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Former LocatePlus CFO sentenced to 5 years in prison
The former chief financial officer and, later, CEO of LocatePlus (Pink Sheets: LPHC), a publicly-traded tech business in Beverly, Mass. that sold access to personal data and other information, has been sentenced to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, according to U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, William Offord, a special agent with the IRS’s Criminal Investigations office in Boston, and Richard DesLauriers, a special agent with the FBI.
James T. Fields, 45, of Brookline, Mass. was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy, money laundering, securities fraud, aggravated identity, theft and other charges. Fields and another LocatePlus chief executive, Jon Latorella, 49, were also charged with using the identity of an Andover man who drowned in Marlebead Harbor in 1985 as the head of a fictitious company that he created. The sentencing comes nearly one year after Latorella was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, beginning in 2002, Fields participated in several schemes to inflate LocatePlus’ assets and revenues. Along with using a dead man’s identity as the head of a fake company (named Andover Secure Resources), he also fabricated a loan transaction between the fake company and LocatePlus under which the fake business borrowed more than $1 million from LocatePlus at a “favorable interest rate.” Working with Latorella, Fields also created a second fake company, called Omni Data Services, and falsified revenue streams to make it look like the fake business was paying LocatePlus millions of dollars.
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U.S. hashish multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings is in talks with the Nasdaq and Toronto Inventory Alternate about presumably uplisting from the smaller Canadian Securities Alternate to achieve entry to massive institutional traders and extra liquidity.
The talks come a month after Canadian hashish producer Cover Development Corp. unveiled plans to speed up its entry into the USA by taking full ownership of three American marijuana companies the Ontario-based firm deliberate to purchase as soon as marijuana turned authorized below U.S. legislation.
Cover hopes the plan will permit it to stay listed on a significant alternate such because the Nasdaq or the Toronto Inventory Alternate (TSX), though the corporate acknowledged the Nasdaq has objected to the plan.
Such a transfer is intriguing to Curaleaf as effectively, Darin acknowledged to MJBizDaily, saying that officers of the Wakefield, Massachusetts-based firm have “been speaking about it for some time, with the Canopy announcements and opportunities there.”
Darin replaced Joe Bayern as CEO in Might after serving as Curaleaf’s president since January.
Bayern, meanwhile, was tasked with creating a brand new division to develop “a brand new CPG-based enterprise mannequin.
Since changing into CEO, Darin – the founding father of Chicago-based Grassroots Hashish, which Curaleaf acquired in 2020 – stated he and his workforce have been centered on New York’s rising adult-use market, analysis and improvement involving new merchandise in addition to making a hybrid management technique that mixes the strengths of Curaleaf and Grassroots.
Darin additionally has needed to oversee latest layoffs.
Curaleaf final week confirmed it had made job cuts, however the firm didn’t share how many individuals have been affected or what components of the enterprise have been impacted.
“Curaleaf has made the tough determination to get rid of a number of positions as part of an effort to regulate prices and drive efficiencies within the face of financial uncertainties forward,” Darin advised MJBizDaily by way of e-mail.
“Within the present atmosphere with inflationary pressures, elevated competitors and slowing progress, it’s incumbent on us to be extra environment friendly.
“These adjustments are by no means straightforward, however they’re a essential motion with the intention to help our long-term success and stay aggressive – for our workforce, our prospects and our shareholders.”
Throughout an interview with MJBizDaily at MJBizCon in November, Darin mentioned Curaleaf’s curiosity in uplisting to a bigger inventory alternate, New York’s forthcoming adult-use market and the lately closed acquisition of Arizona-based Tryke Cos.
Now that you simply’ve accomplished the acquisition of Tryke, do you might have plans to rebrand the property, such because the Reef dispensaries?
We’re evaluating what we’re going to do. Reef’s bought a terrific model in Vegas.
Sometimes, we rebrand the shops to our nationwide model, however we’re evaluating, and I believe we’ll. However Reef’s a terrific model.
We’re integrating and seeing.
Within the meantime, you’ve simply rebranded the Grassroots brand.
That was a refresh of the model. Smarter advertising individuals than me instructed it as we’re launching in new states.
It was actually a Midwestern model for essentially the most half, but additionally on the East Coast, Maryland and Pennsylvania and locations like that.
We noticed a chance to develop it to the West Coast, the Northeast and Florida.
So why don’t we put a recent face on it and polish it up a bit. It appears actually sharp. I’m actually glad.
What’s it wish to see the Grassroots model evolve?
It’s very cool. The brand new icon is a shed, like a mini home.
After I first began Grassroots, I had an workplace outdoors of Chicago the place my actual property firm operated.
It was a Victorian house, and behind the house was an enormous shed. It was previously a music faculty, so they might do music classes and all that.
Once we began the hashish firm, we had our hashish staff working within the shed with no air con and no warmth.
There weren’t nice work situations, but it surely was scrappy.
It turned a part of our origin story – that the corporate began in a shed type of like Apple or these tech corporations in Silicon Valley.
I’ve a cool picture in my workplace that our graphic was included in together with the garages of Apple, Harley-Davidson and Google.
What expertise or views from Grassroots are you bringing to Curaleaf?
I believe deal with the hashish client and what they need: merchandise and types, innovation and repair expertise within the shops.
I’m actually attempting, as we get greater and have all these totally different states and features, to maintain extra of an entrepreneurial mindset of carrying totally different hats and ensuring there aren’t silos throughout the group.
The strategic thought processes about methods to develop in markets and enter new markets.
You recognize, it’s fascinating:
Curaleaf had a profitable technique. Grassroots had a unique technique that was profitable another way.
So we’re mixing them collectively and discovering the hybrid of the most effective parts of each.
What have you ever realized from Curaleaf?
I’ve realized lots about capital markets and being a public firm.
My background was extra entrepreneurial. I used to be in business actual property and did numerous transactions and numerous offers.
Curaleaf was forward of Grassroots, already being public and figuring out individuals like (Curaleaf Govt Chair Boris Jordan) who had raised capital for big companies the world over.
Science, innovation and R&D are actually a core a part of Curaleaf popping out of the medical world, in order that’s been a spotlight.
We’ve bought an incredible R&D workforce based mostly out of Boston.
I’ve realized lots in regards to the science of hashish as a result of we have now some amazingly sensible individuals on the workforce – that’s undoubtedly extra superior than what I used to be doing beforehand.
What sorts of analysis and improvement is Curaleaf doing?
We’re centered on a few of the tendencies like solventless extraction and that complete world of the rosins and the liquid diamonds and that subsequent new model of distillate.
Vapes are the second-biggest class after flower, so I believe that’s a extremely massive focus – that subsequent part of the vapor trade and the way you get the best combination of taste, efficiency and impact.
Drinks are a fraction of the market right now at 1% of the market. However I believe as hashish is distributed extra broadly, it’s going to be an even bigger class.
Proper now, there are some distinctive logistical challenges to carrying sufficient drinks in dispensaries the place it’s a must to lock up all of your stock at night time and issues like that.
We launched our beverage model in Massachusetts, and now we’re going to be launching in some new states.
After which there may be additionally the “want state,” “temper state” sort of science.
How do you create a really sure expertise?
I gained’t reveal an excessive amount of of the early stage R&D we’re doing, however there’s a chance to create particular experiences via the science of cannabinoids and terpenes.
On Curaleaf’s newest earnings name, you talked about you’re trying into uplisting to a bigger alternate such because the Nasdaq. Are you able to share extra?
Yeah, so hopefully SAFE passes within the lame-duck (Congress).
And, if that happens, the U.S. exchanges doubtlessly are going to be accessible relying on what the language of that legislation really says.
So we have now been proactively chatting with Nasdaq about that chance.
That Nasdaq lists non-plant-touching corporations that derive all of the income from plant-touching corporations or worldwide corporations that aren’t even U.S.-based feels somewhat backward.
However to record U.S. plant-touching corporations, they want federal laws to allow them to try this.
We’ve been speaking to the (Toronto Inventory Alternate) as effectively.
I believe there’s a path doubtlessly to uplist to the TSX, which might be an enchancment in liquidity and availability of not less than some institutional traders to buy our inventory.
We’re having all of these conversations, and in the end, we wish determine the most effective alternative for liquidity being accessible to the bigger investor base.
Do you continue to see numerous alternative in New York?
We’re very optimistic about New York.
I believe individuals have to calm down somewhat bit with the proclamations that New York is rarely going to launch grownup use, or it’s not going to incorporate the medical market members or it’s going to be California over again.
We’d like to see it shifting quicker, however these items take time.
There’s been numerous confusion concerning what the (New York Workplace of Hashish Administration) has deliberate, and I believe numerous the confusion stems from the CAURD program, which is a separate program from the adult-use program for the registered organizations (ROs) like Curaleaf which might be presently taking part within the medical market.
So individuals learn sure guidelines and interpret that to say that the ROs could be topic to all these, however there’s really two totally different applications.
So we nonetheless count on the foundations for the adult-use program along with the CAURD program to get revealed within the first a part of the 12 months after which, in the end, to see grownup use get launched later within the 12 months.
However New York’s a state of 20 million individuals. It’s going to be the hub of the East Coast sooner or later. It’s bought a terrific hashish legacy historical past.
New York Metropolis is New York Metropolis, so we’re very excited. We’re the most important participant there.
Now we have about 50% market share all advised within the medical market.
So we’ve already been investing and reinvesting for grownup use and increasing capability.
There’s going to be a sufficiently big market that has a task to play for the entire social fairness entrants in addition to the incumbents.
Does Curaleaf have any extra plans for M&A?
We simply closed the Tryke acquisition.
That was actually thrilling, so as to add six new dispensaries and a brand new flagship that we’re constructing on the Las Vegas strip and additions in Arizona and Utah.
It’s most likely the largest transaction that has closed in hashish in fairly some time. So we’re nonetheless integrating, digesting that.
We’re at all times looking out for alternatives, however we’re being very considered with our filter on offers as a result of there’s going to be numerous alternatives subsequent 12 months.
Kate Robertson might be reached at email@example.com.

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Video – Congressmen and Senators statewide are often promised future lobbing jobs by special interest groups while they are in office, and about half of them take these jobs.
Tag: food additives
Video – The reason that beer companies in the US don’t disclose ingredients is simple: they don’t have to. So what’s in your beer?
Kristin Wartman – With the abundance of toxic chemicals present in a variety of packaged and processed foods, the FDA should reconsider its antiquated policies.
Waking Times – Know more about the foods you are purchasing.


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New Competition In Detroit
November 6, 2017
New auto manufacturing jobs are apparently heading for Michigan. Automotive News is reporting India's Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has selected a site near Detroit to build a 400,000-square-foot auto assembly plant. They say it’s been more than 25-years since a new plant producing cars began operating in the area. Automotive News says a press conference is scheduled for later this month.


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GLOBAL freight forwarder Wiseway Group has announced all their branches have been granted a ‘Depot Licence’ by the Department of Home Affairs under the Customs Act, with the latest one being in Perth.
With the granting of this licence, Wiseway has secured a national presence with bonded warehouse capability across the Australian mainland in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, as well as in Auckland, New Zealand.
Wiseway’s bonded warehouse capacity in Sydney has also reportedly increased with a Depot Licence being granted at its Chipping Norton facility.
This facility is in addition to the Bankstown facility.
Chief executive and co-founder, Roger Tong, said receiving the Depot Licence was a significant achievement.
“Many of our key clients are keen to use Wiseway as a national service provider for their import business, in addition to being their national service provider for their export business,” Mr Tong said.
“Our presence in all Australian mainland capital cities will enable our clients to streamline their import processes and our dedicated imports team will assist their national needs. This will lead to greater efficiency and speed in the distribution of goods to the final consumer,” he said.
“In FY19, we saw a solid increase in inbound volumes with bonded facilities only in Sydney and Melbourne. Now, with our national presence, we can expect further growth in volumes, particularly as we continue to look to capture the accelerating trend of e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, eBay and Amazon.”
Mr Tong said they had completed all expansion projects envisioned pre-IPO with no further expansionary plans requiring significant capital outlay.
“We have established our expanded business platform over the last 15 months in order to truly diversify our income streams,” he said.
“I look forward to 2020, where we can leverage off our established infrastructure and operational footprint in Australia, New Zealand and China.”
Mr Tong said the company’s focus in Australia and New Zealand was on the opportunities driven by the rapidly evolving demand for freight services across the AsiaPacific region.
“Our strong relationships with Chinese e-commerce platforms and the continuing enhancement to services we are able to offer supports our ability to drive these growth opportunities,” he said.


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Rihanna’s Diamonds Tour that is set to be held at the FNB Stadium on 13 October in Johannesburg. Following the release of the ticket sales today morning at a cost of R330 to R930, to watch the six times dubbed Grammy Awards winning singer perform in Johannesburg, eager fans rushed off to buy the tickets.
Golden circle tickets priced at R850 and Lower Tier Restricted Seating tickets sold at R600 sold out completely just before midday.
Just this week, Cape Town Big Concerts announced that they will be bringing Stay singer Rihanna to South Africa as part of her Diamonds Tour which she is currently busy with travelling around the world.
Rihanna who will be gracing Mzansi with her presence for the second time, has a huge following across the world on social media with just over 29 million followers on Twitter.
Sowetan Live contacted Computicket and Big Concerts to find out the number of tickets that were put out on sale for the Diamonds Tour but they refused to disclose that information
Executive assistant at Big Concerts, Sophie Doherty says: “We can’t reveal the number of tickets that were released for sales, and we will not add more golden tickets for sale once they are arleady sold out.”
However other tickets are still available for the Johannesburg concert.
General Admission Standing R600Staduim management loungeR1695Lower Tier Premuim seated R750Middle Tier Premuim seated R750Lower Tier Regular seated R450Middle Tier Regular seated R400Upper Tier Regular seated R300
Tickets will go on sale in Cape Town tomorrow priced from R275
source: the sowetan


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In an unquestionably difficult time, the City of Calgary is looking to make things easier for local businesses of all stripes at calgary.ca/business.
The City’s new online business portal simplifies the process of starting a new business and helps existing businesses continue to thrive. This one-stop destination for entrepreneurs offers licencing and permits applications, tax information, projects of interest, grant opportunities and much more.
Now, instead of previously required visits to the Calgary Municipal Building and piles of forms, aspiring and established business owners can get the resources, support and up-to-date information they need at home from a single URL.
“What we wanted to do here is put all information when it pertains to business in one place,” says Sonya Sharp, leader of the City of Calgary’s Business and Local Economy team. “We really wanted to create that one-stop-shop.”
Created by Sharp and the rest of the Business and Local Economy team, the landing page works hand-in-hand with the Business Sector Support task force, an entity formed by the City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The task force, which Sharp also leads, works as a conduit for Calgary businesses, connecting owners to appropriate resources while creating increased understanding of industry needs to be applied to the business hub.
Knowing that entrepreneurs can work at all hours to see their vision come to life, the online hub also does away with business-hour-only barriers. If late-night or weekend questions arise, messages can easily be left for response on the next business day, while a live-chat feature monitored throughout the workday creates an instant link between users and knowledgeable experts at the City.
The streamlined, virtual one-window approach for permitting is the first of its kind in Canada, with Sharp noting that friendly competition between cities has helped move the initiative forward.
“We all want businesses to be in our city,” says Sharp. “Other cities have already reached out to us and said, ‘You have a great website — how did you do it?’”
The City in your corner
Launched on April 7, the business hub marked the latest in a growing list of municipal supports. Millions of dollars have been put towards the local economy over the past year, including $17.6 million allocated towards waiving business licence-related fees for two years and $4.2 million in COVID-19 recovery funding going towards business improvements areas (BIAs) to cover businesses’ 2021 BIA levies.
Other initiatives have seen Calgary business owners and locals alike reap the rewards. Last year, through federal support, the City provided hundreds of businesses and artists with free online stores using ShopHERE powered by Google to sell their products safely and securely. Elsewhere, campaigns like #SupportLocalYYC have encouraged Calgarians to think local. The continuance of allowing patios on public land has ensured locals can continue enjoying their favourite Calgary-brewed beers in the sun this spring and summer as public health restrictions allow.
Beyond resources, the business hub landing page will be regularly updated with the latest pertinent news to ensure business owners can find these supports in a centralized location.
Beyond business as usual
Sharp says that while creating the new business hub, the Business and Local Economy team kept in mind that supporting Calgary businesses is about more than just the bottom line – it means helping a family, friend or neighbour. For those reasons, the City is dedicated to making the entrepreneurial journey more approachable to benefit local business owners, and by extension, Calgary as a whole.
“Small, local businesses really are the backbone of our economy,” says Sharp. “We want Calgary to be the best place to start, open and run a business.”
To find the information that’s relevant to you as a business owner, visit the new business hub landing page at calgary.ca/business. You will discover supports available for your business, City service improvements, licensing and permits, business operations, construction information and resources to help you navigate through COVID-19.
This content was produced for the advertiser by RedPoint Media for commercial purposes. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Avenue staff.


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Lingerie & groceries: retail CFOs dominate Dutch CFO Awards
CFOs of two of The Netherlands most famous retailers have received CFO Awards during a celebratory ceremony at the end of CFO Day, a full day of learning and networking attended by 500 Dutch finance executives in the coastal town of Noordwijk. The awards went to Jeff Carr (pictured left) of Ahold Delhaize and Ron Hemmer (pictured below) of Hunkemöller.
On Wednesday, during the so-called pre-conference, Jack de Kreij of chemical storage company Vopak already received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual CFO Awards are organised by Alex van Groningen BV, the parent company of CFO South Africa.
Carr has been CFO of supermarket giant Ahold since 2011, before the merger with the Belgian retailer Delhaize. Insiders describe him as an entrepreneurial CFO with an eye for growth. Hemmer has been CFO of Hunkemöller since 2001 and has overseen a transformation of the brand into a trendy shopping chain that mainly sells lingerie and nightwear, both online and in mortar-and-bricks outlets.
Last month, Vodacom CFO Till Streichert was named CFO of the Year during a gala dinner in Johannesburg. He succeeded the 2016 winner Reeza Isaacs of Woolworths, also a retailer.


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- Application for Membership - Venture Uganda Travel
- Kenya to host first African protected areas congress in November
- Application for Membership - Coral Lodge
- Introducing Advisory Board Member: Alex Walters
- Construction of Ellen DeGeneres campus commences in Kinigi
- New footage released of giant Pangolins in Africa
- Application for Membership - Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa
- 2019 Africa’s Travel Indaba Date Brought Forward
- Heathrow is off to a ‘stellar start’ in 2019
- Work on Kanyemba floating bridge across the Zambezi is set to begin
Atta partners with Kenya Airways as Airline Sponsor until 2021
Atta (The African Travel and Tourism Association) are proud to announce a new partnership with Kenya Airways. Kenya Airways will be Atta’s Airline Sponsor until February 2021.
Commenting on the new partnership Chris Mears, CEO of Atta says: ‘’We are excited to once again be working so closely with Kenya Airways, the Pride of Africa. Kenya Airways’ recent introduction of the New York, Rome and Geneva routes shows how the airline is connecting the world to Africa, a mission we share. We could not be happier to be collaborating with them to promote tourism to the African continent.’’
Sally Peters, Area Marketing & PR Manager says, "Kenya Airways is delighted to be returning as ‘Airline Sponsor’ for Atta. With our amazing network across Africa and adding New York last November, as well as Rome and Geneva coming on line in June 2019, we are increasing our footprint across Europe and US and especially with our JV partnership with Air France KLM. Working with Atta as a partner, we truly do connect Africa to the World and the World to Africa”.
About Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways, a member of the Sky Team Alliance, is a leading African airline flying to 51 destinations worldwide, 42 of which are in Africa and carries over three million passengers annually. It continues to modernize its fleet with its 32 aircraft being some of the youngest in Africa. This includes its flagship B787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The on-board service is renowned and the lie-flat business class seat on the wide-body aircraft is consistently voted among the world’s top 10. Kenya Airways takes pride for being in the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the new ultra -modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Kenya Airways celebrated 40 years of operations in January 2017 and was named Africa Leading Airline 2017 by the World Travel Awards.
For more information, please visit www.kenya-airways.com or call their 24hr Contact Centre: +254 20 327 4747,


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Get to a grocery store near you and grab the newest flavor from Blue Bell. Cookie Cake Ice Cream arrives in stores beginning today.
Cookie Cake is a sweet cream ice cream loaded with chocolate chip cookie cake pieces and swirls of chocolate and vanilla icing. “We have made many flavors that combine cookie or cake pieces with our ice cream, but this is our first cookie cake,” said Joe Robertson, executive director of advertising and marketing for Blue Bell. “The cookie cake pieces are delicious. They are chewy and loaded with chocolate chips. The chocolate and vanilla icing swirls are the finishing touches in every bite. ”
Cookie Cake is available in the half gallon and pint sizes but only for a limited time. Also, look for Raspberry Fudge Brownie in stores now. Raspberry Fudge Brownie is a flavorful almond ice cream combined with fudge brownie chunks, flakes of dark chocolate and a raspberry sauce swirl. “We have released two great-tasting, brand new flavors so far this year, Raspberry Fudge Brownie and now Cookie Cake,” Robertson said. “And, I am happy to say we are not finished. More new ice cream flavors along with frozen snacks and other favorites will be released to stores throughout the year.”
For more information about Blue Bell and for a complete list of flavors now available in stores visit the Blue Bell website.


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Palo Alto, California: Barbie Doll Hall of Fame (Gone)
- Closed, Mattel bought collection.
Results 1 to 2 of 2...
Mattel buys Barbie Doll Hall of Fame collection
Visitor Tips and News About Barbie Doll Hall of Fame
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
The Mattel corporation, makers of Barbie Dolls, has paid an undisclosed amount to purchase the 21-thousand Barbies from the recently closed Barbie Doll Hall of Fame. The Barbie HofF had been kicked out of their Palo Alto, CA, location by a neighboring restaurant with plans to expand.
... [04/25/1999] Complete News Story
21,000 Barbie dolls may end up on the street
The Barbie Hall of Fame has been given until mid-April to get out of its leased space in downtown Palo Alto, CA. A fancy Mediterranean restaurant next door wants to expand, so 21,000 Barbies may soon be out in the street, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
... [03/14/1999] Complete News Story
August 2, 2015
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Thrustmaster has created a new eSwap Pro Controller, which is a customizable gaming controller that works the PlayStation 4. The new customizable gaming controller is currently available for preorders on the Thrustmaster website for a price point of $184. On November 5th, the company will also release a number of different modular packs for further customization. The packs are specific to a game type, such as the 'Fighting Pack,' which is ideally suited for fighting-based games.
The eSwap Pro Controller features the company's T-Mod technology, which allows the users to alter parts whenever necessary to optimize a controller to their own preferences. Every aspect of the controller is able to be customized, except for the bumpers and face buttons. As games become more diverse, customizable controllers could better cater to individual games.
Image Credit: Thrustmaster


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Russian owner’s £37m Superglass investment a ‘vote of confidence’ in Stirling site
2 Minute Read
The completion of a £37 million investment in a construction materials factory by its Russian owner has been hailed as a major vote of confidence in the Scottish manufacturing sector.
Capacity at the Superglass glass wool insulation production site in Stirling has been doubled on the back of the spending by owners Technonicol, the largest manufacturer of construction materials in Russia and Eastern Europe, which acquired the business in 2016.
Around 20 jobs have been created in the move, one of the largest investments of its kind seen in Scottish industry in recent years.
In its latest results, Superglass reported it had returned to trading profit a year ahead of forecast with revenue up 39 per cent to £32.9m in 2018.
Ken Munro, chief executive of Superglass who also heads its parent company’s Western Europe & North American interests, said the investment was a “statement of intent” in the long-term future of the Stirling operation.
It means the site, which employs around 180 staff, can now produce up to 60,000 tonnes of insulation a year.
The redevelopment has included the installation of a 187-tonne furnace and curing oven and an automatic packing system. A rebranding of the Superglass product, which is made from up to 84 per cent recycled glass, has been carried out alongside the investment.
‘An exceptional feat’
The engineering and building works within Superglass’ existing site at the Thistle Industrial Estate were carried out while the original production area continued to operate.
Mark Atherton, Superglass’s chief production officer, said a number of local engineering firms had been involved in the factory expansion which was supported by a Scottish Enterprise grant of £477,000.


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Forensic accountants will crawl over the failed Arcadia business but, quite simply, Arcadia failed because the management team had zero understanding of the value of an online customer base that spanned many generations across multiple brands, which remained uncoordinated. By forcing its brands to compete online just as they do on the high street, the company missed the chance to capture and engage customers as they moved through the entire brand portfolio, from 16 to 56. What a waste, says Russell Loarridge, Director, ReachFive.
It is no secret that all the Arcadia brands, from Topman to Burtons and Miss Selfridge, lagged behind when it came to eCommerce investment. The online offer, when it eventually appeared, was a world apart from the quality of the experience provided by online-only retailers – and the business suffered as a result.
But this was not the management’s biggest failing. For the past two decades, retailers have been falling over themselves in a bid to collect customer data, to use that information to deliver an experience that builds loyalty, drives retention and maximises customer lifetime value. This is a massive business cost, especially for fashion chains which have to manage a constantly changing customer base because tastes change as customers age.
Yet despite having a brand portfolio that appeals to customers across many different age groups, Arcadia did none of that – at least not at anything more than brand level. Instead, it insisted its brands competed online, rather than maximising their value to capture customers across the entire business, all the way from teen to middle age.
Assuming that because its brands competed on the high street, the same model should be applied online was an extraordinary, wasted opportunity. And a bizarre misunderstanding of the way successful online retail works. On the high street, competition is inevitable, but online retail provides a chance for inter-brand collaboration that transforms customer retention and builds strong brand loyalty.
The Collapse of Topshop
Since the mid-1970s, Topshop’s target audience has been the 13 to 24 age group. Since then, flares have turned to funnels, tastes have changed, and the world is completely different from three-channel television and Woman’s Weekly, where Topshop towered above other outlets by catering directly for their specific demographic.
Turn the clock forward nearly 50 years and the commitment to fashion innovation is still strong with the Topshop buyers. However, the in-store assistant who directed customers to the right rail or the right look has never appeared online. At best, the Topshop site resembles an online catalogue, taking serious commitment to browse. Innovative engagement with the consumer is negligible and there is no acquisition of consumer preferences to enable recommendations.
Couple that with no ‘baton handoff’ to portfolio retailers as the consumer ages and we have the core reason the Arcadia empire collapsed – little to no personalised consumer engagement and no coordination between their retail brands.
From Teen to Middle Age
So what went wrong? Under the umbrella of the Arcadia holding company, brands such as Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis went head to head to win consumers rather than maximising their market position to build engagement throughout a customer’s life. By running each brand separately, there was no attempt to maximise customer lifetime value, to move them between brands as they matured.
Just imagine how much more successful every brand would have been if the model had changed, if individuals had been encouraged to view themselves as an ‘Arcadia’ customer, as well as Miss Selfridge advocate. Of course, the retailer should have been asking questions to discover a customer’s gender, age and preferences and used that information to personalise the immediate experience and create loyalty. It didn’t – and that was another failure.
By building a profile for each customer across the entire retail estate, Arcadia could have followed customers as they moved through teen fashion and started to look for something more sophisticated. Rather than losing customers to the competition at this point, it could have captured those individuals and provided offers that nudged them across the brand portfolio. And, critically, retained them within the overall Arcadia business.
But, of course, that never happened. No one at Arcadia woke up to the value of this amazing online customer asset. No one attempted to build a personalised experience that encompassed all the relevant brands. Instead, the model was inter-company competition – just like on the high street. It didn’t work.
The Key to Future Success
If Arcadia’s failure stemmed from decades of keeping its portfolio of different brands disconnected, in addition to the fact that none of the individual brands utilised the online customer data collected to create an online, personalised experience, how can their new owners reinvigorate customer loyalty? The answer is two-fold.
It is likely that the Arcadia brands will be sold separately. Let’s face it, in this case, the whole is not greater than the sum of the individual parts. Yet, if we think back 50 years, Wallis, for example, thrived during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s by taking inspiration from the haute couture fashion designers including Chanel and Dior back to its customers. It is therefore firstly, time for any new owner to be as innovative as the brands were then, utilising consumer research, customer data and the modern technologies we have today in order to understand who its customers truly are.
The second element to future success is to build upon that understanding of a customer’s identity to bring personalisation and relevance to the online shopping experience, and thereby develop a set of customers loyal to each brand.
In short, the lessons from Arcadia’s collapse can be reversed by the new individual brand owners, but only if they prioritise innovation and personalisation in order to create loyal customers. The investment must be focused on products, as well as the identity and individualisation of its customer base, so that they are encouraged to return back to the high street shop or website. By standing out from the vast competition and being different, providing a new, unique and relevant experience, the future of the brands could have a different ending compared to Arcadia.
Russell Loarridge, Director, ReachFive


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Gas prices are low, the economy is up, and experts say that means the travel economy is looking for 2015.
"A survey came out that said half of Americans did not take a single vacation day last year at all," said...
Prospective international travelers considering a visit to the United States can now access an exciting and new interactive map that features content from Instagram and Google Maps.
Many visitors coming to the U.S. or Canada come from outside North America—from Europe or Asia for example. What are the rules affecting them?
"The FAA predicts there will be one billion air travelers per year in the U.S. by 2024. And the Obama Administration has set a goal of attracting 100 million overseas visitors by 2021, which would create an additional 1.3 million American jobs and $859 billion in spending,"...
The recent terrorist attacks in Paris are prompting bipartisan legislative efforts to tighten the security of a program that allows millions of foreigners, mostly from Europe, to travel to the United States without visas... "I'm...
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NEW DELHI—Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. is on course to exceed its planned $10 billion investment in India over the next decade, Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said Saturday.
The Japanese technology company has already invested $2 billion in India in the past year and the pace of investments could accelerate in the future, Mr. Son said at a government conference in New Delhi to promote startups.
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Much of the music industry's elite will be at the Grammy awards tonight, all hoping to go home with a new piece of hardware.
Many will be disappointed. But perhaps they can take some solace from the goodies they'll get as part of the swag bags that will be distributed before the Recording Academy's 61st ceremonies.
This year, the official 2019 Grammy swag bag is worth more than $30,000.
But that's not the only gift bag.
More than 50 presenters and performers will have the option to go home with not one, but two collections of goodies from the Grammy show and associated events, according to Insider, which got a sneak peak of the bags from Distinctive Assets, which has been curating the giveaways for 20 years.
In addition to the official high-dollar bag, there also was a gift lounge open for the Grammy show rehearsals. An additional 150 separate Grammy Gift Lounge bags with different items, were handed out to presenters and performers who stopped by the lounge. And another 20 gift lounge bags were given to Grammys' executives.
That's a lot of goodies, which is why the $30,000 price tag on the big swag bag is this week's By the Numbers figure.
The bags' contents also get attention from the Internal Revenue Service because as we all — from celebrities getting the swag to their financial advisers to all us followers of popular entertainment — know by now, the value of the ostensible award show freebies is taxable income to the recipients.
Gift-not-gift goodies: That swag tax fact hasn't gotten so much attention in recent years, but it's still in effect.
The swag taxation controversy erupted back in 2006, forcing the IRS to make a call regarding all the Oscars booty. Since then, there's been no argument that the gift bags that remain an accepted part of most awards shows are taxable compensation.
Wait. Didn't I just type gift bags? And doesn't the tax code say gifts are tax free? Yes, but the IRS is not swayed by mere semantics.
It's no secret that the items in the bags are not true gifts. Companies pay to have their products included.
The goal is for paparazzi to get a shot of a celebrity wearing, using or doing whatever you do with whatever is in the bag, thereby giving it additional cachet and boosting sales to the celebs' fans.
And after all, the tax reasoning goes, part of a star/performer/celebrity's job is to be seen.
So since it's not really a gift given out of the goodness of the companies' hearts, it's value counts as income. And 1099 forms now are routinely issued, both to the recipients and the IRS, for the swag bag contents.
What's being taxed this year: Still, the musical stars getting goodies this year probably can afford to pay the tax on the items.
Below are some Grammy swag bag highlights.
- A week-long say at the Golden Door spa in Southern California, valued at $8,850. Even spreading that price out over seven days, that's a hefty price tag. But, notes Distinctive Assets, the spa donates all of its profits to efforts to help end child abuse.
- A wide variety of makeup and hair care products, clothing and jewelry, including beaded bracelets from Inspire Me.
They come in four sizes and each has one of 36 inspirational sayings, that could help those who don't get a Grammy cope.
- Stash says it with cash, handing out $1,000 to invest in stocks through the company's digital-first financial services.
- A baby shark doll from WowWee because most of the recording artists have children who would probably get a kick out the plush toy.
- More for fun time with the kiddies thanks to an egg decorating kit from Eggmazing.
- An assortment of snack foods and beverages, ranging from one of my faves, Pepperidge Farm's Milano cookies, to gourmet lollipops handcrafted with 24-karat gold. It's a real thing!
Also in keeping with tonight's reason for the swag, there are a couple of musical gifts in this year's bag.
Recipients will get a year subscription to the industry news publication Music Connection .
And for those wanting to learn more about the award they all are hoping to place on a mantel, they'll get to be a member of the Grammy Museum for a day.
The day pass gives celebrities two free admissions to the Los Angeles musical exhibition hall and 10 percent off items purchased in the Grammy Museum's store. Hey, even highly paid recording stars like a bargain.
Finally, among all the other stuff for the Grammy awards show attendees — which you can read more about at Insider — there's another bag, a large cargo tote with leather trim from Shore Bags to help the musicians et al carry their swag home.
You also might find these items of interest:
- Cardi B speaks, colorfully, for all of us about taxes
- It's Oscars' $100,000 swag bag and tax time again
- Colbert gives 'Debt in Herre' tax advice to rapper Nelly


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Feast BBQ joins Jeffersontown's revitalization with plans to open a new location soon
Feast BBQ is heading east.
On Thursday, restaurant group HiCotton Hospitality announced plans for a third Feast location in Jeffersontown's Gaslight Square District to open near the start of 2018.
The restaurant — currently under construction in a former muffler repair shop at 10318 Taylorsville Road — follows the opening of previous Feast locations in downtown New Albany and Louisville's NuLu district.
The new restaurant will be the fifth location total for HiCotton Hospitality, founded by chef Ryan Rogers. The group also owns Royals Hot Chicken on East Market Street in NuLu and is soon opening Bar Vetti at 800 S. Fourth St.
"The much-anticipated opening of Feast BBQ compliments the synergy created by the many recent entrepreneurial efforts taking place on Gaslight Square," Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf said in a press release. "We're pleased that downtown Jeffersontown has become an investment site of choice."
Feast BBQ's Jeffersontown menu will include staples such as loaded tots, bourbon slushies and an indoor communal dining space.
For more information on the restaurant, visit feastbbq.com.
Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at 502-582-4646 or email@example.com.


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Bitcoin Investment Trust Announces Record Date for
SegWit2x (B2X) Historical Data | CoinMarketCap
Will We Really Lose Bitcoin In The SegWit2x. and risky to claim our SegWit2x-version bitcoins. waiting for them to split them for me on January.
Bitcoin forks overview – December and January (+ Segwit2x
Twist in The Plans of SegWit2x, Possibility of a Hard Fork
SegWit - Wikipedia
There have been a number of developments with Bitcoin Segwit2x since our. work on Bitcoin Cash and are on track for January 1. from The Coinbase Blog.Bitcoin SegWit2x Will be Released Tomorrow, December. which was created by the first hard fork in Bitcoin network.
1 Day Left Until BITCOIN Segwit2X Hard Fork - Crypto Reader
What is the Bitcoin Segwit2x fork – The Crypto Pro'sThe World Bitcoin Association intends to unite all non-profit Bitcoin organizations - visit.Why I just bought 90 B2X (Bitcoin SegWit2X futures) My BT2 balance in BitFinex.
Segwit2X, or the Old/New Bitcoin Hard Fork - bitcoinminingOne of the main hard forks in the history of Bitcoin named Segwit2X, will be released on December 28th,. but the date was redefined.
With the upcoming fork date, which will take place on December 28 at block 501451, the price of the B2X futures also increased by 75% in just one day.
Home - Success
Bitcoin Investment Trust Announces Record Date for Distribution of Bitcoin Segwit2X.You can also subscribe to keep up to date with the latest posts. January 2018 December 2017.
Bitcoin Investment Trust : Announces Record Date for
Hard Fork, Take Two: SegWit2x Will Return Dec. 28, Says
CURRENT and PAST UPCOMING "BITCOIN/CRYPTOCURRENCY FORKSLitecoin Technical Analysis December 28th Litecoin Technical Analysis.
Stick a fork in it; SegWit2x is back - Bitcoin News, Price
Date Open* High Low Close** Volume Market Cap.
Bitcoin Segwit2x Hard Fork Called-Off - Crypto For Everyone
The Bitcoin Segwit2x Fork Block at #494,784 on NovemberOne of the main hard forks in the history of Bitcoin named Segwit2X, will be released on December 28th. 1 Day Left Until BITCOIN Segwit2X Hard.
What is Segwit? 3 Benefits and Adoption TrackerI made an overview from Super Bitcoin to the Segwit2x rumours that it would do a retry for the fork.
Litecoin Technical Analysis December 28th! | BITCOINHere, for example, we can see a 2,177 KB (2.17 MB) Bitcoin block mined in January 2018.
The hard fork scheduled at the moment when block 501451 mined in the blockchain of Bitcoin.
1 Day Left Until BITCOIN Segwit2X Hard Fork - Coin Scenario
The forks are: Bitcoin Cash Plus, Bitcoin All, Super Litecoin, Bitcoin Pizza and Bitcoin Ore, respectively, BCP, BTA, SLTC, BCP and BCO.
2017 December Hard Fork Guide: What to expect? - AtoZOne of the main hard forks in the history of Bitcoin named Segwit2X, will be released on December 28th,. 1 Day Left Until BITCOIN Segwit2X Hard. but the date.If the Segwit2x change is accepted by most users, we may choose to rename these blockchains at a later date. Edit:.One of the main hard forks in the history of Bitcoin named Segwit2X, will be released on December 28th, 2017 on the block 501451. It.
Daily market update: 27 December 2017 | CryptoCompare.com
What Will Happen At The Time Of The Bitcoin Hard Fork?We wanted to give our customers an update on Bitcoin. the SegWit upgrade is different than Bitcoin SegWit2x.Bitcoin Segwit2X futures currently trade in multiple venues, which have reported widely fluctuating values for Bitcoin Segwit2X since the Bitcoin Segwit2X Network was publicly launched on December 28, 2017, and as a result of this volatility it is not possible to predict the value of Bitcoin Segwit2X to be distributed as of the Record Date.


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This article will be updated as new Black Friday laptop deals become available
Although we’re still days away from Black Friday 2020, many retailers have already started to tease us with promotions ahead of the massive sale event that will take place on November 27. Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and a few others are already putting out pre-Black Friday deals to get the ball rolling ahead of the big weekend.
Black Friday 2020: the best laptop discounts
Black Friday deals on Apple MacBook at Best Buy and Walmart
Just like every other year, Apple will run its own Black Friday sale, but we’re expecting many of the deals to be available through other retailers as well. As a matter of fact, Best Buy is running a sale on several Apple MacBook Pro models, so if you can’t wait for Black Friday, you’ll find below some interesting deals.
Black Friday deals on gaming laptops
Among the most expensive Windows-powered laptops on the market, gaming laptops will be heavily discounted on Black Friday. You’ll be able to choose from multiple brands that have been focusing on gaming laptops for quite a while, including Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Razer and more.
Discounts on Chromebooks for Black Friday
We strongly recommend those looking for buy a Chromebook to wait for Black Friday, since that’s when companies like Asus, Google, HP, Lenovo and Samsung offer the biggest discounts on these laptops. We expect great deals on some of the most popular Chromebooks such as the Pixelbook Go and Samsung Chromebook Plus v2.
If you’re not planning to buy anything before November 27, it’s probably a good idea to start saving for Black Friday, because there will be some crazy deals out there. And then there’s Cyber Monday too…


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The UK’s competition watchdog has said a concentration of power in the hands of a few streaming music services and record labels is hurting neither listeners nor musicians, despite the pleas of some in the industry.
The Competition and Markets Authority said things were “good” for music consumers and “generally improving” for musicians, although it acknowledged there were challenges for some.
The regulator said it lacked the powers to address concerns some musicians and other industry participants had raised in the consultations.
“We found that findings affecting many stakeholders are unlikely to be primarily driven by competition,” it said in its final report on the matter, released on Tuesday.
“As a result, a competitive intervention is unlikely to improve overall results and release more money into the system to pay creators more.”
It came despite an earlier call from the Musicians’ Union saying in a presentation released in September that addressing competition issues could boost revenue or ensure that revenue is better shared with artists.
This “would also benefit consumers by improving the music they listen to,” the union said at the time.
But in their final report, CMA officials concluded that “results for artists are being driven by factors that are largely unrelated to issues of competition in the marketplace.”
Instead these findings are more “inherent in how music streaming works.”
The regulator said the government had taken steps to address concerns about how much artists are being paid and MPs had suggested reforms.
The Intellectual Property Office is also conducting an investigation into how it could strengthen creators’ rights.
The CMA found that the top three UK labels held a combined 70% of all single streams in the UK.
He also said that less than 1% of artists generate the million streams a month needed to earn just £12,000 a year from their music.
In total, UK listeners streamed songs some 138 billion times last year, the CMA said.
The regulator has, however, encouraged companies to share more information about streaming numbers and breakdowns with their artists.
While just 0.4% of artists accounted for 60% of all streams in the UK, there has been a doubling of the number of artists releasing music from 200,000 in 2014 to 400,000 in 2020.
The CMA also said that while revenue for the music industry fell from a peak of £1.9bn in 2001 to just £800m in 2015, it has since recovered slightly to £1.1bn in 2015. 2021.
This occurred even as consumer prices fell by 20% between 2009 and 2021, the report found.
“Streaming has transformed the way music fans access vast catalogs of music, providing artists with an invaluable platform to reach new listeners quickly, and at a price to consumers that has declined in real terms over the years,” he said. said Sarah Cardell, interim chief executive officer of CMA.
“However, we have heard from many artists and songwriters across the UK how they struggle to make a decent living off these services.
“These are understandable concerns, but our findings show they are not the result of ineffective competition, and the CMA’s intervention would not release more money into the system that would help artists or songwriters.”
Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and PRS for Music, added: “Since Spotify launched in the UK, the number of UK artists has tripled from 47,000 to 139,000 (and songwriters from 65,000 to 160,000).
“We should celebrate, not commiserate; it’s a big win for Creative Britain. But we shouldn’t ignore simple arithmetic, as the music industry earns more but simply has a lot more mouths to feed.”


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Gas prices in central Pa. hit $5 (gulp) a gallon, up a dollar in three months
Gas prices in central Pennsylvania have surpassed $5 a gallon at some local stations, and others are a nickel away.
The Weis Markets in the Queensgate Shopping Center in York Township listed the price as $5.05 a gallon for regular gas on Monday. Other stations in the region are selling it for $4.95, according to GasBuddy.
It was only three months ago that gas prices surpassed the $4 mark, a cost at that time that many drivers hadn't seen in years. Now it's a dollar more a gallon.
The American Automobile Association says a barrel of oil now costs nearly $120, which is almost double the price from August 2021. Robust travel for the Memorial Day weekend increased demand for fuel, forcing prices to surge, according to a news release. Supply remains tight.
“People are still fueling up, despite these high prices,” Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, said in a news release. “At some point, drivers may change their daily driving habits or lifestyle due to these high prices, but we are not there yet.”
For all of the metro markets in Pennsylvania, including Adams, Franklin, Lebanon and York, the average prices broke another record on Tuesday, according to AAA.
The national average for a gallon of gas was $4.91 on Tuesday, according to AAA.
Expect higher gas prices − possibly for years
Despite the rising gas prices, Americans aren't slowing down at all, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
It's a complex problem that goes back to the coronavirus pandemic changing consumer consumption. Gasoline demand plummeted, which caused prices to go down and oil companies and refineries to shut down.
Then things came back with a fury, he said. Demand started to skyrocket, and oil companies were caught off guard by the swift return of the economy. Some of the shutdowns were permanent, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine made the situation worse.
"Now we're kind of in a predicament that all these issues have snowballed and have caused prices to go up, and Americans aren't really curbing consumption," De Haan said. "So prices continue to rise until there's a point where consumers, you know, react, and we really haven't seen it much yet."
An overnight solution to the problem does not exist, he said. U.S. gasoline inventories are now at their lowest seasonal level since 2014.
Supply may go up a little bit, and demand might go down some, but this could be a long-term challenge.
The relatively high prices could stick around for a few years as the situation slowly improves, De Haan said.
COVID brought on many disruptions, he said. Target reported another profit warning, indicating that consumers aren't interested now in buying things. They want to get out.
"I think that's why we're seeing demand not decline in light of prices," he said.
While gasoline might be a little cheaper in a neighboring state, such as Maryland, most of the time it doesn't make sense for drivers to travel out of their way to fill up, especially with prices so high, De Haan said.
He recommends people check the prices around them so they can make a decision individually. The GasBuddy app is terrific for that, he said.
PA gas prices
Here's a look at the average prices for a regular gallon of gas around the state as of June 7, according to AAA:
- Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton: $5.01
- Altoona: $4.90
- Bloomsburg/Berwick: $4.98
- Chambersburg/Waynesboro: $4.91
- East Stroudsburg: $5.06
- Erie: $4.90
- Gettysburg: $4.94
- Harrisburg: $4.93
- Johnstown: $4.86
- Lancaster: $4.97
- Lebanon: $4.93
- Mercer County: $4.92
- Philadelphia: $5.08
- Pittsburgh: $4.91
- Reading: $4.98
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton: $5.11
- State College: $4.91
- Williamsport: $4.96
- York, Pa.: $4.92
Teresa Boeckel is the trending reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org, by phone at 717-771-2031 or on Twitter @teresaboeckel.


text: christian.einfeldt writes "Alan Lord, a FOSS computer consultant based in the UK, has announced that Amazon UK honored his request for a refund of the Microsoft license fee portion of the cost of a new Asus netbook PC that came with Microsoft Windows XP. Lord details the steps that he took to obtain a refund of 40.00 GBP for the cost of the EULA, complete with links to click to request a refund. Lord's refund comes 10 years after the initial flurry of activity surrounding EULA discounts, started by a blog post by Australian computer consultant Geoffrey Bennett which appeared on Slashdot on 18 January 1999. That Slashdot story led to mainstream press coverage, such as stories in CNN, the New York Times Online, and the San Francisco Chronicle, to name just a few. The issue quieted down for a few years, but has started to gain some momentum again in recent years, with judges in France, Italy, and Israel awarding refunds. But if Lord's experience is any indication, getting a refund through Amazon might be as easy as filling out a few forms, at least in the UK, without any need to go to court."


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Tim Hortons of Oakville, ON has constructed a new website at <http://www.everycup.ca>. The consumer-oriented site allows visitors to upload videos and photos and to share stories about the chain. Visitors can also rate stories, add comments and watch the first Tim Hortons television commercial. The intention is to encourage consumers to connect with the brand. "We have received so many letters and photos over the years from our customers we wanted to create a place on the web to share them," said Bill Moir, the company's chief marketing officer."From soldiers in Kandahar to Canadians living abroad, kids and parents, we are tremendously grateful to have a strong connection with our customers." The website will be promoted with television and online advertising.
Mercedes-Benz has created a new website for its BlueTec clean diesel engines. The site, located at <http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/bluetec>, was developed by Henderson Bas of Toronto. It offers information on how the system works, its performance and environmental benefits, as well as the models in which it is available. "The new technology from Mercedes-Benz is truly visionary and we wanted to ensure that the site represented that belief," said Dawna Henderson, president and CEO of Henderson Bas. "For a site that had information as a priority, it's beautiful creative really symbolized the futuristic and environmentally conscious aspect of the vehicles."


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BROOKS, Alta. — Controversial Alberta MP Rob Anders is hoping for new political lifeline after losing a Conservative nomination race in Calgary earlier this year. Anders is now seeking the Conservative...
Thousands of Calgarians are expected to attend an annual memorial tree dedication today at Fish Creek Provincial Park. The Burnsmead area of the park has seen McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes adding more...
CALGARY - A new era in Calgary’s retail sector is being ushered in Friday with the opening of a new store location at Chinook Centre for American giant retailer Nordstrom - the first in Canada for the iconic company. The Chinook store, with 140,000 square feet on two levels at the north end of the mall, is part of the first generation of the company’s newest design. The Calgary store employs 531 people.
It hasn’t been lost in the mists of time, Sept. 20th, 2008. “Oh yeah,” says Keon Raymond. “I do, actually, remember my first game. Here, against Toronto. If I’m not mistaken it was the first game of a home-and-home.
Like many grizzly bears, she spent much of her summer on the move. On her own for the first time, the three-and-a-half year old female now known as No. 148 was regularly spotted around the Banff townsite — at the recreation grounds, on the golf course, around Vermilion Lakes or passing by the Tunnel Mountain campgrounds.
CALGARY — Players who take aggression from the ice into their personal lives don’t deserve to earn pro-athlete wages, said Calgary Flames president Brian Burke. Burke was asked at the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alta., how he would have […]
As a former mayor herself, Alberta’s new municipal affairs minister knows that cities and towns routinely need more money from the province to meet local needs, from roads and transit to affordable housing. Diana McQueen’s message to civic leaders’ inevitable financial pleas: get in line.


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The quick answer is “not much.” These days, hype supersedes real change; you’ll get “lifestyle” this and “trendy” that without much actual difference from the familiar stuff you got last year—and several years before that. And much of the real change will be focused on new ways of using current technology.
Given the current combination of strong consumer demand and low fuel prices, you’d expect a flurry of airline startup announcements. Surprisingly, so far, the outlook is for fewer startups than you saw last year. Only two of 2014’s developments might have legs:
- Norwegian started challenging the big boys on two of the world’s most important long-haul routes—New York and Los Angeles to London—with really low economy-class fares on at least some of its seats, and a premium economy product that is above average in terms of both seating and price.
- La Compagnie came out of nowhere to start all-business-class flights from Newark to Paris/DeGaulle, at prices that often undercut the giant lines’ premium economy fares.
But several wannabe lines perished, flopped, or never got going. A few leftovers from last year’s list are still in the works, but no new candidates have announced themselves yet:
- Baltia Air Lines is still chugging along toward government approval to fly 747s from New York nonstop to key major Eastern European cities.
- The websites of perennial wannabes Avatar, promising to fly 747s in the continental U.S.; Airline 4, all hype and no specifics; and American West Jets, targeting the South Pacific, look the same as they did a year ago.
- People Express actually got into the air for a while, but canceled all operations following damage to a plane, and most industry mavens seem to think it will never resume service.
- The new Eastern Air Lines showed off a 737 decked out in the colors of the former Eastern. The current version is still trying to get government approvals for scheduled service, and in the meantime plans to be a charter line, but it has announced no specific routes, schedules, or fares yet.
- California Pacific, which looked like a better bet than others, has apparently given up on trying for governmental approval. Industry folks blame government foot-dragging on what looked like a good niche operation.
Airbus managed to deliver one A350 in 2014, but you can expect it to become a more familiar sight in 2015. Most of the deliveries for 2015 will go to European and Asian lines; American, Delta, Hawaiian, and United won’t start getting their planes until 2017 or 2018.
Bombardier promises that it will deliver the first of its new C-Series models sometime in 2015. These planes are designed to compete with the smallest members of the 737 and A320 families and the Embraer 195, offering substantially lower costs and improved passenger comfort with wider seats. So far, no North American airline has ordered any C-Series planes, but they might get some through leasing companies. The most interesting possible use is by Odyssey Airlines, a startup that plans all-business-class flights linking New York and Toronto with London City Airport: Unlike the A319s British Airways uses for its London City Airport flights, the C-Series can take off with enough fuel to make westbound transatlantic flights nonstop.
The updated A320 neo may appear by the end of 2015, but the A330 neo, 737 Max, and 777X updates are still several years in the future. Boeing is considering a “clean sheet” 757 replacement, but hasn’t said anything definite.
Comeback for Protectionism
U.S., Canadian, and European airlines and governments are rethinking the “open skies” agreements they once touted as major accomplishments. The current row is about whether the U.S. government will allow Norwegian to fly into the U.S. through a new subsidiary based in Ireland. But the real long-term worry is about where Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar will fly all those widebody planes they’ve ordered. Don’t be surprised to see restrictions on open skies agreements and calls for stiff protectionist rules in our low-less-friendly skies.
You Might Also Like:
- This Airline Actually Wants to Make You Happy
- American Adds New Mileage Bonuses for Premium Fares
- Beware the New Airport ATM Scam
Ed Perkins on Travel is copyright (c) 2014 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.


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We look forward to seeing you at the Grow Boating Evening at the Boardwalk Bistro and Bar at the Phuket Boat Lagoon from 5pm on Friday the 7th of April.
We are delighted to announce that our drinks sponsor for the evening will be Simpson Yacht Charter who specialize in bareboat, luxury crewed yacht and superyacht charter across Asia. See www.simpsonyachtcharter.com
There will be a delicious finger food buffet sponsored by the Boardwalk Bistro & Bar for all attendees and if you are still hungry then there will be burgers for just 100 baht. As always, all your favourite beverages will be available from the bar.
Come and join in the fun, everyone is welcome and there is no entry fee and if you know anyone you think would be interested in coming, please invite them along.
A special thanks to our Media Partners The Phuket News and Live 89.5 Radio.


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AT&T Picks up Rugged Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2
AT&T today launched sales of the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2, an extra-rugged Android phone with waterproof body and a non-incendive rating. The 5-inch, full-HD display works through gloves and when wet. It has a 13-megapixel main camera plus wide-angle camera, fingerprint reader, NFC, barometer, memory card slot, wireless charging, and fast charging via USB-C. It utilizes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 4 GB of RAM and supports LTE Cat. 9 on all AT&T bands, including band 14 supporting FirstNet, as well as bands 29 and 30. It's powered by a 3,240 mAh non-removable battery. Verizon launched its own version of the phone in November. AT&T is offering the DuraForce Pro 2 today via online and business channels for $450.
Kyocera's US phone lineup is down to just rugged phones these days, where they compete with Sonim. Kyocera's been at this for a while, though, so the DuraForce Pro 2 is building on quite a bit of experience.
Nov 15, 2018
Kyocera and Verizon Wireless today announced the DuraForce Pro 2, a ruggedized smartphone that targets construction and public safety workers. The DuraForce Pro 2 is fully ruggedized thanks to its hard rubber exterior, meeting the mil-spec 810G rating.
Jan 10, 2020
CAT's latest rugged phone for the US market is the S32. It's a bit more affordable than past models at $349.
Mar 18, 2020
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 Lite at the start of the year, there were no indications it would come to the US. But the FCC has just approved a variant of the S10 Lite that appears to be designed specifically for the US market.
Feb 26, 2020
LG today announced the V60 ThinQ 5G with LG Dual Screen. Its specs are flagship-level, but not quite as top-end as past V-series phones.


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Samsung Leaks Conquer 4G for Sprint With WiMax, Gingerbread
The Samsung Conquer, aka SPH-D600 showed its face (screen) for the first time back in April just to find out later that the smartphone is actually Sprint’s Samsung Conquer 4G. The manufacturer managed to leak (we can’t call it a silent launch as all the device pages except the Gallery have been yanked) the Conquer 4G.
The Sprint Conquer 4G sports a 1GHz processor, 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3.2-megapixel main camera with flash, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. It appears that it will be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread sans TouchWiz but with Sprint ID included and a Radio that supports Tri-Band CDMA with 800MHz on-board. There’s no word on pricing and availability but given the Gallery is still live over at Samsung’s we can expect some official wording soon from either Sprint or the manufacturer.


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Universities bring billions to local economies, study says
Georgia State poured over $1.5 billion into the local economy in 2010, according to a study from last year. Developed by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, the study analyzed the role colleges or universities play in shaping their surrounding community’s economy.
In 2010 the University System of Georgia directly accounted for 3.4 percent of all jobs in Georgia, in addition to the estimated 1.9 off campus jobs each school created, according to the study. The study also compared initial spending with output impact spending while estimating the total value and labor impact of University System schools.
The Georgia Institute of Technology had the greatest overall output impact into the economy at $2.1 billion, and the University of Georgia and Georgia State each contributed $2 billion and $1.5 billion respectively. The study estimated that Georgia State created 13,660 jobs in 2010.
Local businesses like Walter’s, an Atlanta athletic clothing and footwear staple located in the middle of Georgia State’s campus, say they appreciate the student business as part of the downtown community. “It’s important for businesses to maintain a good relationship with students because they make up the majority of downtown Atlanta,” Walter’s owner Jeff Steinbook, who estimates that Georgia State students make up to 20 percent of his total clientele, said.
Still, because customers come from around Atlanta to visit his store, Steinbook says that it is important to maintain a good relationship with all parts of the community. “The community is where our power of growth originally came from,” Steinbook said. “It’s important for us at Walter’s to connect with the local community on a personal level. We welcome everyone with open arms.”
Students like Darius Sutton, a senior and philosophy major who sometimes shops at Walter’s, agrees that students play a large part in the downtown economy.
“Walter’s is so close to campus and it’s easy for us [students] to spend money at these places,” Sutton said. “Students keep them in business by buying the latest shoes from them instead of going to other places,” said Cherie Johnson, a junior psychology major. “If they didn’t have good customer service, then students wouldn’t care to buy anything from them,” Johnson said.
Signal staff writer Alexis Smith helped co-write this piece.


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Ensuring fresh air for all
Tue, 20 Feb 2018 07:20:00 +0100
All-in-one service for the Space Station
A start-up company from an ESA business incubator is offering affordable air-quality monitors for homes, schools and businesses using technology it developed for the International Space Station.
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 13:54:00 +0100
Live: celebrating 10 years of European space science
Quick access to space, high-speed data feed and a unique vantage point are the selling points of a new commercial venture on the International Space Station. Its name is Bartolomeo, and its versatile design allows for many mission types at competitive prices from next year.
Fri, 02 Feb 2018 16:54:00 +0100
Join us live from ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands on 7 February for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Columbus laboratory and the launch of the first Automated Transfer Vehicle.


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Weis Markets targets young foodies
Weis Markets is launching an inventive program to teach children about food and retailing, as the company expands its education offerings in all of its stores.
The new initiative, called Weis Explorers, is a free, 90-minute program that invites children in pre-K through fifth grade to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their local Weis Markets. After exploring the store, students can sample a tasty treat that they helped to create.
“Weis Markets is committed to helping our customers make healthy choices, and educating the children in our communities about the importance of healthy habits is an important part of that,” said Weis Markets Lifestyle Initiatives Manager Beth Stark. “We’re excited to expand our field trip offerings to younger students withWeis Explorers, and we’re looking forward to educating children and families in areas with newly-acquired Weis stores. We hope that schools and community organizations will try both of these free educational opportunities.”
Weis Explorers complements the company’s existing educational program, Weis Mystery Tours. Designed for second through fourth grade students, the program educates children on the benefits of making healthy food choices and being physically active by searching the store for clues to a mystery that helps Energetic George regain his energy. Students read nutritional labels and sample new foods, helping to set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Both programs are now available at all 204 Weis Markets locations in seven states, including 44 new stores that were acquired in 2016.
This program is the latest addition to a robust list of health and wellness initiatives driven by the Weis Markets’ growing team of five registered dietitian nutritionists.
Their programs include Nourish Your Gut, which features in-store signage focusing on the role key foods play in digestive health, Nutri-Facts, which features easily-identifiable icons such as Gluten Free, Vegan, Carb Conscious, Heart Healthy and more on the price tags of hundreds of foods throughout the store, and Superfoods, which identifies 16 nutrient-rich foods that naturally contain significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Weis Markets also offers free in-store dietitian hosted events in select stores across their market area.


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Anyone who has recently dropped by an Old Navy department store has probably been disappointed by the lack of sex appeal displayed by its mannequins. No come hither smiles. No erect nipple action. No big bulbous cocks. Just the same vacant stares draped in sweaters and khakis.
Los Angeles-based Sexy Mannequin has given the mannequin a complete makeover. During the last year and a half, the store fixture company has developed twelve models designed to capture the consumer’s eye with their suggestive forms and seductive poses.
“The mannequins are designed to be traffic stoppers,” said Sexy Mannequin’s operations manager, Andres Lopez, from his booth at this year's AEE. “ They get people in the stores to see their products.”
Judging by the constant flow of onlookers at the Sexy Mannequin booth, it's easy to see why. "They have shock value. They make you look," said Lopez, "And, that's what retailers want."
Along with the success Sexy Mannequin has seen in Adult stores, Lopez looks forward to breaking into the mainstream markets as well. “We want to go into lingerie and swimwear stores,” said Lopez
The company has two new mannequins tentatively scheduled for August. “One mannequin is a crouch model. It’s on its hands and knees crawling towards you,” explained Lopez, “The other is a sexy pole dancer. It comes with the stripper pole.”
When asked if the buff, bald, Ben English-looking male mannequin with the five enormous cock attachments is popular with the ladies, Lopez laughed, “Our mannequins are designed as store fixtures, but there are individuals who want them for their homes. We encourage that as well.”
Sexy Mannequin can be reached at www.sexymannequin.com or at 310-324-4242.
Pictured: Victoria Sin, Lopez, Kaelyn Landers.


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The acquisition of the event discovery and ticketing platform is part of evvnts’ global expansion as the company focuses firmly on reaching the global audience of event organisers.
“We worked with Eventviva for a number of years and noted it was a popular site for event organisers to post event listings to,” said Richard Green, CEO and founder at evvnt. “We’re excited to acquire the assets to support our mission to educate event organisers on our single submission event marketing technology on a global scale.”
Founded in 2012 by Aditya Patadia and Hardik Pandya, Eventviva has had more than 3.8 million events listed and has helped users to find local events in their city in over 1,000 cities worldwide.
“We decided to sell the assets to evvnt as we believe our customers will be well taken care of,” said Aditya Patadia, founder of Eventviva.
Hardik Pandya, Co-founder of Eventviva explained: “Both event organisers and attendees will benefit from this acquisition as they become part of evvnt.com.”


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Lower initial volumes for Coachella, Mexican table grape deals
Year-on-year table grape shipping volumes from California's Coachella Valley and Mexico are significantly lower, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The grape deals have recently begun in both growing regions, and figures from the USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service show Mexican grape shipments passing though Nogales are nearly half last year's level, while Coachella volumes are five-times lower.
A May 15 report showed there had been 1,103,025 18-pound-equivalent units passing through the U.S. point of entry in Arizona, compared to 1,985,090 a the same time last year.
Meanwhile, Coachella Valley packouts were 98,327 units compared to 495,656 last year.
The total number of Mexican grape cartons that passed through Nogales in 2016 was 16,157,622 units, while total Coachella packouts were 5,344,667 units.
The main variety being shipped from the Coachella Valley at the moment is Flame Seedless, which makes up 80% of volumes, while Perlette Seedless is the main Mexican cultivar, corresponding to a third of shipments.
Average per-carton wholesale prices of Mexican Perlette Seedless and Flame Seedless are slightly higher than last year, at US$50 and US$39.30 respectively.


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There are grim noises coming from major European retailer, GAME, among growing concerns that they may be be unable to buy stocks of upcoming releases. A Now Gamer source said that Game has lost credit insurance with a number of major publishers after a big downturn in profits during the Christmas period.
A loss of credit insurance means that GAME would have to pay for batches of new stock up-front. If they don't have the cash reserves to buy up new releases directly, they could fail to stock them entirely.
There are already reports of stores turning away pre-orders for Mass Effect 3. In an earnings call yesterday, EA CEO John Riccitiello said "we are concerned with the financial condition of one of our major European retail partners, which could lead to both increased bad debt and lost sales."
Today Eurogamer say that Game have admitted that they're in talks with money lenders, and have hinted at selling off its overseas operations, which includes hundreds of stores throughout Europe.
For years, GAME has been a great resource for PC gamers looking to pick up a copy of Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker, an old Neverwinter Nights expansion or some weird pinball game that nobody remembers making. Okay, so it's never been a great place to get PC games, but the loss of GAME would have far reaching consequences for the industry, and hundreds of jobs are under threat. Hopefully the beleaguered retailer will find a way through.


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Legislation update: BSIF members liaise with UK Government on proposed PPE Regulation
26 August 2014
In July the BSIF held two regional meetings, one in the north and one in the south of the UK, to allow all members the opportunity to meet with representatives from The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and discuss any concerns or issues they may have with the proposed text of the PPE Regulation.
The BIS delegates who attended both meetings will represent UK interests and put our national opinions and proposals to the Commission working groups.
Some of the key points raised within the meetings included; the need for wording in certain sections of the PPE Regulation to be clarified and additional detail where it is seen as insufficient. BSIF members also added proposals of their own; to add a risk definition that will bring safety helmets into Category III, to include additional obligations for manufacturers who claim compatibility for their products with other manufacturers products and to change the definition of PPE to include products that are not worn or held, but are essential for the PPE to operate. All these points will be taken with the BIS delegates to Brussels.
BIS has acknowledged the work done by the BSIF to facilitate these meetings and has expressed gratitude for the input from BSIF members. A BIS official highlighted that the input has proven to be extremely valuable in providing opinions from the safety industry, which will aid in formulating their approach to the European Commission working group meetings.
OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION


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Single-use plastic tableware in England is almost over. London intends to ban it from October in order to protect the oceans from plastic pollution, the Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture (Defra) said on Saturday. Single-use plastic plates, cutlery, bowls and trays and certain types of polystyrene cups or packaging will also be banned, particularly from distributors, restaurants, hotels and take-away food sales.
These measures were taken following a public consultation from which there emerged strong support for the elimination of these utensils from the market. According to Defra, England uses 2.7 billion single-use cutlery per year, and only 10% is recycled. Companies that do not comply with the ban will be fined, and in the event of repeated violations, a criminal sanction could apply.
“We are inundated with plastic”
“I am proud of our efforts” to limit plastic pollution and protect the oceans, welcomed the Minister of the Environment Therese Coffey, citing the ban already implemented on “microbeads, straws, stirrers and cotton balls- plastic rods. She added that charging for plastic bags has caused their sales to drop by 97% in major supermarkets.
However, the ban will not apply to plates, trays and bowls used as packaging in “self-service pre-packaged meals and foods”. The government is studying the possibility of new measures targeting wipes, coffee filters and sachets. Environmental NGO Greenpeace welcomed the ban on “certain plastic items” but said “we are inundated with plastic and this decision is like picking up a mop instead of turning off the tap”.
In a press release, the NGO adds that “we need the government to adopt a significant strategy for the reduction of plastics with objectives and systems for the reuse” of containers. “It’s time to stop playing the game of lobbyists, promoting false solutions, and dumping our plastic waste in countries that are least involved in the climate crisis,” she insists. Single-use plastic dishware has already been banned in the EU since July 2021.


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Shares of Snap (SNAP 4.71%) have surged today, up by 10% as of 12:20 p.m. EST, after getting two price-target increases from Wall Street analysts. Both Wells Fargo and Evercore ISI have boosted their valuation estimates on the Snapchat parent.
Wells Fargo analyst Brian Fitzgerald raised his price target on Snap from $44 to $62 while reiterating an overweight rating. Fitzgerald is optimistic that the macroeconomic recovery in the U.S. will help sustain the momentum that many tech companies enjoyed in 2020. At the same time, lockdown restrictions are loosening and it's unlikely that lawmakers will seek to raise taxes until conditions improve.
Evercore ISI analyst Kevin Rippey increased his price target from $42 to $57 while maintaining an outperform rating. Evercore added Snap stock to the firm's "Tactical Outperform" list, citing encouraging checks with advertisers during the holiday shopping season. Marketers "were the most bullish we have ever heard," according to Rippey.
Rippey is modeling for Snap to post revenue growth of 65% to 70% in the fourth quarter, which is the highest estimate on Wall Street. Facebook reported strong Q4 results last night, which is also encouraging for the sector, in Rippey's view.
Snap is set to report fourth-quarter results on Feb. 4, but the company did not provide any guidance due to ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty related to the pandemic. The consensus estimate calls for $854.3 million in revenue, which would represent 52% growth from a year ago.


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Moz, the popular SEO toolset, has announced that they have upgraded and Industry Email List improved the way they measure their internal metric which they call "domain authority", a score given by Moz that estimates the value of a certain domain in terms of ranking in Google or other search engines. According to the company, the upgrade, which will roll out on March Industry Email List 5, aims to create a more reliable metric by better weeding out paid and spammy links designed to mess with the metric. Domain authority is not a score from Google and the search giant does not use it to determine rankings.
Additionally, many SEOs have said that it confuses the Industry Email List field. Over the years, especially since Google killed off their Industry Email List visible PageRank scores, some members of the SEO community have used “DA”, as Call Domain Authority, as a substitute for the toolbar's PageRank metric. from Google, even though Moz's metric is unrelated to Google. What is Domain Authority? Moz defines it as “a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well.


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LONDON & Edinburgh Swallow Group, one of Britain’s biggest privately owned hotel and pub companies, has appointed administrators to the majority of the group after hitting financial problems.
This morning the corporate recovery team at Ernst & Young moved following weeks of rumours that the company was struggling to keep up rent payments on a large number of its 152 Swallow hotels and inns and more than 500 pubs.
Angela Swarbrick, joint administrator at Ernst and Young, said: “We are continuing to trade the various companies on a business-as-usual basis while we explore the possibility of a sale of the businesses and their assets as going concerns.”
She said that the company had “for some time struggled in the face of increasing heavy losses”. The…


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Even bigger and even more modern! This is what this year’s e-SALON clean mobility fair held on the Letňany Exhibition Grounds from 14 to 17 November will be like. In addition to a showcase of electric vehicles, hybrids, electric motorbikes and electric bicycles by the world’s best-known brands, you can look forward to aircraft with timeless drive, test drives, competitions and interesting lectures. But that’s not all …
... you will experience the literally electrifying future at the ŠKODA AUTO booth. This car manufacturer will introduce several models – CITIGOe iV, SUPERB iV and VISION iV – for the first time in the Czech Republic. Come celebrate a new era of mobility with us and see what it is like to say goodbye to diesel and petrol! The general partner of the fair is CEZ Group.
The fair is open to the general public from Friday 15 November to Sunday 17 November.
Opening hours: Thu: 9 a.m. – 18 p.m. | Fri–Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Sun: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.


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The consummation of a long, intense courtship came Wednesday afternoon with the turn of a shovel as a high-tech firm that almost abandoned California broke ground instead for its new factory in Moorpark.
Special Devices Inc. had outgrown its Newhall plant and almost moved to Mesa, Ariz., nearly three years ago.
But Moorpark and the California Trade and Commerce Agency’s vaunted “red team” of negotiators campaigned heavily to bring the company to town, sweetening their pleas with $6 million in tax breaks, reduced or eliminated fees and other incentives.
After nearly a year of hard bargaining, Special Devices consented. And after another two years, Special Devices’ top brass joined city, county and state officials Wednesday afternoon in grabbing shovels and breaking ground on the rugged 285-acre site at the eastern end of Los Angeles Avenue.
“SDI’s going to be a welcome member of the community,” Moorpark Mayor Patrick Hunter said as he rode a bus back to City Hall from the ceremony. “We’re hopeful that the people at SDI are going to shop in Moorpark, they’re going to eat in Moorpark, and we’re hopeful that many of them will find Moorpark an excellent place to settle and raise a family.”
By 1998, Special Devices plans to have its new 195,000-square-foot plant built, open and employing 600 people to design and manufacture small explosive devices used in products as varied as missiles and automobile air bags.
The firm, already one of the world’s largest makers of air-bag activators, could hire as many as 400 additional people and expand by another 135,000 square feet, said Nelson Miller, Moorpark’s community development director.
And that would make Special Devices one of the largest employers in Ventura County, which was badly hobbled by recession-era layoffs in the aerospace industry.
The company’s staff will bring a welcome influx of cash to Moorpark, which lost business when Litton Industries moved a division with several hundred employees from its Moorpark facility in the early ‘90s, said Linda Plaks, president of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce.
“That had a very sad effect on the economy,” Plaks said. “The Chamber of Commerce is looking at SDI as another good business partner in the community.”
Special Devices will do everything it can to encourage its present workers to move closer to the Moorpark headquarters, said John Vinke, chief financial officer.
But some SDI workers live as far away as Palmdale and Lancaster, and the manufacturer is still weighing the costs of offering incentives for employees who move, such as covering the cost of relocating to Ventura County, Vinke said.
Meanwhile, bulldozers have begun preliminary grading on a site that will remain mostly vacant.
While 246 acres must be preserved as open space, there is room on the buildable 39-acre part of the site for a hotel and 170,000 square feet of commercial space, if the economy permits, Miller said.
Economic consultant Diane Grover, a former Southern California Edison executive, looked over the site in the setting sun Wednesday with a satisfied--if somewhat breathless--grin.
Grover led the red team that often found itself in a tug of war with Mesa officials before Special Devices executives were finally persuaded to resettle in Moorpark.
“Every time they’d go to Mesa, we’d hold our breath because we knew [Mesa] would be very aggressive. They had a lot more financial incentives they could offer,” Grover said.
But the team kept up the momentum and grew at its height to 40 or 50 people dedicated to securing the benefits and incentives that would keep a grip on Special Devices, she said.
“This is phenomenal,” she said as company and city officials posed with gold-tipped shovels for another round of snapshots. “I’m so glad to be here. They’re a wonderful company. What impressed us most about them was they showed great loyalty to their employees by staying in California.”


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Domino's Pizza Inc. reports second-quarter profit increase of 19 percent
Domino’s Pizza Inc. reported its second-quarter profit rose 19 percent with the growth of sales in existing stores and the opening of 101 new locations outside of the U.S., according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
In the period, which ended June 16, the Ann Arbor Township-based company earned $33.3 million — or 57 cents per share — which is up from last year.
According to a previous AnnArbor.com report, Domino’s had a net income of $28.1 million in the second quarter of 2012.
Bloomberg Businessweek reported revenue had climbed just more than 10 percent to $414 million from $376.1 million last year. Revenue from U.S. locations in operation for at least a year rose 6.7 percent, and overseas, locations open for at least a year grew 5.8 percent.
Stock for the company, which had a total of 10,440 locations at the quarter’s end, is up 46 percent this year, Bloombergreported.
Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at email@example.com.