for Harley-Davidson’s sales. Total revenue for January to March was 10.2% down to £1.068bn. Worldwide wholesale shipments to dealers tumbled by 7.9% to just 58,891 machines. Operating profit plunged by 29.3% to £129m and net profit fell by 26.8% to £98.8m.
Global retail sales dropped by 3.8% to 49,151 bikes. Domestic sales were 4.4% down to 28,091 units. This just about beat the overall 4.7% decline in the US market which meant HD slightly increased its market share.
Seizing this one piece of good news, Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich gushed “We are acting with agility and discipline to take full advantage of rapidly evolving global markets. US market share growth and retail sales performance in the first quarter are further evidence of the effects we are having as we continue to implement and dial-in our More Roads efforts. We are driven by our unparalleled rider focus and deep analytics that are guiding our efforts today and into the future. We, along with our dealers, are determined to lead and stimulate global industry growth.”
... sounds to me like corporate nonsense of the worst kind.
In the meantime, international sales were down 3.3% to 21,060 bikes. European figures dropped by 2.1% to 9508. Asia-Pacific markets (including major players like Japan and Australia) dipped by 4% to 6074 even though Harley claims its new factory in Thailand has already started to boost sales in the region.
My feeling is that people have started to realise that Harley-Davidsons are not very good bikes and they’re looking elsewhere for a better product. The guys in Milwaukee had better hope their investment in electric bikes pays off.


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Posted on December 17, 2013
In conjunction with the release of the Nike Tiempo Legend V, Nike has also created a new street shoe – the Tiempo ’94. The Tiempo ’94 is an everyday leisure shoe that pays tribute to the Tiempo Premier, made famous back in the day by legendary superstar Ronaldinho.
1994 was the year that 10 players walked onto the field wearing the Tiempo for the first time. This lifestyle shoe celebrates that 20 year legacy of top notch soccer. Honoring the heritage of the Tiempo line, the Tiempo ’94 has the same attention to detail and premium craftsmanship as the elite performance Tiempo cleat. The Tiempo ’94 street shoe has an all leather upper, a classic contrasting white swoosh, and suede overlays that are a direct homage to the Tiempo Premier.
The Tiempo ’94 also has been outfitted with an oversized, removable tongue that has Nike Tiempo Premier branding on the underside. The thick gum rubber outsole and contrast phylon wedge insert are equipped to handle the grind of the street.
Nike has also released a new “I AM Tiempo” campaign featuring Gerard Pique, Ashley Cole, Sergio Ramos, Carlos Tevez and Ronaldinho.
Find the Tiempo ’94 on SOCCER.COM here.


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In a nutshell: Battery life isn’t always the biggest priority for smartphone makers, but a handset that lasts up to three days without requiring a charge is something many consumers crave. Now, Samsung has launched a device that meets those wishes: the Galaxy M51, which features a monstrous 7,000 mAh battery.
After teasing the phone last week, Samsung’s latest entry in its mid-range M series has just landed on the company’s German website. It comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED Plus display and a 1,080 x 2,340 resolution. As it’s not a flagship, the M51 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730. There’s also 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 32MP hole-punch selfie cam with a four-lens rear camera setup— 64MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and a depth sensor.
The standout feature, of course, is that 7,000 mAh battery, which should last around three days of average use. In addition to its vast battery capacity, the M51 comes with a 25W fast charger in the box.
Elsewhere, there’s 4K video recording at 30 fps, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, USB Type C, a single speaker, a 3.5mm jack, and Bluetooth 5.
The Galaxy M51 is available in black or white and is costs €360 (around $429). Preorders start shipping on October 11, and while availability will expand to other countries beyond Germany, there’s no word on a US release just yet.
Massive battery life doesn’t guarantee success, of course. Last year saw an Indiegogo campaign for the Power Max P18K Pop, a phone with an 18,000 mAh battery, raise just over $11,000 from 15 backers, falling slightly short of its $1.2 million target.


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On July 7 this year, shoppers will not be charged any GST at shops and restaurants participating in the Great Singapore Sale, which has since been rebranded as “GSS: Experience Singapore”.
Instead, the 7% tax will be absorbed by the shops themselves, including the following
- Orchard Road Business Association
- Restaurant Association of Singapore
- Singapore Furniture Industries Council
- Textile and Fashion Federation
- Precinct Association One Kampong Gelam.
These associations make up a large number of eateries, clothing stores, furniture manufacturers, electronics stores, beauty and wellness businesses, supermarkets and department stores in Singapore. The idea of having a “Shopping Day” on 7/7 came about as retailers wanted to spice things up to meet the demands of today’s experienced shopper.
The GSS: Experience Singapore will take place for a total of 6 weeks, from June 21 to July 28.
Besides the zero-GST day on 7/7, shoppers can look forward to extra discounts off items on every Friday.
Other events include a pop-up market on Orchard Road, local film screenings and concerts at the Design Orchard building, a furniture expo showcasing limited-edition designs at Robinsons The Heeren, and a fashion show on the Orchard Road scramble crossing on June 21.
What will you be looking out for this coming Shopper’s Day?


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This Story was Featured on:
APB: Reloaded, Pockie Pirates and Knight Age - The Daily XP May 30th
Big changes are being introduced to the One Piece inspired MMO, Pockie Pirates. An announcement made by leading online games publisher NGames, has just detailed the MMOs new SSS rank and crew upgrade system.
With the latest Chapter 9 update coming in June, Pockie Pirates is ready to make super gameplay way more super. Instead of pursuing the long desired SS rank like in the past, players will now be able to master the One Piece MMO on an entirely greater level with the newly introduced SSS rank. This is where the Luffys of the world will set themselves apart from typically successful pirates. Achieving the coveted SSS rank will grant 15% increases to many core stats like Strength, Wisdom, and Constitution.
By utilizing the games new crew upgrade system, already successful players can also unlock greater skills for their character. This will ultimately add to the character’s overall potential and growth as a master pirate. The crew upgrade system will provide tons of level 60+ characters with attribute boosts, but it’s up to them to master using those skills. No matter what your outcome may be, the race to become the King of Pirates just got taken to a whole new level.
Destiny's Release Date, Dark Age of Camelot and more! | The Daily XP December 9th
Your Daily MMO and MMORPG News for Monday December 9th. Today Nicole discusses Dark Age of Camelot, Alfheim Tales Online and Destiny.
Dark Age Of Camelot Frontiers Update
A new post on the Dark Age of Camelot website details some exciting new changes heading to the games Frontier system later this month.
Alfheim Tales Online Open Beta Incoming
Ray Media Group today announced that the open beta for the anime inspired MMORPG, Alfheim Tales Online, will begin on December 11th.
Destiny Release Date And New Trailer
The 2013 Spike VGX Awards have come to a close and amidst the flood of exciting information comes a new trailer and an official release date for the highly anticipated, Destiny.
Final Fantasy XIV 10 Minute Video Preview Update 2.1
?Square Enix continue to tease additional details for the hugely anticipated 2.1 Update for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn with the release of a new 10 minute video.
Guardian Of Heaven Joins SMITE Ranks
Hi-Rez Studios today released another update to the constantly expanding SMITE roster with the introduction of the Guardian of Heaven, Nu Wa.
Dawngate Closed Beta, War Thunder Ground War, TESO and more! | The Daily XP December 5th
Your Daily MMO and MMORPG News for Thursday December 5th. Today Bethany discusses War Thunder, The Elder Scrolls Online and Dawngate.
The Elder Scrolls Online Character Progression Detailed
Tamriel fans were treated to a double whammy this week as Zenimax Online Studios released a brand new developer blog post and video highlighting character creation and progression in the upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online.
Ground Forces Invade War Thunder
Gaijin Entertainment today announced that players will finally have the opportunity to experience ground war combat in the critically acclaimed World War II MMO, War Thunder.
Dawngate Closed Beta Begins Today
Waystone Games and Electronic Arts today announced the beginning of closed beta testing for the eagerly anticipated free MOBA game, Dawngate.


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Plastic Bag Bill Ban Moves Ahead In Sacramento
Editor's note: In our original story, we stated that the proposed law would ban paper bags. If the bill is passed, recycled paper bags would be available for a small price.
A bill being considered by the California State Assembly Friday would enact a statewide ban on plastic bags at grocery stores.
If passed and signed into law by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the legislation would prohibit supermarkets and convenience stores from distributing plastic bags. Recycled paper bags would be available for a reasonable price.
The law would go into effect January 1, 2012.
It also requires retailers to offer reusable bags for sale.
Angela Howe is with the Surfrider Foundation. She said volunteers collected 71,000 plastic bags from state waterways during last year's international coastal cleanup day.
"Plastic bags are an eyesore," said Howe. "The plastic pollution affects 267 species every year and kills or injures 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every year."
Howe said several California communities, including San Francisco, already have similar bans in place.
But Howe said a statewide ban would provide a consistent standard.


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iROKO aboard for Mobile Entertainment Africa
MOBILEBy BiztechAfrica - Aug. 8, 2012, 4:23 p.m.
All Amber, the organiser of premier mobile-related events in Africa, today announced that iROKO Partners, the world’s largest distributor of Nigerian entertainment, will be the Gold Sponsor at this year’s Mobile Entertainment Africa conference taking place on 29 and 30 August at the One&Only Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. The partnership represents iROKO Partners’ first time to ever sponsor an African event.
iROKO Partners is the fastest-growing Internet company in Nigeria and the largest licensee of Nollywood movies, with more than 5,000 titles in its library. It is YouTube’s biggest African partner, boasting over 152 million views in 2011, and has secured distribution deals with Dailymotion, iTunes, Amazon and Vimeo. Since its launch in January 2012 iROKOtv, the on-demand Nollywood movie service, has streamed over 11 million hours of movies across 200 countries.
The company’s music platform, iROKING, is Africa’s largest distributor of digital music with a catalogue of over 35,000 songs. Across all of its entertainment channels, iROKO Partners has seen over 4.5 million unique visits.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, Michael Ugwu, CEO of iROKING, will deliver a keynote presentation at Mobile Entertainment Africa 2012. He commented: “iROKO Partners is pleased to be sponsoring Mobile Entertainment Africa.
We attended the inaugural event last year and were extremely impressed by the quality of the presentations and the pedigree of the attendees. It was an awesome opportunity to celebrate Africa’s exciting and burgeoning tech scene and I’m sure it will be bigger and better this year. Our vision of bringing Nigerian and African entertainment online meshes perfectly with the premise of the event.”
Matthew Dawes, Managing Director of All Amber added: “I am absolutely delighted that iROKO Partners has committed to supporting Mobile Entertainment Africa. iROKO’s products are helping to make African entertainment content available to Africans both on the continent and in the Diaspora while simultaneously acting to curb piracy, which is currently a major challenge in the industry. Mobile entertainment is a crucial component of the mobile revolution in Africa and iROKO’s pivotal role in transforming the African entertainment ecosystem is undisputed.”
Mobile Entertainment Africa takes takes place on the 29th and 30th of August at the 5-star One&Only Hotel in Cape Town and will give attendees the opportunity to gain and exchange knowledge surrounding maximising the entertainment opportunities on handheld devices in Africa. Attendance at the event is limited and the inaugural event in 2011 sold out weeks before the conference. Anyone interested in participating is strongly encouraged to reserve a place now before the show is fully booked. Details can be found at http://entertainment-africa.com.
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14-Feb-2018 3:52 PM
Three passionate Queenslanders are about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity thanks to scholarships to attend the 2018 MIT Innovation & Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at QUT in Brisbane.
13-Nov-2017 12:27 PM
Leading law academic QUT's Professor Matthew Rimmer says the weekend trade talks involving Pacific Rim countries highlighted the key divisions and differences between the remaining 11 nations, after the departure of the United States under President Donald Trump.
09-Nov-2017 3:06 PM
Forget Black Friday Sales, Cyber Monday and traditional post-Christmas Boxing day sales - the next big thing to hit Australia will be 'Singles Day', according to QUT's retail expert.
25-Sep-2017 2:34 PM
Welcome to QUT's weekly round-up of news and events. For regular updates, follow us on Twitter (@QUTmedia) and Facebook (@QUTBrisbane). To subscribe to this wrap, please email firstname.lastname@example.org.
21-Aug-2017 11:51 AM
2017 Queensland Road Safety Week - August 21-25
Would you get behind the wheel drunk? Would you travel 65km/h in a 60 zone? The impact on driving performance is roughly the same, and is the message QUT’s Centre for Accident Resea