text:
Packaging and POS display manufacturer Weedon PSC has been awarded exclusive rights in the UK and Ireland to manufacture the Smarty range of patented designs for instantaneous pop-up POS display units.
Mimaki’s new low-cost flatbed cutter had a positive reception at Sign & Digital.
Cimpress has announced its second acquisition of 2015 in the form of Austrian web-to-print business Druck und Handelsgesellschaft (Druck.at).
Trading in Paperlinx shares has been suspended as the merchanting group investigates a possible breach of banking covenants.
Paper merchant and converter Vision Paper & Board, part of the Middleton Paper Group, has extended its Celerbr8 Solo Occasions FSC board and Verdanna Offset ranges.
Roland DG is using Sign & Digital UK to give a taster of its new Texart CS-64 calendar press before its official UK launch due later this year.
William Pollard & Company has followed up the recent doubling of its offset print capacity by boosting its finishing capabilities with a new Stahlfolder KH 82 and a Duplo DC-745 multi-finisher.
HP gave visitors to Sign & Digital a sneak peek of its new PageWide wide-format printer, ahead of the product’s official launch next month.
Johnston Press has won a “multi-million pound” five-year contract to print Express Newspapers’ four major print titles at its Dinnington site in Sheffield.
Large-format and digital print reseller RGBuk has been appointed to Roland DG’s dealer network.
Unite has announced a two-day strike at the Northampton plant of one of the world's largest paper-based packaging groups following the dismissal of two of the union's stewards.
Window Film Company is looking at double-digit growth after moving to a new office in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and installing a Canon Océ Arizona 460GT flatbed printer.
Digital equipment reseller Mode Print Solutions has celebrated two decades in business by holding a reception attended by North East Hertfordshire MP Sir Oliver Heald and mayor of Ware Rosalie Standley....


text:
The world’s costliest room service
Helsinki hotels charge the most for room service, according to a new survey, with club sandwiches costing USD$38.00 on average.
Helsinki has emerged as the priciest city for room service, and Tunis the cheapest in a new index that provides a snapshot of how much a club sandwich and a can of Coke will set guests back around the world.
In TripAdvisor’s 2014 TripIndex Room Service, analysts created a price comparison of in-room amenities like a club sandwich, a bottle of water, peanuts, a soda, a mini bottle of vodka and dry cleaning services.
Not surprisingly, Scandinavia emerged the most expensive region on the index, with Nordic cities claiming four of the top 10 most expensive spots. After Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen also made the list.
The survey also revealed that travelers can expect to pay 22% more for room service amenities in the US compared to major destinations around the world.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas emerged the most expensive destination in the US for hotel amenities, followed closely by New York and Washington D.C.
The most affordable cities in the US are Denver, Seattle and Minneapolis.
The most expensive cities for room service in the world (club sandwich, water, peanuts, soda, a mini bottle of vodka and dry cleaning service):
Helsinki, Finland, $89
Oslo, Norway $88
Seoul, South Korea $73
Zurich, Switzerland $72
Stockholm, Sweden $69
Paris, France $68
New York, USA $68
Toronto, Canada $66
Singapore, Singapore $62

domain: news


text:
While we may think of Wearable Technology as a recent development, in truth, it’s been around since the 17th century.
Anki has announced two new cars and two new tracks for their iPhone-controlled Anki Drive car racing game. Hadion and Corax – new characters that focus on speed and weaponry, respectively – join the existing four cars.
Hyundai today announced it will be offering Apple’s CarPlay technology in its 2015 Sonata car lineup. Models with compatible navigation systems will debut later in the 2015 model year.
Apple has launched the 8GB iPhone 5c in a number of European countries today. Apple’s online stores in Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, and other countries are now selling the device.
Samsung was initially reluctant to run ads that directly attacked Apple. However, the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs emboldened the company to begin running their “Next Big Thing” attack ads.
Apple has joined other smartphone makers, including Google, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia and Samsung, in announcing a voluntary agreement to include anti-theft technology in all smartphones beginning next year.
It looks as if “The Social Network” director David Fincher will not be directing Sony’s Steve Jobs biopic, as the The Hollywood Reporter reports Sony thought Fincher’s asking price was too high.
More corporate secrets continue to see the light of day as the Apple v. Samsung trial continues along its merry way. It seems that Samsung had a few concerns about launching attack ads against Apple, who in addition to being a competitor, was also a customer.
Microsoft Office 365 Personal Now Available – Unlocks Document Creation and Editing on Office for iPad
Microsoft has announced that its new consumer subscription offering, Office 365 Personal, is now available for purchase at $69.99 per year, or $6.99 per month. The subscription is available at Microsoft Stores, Office365.com, and via online and retail partners.
BGR reports this morning that trusted sources have confirmed many of the rumored details about Amazon’s alleged upcoming smartphone, and the site has also obtained photos they say are of the much-rumored handset.
Yesterday, car electronics maker Alpine announced it was planning to launch aftermarket CarPlay units sometime this fall. Now comes a press release from Pioneer confirming they will be releasing a firmware update to enable CarPlay in existing in-dash systems.
E-book antitrust monitor Michael Bromwich says that his relationship with Apple has “significantly improved” since Apple was ordered to hire him to monitor their compliance with antitrust requirements stemming from the e-books antitrust case.
Nintendo emulator nds4ios has released a special version of the app that runs on non-jailbroken devices via a slick workaround. The app gets around Apple’s restrictions by using an enterprise provisioning profile.
Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1, released today as a developer’s preview, offers limited support for Apple’s Passbook passes.
T-Mobile is kicking off a new piece of its ongoing “Uncarrier” initiative. Starting in May, the carrier will eliminate overage charges for its customers, regardless of their cellular plan. The Magenta network is also throwing down a challenge to its competitors to do the same.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is preparing to debut its first Amazon-branded smartphone in June. WSJ sources say the company has partnered with HTC to produce the device, which will create 3D images without the need for 3D glasses.


text:
Dive Brief: Rubicon Global recently announced a partnership with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company known for specializing in the recovery of more than 100 hard-to-recycle products.
“The partnership was formed in an effort to fill in each other’s service gaps.” Stevens said if a large retail client that used TerraCycle’s services for specific materials wanted help with more traditional commodities, they would be referred to Rubicon – and vice versa.
Months later, Rubicon contacted TerraCycle about working together and the partnership was born.
Both Rubicon and TerraCycle are run by CEOs in their mid-30s who enjoy talking about waste diversion and have big fundraising plans, so in many ways the partnership is a natural fit.
TerraCycle recently filed plans to raise $25 million, while Rubicon has raised funds on a larger scale – enough to be granted “Unicorn” status – and recently attracted the inevitable scrutiny that comes with it.
Earlier this year, Suez acquired a stake in Rubicon and led a $50 million funding round for the company to begin an ongoing partnership that was recently on display during a joint session at WASTECON. Described as being in the early stages, this partnership could go any number of ways.
Depending on how many new customers come onboard, this partnership could also help support a desire for more domestic processing of recyclables in light of new Chinese trade restrictions.


text:
It's ugly out there and it's getting uglier.
Electrical distributors and reps are keeping a watchful eye on the continuing decline in the vitality of the U.S. economy and taking a variety of steps to keep their businesses on solid footings while they wait for the market to turn around.
When that turnaround will come is anyone's guess. Predictions from those willing to venture such a guess in an outlook survey last month by Electrical Wholesaling and Electrical Marketing varied over a wide range. None expected the picture to brighten much before the third quarter of next year, and some put the turnaround a year further out, in the second or third quarter of 2010.
When asked about “the single scariest thing about 2009,” many survey respondents raised concerns about customer credit-worthiness and a slow recovery.
Ralph Bliquez, principal of Ewing-Foley Inc., a rep agency based in Tigard, Ore., and current president of the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA), Armonk, N.Y., said the scariest thing is, “Reading the paper; listening to radio; watching television: in other words, media hyperbole.” In other words, articles such as this one.
But most widespread were comments about fears of the unknown.
More questions than answers
“How far do we cut cost when we really have no idea just how bad or good next year will be?” Barry Oliver of Electro Link Sales, Albuquerque, N.M., asked. “I think without a doubt next year is going to be scary just trying to stay on top of changes as they occur. It seems that in normal conditions we can budget and plan, because we have a sense of what to expect. 2009 is starting to look like we have no idea what to expect, but we'd better be ready for something almost certainly not good.”
The sense of uncertainty appeared to have been spurred by the sudden drop in sales over the previous month. After several months of hearing and reading about how horrible the economy was, but seeing just mild overall sluggishness in sales of electrical products, “New business seemed to fall off a cliff in November,” said Henry Bergson, recently retired president and CEO of NEMRA. “October sales were fine, and then November plunged dramatically,” said one rep who asked to remain anonymous.
“No one knows how bad it is or how bad it will get,” said a distributor. “Even the best minds in the financial and business world cannot agree to the breadth and depth of the problem, nor how to solve the problem. It is flat-out scary. On top of that, some people in the work force are oblivious to what is going on. High earners are going to be shocked when their paychecks are cut in half next year.”
“If we were able to predict that we were going to be down 10 percent, we could adjust our businesses accordingly, but some reports are suggesting business off as much as 30 percent. It is very difficult to plan with a range this large,” says Greg Reynolds, president of Flynn & Reynolds Agency, Tewksbury, Mass. “A 10 percent scale-back is much different from a 30 percent scale-back and just makes it very difficult to plan. We are seeing more and more construction being placed on hold, adding to this uncertainty. To date we have had a very strong 2008, outperforming last year in single digits. This makes it very confusing, with all the indications that we are seeing that next year will be down.”
More specific to the electrical industry, many respondents pointed in different ways to concerns about business failures within the supply chain. Eric Haines, Haines Sales Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., “It's one thing to read about recently robust financial institutions tanking and being bought by others, but some of the same is bound to happen in the electrical market — probably, with as little notice.”
In the broader perspective of the electrical industry's business cycles over time, economic downturns are nothing new. In fact, they're perfectly normal. But comparing the present situation to previous economic downturns is difficult. Many industry executives are bracing themselves for the worst recession they've ever seen.
“I've been through several downturns, and this one does not compare,” Reynolds of Flynn & Reynolds said. “We've never seen the Fed rate go to zero and treasury bills selling for negative interest rates. There is across-the-board halting of building, including the medical, educational and institutional sectors, which traditionally have been recession-proof. With the publicity that the Wall Street debacle has received consumer sentiment is one of desperation or catatonic, causing everyone to stop spending.”
Even for seasoned economists, this downturn looks unusually severe. “This may well turn out to be the worst since World War II,” said Don Leavens, vice president and chief economist for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va. “The origins of this recession are manifold and include a housing market implosion, a severe financial shock and related drastic credit crunch and stock market crash, an energy price shock, a raw materials price shock … all while fighting two wars. The U.S. economy is extraordinarily flexible and able to withstand an occasional shock or two. But the combination of so many negative forces has overwhelmed consumer and investor confidence and created a strong and widespread aversion to risk that has rendered the Federal Reserve's monetary policy about as useful as pushing on a string.”
Some cautioned against relying on the tactics that saw the industry through the last downturn.
“I don't think I can compare what we may see in the next several years to any other experience in my lifetime,” said Vic Jury Jr., Summit Electric Supply, Albuquerque. “The economic indicators continue to degrade, the world is flatter than ever (in Friedman terms) and our industry is in something of a ‘perfect storm’, with the potential for significant commodity deflation, soft demand and tight capital markets constraining investment in projects that would otherwise be funded. I think companies that attempt to use a playbook from a previous recession may be far too optimistic for the good of their employees, investors and suppliers.”
All the same, the options for managing a business through a severe recession don't change all that much. Veteran reps such as Gary Brusacroam, AJB Sales, Minneapolis, will be focusing on essentials and attitude. “The economy is what it is, though disconcerting,” Brusacoram said. “We have to deal in business realities, which means we have to adapt, close the sale on the present potentials and then go disrupt the marketplace. Find and get what's there. These are the times when leadership becomes an art form…we have to pull out some old tried-and-true selling concepts, get people moving rather than dwelling on negatives, mix in the present technological marketing and go sell.”
Facing the foe
Asked specifically what changes they're making in preparation for what could be a year or more of contraction in the market, electrical industry executives showed that they won't be taken by surprise. For most in the industry, everything is on the table. “We are going to look at everything, I mean everything. We have to find out a way to cut out some of the fat, without hurting service levels,” said Bill Goodwin, president of Griffith Electric Supply Co., Trenton, N.J.
The prospect of a protracted downturn has raised the premium on resourceful marketing and solid business practices, and has distributor executives sharpening their pencils and donning the eyeshades to hunt down every available dollar.
“We are adding more outside salespeople and pushing hard on selling value-added products,” said Steve Espinosa, The Lighting Company, Irvine, Calif. “We are reviewing all expenses and making adjustments. For example, any vendors who have added fuel surcharges are under the microscope. ”
Barry McEachern, president of Star Electric Supply, Wichita, Kan., is looking at the basics: “Tighter credit controls, leaner inventory and all the other things we normally do. Be more mindful of our business.”
Oliver of Electro Link Sales is looking to new marketing ideas to raise the visibility of the manufacturers his agency represents. “We are changing the way we market ourselves in 2009. We are giving away a classic 1980 Chevrolet Corvette worth over $30,000. We have four manufacturers that we are promoting in this giveaway. … With so much news about how bad things may be and the trouble with the U.S. automakers, we decided to do something with some real teeth. The response has been unreal from both our distributor partners and contractor partners.” The program started in December and the Vette will be given away at the end of December 2009.
Some will place renewed emphasis on the importance of mutually supportive relations within the electrical channel. Along with several other initiatives aimed at eliminating money-losing activities and reducing risks from trade credit, Summit Electric Supply is focusing on supplier relations. “We are carefully evaluating our supplier relationships,” said Jury. “We need to sort out not only who will make the right calls in the coming economy but who our true ‘friends’ are. We need to have suppliers who will respond to deflationary developments appropriately and who will keep us in the market.”
Electrical manufacturers are tailoring production for an expected slowdown and cleaning up their balance sheets, said NEMA's Don Leavens. “Almost everyone is in the process of deleveraging in order to rebuild investor confidence in the underlying soundness of enterprises,” Leavens said. “Our member companies realize that 2009 will be dramatically slower than the record levels many achieved in 2008 and are planning for lower demand by cutting back production.”
Even respondents who operate in markets where the impact of the downturn has not been as deeply felt as in the industry as a whole — specialists in energy-efficient lighting, for example, and distributors and reps operating in the Midwest where construction projects are still ongoing — see plenty of reasons for concern.
Espinosa of The Lighting Company expects his market to grow next year, though not without some struggles. “As we service the maintenance and energy-efficient lighting market, I think our market will be larger next year than this year,” he said. “The problem will be more competitors entering the market and potentially diluting our sales opportunities for growth. Number two, I expect price erosion next year to be higher than any previous year. Possibly 10 percent, which means we would have to grow our sales 10 percent just to match our '08 sales.”
In the Kansas City market, some large jobs including sports stadium renovations, a new power plant and large commercial and industrial projects may soften the blow for the first half of 2009, but Doug Carlson, C&O Sales, Overland Park, Kan., is still wary of price deflation and the risk that the financing freeze will bring further construction to a halt. (For a closer look at this market, see “Coming to Kansas City,” page 32.)
“Deflating prices along with lack of credit might dampen our ability to continue at any pace because it might be cheaper to build at a later time and easier to get credit at a later time so construction stops,” Carlson said.
The doldrums of the overall economy may be the largest challenge, but they are hardly the only one facing companies in the electrical supply chain over the coming year. Asked what those other key challenges are, responses varied, but personnel and credit issues led the list.
“It is our hope to take advantage of the fact that good people will be laid-off and become available to work for a company. We are purposely looking for valuable people to join our company,” said Reynolds of Flynn-Reynolds.
The biggest challenge on Espinosa's radar, other than the economy, is keeping his people current on training, “Ensuring that all our associates are well trained on value-added products and the benefits to the end-user,” he said. “NAILD (the National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors) has an updated version of their LS-1 (lighting specialist 1) introductory lighting training programs online that we are requiring all associates to take and pass the final exam.”
On a national level, some of the industry's associations are looking to the new year's introduction of a new presidential administration and an altered balance of power in Congress. “Defeating pro-union Card Check legislation is a top priority for our members,” said Leavens of NEMA. “SmartGrid and energy-efficiency investment, which remain major initiatives, will be harder to sell as most companies and consumers struggle to survive the recession.”
At the street level in the electrical industry, never-ending challenges such as, “Keeping up with manufacturers' new product introductions and promotions initiatives to boost sales,” will put reps to the test in a tight market, said Dennis Tulimieri Sr., principal of Tulimieri Associates Inc., a rep firm in Glastonbury, Conn.
Reps, says Bliquez, will be facing, “The same challenges we have seen for a decade: consolidation of manufacturing, distribution and contractors; exporting jobs and importing products (too often inferior products); and recruiting good talent to the industry.”
The endless battle against price erosion will also take on new urgency. For Jury of Summit Electric, this challenge results from, “Irrational competition. Our industry has been running amok for so long with regard to how we set prices in the market and how much of our business is run like a Middle-Eastern rug bazaar with limited discipline in the area of pricing, ignorance of cost drivers and lack of clarity about what it takes to contribute to the bottom line. There are rampant inefficiencies in the market, from the way we interact with our customers to the whole SPA process which has become so complicated, inconsistent and abused that our business practices look surreal to an intelligent outside observer. I don't see how we can continue to pay for inefficiencies in a deflationary and recessionary environment. At some point, something has to give.”
Opportunities Do Exist
With a new year beginning, we also asked recipients of the survey to set aside their concerns about the economy for a moment and tell us what new products or programs they were excited about for the coming year. The answers generally came in various shades of green.
“The new administration has already strongly embraced energy-efficient electrical products such as lighting, motors, building controls, and power equipment,” said Leavens of NEMA. “After a relatively slow market penetration rate, markets for these products are likely to expand measurably over the next few years.”
“Alternative energy. Traditional products can be differentiated by promoting a manufacturer's zero-discharge manufacturing technique…or by promoting local manufacturing and its affect on a building's LEED application…or by promoting energy efficiency of a product,” said Haines of Haines Sales. “Certainly, new products and markets will become available — and integrated wisely into a business — can become the most exciting prospect for next year!”
“‘Green’ activities could be good for business,” agreed Carlson of C&O Electric Sales. “Increasing utility rates will make sure that the paybacks are improved. Alternative energy projects should receive more funding and Kansas and Missouri are enviable locations for those facilities.”
Bliquez of Ewing-Foley sees great opportunities for the electrical industry and for U.S. manufacturing down the road in the battery market, a niche seldom considered by traditional electrical distribution. “Battery manufacturing will be a very good technology to bring back to the U.S.,” Bliquez said. “Batteries would expand the service side of our industry: For example, the need for recharging stations for battery-operated cars. What a great market that will be for distribution and contracting! We have seen what battery-operated tools have done over the last 20 years and I think battery use will continue to expand in power tools and equipment.”
For a broader perspective, perhaps it helps to turn to those who've been dealing with the downturn much longer than the rest of the industry. In Syracuse, N.Y., the current turmoil is yet another blow in a market that has struggled for more than 10 years to find its footing after the collapse of some of the region's largest employers. Eric Haines of Haines Sales is counting on his agency's continued perseverance to carry them through.
“Upstate New York hasn't been a robust economy in well over a decade,” Haines writes. “Haines Sales has responded by becoming leaner and more focused. We have kept current with the latest productivity tools, and we continually look for ways to improve our service while keeping operating costs in check. We will continue to invest in developing pull-through demand for our marketing partners.”
In the broader sense, economic hardships do tend to revitalize companies and industries that make it through, allowing them to emerge tougher, more resourceful and stronger in the end.
“There is an unavoidable change in thinking which makes everyone in any company work harder, learn a little more, cooperate and pay attention to business,” said Bliquez of Ewing-Foley and NEMRA. “A little trouble now and then can be a good thing.”
Experts in the electrical industry's mergers and acquisitions game see consolidation continuing through the economic downturn.
Whether the general financial turmoil of this recession will bring a new wave of consolidation in the electrical distribution channel remains to be seen. People active in advising acquirers and acquirees in the market see signs that point both ways.
“Based on what we know or are involved with, we do not foresee any blockbuster transactions in 2009 like Rexel's acquisitions of Gexpro and Hagemeyer, and Sonepar's acquisition of the Hagemeyer U.S. operations,” said Burk Burkhardt, senior managing director, HT Capital Advisors, New York. “However, in our opinion, despite the current tight credit markets and generally difficult economic environment, the level of acquisition activity in terms of number of transactions involving Top 200 companies could be greater in 2009 than in 2008 when there were four transactions. Unlike back six to seven years ago when they just about totally halted their acquisition activity, the major consolidators seem to be taking a longer term view, and indications are that they continue to seek acquisitions. We also know the financially strong super-regionals continue to scout for acquisitions.”
On the other hand, Jonathan Skelly of PCE Investment Bankers, Winter Park, Fla., sees acquisition activity slowing down. “The acquisition climate within the electrical market will likely be slower in 2009 than in 2008,” Skelly said. “The first half of the year will be especially slow but then we expect to see better activity in the second half as ‘value’ buyers enter the market and look to acquire good companies and very fair valuations. We expect industrial- and commercial-driven wholesalers will be more active while those servicing residential markets will continue to do very few acquisitions.”
The new realities of the battered economy will tip the balance toward a buyer's market, with some exceptions, said our respondents. “It depends on the nature of the selling company, and how important the acquisition would be for a potential acquirer,” Burkhardt said. Some strong distributors with limited exposure to the residential market are still considered “must haves” by consolidators and will still be able to command a premium price, but others will find the market less hospitable, he said.
Skelly sees a similar picture. “Those with either cash on their balance sheet or an available line of credit are in a very attractive position in that they are able to offer sellers a fair deal without contingencies,” Skelly said. “The number of potential buyers in this position is limited, so a smaller supply of potential buyers matched against a larger number of potential sellers leads to a buyers' market. This is different from years past where there were multiple potential buyers with access to cheap capital that were competing fiercely for acquisitions, driving higher valuations and providing sellers with many options. Further, certain electrical distributors may find themselves in a weak financial position in 2009 and seeking a sale of the company may be their only option versus shutting down. In this forced position the power sides with the buyer who is able to offer the struggling seller a lifeline and is thus in a very good negotiating position.”
George Spilka, president of George Spilka and Associates, Allison Park, Pa., sees the buyer's market prevailing early in 2009, but possibly easing after that. “In general, the market during the first half of 2009 will be a buyers' market. This will continue until the economy begins to improve, which I believe should occur by the end of the second quarter of 2009,” Spilka said. “However, I strongly recommend to prospective sellers to remember that the sale of their company is the sale of a long-term asset. Consequently, unless there are unique personal circumstances that mandate a prompt sale, they should not sell their company at a discount price due to the current crisis of confidence in the financial markets. This will pass. And it will pass sooner as opposed to later. Don't be intimidated by the future, I don't expect it to be that bad. I am advising all clients to remain steadfast in their pricing. There are no discounts being given to ‘bottom fisher’ buyers.”
Asked whether they expect an influx of new acquirers into the market, the experts we surveyed all expect private-equity funds to play a diminished role in the short term due to the difficulties of accessing capital. Large regionals such as Border States, Mayer and Schaedler/YESCO may continue benefiting from opportunistic acquisitions, Skelly said.
There are some outside influences that could hasten the sale of some companies over the next year. Among them, access to capital is the most significant. Burkhardt also points to the potential for an increase in the federal capital gains tax. “Our legal and other sources think it is highly unlikely that the new administration will increase the rate in 2009, but will sometime in 2010, when the rate was going to increase to 20 percent if no other action were taken,” Burkhardt said. “So there may be a ‘window’ of 12 months to take advantage of the current low maximum 15 percent capital gains rate, and we believe many owners will do so.”


text:
We’re already making end-of-year plans when it feels like 2023 just got started. Instead of asking where the time went, it’s much more interesting to ask: what have we been doing with our time? Who and what are we interacting with? What time do we value most? Are we happy with how we’re spending our time?
1. Southern Screen Fatigue
Our phones might be the biggest constant. For most of us, they are never more than a few inches away and constantly draw our attention. A survey by Research.org says Americans check their phone an average of 144 times per day – and 56.9% believe they are addicted.
- The good news, though, is that here in the Gulf South, we are starting to spend a little less time staring down. According to the 2023 Gulf South Index by The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions, only 47% of users spend four or more hours on their smart phones. This is down 10% from last year. Nationally, usage has remained stagnant at 54%.
- As for social media… Well, we’re trying to cut down on that, too– and for more reasons than just their perceived time vortex. 51% of Gulf South residents are afraid of misinformation spreading on social media. Pew Research Center also reports that 55% of people believe the U.S. government should restrict false information online, even if it limits their freedom of information. When things like tech start to feel out of control, we’re often inclined to take a step back.
2. Too Much Tube Time.
- Too many titles. According to Nielsen’s latest streaming report, there are currently over 2.7 million unique video titles to choose from across the world in broadcast, cable and streaming. That’s almost an increase of 1 million since 2021.
- Streaming services account for nearly 87% of these titles. Beyond big names like Netflix, Hulu and MAX, smaller streamers such as PlutoTV, tubi and the Roku Channel are all contributing to title overload.
- Too much of a good thing: A recent report by CNBC declares the so-called “streaming wars” might be over. With so many options, households are becoming more likely to spend time with (and pay for) a limited number of streamers – no matter who offers what. Disney+ alone lost 4 million subscribers globally in the first quarter of 2023. Instead of focusing on growth, many players are shifting profit priorities through more expensive subscriptions – which doesn’t help with streaming fatigue.
3. Prioritizing “Me-Time”
- What do we do all day? The average Americanspends 3.5 hours per day on work-related activities, compared to 5.2 hours spent on leisure or sports. Emails, mail and phone calls only take up .17 hours. A little over 15 minutes are spent on organizational, civic or religious activities.
- Personal care takes up the most of our time, with 9.78 hours. This is no surprise, as we reported last year – people are spending an increasing amount of time alone.
- But loneliness is on the way down! A report by Gallup in January 2023 shows that loneliness is trending down. Recently only 17% of respondents reported experiencing loneliness, compared to 20% in October of last year. After a pandemic high and more time than usual spent alone, people are still finding ways to feel connected with others.
Social media, streaming and other tech-related time-eaters are not going anywhere – but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing if we don’t let it. We still need to take time for ourselves and our loved ones, and make sure we’re spending our time wisely – this is the best way to get the most out of our lives.


text:
13 August 2010
13 August 2010
Continental Structural Plastics will invest $9 million to locate a manufacturing operation in Huntingdon, Indiana, creating up to 350 jobs.
The company, which produces compression-moulded composite parts and components for the automotive industry, plans to move into an existing 200,000 square-foot facility. The 28-year-old company has additional plants in Ohio, Louisiana and Mexico, although is reported to be closing the North Baltimore, Ohio plant in October.
Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from Continental Structural Plastics to announce that the company will locate its latest composites manufacturing operation there, creating up to 350 jobs by 2012.
""Days like today remind us that Indiana's cost of doing business, fiscal stability and superior workforce have given us one of the best competitive advantages in the country,"" said Daniels. ""Keeping taxes and other business costs down while they're rising elsewhere pays off where it matters most, in private sector jobs for Hoosiers,"" said Daniels.
CSP supplies highly-engineered composite products for applications in industries such as automotive, heavy truck, building products, solar power and water management. Products manufactured by CSP include Class A automotive body panels, fuel economy-boosting vehicle underbody shields, full composite pickup truck beds, solar energy original equipment manufacturer parts, electric and hybrid vehicle components, heavy truck hoods and fenders, among others.
""In our continuing search for excellence and in line with our strategic plan to grow as the leader in lightweight composites, CSP felt that Indiana would make an excellent partner for its next manufacturing operation. Though we had a world of options, ultimately Indiana provides the right business environment, leadership and structure that will allow a business like ours to be successful,"" said Thomas Hilborn, Continental Structural Plastics.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Continental Structural Plastics, Inc. up to $2.4 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. The Huntington City Council will consider additional property tax phase-in at the request of the Huntington County United Economic Development Corporation.
""I am very excited to welcome CSP to Huntington. Their commitment to create new jobs in Huntington could not have happened at a better time for us and hopefully will be the best business decision CSP will ever make,"" said Huntington Mayor Steve Updike. ""The Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Governor Daniels were a tremendous help to Huntington County Economic Development in making it possible for Huntington to win this opportunity. I also want to thank City Council president Erv Ebersole for his support of this company in the CEDIT Advisory Committee. Team efforts are critical for economic development success.""
One of the most respected and successful names in motorsport is working with lightweighting and materials researchers at the AMRC to advance its processes for manufacturing recyclable composite components that extend useful lifetimes and reduce tooling costs.
Kordsa, operating in tire, construction reinforcement and composites technologies market with its mission ‘We Reinforce Life’, has launched a new campaign with the slogan ‘Inspired from life, we reinforce life’.
Chomarat is developing its Coatings & Films business at its French sites. The Group has just acquired an extruder and a graining line to increase its production capacities and develop new, more efficient solutions, particularly in the field of TPO (polyolefin thermoplastics).


text:
BRUMABA at the APAO in Bangkok as guest of BJH Medical
Bangkok, March 2019 - The APAO 2019 took place in Bangkok from 6 to 9 March 2019. With over 125 exhibitors, more than 5,000 trade visitors and more than 600 top-notch speakers from around the world, the show is the premier ophthalmology exhibition in the Asia Pacific region.
The host for the BRUMABA team this year was the exclusive Thai BRUMABA dealer "BJH Medial". The fair was a great success with its large number of visitors and the lively interest in BRUMABA products.
BRUMABA thanks BJH Medical for their great support at APAO 2019.


text:
The retailer’s stock closed -12% today after it disclosed in an SEC filing that the agency is investigating two matters involving the company’s recent financial reports. On October 16 the SEC’s New York regional office told Barnes and Noble that it’s looking at a company earnings restatement in July. In addition, the SEC is curious about a charge by a “former non-executive employee” that some Information Technology expenses had been “improperly allocated” between the Nook and Retail segments. “The Company is cooperating with the SEC, including responding to requests for documents,” Barnes and Noble says in the filing. Did the chain lose $117M of its market value today just because of an investigation? Probably not. Many investors have also become pessimistic about the number of Nook tablets and e-readers that Barnes and Noble will sell this holiday season — especially after Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos attracted so much attention on 60 Minutes last week when he disclosed his experiments with delivery drones. “If you’re looking for an excuse” to sell B&N shares, then the SEC investigation “is the perfect one,” says Maxim Group analyst John Tinker.
Did Barnes And Noble Cook Nook’s Books?
What's Hot on Deadline
Latest Business News
- Bill Cosby Fights For No Depositions In Janice Dickinson’s Defamation Case
- Discovery Introduces App For TV Everywhere Streaming: Discovery Go
- DGA To Honor Mary Rae Thewlis & Tom McDermott
- Alan Nierob & Fran Curtis Named Rogers & Cowan Co-Presidents
- Marty Singer Wants Judge Tossed In Bill Cosby Suit From Janice Dickinson
- Jerry Seinfeld Sets Six Monthly Gigs At NYC’s Beacon Theatre


text:
PEACH TREE - Product Mart Stores Inc, the parent company to Product Mart and other major brands, announced early this morning that its current Chief Executive Office Henry Burton would leave the company to seek other business opportunities at the end of 2025.
In a recent statement made to press, Burton told us that it was merely an opportunity seeking venture and that no major scuffs were occurring between him or the company.
"Being Product Mart Stores Inc's highest paid salary, it was a career move rather than any bad ill towards the company or myself," said Burton. "I am only seeking other job opportunities that will carry me outside of New Shire."
Product Mart Chief Executive Ronald Chlabowy would likely be the next to head the entire Parent company of his current company. Many people within the company also say that he would be a likely contender.
"While we still haven't opened up the application process, we can say that Ronald Chlabowy would be a likely contender, as he has major executive leadership experience and we know that he can operate our company, following our values, customs and ethics," said Linda Davis, a member of Product Mart Stores Inc's Board Of Directors. "He would be a great option to replace Mr. Burton, but no official word will be given at this time."
During his first two years in office, Burton has successfully navigated Product Mart Stores Inc out of economic and financial collapse, as when he assumed office, the company had been planning to file for chapter 25 bankruptcy, which signals complete loss of financial liability. He was able to restructure the company and its assets to ensure that it avoided bankruptcy all together.
More information on his departure will be announced as it becomes available to us, and Product Mart Stores Inc has not released any further details at this time.


text:
You could be forgiven for thinking that the Australian economic landscape is dominated by oligopolies.
Take one look around and all you can see are the same 4 banks, the same three supermarkets and a couple of petrol station chains.
So you might be surprised by The Treasury’s statistics that show, in 2015, 97% of all businesses were small businesses (defined as those actively trading with fewer than 20 employees).
But more than that, small businesses are major job creators; as of Sept 2016, their share of total employment was 44.8% (up 1.4% vs 2015) and output was 36% (up 2.6% vs 2015).
And while the total number of small businesses is pretty flat (2,066,523) in the last seven years, that number is in a shallow uptrend since 2012.
So, it’s pretty clear that ‘the little guys’ contribute a lot to the overall health of our economy. Indeed, small businesses are the engine room of the Australian economy, generating more than 40% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
So why do so many Australians start small businesses?
Being your own boss is a big driver for people wanting to take the leap from salary to self-employed.
In fact, a recent survey of 1,000 Aussies by NAB Economics reveals that an entire third of those asked were interested in owning their own businesses, especially millennials.
Their most popular choices for a startup being cafes, retail, IT and personal services.
Another study done by REST Industry Super also revealed the restlessness of younger Australians who feel taken advantage of and uninspired by their current jobs.
59% of participants said they’d be willing to take a pay cut to work in an area they’re passionate about.
Also at the top of the list of reasons people wanted to be entrepreneurs are flexibility (59%) and freedom (59%).
Trends for business start-ups
The hottest Australian business startups are largely based online, which gives budding entrepreneurs access to a global market and offers customers a 24/7 platform to engage with.
And it’s easy to spot trends amongst them.
As social commentator and futurist, Bernard Salt was recently quoted as saying, “if you’re doing business in Australia, always look for a thread back to lifestyle".
"Does it enhance their lifestyle? If it does, Australians will grab it with both hands."
4 fast growing Aussie Businesses
1. A great example of this is Stylerunner
In a world where yoga tights have become the new jeans for women, this Aussie active wear company is booming.
2. Plugging into the sharing economy is also a popular growth area for new small business
For example Spacer: launched locally in October last year.
Spacer is a peer-to-peer marketplace for space, allowing people to rent out extra space in their homes or garages.
3. Making life easier through technology is another driver of new start-ups.
Yello - a new delivery service, powered by Uber-like drivers, for restaurants and fast-food businesses who want to outsource their deliveries offers convenience and choice for those too tired to cook.
4. Finally fashion online continues to grow with local businesses beginning to play in this space, which has until recently, been dominated by massive overseas companies.
HerFashionBox: a subscription service that ships its customers a box of premium beauty products and fashion accessories every season is an Australian venture.
Innovative and driven by passion – small Aussie businesses add value to our lives and our economy every day.


text:
On February 14, US banking giant JPMorgan Chase announced its own cryptocurrency. Significantly, this is the first time a major US bank has exploited digital assets for direct use in business operations.
JPMorgan Chase, whose CEO, Jamie Dimon, is famous in the crypto community for his anti-Bitcoin remarks (BTC), is unexpected. Here are the main excerpts of reports and comments on the new virtual currency, called "JPM Coin".
JPM Coin aims to increase the effectiveness of the settlement, initially in three of its operations
There are three first applications for the JPM Coin, CNBC Umar Farooq, the lender's blockchain project manager, told CNBC.
The first is cross-border payments for large corporate customers, who currently use wire transfers provided by networks such as SWIFT, which means that it can take up to several business days. According to Farooq, payments using JPM Coin will be made instantly at any time of the day.
As a result, SWIFT, which currently manages more than half of all high-value cross-border payments, could also be challenged to update its payment system. Ripple (XRP), whose chief executive, Brad Garlinghouse, had recently said that "what we do daily is taking over from this 46-year-old Belgium-based interbank messaging service." SWIFT. Ripple announced several advances in the field of international payments, which would have reduced transaction costs by 40-70% with its xRapid platform and added several major banking institutions to its RippleNet network.
For its part, SWIFT has already started looking for the blockchain as one of the options for faster payments. In addition, it has strengthened its Global Payments Innovation (GPI) payment platform. Recently, the banking network launched the proof of concept of a gateway allowing the software company R3 to be connected to GPI.
Second, JPM Coin would be used to securities transactions. In April, the bank tested its Quorum Blockchain platform, in conjunction with National Bank of Canada and other players in the credit industry. The goal was to simplify start, settlement and interest rate payments, among other financial processes.
Specifically, as written Reuters, the trial "reflected the $ 150 million offer from the Canadian bank on the same day of a variable rate Yankee deposit certificate of one." year". Thus, institutional investors can use the JPM coin for instant settlements, as opposed to waiting for a bank transfer.
JPMorgan Chase created Quorum in 2016 as part of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance (EEA), of which he is one of the founding partners. The platforms run on the Ethereum blockchain (ETH) and are modeled on the Ethereum Go client. It is currently used by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Genentech, as well as Microsoft Azure, among others. In March, JPMorgan Chase said it was considering making Quorum an independent entity as a way to attract more partners who might be scared if they are competitors of the bank.
Finally, the new cryptocurrency could be used by big companies such as Honeywell International and Facebook, which apparently would use JPMorgan Chase. cash services company replace the funds they hold in various subsidiaries around the world. According to CNBC, these companies generated for the lender a turnover of $ 9 billion in 2018. Farooq explained in a comment:
"The money is flowing around the world in a big company, is there a way to make sure that an affiliate can account for cash on the balance sheet without having to turn them over?" "So they can consolidate their money and probably get better rates for it."
The tests for the chip should begin "in a few months". However, only a small amount of the total funds involved in the above three areas would involve JPM Coin at the beginning. In total, JPMorgan Chase moves more than $ 6 trillion a day worldwide, according to CNBC. It is the largest bank in the country. As Farooq said:
"Almost all major corporations are our customers, as are most of the world's major banks. Even if it were limited to JPM clients at the institutional level, this should not hold us back. "
He also added that in the future, the lender's token could be used for payments on devices connected to the Internet as they migrated to the blockchain. Overall, the JPM representative seemed enthusiastic about the bank's technology outlook.
"So, all that currently exists in the world, as it passes through the blockchain, would be the payment leg of this transaction. The applications are frankly endless; anything that includes a large distributed book involving businesses or institutions can use it. "
JPM Coin looks like a stablecoin – which corresponds to a general trend
According to the CNBC report, JPM coins are indexed to the US dollar so that its value remains stable – technically, this makes the new token a stablecoin, at least in its original form.
The coins would be returned to customers after depositing dollars at JPMorgan Chase. Once the chips are used for a payment or security purchase on the blockchain, the lender would allegedly destroy them and give customers an equivalent amount of fiat in return.
Overall, Stablecoins had a good year in 2018, becoming a growing trend among the most compliance-oriented players. For example, start-up Circle, backed by Goldman Sachs, launched its US dollar coin (USDC) in collaboration with the leading US cryptography system Coinbase. Services (NYDFS).
JPM Coin will be held on Quorum, the private blockchain of the ETH bank
According to a FAQ published by JPM the same day, CNBC announced that its token will initially be powered by the aforementioned Quorum blockchain (licensed, or, in other words, private), but will also become applicable to blockchain networks. in the future.
"The JPM piece will be issued on Quorum Blockchain and then extended to other platforms. JPM Coin will be usable on all standard Blockchain networks ", explains the guide.
On this basis, Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center, a crypto-currency and blockchain-centric non-profit research and advocacy center, told MarketWatch that JPM had simply launched an internal payment system instead. that a real cryptocurrency:
"There is a lot of confusion. […] I see people who see it as a cryptocurrency. It's not a cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is open and unauthorized cryptography. If you want to download it, you do not need permission, you just need software. "
In addition, JPM Coin will eventually extend its role beyond the role of stablecoin, as indicated in the FAQ:
"Over time, JPM Coin will be extended to other major currencies. The capabilities of the product and technology are independent of the currency. "
For the moment, the token is designed to be used only by JPM institutional clients.
The chief executive of the bank, Jamie Dimon, may be anti-Bitcoin, but he is also pro-blockchain
JPMorgan Chase became known as a cryptocurrency participant in 2017 when CEO Jamie Dimon openly described Bitcoin as "fraud". In 2018, Dimon reaffirmed his position by saying that he did not "really give a – —" about Bitcoin.
However, at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2019, when the CEO of JPMorgan Chase was asked whether he was satisfied with the satisfaction with the fall of cryptocurrency last year, he responded negatively and made positive comments on the technology that supports it.
In particular, Dimon said that he was pro-blockchain, despite the excessive hype around the technology. In his eyes, the blockchain better replaces some online databases:
"Blockchain is a real technology, it's just a database that we can all access and keep up-to-date."
Indeed, the banking giant has been studying blockchain since 2016, the year of the first publication of Quorum's white paper.
The announcement sparked mixed reactions from the community
Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, praised the first US bank cryptocurrency, referring to Mahatma Ghandi "they ignore you first, then they make fun of you, then they fight you, then you win," according to the quote:
First they … then they … then they … then you win!
Welcome to the real world, JPM! https://t.co/RH7LwWPCSi
– CZ Binance (@cz_binance) February 14, 2019
Cointelegraph has contacted Ripple for further comment on the subject. In response, the Ripple team sent the link to the tweet of its CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, who criticized the concept of digital coins issued by a bank (he calls them "bank coins") and JPM Coin, citing his centralized structure. :
As expected, banks are changing their tone on crypto. But this JPM project misses the point – introducing a closed network today is like launching AOL after Netscape's IPO. Two years later, bank coins are still not the solution https://t.co/39EAiSJwAz https://t.co/e7t7iz7h21
– Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) February 14, 2019
Notably two years ago, Garlinghouse wrote an article in which he claimed that such projects – in which bank transfers are made using unique digital tokens – are misguided and would inevitably lead to "a monetary landscape. even more fragmented than today:
"If banks in different digital asset groups want to settle transactions between them, they will have to create markets between their unique digital assets or trade between their digital assets and a common fiduciary currency. What a mess!"
However, some community members seem more confident about JPM Coin, suggesting that the new token is capable of widespread use, and could therefore overtake Ripple in the future. Tushar Jain, partner of Multicoin Capital wrote:
Banks will obviously never use the XRP for settlements and enrich Ripple Inc. (which owns more than half of the XRP). They prefer to enrich instead!
Congratulations to JPM for being first. They will wipe the floor with Ripple. https://t.co/Jkfkvr7BnE
– Tushar Jain (@TusharJain_) February 14, 2019
Joe Weisenthal, Bloomberg Editor expressed a somewhat similar point of view:
If it turns out that the Blockchain / Coin box turns out to be a good choice for banks that transfer money, then the JPM Coin should absolutely clear Ripple
– Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) February 14, 2019
While it may be too early to say whether JPM Coin will be transferred to public blockchains and gain recognition among the crypto market players, some seem puzzled by its current capabilities. So, Nathaniel Popper, author of the book "Digital gold, a Bitcoin story", tweeted:
The JPM coin instantly transfers dollars between JPMorgan's bank accounts. This begs the question: why was it not already possible to instantly transfer dollars between two JPMorgan bank accounts?
– Nathaniel Popper (@nathanielpopper) February 14, 2019


text:
Some of life’s most elusive questions won’t be satisfied with a 30-second web search. So Google is experimenting with a new service, dubbed Google Helpouts, to connect people with a qualified expert online.
Want to know when your mom’s gift will arrive? How about what your plans are for tomorrow? Google knows and will be more than happy to tell you.
Editor’s Pick Kansas City-based search startup Leap2 offers up an engaging visual take on search. Will it be able to carve out its own place in search?
How do you run 100 billion web searches a month?
Google’s Knowledge Graph has a long, long way to go. At least according to Google CEO Larry Page.
Facebook’s new Graph Search is the first service that has the potential to eat Google’s lunch.
We played with Facebook’s new Graph Search for ourselves. Check out how it works and what it looks like before it’s released to the public.
In what could be a major boost to Bing, Facebook users will now instantly be able to perform Bing web searches.
Ask.com and app discovery engine Quixey have signed a deal that will see explicit app search capabilities embedded within a major search engine for the first time.
Just upgraded to Windows 8 and can’t find that elusive “G spot”? Google’s got some help for you at getyourgoogleback.com.
“Disavow links” sounds like a D&D spell, but it’s actually a way for search engines and webmasters to seek out and destroy spam sites.
Search giant’s latest moves make searching a little more like asking the U.S.S. Enterprise’s computer for information than ever before.
Google may be facing some antitrust inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission over its use of Google+ social results in its web search.
We jest, we jest. Microsofties don’t chant.
Editor's Pick Do you hate change? Loathe disruption of your normal routines? Are you mad as a wet hen over the new Google+ results showing up when you try to do a simple Google search?
Google included a bombshell in its earnings report today (namely that co-founder Larry Page will replace current chief executive Eric Schmidt), but in addition to the big news the company also shared its earnings numbers as usual — and as usual, they exceeded analyst estimates.


text:
In Russia is gaining popularity buy smartphones through a trade-in, that is, the exchange of the old to the new surcharge. Experts say that people looking for profit and don’t want to put extra effort for self-sale devices.
Over the past year, the number of smartphones sold under the trade-in in “the Messenger” has increased six times. So, during this time, buyers are traded with a surcharge of 180 thousand units. It is interesting that traded most often smartphones from Samsung and Apple.
In the shops of “M. Video — Eldorado” the situation is similar. According to representatives, the sales of the trade-in has increased over the year even more than in 6 times. In the salons of MTS — four times, and in the salons of “VimpelCom” — dozens of times.
How to tell the representatives of the stores, discount when buying a new smartphone trade-in can reach 30-40%. All depends on the model and condition of old phone. And the device premium in good condition can not be exchanged for a budget model, nothing pays.
The experts also noted that people are increasingly exchanging old smartphones, when the market of new flagships from Apple, Samsung or Huawei.
Read more •••


text:
- June 25, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vivint Smart Home, Inc. (NYSE: VVNT), a leading smart home company, today announced that Chief Financial Officer Dale R. Gerard is a Utah Business CXO of the Year honoree. Utah Business recognized Gerard for more than a decade of transformative financial leadership at Vivint, including spearheading one of the largest SPAC mergers of 2020 when Vivint joined the New York Stock Exchange in January 2020.
“Dale has helped guide Vivint through many of our key financial milestones,” said David Bywater, CEO at Vivint Smart Home. “His in-depth knowledge of the company and passion for our business has helped position us for continued long-term success.”
Gerard has led finance, investor relations and treasury at Vivint since 2010, serving as chief financial officer since 2019. Along with navigating Vivint’s transition to a public company, he has been instrumental in introducing new business models, technologies,…


text:
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) have been bringing more and more benefits to regional economies and tourism industries which stimulate many countries to upgrade their infrastructures to accommodate large-scale international events to boost this high-value added business.
Korea is actively participating MICE where both government and private sectors are preparing themselves to attract more events and group tours. The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) predicts that around 22,800 participants will visit the country between 2017 and 2021 with regard to 7 major international congresses to be hosted in the nation. It will also host 9 corporate incentive tours between January and October this year, bringing around 40,000 visitors to the country. Kangwon Land, a casino and resort company, is hosting 2 incentive groups this month from Thai companies with more than 1000 employees participate. These travelers are expected to visit the ski resorts and nearby tourist attractions. “Attracting the overseas incentive group is the result of our efforts to promote our sales to Southeast Asian countries, which hardly see snow, in cooperation with the KTO.” said the Director of the resort division of Kangwon Land Yang Soo-yong.
Apart from Thai firms, KTO’s Singapore office also confirmed an incentive travel group from global nutrition firm in June. It will draw around 10,000 employees from 10 countries to visit Korea and it will be the largest incentive travel group that they have attracted ever. “The group tourists are expected to bring 31.7 billion won in economic effect during the event. Korea will seize the occasion to promote itself as the ultimate MICE destination in Asia.” said Director of the KTO Singapore Office Shim Hay-ryun.
To boost MICE industry, MICE Concierge Service was introduced to Incheon International Airport and it has gained popularity among MICE travelers as it provides information for foreign MICE travelers about accommodations, transportation, tourist attractions and shopping.


text:
Submit comment or question
Note: All comments are displayed with user's screen name. If screen name is not present, user's full name will be used. Please go to My Account to update your screen name.
Comment Policy: Urner Barry has made the comment feature available to encourage further discussion of our news stories. Defamatory or offensive comments, or comments deemed not relevant to the story will be removed, and if necessary, Urner Barry may restrict the right of individual subscribers to offer comments. In all cases, comments represent opinions of the poster only, and do not represent fact, news, opinions or estimates put forward by Urner Barry.
Email Address is required.
Password is required.
Restaurants Offer Deals to Boost Traffic During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Now that President Trump has extended social distancing guidelines until April 30th, consumers should expect to get food delivered, takeout, or from the drive-thru for the next month when they want to dine out. Restaurants are offering incentives to get consumers to eat away from home to generate income during these unprecedented times.
Taco Bell announced that the chain wants to give back to Americans this Tuesday, with a free Doritos Locos Taco for drive-thru guests. The restaurant is also offering free delivery through GrubHub on all orders more than $12.00. The chain will also be transforming its Taco Bell Trucks to...
Inspire Brands Announces New Arby’s President
Inspire Brands today announced that Jim Taylor has been named President of Arby’s. Taylor, who most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer of Arby’s, will report to Paul Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Inspire.
“One of the many strengths of Inspire is our development of future leaders, and we are thrilled to have Jim lead Arby’s,” Brown said. “During Jim’s time at Arby’s, he has helped introduce one of the most dynamic and innovative product pipelines in our industry and has a proven track record of driving strong sales for the brand. The Arby’s business, our team members, and franchisees, are in great hands with Jim at the helm.”
“It’s an honor to lead Arby’s and continue to build on our strong foundation,” Taylor said. “Over the past several years, we’ve achieved record-level sales and...
COVID-19 Forces Technomic to Revise Foodservice Industry Forecasts
Consumers Are Eager to Dine Out and Support Local
Update: Current List of Plant Closures Due to COVID-19
Pork Exports Trend Lower in June but Remain on Record Pace; Another Tough Month for Beef Exports
Aramark Prepared to Welcome College Students Back to Campuses Across the Country
URNER BARRY INDICES


text:
We’ve been waiting for the new Smartphone by Palm and we were trying to name it our way or what we like it to be. However, Palm has been innovative enough to get rid of the Treo brand name as their new smartphone or the next-gen Treo will be called the ‘Centro’.
Palm displayed their new product at a Sprint Media summit and has claimed that the cellphone will be the smallest Palm OS Smartphone ever manufactured by the company. They are also targeting the phone at a younger audience who are new to the smartphone world. The phone will run on EVDO network and will also feature a full QWERTY keyboard and a touch screen.
Gearlog has also reported that the keys on that ‘Full Keyboard’ are so small that they make typing impossible. The phone is expected to go for $99, and Sprint will have exclusive rights for a period of just 90 days.


text:
German consumer price inflation remained at euro-era high levels in August, preliminary data showed today, climbing slightly to 3.9% on the back of one-off effects related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The end of VAT holiday introduced by the German government to mitigate the impact of Covid lockdowns on the economy and the rise in oil prices explained some of the rise, federal statistics agency Destatis said.
The August 12-month inflation figure was 0.1 percentage point higher than in the previous month, and the highest value in Europe's top economy since December 1993, when it came in at 4.3%.
"The current increase is likely to remain temporary," said Christine Volk, chief economist at public lender KfW.
A return to inflation under the European Central Bank's 2% target was likely, she said.
But she warned that persistent shortages in key components, such as computer chips, could "impact on consumers' wallets, as companies are likely to pass on the higher costs at least partially".
The ECB recently raised its inflation target to 2%, and said it would tolerate temporary over or undershooting of the target before stepping in.
Policymakers at the Frankfurt institution will meet next week to discuss their next moves.
While interest rates are set to remain at historic lows, high German inflation will fan debate about when the ECB should start removing some of its vast stimulus for the euro region. Germany is traditionally wary of inflation for historical reasons.
Extreme hyper-inflation in the early 1920s devastated the economy and fuelled political instability in the fledgling Weimar Republic which preceded Nazi rule.
Germany has been among the loudest critics of the ECB's ultra-loose monetary policy.
In a note published last week, the German central bank, the Bundesbank, said inflation could remain above 2% "until mid-2022".


text: Over the next few years, Ford will be launching a number of green vehicles in Europe, as well as the United States, including hybrid and electric vehicles. This strategy builds on the Ford vision of bringing affordable fuel-efficient technology to millions of people in a variety of markets. Instead of a single vehicle or technology, Ford wants to offer a wide range of technology solutions to improve fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions for customers around the world.Later this year, the Ford plant in Valencia, Spain will launch the newest Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, which will run on the new Ford EcoBoost engine. The EcoBoost engines feature better fuel efficiency and lower emissions than conventional gasoline engines. The C-MAX has been produced for the European market since 2003, but starting in late 2011, the Valencia plant will also produce a 7-seat version of the C-MAX to be exported to the U.S. So, if you’ve been admiring this vehicle from afar, you’ll soon be able to find one at your local Cleveland Ford dealer.There are three types of electric vehicles that Ford will produce in the next few years, including hybrid electric, all-electric, and plug-in hybrid electric. In 2011, Ford will produce a Transit Connect Electric, which will be the first of five electrified vehicles under development as part of the global electrification strategy at Ford. This vehicle is being produced by both Ford Motor Company and Azure Dynamics, and will feature Azure’s Force Drive battery electric drivetrain. It will be available in European markets, with no news yet of whether or not a version will be available in the U.S.So what makes the Transit Connect an optimal vehicle for electrification? For starters, the Transit Connect is a commercial van, whose users often travel predictable, short routes with frequent stops in tight urban or suburban areas. This type of driving results in a negative impact on the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines. Also, commercial drivers generally return to a central location at the end of the day, which is perfect for recharging the battery overnight. The Transit Connect will have a targeted range of up to 130 km/80 miles on a full charge, a top speed of 75 mph, and will be rechargeable using standard European outlets. A full charge is complete in 6-8 hours. The best thing about this type of vehicle? Since it runs completely on lithium-ion batteries, it won’t use any fuel, and will have ZERO exhaust emissions.In the next few years, more electric cars will be introduced to both the European and U.S. markets. In 2012, the Ford Focus Electric will become available. It will be fully electric, just like the Transit Connect, with zero emissions. The lithium-ion batteries can be charged to last for about 100 miles of driving. The Focus Electric will also feature a user-friendly interface similar to the Ford Fusion Hybrid’s award-winning SmartGauge.Some more good news about these electric cars is that it will help bring more jobs to the U.S. Azure Dynamics is a Michigan-based company, and many Ford plants in Michigan will be producing and engineering the components that run these vehicles. Starting in 2012, the Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, will assemble the battery packs that are currently being assembled in Mexico. Also in 2012, Ford’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, will build the electric drive transaxles, adding a combined 170 jobs at the Rawsonville and Van Dyke facilities to build these key components.Ford’s Product Development team is participating in two European trials to demonstrate the technology of electric vehicles in real world driving conditions. This will allow them to generate feedback which will help to further develop both the Focus Electric and the Transit Connect Electric for market acceptance in Europe. Hopefully, such trials in the U.S. market will soon follow, as Americans are just as concerned about fuel efficiency and the environment.Further out in 2013, we’ll see two next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles, as well as a plug-in hybrid, including electric versions of the C-MAX. As the technology behind electric vehicles keeps increasing and evolving, the future of Ford vehicles keeps looking greener.


text:
This time last year, we had no idea how much life as we knew it was about to change. The emergence of the COVID-19 virus brought about the need for a worldwide lockdown. Meanwhile, we were expecting to stay home only for a few days and resume our daily activities like before.
Well that was not the case. It’s been a year now and the world has seen 116,135,492 confirmed cases of the virus in 223 countries since March 2020. We have gone through series of lockdowns, various internet challenges and trends. But most importantly, a surge in demand for package delivery services.
‘I mean, what do you do when you’re stuck at home with the threat of a deadly
virus looming above and nothing else to do? You buy stuff.’
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the world has started getting used to its presence. Restriction of movement in most countries have lifted. But we now have to follow particular health rules. We’ve also gotten used to sending packages over. If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it’s that you don’t always have to be there in person.
Also, delivery service companies have had to come out of near obscurity. The pandemic has thrust them into a full-blown demanding market.
At this point, they are almost regarded as essential workers. The demand for food, and other items have reached an all-time high.
There is a serious need for an intervention in delivery services. All over the world. That is where the Konveyo Plan comes in. But, to provide solutions, we need to first understand the issues. In this article, we will run through the following,
- Increase in Food and Package Delivery Usage due to COVID-19
- Increase in Delivery services Usage in European Countries
- Safety concerns of Deliveries in COVID-19
- Impact of frequent Delivery services Usage on Spending Habit
- The Konveyo Plan
It has not been easy on companies offering delivery services in this pandemic. They have practically saved lives but, it doesn’t look like they’d be off the hook anytime soon. Demand is growing and they need to be met.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Increase in Food and Package Delivery due to COVID-19
According to data sourced from Apptopia, a private research organization that analyzes various app technologies, the number of delivery app downloads in 2020 was a record number. Their data report shows that by March, downloads for all buying and delivery apps hit top numbers. This is in stark contrast to the regular daily downloads of previous months.
A quick trip to Google Trends shows that restaurants with delivery options have had quite a year. They got so busy and those who did not offer the option earlier have had to also make the switch.
The impact of COVID-19 on demand and supply of various goods around the world is quite huge. But the demand for food and groceries especially, have been enormous. According to data analyst and researcher, Daniela Copolla as published on Statista,
“As a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the average number of monthly orders made by grocery delivery and pickup customers in the United States increased by 19 percent to 1.2 orders in March 2020, up from 1 order in August 2019. Usage grew by another 58.33 percent from March to June before declining almost 16 percent in August.”
This explains that grocery delivery to individuals in the USA were not in high demand as of the later half of 2020. People were choosing to dine-in and also preferred takeout. The demand for their services spiked in March 2020 when the virus began evolving into a pandemic.
As the table below shows, demand for them increased in the coming months and was highest in June 2020. That was when the virus passed peak levels and lockdown began to ease in the USA.
Even with freedom of movement put back in place around the world, the need for them only reduced by a few. This might be due to most restaurants and supermarkets not being open for walk-ins. The few open for walk-ins still have a particular amount of customers allowed to be in place at the same time.
It all goes to say that it is more advisable for us to keep engaging the services of delivery companies. They are solving an important issue and thus, user growth levels will continue to spike.
Delivery services in Europe during COVID-19
In Europe, the total amount of confirmed cases of the virus as researched by the WHO is 39,811,914. So, the region is one of the strictest with laid down COVID-19 rules. A lot of European countries are not out of the woods yet. Countries like the United Kingdom have been drifting in and out of the lockdown. Recently, the country went on a Tier 10 lockdown which means zero movement on the streets.
It is quite obvious that a region like this will have no choice but to rely a lot on delivery services. In June 2020, a survey of 807 respondents in selected European countries took place. The survey was for measuring the restaurant delivery usage of citizens . The countries included the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, UK, France, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. The ages of respondents stemmed from 18 and above. It revealed that a very a lot of people intend to continue using delivery services in the future.
But how safe is delivery during COVID-19?
The WHO and CDC have advised us to practice social distancing. Recommended safety practices have also been put in place.
The infographic above shows how to manage living during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we all know, it is easy to lay down rules but quite tough to have a world population of 7 billion people follow it.
Some delivery workers are going against social distancing advices to work every day. What chance do we stand against the virus then?
WebMD answers this for us in an article. As we all know, delivery company workers since 2020 have encountered a lot of orders. According to reporter, Debbie Koenig, this has affected their ability to stay safe. It has not been easy to follow the safety protocols. COVID prevention does not stop at only wearing masks and gloves.
‘Infact, like health workers, they are very much at risk of contracting the virus while at work.’
The WHO has stated that we are unlikely to contract the virus from exposed packages and surfaces. But also, COVID-19 can always spread through lack of simple health practices.
Amazon subcontractors have also spoken to Reuters. They state that vans and bins aren’t always sanitized between shifts. They aren’t provided with personal protective gear. Sometimes, they don’t even have hand sanitizers.
All these are mandatory but most companies are not meeting the standard. To be candid, these things are quite expensive to get in large quantities. In March 2020, at least 9 Amazon warehouse workers tested positive. This was in the beginning of the pandemic. In a written statement rolled out by Amazon, the company claims to be giving workers as much support as they can.
“We are supporting the individuals, following guidelines from local officials, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of all the employees at our sites.”
As stated earlier, limiting physical contact is important to stay safe in this COVID-19 era. This is quite tough on workers of big delivery companies.
They are always at risk of meeting package recipients. Now, when the worker is not staying safe, how is the recipient’s safety guaranteed?
Impact of Delivery Services Usage on Spending Habit
With the rise in usage of delivery services, an increase in spending habits is bound to happen. Deliveries are not free. First world countries are used to it. They have been engaging delivery services since forever. But then, we can’t say the same for third world and African countries. In poorer parts of Africa, delivery services are still considered a luxury. In Nigeria, the 2018 poverty capital of the world, deliveries are quite expensive. The delivery companies charge as high as 2000 naira ($5.25) for a single delivery. For a country with 30,000 naira ($75) living wage, it is a lot for majority of its citizens.
According to Google Trends, the state of Lagos has the highest searches for “delivery man”. The search level for delivery companies sky rocketed by March 2020. As seen below, there was hardly any input of those two words in the search bar before the pandemic. Searches have lessened. People already know the few delivery companies that exist. Still, there is a serious need for more and affordable delivery services in Lagos state.
Via Google Trends
The effects of COVID-19 on consumer spending habit in the USA by March 2020 was very obvious. It is also worthy of note that the price of food items rose due to the panic buying that ensued. Research analyst, Emma Bedford carried out a survey on this topic. Results showed that a lot of people didn’t expect to spend more during the pandemic on delivery services.
“Only 17 percent of consumers in the USA expected their spending habits to increase. The larger 61 percent did not expect their spending behavior on such services to change.”
The survey which included 1,986 registered voters aged 18 years and older, ran from March 1st till March 16. But in the following months, as showed by the many lockdowns and lack of dine-in options, we have spent more on them. The pandemic proved these respondents wrong. Covid-19 has increased spending habits and to be frank, it did not have to be so.
So, what is The Konveyo Plan and how does it help package delivery in this pandemic?
The Konveyo plan is simple, actually.
With the introduction of the covid vaccine worldwide, we won’t remain like this for long. But, we have all grown accustomed to the ease that is delivery service.
‘So, what do we need?’
We need something that is cheaper, cost effective, faster and user friendly. We need a saviour in this pandemic. To manage the high demand for delivery services, we need something innovative. A product that is always available. Something to reduce physical contact. We need Konveyo.
It is a platform for freelancers and anybody looking to make money online. Konveyo makes package delivery a breeze. All you need to do is input what you want to send into the app and where you want it sent to. Next, you leave it to Konveyo to connect you to somebody going that way. Interesting, right?
It is the smartest way to earn more while moving around. It also gives you a chance to use the excess space in your car or vehicle for something worthwhile. Say no to late deliveries, exorbitant charges from big companies and unemployment. Say yes to Konveyo.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about your Konveyo not following COVID safety protocols. About that, you get to talk to them with our messaging feature. You both get to discuss what works for you and also prices. Sanitizers and face masks are now part of our everyday outfit and your Konveyo is sure to always be in possession. If you also don’t want to meet them, that’s fine. It works. All you have to do is set up a pickup point and leave the package for your Konveyo to find.
To be honest, package delivery has never been so fascinating.
It is a breath of fresh air that promises a seamless experience to its users. The summary of it all is that with Konveyo, you’re doing things as you want. The ball is always in your court either as a sender or a freelancer. We have a few values we work towards and one of them is “On your own terms”. The world is your oyster and Konveyo is the sword you can use to open it!
We are here for you and you can always check here to find out more about delivering with us. Don’t be shy. Get with the Konveyo Plan


text:
Lamborghini has said goodbye to the iconic Aventador with the official introduction of their new V12 the Reveulto but Novitec decided to tweak the last Aventador offering by modding the LP780-4 Ultimae.
The Ultimae is already one serious head turner so they did not go totally mad with styling modifications but did give it some carbon fibre goodies. Most notably, the hood gets longer vents and a new engine cover receives integral air ducts that reduce front-axle lift at high speeds.
You will also notice the Italian machine sitting on a set of centre-lock Vossen rims measuring 20 inches up front and 21 at the rear.
The tuner’s exhaust not only improves the vicious V12 soundtrack but also sheds 19 kg (42 lbs). They decided to leave the performance alone which means the 6.5-litre V12 pushes out 769 hp (574 kW) and 720 Nm (531 lb-ft) of torque.
Lamborghini offered the Ultimae in coupe and roadster forms where buyers had the choice of 18 standard colours and over 300 hues from the Ad Personam customization division. The company limited production to 350 hardtop models and 250 convertibles. Just one of these made it to South Africa.


text:
RIFA offers school uniforms at discount
[gtxvideo vid=”y4Rg51Ih” playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/y4Rg51Ih.jpg” vtitle=”RIFA Uniform Drive PKG”]
JACKSON, Tenn. — Sending kids back to school can be expensive. The Regional Inter-Faith Association in Jackson is collecting school uniforms in an effort to help cut costs. Uniforms are in high demand but short supply at RIFA. “We just don’t have that many on hand and they’re pretty much going out the door as quickly as we receive them,” RIFA Executive Director Lisa Tillman said. Tillman said they collect school uniforms to sell at a discounted price. She estimates a new uniform averages about $25. “You multiply that out over a week and you’re talking about a couple hundred dollars, and not everybody can afford that,” Tillman said. The Goodwill store in south Jackson also sells uniforms and back-to-school supplies. Goodwill District Manager Michelle Palmeri said clothes and shoes are tax free. “Coming to Goodwill, you’re going to save pennies on the dollar compared to what you would spend for purchased items that you buy new,” Palmeri said. Ashley Peck said she found kids’ clothes for under $2. “Trying to find some clothes and some shoes and stuff instead of going to places and spending $20 to $30 on an outfit,” she said. Tillman encourages people to look through their closets. “We are working with people in our community who are struggling to get by, so if we can make those uniforms available to them at a reduced price, that would help us with our mission,” she said. Tillman said proceeds from RIFA‘s thrift store help people in the community. Palmeri said Goodwill helps find people jobs. You can drop off uniforms at RIFA from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Goodwill is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.


text:
Facebook launches new live-streaming tools for influencers
Facebook has revealed a raft of new live-streaming features to help influencers maximise their reach and engagement as we head into the festive break period. These include Featured Links, live-stream polls, guest chats, and more.
Featured Links is the biggest addition. This enables influencers to share multiple third-party website links within their live broadcasts. This has the potential to help generate more traffic to a sponsor’s website, and, with the rise of live-stream shopping, provide new opportunities to generate product sales.
Facebook is also enabling live-stream poll creation on mobile devices, which has up till now only been available via desktop creation. This will likely be a useful tool for users looking to engage their viewers and boost interaction from their community.
The impetus behind these new features is undoubtedly to win back younger audiences by first attracting the top influencers to their platform. Who influences the influencers, influences the universe.
Twitter shares the top tweets and trends of 2021
Twitter has looked back on the past year and brought us an overview of the top tweets and trends, including the most liked tweets, the most retweeted comments, the most discussed TV shows and movies, most used emojis and more.
The most liked tweet of the year went to President Joe Biden who received 4 million likes for his “It’s a new day America” post. This was followed by Twitter’s own tweet “Hello literally everyone”, tweeted during Facebook’s outage in October.
The most talked about film was Black Panther that saw a resurgence in interest after the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. Squid Games was beaten to the title of most talked about TV show by Big Brother Brasil that has a huge international following.
This snapshot provides an interesting perspective on what’s resonating with audiences right now. It also highlights Twitter’s expanding audience, with more internal trends creeping into the lists.
Meta Launches Personalised Year in Review Features on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram have launched the ‘Year in Review’ feature for its users which allows them to reshare memories that they have posted on the platforms throughout the year.
In a similar style to Spotify wrapped, ‘Year in Review’ offers a nostalgic look back at your best moments in 2021. On Instagram, The function uses your Stories Archive to piece together the visual summary, and users are then able to select up to 10 Stories from their collection which they can share with their friends as a summary of their experience.
On Facebook, a new ‘Year Together’ option will highlight ‘friends, feelings, places, and people that you engaged with throughout 2021.
Instagram Adds Reels Replies, Providing Another Way to Tap into Short-Form Video
Instagram has introduced a new way of testing the effectiveness of short-form video within the app by adding reels as a way of replying to comments on posts.
When you reply to a comment on a post, you’ll also have the option to tap on the blue Reels button to create a video reply, which will then appear as a sticker that you can send to the commenter.
It’s another way to help Instagram boost engagement, while also leaning into the short-form video trend. It’s also, unsurprisingly, almost identical to the same feature that TikTok added in June last year.
Octi – an app that has NTFs, the metaverse, and digital coins
There’s a new social media platform and it blends everything that’s trending online right now. It’s got NFTs, the metaverse and digital coins, all in one app. Meet Octi, an augmented reality (AR) platform where you make videos with objects and scenes and earn digital ‘Octi’ coins.
Octi looks like any other social media platform with its TikTok-like feed and Snapchat’s AR features. In this app, you can earn Octi coins as more people like and engage with your videos. You can play around with objects and create videos in scenes like the Great Hall from Harry Potter.


text:
The company worked with Greenpeace to develop new chemical commitments and strengthen its Environmental & Chemical Policy, standards that all dyehouses have to meet in order to work with M&S suppliers.
As part of its strengthened policy, Marks & Spencer will launch a training and education program for dyehouses on alkylphenol ethoxylates, which the company banned in 1998. M&S also will improve the management of perfluorinated chemicals in its supply chain and has said it will eliminate their use in under four years.
The company also will conduct a trial with five mills in China to assess the feasibility of publicly disclosing dyehouse chemical discharge data.
M&S says it will continue to work with universities, chemical manufacturers and dyehouses to develop ways to produce products with a lower impact on the environment. For example, the cold batch dyeing process, which is now being used in the company’s supply chain, uses on average 50 percent less water and reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent, M&S said.
In June, all Marks & Spencer-operated stores, offices, warehouse and delivery fleets in the UK were certified as carbon neutral, a goal reached by significantly cutting emissions and purchasing carbon offsets.
The company’s greenhouse gas emissions are down 22 percent or 158,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent since 2007, despite the company growing sales space by 18 percent over the same period. M&S was able to reduce emissions by cutting electricity use, reducing gas leaks from refrigeration units and improving fuel efficiency.
Marks & Spencer’s 2012 How We Do Business Report, which was released this week, outlines the first five years of progress of its Plan A program. Of the 180 environmental and ethical targets in Plan A, M&S has achieved 138 of them.


text:
Danish Crown opens factory in Pinghu, China
Danish Crown's Pinghu factory in China was inaugurated today as the company intends to consolidate its position in the Chinese market.
Danish Crown's new factory in Pinghu 100 km southwest of Shanghai is supposed to supply products to the Chinese market produced by pork from Denmark. The factory is 17,000 square feet - about the same as four soccer fields - and is expected to produce 14,000 tons of processed pork products annually. Last year, Danish Crown partnered with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the agreement makes the plant's products available for 466 million users. "Our goal is to establish Danish Crown as a premium brand in China over the next five years. The Pinghu factory is the cornerstone of this initiative because it enables us to supply both fresh and processed products based on Danish raw materials to Chinese consumers, says Jais Valeur, Group CEO of Danish Crown.
Last year, Denmark exported 213,000 tonnes of pork to China with a total value of $340 million. Figures increase in 2019 and Danish Crown expects a further increase in 2020 as China is affected by more outbreaks of African swine fever and therefore imports more pork than usual. Present at the inauguration, Danish minister of Food Mogens Jensen declared: "Great gift to both Danish Crown and the Danish authorities for this to be possible. The Chinese make great demands, and the factory opening is only possible because the Chinese have confidence in Denmark and our high food security. It is an example of the fact that Danish food is in demand around the world and that the Danish insistence on safety, quality and sustainability is a brand we can be proud of".


text:
Alcatel buys in wireless routing, shops around in Wi-Fi
Beyond the carrier base
The suppliers of mobile infrastructure are increasingly looking to penetrate Cisco’s enterprise networking territory as voice and data converge, and that means taking a new interest in Wi-Fi. Motorola has already set out its stall, and now Nokia and Alcatel are both heavily tipped to be on the WLAN acquisition trail in a bid to spread their wings beyond the carrier base.
Alcatel has been moving steadily into the enterprise sector, but lacks a major 802.11 offering. Although it has an OEM deal for Colubris access points, this is mainly focused on hotspot-in-a box products for carriers. As Colubris itself expands out of its ISP base into the enterprise, it could be a natural fit for Alcatel, but the French giant has reportedly been talking to a range of start-ups.
NEC has stolen a march by allying closely with Airespace, which makes voice-optimized Wi-Fi gear. This would seem to protect Airespace from Alcatel’s or Nokia’s advances, though there are rumors that the French company has approached this switchmaker. Another switch start-up heavily focused on voice is
Meru Networks, which claims to have outdone the upcoming 802.11e quality of service standard with its own access points.
On its more traditional cellular infrastructure turf, Alcatel has acquired WaterCove Networks, which makes GGSN (GPRS Gateway Support Nodes) for 2.5G and 3G networks. This wireless router technology provides the main interface between the carrier’s radio and packet networks. New generation ‘intelligent’GGSNs also can handle IP traffic management and various types of billing, including charging subscribers based on content type.
As multiple services differentiated by content become the way forward for the operators, and as the broadband wireless networks converge on IP, this element of the mobile infrastructure is gaining a whole new significance. Hence Nokia’s acquisition last year of the intellectual property and key personnel of another start-up in this sector, Tahoe Networks, and Alcatel’s decision to take control of this technology itself, rather than buying in Cisco GGSNs as it has in the past.
WaterCove was founded in 2000, with backing from Comdisco Ventures, Orange Ventures and inOvate Communications Group.
Other start-ups in the field include Megisto and Starent, both of which must now be counted as takeover targets for the big equipment vendors in this space, and for wired IP router suppliers that look set to expand into wireless, notably Juniper.
Megisto has accepted that wireless routers will be the preserve of the big guns and is now focusing heavily on the services delivery aspect of this product sector, trying to distance itself image-wise from the wireless router shakeout, and says it will announce the first customer for its Mobile Services Delivery System at the 3GSM conference later this month.
The company says it has moved away from GGSNs and is now focused on value added services, enabling operators to manage content charging and packaging and pricing schemes such as prepaid.
As in its original territory, however, there is always Cisco to contend with. The giant recently launched its 7609 and 7613 Mobile Exchange platforms for enhanced billing, and is threatening specialist start-ups such as ProQuent and P-Cube.
Announcing Alcatel’s fourth quarter results, CEO Serge Tchuruk said that two areas of growth in 2004 are expected to be 3G build-outs and the company’s strategy of supporting multimedia applications over mobile and fixed networks, a sector where it hopes for 20% revenue growth this year, and where WaterCove
will be significant.
The French company narrowed its fourth quarter loss to €524m from €1.12bn in the same period last year, mainly because of cost cutting, but revenues fell to €3.77bn from €4.51bn, with the strong euro the main factor. Operating profit leapt to €331m from €20m. For the full year, net loss narrowed to €1.94bn from
€4.75bn, on sales that fell back to €12.51bn from €16.55bn.
© Copyright 2004 Wireless Watch
Wireless Watch is published by Rethink Research, a London-based IT publishing and consulting firm. This weekly newsletter delivers in-depth analysis and market research of mobile and wireless for business. Subscription details are here.