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Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest travel and leisure company, announced Monday it has signed a multibillion-dollar contract with German shipyard Meyer Werft to build four next-generation cruise ships with the largest guest capacity in the world. The four new ships will also be the first in the cruise industry to be powered at sea by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) — the world’s cleanest-burning fossil fuel.
The company said two of the ships will be manufactured for AIDA Cruises at Meyer Werft's shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Additional information about the ships, including which new ships will be added to each brand, will be made available at a later date.
Pioneering a new era in the use of “less harmful” fossil fuels in a notoriously polluting industry, the four new ships will be the first in the cruise industry to use LNG in dual-powered hybrid engines to power the ship both in port and on the open sea, which Carnival says will eliminate emissions of soot particles and sulfur oxides. LNG will be stored onboard and used to generate 100 percent power at sea — another industry first.
Carnival seems to be making a concerted effort to appeal to more conscientious travelers. This announcement comes less than a week after Carnival announced the launch of fathom, its new social impact brand — the company says it will partner with community organizations in destination cities, offering travelers the opportunity to work alongside locals for social causes. And in November, Carnival revealed in its sustainability report that it had reduced its carbon emissions from shipboard operations by 20 percent one year ahead of schedule.


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If your account is held with one of the biggest high street banks in the UK, chances are, you have been impacted by a seismic outage shaking the UK right now. Some of the biggest brands, including Barclays, HSBC, TSB, Lloyds, Tesco Bank and Halifax, are suffering from an outage that has left customers unable to login to online or mobile banking. HSBC is also suffering a similar issue, with customers unable to connect to the mobile banking app, available on iPhone and Android, or online portal.
Online banking allows customers to check their balance, manage their accounts, transfer money, schedule standing orders, and make one-off payments. The outage, which started around 5pm, has left thousands unable to perform any of these day-to-day tasks. It’s unclear what is causing the widespread problems, which has also left a number of popular online services, including the PlayStation Network – which enables multiplayer games with players across the planet, and Amazon offline for some users.

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If you are in the market for a Microsoft Surface this new deal could net you a free Xbox One S with some extra goodies.
The Nintendo Switch will feature additional storage via SD cards but will not allow for any external USB hard drives to keep the console portable.
The upcoming Nintendo Switch features a 6.2 inch screen that can output at 720p and has touch screen capabilities.
Shawn Levy has been signed as the new director for the Uncharted film that has been in development for years.
Titanfall 2 will not have a season pass, instead all future maps and modes will be free updates for all players.
King has closed its Singaporean development team Nonstop games who were best known for creating the Heroes of Honor strategy game.
Sony has announced that both Razer and Nacon are creating officially licensed pro controllers for the PS4.
We're one step closer to having all our questions about the Nintendo Switch answered, one very small step.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League straddles two newly emerging games markets.
MCV, Develop and eSports Pro are proud to present the Games Industry Christmas Party.
DreamHack has announced the return of its Masters competition, this time taking the event to Las Vegas.
This week, we speak to three VR developers about working on the fledgling format.
Parents who want to ensure their children have a safe and enjoyable video games experience now have an additional resource to draw upon.
An interesting design and seemingly extensive third party support has got retail excited about the Nintendo Switch, but big questions remain after the platform holder’s initial reveal.
Microsoft has revealed that integrated streaming to its new Beam service and advanced eSports options are coming to Xbox Live.
Update: Since the publication of this story, Square Enix Collective has contacted MCV to clarify Elliott's remarks. His statement can be found below.
Team Liquid has announced its entry into the competitive Civilization world by signing Stephen "MrGameTheory" Takowsky and announcing a new Civ VI tournament.
Argentina is the third biggest market in Latin America with $409m (£333m) in revenues, behind Brazil ($1.3bn) and Mexico ($1.1bn), Newzoo reports.
Nintendo has cut its profit forecasts for the financial year after its second quarter earnings release showed that the company lost around $50 million over the last few months.
Rockstar has removed trillions of dollars from the GTA Online economy after taking away any cash made through mods or hacks.
Former MCV and Music Week writer and publisher named associate director, and VideoGamer boosts editorial team.
Turtle Rock has announced that it will no longer work on Evolve, despite recently releasing a big update on PC that made the game free to play.
Apple has announced that its annual sales and profits have fallen for the first time in the last 15 years.
One of the most talked-about projects at this year’s Gamescom was Tarsier Studios’ Little Nightmares.


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The Federal Reserve’s “beige book” report, out Wednesday, provides a snapshot of economic activity across the nation in recent weeks. Based on anecdotes gathered from the central bank’s 12 districts from early April through late May, the Fed concluded that a pick-up in auto sales, tourism and manufacturing were supporting economic growth. Reports collected from regional business contacts also found that some industries have continued to suffer weather-related disruptions, while others said they were having trouble finding qualified workers.
Here are edited excerpts:
- Mall Drats: One New York retailer said a surge in sales since mid-April corroborates that weather had been a major restraining factor. However, contacts at major malls in upstate New York report that sales were steady to down slightly in April and early May, as cold and rainy spring weather has continued to restrain shopper traffic.
- Boston Strong: In April, Boston-area hotel occupancy rates were above 90%, which is unusually high, and observers say they expect hotel revenues to exceed those posted for April 2013. Some of the increase was due to business related to the 2014 Marathon, which had almost 36,000 entrants compared to about 17,600 in 2013, which was struck by twin bombings.
- Revving Up: A Philadelphia-area auto dealer said sales surged with “phenomenal” growth in April after a strong month in March. Auto dealers remain bullish for the rest of 2014.
- Hot in Construction: Cleveland construction companies said that they are hiring all types of workers–skilled trades, professionals, and back office, but that skilled trade workers are very difficult to find forcing wages higher.
- Guzzling Almonds: Many Boston-area companies said new products are driving growth. For example, a dairy-products manufacturer forecast that almond milk will generate “significant” growth.
- Eating Well: San Francisco restaurateurs said that meat and seafood prices have increased significantly. Drought conditions in California and Arizona have led to reduced herd sizes and decreased plantings of annual crops, driving up prices for cattle and vegetables like tomatoes and rice.
- Shipping Out: Richmond port traffic grew briskly, in part because shipments are being re-routed there from the West Coast because of expected interruptions from union contract negotiations there. Imports and exports of autos remained strong at the Port of Baltimore, and container shipments bounced back after a weaker first quarter.
- Train Delays: Chicago manufacturers reported lingering shipment delays of goods and raw materials from the harsh winter weather earlier in the year. A steel industry contact noted that the resulting supply-chain disruptions contributed to the increase in steel prices.
- Capital Gains: In Washington, D.C., the number of tourists had increased in recent weeks, and the re-opening of the Washington Monument in mid-May was well-attended.
- Bidding Battles: Real-estate agents in upstate New York said a lack of inventory is restraining home sales and that bidding wars are “fairly common” for prime properties. Home builders in the area said they are feeling more confident about the housing recovery but are still “reluctant” to aggressively ramp up new building projects.
- Texas is Different: In the Dallas area, employment levels held steady or increased at nearly all responding firms and some contacts noted continued difficulty in finding skilled workers. Food, cement, lumber, primary metals, fabricated metals and transportation equipment manufacturers noted continued hiring.
- Weakness Overseas: Some Boston-area manufacturers expressed concern about their foreign sales. A firm that sells building equipment said “Europe is still a mess.” Two other manufacturers said sales to China had slowed.
4 June 2014 | 6:37 pm – Source: blogs.wsj.com


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Silversea Expeditions has joined the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) to promote its range of luxury expedition and destination-specific cruises.
The line’s expedition fleet currently includes Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer, Silver Wind and new ship Silver Origin, which was purpose-built for the Galapagos Islands and launched last June.
Key destinations are Antarctica, the Arctic and Galapagos – and, during a typical year, its expedition ships will visit all seven continents.
Peter Shanks, managing director at the cruise line – part of the Royal Caribbean Group – said: “Silversea Expeditions are the ultimate adventure holiday – we believe there is a terrific opportunity for travel advisors in this fast-growing sector.
“UK travel agents are so vital to our business today and for our substantial future growth –joining Atas is just one example of our commitment to supporting them.”
Seven of the cruise line’s 10 ships are currently back in operation and the full fleet is set to return this summer.
“We have ambitious growth plans, as demonstrated by launching three new Silversea ships over the last 12 months,” added Shanks.
“Guests are keen to return. They are looking to sail for longer, looking to trade up to better suites and our iconic ‘bucket list’ expedition destinations of Antarctica, the Arctic and Galapagos have never been in higher demand.”
He said Silversea has offered expedition cruises for the past 15 years and its onboard expedition teams offer “the perfect experience” for Atas agents to promote.
“We want to showcase to travel agents the wide range of expedition experiences we offer as the leader in the sector – and as Silversea is reassuringly expensive, the earning opportunity for travel agents is not to be missed,” said Shanks.
“Those agents have all the guests we need. They just don’t know they are going on a Silversea Expedition yet – but they will.”
He said bookings for 2022 are coming back “stronger than we could have expected”, adding: “Pent-up demand is driving very significant growth for 2023 and 2024 sailings – it’s the perfect time for travel agents to join the ultra-luxury and expedition cruise journey.
“We have the very best sales team in our sector, a wide range of marketing assets, training and webinar opportunities – and a real desire to welcome and nurture new travel agents to Silversea.”
Claire Brighton, account director for Atas, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Silversea to the association. Expedition cruising offers such great opportunities for travel agents.
“As Peter says, there is plenty of demand from adventurous clients to visit iconic destinations and the cruises are lucrative earning opportunities for agents.
“Silversea is committed to travel agent partnerships and joining Atas is a real demonstration of that pledge to support the trade.”


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Automakers love making a big splash at auto shows, usually with swirling lights, loud dance music and a car that appears out of a smoke-filled cave. Whether it's a highly anticipated production vehicle or a concept car no one will ever get to drive, it's what these companies do. Not Volvo. Not this year, at least.
At AutoMobility LA (the fancy name for the LA Auto Show), Volvo won't have any cars at its stand. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Instead, folks will be greeted with a sign that states: "This Is Not a Car."
Mårten Levenstam, head of product strategy at Volvo Cars said the bold statement is "to showcase the big changes that are going on and to stay on the core message."
That message is about all the technology and services that surround Volvo vehicles, from its Care by Volvo subscription service and Sensus infotainment system running on Android to its use of LiDAR. The automaker will instead have demos and have employees available to talk about what the company is up to.
"If we wanted to discuss these things and brought the cars, people would focus on the cars and not focus on those important things," said Levenstam. He's right. A new car is like a shiny object that will tear your attention away from someone trying to explain how LiDAR works.
"It's clear we need to focus on the way the car is evolving, and there are big changes in our industry that people aren't aware of," Levenstam said. "We want to have a dialogue, and we want to learn from the discussion."
The evolution of what a car is and what it will be in the future continues to accelerate. Volvo just wants everyone to take a moment and talk about that and see what's happening to our personal transportation. Plus it fits in the AutoMobility theme of being the car show that's about tech. "We will not win the 'car of the show' award this year, but we are comfortable with that. Because this is not a car show," Levenstam said in a statement.
I asked Levenstam if he thinks the "This Is Not a Car" idea will be a success. His reply: "Check with me in two weeks."


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Mkango Resources, a mining contractor listed on Aim, and Metalysis, a metal research institute based in South Yorkshire, have partnered to develop 3D-printed rare earth magnets, which are vital components in electric vehicles.
The mining contractor has signed a memorandum of understanding with Metalysis to conduct joint research and also to develop and commercialise rare earth metals so that they can be used to create permanent 3D-printed magnets.
Besides being used in electric vehicles, rare earth magnets have a use in a number of consumer products and green technologies. With nations shifting away from petroleum products, several automobile manufacturers are developing electric vehicles, and this has increased the demand for rare earth magnets. This is also one of the ways that automobile manufacturers can reduce emissions and conform to the strict EU emission laws that will come into effect in 2021.
Mkango Resources has two licences to mine rare earths in Malawi, and it will be using its knowledge of earth magnets with the help of the patented technology of Metalysis. While both firms have not revealed the details of the collaboration, the mining contractor stated that the cost of the research and development for the first phase will be funded with its existing cash resources.
Mkango Resources Chief Executive William Dawes said that the company’s strategy is to be at the forefront of research and technology in the supply chain of rare earth metals, and it wants to become a leading supplier of affordable and sustainable rare earth metal magnets that can be utilised in electric vehicles and other high-growth green technologies.
Presently, China is the world leader in the rare earth magnet industry, and it is anticipated that the partnership between Mkango Resources and Metalysis will prove to be extremely beneficial for the industry.


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A Starbucks that opened without planning permission has managed to get a six-month stay of execution - by claiming it is not a coffee shop.
The branch in St James's Street, Brighton, caused controversy when it opened last month, despite being refused planning permission.
Residents and traders believe it is detrimental to the area.
The store, which used to be a bookshop, has permission for retail use but not to be run as a coffee shop. Bosses are now using this to say that it is used as a shop by people to buy bags of coffee, mugs and sandwiches.
Council planning chiefs will now monitor the premises to see how much they are selling of each item. The firm also has six months to lodge an appeal against the council's decision and can continue to trade in that time.
Starbucks had started renovating the store even before the Brighton and Hove City Council meeting which refused it planning permission.
A Facebook group called Stop Starbucks Opening On St James's Street started by Jon Barrenechea, 31, of New Steine, Brighton, gained 1,355 members and filed more than 500 letters of objection against the application.
Another application to put signs up outside Starbucks was also refused by the council on June 18.
The council is still deciding on whether to grant permission for air conditioning inside the premises. A council spokesman said the shop could legally operate because of the retail part of their planning permission.
He said: "We will have to monitor the business and ask them to show us how much they are selling of each item."
Phil Broad, managing director of Starbucks Coffee Company UK and Ireland said: "Starbucks is planning to submit the appeal documentation within the statutory time frame."


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India remains developing amidst its growing population after China. The country has a great potential to be independent in market. In India economy outlook 2023, the intensity of the economy is going slow. However, India has some good things to expect from several sectors.
The 2023 India Economy Outlook
From a Private Sector Point of View
The private sector in India is like good ammunition for the government itself. Overall, the private sector the consumers’ spending and it improves the balance according to India market research. The cycle of assets is doing good in the last five years. In 2023, at least it will remain the same.
The economy in India is steady since they rely on the private sector and the materials are coming from the local market too. Since production has no big challenge to overcome, the retail industry where the products meet the consumer is doing well. The growth is also promising.
India cannot avoid inflation and it is only getting higher in 2023. This is a major challenge in India because the peak of inflation will cause a mess in the macro-economic. The impact is huge for investment, especially foreign investors. Most likely, they will hold their investment.
What is the biggest effect if inflation is uncontrollable? The investors who have put their own money into stock investment will be exhausted because of the price. Production is also on-hold if the demand is low and slow over time. At the same time, a deficit might occur.
Despite inflation, India’s economy is promising for the middle and low-income classes. Since they cannot afford the stuff, they are finding alternative options to use. Job creation opens more opportunities for people and can beat inflation. The cycle of money is also locally occurring.
Since the opportunities are open, low-income people can get a better life in India. According to India market research, India’s growth can be better if job creation has a larger portion. The government should support this opportunity by opening an export hub and inviting more investors.
Because of the Russia-Ukraine war, the imports of some commodities in India have a special price. This intensity is a big benefit for this country because it is an exchange for Russian oil processing. The transaction with Russia is higher post-war. More companies with these commodities use are interested.
India economy outlook in 2023 is better for those who are in the low to middle-income class. Inflation in India is hard to avoid, but job creation becomes a solution to open more opportunities and investors.


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With curbside pick-up and delivery the only service models currently available for restaurants in North Carolina, many Port City eateries have had to change their business models practically overnight.
Prior to the restrictions implemented by Gov. Roy Cooper's recent executive orders, owners of both South Beach Grill, 100 S. Lumina Ave. in Wrightsville Beach, and Sweet n Savory Cafe, 1611 Pavilion Place off Eastwood Road, said that take-out sales accounted for less than 5% of their business.
Now, John and Elaine Andrews of South Beach Grill and Rob Shapiro of Sweet n Savory have worked to embrace the challenge of running a restaurant with curbside pick-up and delivery as their only options.
It’s been just over a year since South Beach Grill reopened after being closed for several months following Hurricane Florence. But John Andrews said he is optimistic that if he can keep his doors open and retain as much of his staff as possible during this time, he will be stronger for it on the other side.
He has been working with neighboring businesses such as Kohl’s Custard to place communal orders because some suppliers require minimum orders, which can be hard to meet right now. He’s buying fresh fish each day, sometimes twice a day, from Mott’s Channel and Seaview Crab Co. to ensure everything is as fresh as possible and nothing goes to waste.
He also said that he’s thankful for a partnership with Cape Fear Delivery, which has modified its fees for local businesses and offered coupons to customers.
“They have really stepped up to help us stay open,” John Andrews said.
South Beach is currently offering its core menu as availability allows, as well as several family-style meals for two or four, quarts of clam chowder and family-style sides, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. See its Facebook page
for daily updates and pricing.
Free delivery is available on the island, and in-town delivery is available through Cape Fear Delivery.
Shapiro said he has been able to keep a core staff of about 11 employees at Sweet n Savory who are adapting daily to the new rules and regulations. He has cut back his base menu by about two-thirds, cut menu prices by about 40% and implemented family-style meals.
While breakfast and lunch sales have plummeted, Shapiro said his dinner sales are up by about 25 to 30% leaving him with about 50 to 60% of his previous sales overall.
“We’re selling 100 to 150 family meals a night,” Shapiro said. “And the staff is enjoying coming up with new ideas for those. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”
Shapiro said the family meals have been so popular that he foresees keeping them on the menu once the restaurant is able to reopen for in-house dining.
Family-style meals feed two adults and two children and include a choice of three courses for $24.99. Selections are posted nightly for the following day to Sweet n Savory’s Facebook page
“It’s too soon to know what our new normal will be once this is over, but I’m incredibly grateful that my staff has remained positive and is so committed to continuing to serve the community,” Shapiro said. “We’re coming up with new ways each day to adapt and improve that service. We want to offer people some hope, some good food and a smile.”
Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected].


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The carriers today unveiled plans to merge their telecommunications businesses to create a company called VHA Australia.
VHA will market its products and services under the Vodafone brand but retain exclusive rights to use the 3 brand in Australia "during a transition period and thereafter", the companies said in a statement.
The VHA network will cover "at least" 95 percent of the population, they said.
About 63 percent of people will have access to 3G services immediately but additional network rollouts will take that figure up to 95 percent. No guidance on timelines was provided.
The companies flagged the potential for job cuts across operations.
"Economies of scale across procurement, product development, IT, network, commercial operations and administrative expenses are expected to deliver significant cost savings," they said.
If the merger is approved, Vodafone said it will receive a deferred payment of $500 million from VHA "to equalise the value difference between the respective businesses".
Vodafone said it will also receive an "annual brand licensing fee" from VHA equivalent to one percent of service revenues.
The transaction is expected to close by the middle of the year subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and other due diligence processes.
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During a time of increasing economic anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Paolino Properties – which rents space to an array of companies, including small businesses such as restaurants, salons, clothing retailers and auto garages – has taken steps to ensure that their tenants have the resources necessary to successfully navigate this period of unprecedented uncertainty.
While the Small Business Association (SBA) has enacted several new temporary assistance programs in response to this crisis, navigating these new programs may be overwhelming to small business owners who are already embroiled with the task of keeping their businesses afloat and their staff employed. Recognizing this potential challenge, Paolino Properties Managing Partner Joseph R. Paolino Jr. announced on Wednesday that the company has hired Bill White, former president and CEO of Coastway Community Bank – a leading small business lender.
White has over 40 years of experience in the industry, and most recently served as the Director of Banking for Rhode Island at HarborOne Bank. His role will be to work directly with Paolino Properties tenants to ensure they are able to identify all assistance programs they may qualify for, and then support them when filling out applications.
“I don’t want any of our tenants to lose sleep at night wondering if they can access financial support,” Paolino said. “I’ve known Bill for many years and am proud to have him join my staff. It’s wonderful that the state and the Small Business Association are making resources available to those who need support, but we must also ensure that small business owners have access to experts who can help them throughout the application process for these programs.”
“I am grateful to Joe and Paolino Properties for the opportunity to assist small businesses in applying for the various forms of financial aid that have been made available to them during these difficult times,” Bill White said. “A little extra knowledge can go a long way, especially when it comes to accessing these types of programs.”
The Coronavirus pandemic has also provided a ripe opportunity for scammers to defraud business owners and private citizens seeking financial relief. Paolino said that hiring White will also help ensure that tenants are not victimized by such bad actors, and will provide needed assurance during a time when so much is at stake.
“Many small business owners have never had to go through this before,” he said. “Small business owners in Rhode Island need to have their questions answered. How do they apply for money? How do they know if they qualify? These owners feel just as passionate about sustaining the livelihoods of their employees – their business families – as they do about maintaining their businesses.”
Paolino called for a consortium of experts across multiple areas – property management, banking, academia, government and the business community – to come together in order to help small businesses across Rhode Island weather the storm of the Coronavirus.
“Our small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy, and their employees are crucial contributors to the overall health and welfare of their families and communities, and the state as a whole. We are all in this together,” he said. “Without small business, we have no business.”
If you are a tenant of Paolino Properties and wish to contact Bill White for assistance, he can be reached at 401-274-661l (ext. 244), or by email at email@example.com.


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Ford's C-segment contender will be all-new come 2019 apparently. According to our spies, the images you are seeing right now is that of the next-generation Focus in full prototype form.
Despite the heavy camouflage, the 2019 Focus appears to have styling cues from the seventh-gen Fiesta that was first revealed late last year. The distinct headlights have been slightly tweaked while a new grill makes its home at the center front fascia.
It's along the side where the uncanny resemblance of the Fiesta can be seen on the 2019 Focus. Like the smaller hatchback, the Focus hatch appears to have a new prominent beltline that runs the entire length of the car. Also present is the sloping roofline which gives the next-gen Focus a nice flowing shape.
Around the back, the prototype body has faux taillights, but it is highly likely these are placeholders for the new set which may take on the shape of a two-piece clusters.
Size-wise, our insiders expect that the new Focus will be larger, wider and roomier than the current model.
Our spies were also able to take a peek inside the 2019 Focus. While still in its development stage, the large center display could mean the the next-gen Focus will have SYNC 3 as standard, as well as a tweaked center console. Unfortunate, however, is the removal of the manual parking brake as this particular prototype (nicknamed Ringo) appears to have an electronic parking brake (EPB) instead of the traditional lever.
A wide range of gasoline- and diesel-powered engines are expected to be available in the 2019 Focus, as well as a full-electric and hybrid powertrains.
Aside from the hatchback body, our spies were also able to see a wagon test mule of the Focus. No pictures of a sedan prototype have surfaced yet however.


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The creator economic system is “burning up,” and the Jonas Brothers are cashing in.
Launching today with the assistance of those former teen heartthrobs, Scriber is a creator subscription firm geared towards extra established figures in leisure (… just like the Jonas Brothers). Joe, Kevin and Nick aren’t simply Scriber’s first creators — in addition they have fairness within the firm.
In addition to catering to extra established artists, Scriber differentiates itself from different creator subscription merchandise by functioning solely through SMS. The creator will publish a cellphone quantity on their social media platforms for followers to textual content, and after messaging that quantity, followers pays a subscription payment through Apple Pay or Stripe to get unique content material despatched to their cellphone. For this launch with the JoBros, followers pays $4.99 a month, however the service is barely obtainable within the U.S. proper now.
Since Scriber shouldn’t be an app on the App Retailer, the platform doesn’t should pay charges to Apple or Google Play. As a substitute, creators pay Scriber $1 per 30 days for every subscriber (so if they’ve 10,000 subscribers, they pay $10,000). The creator additionally covers Stripe’s 2.9% processing payment.
App Retailer charges have been a serious ache level for creator-focused startups. Fanhouse, for instance, instituted a coin system to avoid Apple’s 30% reduce — followers purchase cash on the internet, then use them within the app to subscribe to creators (they will additionally pay through the app, however they’ll be charged further to cowl the charges).
Scriber creators retain rights to the content material that they add, and the platform tries to guard the unique materials from leaking by giving every subscriber a novel hyperlink to view uploads. So, in the event that they share that hyperlink on-line, Scriber can simply work out the supply of the leak. This may increasingly not assist in the case of display screen recording and re-uploading movies, although.
Scriber comes courtesy of journalist-turned-entrepreneur Brian Goldsmith, who’s serving as CEO and offering many of the startup capital. In keeping with a report from Axios, Goldsmith says he hopes that the already-wealthy celebrities he companions with will use the platform to lift cash for philanthropy. The Jonas Brothers are planning to donate about half of their earnings to causes they care about.


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PASADENA, CALIF. (March 14, 2011) — Clean Agency, a research-based consulting firm that provides consumer product companies with life cycle assessment, carbon footprint and product packaging solutions, has become a member of the Sustainability Consortium. Clean joins a diverse group of retailers, manufacturers, government, academic and public interest groups working to reduce the environmental and social impacts associated with global consumption.
“Joining the Sustainability Consortium is an important step in our continued effort to leverage the power of business to create impactful solutions to global environmental issues,” said Seri McClendon, chief executive officer, Clean Agency. We’re eager to contribute our research expertise and to work with other consortium members to reduce negative impacts on our natural resources and influence consumption towards a more sustainable future.”
“We are pleased to welcome Clean Agency into the Sustainability Consortium, and we look forward to a fruitful and productive partnership ahead,” said Dr. Kevin Dooley, co-director of the Sustainability Consortium. “Clean will contribute an experienced team of experts focused on a scientific approach to building a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social and economic imperatives.”
The Sustainability Consortium was established as a means to tackle the challenge of sustainability in the face of unprecedented growth. As consumers become more sophisticated about their purchasing decisions, and as natural resources become more limited, the Consortium is dedicated to driving innovation so consumers are empowered to consume in a more sustainable way.
ABOUT CLEAN AGENCY:
Clean is a research-based consulting firm specializing in sustainable business solutions for global consumer goods companies. Clean’s cutting edge marketing and PhD-level research team with expertise in life cycle assessment, carbon foot printing and sustainable packaging helps businesses measure their impact on the environment and implement innovative strategies that cut costs, improve efficiency, increase sales and drive industry leadership. Visit www.cleanagency.com for more information.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY CONSORTIUM:
The Sustainability Consortium is an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. It develops transparent methodologies, tools and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a transparent process and system, not individuals or organizations. Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas jointly administer the Sustainability Consortium. Learn more at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.
The Sustainability Consortium is a part of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU); and the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas. The Global Institute of Sustainability is the hub of ASU’s sustainability initiatives and home to the first of its kind School of Sustainability; it works to advance research, education, and business practices for an urbanizing world (http://sustainability.asu.edu).
The Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas leads organizations in the retail and consumer goods industries toward sustainable practices that support an economy built around people, planet, and profit. The center is part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and serves multiple disciplines across campus (http://asc.uark.edu).


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Above, Andrea Ridout, owner of the eco-friendly Gecko Hardware with store mascot George the Rooster. Ridout says the Lake Highlands area store's reception has been outstanding since opening April 2013. Photos courtesy of Gecko Hardware.
July 21, 2014
By Rita Cook
Last year, Gecko Hardware blazed a new retail trail when it launched a neighborhood hardware store that catered to the traditional homeowner while filling a niche for the eco-friendly crowd.
Recently that innovation was recognized when the Dallas-based home improvement store won the Beacon Award for the Best New Hardware Store in the Country in the under 20,000 square foot category for the annual Hardware Conference to be held in Florida later this year. The event represents more than 200 stores from throughout the United States and the largest gathering of independent retailers from all buying organizations in the industry.
“Judging criteria includes community involvement, store design, merchandising displays, promotion activities, specialized product areas/niches, innovative retailing concepts, employee training/recognition programs, social media activity and financial performance,” says Tom Delph, director of the Beacon Awards. “If you know Gecko Hardware, you can see how well they have matched the above areas in a very short period of time.”
Store owner Andrea Ridout speculates that it was their unique spin on the the standard hardware store that won them the award.
“We have tried to do something different by combining a conventional True Value with a green living supply that also has a fun and quirky atmosphere.”
According to Ridout, their formula of stocking green products side by side with old standards has been successful. She said about half of their customers are seeking items to fit their green lifestyle. However, many customers stopping in to pick up light bulbs or a can of paint are converted once they discover the eco-friendly alternatives on the shelves.
“I love seeing a non-greenie customer when they have an ‘aha’ moment and they become a fervent supporter of organics, less chemicals, local products,” said Ridout.
Bestselling items include the Skeeter Screen Patio Egg, which Ridout says looks like an emu egg and emits a smell that people like, but mosquitoes hate. Gardening products are also popular, with the store selling several lines of organics.
“Our compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs fly off of the shelves and local products are a big hit too.”
Some of the more unique items found at Lake Highlands-area venue include what Ridout describes as “super cool” ball-shaped composter that can be rolled around the yard or on a stand.
“We also have several eco-friendly cleaners that are so safe you can almost eat them, low VOC paint in more than 1,200 colors and local honey that is not only delicious, but can help with allergies.”
Above, the Eco-composter. Below, honey from the Texas Honeybee Guild.
Other items that move quickly from the shelves include local cookies, jams and teas, door mats made from the colorful remnants left over from making flip flops and recycled rubber tires, low-flow showerheads and faucets that save water, a chainsaw that uses vegetable-based oil instead of petroleum, a solar-powered security light that can be hooked up anywhere, canning supplies, nails made from recycled steel in Ohio and even Texas-based chicken feed with no GMO's.
A member of the True Value cooperative system, which has more than 5,000 independent retailers across the U.S. and worldwide, Gecko Hardware offers customers a huge selection of everyday and specialty hardware at prices that compete with larger stores.
Ridout admits that they have done so well they are now looking for possible locations and investors to help fund more stores.
“The neighborhood especially has been so welcoming,” concludes Ridout. “I have never had such a warm reception in over 30 years of business. Our sales were strong right out of the gate and we have spent the last year really honing our selection to meet the needs of our customers.”
Rita Cook is an award-winning journalist who writes or has written for the Dallas Morning News, Focus Daily News, Waxahachie Daily Light, Dreamscapes Travel Magazine, Porthole, Core Media, Fort Worth Star Telegram and many other publications in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. With five books published, her latest release is “A Brief History of Fort Worth” published by History Press. Contact her at [email protected].
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BEIJING: Beijing-based education technology startup Yuanfudao said on Thursday that it has secured $2.2 billion from major Chinese and international investors in two recent rounds of financing that it said lifts the company's valuation to $15.5 billion.
Google has long defended itself against charges of monopoly by stressing that its products are free and that no one has to use them.
Video snippet sharing sensation TikTok on Oct 21 said it is cracking down on hateful content, banning anti-Semitic stereotypes and white nationalism posts.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission has signed contract with pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which will enable European Union (EU) member states to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for up to 400 million people, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police are investigating after dozens of priceless artefacts in some of Berlin's most famous museums were daubed with an oily liquid by unkown vandals, causing possibly irreparable damage, officials said on Wednesday.
A SCREW pump capable of drawing out 300 litres of water per second is what the state government hopes could solve the perennial flash flood woes in Kota Permai, Bukit Mertajam, on mainland Penang.
A giant 2,000-year-old figure of a feline was recently discovered by a drone on a Peruvian hillside.
Alibaba’s move to take control of hypermarket operator Sun Art is expected to push forward its ‘new retail’ strategy in China. The stakes are high for Alibaba amid predictions that China will soon edge out the United States as the world’s largest retail market.
BEIJING (China Daily/ANN): China is taking more steps to open up its economy to foreign investors, as it aims to further facilitate investment and spur growth despite disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and mounting international uncertainties, officials and experts said on Tuesda


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Analyst firm IDC released its report for the first quarter of 2013, which chronicles big rises and great falls. There's nothing new at the top – Android and iOS account for 92.3% of smartphone shipments - but the fight for third position is heating up.
Android is still in the lead (in fact, it's widening its lead) and grabbed 75% of the sales. Samsung is by far the biggest Android maker, with a share of 41.1%. Other Android makers have single digit market shares, with some falling below the 1% threshold.
Apple shipped the greatest Q1 volume of iPhones ever, but even with that saw iOS market share decline to 17.3% (from 23% in Q1 2012).
Android and iOS together account for 199.5 million smartphones shipped in the first quarter of 2013, up 59.1% over Q1 of the previous year.
Windows Phone was the fastest growing OS and jumped into third place with 3.2%. Nokia is the main driver of WP growth, with nearly 80% of all Windows Phone handsets sold in Q1 carrying the Nokia logo. Nokia has shipped 20.3 million Lumia phones in total.
BlackBerry slipped from third to fourth place (6.4% market share to 2.9%) but there is some good news, its new BlackBerry OS 10 has sold 1 million smartphones during its first quarter of availability (that's just the Z10, the Q10 and Q5 were unveiled just a few days ago). Still, the majority of BlackBerry smartphones shipped in the first quarter ran on the old BB OS 7.
Linux held on to 1% market share (down from 2.1%) but there are plenty of new OSes incoming - Tizen, Mozilla, SailFish and Ubuntu.
Symbian saw the biggest decline in market share, down to just 0.6%. Small surprise since Nokia and Japanese carriers (the last bastions of Symbian) have moved on. Still, IDC expect the veteran OS to live on in 2014 with very small shipment volumes.


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LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Broker Piper Jaffray overnight cut its January quarter earnings per share estimate on Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. elbo to $1.55 a share from its prior projection for earnings at $1.72 a share. "Holiday video game sales are expected to fall short of expectations," the broker told clients. "Same store sales are likely at low single-digit levels hit hard by severe shortages of hardware from Sony SNE, +2.22% Microsoft MSFT, +3.16% and Nintendo. On top of missed software sales tied to the missed hardware sales, store traffic was negatively impacted and software sales will be challenged."
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OTTAWA — When Home Depot cancelled its recycling program for fluorescent lighting and leftover paint — hazardous waste items that the retail giant is more than happy to sell — the first reaction of many was that it is letting down the side when it comes to being a responsible corporate citizen.
And that might turn out to be the case.
But it’s also possible that Home Depot is a victim of its own success.
The company would only reply in writing to a media request on Monday. A Home Depot spokeswoman offered this emailed explanation for ending the recycling programs:
“Due to some recent changes to the enforcement of compliance requirements in a number of provinces, we carefully reviewed our voluntary take-back programs. After the review it was clear that third-party agencies are better equipped to manage these kinds of programs.”
However, the Citizen has learned that one of the factors that led to Home Depot’s cancelling its recycling programs was that it was becoming too hazardous to store all the burnt-out compact fluorescent lamps (or CFLs) and, to a lesser degree, partly used cans of old paint, at its retail locations. Authorities were reportedly worried about the what would happen if, say, a stack of those fluorescent bulbs were to break in a store. While CFLs are more energy efficient, they do contain a small amount of mercury, which can be hazardous to human health and the environment.
So now Home Depot has ended its recycling role in fluorescent lighting, who will take them?
It’s a question that’s apparently plaguing the nation. In 2007, the federal Conservative government announced it would ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs by the end of 2012, and at the same time hailed Home Depot for being such an excellent protector of the environment for selling the newfangled squiggly CFLs.
However, the light-bulb ban has been put off for at least a year. According to an Environment Canada report, Canada isn’t equipped with enough facilities to handle the burnt-out mercury-laden light bulbs and tubes.
There are Ottawa retailers are still accepting fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, including Canadian Tire and Rona stores, as well as IKEA. But with Home Depot getting out of the recycling game, won’t it just be a matter of time before its competitors do so as well?
And this is wrong.
As residents, we’re asked to do our part for the environment, including separating our garbage into three recycling bins. It’s not so onerous, but it’s not as easy as tossing everything in a bag, either. And we are told not to include dangerous items like batteries and fluorescent light bulbs in with our regular trash either. Fine.
But surely it’s not too much to ask to be able to have convenient places to return our hazardous items when we’re done with them.
You can take your dangerous trash to one of the dozen or so hazardous waste drop-off events the city holds throughout the spring and summer at various different locations. But we do not have a permanent hazardous waste depot — nor should we. Not only would that sort of facility be a financial burden on local taxpayers, but what community in the city would welcome it?
The way that hazardous waste is recycled and paid for in this province is a long, complicated mess. Remember the botched 2010 eco fee? It was supposed to cover the costs of disposing of so-called Phase 2 hazardous waste, which includes rechargeable batteries, portable fire extinguishers, mercury-containing devices, syringes, pharmaceuticals, and yes, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes.
Since the eco fee program was shelved, taxpayers have been taking up the slack of paying for their disposal.
And while industry contributes some to the safe handling of hazardous waste — costs it surely passes on to us consumers — that money doesn’t cover all the associated expenses. Ottawa council knows this all too well, as it has formally complained to the province about recent shortfalls in covering the city’s costs of disposing of this kind of waste.
Consumers and taxpayers have responsibilities to be good stewards of their environment. But so does industry, both by paying the real costs of protecting the environment and providing services that encourage recycling. While a number of retailers do accept waste, currently no retailer, no matter how large, is obliged to. That needs to change: if you sell it, you should have to take it back.
If indeed Home Depot was overwhelmed by the response of its recycling program for fluorescent lights and paint, then the province has to work with the retail chain to find a solution. And if Home Depot abandoned its popular program for other reasons, then the province needs to act on that, too.
Either help them, or make them. Or maybe a little of both. But allowing a huge corporation to walk away from its ethical obligations isn’t an option.


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Procurement & Supply Chain
Top 10 manufacturing companies in Beijing, China
Boe, ChemChina, Xiaomi, Baic & more, here are the Top 10 manufacturing companies in Beijing facing a COVID-19 lockdown and supply chain disruption
Starbucks invests $10mn to develop recyclable, compostable coffee cup
In an age or automation, robotics and blockchain, Starbucks is hoping to revolutionise ...
Top 10 Appliance Manufacturers
We rank the top 10 appliance manufacturers
Starbucks: How China's innovation park will elevate manufacturing
Starbucks, the global roaster and retailer of specialty coffee, has announced it will invest $130mn in China to open a state-of-the-art roasting facilit...
Starbucks and McDonald's team up to develop new sustainable cup
Starbucks and McDonald’s have teamed up with Closed Loop Partners to build a fully recyclable or compostable cup within the next three y...


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Diets? In 2019? Yes, really. While we reject the notion that women should restrict themselves to achieve a certain ~look~ to be able to love themselves, we can't deny that there is still a difference between good calories and...not-as-good-even-though-they-make-you-happy calories.
The US News and World Report ranks diets every year, and for 2019, they are recommending a classic: the Mediterranean diet.
If you're wondering how the Mediterranean diet landed the top spot, the decision was made by a panel of nutritionists and specialists in heart health, weight loss, and diabetes. These experts reviewed a total of 41 diets.
What exactly makes the Mediterranean diet the best? Historically, people who lived near the Mediterranean sea had a diet that was centered on fresh produce, nuts, and other healthy fats—one that's safe for people of all ages.
Those who follow this diet stay away from processed foods, eating healthy fats like salmon, olive oil, and avocado. It's probably why the diet is known to improve one's heart health and even lower bad cholesterol and prevent diabetes.
But the *real* reason why this diet is amazing is that you can still drink wine! Cheers to a healthier 2019!
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Businesses can now modernise their approach and give customers a new, efficient way of trading through DueTrade, which develops customisable business-to-business apps.
Since its launch over two years ago, it has gone from strength to strength, working with traditional businesses, such as grain merchants, millers, and meat suppliers.
It has secured local and global clients, growing the team and increasing brand awareness.
Within the agricultural sector, DueTrade has developed and launched applications for grain merchant, Dewing Grain, and Europe’s largest miller and the tenth largest in the world, Good Mills Group GmbH.
The original idea behind the business sprung from DueTrade’s founder, Henry, and his family’s grain trading firm.
It “needed help to stay relevant, move forward with the times, and be able to connect with farmers”.
It desired to “offer a new way of receiving information about grain news, markets and prices”.
Shortly afterwards, Henry spotted an opportunity to create a bespoke solution to assist more traditional sectors to make trading more efficient.
Digitalisation and future-proofing
Dewing Grain’s app launched in October 2020 and has allowed them to reach and communicate with numerous industry experts easily and efficiently.
Josh Dewing, seed manager at Dewing Grain, says the firm has picked up “quite a few” new customers because “they can see that we have invested time and money into our industry by investing in technology”.
“Overall, having DueTrade create an app for us has been great for business.”
DueTrade’s mission is to assist traditional industries, such as agriculture, modernise their approach through digitalisation and futureproofing their business.
They want to be the “go-to company” to build B2B applications for these industries.
They want to ensure they embrace digitalisation rather than be threatened by technical disruptions so the “less technical industries are not left behind as the way of working continues to change”.
The applications give their customers all the information, plus the ability to make a trading decision, from their pockets for free.
Utilising these applications modernises a business’s approach, improves the relationships with its customers, improves its brand awareness, increases sales and positions itself as a market leader.
Last month, the app developer for the ag industry recently picked up the Rising Star award for London and East Anglia for “developing an innovative product that has significant potential for the future”.
The StartUp Awards National Series was established in 2022 to highlight the success of startups across nine UK nations and regions and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy.
Other news articles on That’s Farming:


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The crisis is particularly stark in India. The world’s most populous nation “stands at the threshold of a revolution in adoption of solar irrigation pumps,” says Tushaar Shah, a water economist for the International Water Management Institute. The government intends to raise the number of solar pumps more than tenfold to 3.5 million by 2026. The country is already the world’s largest consumer of groundwater, with farmers each year pumping onto their fields an estimated 50 cubic miles more water than the monsoon rains replace. Unchecked, says Shah, solar power is set to make the situation worse.
Read the full article on www.wired.com


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Share of Kenya’s exports to EAC falling despite trade deal
Thursday 22 September 2022
Exports from Kenya to East African countries have dwindled over the past decade, although Kenyan entrepreneurs were expected to boom under the regional trading bloc that came into effect in 2010.
Official data shows that the share of Kenyan exports to Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda shrank to 19.9 percent in the six months to June.
The share was 22.5 percent in the same period a decade ago, as Kenyan exports to other countries grew faster than sales to neighboring countries.
This came at a time when a common market protocol was in place and was touted to boost trade between East African Community (EAC) countries.
Experts say that in recent years Tanzania and Uganda have strengthened their industrial base and reduced their appetite for goods made in Kenya.
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi signed the protocol in July 2010, allowing free movement of goods, services, people and capital within the bloc.
The EAC was first established in 1967 but collapsed a decade later due to political and economic disagreements between its three original partners, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The bloc’s common market is home to 177 million people, and as the region’s largest economy, Kenya was expected to benefit most from increased trade.
Although Uganda remains Kenya’s main export market in the region, frequent trade disputes over commodities such as sugar, eggs and milk have often strained trade relations.
Community membership has grown to seven countries with the recent admission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


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Some already call it the Riviera of the South and now Timaru could also be the pizza capital of New Zealand, as the region becomes the Southern Hemisphere’s largest producer of natural mozzarella cheese.
Fonterra’s Clandeboye site fired up its third new mozzarella line today, meaning it now produces enough of the revolutionary cheese to top more than half a billion pizzas a year.
The cheese, which is made from one of the Co-operative’s secret recipes, is made in hours rather than in months – the time traditional mozzarella takes. It’s destined for pizzas all over the world. Fonterra cheese already tops around 50% of the pizzas in China – one of the fastest growing pizza markets in the world.
Caption: Say cheese! MP for Rangitata Andrew Falloon, Timaru Mayor Damon Odey, Process Operator Shannon Biggs, Process Operator Paula Eddy, Process Operator Pene Hammond and Cheese Plant Manager Chris Turner.
Fonterra Chief Operating Officer Global Operations Robert Spurway says the new plant, which was built in under two years, is a great example of the Co-operative’s ambition to move more milk into value add products.
“We’re focussed on getting more value from every drop of our farmers milk. With the opening of this new mozarella plant and recent expansion of our Darfield site, we’re able to produce even more higher returning products. That’s good news for our farmers and the communities they live in,” says Mr Spurway.
Fonterra GM Marketing Global Foodservice, Susan Cassidy, says “the new plant will double the site’s production of mozzarella – the world’s most popular variety of cheese, topping more than 80% of pizzas in Australia, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. We’re excited to have a slice of this market and are looking forward to that slice growing.
“Globally more and more people are eating meals out of home, in restaurants and on the go, and the global foodservice market is predicted to be worth $3 trillion USD by 2021. Our Foodservice business, Anchor Food Professionals, is still experiencing strong growth – and this new expansion supports our growth.”
According to gloabl reseach company Euromonitor, demand for Western food in China has helped pizza sales more than double from US$1.5 billion in 2010 to US$3.5 billion in 2015.
Timaru District Mayor Damon Odey says “it’s fantastic to see this plan come to reality, as it underlines the importance of the Timaru District as a major food hub in New Zealand, and as an growing exporter to the rest of the world. We welcome this vote of confidence that Fonterra has made in our community.
More and more people are seeing the appeal of provincial New Zealand, and investments like this underline that people can move to Timaru District and get unmatched job, housing and lifestyle options.”


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Waste not, want not. More than a maxim for picky children, the phrase has become a kind of raison d’etre for a new breed of textile manufacturer that is spinning agricultural castoffs into business gold. Certainly the strategy has its environmental appeal.
Millions of tons of fibrous crop residues are chucked after every harvest, according to Isaac Nichelson, co-founder and CEO of Circular Systems, a California-based materials science startup and one of Sourcing Journal’s 2019 Sustaining Voices honorees.
Inedible and therefore devoid of intrinsic value, banana trunks, pineapple leaves, sugarcane barks and oilseed hemp and flax stalks are typically burned or left behind to rot, generating greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (in the former case) or methane (in the latter) that exacerbate climate change on a melting planet.
Circular Systems wants to change that. Its Agraloop Bio-Refinery is turning agricultural waste into high-value textiles without the prodigious amounts of harsh chemicals, water and energy that a more conventional viscose system demands. (The resulting Agraloop BioFibre, as Nichelson is keen to underscore, is not viscose-rayon but rather a natural fiber that demonstrates there is no waste in nature.)
Instead of liquifying wood pulp into a cellulose soup, Agraloop uses proprietary “clean chemistry” to dissolve the lignins and pectins that lock plant cell walls in place and extract the remaining filament. Eventually, all of that biochemistry, plus the bio-energy that powers the process, will stem from the plants themselves, creating a truly closed-loop system where inputs are recaptured and recirculated and the only effluent is a natural fertilizer that can be fed back to promote soil health.
Nanollose, a biotech firm from Australia and another 2019 Sustaining Voices honoree, has agricultural surplus on its mind, too. Its tentpole product is Nullarbor, a fiber that it bills as the world’s first tree-free viscose-rayon. In December, Nanollose feted the world’s first tree-free viscose-rayon garment: a sweater knit using 3-D technology.
Eliminating harsh chemicals altogether, the company employs the non-genetically modified bacteria Acetobacter xylinum to convert sugars in coconut byproducts into microbial cellulose, which it then dries and spins into 100 percent biodegradable fiber using a patented process that uses “very little” land, water or energy and can take as little as 10 days, according to CEO and managing director Alfie Germano.
Like Circular Systems, Nanollose cultivates a “good stuff in, good stuff out” approach. The only bio-waste that Nullarbor begets is acetic acid, otherwise known as vinegar, a byproduct of the fermentation process that can be filtered and used in applications such as cleaning products. Another output? Water, which Nanollose is working on returning to the system in a closed-loop manner.
Is the world of fashion ready for these alternative fabrics? It may not have much choice in the manner. Consumers who have been paying attention will have noticed brands testing the waters: Salvatore Ferragamo’s citrus-byproduct-derived Orange Fiber clothing, for example, or Hugo Boss’s men’s faux-leather sneakers made with waste pineapple leaves. H&M followed suit this month by plying its ninth Conscious Exclusive collection with both Orange Fiber and Piñatex textiles, along with an ethylene-vinyl acetate foam produced using algae.
These unusual materials might even extend to H&M’s main assortment someday, much like Tencel, organic cotton and recycled polyester have. “With our Conscious Exclusive collections, we want to show how sustainable materials can be turned into the most beautiful pieces,” a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal over email.
Not everyone is embracing this trend, however. Because of all the intellectual property that is involved, many of the companies welcoming agricultural waste as an input have to be opaque, almost by necessity. And that troubles people like Rebecca Burgess, executive director of Fibershed, a California-based organization that works with farmers to develop regional and regenerative fiber systems.
“While we can just plug in maybe a new fiber, the question is how does this fiber have to be metabolized in a supply chain and what are the life-cycle impacts of that metabolization process?” she asked.
Cotton and wool may seem terribly mundane, but they don’t require a huge amount of processing before they can be carded, spun or woven. Nor does it require a huge leap of the imagination to recognize them for what they are in the field or on the animal.
“People give cotton such a bad rap but it does come off the plant and it’s ready to be a T-shirt,” Burgess said. “The further something is from a T-shirt when you pick it up in your own hand, from a texture standpoint, from a strength standpoint, then the more chemistry you know you’re going to need. Are we thinking about the toxic chemistry that needs to, in many cases, join these supply chains to make this really wearable fiber?”
For her part, Linda Greer, a former scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council who holds a PhD in environmental toxicology, would like to see some life-cycle-assessment data about the use of agricultural waste as fiber. Is turning, say, corn waste into clothing better than using it to distill ethanol, for instance?
“There is a sort of lack of professionalism in the way that a lot of these innovations are introduced,” she said. “And what I mean by that is that environmental professionals, such as myself, we’re looking for reduced carbon, reduced water, reduced chemicals and reduced deforestation and biodiversity impacts. And so these innovations need to be presenting themselves in a quantitative way to show us that they’re better than conventional approaches. And I’m not seeing that.”
That’s not to say that Greer is against the idea of unconventional fibers. She just wants to see what lies beyond the “quirky, next little glittery thing” and the “razzle dazzle” that accompanies their introduction. “Fundamentally, it’s a good idea to look at agricultural waste as a building block for fiber,” she said. “But I need to see the numbers.”
On the other hand, Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy, a conservation nonprofit from Canada, doesn’t see the ancient and endangered forests surviving without a significant infusion of so-called “next-generation” fibers as an alternative to conventional viscose-rayon. More than 150 million trees are logged every year for viscose production, she said, and fewer than 20 percent of the world’s ancient and endangered forests remain in intact swaths expansive enough to support biological diversity. By 2020, she expects viscose production to double from 2013 levels.
“Next-generation solutions, such as fabrics made from straw, recycled clothing or microbial cellulose, are critical to keeping our climate stable and carbon- and species-rich forests standing,” she said.
Rycroft predicts that fabrics with 50 percent next-generation content will be on shelves “en masse” within the next five years thanks to the efforts of brands like H&M and Stella McCartney, as well as technologies like Nanollose and Bast Fiber Processing (previously known as Crailer).
“They’re also going to be foundational to a vibrant fashion sector in the years to come,” she added.
For more on fashion’s march toward a more environmentally sound future and the 2019 Sustaining Voices honorees, visit sustainingvoices.com.


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The hotel group has lodged a Product Disclosure Statement with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ALIA winners revealed. We caught up with the deserving winners once their achievements had sunk in
Victoria’s Labor party has said it will abolish alcohol free-zones in Melbourne’s east if re-elected this month
Metcash Group CEO, Jeff Adams, speaks about his vision for Independent Brands Australia.
The core role for Retail Drinks Australia will be to bring the industry together
The trial will be through selected Victorian restaurants and only if alcohol is ordered with food
Join over 13,000 subscribers and get all the latest industry news and business tips.


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A memorial service is to be held on Monday (7 November) for Halewood International founder John Halewood, who died three weeks ago.
The service, which is open to all and starts at 7pm at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, will pay tribute to Halewood’s achievements in business. He co-founded Halewood International in 1978 and steered its development of brands including Lambrini, Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer and Red Square Vodka.
The service will also take in Halewood’s passion outside work, horseracing – which culminated in his horse Amberleigh House winning the Grand National in 2004. All attending have been invited to join the family in wearing his racing colours of red, black and white.
Halewood International has announced that Halewood’s widow Judy is to take up his role as chair of the company.


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June 26, 2014: Employee Benefit News weighs in on the launch of Intel-GE Care Innovations™ Validation Institute – a new joint venture that helps you elevate your standing in the healthcare industry and let customers and prospects know that you adhere to the highest standards of validity.
“Wondering if your wellness program is delivering the goods or just delivering good profits to your vendor? Intel and GE’s joint venture Validation Institute will tell you. Think of it as a new sheriff in the wild west of wellness ROI, armed with science and a calculator.“
Intel, GE will check your wellness math – Employee Benefit News
Intel, GE will check your wellness math – Khanna On Health Blog


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In 2019, the first year is Xiaomi’s “hand in hand” TCL, followed by the ant’s gold clothing “connection”New capeThe Internet giants are busy starting to climb with A shares.
Looking back at 2015, 2016, 2017, BATJM also had a marriage with many A-shares. In contrast, the Internet that is now being shot has a feeling of double 11 shopping for Tmall discounts.
However, for Daxie, earning no money is second, and whether this investment fits into its strategy is what they really care about. For Xiaosan, we may try to copy the bottom of these big bangs.
Opening two consecutive years
On the evening of January 6, TCL Li Dongsheng was atWeibo@雷军, said, "A few days ago, Xiaomi and TCL discussed the framework of strategic cooperation, and now Xiaomi has become a shareholder.TCL Group"The official announcement of the Xiaomi strategy and TCL."
After 6 minutes, Lei Jun also responded in Weibo. "Participating in TCL Group and achieving strategic cooperation in joint research and development, supply chain, etc., will greatly help Xiaomi continue to do a strong home appliance business."
When you come to me, Xiaomi and TCL are slowly expanding to the outside world based on multi-faceted strategic cooperation at the capital level.
TCL that nightannouncementIt shows that as of January 4, Xiaomi Group purchased 65.168 million shares (0.48% of the company's total share capital) in the secondary market through the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's securities trading system.
This is not the first time that Xiaomi and TCL have joined hands.
On December 29, 2018, Xiaomi signed a strategic cooperation agreement with TCL, and both parties will carry out smart hardware anddigital informationJoint research and development of the integration of core high-end infrastructure devices to promote innovative smart products.
Industry insiders said that Xiaomi's own Internet thinking combined with TCL's production capacity will help Xiaomi to enter the home appliance market.
As early as 2015, Xiaomi participated in the price of 22.01 yuan / shareMidea GroupThe increase. In 2018, the home appliance business became a new growth point for Xiaomi. It is understood that Xiaomi quickly established the TV department after the listing, and began to incubate new business such as air conditioning.
Ant gold clothing
Following Xiaomi’s “hands-on” TCL, Ant Financial’s announcement on the evening of January 7th, through its Shanghai Yunxin Venture Capital, was transferred to the new Cape’s 30.21 million shares (accounting for the company’s total share capital) at a total price of approximately RMB 200 million. 6.28%), which is the second largest in the new Capeshareholder.
Equity investment is only one part of the cooperation between the two parties.
On January 6, Xinkaipu and its holding subsidiary Perfect Digital signed a transaction agreement with Shanghai Yunxin and Tianwei Hengrui. Shanghai Yunxin plans to increase the capital by 250 million yuan. After the transaction is completed, the former will Holds 30% of the latter.
Shanghai’s Shanghai Yunfeng isSanxiang impression,Wandong Medical,Yuantong Express,Baiyun MountainAnd other shareholders of A-share companies on the list "show". It can be seen that Ali's "A-share partners" have spread all over the public bicycle system, medical information, finance andSmart energyInformatization and other fields.
Film and television entertainment, new retail is most favored
Looking at the A-share "checkerboard" of BATJM, it is not difficult to find that film and television entertainment and new retailing have become intensive "drops".
Film and television entertainment:Huayi BrothersWait
The list of shareholders of Huayi Brothers can be described as "a big gathering."
As of the third quarter of 2018, Tencent, Ali and Ma Yun were ranked second, fourth and fifth largest shareholders of Huayi Brothers with 7.88%, 4.44% and 3.57% shareholdings respectively.
Time dialed back to August 2015, Huayi Brothers added 146 million shares of the company to four companies including Ali Ventures and Tencent Computer.
It seems that it is particularly optimistic about the film and television entertainment industry. In 2015, Ali Ventures entered the market by means of a fixed increase.Light mediaIt is still the second largest shareholder of the company. In addition, on December 25, 2018,Focus MediaAnnouncement, Ali Network and related parties totaled 7.99% of the company's shares.
Tencent, which has deep roots in the game industry, bought 55,415,500 shares through its Linzhi Tencent Technology Co., Ltd. in 2017.Palm Technologystock.
The retail industry, which is closely related to Internet hot words such as “scene” and “traffic”, is also a “place of competition” for BATJM.
Yonghui Supermarket announced in October 2018 that it plans to jointly establish a joint venture with Tencent and Baijia China for a total of RMB 1.249 billion to promote the development of Yonghui's business in Guangdong. The move is seen as Tencent's increased offline layout and continued efforts to create new retail.
As early as February 2018, Yonghui Supermarket had announced that the actual controller had transferred the 5% of the company's shares to Tencent.
AndJingdongHis Majesty's Jingdong Bangneng Investment Management Co., Ltd. entered earlier. In August 2016, Jingdongbang was able to acquire 479 million shares of Yonghui Supermarket at a price of 4.425 yuan/share. At present, Jingdong Bangneng and Linzhi Tencent are the fourth and fifth largest shareholders of Yonghui Supermarket respectively.
In February 2018, BBK announced that the company signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Tencent and Jingdong Century on smart retail, and the three parties will jointly develop "smart retail" and "unbounded retail." At the same time, Linzhi Tencent acquired a 6% stake in BBK with 887 million yuan, and Jingdong State was able to transfer 5% of the company's shares to 739 million yuan.
The announcement shows that the unanimous action of the controlling shareholder of Haishu Home, Rongji International (Hong Kong), transferred 5.31% of the company's shares to Tencent Puhe, with a total transfer price of about 2.5 billion yuan.
At the same time, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Haishu Home and Tencent and Yuxin Investment jointly initiated the establishment of 10 billion industrial investment.fund, for clothing related industry chain, excellent clothing brand, clothing manufacturing and other companiesMergerinvestment.
August 2015,AlibabaThe Group and Suning Yunshang reached a comprehensive strategic cooperation. Alibaba subsidiary Taobao (China) Software Co., Ltd. plans to subscribe for the non-public offering of Suning Yunshang for RMB 28.3 billion, accounting for approximately 19.99% of the total share capital of the latter.
In September 2017, Xinhuadu disclosed that the controlling shareholder of the company signed a “share transfer agreement” with Alibaba and Hangzhou Jinyun New Equity Investment Fund Partnership. Upon completion, Ali and its concerted actions became the second largest shareholder of Xinhuadu.
In addition, Xinhuadu signed the Cooperation Framework Agreement with related party Alibaba Zetai Information Technology and established Fujian New Box Network Technology as a platform for cooperation between the two parties. Both parties invested RMB 100 million to hold 50% of the equity of the joint venture company.
Calculate the big "we buy" A shares profit and loss account
Although in the eyes of the Internet, "buy" these A shares is a strategic investment, and even did not intend to make money on the stock, but Xiaobian is very careful to calculate for the big brothers that these stocks have earned on the books. Or how much money is lost.
The Huayi Brothers of Ali and Tencent’s “Shuangxionghui” made the book losses of the two big men more than 60%.
In 2015, Ali Ventures and Tencent Computer participated in the establishment of Huayi Brothers. At that time, the issue price was 24.73 yuan/share. Now Huayi Brothers' share price is only 4.61 yuan, and the assets are “shrinking”.
Similarly, at that time, Tencent and JD.com received 51.342 million shares and 43.195 million shares of the company from the backgammon shareholders at a price of 17.11 yuan per share. According to the most step by stepNew sharesThe price calculation, now Tencent and Jingdong's investment also lost more than half.
The increase in participation in 2016 has become the “hardest hit” for Internet giants to invest in A-shares. Tencent’s share in the yearGangtai HoldingsAlixiang’s Sanxiang Impression, Wandong Medical, Suning, etc., have all fallen more than 30% from the cost price.
According to industry insiders, the “buy” A-shares of the Internet giants should be strategically placed. Therefore, it is biased to consider the success of the investment from the floating profit on the books. “The real investment target is not so much a company stock, but rather a part of the business,” the industry insider added. “Video games, retail, and technology companies are all investment fields that Internet giants are more interested in.”
"In a way, the traffic portal is what the Internet giants are really robbing, and the Internet companies are thinking about Internet thinking."
Of course, there are also some investment targets that allow the big men to “make money”.
As the offline leader of the company, Yonghui Supermarket has opened up the traffic flow for Tencent and Jingdong, and also allowed the two investors to account for nearly 90% of their profits. Compared with the company's current stock price of 8.02 yuan, the price of the two participating in the fixed increase of 4.43 yuan / share is undoubtedly "cabbage price."
In addition, Ali’s investment in Yuantong Express has also been “reriched”.
In 2016, Alibaba and Shanghai Yunfeng entered Yuantong with 7.72 yuan/share. Now the company's share price has risen to 10.16 yuan. On January 8, Yuantong announced that Shanghai Yunfeng had reduced its shareholding in the company by 12.673 million shares during the plan period. In this way, Shanghai Yunfeng has tens of millions of real gold and silver bags.
(Article source: Shanghai Securities News)


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Washington Business Journal, J. Crew has signed a lease at 950 F Street NW, and will open in August.
J. Crew's 8,625 square feet (over two stories) brings Penn Quarter ever-closer to the 1.1 million square feet of shopping space that's expected here by 2018.
With that news came confirmation that The Art of Spyn, which we've reported on in the past, is still slated for a Spring opening. Last we heard they were moving towards "late Spring," but we'll keep you posted.


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'Fantastic' Nintendo NX Will Offer 'Different Experience' to Other Consoles - Ubisoft CEO
OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2016. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has furthered claims that Nintendo's next console, codenamed NX, will stand apart from Microsoft and Sony's home consoles.
Speaking to IGN at an Ubisoft event yesterday, Guillemot - who has previously expressed his admiration for the upcoming console - explained specifically why he was excited for NX:
"I think, once again, the interface is very attractive," he said. "It's a machine that will be easy to use for all gamers. They have built in something that will give us chance to really have a different experience from what exists today. That's what I like - that they come with something new that is adapted to what we actually want now."


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Baltimore, Maryland (PRWEB) May 02, 2013
Today the District Export Council of Maryland/DC (DEC) announced the inaugural Celebration of International Trade 2013, being held Tuesday, May 21 at the Maritime Institute and Conference Center in Linthicum Maryland. Geared towards manufacturers and professional service companies interested in entering or expanding into the lucrative international export market, the all-day event is a one-stop shop for any business looking to navigate the extensive business opportunities of foreign trade.
Maryland has been engaged in the global economy for many years and this Celebration of Trade event is an opportunity to recognize the important role that trade plays in our States economy. Record Maryland exports in 2012 and record trade for the Port of Baltimore reaffirms the States role as a major player on the global stage offering export opportunities for Maryland businesses large and small, said Governor Martin O’Malley.
The opportunities for small and medium size businesses to sell their goods and services in front of international markets has exploded in the past decade and the outlook for future growth is enormous, said Carl Livesay, DEC Chairman, adding, This conference is an affordable, unprecedented opportunity to connect with leading trade experts and obtain critical resources needed to succeed in a global marketplace.
The day-long conference, sponsored by the DEC and a dozen corporate and government agencies, features two dozen 90-minute workshops on topics including guidelines for exporting, risk mitigation, government resources, international finance and diversification.
Bob Walker, Deputy Secretary for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) will provide opening remarks regarding the international trade and the State of Maryland. Laszlo Horvath, CEO, Active Media will provide the morning keynote on Search Engine Optimization: Voodoo Magic or Science. This is a must see presentation for anyone attempted to export by leveraging the internet and electronic commerce.
According to Signe Pringle, DBED International Program Director, 2012 was a record year for Maryland exports. This proved that our businesses realized the need to look beyond the borders and compete in the global market place to access the 95 percent of the worlds consumers.
In 2012, Maryland companies exported $ 11.78 billion in goods and services, an increase of 9.2% over 2011. The top five countries in order were Canada, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, China and Japan. To accelerate the growth in exports, DBED has launched new programs and offers services to help Maryland businesses diversify their markets such as the ExportMD stipends that help companies participate in trade missions and trade shows.
For a complete program schedule and list of speakers at the Maryland Celebration of Trade, visit http://www.MDDCDEC.com
Sponsors include Maryland DBED, UPS, McCormick, McGladrey LLP, Maryland Port Administration, Ports America Chesapeake, TeleCommunication Systems, U.S. Commercial Service, Wells Fargo, Whiteford Taylor & Preston, BB&T, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Foreign Trade Council, World Trade Center Institute and media partner CityBizList.
The Maryland/Washington DC District Export Council, Inc. is one of more than 50 District Export Councils (DECs) in the United States. DECs are organizations of leaders from local business communities, appointed by successive Secretaries of Commerce since 1973, whose knowledge of international business provides a source of professional advice for local firms. Working closely with Department of Commerce U.S. Export Assistance Centers (“USEACs”), DEC members volunteer their time to sponsor and participate in numerous trade promotion activities. Like the USEACs, they are especially focused on assisting small and medium sized exporters.


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Waterloo regional council has approved bylaws that will require people to wear masks on Grand River Transit and in some public places starting July 13.
Council unanimously approved the measures during a marathon meeting on Monday night that lasted more than seven hours.
“These bylaws provide clarity to individuals and businesses of the importance of wearing masks and face coverings to help us protect and respect each other,” Regional Chair Karen Redman said in a statement.
“This is a key element to support our business community as we move forward, safely, with economic reopening and recovery.”
The region’s top doctor says she is on board with the council’s decision to enact the bylaws.
“These bylaws support my strong recommendation that people wear masks when physical distancing is not possible, especially in enclosed, indoor settings and on public transit,” acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said.
The bylaws will be in place until Sept. 30 unless council chooses to extend them.
Council chose to remove a section of the proposed bylaw that would place part of the onus of enforcing the bylaw on stores.
The bylaw will be enforced on a complaint-only basis.
Should masks be mandatory? It depends
Children under the age of five, those who are unable to wear a face covering as a result of a medical condition or a disability and those engaged in sport or strenuous physical activity have been exempted.
Face masks will be required in the following locations, with some exceptions, once the bylaws come into effect:
- Buses, bus shelters, ION trains and ION platforms
- Stores and shopping malls
- Indoor areas of restaurants and bars, with the exception of patrons consuming food and drink
- Professional services such as counselling, personal care, funeral homes and repair and rental services
- Lobby areas of commercial buildings
- Hotels and motels, with the exception of rented rooms
- Indoor areas of fitness centres, gyms and recreational and sports facilities
- Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas
- Arcades and other indoor amusement facilities
- Museums, galleries, historic sites, etc.
- Places of worship
- Municipal buildings
The bylaws don’t cover federal or provincial buildings, colleges, universities or schools, hospitals or health facilities, employee-only areas of businesses and other buildings.
The region says an education campaign will soon get underway that will include website and social media messaging, digital advertising, distribution of mask bylaw posters and decals to businesses and the supplying of free masks to riders at transit stations.
© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.


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Postponed shipments chip Bede
THE slowdown in the worldwide mobile telecoms market has hit the prospects of Bede, a hi-tech group floated last year by former Durham University boffins.
Bede makes X-ray tools that spot faults in the computer chips to be found in mobile phones. It revealed that large shipments of its products due out by the end of last year had been postponed. That, it said, would leave it likely to make a loss approaching £400,000 for 2001.
The company, which has made a multi-millionaire of chief executive Neil Loxley, said it believed the shipments should go out in the first quarter, but added it could not forecast the effects of market conditions on its products this year.
The news sent the shares down 31p from their recent highs to 180 1/2p, below the November 2000 float price of 190p.
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$KMI said the Utopia Pipeline was deemed as unqualified for eminent domain by a judge in Wood County, Ohio. The company has filed an appeal and believes this decision is inconsistent with other decisions made in the state. $KMI believes it will prevail on appeal here.
$DB is going to cut off services for about 3,400 clients in equities trading.
$F stock slid more than 2% after the company issued two safety recalls involving more than 650,000 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ model cars.
The new CEO of $SBUX, Kevin Johnson, has some pretty large shoes to fill but there are many who have good faith in his ability to do so.
$TSLA opening a showroom in Michigan. A bold move !!


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Electricity prices on Island are set to rise by more than 50 percent.
It comes as Manx Utilities has announced a two-stage increase - with the first coming into force in April, followed three months later in July.
Firstly, the tariff will rise by 6p from 22 to 28 pence per unit from April 1.
Then, it'll rise by another 6p to 34 pence per unit from July 1.
The increase will mean the 'average' domestic customer will see a 51% rise and their annual cost increase from £751 to £942 from April 2023, and then to £1,133 from July 2023.
It follows a rise of 30% last year - which saw charges for most users go from 16.9 pence per unit up to 22 pence, with the rise blamed on global prices, aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In August, Electricity prices on Island were frozen to help locals and businesses get through the winter.
Without intervention, Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson said Manx Utilities would have needed to increase tariffs by between 70%-90% - which would have meant a rise to the average household bill of around £500 a year.
The company says it's 'shielded customers from market volatility through a combination of forward purchasing of gas, absorbing price rises by using reserves and cost control measures' - which it says - has reduced customer bills by £40m.
However, MU says it's 'no longer sustainable' to do so, with an anticipated deficit of around £50m for the current financial year.
It adds wholesale natural gas prices - which drive electricity prices - have increased by as much as 500% in the past 18 months.
Although wholesale gas prices are expected to settle, MU says they are expected to remain over three times higher than the pre-energy crisis costs.
Meanwhile, Other tariffs (including electricity standing charges and water and sewerage charges) will also increase by the rate of September inflation (CPI) of +9.8%.
Chair of Manx Utilities, Tim Johnston MHK says 'we have to accept' high prices aren't set to budge anytime soon:
He has issued this statement:
“We are very conscious of the impact that this will have on our customers and the decision to recommend an increase to electricity prices is not one the Manx Utilities Board has made lightly.
“Specialist consultants were brought in to review the business and tariff structure to ensure any increase was appropriate. The aim has been to minimise the cost to our customers whilst ensuring Manx Utilities can continue to meet its financial obligations. Manx Utilities is not immune from the impacts of the global energy crisis. The Board has been working hard to shield customers from the cost increases we have been facing over the last two years but we have reached a point where we cannot continue to do so. However, we will continue to review wholesale energy costs to ensure our tariffs remain as low as practicable.
“As always, I would encourage customers who are worried about electricity bills to please get in touch with Manx Utilities who are best placed to help with advice and support.”
Customers who are concerned are asked to contact email@example.com or call 687675, or they can use the Freephone telephone number 0808 1624 115.


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Al-Futtaim Logistics Wins Hero of the Pandemic - Fulfilment Award
Al-Futtaim Logistics has won the Hero of the Pandemic - Fulfilment Award at the TLME Heroes of the Pandemic Awards 2021 hosted by TV news presenter Katie Jensen with celebrity and 2x World Champion Boxer, Amir Khan presenting the Special Recognition Awards.
The pandemic has seen fulfilment companies face new pressures, with unheralded demand being forced upon them.
Al-Futtaim Logistics have reached new heights during the pandemic and provided a consistent service of order fulfilment achieving record delivery times, while growing and developing their own aptitudes simultaneously.
In the past 15 months Al-Futtaim Logistics has deployed new technologies in their systems for contract logistics, general transport and last-mile deliveries achieving unmatched performance levels for its customers.
With the surge in demand Al-Futtaim Logistics has opened up very promising new opportunities in warehousing and e-commerce fulfilment to meet anticipated future demands.
In this exclusive video top management of Al-Futtaim Logistics, Dr Raman Kumar, Managing Director and Mr Vargheese Anthony, General Manager - Freight & Relocation, express their thoughts on emerging winners of the Hero of the Pandemic - Fulfilment Award.
Dr Kumar said: "It's a pleasure to win this Award and thank you to Transport & Logistics Middle East for recognising Al-Futtaim Logistics.
"This award is dedicated to the Al-Futtaim Logistics associates and the customers who have trusted and believed in us through this period of the pandemic and we have been able to deliver the best results for them."
Appreciating the concept of the Heroes of the Pandemic awards Mr Anthony said that Al-Futtaim's infrastructure, its people and their knowhow has helped the company succesfully meet the challenges of the last 15 months.
On the pandemic, Mr Anthony said: "We don't believe that it's gone. It will be there with us for some more time with us and we are fully prepared to handle this tough time. Our people are now well aware on how to handle such kind of a pandemic.
"The pandemic has changed customer behaviour and people's shopping preferences. And this is likely to continue and we are preparing ourselves well to handle future requirements."