text: BERRYVILLE, AR - Vic Kennett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kerusso, the premier producer of Christian-themed clothing in the U.S., announced findings from the 2009 Christian Apparel Faith & Motivational Research Report revealing why many Christians wear faith-based T-shirts. The research showed that 98 percent of survey respondents declared that they desired the message on their Christian T-shirts to be noticed by unbelievers, and that 56.8 percent of Christians wearing faithapparel actually had an unbeliever ask about the message on their garment. One piece of data showed 7.4 percent of unbelievers made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as their savior immediately from the faith-apparel discussion with a Christian T-shirt wearer. Among other interesting findings, 44.4 percent reported that while wearing a Christian T-shirt they shared Christ with unbelievers and asked them if they wanted to commit their lives to Christ. “The 2009 Christian Apparel Faith & Motivational Research Report shows what we’ve thought for more than two decades: Christian T-shirts help people Do the ‘Great Commission’ in their community, said Kennett. “Anyone can be an evangelist, as they allow God to speak through him or her, prompted by the message on a Christian T-shirt. Impressions magazine said the average T-shirt may be read as many as 3,000 times before it’s thrown away.” “As a result of this significant study, Kerusso is launching the Change Your Shirt! Change the World™ campaign to encourage Christians to put on a Christian-message T-shirt and share their faith,” said Kennett. “We challenge youth groups, college groups and work groups across America to find a Kerusso T-shirt, put it on, go about their daily routine, and watch for people reading their shirt,” he said. “When they do, strike up a conversation, and share Jesus.” As a way of encouraging other believers and tracking the impact of wearing Kerusso T-shirts wearers are being encouraged to visit Kerusso’s website and upload their videos, photos and stories. One survey respondent reported, “I wear many Christian shirts to make people think. Even if they don't ask (about the message) I know it brings Jesus to their attention." Another said, “I like wearing Christian T-shirts, because it provides so many opportunities (to share faith) and helps those around me in so many ways." Kennett stated that a shop owner in Colorado recently reported two ladies looking at Kerusso Christian apparel in their store. The store-owner continued to build a relationship with the ladies as they regularly visited the store and after a few weeks one of the ladies made a decision to accept Christ. The national research was conducted in January 2009. Of the 395 individuals in the convenience sampling, results showed: 25.7 percent of the respondents were under 30 years old, 26.4 percent were 31 to 40, and 47.9 percent were 41 or older. Gender response included 57.4 percent females, and 42.6 percent males. Kerusso apparel, jewelry, gifts and accessories are available in thousands of retailer stores nationwide. Lighthouse Apparel Centers, Kerusso’s apparel display system, will surpass 2,000 sometime next month.


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Our unrivalled range of gaming posters and merchandise continues to grow, as the highly anticipated new instalments from franchises Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, Halo and Skylanders are set for release in Q4. We are also extremely pleased to offer new additions Destiny and The Last of Us, which are already proving to be a huge success.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
The next instalment of Call of Duty, is coming to all major gaming platforms on November 4th. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set in 2054, in a future with directed energy weapons and exoskeletons. In one of the most popular first-person shooter video games, former US Marine Jack Mitchell joins Atlas Corporation to stop global attacks from terrorist organisation KVA.
Featuring big names like Troy Baker (voice of The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins), and actor Kevin Spacey, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a pre-determined success.
GB eye already have posters available for order, with more merchandise following in the coming months before the game release.
Assassins Creed Unity
Set in Paris during the French Revolution, Assassins Creed Unity follows Arno Dorian as he embarks on a quest to expose the hidden truths behind the Revolution. In addition to the weapons featured in previous games, developers have added the new Phantom Blade, as well as fencing inspired combat. The historical action-adventure game will be the seventh major title in the Assassins Creed series, and will be available on next generation platforms, PS4 and Xbox One, as well as Microsoft Windows.
We will have products available in time for the November release date. Badge and tattoo packs, stickers, and card holders will be available alongside posters.
The most highly anticipated game of the year has finally arrived!
Destiny is the post-apocalyptic story of the Guardians – the final defenders of humanity, protecting the last city on Earth. Seven hundred years into the future, humans have colonised other planets in the solar system, but “the collapse” has left mankind on the edge of extinction. After “the collapse”, the only known survivors are living on Earth… until an alien race is discovered and begins infringing on the City.
The game is available across popular platforms from September 9th 2014.
GB eye are happy to host a range of posters for what is set to be the most successful game of the year.
The Last of Us
First released in June 2013, The Last of Us was a huge success among fans and critics alike. Its popularity generated a remastered version that was released in July 2014, and there has been buzz surrounding not just a possible sequel, but a film adaptation.
We will have a range of products coming soon, including posters, merchandise and mugs!
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The latest in the Halo series is a remastered collection of previous games. Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes, Halo 1-4, with two of the four games receiving the special Anniversary treatment popular among fans. The collection will be released on November 11th and 14th 2014 on Xbox One.
Also set for release this year, the Halo franchise will see the addition of a live-action webseries produced by Ridley Scott, Halo: Nightfall.
See our range of posters for both upcoming releases, and previous games here
Skylanders Trap Team
In the latest release from the Skylanders franchise, Kaos releases the most feared villains in Skylands by bringing down the walls of the infamous Cloudcracker prison.
Using Traptanium, Skylanders and Portal Masters must recapture the nefarious villains and return them to Skylands to fight for good and ‘to defend all’.
With awesome new powers, weapons and 18 all new characters, Skylanders Trap Team will keep any fan entertained. GB eye have a fantastic range of posters, stickers and tattoo packs ready for the games release on 5th October.
See all of our products here

domain: news


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Argos has joined Tesco in releasing an own-brand tablet in the run up to the Christmas shopping period. While the Hudl retails for around £120, the MyTablet is on sale for £99.99 and will also come pre-loaded with apps including BBC iPlayer and Angry Birds.
Offering a seven-inch display, the device also comes with 8GB of memory – which can be expanded to 32Gb via a Micro SD card if desired. Argos has said that the MyTablet will target families – with mums and dads having the option of parental controls if the product is to be used by younger people.
The tablet’s operating system is powered by Google’s Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and includes full access to Google Play.
Argos’ managing director John Walden said: “The Argos MyTablet is highly competitive with a great specification, and fits neatly in the range of tablets we have on offer.” He added that the company is expecting tablets to feature heavily on Christmas shopping lists again this year. The device is available exclusively in Argos stores, the company’s app and its website


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From August 15, Russia introduces a temporary ban on the supply of plant products from some regions of Moldova. Yulia Melano, adviser to the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, announced this on Tuesday.
“The reason for the ban was the repeated detection of dangerous quarantine objects in Moldovan products entering the territory of Russia, about which the Moldovan side was previously repeatedly informed by the service,” she clarified.
According to the Rosselkhoznadzor, this year our country imported almost 170,000 tons of plant products from Moldova. The leaders in imports were apples, grapes, plums and cherries. However, the season of the latter has already ended, so this berry will not be banned.


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The subpoena, which was uncovered on the blog Google Watch, was granted by a judge in U.S. District Court in San Francisco after being filed on the 18th January.
The user of the Google-owned Youtube video-sharing website uploaded four episodes of "24" in early January before its official premiere on Fox on the 14th of January.
In addition, 12 episodes of the Simpsons season seven were also uploaded. Filed on the basis of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 20th Century Fox served YouTube with the subpoena yesterday.
Fox has been unable to identify the user and wants help to avoid "irreparable harm" to its business. The company apparently became aware of the clips on YouTube on the 8th of January.
Norway gives Apple until March to agree to 'unlocking' iTunes platform
Regulators in Norway have deemed Apple's iTunes store illegal because it breaks consumer protection laws because its songs only work on iPods.
The news came to light yesterday reported yesterday by Infoworld stating that the government ombudsman in Norway has given Apple until 1 March to say if it will agree to change its restrictive Fairplay digital rights management policy.
Then Apple has until 1 October to open the system to other MP3 Players or further legal action could ensue, which could involve a shutdown of the website if necessary.
Earlier this week, the Norwegians aligned with German, French and Finnish consumer groups to strengthen pressure on Apple to loosen its restrictive DRM business model for all of Europe.
MySpace to double overseas expansion this year
The expansion would mean that MySpace would look to be in 11 markets by the end of the year.
It is currently primarily in Western markets - such as the US, UK, Ireland and Australia - and Travis Katz, senior VP for international operations at MySpace, admitted in an interview that cracking Asia was high on the agenda, but also posed the biggest challenge to its current approach.
It has tested services in Mexico, in addition to Italy and Spain
Mobile instant messaging photoblog coming to a phone near you
Mobile instant messaging company Colibria is launching a new mobile photo blogging service.
The product, it says, will provide "another leap forward" for the world of citizen journalism by allowing users to take photos on their camera phones and instantly upload them to an online portal where they can be viewed.
Hearst aims for web 2.0 communities around magazines to be running by April
Hearst Digital Network, the online division of the publisher behind titles including Cosmopolitan and Esquire, is aiming to build a platform to allow all its titles to enable users to build "groups" as they do in the likes of Yahoo! or MySpace.
Hearst Digital, operating within NatMags in the UK, said last year it was aiming to do this.


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OXNARD, Calif. - Manufacturers like DW Drums out of Oxnard are working hard to drive holiday sales on days like Cyber Monday.
The company can see up to a 25 percent increase in sales over the holiday shopping rush.
“People work very hard to try to differentiate themselves, whether it’s including something in an offer or free shipping or a payment plan,” said Vice President of Domestic Sales Jim DeStefano.
The shipping warehouse also sees an increase in traffic.
“Seeing everyone step it up and knowing we have to hit all of these large numbers, it seems like everyone unites and I’m excited about the big pick up during this time of the year,” said Warehouse Manager Jimmy Arambula.
Normally the company will ship out 5,000 pieces a day. During peak season it climbs to 10,000 a day.
DW Drums has around 250 employees, some saying they notice the uptick in production this time of year.
DW Drums is offering a Cyber Monday deal;.shoppers get free shipping on orders totaling over $100.


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At the end of each financial quarter, publishers release their financial statistics and talk about their upcoming games. EA made haste with theirs, commenting on the huge worldwide success of FIFA 17 and huge upcoming titles like Mass Effect: Andromeda and the next instalment of the immensely popular Star Wars Battlefront series.
Best of all, EA CEO Andrew Wilson mentioned that they would be implementing "more heroes and characters across multiple Star Wars eras" into Star Wars Battlefront II. That means we can expect characters like Rey and Finn from The Force Awakens, as well as perhaps some ill-fated friends from the prequels.
Darth Maul would be a LOT of fun, but maybe let's skip Jar Jar Binks...
Scheduled for release in holiday 2017, the sequel will be helmed by the main developers DICE, but will also see collaboration from Motive Studios, who are behind the mysterious Visceral Star Wars title.
We can only assume they'll be working on the single-player aspect of the game - something sorely missed by fans of the latest title. Criterion, the talented team behind the Burnout series and the recent X-Wing VR mission, will also be helping with the project, which most likely means that the vehicle gameplay will be getting a solid overhaul.
This new approach to Battlefront sounds like a triumph, and I can't wait to see how they'll incorporate characters from across each era, as well as develop the campaign into something memorable!


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- Qualcomm on Wednesday sued four Apple manufacturers — Foxconn Technology, Compal Electronics, Pegatron and Winstron — for failing to pay royalty payments on Apple products using its technology, The Wall Street Journal reports.
- The lawsuits are the latest episode in an intellectual property battle between the two cellular technology giants, where Apple is protesting Qualcomm's "excessive" licensing fees while Qualcomm claims the iPhone maker is using strong-arm tactics to secure lower costs.
- Court documents filed by Qualcomm allege the four manufacturers ceased payments at Apple's prodding. The manufacturers continue to pay royalties for associated non-Apple products, but Apple has asked they not pay Qualcomm until the case is litigated, offering to pay indemnities that arise from such a choice.
The intellectual property dispute between Apple and Qualcomm is getting bloody, turning into a war of attrition as the iPhone maker takes advantage of its war chest and relations to make its supply chain an accomplice.
Per the court documents, Apple suppliers are withholding contractual payments to Qualcomm because Apple has promised to indemnify any damages incurred. It's a win-win for the partners and a big loss for Qualcomm. Suppliers can save months of royalty payments until the case is litigated, and Apple foots the whole bill. If Apple succeeds, as it seems convinced it can, suppliers and Apple will benefit from lower payments in the long run.
It's a gamble, and Apple's playing hardball. Meanwhile, Qualcomm will suffer, enduring months without a previously consistent revenue stream, which could affect cash flows in the short run. "Apple is attempting to inflict severe, immediate, and permanent harm on Qualcomm to force Qualcomm to agree to Apple’s unreasonable demand for a below-market direct license," according to their complaint.
Previous stories and the above statement reveal an additional peculiarity to the case: Apple is not attempting to exit the license altogether, but the dispute began as a contracting failure where neither side aligned. Apple seems to want a direct license, rather than reimbursing Qualcomm suppliers, perhaps in an effort to further control its supply chain.
The disagreement, however, revolves around the definition of "market price." Qualcomm has effectively cornered the cellular technology after decades of innovation. "Every modern cell phone practices multiple Qualcomm patents," the company writes, noting its thousands of patents in the space. "Due to the fundamental nature of Qualcomm’s inventions, virtually every handset supplier in the world—or the manufacturers from which those
suppliers source their products—has entered into a royalty-bearing license to Qualcomm patents."
Royalty payments surrounding patents are common practice, and in fact an integral part of manufacturing expenses. Yet Apple claims the license deals may be overpriced. Qualcomm naturally disagrees. Only litigation may resolve the issue, but in the meantime, Qualcomm is facing the full force of Apple's supply chain prowess.


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>> the insider
Wellness Included in Meetings, Incentive Travel Programs
By Deborah L. Vence
A new study from the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) shows that more meetings and corporate and incentive house planners are integrating wellness into their incentive travel and meetings programs.
This, according to the IRF Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study—conducted in November 2016—that garnered 143 surveys from experienced meeting planners and hoteliers. The study showed the insights and benchmarks for how meeting planners are incorporating wellness into their incentive travel and meetings programs successfully.
However, the study also indicated that there still is a disconnect between an expressed interest in wellness programs and actual implementation.
"Each year companies in the United States invest billions of dollars to both help their employees get healthier and additional billions to help them meet face-to-face," stated IRF President Melissa Van Dyke in a March press release. "The research featured in The IRF Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study leads us to question how integrated these efforts within organizations are, and what the meetings and incentives industry could do to create better synergies."
Though 91 percent of corporate planners agree that they are personally enthusiastic about sustainability, roughly half or less agree that their companies emphasize or budget funds for sustainable meetings.
The study, and its accompanying white paper, "Spanning the Wellness Divide: From Interest to Action in Meeting and Incentive Travel Wellness," provide a detailed look at practices that meeting planners are using to design and implement effective wellness programs.
Key findings from the study include the following:
- The majority of meetings planners agreed wellness is a critical focus for either their company (87 percent) or their client's company (74 percent).
- More than 90 percent of corporate and incentive house planners are personally enthusiastic about wellness.
- Forty percent of meeting planners indicated meetings were "mostly healthy," and 19 percent said they were "very healthy."
- The top standard preferred food and beverage wellness inclusions for meetings and events were healthy snacks (83 percent), water and reduced calorie drinks (82 percent) and fish, chicken and lean meats (80 percent).
- Smoke-free facilities (90 percent) and free access to fitness facilities (80 percent) were the top-ranked standard or preferred meeting design elements supporting wellness.
- Offering water and reduced-calorie drinks as the default (77 percent) had the lowest expected impact on F&B budgets.
- Emerging wellness practices include "mindfulness breaks or resources" and "guides to nearby health facilities."
Similar to their corporate counterparts, incentive house and meeting company planners personally are committed to wellness and sustainability, according to the study. They do not see a similar level of enthusiasm from their clients, however, nor do their firms take a strong stance in advising their clients on wellness and sustainability in meetings.
When respondents were asked what wellness components, if any, they would like to incorporate in a meeting or event in the future, they stated the following: more/different organized activities, yoga, active break strategies, healthier food, meditation or mindfulness, spa or spa-like activities, fitness facilities and other activities, such as gamification.
When questioned about what food and beverage options they consider when planning meetings, respondents stated vegetarian options (meal salads, veggie trays); better beverages (water, Stevia, organic teas and coffee, soy milk options); high-protein snacks (protein bars, nuts, fruit tray); low calorie, fat, carb content (fat-free, low-fat, low-calorie snacks and foods); better desserts (bite-size desserts, other fruit desserts/parfaits over cakes, pies and cookies).
To boot, other research revealed which wellness components have been the most effective. Respondents indicated the following: organized/encouraged activities (morning and afternoon fit walks, 5ks), yoga/meditation (yoga before a meeting, on the beach, hot yoga, meditation breaks, stretching), healthy eating (vegan foods, vegetarian options), interesting breaks (frequent movement breaks, no seating during breaks).
In the study, hoteliers offered a more positive assessment of how healthy a typical meeting is. More than one-third indicated a standard meeting with no extra budget for wellness option is "very healthy." Meeting planners, however, were more measured in their assessment, with most indicating their typical meetings are either "mostly healthy" or only "somewhat healthy."
Respondents planning meetings for their own firm personally are invested in wellness and sustainability, and report that their companies have wellness programs in place. However, that foundation is not translating to a similar strong focus on wellness and sustainability in meetings, either in design, policy or budgets.


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While it has not been officially announced, Watch Dogs appears to be the first game of a new franchise for Ubisoft, according to their senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key who said that Ubisoft has no plans to launch a game without the potential to become a franchise.
Speaking with The A List Daily, Key said that due to the high cost of developing and producing large scale games Ubisoft will not develop any standalone games.
Asked if there is intent for Watch Dogs to become a series of games, Key replied, “”Absolutely. That’s what all our games are about; we won’t even start if we don’t think we can build a franchise out of it. There’s no more fire and forget – it’s too expensive.”
“We feel like we’re in a really good place with Watch Dogs, but until we’re the biggest game of the year we’re not going to be satisfied.
“Last year we cleaned up at E3 because we were pretty much the only next-gen game around. Watch Dogs for us is really a franchise because we’re tapping into something people really care about, never more than when the NSA PRISM scandal broke.”
What do you think of Ubisoft proliferating franchises? Would you prefer it if Watch Dogs or any of Ubisoft’s titles stood alone without a sequel? Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to let us know.
Source The A List Daily


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Mounting a flat screen TV on the wall can be expensive and time consuming - and makes it very hard to redesign your room.
However, LG believes it has a solution.
The electronics giant has shown off an ultra-thin 'wallpaper TV' less than 1mm thick, and at 1.9kg so light it can be attached to the wall with magnets.
LG Display said the OLED TV is at the moment just a concept.
LG at a press event in Korea showed off the system, which uses a magnetic mat that sits behind it on the wall. The TV can then be stuck to a wall using the pad.
To remove the display from the wall, you peel the screen off the mat.
The firm hopes that OLED TVs are set to explode in popularity, with TVs that are much slimmer since the screen emits light itself without a backlight unit, unlike the liquid crystal display (LCD).
The head of LG Display's OLED business unit, Sang-Deog Yeo, said OLED represents a groundbreaking technology not only for the company, but also for the industry.
The unveiling was part of a broader announcement by LG Display to showcase its plans for the future.
The display is currently just a prototype. The company said its display strategy will centre on OLED technology -- even though manufacturers have struggled to mass produce the more complex sets.
LG vowed to ramp up OLED production from the third quarter of this year to a substantial level that can meet clients' demand, according to the Korea Times.
"We should be able to supply a satisfactory volume to our clients from July or August, which means we're hoping to buckle down production as well as promotion from the third quarter," Sang-Deog Yeo said.
"It has taken a year and half for us to raise the yield to this level [for OLEDs], while it'd taken nearly 10 years to achieve the yield for LCDs," he said.
LG Display will keep its focus on large screens, with a plan to introduce an OLED panel as big as 99 inches within this year, the executive said. The company has released its 55-inch, 66-inch and 77-inch OLED models earlier in the year.
The company also cited comments made at the press event by Ching Tang, a professor at the University of Rochester in New York and the father of OLED.
He said OLED displays will not become ubiquitous for another five to 10 years.
At that point, Tang said, they could outpace LCDs in total shipments. OLED is widely believed to be the next frontier for television.
The technology adds an organic compound layer that allows not only for exceedingly thin screens, but for those displays to be curved. The organic material also emits its own light, eliminating the need for a backlight. That allows for such thin screens and has made OLED a desirable choice not only for televisions, but for a wide range of wearables and other mobile products.
LG Display believes OLED could be the de facto display technology in all products in the future.
While some OLED screens have been used by companies like Samsung, LG and Sony, the costs are still quite high to produce the displays.
Part of that cost is due to a historically low yield, or production of displays that are actually functional. More waste means higher costs on the screens that do make it through production. Those costs are then passed on to consumers.
LG's 65-inch, 4K OLED TV, for instance, costs US$9000.
The world's biggest TV makers, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, are also turning to quantum dot technology for their next-generation TVs as it could still be years before OLED is affordable for the mass market.
One industry analyst estimated a 55-inch quantum dot TV could be priced 30 to 35 per cent more than a current LCD TV, while an OLED TV could be five times more expensive.
How it works
• The TV can be stuck to a wall thanks to a magnetic mat that sits behind it.
• To remove the display from the wall, you peel the screen off the mat.
• LG Display used high molecular substance-based polyimide film as the backplane of the flexible panel instead of conventional plastic to achieve the maximum curvature radius.
• The polyimide film also helped reduce the thickness of the panel to significantly improve its flexibility.
• As for the transparent OLED panel, it boasts 30 per cent transmittance, which was achieved by adopting the company's transparent pixel design technology.


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In February 2018, Airstream announced plans for its largest-ever plant expansion. The $40 million project will almost triple production space from 430,000 square feet to 1.05 million square feet and create 300 new jobs. It will allow the company to consolidate multiple production spaces into one facility, bringing the assembly of its travel trailers under one roof. It also will make more room to produce its touring coaches and growing line of other recreational vehicle products.
Henny Penny began construction on the largest expansion project in Henny Penny’s 62-year history in October for a 150,000 square-foot expansion to its Preble County manufacturing facility. The new space will add 70 jobs and house an Innovation Center for new product development, automation and innovation and expand the company’s manufacturing footprint.
Cornerstone Research Group (CRG) announced a proposal to expand its current operations to a new facility while expecting to create 250 new jobs in the Dayton Region. The company’s expansion initiative would open new opportunities for a variety of high-skilled jobs in the Dayton Region including software developers, aerospace engineers, electrical engineers, composite engineers, chemists, and manufacturing personnel.
July 2019 – Fujian Province, China (Fuzhou, Fuqing, Xiamen)
Why are you there?
Through many years of building a strong relationship with Fuyao Auto Glass, they introduced the Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio, and other Dayton Region community partners to the Fujian Province Chamber of Commerce. The Fujian Province Chamber of Commerce is interested to see more Chinese companies become global, especially in the United States. Fuyao’s investment in the Dayton Region paved the way.
Expansion to Bring 70 New Jobs and $15 Million Investment
TOKYO – During Governor Mike DeWine’s business development mission to Japan, Eaton-based Neaton Auto Products Manufacturing, Inc., announced its plans to add 70 new jobs and invest approximately $15 million in its Dayton Region operations to meet increased customer demand.
On the Road with Breck Woodard | February 10-14, 2019 – Los Angeles and San Diego areas
California Market Visit to meet Aerospace, UAS, and Aerospace Manufacturing companies
Why are you there?
1. Attraction of new companies from California to the Dayton Region.
2. Visit a regional site selector to understand what they are seeing in the market.
In October 2018, Crown Equipment Corporation announced plans for a new expansion. The $130 million expansion project will create 563 new jobs at multiple locations in the Dayton Region. Their expanded Ohio footprint will give the company additional assembly and manufacturing capacity, as well as expanded logistics capabilities, to fulfill the growing global demand for their product.
Event: Dayton Region Delegation to Japan, November 4 - November 14, 2018, all over Japan
Attendees of the delegation included:
Jim Hill, Sidney-Shelby Economic Partnership
Marcia Bailey, Champaign Economic Partnership
Horton Hobbs and Amy Donahoe, Chamber of Greater Springfield
Toni Overholser, Clark State Community College
Gwen Eberly & Erik Collins, Montgomery County
David Cook, Honorary Consul of Ohio to Japan
Alex Hara, JP Morgan Chase
Mitch Heaton, Dayton Development Coalition
UAS Integration Research
Companies involved in the competitive global medical device market demand a foundation that will fuel their success. NuVasive Inc. has marked West Carrollton as its center of excellence. It is moving rapidly to expand its presence in Ohio and centrally house its global manufacturing in a showcase facility.


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A north-east sport centre has announced that it is rebranding with a new logo.
Garioch Sports Centre is also launching a new website and mobile app on Friday.
Lyndsey Ross, co-general manager at the centre said: “We’re very excited to be rebranding, as well as launching our app, in partnership with CALA Homes, and our new website.
“We’ve worked hard with local design agency, Inverurie’s CP&Co, to create a dynamic new brand. We’ve kept the style friendly and approachable, inspiring the community to get involved.
“The app functionality allows users to book classes and facilities, manage bookings, update account settings and check out our latest news.
“The beauty of the app is that users can now pay by PayPal too if they wish, making it a more seamless booking experience.
“This is an exciting time for Garioch Sports Centre and we hope this investment demonstrates our commitment to the local community.”


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Vendors Successfully Stretch their Expertise at N.Y. Gift Show
February 28, 2013,
The Newport collection from Simon Pearce was influenced by the movement of waves on the beach. simonpearce.com
By Allison Zisko
Vendors, buoyed by a positive attitude among attendees, put their best foot forward at last month's New York International Gift Fair. There were well-thought-out introductions and category extensions from longtime players, as well as impressive launches from relative newcomers.
Lenox, in a prominent position with a sizeable booth, saw a lot of new accounts, according to its president, Lester Gribetz, who attributed its strong showing to its new Scalamandre collection, first launched last fall, and its Marchesa licensed line.
French Bull introduced anti-fatigue kitchen mats, a new category for the company, known for its colorful, graphic kitchen and tableware designs. It also introduced neoprene slippers in a variety of patterns.
Tag has changed its sourcing strategy and its merchandise presentation. It is sourcing more from Europe (which has become affordable) and less from China (which has become more challenging), according to company principal Joe Fahy. It has also shifted away from seasonal merchandise presentations to the concept of everyday fashion, which is what more retailers are doing, Fahy said.
Simon Pearce has made a concerted effort to showcase collections that include both new patterns and updates on old favorites, such as the longstanding Belmont ceramic dinnerware, now available in pure white without a crackle finish. It introduced Newport, a new glass giftware line inspired by the movement of waves on sand, and pendant lighting based on existing glassware designs. Lighting is a new category for Simon Pearce, which returned to the show after a six-year absence.
New pendant lighting, including one piece shaped like a hot air balloon, was also seen at Juliska. It also brought in a new color, blue, for its Country Estate dinnerware collection, and introduced a complementary pattern called Firenze, a marbled creation in several colorways. It made a foray into wood with new spindle-shaped candlesticks.
iittala also emphasized lighting, with its Fire tea light, which is made of sponged ceramic; black cast-iron Allas candleholders; and Napula candleholders, offered in several colors. And Prouna's parent company, Kiyasa Corporation, is now distributing Vallari scented candles in decorative porcelain jars adorned with Swarovski crystals.
Five-year-old Montes Doggett came to the show with its line of high-fired, organically shaped white ceramics that are handmade in Peru. Newcomer Sobremesa showcased its colorful and highly detailed free trade tableware and kitchen items. And Royal Selangor, which is not new (it's been offering high-end pewter items from Malaysia for 120 years), introduced a new concept--a serveware line designed by former Nambe executive Bob Borden that is made of sustainable Kulim wood with pewter accents. The wood is carved and then molten pewter is poured into the carved-out grooves to stunning effect.
Other Articles By Author
HFN Launches Interactive Idea Book
HFN's DIGITAL EDITION
COVER STORY: HFN Turns 90
We commemorate HFN's 90th anniversary by paying tribute to the iconic retailer and supplier brands--and the people--that have helped the industry flourish, then and now.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Up & Coming Leaders - The home industry is in capable and visionary hands as this year’s 40 Under 40 list attests. Today’s young leaders span all disciplines and varied levels of operation.
- Omnichannel Retailing - In the Mobile App World, Time is Money


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“Mortal Kombat” features such characters as Johnny Cage, who slays foes by decapitating them with a spectacularly bloody uppercut; Kano, who rips still-beating hearts from his victims’ chests; Sub-Zero, who yanks off his enemies’ heads--with their spines attached; and Scorpion, who shoots spears into his opponents’ throats, then reels them in with attached ropes so he can pummel them silly.
No, “Mortal Kombat” is not some low-budget action film currently trying to get its NC-17 rating changed to an R. It’s the country’s most popular arcade video game--and on Monday, “Mortal Monday,” it’s coming to a home game system near you.
The game is expected to duplicate its success in the arcades and become one of the year’s most popular home games--more than 2 million units will be shipped initially, and its maker, Acclaim Entertainment, expects to sell 4.5 million copies of the game in all, spread throughout the different game formats: Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Nintendo’s Game Boy and Sega’s Game Gear. Prices will range from approximately $30 (for Game Boy) to $65 (for Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis).
But industry observers believe that number could be terribly modest. “There are probably something like 40, 50 million video game systems in the U.S. actively in use and an equivalent number worldwide,” said Lee Isgur, a partner at the San Francisco investment firm Volpe, Welty and Co. “If you take that and look at what kind of penetration occurs in the movie and music industries--big hits do about 10%. So if you have 100 million households actively using games, the potential could be 10 million units on the upside extreme. But there’s a possibility it could turn out to be like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ which had 25% penetration of the installed base.”
To sell the game, Acclaim is spending a company record high $10 million on a worldwide ad campaign that includes national television advertising. Nonetheless, company officials declined to be interviewed for this story.
“Mortal Kombat” is a martial-arts fighting game in which players assume the role of one of seven warriors who battle the other six--and a mirror image of him- or herself--as well as a four-armed monster named Goro and an evil overlord named Shang Tsung against a variety of exotic backdrops.
Incineration, impalings and dismemberment figures prominently in the arcade version--which is actually fairly standard-issue fare for arcade games. “Mortal Kombat’s” difference is that instead of animated characters, it features digitized reactions of human actors smacking the bejabbers out of each other, offering added realism.
“I’ve seen games that are far worse,” says LeeAnne McDermott, editor in chief of GamePro magazine. “The attraction to this is the digitized characters--they look quite real. The blood isn’t so realistic. The latest home version of ‘Splatterhouse,’ ‘Splatterhouse 3,’ has lots of blood and gore and dismembered body parts.”
For the home versions of “Mortal Kombat,” the human actors are retained, though the violence has been toned down. Nintendo and Sega Genesis, however, have differing philosophies when coping with the issue of video game mayhem.
Nintendo’s systems have sanitized the killings (euphemistically referred to as “finishing moves”). For example, Sub-Zero won’t be seen dangling any loose spines; he’ll freeze victims and reduce them to ice cubes.
According to Perrin Kaplan, corporate communications manager for Nintendo of America, the company has very specific guidelines that don’t “allow for certain kinds of games to make their way to the store shelf. It’s not infrequent that we’ll get a game from a licensee and send it back with a list of changes that have to be made.”
“The arcade version did not meet our guidelines,” she continued. “Our games have no blood or excessive gratuitous violence, and Acclaim had to work to make the game meet our guidelines. Quite a bit needed to be changed.”
McDermott said that Nintendo’s efforts at making the game more palatable may backfire against the company.
“What they’re trying to do is stick to the certain standards for violent content that they’ve set,” she says. “The good side is, they’re taking out the things that are potentially offensive to some people. The downside is, if someone is looking to buy the same game they loved in the arcade, this is not the same game. The average 15-year-old gamer will want it to be as authentic as possible, and if he has both systems, he will choose to buy Sega.”
An editorial in Electronic Gaming Monthly was even harsher on Nintendo. Editor Ed Semrad railed in the September issue, " . . . no matter how much you ‘sanitize’ the game, it still involves killing people, some of them women. And I bet there isn’t an 8 year old in the country who doesn’t know the real premise behind the game. . . . So what have you accomplished, Nintendo? Not a lot, other than make everybody unhappy.” Of course, the magazine is aimed at vidgame enthusiasts, not parents.
“If that’s not the game they want to play, they know where they can get the original game,” replied Kaplan. “A lot of consumers depend on Nintendo for having its seal of quality. Even though we may be potentially losing revenues by altering the game, we think it’ll be popular.”
Even so, Kaplan admitted that “Mortal Kombat” pushes the envelope in terms of Nintendo’s guidelines. “That is the limit of what you’ll see in a Nintendo game.”
Sega Genesis, on the other hand, sensitive to mounting criticism that video games have become too violent, has programmed its game cartridge so that it can be played in two different modes. The basic game is the toned-down, bloodless version; the other, with blood and grisly deaths, is accessed by a special code. Also, last May, Sega began voluntarily rating its games--GA (general audiences), MA-13 (mature audiences--parental discretion advised) and MA-17 (not appropriate for minors).
Sega has rated “Mortal Kombat” MA-13. “They never specifically issued criteria for the ratings system,” says McDermott. “No one knows what an MC-17 is, because we haven’t seen one. (Sega) is not going to make a secret of the code (to play the bloody version). They’d have to rate the game based on the entire content of the product, and that is part of the game, so this apparently is considered safe fare for teen-agers.”
Ellen Beth Van Buskirk, spokeswoman for Sega Genesis, said that an independent group rates the games and that Sega does not dispute its ratings. “The stronger the reality in the good-vs.-evil confrontations, the higher the rating,” she said, adding that the limited visual capacity of the average 16-bit computer game probably would ensure that no game in the Sega Genesis format would be rated MA-17.
“We don’t have a lot of experience in the MA-17 area,” Van Buskirk said. “Those games would have complete adult narrative, the violence is very realistic. Those games would probably come in the Sega CD-Rom format, because there’s a major difference in the realism between that and the images on the digitized, 16-bit home games.”
(Only one Sega CD-Rom game has an MA-17 rating--"Night Trap,” a controversial vampire game that has drawn protests from various women’s organizations for its graphic depiction of young women having their blood drained from their bodies.)


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Minnesota Twins bring back bobblehead giveaways
The team will give away a Josh Willing"hammer" bobblehead, featuring left fielder Josh Willingham, to the first 10,000 fans at the May 10 game. They'll also hand out a double-bobblehead of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau to the first 10,000 fans on July 19.
The Twins' last bobblehead giveaway was in 2011, when they had one that showed Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek tagging out Atlanta Braves baserunner Ron Gant during the 1991 World Series. (Braves fans say Hrbek illegally pulled Gant off the bag, but Twins fans know better.)
Bobbleheads are apparently making a comeback across Major League Baseball. The 2012 season was the first time since 2005 that bobbleheads were the league's top giveaway, beating out t-shirts and headwear, according to our sister publication, SportsBusiness Journal. Twenty-six teams handed out the dolls at a total of 94 games last year, but the Twins were one of the four teams that didn't have any such promotions.
Other giveaways include a Twins rain gauge (appropriately sponsored by Pentair (NYSE: PNR)), a Glen Perkins fishing lure, a fleece blanket, a barbecue spatula, aviator sunglasses, and a blaze orange camouflage cap. And on May 30, the Twins will play a turn-back-the-clock game, wearing 1948 St. Paul Saints uniforms.
Single-game tickets go on sale Saturday at noon.
John Vomhof Jr. covers retail, hotels, sports business, advertising, public relations and media. He's also on the air on WCCO-AM 830 with Dave Lee daily at 8:45 a.m. and on Fox 9 TV Fridays at 5:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m.
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After already having established its presence in the smartphone market, the time has come when Xiaomi is introducing smart home appliances in the country. Xiaomi is all set to launch its 2nd Air Purifier, the Xiaomi Mi 2 Air Purifier on the 21st of September. According to rumours, the company is going to launch another product, which is most likely going to be the Mi PowerBank along with the Purifier.
The Purifier’s dimensions are 520x240mm with the base the size of an A4 Paper and it is endowed with triple-filter protection which removes PM2.5 formaldehyde and other impurities from the air. The Purifier is expected to be lighter and more compact than its earlier version.
More powerful and with reduced noise, the device cleans air at 388 cubic meters/hour. It features a single motor and dual mixed booster fans. One of the most interesting features of the purifier is its app accessibility. The Mi home app can be used to control the Air Purifier. The App is intelligent enough to tell you about the air quality and when you need to turn on the Purifier.
Even though there has been no official announcement regarding the price, it is expected to be around Rs.7000 and would definitely emerge as a favorite among the budget-conscious Indian consumer.
With cities facing increasing pollution levels and the rising population in the country, this is a smart move by XIAOMI.


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Disneyland Paris has chosen Beyond Meat as its official plant-based meat partner as it commits to having a 'positive impact on the world' by making plant-based meat more accessible.
Disneyland Paris has announced Beyond Meat as its Official Plant-Based Partner as the park celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The new partnership will see Beyond Meat’s plant-based products span across the entire resort.
Visitors from around the world will now be able to enjoy plant-based options in both of the theme parks, the Disney Village, and Disney Hotels.
Moreover, the entire range of Beyond Meat products will be available, including the Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage, and Beyond Meatballs.
New marketing and retail campaigns will provide a 360° experience to European visitors to highlight the new plant-based meat options.
Disneyland Paris has been progressing in its ambition to be both an innovative and sustainable tourist destination. This partnership is the latest step for the resort towards meeting its environmental goals.
Beyond Meat is an ideal plant-based partner as since its inception in 2009 the company’s aim has been to show that positive choices can create a kinder future.
Speaking about the partnership in a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living: General Manager EMEA, Beyond Meat’s Jorg Oostdam, said: “Partnering with Disneyland Paris, a beloved and iconic brand who shares our vision of a better future, is a true milestone for us as we make plant-based meat more accessible throughout Europe.
“As more consumers gravitate towards flexitarian diets, we’re looking forward to surprising and delighting Disneyland Paris’ guests with our plant-based meat offerings that taste just as great as conventional meat and can help make a positive impact.”
The new partnership between Disneyland Paris and Beyond Meat will make plant-based options readily available across the entire resort. Image via Beyond Meat.
Vegan options at Disneyland
The Disneyland Paris resort began to increase the number of vegan options on its menu in March of 2022.
Prior to this, there was a small number of vegan options on offer such as vegan chilli and vegan-friendly churros.
However, to mark the beginning of the 30th anniversary celebrations, two new vegan-friendly cookies were introduced.
Disneyland’s all-you-can-eat buffets were also expanded to provide more plant-based options, and a number of fast-food outlets at the resort began offering Beyond Meat steaks with a vegan tartar sauce.
Now just a couple of months later, the new partnership with Beyond Meat is underway which will increase the vegan options even further.
Beyond Meat being chosen to provide plant-based meats at Disneyland Paris is a sign that plant-based options are now becoming normalised as a daily choice.
Vice President of Business Strategy & Integration for Disneyland Paris, Laure Albouy, explained: “Disneyland Paris is committed to providing an exceptional Guest experience with magical memories that last a lifetime, and our dining experience is an integral part of that.
“With sustainability as a core priority, we are delighted to partner with Beyond Meat who is pushing the boundaries in the reinvention of food. We’re excited to be offering our guests new food choices and help contribute to a better world.”
Want to see what Europe has to offer vegans? Discover the ultimate guide to vegan city breaks in Europe!
Featured image credit: Laurent Viteur via Getty Images


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MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WIFR) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci has achieved a new level of fame for a scientist: He's getting his own bobblehead.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Miseum released its newest addition to its collection and it instantly took off, picking up $100,000 in donations to support the 100 Million Mask Challenge.
A portion of each sale will go toward helping produce personal protective equipment for health care workers on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus.
The 7-inch Dr. Fauci bobbleheads cost $25 and are available for pre-order. They are expected to ship in July. You can purchase one here.


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Andeavor Logistics LP (ANDX) Raised to Hold at BidaskClub
Andeavor Logistics LP (NASDAQ:ANDX) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Friday.
ANDX has been the subject of several other reports. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of Andeavor Logistics from $59.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. Bank of America Corporation decreased their target price on shares of Andeavor Logistics from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 16th. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group raised shares of Andeavor Logistics to a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 16th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Andeavor Logistics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Andeavor Logistics in a report on Thursday, August 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $59.80.
Shares of Andeavor Logistics (NASDAQ:ANDX) opened at 49.75 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $50.15 and a 200-day moving average of $52.53. Andeavor Logistics has a 12 month low of $43.00 and a 12 month high of $60.14. The company has a market capitalization of $5.37 billion and a P/E ratio of 28.59.
Andeavor Logistics (NASDAQ:ANDX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $413 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $441.69 million. Andeavor Logistics had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 26.63%. On average, equities analysts predict that Andeavor Logistics will post $2.51 earnings per share for the current year.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This article was originally published by Watch List News and is the property of of Watch List News. If you are viewing this article on another publication, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of United States and international copyright & trademark laws. The original version of this article can be read at https://www.watchlistnews.com/andeavor-logistics-lp-andx-raised-to-hold-at-bidaskclub/1535629.html.
In related news, insider Steven Sterin acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $47.86 per share, with a total value of $47,860.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 7,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $351,196.68. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.
About Andeavor Logistics
Andeavor Logistics LP, formerly Tesoro Logistics LP, is a full-service logistics company operating in the western and mid-continent regions of the United States. The Company operates through three segments. Its Gathering segment consists of crude oil, natural gas and produced water gathering systems in the Bakken Region and Rockies Region.
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Six years later, Gujarat government had initiated action for withdrawal of the land allotment, citing project execution delays.
To consider the resignation of Singh, the DLF board met on July 30 and accepted his resignation as Whole-time Director designated as Chairman.
“Weaker balance sheets are going to fall off, while large listed developers will get though current liquidity crisis,” Saurabh Chawla, outgoing chief financial officer of DLF Ltd, said in a phone interview.
Reeling under a wave of soured corporate debt that's tainted almost a sixth of their total loan book, state-run banks should also embrace this opportunity.
The company's gross sales bookings were higher at Rs 1,550 crore during April-December of this fiscal, but cancellation/ upgradation worth Rs 790 crore dragged net sales.
I chose Gurgaon to build because only this side of Delhi had free land and the second reason was that there was no urban land ceiling in Haryana at that time.
Tyagi said, "If you see the EBITDA percentage, it continues to be in the 40% range which is where we have guided the market for the last many quarters."
The realty major in October had announced that its promoters will sell 40% stake in DCCDL, which holds the bulk of office and retail complexes.
“We are in the process of doing segment differentiation across residential, office, retail and hospitality projects owned by the Prestige group into separate verticals as all of them have grown into a sizeable business,” chairman of Prestige Group.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) dismissed the allegations after a DG-level investigation on finding that there was no violation of competition norms since DLF is not in a dominant position in the relevant market
The Supreme Court has termed as "unacceptable" the out-of-turn listing of an appeal of real estate major DLF Ltd against imposition of fine of Rs 630 crore by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on it for allegedly adopting "unfair business practices".
Justice S J Mukhopadhyaya, heading the bench, said he was due to retire on March 14 and it would not be possible for him to wind up the hearing and deliver the judgement in the case.


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stock photography site
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Look up stock photography site in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
- stock photography siteThe Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy sponsored award is one of the most competitive categories in the Trade Association Forum’s annual awards. It recognises a successful initiative, by a trade association, to tackle an important issue that will drive the future prosperity and growth of its members. The popular programme, which has been running since 2011, and regularly draws audiences in excess of 4m, sees a team of home improvement experts led by Alan Titchmarsh transform properties for deserving families in difficult circumstances. Friends and colleagues gathered to applaud worthy winners across seven categories – and recognise the creativity and dedication which underpin the whole sector’s contribution to the economy, to society and to customers, staff and stakeholders. The Barnsley based REHAU fabricator has seen a surge in enquiries from installers and consumers in response to its ongoing advertising, PR and web campaign and these are being passed to its stockists and distributors nationwide. British Glass is organising a one-day seminar on funding for decarbonisation and energy efficiency work on Thursday 2 November (north of England, venue TBC) – which will be attended by British Glass members’ and non-members. The Barnsley based REHAU fabricator has seen a surge in enquiries from installers and consumers in response to its ongoing advertising, PR and web campaign and these are being passed to its stockists and distributors nationwide. British Glass is calling for seminar presentations, based on practical examples of large manufacturing businesses securing funding for improvement in energy efficiency and carbon reduction, for a one-day glass industry event in November 2017.
|This instant camera photography page lists articles associated with the title Seo.
If an dual exposure photography led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.


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Opendoor, a real estate tech startup based in Phoenix, has made a name for itself through its business model: Opendoor makes “instant offers” on certain homes online, buying them in a matter of days and then flipping properties.
Now, the company has just solidified its standing in the marketplace. According to a story reported in The Wall Street Journal, Opendoor raised $80 million in October in a third funding round. Access Industries, owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik, led the funding round; Access valued Opendoor at about $580 million.
As of mid-December, Opendoor bought and sold more than 200 homes. “Opendoor made an average estimated profit of between $10,000 and $15,000 on these homes, when including the roughly 9 percent in fees it earns from the seller, and subtracting costs to resell the home,” reported the WSJ.
“We’re planning on using the capital to expand to new markets,” said Eric Wu, Opendoor’s CEO, in an emailed statement. He noted that Opendoor is live in its second market — Dallas, Texas — after launching successfully in Phoenix.
Some experts note that this is a business model that could take a major (and unsurvivable) hit in an economic downturn.
That might be the case, but if so, the company now has tens of millions more in cash to help it weather any unpredicted storms.


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The ‘Bilişim Summit’07’ and Forum@Bilişim that brings business sector and ICT solutions together will be held on October 2nd and 5th 2007 in TUYAP Beylikdüzü Exhibition and Congress Center with the theme of ‘Enlarge Your Business, World Gets Smaller’. Bilişim Summit and Forum@Bilişim will offer a platform for the business sector in the world of development and competition. Leyla Arsan, CEO of TAGES, will attend the summit and have a speech on October 4th, 2007 about the European Commission Funding Opportunities on R&D and the innovation-Networking methods for benefiting from EU R&D funds.
Bilişim Summit’07 will host the business leaders who will share their experiences with the company managers from all sectors and professionals from Information and Communication Technologies Sector. More than 4000 participants are expected to attend the summit.
The first day of Bilisim Summit will gather leaders from the business world and technology directors from a variety of sectors with a focus on finding creativity and new technologies, improving business by the help of technology, catching international standards and ways to be the best from the best. In the first day of the summit Global Business Strategist Rowan Gibson, Alcatel-Lucent Chief Technology Officer Talmage Bursh and Turkcell General Manager Süreyya Ciliv will talk about the ways to enlarge your business and the importance of the cooperation between the business and technology leaders.
Forum@Bilişim, will be on October 3rd and 5th, 2007 with a focus on business solutions, technology and various industrial issues such as idea and innovation management, technology and information management. Forum@Bilişim will have five important topics:
- Company oriented business solutions
- Developments in ICTs
- Specific solutions for four sectors
- Vision meetings
- Special events: national security and space forum
Leyla Arsan, CEO of TAGES, will attend ‘Financing of the Innovation Forum’ and have a speech on October 4th, 2007 about the European Commission Funding Opportunities on R&D and the innovation-Networking methods for benefiting from EU R&D funds.
For registration and more information:


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Karmarama beat FCB Inferno, Fold7 and Mother to become AO.com’s lead creative agency across Europe. VCCP was also involved earlier in the review, which was run by AAR, but withdrew before pitching. BMB previously handled the ad account.
AO.com has tasked Karmarama with creating a brand platform across broadcast and digital channels.
Andrew Kirkcaldy, the AO.com group brand director, said: "We’re delighted to appoint Karmarama. They showed us smart ideas, have a truly integrated offer and all the tools a business like ours needs, and a modern approach to communications."


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SEATTLE, Wash. - Prices for global timber have declined dramatically over the past two years with the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) falling 21.6%, according to Wood Resources International. Challenges in the global market, from Asia to Europe, putting a damper on demand include a variety of fundamental economic issues as well as the strengthening U.S. dollar.
For the fourth quarter the GSPI fell 4.8%. Prices have fallen the fastest in Europe with the European Sawlog Price Index (ESPI) dropping to its lowest level, US$91.00/m3, since the first quarter of 2009, says Wood Resources.
The U.S. lumber market continues to grow, however, with consumption up nearly 5% and import volumes were also 10% higher. The strong domestic market along with weaker demand from Asia could also mean lower prices for U.S. consumers as availability increases.
Once the logs get cut up, every single board is graded and in addition to veneer logs, the graders are keeping an eye out for whiskey barrel white oak logs.
Additional numbers on the global forest industry include the following:
Global Pulpwood Prices
• Hardwood fiber prices continued to fall in most of the major pulp-producing countries in the world in the 4Q/15. The biggest declines were seen in Brazil, Chile, Russia, France, Germany and Indonesia. In most regions, the price adjustments were in both in the local currencies and in US dollar terms. The hardwood price index (HFPI) fell 2.2% from the 3Q/15 to US$84.27/odmt.
• With the exception of the US South and New Zealand, softwood fiber prices were also down throughout the world in the 4Q/15. The declines ranged between two to ten percent from the previous quarter. The softwood price index (SFPI), was US$88.46/odmt, a reduction of 1.4% from the previous quarter.
Global Pulp Markets
• Global market pulp production was 3.3% higher in 2015 than in 2014. Production was up in most regions with the exception of Western Europe.
• The biggest increases in pulp export in 2015 were in shipments from Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and Russia.
• NBSK pulp prices have fallen during much of 2015 but started to find a bottom late in the year. Prices for hardwood pulp (HBKP) started to weaken during the 4Q/15 and prices in Europe were only $15-20/ton lower than those for NBSK.
Global Lumber Markets
• A majority of the 20 largest softwood lumber-consuming countries in the world increased their importation of lumber in 2015, resulting in global trade reaching its highest level in ten years. The US imported 10% more lumber year-over-year and a number of countries in Europe also raised their consumption of imported lumber last year. Lumber demand in Japan, the Middle East and Northern Africa was weaker, resulting in a decline in importation of lumber.
• The US lumber market was a bright spot as compared to most other regions of the world in 2015. Lumber consumption was up almost 5% and import volumes were 10% higher. The strong domestic market and a weakening Asian market also resulted in less lumber being exported.
• Lumber prices in Sweden have fallen 30% from their five-year high in March 2014.
• Although importation of softwood lumber to China fell by two percent in 2015 from the previous year, Russian volumes were up by almost 20 percent year-over-year. Russia is now the largest supplier of lumber to China.
• Demand for wood in Japan has fallen the past two years partly as the result of an eight percent decline in housing starts.
Global Biomass Markets
• North American overseas pellet exports increased for the second consecutive quarter in the 3Q/15, rising 15% from the previous quarter to reach a new record high of just over 1.6 million tons, according to our sister publication North American Wood Fiber Review.
• Although pellet production in Sweden has been fairly stable the past four years, importation has fallen by more than 50% from 2011 to 2015. In the local currency, pellet prices fell during the fall of 2015 and were four percent lower in the 4Q/15 than in the 4Q/14.
For more information visit www.woodprices.com.
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


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Forests the world over are suffering due to the popularity of unsustainable forestry – this issue that is important to all of us, and design lovers in particular. One brand that is championing sustainable forestry is Premium Floors.
October 4th, 2016
A matter of particular importance at the moment is the illegal logging of Russian forests for European Oak, Ash and Elm. As identified in 2013, in a report on this issue by the WWF; “WWF analysis of Russian customs data revealed that in 2010, the volume of Mongolian oak logged for export exceeded the volume authorized for logging by 200 percent — meaning that at least half of the oak being exported across the border to China was stolen”
Premium Floors obtains its timber through sustainable and legal harvesting methods – of particular note is that the European oak used in Premium Floors engineered wood flooring is sourced from sustainably managed resources.
The majority of Premium Floors’ wood floor ranges are PEFC certified, and the brand carries full Chain of Custody Certification (COC) for the PEFC program.
The Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification is the world’s largest forest certification scheme, which ensures that the wood has been produced in an ecologically, socially and economically responsible way.
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Penny M. Kris-Etherton
Adults with overweight or obesity who incorporated almonds alone or combined with dark chocolate into their diets improved their lipid profiles, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“It’s important to put this into context: The message is not that people should go out and eat a lot of chocolate and almonds to lower their LDL,” Penny M. Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, said in a press release. “People are allowed to have about 270 discretionary calories a day, and when foods like almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa are consumed together as a discretionary food, they confer health benefits unlike other discretionary foods such as frosted doughnuts.”
Yujin Lee, PhD, of the department of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University at the time of the study and now a postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutritional Science in Boston, and colleagues reviewed data from 31 participants (mean age, 46 years; 13 women) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 who had a BMI between 25 kg/m2 and 40 kg/m2. Those who met criteria such as elevated BP, smoking and history of MI or stroke were excluded.
Participants were assigned to follow one of four diets for 4 weeks: average American diet; 42.5 g per day of almonds; 18 g per day of cocoa powder and 43 g per day of dark chocolate; or all three foods. A 2-week washout period occurred before crossing over to the subsequent test diet. Data such as weight and food logs, fasting blood samples, BP, total cholesterol and triglycerides, glucose and plasma nitric oxide were assessed throughout the study period.
During the almond diet, participants had lower levels of non-HDL (154 mg/dL vs. 162.8 mg/dL; P = .006), LDL (126.4 vs. 135.6; P = .003) and total cholesterol (195.4 mg/dL vs. 204.6 mg/dL; P = .004) compared with the average American diet.
Apolipoprotein B was lower during the chocolate and almond diet (101.9 mg/dL) vs. the average American diet (107.5 mg/dL; P = .02).
The almond diet reduced large buoyant LDL particles by 5.7 mg/dL compared with 0.3 mg/dL with the average American diet (P = .04). Small dense LDL particles were reduced by 12 mg/dL in the chocolate and almond diet and 5.3 mg/dL with the average American diet (P = .04).
Oxidative stress and vascular health were not significantly affected by any of the diets.
“On the basis of our findings, incorporating almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa into a healthy diet that does not exceed energy needs may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,” Lee and colleagues wrote. – by Darlene Dobkowski
The study was funded by The Hershey Company and the Almond Board of California. Lee reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.


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SpoofCard.com Helps 'Untraceable' Movie Make Untraceable Phone Calls
SpoofCard.com, the leading provider of Caller ID spoofing service, is proud to announce its phone card service, used to help make anonymous and untraceable phone calls, can be seen in the upcoming high-tech thriller, Untraceable, opening in theaters across the United States on January 25th, 2008. SpoofCard was chosen by Untraceable's technical advisor for its widely renowned and highly regarded communications privacy service which businesses, local and government law enforcement agencies and privacy advocates have been using to make truly private and untraceable calls since 2005.
SpoofCard is a one-of-a-kind calling card that works from any telephone and offers its users the ability to change their number that appears on their recipients Caller ID display as well as their call logs. SpoofCard helps eliminate any record of a call taking place from a users phone, making their call virtually untraceable by the recipient. SpoofCard can also record phone conversations, which can then be downloaded or played back at a later time, and even change its users voice in real-time to sound like a man or a woman. SpoofCard focuses on bringing back communications privacy in an age where privacy is rare, yet, more important than ever.


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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Port of Baltimore is celebrating a record year.
Last year, the port handled more than 38 million tons of cargo.
This is the most cargo tonnage in nearly four decades, and the third highest in the port’s history.
The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports in the country, and continues to set impressive records every year.
“Bringing more cargo to the Port of Baltimore, because we are one of the few ports on the east coast that has the necessary infrastructure to handle those big ships,” Port of Baltimore spokesperson Richard Scher said.
In 2017, the port handled 38.4 million tons of cargo.
They are also number one for handling autos, trucks, large farm equipment, and forest products – which are used to produce paper supplies.
“Some new yard cranes,” Scher said. “We’ve also included some new efficiencies and will continue to add efficiencies in our container terminal to accommodate that growth we are seeing right now.”
As one of Maryland’s leading economic engines, the port continues to expand operations to meet the demand.
“[The port] generates more than 13,000 direct jobs, and there are nearly 130,000 jobs in the state that are linked to the Port of Baltimore,” Scher said. “So whenever the port is doing well and setting records, it’s always going to be positive for jobs.”
The port is responsible for bringing in more than $300 million in state and local tax revenues.
The last record for the port was set in 1979, and it was for more than 40 million tons of cargo.


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RepeaterStore, a market leader in signal booster sales, is now Waveform.
“We’ve been in the cell phone signal booster business for over 13 years,” explains Sina Khanifar, founder and CEO of Waveform. “In that time, we’ve grown to provide not just signal amplifier systems to our customers, but also innovative new technologies like small cells.”
Marketing Technology News: Never Let Marketing Write a Sales Email. Here’s Why
Waveform revealed its new brand name and logo on Nov. 17. Under the new name, they continue to sell popular cell signal booster kits and accessories from established U.S. manufacturers like weBoost/Wilson Electronics, SureCall, Cel-Fi, and HiBoost.
“This is a way of formalising a significant milestone for us,” explained Khanifar. “We’ve been helping all kinds of customers, from individuals looking to boost the signal at their desk, all the way up to major corporations looking to bring reliable cell service into 500,000-square-foot buildings. As Waveform, we’re growing that commitment to getting every kind of client the great signal they need.”
Marketing Technology News: Interview with Megan Yelaney, Life and Business Coach
The new brand name aims to convey the company’s ongoing focus on in-depth understanding of the science and engineering behind improving wireless service. Waveform will continue to marry comprehensive and knowledgeable customer service with a commitment to delivering the highest standards of signal improvement to clients.
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Todd Goldman, VP of Marketing at Infoworks


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Jun 2010 Old Friends with Cameras
Mar 2010 Must Be Their Idea of ..."Going Green"
Mar 2009 Crocodile Versus Shark
Feb 2009 Schadenfreude: Associated Press Sharks Attack Shepard Fairey!
Jan 2009 When Burning Israeli Flags Attack!
Jan 2009 What A Sanctuary City Should Be
Jan 2009 An Image. An Analysis.
Dec 2008 Cool Picture
Nov 2008 A Post Brian Would Love
Nov 2008 Remember Those Who Served
Nov 2008 Snap Shot
Sep 2008 Reuters Photographer: Embedded with the Enemy?
Aug 2008 Pack Photography in Georgia?
Jul 2008 Rocking it the CNN Way
Jul 2008 'Your Hands Will Never Reach Me'
Jun 2008 Taliban and western media promote butchery
Jun 2008 Proof of Obamassiah-ship (now with working link)
Jun 2008 Discovering New Wires for Fun and Profit
Jun 2008 Daily Dictator (Revised USA Version)
May 2008 Reflections Past...
Apr 2008 Diversifying my Hate Mail
Apr 2008 The Peace Bus
Mar 2008 Reuters Photograph Of Israeli Raid
Mar 2008 John Moore: Photojournalist of the Year
Dec 2007 Paper, Rock, Scissors
Oct 2007 Afternoon Bee-light
Jul 2007 Tanned and Rested!
May 2007 Photography is Dead
(This feature is still a work in progress. Please check back here later to see if more content magically appears!)


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As we head towards 2020, it’s time once again for the decennial U.S. national Census – one of the broadest data collections that the United States federal government undertakes to learn more about its citizens, recalibrate Congressional districts, allocate public funding, and deliver critical public services. But the government’s ability to conduct the upcoming Census
In St. Louis Heart Center v. Nomax, Inc., the Eighth Circuit held that an “alleged failure to provide a technically compliant opt-out notice” in a fax advertisement, without more, does not give a plaintiff Article III standing to bring a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) claim. The Eighth Circuit’s decision requires that the alleged injury
Both Chambers of Congress are considering legislation that would amend the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). Introduced in the House by Congressman Pallone (H.R. 6026) and in the Senate (S. 3078) by Senator Markey, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act adds a new definition, “robocall,” in place of “automated telephone dialing system.” The new term would
As the number of frivolous Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) class actions continues to grow unabated, the potential rewards have even led to alleged criminal activity by plaintiff firms seeking to game the system. A recently settled Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) complaint showcases a particularly egregious series of allegations that several plaintiffs’
Now that the dust has settled from the D.C. Circuit’s highly anticipated Telephone Consumer Protection Act decision in ACA International, et al, v. FCC, the Federal Communications Commission is going back to the drawing board in a new Public Notice that seeks comment on foundational TCPA issues. In March, the D.C. Circuit struck down the
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its long-awaited decision in ACA International, et al, v. FCC, a case involving multiple petitions for review of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) omnibus 2015 ruling interpreting provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (the TCPA or Act).
Growing evidence suggests that existing Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) compliance challenges, and the current TCPA litigation landscape, are increasingly a threat to many U.S. companies – particularly small businesses that have fewer resources and could face financial ruin if targeted by a class action lawsuit. To help address this issue and support the U.S.
A new study has found that litigation involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) has increased 50 percent since the Federal Communications Commission released its July 2015 “Omnibus” Declaratory Ruling and Order, which had purported to clarify several issues around the agency’s TCPA rules. As explained below, this continuing trend is one of many reasons
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has adopted a Notice of Apparent Liability (“NAL”) imposing a $82 million penalty against Best Insurance Contracts (d/b/a Wilmington Insurance Quotes) and its owner/operator Philip Roesel for allegedly making more than 21 million prerecorded robocalls with illegally “spoofed” caller ID information in an attempt to sell health insurance.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has adopted a Forfeiture Order (“Order”) imposing a nearly $2.9 million penalty against Dialing Services, LLC (“Dialing Services”) for making prerecorded voice calls to wireless phones without the “prior express consent” of the called parties. This Order is notable because the FCC targeted the technology platform provider rather than the
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a historic $120 million fine against an individual, Mr. Adrian Abramovich, who reportedly made more than 100 million unlawful “spoofed” robocalls in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act. On June 22, 2017, the Commission approved a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture finding Mr. Abramovich apparently liable
On June 22, 2017, in Reyes v. Lincoln Automotive Financial Services, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed with Hogan Lovells attorneys representing the defendant and held that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) does not permit a consumer to revoke her consent to be called when that consent forms part of
How do you protect your business from costly Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) lawsuits and regulatory enforcement actions? In this webinar, we will focus on the key decisions facing company executives as they navigate TCPA risks and assess compliance strategies. Businesses must stay in touch with their customers and their partners in order to succeed. But
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) recently imposed a $1.84 million penalty for sending unsolicited fax advertisements. According to the agency’s forfeiture order, Scott Malcolm, DSM Supply, LLC and Somaticare, LLC (the “DSM Parties”) sent 115 unsolicited fax advertisements to 26 consumers, primarily health care practitioners, in violation of the FCC’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”)
In January, the United States Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, 577 U.S. __ (2016), a significant case for companies defending against consumer and other class actions, including those based on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) – as well as for contractors working on behalf of the federal government.
On September 29, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice seeking comments on the Broadnet Teleservices, LLC (Broadnet) petition asking the FCC to declare that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) does not apply to calls made by or on behalf of federal, state, and local governments, when such calls are made
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a copy of a letter that it sent to PayPal stating that the agency was closing an investigation into potential Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) violations by the company. This release provides important insights on how companies can design their user agreements to avoid TSR violations. As background, PayPal
As many of our readers know, on July 10, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a highly anticipated decision regarding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and related FCC rules involving autodialed and prerecorded telephone calls and text messages. Although the order became effective upon release, in less than a week, three parties (ACA International,
Today, FCC Chairman Wheeler announced that he is circulating a proposal to address more than twenty pending petitions seeking clarity regarding the scope requirements under the U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). He authored a blog post on the proposal and also released a fact sheet. As part of the Chairman’s proposal, the FCC would
Highlighting the intersection between government contracts, communications privacy, and class action litigation, the United States Supreme Court recently received a petition for a writ of certiorari asking it to rule on whether derivative sovereign immunity should be extended to a government contractor’s violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The Petitioner, Campbell-Ewald Co., was
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted two Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) decisions that significantly impact compliance obligations for a wide range of organizations that make or facilitate voice calls or text messages to consumers. In the first order, the Cargo Airline Association (CAA), represented by Hogan Lovells, obtained a first-of-its-kind exemption from the
Mitch Zamoff, Adam Levin, Mark Brennan, and Tim Tobin have published an overview of recent Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) litigation, regulatory compliance developments, and tips for minimizing enterprise risk. Please find the full update here.
Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227, with the intention of protecting consumers from unwanted calls, text messages, and faxes. There has been a significant increase in the number of TCPA claims and enforcement actions filed in recent years, and yet there remain many unsettled legal questions. Read More: TCPA


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The new BMW 4 Series was made official last week, we have already seen one video of this new coupe and now we have another.
BMW has released a new promo video for their 2020 BMW 4 Series Coupe and we get to have another look at this new sports coupe.
There are a number of models in the new 4 Series range, the top model at the moment is the BMW M440i which comes with 369 horsepower. BMW will also be launcing an M4 version some time later this year, we are looking forward to find out more information bout the M4.
Source BMW / YouTube
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March 29, 2023
Amy Brickner once had visions of becoming a professor, doing research on feed formulations. But there was always a piece of her that wanted to return to the family farm in Carlisle, Pa.
Last May, she started leaving her mark on her family’s dairy by opening Destiny Dairy Bar, a direct-to-consumer business on her family’s Stover Dairy Farm.
“I always said it was my destiny to start this,” she says. “I felt so strongly that if I could do anything for the rest of my life, it would be to share this with everybody else.”
Fast-forward to early 2023 and the business is slowly coming along. The small store, made of wood from an old granary her uncle took apart and from reclaimed roofing, welcomes customers. People buy her raspberry- and orange cream-flavored milk by the gallons.
But with any business there are unknowns. And in her case, there are many.
“My driving passion and why I’m still here is, I truly believe that dairy products are the best nutritional value you can get,” Brickner says.
Starting with the cows
Why go direct to consumer? Brickner says she wanted to do something different to connect with the local community.
She got traction in 2018 when she was able to get a grant from the state’s Center for Dairy Excellence to write a business plan and start testing her herd for the A2A2 gene. It has been claimed that milk produced from cows with the A2A2 gene — A2 milk — is healthier to drink and easier to digest. Dairy companies have marketed A2 has an alternative for people who are lactose intolerant, for example.
Brickner explains that her now business partner, who had his own dairy herd at the time when she was testing her cows, flushed cows for other farms and happened to use bulls that had the A2A2 gene. He also had his own cow herd but wanted to sell them. Brickner says the two combined herds and she then bred the A2A2 cows to sexed Wagyu bull semen. “I also bred the A1A1 cows to beef bulls, and bred the conventional A1A2 cows to conventional semen,” she says. As a result, the farm ended up with a lot of heifers.
“In 2020, at one time, I had 130 cows in the herd and had 55 cows milking. My grandma looked at me like, what are we doing here,” she laughs.
Brickner says her first thought was to possibly keep the herd in the 130- to 140-cow range and put another milk tank in for the A2 milk. But that proved cost-prohibitive, she says. And when COVID-19 pandemic hit, production had to be reduced anyway.
“It became easier to shrink the herd and bring heifers over into the dairy barn, so I wouldn’t have to build another facility,” she says, adding that the herd was reduced to 80 head.
Realizing a dream
Switching the herd to all A2 was just the first step. The second step was figuring out what the business would look like.
Brickner says she had dreams of opening an on-farm creamery of some sort, but before she dove in, she visited other farms to see what they were doing. She visited farms and on-farm creameries in Kentucky, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Vermont. Each place was different, she says, allowing her to tailor what she saw to her own business and goals.
During quarantine, she bought a 15-gallon vat for producing cheese from a woman in Vermont who was expanding her own business. One of the biggest steps she took was contacting the cooperative who took her milk, Mount Joy Farmers Co-op, to let them know what she wanted to do.
They made an agreement that 200 gallons of her milk each week could go for producing her own milk. Her business partner transports the 200 gallons every Wednesday to a nearby Country Creamery in Greencastle where they mix everything and produce the milk.
Her flavored milk, which started with raspberry, is an all cream line and nonhomogenized. She’s added other flavors such as orange cream, salted caramel, chocolate mint and even root beer.
Some of the milk also goes to make ice cream — 14 flavors thus far.
“For me, I wanted the farm to be a destination,” she says. “I said, if I can't get my family’s full support on my journey, I’m just going to start and see where it goes.
“And once they started seeing friends and family coming to the farm and trying my new products, they finally realized that it actually might be something worth considering,” she adds.
Construction of the on-farm store started two years ago. A soft opening was held early last year and the grand opening was last May. She started selling ice cream at the store last July.
Destiny Dairy Bar sits on the land that her mother’s family has been farming for generations. It’s been Stover Farms dairy since 1996. At that time, it was a partnership between her grandfather and his family.
It remained a partnership between her mother and uncle, and was to remain that way even with her plans to open the on-farm store. A new dairy barn was built in 2021, but then two months later, Brickner says she received a bombshell: Her uncle, who oversaw the farm’s crop and fieldwork, was leaving the business. “My jaw hit the floor. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, so now I get to run both,’” she says.
It’s unclear why her uncle wanted to leave the business, but Brickner admits that family friction over the farm’s future was an ongoing issue. “Stubbornness got us to this point,” she says.
It has left many questions about the farm’s future with no easy answers. As of now, the farm is around 400 acres, but the family has already contracted to sell at least half that to a developer who plans to build 1,300 homes. The store is on a preserved 145-acre tract.
The trade-off is that she now buys all her own feed from a farm in Mount Holly Springs, about a 10-minute drive away. That dairy, she says, produces better forages, something her farm has struggled to produce.
“When it takes you 21 days to make first-cutting haylage, you want to pull your hair out when you’ve got to feed dairy cows. The consistency wasn’t good,” she says. “It’s a struggle to write the check, but at the same time, I know the diet is consistent and good.”
Labor is a big concern as the dairy itself is struggling and the on-farm store isn’t generating enough money yet to make the farm profitable. Brickner has purchased a micro dairy processor made from a refurbished shipping container that she hopes will get its electric and plumbing hookup sometime this spring. She wants to make milk, cheese and other products in the micro dairy, and potentially save money on having to process milk somewhere else and to boost the farm’s products.
Long term, she hopes to put in a robotic milker, place every cow on pasture and provide guided tours of the farm. It would replace the current milking parlor is a double-eight rapid-exit herringbone. It was built with the anticipation of growing the herd to 500-plus cows, but that, of course, never happened.
Still, with all the unknowns, Brickner says she does not regret going for a big change.
Her mother, Ann, who has health problems, is not physically active on the farm but still does much of the bookwork. Her 83-year-old grandmother, Julia Stover, still works on the farm every day feeding calves and just filling in wherever she can. “I won’t let her quit,” she says. “She makes sure all the grain is fed and the water is clean.”
Her two sons, Graeson and Colter, are unsure if they want to take over some day, but they help out from time to time.
Some things, though, she would have done differently.
“I would have taken more marketing workshops beforehand, just because I didn’t know all my options” in terms of marketing, she says. “At the time when I started, I just thought of doing everything organically, put my name out on social media, and people will come.
“Facebook and social have been good, but I have way too many people looking at me and saying, ‘Well, what else are you going to do next?’ I would have done that over again.”
She says she also would have talked to other people about flavoring, ingredients and label options. But Brickner does not regret diving into the unknown.
“I just went for it. I’ve said to several people, if you wait until you know all the answers, you will never start. Just go with it,” she says.
“It’s coming along,” she says. “More people are beginning to notice, and other business owners are starting to notice we’re here,” adding, “Most people who come here are so excited about being here and appreciate open space.”
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