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Bluestar Adisseo Buys Nutriad
Bluestar Adisseo, part of China’s National Bluestar Group, has acquired Belgian feed additives producer Nutriad for an undisclosed sum. Adisseo said the acquisition is part of its strategy to become one of the world’s leaders for supplying specialty additives used in animal nutrition.
Nutriad’s portfolio includes additives for palatability, mycotoxin management and digestive performance for poultry and swine, as well as for aquaculture, dairy and cattle.
Adisseo said it is convinced that the merger is a highly attractive opportunity for both parties to build a strong global franchise that leverages its complementary strengths. “The acquisition of Nutriad supports our ambition for accelerating growth of our specialties business to address our customer’s needs,” said Adisseo’s CEO, Jean-Marc Dublanc, who added that the group would have combined sales in more than 100 countries.
Nutriad has 4 application laboratories in Belgium, UK and USA, as well as five manufacturing facilities around the world.
Just days before the Adisseo merger was announced, Nutriad revealed that it had acquired a 45% stake in its Chinese partner, Feed Flavour International (FFI), giving it full control of the Nantong-based company, which produces and markets a range of palatability additives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nutriad said China has continuously increased its commercial feed production during the past decades, reaching an estimated volume of 200 million t/y. The company said there is growing demand for protein in China, which is home to the world’s largest population. As a result, the market is providing opportunities for products that target feed & food safety, gut health, preservation and feed intake.


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ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale here said margins on its sales of perishables were up in double digits in the third quarter.
In a conference call with analysts discussing results for the 12-week period that ended May 8, Richard Galanti, chief financial officer, said margins on fresh foods improved about 25 to 30 basis points in the quarter.
"One area where nobody can touch us is fresh food," he said during the call. "It helps when you're doing two and three times the volume of your competitors. You can make a much better-looking presentation."
He said the company has worked to build a customer base that seeks high-quality perishables.
"We've cultivated the best members, and they're buying the best stuff," he said. "The penetration of those [product] areas is increasing -- their comps are greater than the company as a whole, and their margins have increased."
Costco reported comparable-store sales gains of 7% for both the third quarter and year-to-date periods, which helped drive profit gains of 6% for the third quarter, to $209.8 million, and 21% for the year-to-date span, to $708.4 million.
The year-to-date total included a one-time income tax benefit in the second quarter that was partially offset by a one-time charge. Excluding those events, net income for the year-to-date span rose 14%.
Revenues rose 10.1% in the third quarter and 9.9% in the 36-week span, to $12 billion and $36.2 billion, respectively.
Although the company said its margins in fresh foods were growing, Costco previously warned that its results for the third quarter and year would be lower than analysts had expected, largely because of margin pressures on gasoline.
Qtr Ended: 5/8/05; 5/9/04
Sales: $12 billion; $10.9 billion
Net income: $209.8 million; $198.7 million
Inc/Share: 43 cents; 42 cents
36 Weeks: 2005; 2004
Sales: $36.2 billion; $32.3 billion
Net Income*: $708.4 million; $585.6 million
Inc/share: $1.45; $1.23
* Net income in the 36-week span included $42.1 million in one-time net gains in the second quarter.

domain: news


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Get ready to Rave.
“Rave’s unique timing does amazing things for the apple category,” Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s marketing director, said in a news release. “Due to its Honeycrisp parentage, it brings a premium quality apple to the market weeks before other varieties come off the tree.”
The company’s latest Fast Facts The Cast video previews the Rave season.
Rave apples start appearing in stores in early August, and Stemilt is projecting its largest crop as more trees come into fruit-bearing age. With more volume, retailers can carry Rave into October, according to the release.
According to Nielsen data cited in the release, Rave added an average of 48 pounds per store per week to an average U.S. produce department that was already selling 854 pounds of apples per week from mid-August to the beginning of September.
Stemilt’s Rave promotions include a national digital public relations campaign in August. For the last three years, Stemilt has hosted in-person events across the country, including an apple pop-up shop in New York City and a cross-country road trip last summer.


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Freight Market Update: January 17, 2024
North America vessel dwell times and other updates from the global supply chain | May 17, 2023
Trends to Watch
- [TAWB - Ocean] Market demand has remained relatively stable in January with no spikes expected until March at the earliest. While the total vessel filling factor is still not at 100%, it has slightly increased as a direct result of the winter blank sailing program and some carrier capacity cuts. Overall capacity remains high despite an anticipated 20% decrease on average for January and February due to blank sailings. We expect carriers to pull more capacity in the coming weeks to help with the Red Sea situation. We’ve already seen members of the Ocean Alliance and 2M (Maersk and MSC) doing this. As a direct impact of the Red Sea situation, rates for vessels traveling on Transatlantic routes have started to increase, and are expected to increase further in February when most carriers announce GRI/PSS and emergency surcharges. In other news, equipment shortages have started to impact Austria and some areas of South Germany as reported by a few shipping lines. The full impact is likely to be seen at later stages and will also depend on the outcome of the current German railway situation.
- [FEWB - Ocean] Asia-North Europe: Market demand is moving up for the second half of January and all ships are filling up, will roll pool by carriers in progress for the coming weeks. Week 3 spot rates slightly increased due to the Lunar New Year rush and week 4 spot rates are stabilizing at high pre-Lunar New Year levels. As the Red Sea crisis continues, it’s now estimated for a vessel to take 2-4 weeks (round trip) depending on the destination. As a direct impact, Ocean Alliance and 2M announced 15+ void plans for February with more to be expected from THE Alliance soon. Equipment shortages can be expected in the coming weeks if the situation remains the same. German Strike: The strike ended on January 12 but no agreement was reached. We expect there will be another round of strikes as a result. No immediate impact is expected. Gemini Cooperation: Maersk and Hapag Lloyd announced an official cooperation agreement that will start in January 2025. More to follow on the actions of additional carriers.
- [MED Trade] Following North Europe, MED spot rates for the second half of January are increasing in week 3. Week 4 spot rates are expected to be slightly lower as carriers are pushing cargo to fill up ships before the Lunar New Year.
- [U.S. Exports] As the Red Sea situation continues, U.S. exporters shipping globally can expect equipment shortages due to mislocated containers. We highly recommend booking shipments 4+ weeks in advance to ensure Expected Quantity (EQ) can be secured.
- [Air - Global] The first week of 2024 saw a continued decline in worldwide air cargo tonnages, following a typical slump in the latter half of December. Preliminary data for week one shows a 6% week-over-week drop in global air cargo tonnages, with significant declines noted particularly in shipments from the Asia Pacific to North America and the Middle East & South Asia, and within the Asia Pacific region. This year's decline in tonnages during the first week contrasts with the stability observed in the same period of 2023, potentially influenced by the inclusion of January 1, a holiday, in this year's week one calculation. On a two-week comparison basis, the total tonnage for the last two weeks of 2023 and the first week of 2024 was down 28%, with average rates dropping by 5% and capacity decreasing by 8%. Despite these declines, global tonnages for the same period were around 3% higher year-over-year, with worldwide average rates currently 19% below last year's levels but still 30% above pre-COVID levels, according to World ACD.
North America Vessel Dwell Times
North America Freight Market Update Live
Thursday, January 18 at 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET
Navigating the 2024 RFP Season: An Advanced Guide to Upscaling Your RFP
Tuesday, January 23 at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET
Freight Market Update Live - Europe
Tuesday, January 23 at 16:00 CET / 15:00 GMT
This Week In News
Container Shortage Starts To Bite, Adding to Pressure on Costs
Global container shortages are causing disruptions in shipping, particularly in the Red Sea region, leading to re-routings, delays, and cancellations. Despite earlier predictions, the industry is feeling the impact, with difficulties in obtaining 40ft high-cube and 20ft General Purpose containers in major Chinese ports. Forwarders are reporting similar issues, with concerns about higher costs arising from these shortages, especially in China, indicating potential turbulent times in 2024 for the outbound leg from Asia to Europe.
Shifts in Chinese Exports Show Ties With U.S. Economy Fraying
In a notable shift, China exported more goods to Southeast Asia than to the United States last year, indicating a change in global trade patterns amid strained economic relations. Data from China's General Administration of Customs reveals that the 10 ASEAN nations purchased $524 billion of goods, surpassing the $500 billion sold to the US. While this suggests a gradual separation between China and the U.S., the situation is complex. Chinese exports to Mexico increased by over 5%, potentially to avoid U.S. tariffs. Exports to Thailand and Vietnam also declined less than in other regions, reflecting the trend of shipping goods there for finishing and re-export.
Port Houston Cargo Volumes Dip 15% YoY in November
In November, Port Houston experienced a 15% year-over-year decline in cargo volumes to 297,622 total TEUs, although empties decreased by 34%. Compared to the previous month, cargo processing dropped by 19%, but there was a 21% increase in total containers processed compared to pre-pandemic levels. Despite these changes, Port Houston welcomed the CMA CGM Lisa Marie, one of its largest vessels with a capacity of nearly 11,000 TEUs. The port is strategically planning for growth, expanding the Houston Ship Channel to accommodate larger vessels and increasing wharf and yard capacity at container terminals to support regional growth.
Ocean Cargo Losses: Why the Recent Increase?
Cargo Insurance: Key Factors to Consider When Selecting a Policy
Overcoming Supply Chain Transparency Hurdles With Technology


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THE new Democrat majority in the US House of Representatives is likely to back President Donald Trump's trade war with China and could even egg him on but will offer tougher scrutiny of his negotiations with allies, trade experts and lawmakers say.
Mr Trump has imposed tariffs on US$250 billion of Chinese goods to pressure Beijing to stop intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers, improve market access for US firms and cut its high-tech industrial subsidy programme - major shifts away from China's state-led economic model.
Democrats, the traditional party of trade unions, largely support such moves, especially for their hoped-for effect on helping American workers.
A senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Gary Hufbauer said: "I think Trump has a free hand to pursue his aggressive approach. If anything, the Blue Wave (of Democrats) will be as hawkish, if not more hawkish, than Trump on China."
Scott Kennedy, head of China studies at the Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said there is growing bipartisan concern in Washington about increasing state control of China's economy, military activity in the South China Sea and security issues surrounding Chinese technology companies.
"President Trump has paid no political price for taking a tough line on China," he said. "I still see the short term-political and long-term strategic signals on China still pointing in the same direction."
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who made a pitch to return as speaker, has applauded Mr Trump's initial round of tariffs on China as a "leverage point" to negotiate fairer trade for US products in the country.
"The United States must take strong, smart and strategic action against China's brazenly unfair trade policies," Ms Pelosi said in March.
Mr Trump has signalled in the past week that he believes a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping is achievable. The two are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit at the end of November.
If things do not go well, he has threatened to impose tariffs on about $267 billion worth of remaining Chinese imports to the United States. Currently, 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion of products are scheduled to rise to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019.
"House Democrats are the most protectionist group in Congress," said Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. If Trump makes a deal that fails to achieve significant changes to China's practices, they'll jump all over him," he said.
The bipartisan unity is less secure when it comes to trade talks with allies, however, and the new Democrat majority could make it more difficult to win congressional approval for a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, reports Reuters.


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Canadian pot producers Aurora Cannabis (ACB -0.94%) and Canopy Growth (CGC 1.03%) have been rivals for years. Now, as the industry gets more crowded with competitors, the companies have to fine-tune their strategies in an effort to secure market share around the globe.
However, both companies are struggling to be the attractive growth investments they were before marijuana legalization took place in Canada in 2018. And while neither company did exceptionally well in their most recent quarterly results, I'll look at which one did better and is the better buy.
Which company is growing at a better rate?
A good place to start when comparing growth stocks is at the top line.
For the period ending Sept. 30, Canopy Growth reported revenue of 131.4 million Canadian dollars ($104 million). That was a 3.5% decline from the CA$136.2 million that it reported just a period earlier. The company noted "continued price compression" in the Canadian market and more competition in international markets as some of the reasons its revenue hasn't been particularly strong of late.
Aurora Cannabis generated less than half the revenue of its rival, posting net sales of CA$60.1 million for the same period. Although that was down 11% year over year, it was a 10% improvement from the previous three-month period (ending June 30), where net sales totaled CA$54.8 million. Aurora credits the improved numbers to focusing more on premium products, particularly those that it sells in the medical marijuana market. Its medical cannabis revenue of CA$41 million this past quarter was up 17% from the previous period.
Although Aurora's revenue was smaller, the company looks better on the top line because it increased quarter over quarter, and it had a solid segment (medical marijuana) that grew by double digits. Plus, with premium products showing strength, that also bodes well for long-term profitability.
Which company did better on the bottom line?
Profitability is always a sore spot for cannabis producers in Canada. As the industry has grown, that's going to put more downward pressure on prices and margins. Neither Aurora Cannabis nor Canopy Growth reported profits in their latest quarters, but the former was a lot closer than the latter.
This past period, Aurora reported a CA$12.1 million loss based on adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which shrank from the CA$19.7 million loss it incurred in the prior period. The company says it has a "clear path to profitability by the first half of fiscal 2023," which is about a year away since the company's most recent results were for the first quarter of fiscal 2022.
Canopy Growth, meanwhile, is not committing to a date for when it might achieve positive adjusted EBITDA, noting "Canada supply challenges and a delayed revenue ramp in the U.S." have thwarted its plans. The company previously said it expected to be operating in the U.S. market as early as next year. And with a lack of progress on U.S. marijuana legalization, it's safe to say it miscalculated on that projection. As a result, it's affecting its expectations for profitability.
The company's adjusted EBITDA loss of CA$162.6 million this past period was more than double the CA$63.6 million loss it posted three months earlier. However, it notes that without inventory write-downs, the adjusted EBITDA loss would have been more modest at just CA$76 million in its most recent quarterly results.
It's clear that Aurora Cannabis is on a better track and the more likely of the two companies to achieve adjusted EBITDA profitability within the next 12 months. Canopy Growth's focus on the U.S. market (in October, it announced plans for the acquisition of U.S.-based cannabis edible company Wana Brands) makes it likely that it won't turn a profit at least until legalization takes place in the U.S., when it can take advantage of having access to a much larger pot market.
Which stock is the better buy today?
This year has been a rough one for both of these pot stocks as Aurora is down 18% year to date, and that's the better return -- Canopy Growth's stock has fallen by more than 51%. The broader Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF, meanwhile, has declined by just 5% over the same period. Investors are clearly bearish on these two stocks, and given their lackluster results, it's not a huge surprise as to why.
In their latest earnings reports, Aurora has been performing much better than Canopy Growth. Its top and bottom lines are showing signs of improvement, whereas Canopy Growth might continue to struggle until the U.S. market opens up. Trading at a multiple of less than seven times its revenue, Aurora is also the cheaper buy as investors are paying more than 10 times revenue for Canopy Growth.
Unless you're betting on marijuana legalization in the U.S. happening soon (or are willing to wait until that happens), Aurora Cannabis might be the better buy right now.


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Sherwin-Williams settles over stock plan
Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams Co. announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to settle a previously disclosed investigation of transactions related to its employee stock ownership plan.
The agreement calls for an $80 million payment to the plan, which will result in an after-tax charge to earnings of $49.2 million.
In a statement, the company said: "Following a nine-month negotiation with the DOL, the company’s management and board of directors have decided that it would be in the best interest of the company and its shareholders to enter into this agreement to resolve these claims and avoid potentially costly litigation."
Sherwin-Williams added: "The company believes that the DOL’s claims are without merit and strongly disagrees with the allegation that ESOP plan participants sustained losses of any kind as a result of these transactions. The company’s position is supported by internal audits and audits by an independent third party and the DOL."
New California tax irks lumberyards, retailers
Lumberyards and retailers say they’re getting stiffed by the state of California and its new tax on lumber.
Here’s the background. Since Jan. 1, California retailers have been required to collect a 1% assessment on sales of certain lumber products. However, so-called "secondary" wood products, in which additional labor has added significant value — such as furniture, windows and doors — are exempt.
To collect the tax, which was signed into law last fall, stores have worked quickly to reprogram their registers to calculate the higher rate on these sales. Adding to retailers’ angst, the law requires that this 1% assessment be shown separately on the invoice, separate from state or local sales taxes.
California’s Board of Equalization is allowing lumber-product retailers to keep $250 in sales tax per location to reimburse them for startup costs, but some say that is not enough. The West Coast Lumber and Building Material Association (WCLBMA), which represents independent retailers, has asked the board to provide up to $4,500 per location in reimbursement the first year and $1,500 annually thereafter to handle updates and product changes.
Ken Dunham, executive director of the WCLBMA, said the assessment is disproportionately unfair to his trade. "Most hardware stores, unless they have a full line of wood products, are in reality a minor player in this," he said. "Some of the hardware stores will carry a few types of things like 2x4s and some plywood, but not a lot else. They can handle that additional assessment pretty easily. The full lumberyard is another story."
The Home Depot, which had yet to upgrade all of its California stores by late January, argued in a letter to the Tax Policy Division of California that the law "fails to appreciate" that retailers will face ongoing costs to maintain their collection systems.
"Because items sold in the store are changing weekly, retailers would have to reprogram their collection systems continually to capture new products," the Home Depot letter stated. "It makes no sense to reimburse retailers for initial programming costs and then require them to shoulder those same costs to capture new lumber products."
The 1% assessment is expected to generate $30 million to $35 million annually to help California enforce its timber-harvesting regulations.
Dunham believes there has to be a better way. "Simply giving the state more money from the general public and making the lumber retailers collect it is not the answer," he said.
For more, visithomechannelnews.com
Stat of the month
48Consecutive months the national unemployment rate was at 7.8% or higher, the most since the 1930s.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
American Woodmark posts strong Q3
American Woodmark announced third-quarter net sales rose by 26% compared with the third quarter of the prior fiscal year to $151.3 million. Net sales rose by 21% to $459.4 million during the nine-month period ended Jan. 31, 2013, compared with the prior fiscal year.
The company experienced sales gains in each of its sales channels during the third quarter, led by new construction sales growth of more than 50%. In the nine-month period American Woodmark generated net income excluding restructuring charges of $5.2 million, compared with a net loss of $8.5 million in the comparable period of the prior fiscal year.
American Woodmark generated net income excluding restructuring charges of $2.1 million during the third quarter of fiscal year 2013, compared with a net loss of $2.8 million in the third quarter of its prior fiscal year.
American Woodmark manufactures and distributes kitchen cabinets and vanities for the remodeling and new-home construction markets.


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Coles pays high price for my5 schemePUBLISHED: 09 May 2012 00:03:32 | UPDATED: 09 May 2012 06:49:00PUBLISHED: 09 May 2012 PRINT EDITION: 09 May 2012
Food and liquor retailer Coles may have to lift sales by around 2 per cent a year to offset the increased cost of its revamped FlyBuys customer loyalty program.
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The health-conscious market plans to take over ‘about half’ of the Staples in Midtown Place Shopping Center.
Whole Foods Market in Midtown Place Shopping Center at 650 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE will expand into space currently occupied by Staples next door.
“We are expanding but can’t provide details yet,” the manager on duty at Whole Foods Midtown told What Now Atlanta (WNA) in a telephone conversation Wednesday.
Subsequent inquiries seeking comment from representatives at Whole Foods’ corporate offices were not immediately returned.
An employee at Staples confirmed that Whole Foods will take over “about half” of the office supplies store’s current space.
The entire Staples space is approximately 10,000-square-feet, according to Coro Realty, which owns the property.
Stay tuned for further details regarding a timeline for the expansion.
Do you think Staples Midtown will be able to survive losing half of its space? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!


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The company's S-1 lays the groundwork for what is widely expected to be one of the largest initial public offerings of the year, second only to Uber's IPO in May. It's also...Technologyread more
Fraud investigator Harry Markopolos' accusations extended beyond GE's management to actuaries, auditors and analysts who he claims overlooked billions in liabilities.Marketsread more
Trump's tweet comes a day after Apple put out a press release describing the money it spends on U.S.-based suppliers and vendors.Technologyread more
CNBC combed through Wall Street research to see which stocks are still a buy after their earnings reports.Marketsread more
President Donald Trump held a call on Wednesday with the CEOs of three major U.S. banks, according to people with knowledge of the situation.Marketsread more
Despite aggressive strides, Waymo needs one thing before their self-driving cars become a seriously useful transportation system: people. We talked to the ones closest to it.Technologyread more
Scientists say the smoke plumes, filled with megatons of tiny, harmful particles, could travel to other areas of the world and cause serious respiratory problems for people.Weather & Natural Disastersread more
Some Weight Watchers loyalists applaud Kurbo by WW. But nutritionists worry Kurbo promotes an unhealthy relationship with food during an especially impressionable time.Health and Scienceread more
Benefits from what President Trump called "the biggest reform of all time" to the tax code have dwindled to a faint breeze just 20 months after its enactment, writes John...Politicsread more
Epstein, 66, was found in his cell in Manhattan federal lockup Saturday morning and transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.Politicsread more
Air travelers faced delays at U.S. airports on Friday afternoon after a computer issue snarled processing of international arrivals.Airlinesread more
Macquarie was so impressed with Amazon's "blowout" earnings, the global investment bank raised its 12-month price forecast to the highest on Wall Street and a value that would imply a record milestone for a publicly traded company.
"We believe that even without margin expansion in core retail, the other businesses can drive significant profit growth over the coming years and will make AMZN the first trillion dollar company," analyst Ben Schachter wrote in a note to clients Friday. "As its core 1st and 3rd party retail sales continue to take significant share from virtually all competitors, its subscription business, AWS, and advertising business are all exceeding expectations markedly."
The analyst's new price target is $2,100, which would imply a surge of about 40 percent from Thursday's close to a market value of $1.02 trillion. Amazon closed Thursday at $1,517.96 and was up 9.5 percent in premarket trading Friday to
Amazon said Thursday evening that revenue jumped 43 percent in the first quarter. Net income more than doubled to $1.6 billion the company said.
Schachter's new target (up from $1,750) is the highest on Wall Street, according to TipRanks.com, which rates him as one of the top analysts in the space. He rates the stock outperform.
There's only one thing that could stop Amazon, Schachter wrote: the government.
"Our primary concern remains regulatory risk and the growing potential for political interference," he said. "AMZN's continued success is sure to attract more attention from governments around the world than ever before."
Amazon is the second-biggest company by market capitalization ($736 billion), behind Apple at $833 billion. Apple's shares have been struggling lately, down 2.5 percent in the last one month ahead of earnings next Tuesday.
— With reporting by CNBC's Morgan Brennan


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Johnson & Starley has appointed Darren Keenan as business development manager and Sue Powell as customer service/distribution sales manager.
Mr Keenan has worked for Johnson and Starley for 20 years and has been a valuable member of the sales team. He has brought levels of innovation, enthusiasm and been a valued team member since his early days as a national manager for Centre-Cool cooling systems, followed by several years in the commercial section, Dravo Heating, working with major companies including national and internationals.
Over the last 13 years Mr Keenan has been regional manager successfully growing the area and working to implement new product lines in both heating and ventilation sectors.
During his time in the sales team, Mr Keenan has managed many projects from commencement to completion with major clients including local authorities. He has also been influential in the launch the Condensing Warm Air range Warmcair and Aquair units.
In his new role he will develop business potential across the country for heating and ventilation with particular emphasis on the commercial sector.
Ms Powell joined Combat 24 years ago as a sales administrator and has worked her way up through the company becoming distribution manager and now customer service/distribution sales manager.
Ms Powell holds a wealth of knowledge about the Combat brand of warm air heaters and radiant heating systems. Her long service history and extensive experience will be a huge asset to her new role.
There has been mixed reaction to the Government's long-awaited Heat and Buildings Strategy from heating industry bodies.
The Strategy has unveiled phased out dates for the installation of fossil fuel heating, increased funding support for households purchasing heat pumps, and the rebalancing of environmental levies on electricity.
Humidity control specialist, Condair, has appointed Ryan Mooney, as a humidifier service engineer based out of London.


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Mich. (WNEM)- Pet owners may have noticed that some pet foods are now in short supply, due to ongoing supply chain issues.
Shawna Guiett, director of Amazing Grace Animal Rescue, has a growing problem. She struggles to find cat food to feed the 250 felines her organization looks after.
“Canned cat food is somewhat difficult to obtain. And we don’t know if it’s the container or the metal or whatever,” Guiett said.
According to Professor Jonathan Phares of Iowa State University, supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing.
Shortages of meat used in cat food and aluminum for packaging are to blame. For Guiett, it is making the care of the animals in her care a stressful situation.
“It just adds stress to our day, which is already busy enough. And so, we don’t really need that stress and hopefully the pet food crisis will be resolved soon,” Guiett said.
During the pandemic, pet adoptions have increased, which has compounded the pet supply problem. Although there has been a drop in the number of adoptions, cat adoptions continue at the same pace.
In the meantime, Guiett and her team are doing what they can to make sure the cats are getting enough food to eat.
“We don’t want to deprive them of canned food because it’s something they look forward to every day. But sometimes we have to give them a little less to make sure we have enough for everyone,” Guiett said.
Phares notes that online retailers like Chewy are no longer using foil packaging to combat cat food shortages.
Copyright 2022 WNEM. All rights reserved.


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By Tania Karas
While other celebrity investors flock to the latest hot start-up, actress Jessica Alba has gone a step further: She started her own. Alba says she launched The Honest Co., an online retailer of eco-friendly baby and home products, because of her inability to track down certain items for her two kids. "There was a huge market gap, and I felt that we could offer young, modern moms what they craved," the actress tells us. Alba, who now serves as company president, invested her own money in the business (she won't comment on how much) and in March, three major venture capital firms put together a $27 million round of initial funding.
Alba brought in several cofounders, including serial entrepreneur Brian Lee (founder of online legal-services firm LegalZoom and accessory seller ShoeDazzle) and Sean Kane, former business development executive at price-comparison site PriceGrabber .com. Honest uses a subscription model where buyers pay a monthly fee starting at $36 to receive 12 "bundles" of all-natural diapers, shampoo or detergent a year. This setup helps provide a predictable revenue stream, analysts say.
For a first-time entrepreneur, bringing in seasoned partners is a good move, says John Giannuzzi, managing general partner of venture firm Sherbrooke Capital. In fact, one VC backing Honest says he invested in part because of Lee's involvement. Targeting a niche within a fast-growing market, such as the $11.8 billion natural-personal-care and household-product industry, can also help attract investors. Of course, having Alba's name recognition doesn't hurt either.


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People choose to donate less money to nonprofits with corporate sponsors, Fraser Institute study reveals
A new essay published by the Fraser Institute expresses concern that corporate philanthropic giving fueled by ESG may have a negative impact on total charity donations.
“While charitable giving helps organizations that receive donations and improves the image of corporations, there’s a downside to corporate philanthropy,” said Dr. Marvin Olasky, a Discovery Institute and Acton Institute fellow, and author of “Corporate Philanthropy: Stay in Your Lane,” the latest installment from the institute’s essay series on the ESG movement.
The environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement is expanding and aims to persuade companies and investors to pursue more expansive social objectives, such as charity.
More corporate giving, according to ESG proponents, will raise public awareness of nonprofits and stimulate monetary and in-kind donations.
But according to studies, consumers choose to donate less money to nonprofit organizations with corporate sponsors. As a result of consumers frequently choosing to support other non-profit groups that are not backed by companies, corporate donations may displace rather than supplement individual donations.
The cumulative result of corporate contributions may thus be a net loss for nonprofit organizations, according to Dr. Olasky.
It's too soon to say whether or whether ESG's promotion of increasing corporate philanthropy has resulted in a decline in individual philanthropic giving, but he says certain trends are worth watching.
In one example, Dr. Olasky says that out of 114 nation ranked in terms of philanthropic giving, the United States, which had always been among the top 10, dropped to 24th place in 2020. Canada, which had usually ranked in the top 10, descended to number 25.
Additionally, just 19% of Canadian tax filers declared charitable gifts in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, down from 25.5% in 2000.
“The increased emphasis of ESG in the corporate world may have unintended consequences in terms of decreasing the overall amount of charitable giving,” Olasky said.


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Research by supermarket bank Sainsbury's has revealed this week that 20 per cent of people could not survive for more than one month on their current savings if they lost their job.
The bank recommends that people should have three months' salary saved, the average equivalent of around £5,500, to tide them over should they lose their job, instead of the £3,000 that the majority of people have saved.
Savings business manager at Sainsbury’s Bank, Pauline Smith, said: "While it’s alarming that 20 per cent of people in work fear that they may not be able to survive on their savings for more than a month, our research indicates that the situation could in fact be far worse with not even half (43 per cent) of the working population holding more than £1,000 worth of available cash savings."
The survey also found that just under a third of UK workers have less than £500 saved and 12 per cent have no cash savings at all.
The research coincides with Sainsbury's newest account, SaveBack, which allows Sainsbury's customers to pay as they shop.
The account works by allowing people with a Sainsbury's account to transfer money to their savings account when they pay for their shopping at a Sainsbury's supermarket.
Customers hand over their debit card along with their instant access saver cashcard and their chosen amount is transferred to their savings account within two days.
The supermarket chain has been experiencing problems recently as it continues to lag behind other supermarket chains such as Tesco, who now sell clothes, electrical goods and CDs.
The company launched a multi-million pound initiative this week in an attempt to win back customers and boost sales.To read more about Savings Accounts, click here.
© Adfero Ltd


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Unveils 11 New Island Strains of Packaged Flower, Available at Mission Dispensaries in the Bay State; Signature Flower Line Set to Roll Out to Partner Dispensaries in Coming Weeks
PHOENIX, Sept. 26, 2022 – 4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) (“4Front” or the “Company”), a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, announced the launch of its premier California cannabis brand, Island Cannabis Co. (“Island”), in Massachusetts. Following the Company’s acquisition in April 2022 of Island, a California-based producer of pre-rolls, flower and concentrate products, the Company began cultivating 11 new Island flower strains at its state-of-art flower facilities located in Holliston, Georgetown and Worcester, Massachusetts.
The 11 new Island strains include: Project 4516; The Cypher; Banana Puddintain; Garlic Z; Star 91; Mimosa; London Pound Mints; TK-43; Wonka Bars; Cookies & Cream; and Grapes n’ Cream. Each strain has been hand selected for its unique genetic lineage, terpene profile, potency, and nose. Island’s new strains are initially available for purchase exclusively at 4Front’s Mission Dispensaries in Georgetown, Worcester, and Brookline, and are expected to roll out to partner dispensaries across the Bay State in the coming weeks.
“After our acquisition of Island earlier this year, we quickly set out to strategically bring the very best the brand had to offer to our customers – and I couldn’t be more pleased with how quickly and efficiently our team was able to deliver these popular California fan favorites to Massachusetts consumers,” said 4Front CEO Leo Gontmakher. “With the launch of Island in the Bay State, we’re confident that even the pickiest of cannabis connoisseurs will fall in love with these strains, and that as a whole, the brand will create a loyal following – just as it has in the Golden State. We also look forward to bringing additional high-quality flower products from Island to Massachusetts in the very near future, including larger format flower offerings, and Island’s best-selling prerolls and infused prerolls in singles and multipacks.”
4Front President of Massachusetts Operations and Island Co-Founder Brandon Mills added, “Taking proven products and brands like Island and strategically launching them in key markets is one of the things we do best. With the launch of Island in Massachusetts, we took the best operational practices our team learned from years of cultivating and manufacturing in California, and married them with in-market expertise at our facilities in Holliston, Georgetown and Worcester. Bringing together best-in-class genetics, cultivation practices, and production technology, we’re delivering a premium cannabis value proposition, coast-to-coast.”
About 4Front Ventures Corp.
4Front Ventures Corp. (“4Front” or the “Company”) (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) is a national, vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator who owns or manages operations and facilities in strategic medical and adult-use cannabis markets, including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington. Since its founding in 2011, 4Front has built a strong reputation for its high standards and low-cost cultivation and production methodologies earned through a track record of success in facility design, cultivation, genetics, growing processes, manufacturing, purchasing, distribution, and retail. To date, 4Front has successfully brought to market more than 20 different cannabis brands and over 1,800 products, which are strategically distributed through its fully owned and operated Mission dispensaries and retail outlets in its core markets. As the Company continues to drive value for its shareholders, its team is applying its more than decade of expertise in the sector across the cannabis industry value chain and ecosystem. For more information, visit https://4frontventures.com/.


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NEW carbon footprint figures released by The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers has been hailed as further evidence that the corrugated industry has a lead on environmental matters.
According to the statistics the corrugated sector reduced its carbon footprint by a further 4.8% over the three years from 2009 to 2011 following a cut of almost 12% in the previous three-year cycle.
The average carbon footprint of corrugated packaging is now 746 kg/t, compared to 784 kg/t for the period 2006-08. Those savings have been achieved through reductions in energy consumption and the industry’s use of recycled materials for the production of new corrugated packaging which – across Europe – rose from 82% in 2009 to 85% last year.
Andy Barnetson, director of packaging affairs at the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), said: “These latest figures from FEFCO highlight the huge steps the corrugated industry is taking to protect the environment, through extensive improvements in the manufacturing process. Corrugated packaging has superb environmental credentials and this is being recognised in both the supply chain and by consumers. However, the industry is not complacent. The UK corrugated sector is renowned for innovation and will continue to explore ways of reducing the carbon footprint of its products still further.”
Corrugated packaging protects around 75% of goods in transit and has led the way on issues such as lightweight packaging and space efficiency in stores and trucks, which has resulted in fewer lorries on the road. The majority of the product is manufactured from recycled material and where virgin fibre is used, it typically comes from sustainably managed forests, using fast-growing softwoods such as pine and spruce.
The CPI continued: “This commitment to protecting forests is backed by significant investment in advanced technology by corrugated manufacturers to ensure that the processes involved meet the most stringent requirements of environmental legislation.
“This latest reduction in its carbon footprint confirms that the corrugated packaging industry’s resolve to continue to reduce its impact on the planet is unwavering, proving that environmental concerns and economical packaging are not incompatible.”
Image – Corrugated packaging now protects three quarters of goods in transit.


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On Monday the Rangers unveiled the jersey they will don for the 2012 Winter Classic. The jerseys are a throwback to the old Rangers logo which was the shield. The jersey itself will go on sale for the fans on December 5th when the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden.
Henrik Lundqvist added that he will be wearing a new mask just for the Winter Classic. He said it will look like it’s “Been in the closet for 40 years”. I think it’s going to be pretty cool because Henrik has sported some nice looking masks over the years.
Personally I like the jerseys. I think they give a throwback feel and aren’t too complex with the design. I’m also a fan of the off white cream color of the jersey. I’ve heard some mixed reviews by fellow fans but I think they are more upset because it will cost them $220 (yeah it is a bit much).
Now that the wait for the jersey is over we can all be psyched for the game which I think will be a great one.


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Skechers, Asics and Onitsuka Tiger have joined the strong sports retail line up at the capital’s first outlet centre which is next door to Wembley Stadium.
Other new signings include shoe retailers Pavers and Daniel Footwear, and the Pavers’ store will be its 100th opening. They will be joined by Sunglass Hut and Pro Kitchen, meaning that more than 70 per cent of the 100 units are leased. Anchor retailers including Nike, Adidas, LK Bennett, Superdry, Guess, Gap, Clarks and Marks & Spencer with more to be announced over the coming months.
The centre will also feature a new nine-screen Cineworld and a strong line-up of restaurants including Prezzo, Handmade Burger Co, Las Iguanas and TGI Fridays. Following lettings to Ping Pong and Cabana, the catering element is now 100 per cent leased.
James Saunders, chief operating officer at Quintain, said: “These last few weeks have been incredibly exciting with so many fantastic brands securing their space at London Designer Outlet before we open to the public on 24 October.”


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This Despite a Flailing Wii U Userbase
Even though some estimates put the current Nintendo 3DS userbase at close to 10 to 1 over the Wii U, the latest TSSZ @Issue poll indicates nearly two thirds of respondents believe Sonic Lost World will perform better on the latter.
Of some 1,008 votes cast in the poll, 64 percent said Lost World on Wii U will sell better, while 36 percent said the 3DS version would beat the home console counterpart out.
There will be plenty of time for both versions of Lost World to make a mark, with Sega and Nintendo electing for an earlier October release in the hopes of not having to compete with both major console launches and major game launches around the Holiday season.
A new poll is now available to vote on. The above poll results can be discussed below in the comments.


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Kassab Jewelers has doubled its showroom space in downtown Portland.
Portland Business Journal
Kassab Jewelers has doubled its downtown store to accommodate its growing business.
The 2,500-square-foot showroom, 529 S.W. Broadway St., makes its debut Dec. 7.
Locally-owned Kassab operates two additional stores, at Washington Square and in Lake Oswego.


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Latest media reports suggest that Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart is planning to raise 2 to 3 billion dollars to expand its product range in the country and also to challenge both international and domestic rivals in the sector. Flipkart based in Bengaluru Karnataka was founded by Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal in 2007 as an e-commerce firm.
American retail giant Walmart in August 2018 acquired more than 70 percent stake in the company making Flipkart a subsidiary of the American company.
Flipkart is reportedly planning to raise the amount at a valuation of 40 billion dollars. People who know the move by Flipkart told news agencies that Walmart is planning to bring in some big strategic investors to the shareholding of the e-commerce company. Even new-age large pure-play investment firms are welcomed by Walmart Inc to invest capital in Flipkart.
Even though there are rumors of plans to raise capital, neither Walmart nor Flipkart has so far appointed any investment banker or any such institutions to search for international strategic investors who are interested in the e-commerce firm.
When contacted by media agencies for comment on the latest media reports, a representative of Walmart Inc said that the company is not willing to comment on anything based on speculations. Flipkart did not respond to the request for comments regarding the news on fundraising plans.
In 2019, one year after Walmart Inc acquired a 77 percent stake in Flipkart, the American retailer said that it will try to make an Indian e-commerce company, a public company in four years. In April, Reuters reported that Flipkart has internally raised its IPO valuation target by around a third to $60 billion to $70 billion and plans a U.S. listing in 2023 instead of this year. The company had plans to conduct a US listing at a valuation of 70 billion dollars. As of 2022, Flipkart is valued at 37.6 billion US dollars.
There is no information regarding whether the latest fundraising plans are part of the initial public offering which might happen in the United States in the next financial year. There is also no information available regarding the company’s IPO plans for Indian equity markets.


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Customers will be told if their local Blockbuster store is closing so they can return their rentals beforehand.
Deloitte, appointed as administrators on Wednesday, said stores will remain open for business as usual until this time. Lee Manning, joint administrator said:
The store closure plan is an inevitable consequence of having to restructure the Company to a profitable core which is capable of being sold.
We would like to thank the Company’s employees for their support and professionalism during this difficult time. We are also grateful to the customers for their continued support.
More top news
The maintenance worker spent 10 days in hospital after plunging 9.5 metres from a scaffold tower at a disused station.
Workers and managers are to stage another strike on Saturday amid a long-running dispute over jobs, pensions and closures.
The unexpected call could prompt a diplomatic rift with China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province from its mainland.


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Despite Nintendo's overwhelming success, questions often linger over whether the proliferation of Wii has benefited third parties nearly as much as it should, as publishers appear challenged to make regular hits on the platform.
Like many publishers who felt the sting of an overcrowded holiday 2008 on the next-gen platforms, Electronic Arts has made an increased focus on Wii a core component of its product strategy for 2009. EA's efforts have already begun to bear fruit, with the 600,000-unit launch of EA Sports Active on Wii.
"That's our best launch so far on the Wii," EA CEO John Riccitiello tells Gamasutra. "It's the first time a third party has been number one on the Wii platform two weeks in a row."
It's clear why this is an important success: "The number one platform is expanding the market, and growing," says Riccitiello. "Having a lead position there seems like an obvious thing for us to do."


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JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) – Good Morning! The coming week will see a clutch of GDP updates to shed further light on the extent of the global economic collapse at the height of the COVID-19 in the second quarter. But, we will also see the release of more timely industrial production and retail sales data for key economies which will help assess recovery paths.
In addition to the economic data, the earnings season continues with more than 600 firms reporting. After news of the United States (US) economy contracting at a record 32.9 percent annual rate in the second quarter, eyes turn to industrial production and retail sales updates for July to gauge the recovery path heading into the third quarter.
June had already shown rebounds in sales and production, but doubts as to the durability of these rebounds have been raised amid redoubled efforts to stem increased COVID-19 infection rates. PMI data, for example, showed demand faltering during July amid the re-imposition of lockdown measures.
Similarly, industrial production and retail sales data, as well as investment numbers, will be eyed in China to steer estimates of third quarter economic performance. China saw GDP rise by 3.2 percent on a year in the second quarter after falling 6.8 percent in the first quarter – the first such fall for decades – reflecting China’s earlier lockdown and subsequent reopening of its economy.
The rest of Asia locked down later, which will likely be reflected in dismal second quarter GDP numbers for Japan, signaling a deepening recession, as well as Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan and Singapore.
In Europe, Britain second quarter GDP is expected to show a double-digit decline but the monthly estimate for June, including manufacturing, services and construction updates, should cement signs of recovery taking hold after the recent improvements evident in PMI data. Job market data will also be important in assessing wider UK recovery prospects.
Similarly, industrial production numbers for the eurozone will be eagerly awaited amid growing hopes of a strong initial industrial rebound for the region. In Asia, Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy in Lebanon, it is time for national unity – to overcome this disaster.
Its also a time for the international community of Lebanon to step up to help the country in this moment of urgent need. Currently, the Fund is exploring all possible ways to support the people of Lebanon.
In Indonesia, the central bank to announces retail sales survey report for August 11, residential property price survey report for the next day, and Indonesia’ foreign debt position on August 14. On Tuesday, Bank Indonesia also have agenda to absorbs the state bond through a burden scheme.
In a last private placement, the central bank purchased Rp82.1 trillion (US$5.66 billion). Today, finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati have schedule to give a media briefing on the acceleration of the National Economic Recovery Program and the 13th salary for Indonesian product expenditures.
Positive cases of the COVID-19 in the world have now exceeded 20 million cases and the United States as the country with the highest Covid-19 cases in the world has recorded more than 5 million cases. Total cases died reached 733,139 and recovered 12.88 million cases.
In Indonesia, the positive confirmed cases increased by 1,893 people or a cumulative 125,396 people, recovery increased by 1,646 people to 80,952 people. At the same time, cases of death were recorded increased by 65 people to 5,723 people.
Last weekend, Indonesian Rupiah weakened 0.27 percent to 14,625 per US Dollar and the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) corrected 0.66 percent to 5,143.89 compared to the previous day. For today, the analysts sees the sentiment that will affect both instruments will be the release of US payroll and unemployment rate data.
In addition, the market will also look forward to the continuation of the cash transfer policy in Indonesia to boost people’ purchasing power. In terms of fundamentals, the Rupiah and the US dollar are both weakening and this will create a tug of war sentiment and limit the movement of both of them, they adds.
Meanwhile, the high position of foreign reserves in July will provide positive sentiment for market players.
Based on these developments, the Rupiah is estimated to moved between 14,450 – 14,700 versus the American Dollar and the JCI between 5,106–5,210. Stocks to be watch are PT Kimia Farma Tbk (IDX: KAEF), PT Indofarma Tbk (IDX: INAF), PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (IDX: AALI), and PT Surya Citra Media Tbk (IDX: SCMA).
Then, PT Telkom Indonesia Tbk (IDX: TLKM) , PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (IDX: ANTM), PT Barito Pacific Tbk (IDX: BRPT), PT Astra International Tbk (IDX: ASII), PT Bank Mandiri Tbk (IDX: BMRI), PT Semen Indonesia Tbk (IDX: SMGR), PT and PT Jasa Marga Tbk (IDX: JSMR).
-IHS Markit contributed to this briefing
May you have a profitable Week!
Written by Linda Silaen and TIS Intelligence Team, Please Read Our Insight to Get More information about Indonesia


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In a new unscripted series, Robert Downey Jr. will work in his garage and turns sports and muscle cars into eco-friendly automobiles for the 21st century.
Downey’s Dream Cars will be Downey’s second Discovery+ series and will launch in late 2022 on the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming platform.
“My goal is to showcase that it’s possible to keep the integrity of classic cars while leveraging new tech and innovation to make them more eco-friendly. I’m thrilled audiences will get to see this series on Discovery+ later this year,” Downey Jr. said in a statement.
Downey’s Dream Cars aims to bring the Iron Man star’s passion for climate change to the car restoration space. The show will explore ways to restore the environment by taking his own vintage cars and replacing them with newer, eco-friendly parts, while still maintaining the integrity of what makes the classic muscle and sports cars vintage from the beginning.
“We are excited to bring audiences a series that shows the spirit of who Downey is and puts his passion for the environment center stage. That, and who better than Robert Downey Jr. to make eco-friendly cars look this good?” Nancy Daniels, chief brand officer of Discovery and Factual, said in her own statement.
The series is the second project from Team Downey for Discovery+ after production of the four-part docuseries The Bond. Team Downey is the production company led by Robert and Susan Downey. Team Downey will produce the series alongside Boat Rocker’s Matador Content.
Alongside Downey and his wife, Emily Barclay Ford, Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin, Dave Larzelere, Ben Wood, and Kyle Wheeler will all executive produce, while Paola Espinosa will act as coordinating producer for Discovery+.


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Apple’s back with another event next week – what could it be – Unleashed? The blokes discuss their thoughts on what might be announced and why – all good speculation and rumour really! Plus the new Apple Watch is on our wrists and it’s an impressive screen no doubt.
The maker of Kayo and Binge launches Flash for all your breaking and live news content – just $8 a month, Trev explains. And Stephen and Trevor unpack HP+ the subscription cloud printer service available now on new printers.
NSW and Victoria set to incorporate Vaccination status into your QR checkin, and the screen protector that gives you iPad a paper like feeling.


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Disney Licensed Publishing has tapped IDW Publishing to create two new comic books based on “DuckTales” and “Tangled: The Series.”
Disney Licensed Publishing has tapped IDW Publishing to create a new series of Star Wars-inspired comic books for young readers.
IDW Publishing has partnered with Playster, an all-in-one entertainment streaming service, to add hundreds of the publisher’s comic books and graphic novels to the service’s media catalogue.
IDW Publishing will launch a new ongoing comic series based on CBS’ classic series, “Star Trek.”
Hasbro has tapped IDW Publishing to publish a new comic series based on Hasbro’s “Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (M.A.S.K.)” property.
Cartoon Network has tapped IDW Publishing to create a new comic series based on the recent re-launch of “The Powerpuff Girls.”
IDW Publishing will launch a second ongoing comic series based on Nickelodeon’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
IDW Publishing is bringing the management of its foreign rights catalog for global publishing in-house with the opening of an internal licensing division.
The Powell Group has brokered a partnership between IDW Publishing and Stompy Bot Productions for games featuring the comic book series Locke & Key.
IDW Publishing has partnered with the Threadless to feature online Artist Shops for the IDW fan favorite comics Locke & Key, Zombies vs. Robots and The Rocketeer.
©2017 UBM. All rights reserved. A UBM Company.


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Nexus leads $3.3-m Series-A in Yolobus
The investment takes the total capital raised by the company to $4.1 million across its seed and Series-A rounds.
Maharashtra: FDA busts Remdesivir black marketing nexus in Mumbai, 7 accused arrested
Maharashtra: FDA busts Remdesivir black marketing nexus in Mumbai, 7 accused arrested, 13 vials of the drug seized. Mirror Now's Santia Gora...
Myanmar uncovers Sino-Pak nexus in arms supply to two rebel groups in Rakhine
The nexus has been revealed following arrests by the authorities of Thailand along the Thai-Myanmar border. The Thai authorities shared details of the investigation with Myanmar’s security establishment, ET has learnt. The revelations came to light close on the heels of Myanmar Army's top brass expressing public displeasure against China's role in fuelling insurgency in the country.
RIL retail arms hand exit notice to Nexus Malls
The ongoing tussle between malls and retailers about rentals during the lockdown period has now pitted India’s largest retailer by revenue and number of stores against a private equity (PE) giant.
New Energy Nexus partners with Climate Collective to build clean energy startup ecosystem in South Asia
This partnership expects to leverage on the global network and experience of New Energy Nexus and the Climate Collective’s successful initiatives in the region to provide start ups the boost and support that is critical for a successful and just transition to a clean energy economy.
Indian apps see surge of new entrants out to replace banned Chinese peers
Investors are bullish about the emergence of Indian apps in different sectors, saying there’s a clear need to create consumer-friendly utility apps that are intuitive in user interface and experience.
More women venture into VC investment space
As gender diversity becomes a hot button topic across industries globally, and especially so in the venture investing community, the representation of women in funds overall has grown by 27-31% in the last 18 months
Hansal Mehta to make web series on gangster Vikas Dubey, says sees an 'edgy political thriller' emerging out of it
Producer Shailesh R Singh has bought the rights for the upcoming project.
Corporate funding in solar sector falls 76 per cent in H1 2020 to USD 462 mn: Report
As per the report by Mercom Capital Group, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, total worldwide corporate funding in the solar sector during January-June 2020 stood at USD 4.5 billion, down 25 per cent from USD 6 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Druva reports 70% growth in recurring revenue
Cloud data protection firm Druva said recurring revenue increased by 70% year-on-year for its data centre workload protection solution and overall data under management grew 50% in the past year.
More visitors to malls in towns with low Covid-19 infection
Places like Kochi, Baroda, Amritsar and Bhopal witnessed 30% footfalls in malls and barring Bengaluru and Kolkata, major cities recorded minimum double digit growth in people visiting malls.
Postman closes $150 million funding led by Insight Partners
Postman is headquartered in San Francisco and has an office in Bengaluru, where the company was set up in 2014 by Abhinav Asthana and Ankit Sobti. Used by more than 500,000 companies globally, the Postman API platform helps them accelerate their pace and effectiveness of software development.
Unacademy eyeing unicorn club as it talks for $100-150 million funding
The financing bid comes less than four months after the firm closed a $110 million round led by social media giant Facebook and blue-chip private equity firm General Atlantic.
Nexus, Prestige in talks to merge mall business
Talks between Nexus malls and Prestige to merge the mall business in order to create the largest mall operator in the country is in its initial stage. If talks fructify, the combined entity could get enlisted as a real estate investment trust.
India cuts defence exports to Turkey over Pakistan nexus
Licence to sensitive items are being withheld amid security threats. India had started engaging meaningfully with traditional Pakistan ally Turkey from 2016. Amid this, the Turkish president’s planned visit to Pakistan has been postponed.


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New disclosure rules are prompting companies to share financial information faster, and sophisticated data-collection and data-analysis applications are helping them do it. Just as important, the financial-tracking tools are making businesses better equipped to navigate in a stormy economy. "It's becoming a best practice to use some of these tools," says Aberdeen Group analyst Alan Yong. International Data Corp. estimates the market for such products will reach $2 billion in 2004, twice its size last year.
Rockford Corp., a Tempe, Ariz., manufacturer of audio equipment, will report this month that second-quarter sales slipped as much as 7% from a year ago. Earnings will decline, too. But profits might have suffered even more if the company weren't using Oracle Financial Analyzer to track and adjust expenses. "It gives us the ability to throttle back our expenditures in order to maintain profitability," says Dave Richards, Rockford's CIO and VP of IT.
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan cites companies' ability to react swiftly to changing economic conditions-and the role that IT plays in that process-in explaining the acceleration of business cycles (see "Testing Greenspan," March 19, p. 41; informationweek.com/829/testimony.htm). The trend is away from tracking financial data via static quarterly reports and toward "rolling budgets" that account for changing conditions on a monthly or quarterly basis and reflect those changes going forward.
General Bandwidth Inc. compares monthly revenue and expenditures against its budget and circulates the results to managers within eight business days after the close of the month. It uses OutlookSoft Corp.'s Financial Planning and Analysis software to do the analysis, a process that took a month or longer using spreadsheets and other less-sophisticated techniques, says finance VP Steve Raich.
Older approaches, including the use of Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet, remain popular. But they tend to be labor- intensive, time-consuming, and error-prone. "We used to use Excel, but it became unmanageable," says Arthur Steinhorn, finance manager at PreNet Corp., a Portland, Ore., company that provides prepaid calling cards for wireless phones. Turmoil in the telecommunications industry has made planning tough for Steinhorn and his staff. "We've had to re-evaluate our budgets almost every month," he says.
PreNet can do that because late last year it began using FRx Forecaster, a budgeting application hosted by FRx Software Corp. The software is used to create 12-month rolling budgets on a monthly basis. Operating-unit managers use the tool to prepare multiple versions of budgets; they can change employee head counts, project schedules, and other costs based on different economic assumptions. Pulling all that information together at the corporate level in Excel would have required a full-time employee, Steinhorn says. "And who knows if the result would have been accurate?"
New options in software for budget planning, tracking, and analysis are emerging from startups such as OutlookSoft and Adaytum Software Inc., as well as from established software vendors. Cognos Inc. will ship a Web-based version of Cognos Finance this month, and Hyperion Solutions Corp. recently debuted Hyperion Planning as the successor to Pillar, its first budget-management app. Last month, SAP debuted a suite of financial, customer, supply-chain, and product life-cycle analysis tools to complement its mySAP data-warehousing and business-intelligence software.
The tools give companies a way to create budgets with input from managers throughout an organization. Companies can link to the corporate financial systems found in enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP and PeopleSoft to collect revenue and spending data that can be analyzed against budget projections. And they can create rolling budgets that are updated monthly up to 18 months out.
Managers say the tools give them greater control in these uncertain economic times. "It creates more visibility so that we can affect change rather than just react to it," says Rockford's Richards. To help trim expenses, Rockford used Oracle Financial Analyzer to assess freight charges, shipping volumes, and other data from its distribution operation and identify less-expensive alternatives, such as consolidating orders into fewer truckloads and leveraging volume to negotiate better deals with carriers.
Avoiding layoffs and keeping investors happy are General Bandwidth's goals amid slowing demand for the Austin, Texas, company's digital-subscriber-line equipment. Managers break down monthly operating and capital expenditures for 25 cost centers into 35 to 40 line items, including salaries, employee training, rent and utilities, product development, and travel. "We really tear things down to the gnat's eyebrow so we can see where we're spending our money," Raich says. After closely analyzing its data, the company has trimmed about 20% of discretionary spending, including travel and marketing expenses, and moved employee training inside the company.
Communications semiconductor manufacturer Conexant Systems Inc. in Newport Beach, Calif., implemented Hyperion Planning early this year to create four-quarter rolling budget forecasts. Sales and expense data pulled from the company's SAP R/3 financial and human-resource applications are loaded into the Hyperion system for comparison with the budget.
The system lets Conexant respond to changing market conditions more quickly than the spreadsheets and older Hyperion budget-planning tool it used in the past, says financial systems manager Matt Geyer. In March, when it became clear that sales for the quarter would be down 35% to 40% from the previous quarter, the company laid off 1,500 employees, cut pay for senior managers by 10%, reduced capital spending, and temporarily shut down some production lines.
When Ace Hardware Corp. installed Adaytum's financial-planning software last year, the plan was to pull data from the company's J.D. Edwards & Co. general-ledger system for preparing quarterly budgets. But when the economy soured, managers at the Oak Brook, Ill., hardware-store chain began analyzing sales and spending data each month. "We want to identify where we should be focusing our resources," controller Ron Knutson says. For instance, the software makes it easier to examine the cost of recruiting franchises vs. the expected return on sales of Ace Hardware products through those stores.
Despite all the potential benefits of budget-planning and financial-analysis software, Gartner analyst Lee Geishecker doesn't see an immediate spurt in demand for it-in part because of curtailed IT spending. The applications typically are priced from $100,000 to $300,000, but implementation costs can far exceed that. Adaytum, for example, recently disclosed a $1 million licensing and service deal with an insurance company. But there are ways to get around big outlays: PreNet's Steinhorn calls the $1,500 monthly fee he pays for FRx Forecaster a bargain.
Companies that foresaw the need for the new generation of financial applications before the economic slowdown are glad they did. Wyndham International Inc. is installing OutlookSoft's applications to replace a cumbersome, internally developed system for tracking and analyzing costs. Wyndham, which operates 175 hotels and resorts worldwide, has seen demand for its rooms slow as businesses cut back on travel. "Our timing couldn't have been more perfect to put this in place," chief technology officer Mark Hedley says.
Wyndham will finish rolling out the system to managers at all its hotels by Aug. 3-just in time to begin preparing 2002 budgets. With the software, Wyndham's financial analysts will be able to track detailed cost data that got buried in the old system as it was consolidated and sent to the company's Dallas headquarters. Management will be better able to keep labor, food, and beverage costs in line with occupancy rates, Hedley says. The tool also will help management analyze business choices, such as whether the chain should do laundry in-house or contract it out.
Budgeting and financial-planning applications also give executives better information for making strategic decisions. Until two years ago, Standard Pacific Corp., an Irvine, Calif., home-building company, relied on Excel for collecting operating financial data from divisions in four states. But the information lacked critical details. While the reports indicated changes in average house prices and cost of sales, they didn't include details on what spurred the changes, says Bruce Torkelson, assistant land development controller.
The company now uses Cognos Finance, which lets divisional managers enter financial data directly into a central repository using standard templates. The reports include data on land, material, and labor costs, as well as information on which options are sold with homes and premiums charged for lots with ocean views. That helps executives understand shifts in average home prices. With new-home orders in its Northern California division down 75% in the second quarter, the company's directors will need all that information when they meet this month to set pricing strategy for the third quarter, Torkelson says.
Still, for all their value, the tools aren't crystal balls-and business managers who expect them to help predict economic trends will be disappointed. Companies that installed these applications before the economic slowdown hit late last year say the software gave no hint of the changes to come. "That information really came from the field sales force," Rockford's Richards says.
Some applications do include forecasting capabilities, but there's no way they can account for the constantly changing variables-such as consumer confidence and fluctuating interest rates-that can have immediate and widespread impact on a company's performance. But that doesn't stop businesses from trying to add forward-looking capabilities to their budgeting systems. Later this year, Wyndham will augment the financial data in its tracking system with survey data from external sources that predicts near-term hotel-room demand.
But if new financial-planning applications aren't a panacea for managing the sputtering economy, the visibility they provide sure beats flying blind. Says General Bandwidth's Raich: "Data reflects your business, and anytime you can understand that, you're in a better position."


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The telecommunications industry is consistently growing in the U.S. economy, and the broadband segment is currently one of the strongest areas of growth. In the fixed broadband market, most U.S. users are cable subscribers, denoting one of the biggest trends in this sector of the industry. Also, mobile broadband networks are becoming increasingly commonplace, signaling another shift in popularity in the market.
The biggest trend in the broadband market is subscribers switching to cable companies for their services (http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110404_north_american_broadband_trends/). In 2010, 70% of new broadband subscribers signed up with cable companies. The low (only 30%) number subscribing with traditional “teleco” providers points to a definite shift in preference among users.
The three major cable company providers of broadband service are Time Warner, Comcast, and Cox. Together, these three companies service approximately 80% of cable broadband subscribers. Another big trend, however—the transition to a greater deployment of mobile broadband networks — is expected to slow this growth in coming years.
Broadband traffic and user volume is also projected to grow because of increased access to services, particularly with the expansion of home “bundle” packages offered by cable companies and other service providers. Generally, these packages offer significant cost-savings to families who need Internet access in addition to telephone and television service. The growth in this area is expected to make it the “majority” by 2012. Many estimates also point out that roughly 90% of Americans have access (in some way, shape, or form) to broadband Internet service (http://www.nextgenweb.org/news-and-blog-clips/five-broadband-trends-to-continue-in-2010).
In other trends, mobile broadband tools and services continue to grow and perform strongly (http://newinnovationsguide.com/broadband.html). Many carriers are now offering increased wireless Internet access and capacity at faster speeds through 4G connectivity. The development of this technology is allowing greater numbers of users to access and send information in real-time from any location. Worldwide, 4G growth in the infrastructure market is projected to reach around $11.5 billion by 2014.
Furthermore, some predictors think that the biggest growth will come from mobile-related services. This growth will spur the industry, along with projected booms in cloud and other content services, to greater heights, as mobile devices continue to be developed into ever more sophisticated tools. With such a healthy pattern of growth and development expected in the broadband industry, it’s never been a better time to invest in broadband capabilities for your business. Broadband services, especially of the mobile variety, are making it easier than ever to work with clients and business partners around the globe.


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The future of the Vauxhall Heritage Collection looks to have been secured with the news the British Motor Museum has become its new custodian.
The move follows months of work behind the scenes and will see the majority of the collection’s historic cars and vans displayed together in public for the first time.
There’s been speculation around the future of the collection for several years. It had previously been on display by appointment at Vauxhall’s Heritage Centre in Luton, but this was closed in 2020 for the site to be redeveloped. The majority of cars were put into storage in Ellesmere Port during the intervening period, but 11 cars were sent to auction last September, and a further nine in April. Changes to the brand’s ownership in recent years – it was bought by PSA Group in 2017 and became part of Stellantis this January – have also fuelled concerns.
Last November, Vauxhall announced it was developing plans for a new, purpose-built base for the collection. However, that’s all changed with the news that its vehicles will be moved to the Warwickshire venue. Altogether there will be 30 cars from the collection on display, mostly on the mezzanine but also around other parts of the museum. The vehicles will continue to be owned by Vauxhall.
The collection includes 50 cars and vans in total from Vauxhall’s 118-year history, beginning with the first 5hp Light Car from 1903. It also features Britain’s first 100mph car, the 30-98, plus a 1960s GB Viva GT, a 1975 Firenza Droop Snoot and a Lotus Carlton, amongst many others.
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections at the British Motor Museum, added: “We were delighted when Vauxhall approached us to look after its fantastic collection of vehicles, one of the most significant collections from a UK manufacturer. It fits perfectly with the museum’s aim to broaden even further and adds a new dimension to the stories we tell about the cars and the people in Britain’s motor industry. With so much choice, it has already been tough making the first selection of 30 cars to display in the museum!”
The Vauxhalls have already started to arrive at Gaydon will be put on display to the public from this week. To find out more and to book a visit, head to www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk.


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TriNimbus, AWS’ only Premier partner in Canada, highlighted several of the many AWS announcements at the AWS re:Invent show as being highly relevant to their customer base – as well as one that will have less direct short term relevance, but longer term will likely have massive significance.
The recent Amazon Web Services re:Invent event in Las Vegas saw a plethora of announcements – more than two dozen in total. TriNimbus, AWS’ top Canadian partner, sees a significant amount of quality as well as quality in the news, with multiple major announcements that will stimulate their business.
Vancouver-headquartered TriNimbus works exclusively with AWS, and has done so for almost four years, right from the time AWS arrived in Canada. The company has also expanded beyond their Vancouver base into Toronto, and are now a 40 person firm.
“We are focused on helping customers take advantage of AWS, and our strategy was to be the biggest and best in Canada,” said Jarrod Levitan, Chief Cloud Officer at TriNimbus. “We are a soup to nuts provider, doing roadmap work, architecting, and providing cloud support. Traditional vendors manage up to the operating OS. In our area, AWS does that. What we do is manage the operating system and above, to the application layer. We can go deep into companies’ code and can make recommendations. It’s a big value-add.”
TriNimbus has played a key role in the AWS channel in Canada.
“We are the only AWS Premier partner in Canada,” Levitan said. “We have a lot of AWS competencies, and are particularly good at DevOps. We also started AWS user groups across Canada. I’m an AWS Community Hero, of which there are only 20 plus worldwide, because we were evangelizing AWS in Canada before they had boots on the ground here.
“Our customers are all over the map, but they include major logos like BC Hydro and the Vancouver airport [YVR],” Levitan continued. “The majority of our business is in Canada, and our focus is there.”
This Canadian focus meant that AWS’ announcement that they have finally established a Canadian region was very big news for TriNimbus.
“The fact AWS has not had a data centre in Canada until now has been an obstacle – big time,” Levitan stated. “Most of the problem has been public sentiment rather than legal requirement, although Newfoundland and B.C. do require data sovereignty, but only for personal information data. Still, there are governing bodies that can trip you up with that. It’s a lot easier with the Canadian region, as there will no longer be fighting an uphill battle with legal and everything else. The timing is also good, because many companies who have been investigating the cloud are starting to wake up now.”
With respect to the broad range product announcements made at the show, Levitan said the broad range of TriNimbus’ customer base creates an excellent fit with the multiple AWS use cases of their customers.
“For us specifically, we have such a variety of different customers, that many of the various new services that are coming out are a fit somewhere,” he indicated.
Levitan pointed to the new Snowball Edge solution as one that will have broad applicability. The original Snowballs, data transfer devices which add an on-prem capability to the cloud, were announced a year ago at this same event. The new ones double the originals 50 TB capacity. Their ability to run the newly announced AWS Greengrass software also greatly expands their capability, bringing the serverless compute model beyond AWS and on to other devices, with strong applicability to the Internet of Things.
“Snowball Edge is really significant,” Levitan said. “It’s the start of something major when it comes to having hardware on premise, with AWS taking the stance of controlling the hardware. That’s very powerful, because they can bring the cloud to on-prem. It’s also different from traditional hybrid deployments because its very Internet of Things-specific.”
Levitan also emphasized the importance of the new GreenGrass “OS-like” system.
“GreenGrass can be on the devices and the Snowball Edge, and that’s important because there’s too much latency sending the data up to the cloud,” he said. “In an industrial setting, you need the hardware close by to ingest the large amounts of data these devices produce and then send it up to the cloud for broader analysis.”
Levitan was also excited about Amazon Athena, a new service for running queries on data in AWS S3 that uses standard Structured Query Language (SQL).
“It lets you query S3 directly, which is really big for us,” he said.
Levitan also expressed pleasure with the announcement of four new AWS instance families.
“Some of these new instances will be more powerful for our clients who need that,” he said. “There are simply more options.”
AWS announced a new Rekognition image recognition service, which Levitan said will have strong applicability to some use cases.
“Rekognition is driven by an API so anyone who uses images can use it,” he said. “We have a customer now, who would use this, who use facial recognition for security, and who lives on AWS.”
AWS also announced Amazon Lex, deep learning technology which upgrades Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated virtual assistant as well as the new Amazon Polly text-to-speech service. Levitan acknowledged that the commercial utility of this for TriNimbus today is limited, but that from a broader technology point of view, it is incredibly important.
“Alexa is now superpowerful,” he said. “You can speak to it. It can play music, and check the weather. It’s something that any app developer can use now, together with the text-to-speech service. For us as a business, it’s not that important. But for technology it will be huge. I got one of these, when it was Echo, last year at the partner summit, and I didn’t know what it was. I certainly didn’t think Echo would be big. But kids think its cool. And now they’ve opened it up to developers, with its powerful combination of AI, deep learning and ability to communicate with the machine.”


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Tesla Inc. is going through some turbulent times, especially with the questions arising on the safety of the Autopilot on the Tesla cars. There had been a slew of fatal accidents where Tesla Autopilot has been blamed by the family of the deceased. However, in a respite to the Autopilot, Anton Zaslavski, record producer, DJ and Musician, better known as Zedd, has praised the Tesla Autopilot.
Zedd went all praises for the Tesla Autopilot in a recent Twitter post and said that he would have ended up dead had it not been for the Tesla Autopilot, who fell asleep driving his car. The Tesla Autopilot woke Zedd up with music and beeping, saving his life from a possible fatal crash.
There’s lots of “bad” news about Teslas w/ autopilot crashing. Just to show the other side too:I once fell asleep driving home late at night on the highway (w/ autopilot on) and got woken up by it beeping + turning off music to wake me up. Would have prob been dead without it.— Zedd (@Zedd) May 31, 2018
The Twitter post by Zedd reads: “There’s lots of “bad” news about Teslas w/ autopilot crashing. Just to show the other side too: I once fell asleep driving home late at night on the highway (w/ autopilot on) and got woken up by it beeping + turning off music to wake me up. Would have prob been dead without it.”
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, who is very active on Twitter responded to Zedd’s post by saying – “Glad you’re ok!” Elon Musk has been vocal about the safety standards of all the Tesla cars. Earlier this year, family of Walter Huang, who died in a crash while driving a Tesla Model X said that the Autopilot feature in the electric carmaker's vehicle probably caused his death.
Also Watch: Ford EcoSport S Review!
Walter Huang died in a crash near Mountain View, California, prompting investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Tesla later said the vehicle logs from the accident showed no action had been taken by Huang before the crash and that he had received warnings to put his hands on the wheel.
Tesla said the system always reminds drivers to be alert and have hands on the wheel and had warned Huang several times on the day of the crash to do so.
With inputs from Reuters


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Remember when you needed to sell candy bars or fancy catalog pizzas to raise money for your sports team or after-school activity? Turns out kids in 2022 are instead selling adult toys to raise money for their teams!
Natomas Fútbol Academy, a soccer club in Sacramento, California, launched a fundraiser last week that somehow included selling adult toys and other sexually-themed products to adults and nobody realized what was going on until the kids were selling products.
The fundraiser was promoted on the club's Facebook page and sent via email blast to over a thousand parents and adults in the club and it wasn't until multiple parents complained that they decided to pull the fundraiser and instead switch to something else.
You can read more about the fundraiser HERE, but something tells us there might be a change in leadership at the program to someone who believes more in candy fundraisers!


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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, and Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki), the world's largest producer of renewable diesel from waste and residues, today jointly announce the first parallel production of bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale.
The joint project used Neste's renewable hydrocarbons derived from sustainable bio-based raw materials, such as waste and residue oils. The project successfully produced several thousand tonnes of bio-based plastics which are approved for the production of food packaging and being marketed under Circulen and Circulen Plus, the new family of LyondellBasell circular economy product brands.
"LyondellBasell has an innovative spirit that spans decades, and an achievement like this showcases concrete actions we are taking in support of a circular economy," said Richard Roudeix, LyondellBasell Senior Vice President of Olefins and Polyolefins for Europe, Asia and International. "Through the use of renewable resources, we are contributing to the fight against climate change and helping our customers achieve their environmental targets."
"We are excited to enable the plastics industry to introduce more bio-based material into its offering. It is very satisfying to see Neste's renewable hydrocarbons performing perfectly in a commercial scale production of bio-based polymers, providing a drop-in replacement option to fossil materials," said Neste's President and CEO Peter Vanacker. "This pioneering collaboration with LyondellBasell marks a major milestone in the commercialization of Neste's renewable polymers and chemicals business focusing on developing renewable and circular solutions for forward-looking sustainable brands."
An industry first
This achievement is extraordinary in that it combined Neste's unique renewable feedstock and LyondellBasell's technical capabilities. LyondellBasell's cracker flexibility allowed it to introduce a new renewable feedstock at its Wesseling, Germany site, which was converted directly into bio-based polyethylene and bio-based polypropylene. An independent third party tested the polymer products using carbon tracers and confirmed they contained over 30% renewable content.
LyondellBasell sold some of the renewable products produced in the trial to multiple customers, one of which is Cofresco, a company of the Melitta Group and with brands like Toppits® and Albal®, Europe's leading supplier of branded products in the field of household film. Cofresco plans to use the Circulen Plus bio-based polyethylene to create sustainable food packaging materials.
Rock Tech Lithium Inc to build Europe's first lithium hydroxide converter in Brandenburg, Germany
Planned investment sum 470 million euros, expected production start in 2024. Central component of the European battery value chain secures the lithium requirements of around 500,000 electric vehicl...
LUKOIL continues upgrade of Stavrolen plant with a second Gas Processing Unit in Budennovsk, Russian Federation
It is expected that the implementation of the program will increase Stavrolen's capacity to produce ethylene from 350 to 420 thousand tonnes per year, polyethylene – from 300 to 405 thousand tonnes...
ORLEN Unipetrol increases petrochemical capacities by expanding the Litvínov steam cracker with furnace in Czechia
The group plans to raise the yields of the fundamental production unit of its petrochemical segment, the steam cracker.
TotalEnergies Doubles its Recycled Plastic Production Capacity in France
TotalEnergies is doubling its mechanical recycling production capacity for recycled polymers, to meet growing demand for sustainable polymers from customers, such as Automotive Manufacturer (Auto O...


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Chrysler Slowing Down Production - But Not For All Jeeps
Date 2006/1/20 7:36:00 | Topic: Grand Cherokee
|The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Chrysler will slow down production of most of its vehicles during the next few months to help reduce inventory that has backed up during the past few months. |
While most of the Chrysler assembly lines will slow down, it appears that one that won't be slowing down is that of the Grand Cherokee.
Here's a snippet:
Led by strong sales from Chrysler Group, DaimlerChrysler AG increased U.S. sales by 4.2% in 2005, Autodata Corp. reports. But the increases slowed in December and some models, including the Dodge Ram and Durango, had declining sales for the year.
Eberhardt wouldn't provide sales or production figures, but he said the slowdown will occur across most of the Chrysler Group line-up with the possible exception of the Chrysler 300 and some Jeep products. Both the 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee have been selling well.
Chrysler Group also launched last week its latest incentive program called Overstock Bonus Cash, which gives buyers $1,000 cash back on most Chrysler Group vehicles.


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The new face of Rihanna’s cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty is the virtual model Shudu Graham. Graham calls herself “the world’s first digital supermodel.” Its creator is London-based photographer Cameron-James Wilson. “I use 3D modeling software to create Graham. It’s like taking a virtual photograph — once I’ve made a model, I can make her take any pose, ”says Wilson. According to the photographer, it takes him several days to create one such image.
Graham is not the first virtual model to become the face of a major cosmetic brand. Earlier in the campaign, Pat McGrath starred another famous digital model Mikela Sousa, acting under the pseudonym Lil Miquela.


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Ford Fiesta retains title of UK’s bestselling car
In a month which produced better than expected new car sales nationally, the Ford Fiesta has once again held onto its crown as the most popular road car in the UK, selling more models than any other brand throughout September.
With both new and used Ford car dealers enjoying favourable levels of transactions over the past four weeks or so, the Fiesta in particular has proven its worth and enduring popularity with the public, defying market expectations to shift no less than 18,651 units in total.
The Ford Focus also outperformed the vast majority of its rivals in the new sales sector, coming in as the nation's third favourite model with overall sales of 13,837 in September.
These figures are sure to be welcomed by anyone who owns or works with a Ford car dealership, as it is a further indication that car buyers all over the UK recognise the reliability and high performance of the classic vehicles that continue to be produced by this renowned manufacturer.
Image credit: Titanas (flickr.com)


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Austrian start-up Rebel Meat had developed a burger made from 50% meat and 50% plant-based ingredients. The hybrid patty will ‘reach those that purely vegan brands cannot’, CEO Philipp Stangl tells FoodNavigator.
The price per kilogram of pork in Bulgaria could jump by as much as 50% as the country is poised to cull 20% of pigs as the results of the epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF), according to Bulgaria’s Association of Meat Processors.
Hungarian meat processor Pick Szeged Zrt. is planning to build a new meat processing plant in Szeged next year, with the aim of increasing the company’s salami production capacity, according to senior company representatives.


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CTM File feature's article from Bob Stark, VP Strategy at Kyriba, bold predictions for 2018. Here's one: Increased number of payment fraud attempts, but less success by cybercriminals meaning actual fraud starts to go down.
In 2018 evolution speeds up as payment fraud declines and Bitcoin hits reality
Media and analysts please contact:
Daniel Shaffer, Sr. Global PR Manager


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Jambojet is set to expand its wings in East Africa with the launch of double daily flights between Nairobi and Entebbe, Uganda on 15 February.
This will see the Nairobi based budget airline become the first regional low cost airline with an introductory fare of Ksh 11,330 (incl. taxes) one-way. Customers will be able to purchase tickets from the airline’s robust online book portal – Jambojet.com, sales office, call centers or at their preferred travel agent.
Willem Hondius, CEO Jambojet said “We are delighted to launch direct service to Entebbe, a much-anticipated addition to our network where we will offer frequent and new flyers even more affordable fares. This new route will connect businesses in Kenya and Uganda while also appealing to leisure travelers, offering them the opportunity to experience the ‘Pearl of Africa’.
Hondius further noted that the airline has seen an upward trend on its domestic traffic; “We are optimistic that the regional flight will spur the airline’s growth as well as foster regional integration at a national level.”
The airline currently operates a relatively young fleet of four Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The route will be served with the recently acquired 78 seater; turboprop Bombardier Next Gen Q400 as it plans to venture into other regional destinations.
The airline currently operates to Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa, Nairobi and Ukunda.
The flight schedules will operate as follows:
Nairobi (NBO) to Entebbe (EBB) JM8520 departs 09:10 arrives 10:30
Entebbe (EBB) to Nairobi (NBO) JM8521 departs 11:00 arrives 12:20
Nairobi (NBO) to Entebbe (EBB) JM8524 departs 17:30 arrives 18:50
Entebbe (EBB) to Nairobi (NBO) JM8525 departs 19:20 arrives 20:40