text:
Thryv and America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) recently conducted a joint study to understand exactly how deeply the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting small businesses.
While it’s easy to see the devastation businesses of all sizes are facing, the study helps quantify the effects the global pandemic will have on small business America.
Small Business COVID-19 Study Results
The short- and long-term business implications of COVID-19:
- 82% of small businesses are “extremely concerned” about the current business environment in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
- 69% of U.S. small businesses have already experienced a large drop in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- 60% believe demand will continue to decline.
- 60% of small business respondents have delayed or cancelled plans for new investments, loans and expansions in light of the pandemic.
It’s not just business owners weathering the storm.
Small businesses employ nearly 50% of the United States’ workforce. That’s a staggering 58.9 million people. Unfortunately, many of those employees are feeling the pressure of reduced hours, furloughs and layoffs.
Small business employment effects of COVID-19 so far:
- 64% of the small businesses studied indicated employee hours have been cut.
- 22% percent said they had not been cut yet but they expect to do so.
The supply chain is taking an obvious hit as well, as manufacturers and distributors focus on only the most critical and essential items.
- 74% percent of small businesses indicated that they or their suppliers have seen disruptions in their supply chain.
[Podcast] How Small Businesses Are Adapting
Despite these troubling insights, the study also indicated small business owners are finding new ways to operate their businesses.
Many of Thryv’s own clients are using software and other technology to adapt their work practices. We spoke with small business owners and Thryv users in the latest episode of “Winning on Main Street” to hear how they’re adapting to this new economic environment. Then, podcast host Gordon Henry and Thryv research guru Alan Traverse discuss the joint study’s results in further detail.
Our clients aren’t the only business adapting. Many others, including those from the joint study, are taking additional measures to work more safely and virtually.
Additional ways small businesses are working differently due to COVID-19:
- Training employees on new health and safety standards
- Offering services via video conference instead of in person
- Implementing digital estimates and invoices
- Scheduling in-person interactions using online booking, to limit the number of people in a shared space
- Conducting consultations via video conferencing and over the phone
- Building an online marketplace where customers can place orders
- Communicating with clients via text and email more than ever before
During trying times, it’s critical to understand the resources available to your business. In fact, 36% of businesses are either likely to or have already applied for special Small Business Administration loans.
For more resources on how your small business can get help during the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
Subscribe to our blog to stay updated as more study results come in soon.


text:
Anthony's Restaurants plans to open a steakhouse, Budd's Broiler, at Columbia Point next year.
Construction is to begin in January to convert the company's banquet and event center into a second riverfront restaurant next door to its popular seafood restaurant.
Budd's Broiler is designed to be a comfortable steakhouse specializing in premium Northwest beef.
Anthony's has hired George Oakley and David McVey of the McVey Oakley Design Studio in Bellevue to design the new steakhouse, said a news release.
Their plan is to emphasize the riverfront setting near the Columbia Point Marina and create a restaurant for special occasions as well as casual, drop-in dining.
They describe the location as the perfect place to create a restaurant that captures the feel of an Anthony's and yet, is distinctive and can meet the expectations of area customers, said the company.
Anthony's has a history of working with Snake River Farms of Boise, Idaho, and the Double R Ranch in Toppenish to bring quality beef to its seafood restaurants, said the company.
Anthony's ages its own beef, and each restaurant hand cuts its steaks.
Budd's Broiler will continue to use those ranches and add a broader offering of meats and chops.
The menu also will include selections of Anthony's seafood, local in-season produce, Washington wines, beer and hand-crafted cocktails showcasing liquor from Washington distilleries, said the release.
"We are very excited to announce our new steakhouse. It was our original intent for the property when we purchased the location in 2006," Anthony's owner Budd Gould said in the release. "We believe that the time is right to make the transformation."
The event center at 450 Columbia Point Drive in Richland will continue to take bookings through Dec. 31, said the company.

domain: news


text:
BELLINGHAM - Police are reminding downtown businesses to have video surveillance and keep less cash in their stores after a burglary Sunday at Man Pies, the second similar downtown burglary in a month.
Police responded to an alarm around 4 a.m. Sunday, May 11, at Man Pies, 1215 Railroad Ave.
Someone had forced their way into the building and took only cash, Bellingham Police Lt. Bob Vander Yacht said.
Sharon Curran, one of the owners, wasn't sure how much money had been taken but estimated $2,200.
A window was broken and the cash registers were badly damaged, Curran said.
Man Pies has cameras in the restaurant, but the burglar was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and never turned on the light. There are no suspects, Vander Yacht said.
A similar burglary happened recently at Green Frog Acoustic Tavern at 1015 N. State St. In both cases there was forced entry and only money taken, Vander Yacht said.
Man Pies was open for business Monday as usual.
Reach Elana Pidgeon at 360-715-2249 or email@example.com.


text:
MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar Stores here said yesterday it expects a range of ongoing marketing initiatives to help the company accelerate top-line growth.
According to Howard R. Levine, chairman and chief executive officer, those initiatives include strengthening assortments, particularly in the consumables category; enhancing customer communications with more online programs and better in-store signage to reinforce price points; realigning adjacencies to improve the shopping experience; expanding operating hours; and increasing private-label assortments.
Levine declined to pinpoint what improvements the company is getting from any given initiative when asked to do so during a conference call with analysts to discuss financial results for the first quarter, which ended Nov. 28. Net income for the quarter increased 14% to $67.6 million, while sales, as previously disclosed, climbed 3.9% to a record $1.8 billion, and comparable-store sales rose 2.4%.
The company said customer traffic was up for the sixth consecutive quarter — though average transaction value for the quarter was flat — with the strongest sales coming in the consumables category.
Read More of Today's Headlines


text:
If you follow smartphone news closely, chances are you've read about handsets “designed” specifically for gaming (or gamers). There's the ASUS ROG phone, the Xiaomi-backed Black Shark, one from ZTE sub-brand Nubia, and this really weird thing from a Chinese company called Doogee. There have been others in the past as well, including the recent Razer Phone and the long-forgotten Sony Xperia Play. While they've all taken slightly different approaches in defining what exactly a gaming smartphone is, all but the Sony have squarely targeted the PC gamer demographic - and for good reason.
In the world of PCs, gaming-oriented products have a long and storied history. I won't get into too much depth here, but back in the 1990s brands like Alienware, Voodoo, and Falcon Northwest pioneered the boutique gaming PC business. While such boutique PCs remain a tiny part of the market today, they started a real trend: major brands like Dell, ASUS, Acer, and HP churn out ready-built gaming desktop towers and laptops to increasingly strong demand. And that's not to mention the massive market for homebuilt PCs that has persisted for decades. PC gaming is the coolest and most relevant it's ever been - and it presents an irresistible opportunity for companies looking to capitalize on that trend. So, why not make a smartphone for PC gaming enthusiasts?
With reference designs available for the most complex components and a large market for manufacturing, basically any company with sufficient capital can get in on the smartphone game (getting in profitably is another question entirely). And while no one would say building a smartphone is easy, as a product they have become incredibly commoditized in recent years thanks to massive supply chain infrastructure made possible by equally massive demand. But this is exactly why gaming phones are pointless: because they’re built with the same highly standardized parts, they don’t do anything appreciably better than “regular” high-end smartphones.
The Xiaomi-backed Black Shark actuyally looks like a PC gaming accessory.
Take the ASUS ROG phone. Its primary claim to fame is an unshamadely gimmicky external cooling fan module designed to keep the phone at manageable temperatures during intense gaming sessions. This, of course, neglects the fact that the ROG phone uses the same Snapdragon 845 processor (binned at a staggering 100Mhz higher clock speed - utterly negligible for a nearly-3GHz CPU) with the same Adreno 630 CPU as nearly a dozen other phones currently available for sale right now, none of which demand a cooling fan to do… anything. Sure, it has a 90Hz refresh display with HDR for theoretically higher frame rates and expanded color gamut support in games, but very few mobile games are designed to run above 60 frames per second, and none I’m aware of support HDR at all.
By comparison, Samsung just announced the Galaxy Note9, a phone with the same chipset, and has maximized thermal performance by simply increasing the size of the SoC’s heat spreader. It works, no fan attachments or specialty gaming hardware necessary. The Note9 will also have a vastly superior camera, a much better screen, and has the benefit of being produced by the largest smartphone OEM on the planet - meaning you’re unlikely to encounter what is easily the biggest problem with gaming on obscure Android phones: compatibility issues. The ASUS ROG phone will sell in the thousands of units. The Note9 will sell in the millions. The Note9, despite not being a gaming smartphone, will almost certainly be the better smartphone for gaming not because of a heat spreader, but because it (or another similar Samsung phone) is the phone game developers are likely to use as a reference for performance optimization.
The gamer-focused Razer Phone was a commercial failure. It also wasn't a very good smartphone.
And as long as manufacturers are stuck with the same basic hardware with the same basic capability as their competitors, the most effective way they will be able to differentiate is by simply building a better smartphone. Is there really a significant group of people out there willing to pay $1000 for the privilege of using the ROG phone for its extremely marginal gaming benefits (if they can be called benefits) at the expense of being a worse smartphone overall? I don’t think that question needs serious answering.
Gaming smartphones are like slapping a spoiler, big wheels, and a cold air intake on your basic commuter Honda - call it a sports car all you want, it's not any faster than anyone else's Civic.
High-end smartphones will eventually all get higher refresh rate displays, because eventually there will be content worth displaying on them. High-end smartphones will all get more thermally efficient, because there are real non-gaming benefits to making a phone run cooler (longer battery cycle longevity, greater charging efficiency, less need to throttle). And we can safely assume that all of them will continue to use the most powerful chipsets available in order to stay out in front of the competition. As such, gaming smartphones are like slapping a spoiler, big wheels, and a cold air intake on your basic commuter Honda - call it a sports car all you want, it's not any faster than anyone else's Civic.
But perhaps the greatest illustration of the pointlessness of the gaming phone are the games themselves. Smartphones are not designed for video games - video games are designed for smartphones. The limitations of a small, battery-powered touch input display are far more impactful on smartphone gaming, in ways that cooling solutions and high-refresh displays simply can’t change. Certainly, there are those asking for the ability to project emulated console games to a large screen for use with an external controller, but these represent a positively infinitesimal group of consumers overall, ones who will never have a meaningful impact on the larger device landscape. And once again, a gaming smartphone would be no better at this than any other. It’s a moot point.
Faster, cooler, and more powerful are tropes that play well in the world of PC gaming, where there can be legitimate differences between products even at a single tier. But there are dozens of basic configurations available to someone looking to build a gaming PC, even before accounting for the various brands on the market. There is, realistically, only one way to build the guts of a high-end Android phone, and that's to buy the latest chip from Qualcomm. And for now, there’s no sign that’s changing. So don't buy into the nonsense: the best gaming phones are simply the best smartphones, not the ones with the sharpest edges or the most hardcore marketing language.


text:
According to the groups financial reports for the 52 weeks to 30 June 2019, the group experienced a 3% increase in EBITDA to £38.1m compared with £37m last year.
During the period, the group expanded its estate with a £20m investment, which included 29 refurbishments between the Ask Italian and Zizzi brand.
The group acquired 13 London Pod branches with plans to rebrand the sites to Coco di Mama.
Azzurri Group reported a 69.6% change in loss before tax to £16.3m compared with £23.4m in the same period last year.
Chairman Harvey Smyth said: “The Azzurri Group has built on last year’s momentum and continued to trade well in the face of a challenging backdrop for the UK restaurant sector.
“Cost pressures remain an ongoing challenge for the Group, as they do for the wider sector. In the past year, we have continued to trade well through these challenges implementing a robust yet thoughtful approach to increased operational efficiencies. As a result, the Group delivered year-on-year improvements in food and labour margins, which was very pleasing to see.”
He added: “ The growth seen across all four brands means that we have good momentum heading into next year and remain confident that the business is well placed to navigate the challenges facing the sector as well as maximising opportunities which will undoubtedly arise.”
The Azzurri Group currently employees over 6,000 staff and operates 311 restaurants in the UK.


text:
By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 29: Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak held a discussion with Indonesia to establish a platform to identify potential products and marketing strategies to promote cross-border tourism.
The ministry in a statement today said the discussion on the matter was held during recent visit by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Datuk Snowdan Lawan, who led a delegation to Indonesia’s largest handicraft exhibition, Jakarta International Handicraft Trade Fair (INACRAFT) 2024.
During the visit, Snowdan met and held a discussion with Indonesia’s Director General for Marketing of Creative Economy on strategies in developing sustainable tourism practices while fostering growth and innovation in the creative industry sector.
The views exchanged included promoting Indonesia’s heritage tourism, particularly cross-border heritage tourism between Kalimantan and Sarawak, and also supporting the development of the creative industry such as arts, crafts, fashion, culinary and heritage.
The dialogue also revolved around establishing platforms to identify potential products, ensuring the production of high-quality goods, and formulating effective marketing strategies to promote the offerings effectively.
Among those present during the visit were Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, Sarawak Craft Council manager Suriya Charles and officers from the ministry.
Launched by Indonesia’s President Jokowi Widodo and Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki, the five-day exhibition is being held from Feb 28 until March 3 at the Jakarta Convention Centre and has attracted about 1,500 craft entrepreneurs. — DayakDaily


text:
Consumers altering channel decisions for ready-to-eat meals
A new report, which analyses how retailers are currently satisfying consumers’ needs for ready-to-eat foods, has discovered that retail stores (supermarkets, grocers, gourmet food stores) have taken a greater share of ready-to-eat meal and snack purchases in America. The fast food or quick service restaurant (QSR) segment and the full service restaurant categories have been put under greater pressure. In the US, QSR’s realised a 1 per cent increase in sales to August, while retail stores gained two per cent and full service restaurants had a slight decline.
According to the Retail Meal Solutions report from The NPD Group, a leading market research company, foodservice meals and snacks are still primarily the domain of restaurants, but retail stores (6%) and convenience stores (7%) now have a greater share.
“Consumers’ increasing use of foodservice for ready-made meals has long been recognised by grocery retailers as an opportunity,” Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst and author of the Retail Meal Solutions report, said. “For some time, retail stores have offered prepared foods in the deli department, but have now expanded foodservice offerings to include a variety of cold and hot ready-to-consume meals and snacks.”
The report found that consumers were more likely to frequent certain retail channels at different times of the day. “Retail outlets are more dependent on morning meals and PM Snack purchases than QSR,” Ms Riggs advised. “These are the on-the-go needs that are being met by retailers – consumers making those purchases on the way to work, to eat at work, or in their car. Purchases that otherwise would have been made at a QSR.”
Consumer motivation in purchasing prepared meals and snacks from retail stores include convenience, availability of healthier options, variety, and affordability, according to the report. Ms Riggs points out that these are attributes consumers report lacking at QSRs.
“As always, it’s a matter of learning and understanding consumers’ needs when it comes to meal and snack solutions,” she said. “With this learning and understanding, there is opportunity here for retailers, foodservice manufacturers, and restaurant operators.”
Carlton United Breweries (CUB) has won back the right to import Corona and Stella Artois beer into A...
The A2 Milk Company and Synlait Milk have entered into a new five-year arrangement for the supply of...
British beverage giant, Diageo, has acquired George Clooney’s tequila range, Casamigos.
Consuming too much sugar whilst pregnant could increase the risk of allergies and allergic asthma a ...
Forget about vertical farms, could the future of food farming be in outer-space?
United States research firm Packaged Facts have released a list of 10 food trends to watch in 2018.
Cutting saturated fat in children’s diets reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood a ...
Unilever has sold its Spreads business to international investment firm KKR.


text:
What's new on the business scene for May 8
Architect firm wins design awards —Daniel Contelmo Architects, a Poughkeepsie based firm, was recently recognized with several honors in Westchester Home's 2015 Design Competition. Out of 200 submissions, the company received four nominations in seven categories. The firm's designs were awarded the top honor of Best Design in both the Master Suites and Entry Halls categories. The winning designs are featured in the spring publication of Westchester Home Magazine.
Daniel Contelmo Architects was recognized for their winning designs at a gala awards ceremony at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaronek. For more information visit www.DTCarchitects.com.
Sidewalk sale planned in Rhinebeck — Rhinebeck Village merchants will bring some of their wares to the sidewalk May 15-17. Merchants throughout the village will set up outdoor tables to offer bargains while galleries will showcase current and upcoming exhibitions and artists.
Shoppers are invited to stroll through the streets to visit their favorite merchants or to discover some new ones. The Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes Tulip on Montgomery Street and celebrates the expansion of Hundred Mile on Mill Street.
For more information, call 845-876-5904 or visit www.rhinebeckchamber.com.
The Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1957, has grown from a small group of local businesses to more than 350 diversified businesses of all sizes throughout the Rhinebeck area.
Cloud computing seminar planned — The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce's IT Committee will present a seminar on cloud computing technology from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 19, hosted and sponsored by IBM at 2455 South Road in Poughkeepsie.
"The Chamber Talks Technology — Cloud Computing is For Everyone" will feature speakers Stephen Fells, CEO of AgencyLogic; Anna Sisung, cloud computing and analytics expert, and Frank De Gilio, IBM's chief cloud architect.
Business representatives can learn how cloud computing offers opportunity and savings to organizations of all sizes. Various technologies, products and platforms will be discussed, and there will be an online demonstration of Google Drive, the cloud-based file-sharing tool.
The event is complimentary for chamber members; nonmembers may attend for a $10 fee. Registration is required. Visit www.dcrcoc.org or call 845-454-1700, Ext. 1000.
Send listings to firstname.lastname@example.org. Fax to 845-437-4921 or mail to P.O. Box 1231, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601


text:
Expográfica Latinoamerica 2016 is the name of the activity that will bring together national and international companies in the printing industry.
The conference aims to encourage the opening towards new markets and strategic alliances between raw material suppliers, manufacturers and distributors of equipment and final producers of graphic and communication services.
The activity is organized by the Costa Rican Association of Graphic Industry (ASOINGRAF), and will be held in Barceló San José Palacio Hotel. It will involve countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Chile, among others.
César Aguilar, president of ASOINGRAF, explained that this goes beyond the exhibition of products and services, but will also encourage the development of talks on issues such as the new challenges of technology and the changes faced by the industry.
The “XIV Congress of Graphic Industry” and “Eleventh Central Fair of Graphic Industry” will be held from October 27th to 29th and the entry for all attendees will be free.
The graphic arts industry generates 29 thousand jobs per year in Costa Rica.


text:
New Delhi, Oct. 16, 2014:UK-headquartered security technologies company, Oncam Grandeye, has come to India: It launched its regional office at an event held October 14, at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Delhi.
Said St. John Gould, the British High Commission's Director for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Prosperity in India, “Oncam is a great example of a bright, innovative and advanced company bringing British technology to the global market. Their 360-degree camera solutions are used widely in the U.K. and other countries, and we look forward to seeing their success in India. Prime Minister Modi has encouraged international businesses to engage with India. U.K. businesses like Oncam are doing this in significant numbers.”
Last month, the company launched its new office in Singapore, and it has already invested heavily in India by opening a new office in Gurgaon and hiring local tech experts; it is also providing state-of-the-art, 360-degree surveillance for Orphans Village Delhi’s new, purpose-built orphanage, comprised of 24 buildings and an integral school.
“As we expand into Asia, there is no better country than India for us to launch our new technology,” said Firas Bashee, CEO, of Oncam Technologies, “With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, its critical infrastructure, locational advantage, population, workforce, and one of the most developed higher education systems across the globe, we are excited at the opportunities and the partnerships we can create in India.”
Oncam Grandeye, part of Oncam Technologies, was founded in 2007. and is an independent, specialized, security and technology company that designs, delivers and deploys total security solutions from customized designs – including award-winning 360-degree cameras and technologies – bringing it from the solution’s delivery and installation, to its full and tested deployment.The company operates from 4 regional hubs in the U.K., United States, Turkey, South East Asia, UAE and India.


text:
iPad on Jetstar
One of our recent articles featured the iPad being used as the in-flight entertainment for one airline. This was part of the announcement from Bluebox Avionics, although it was initially assumed to first appear on a British flight. We have just received word that the device will be on Australian flights instead. Passengers on a few selected flights from Jetstar will be experiencing first-hand how the tablet works while way up in the air.
Interestingly enough, although the iPad may be considered as a luxury because of its retail price, the device is being offered on Jetstar, a budget airline under Qantas. For the low price of AU$10 or just under US$ 9, passengers will be able to rent the device and watch movies and TV shows, listen to audio, read books or play games.
The iPad will be offered on a limited number of domestic flights lasting at least an hour or more. This phase is only intended to last for two weeks as a trial to see how the flying members of the public will react to this offer. According to May, “If the trial works, we want to put them on every aircraft because they’re so much slimmer and lighter than our existing units. It means we’ll be able to get more on and it means more people will be able to have the entertainment service.”
The promo should fare well even in Australia, especially for consumers who would like to give the Apple tablet a try without having to actually purchase one. It is a less expensive option. Bruce Buchanan, the company’s chief executive stated, “Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers. Based on demand for the iPads as part of the trial, we’ll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year.” With that, flying just became much cooler.iPad


text:
International Trucks will be rolling into the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show later this month with a seriously-overhauled LoneStar. In a teleconference Monday morning to outline the various enhancements and new features on retro-styled Class 8 tractor, Dave Majors, vice president, product development, Navistar, said the new LoneStar is yet another signal to the industry that International Truck is focused on uptime and delivering the best trucks in the industry that drivers want to drive.
According to Majors, the Lonestar’s “striking” aerodynamic appearance and “breakthrough” functional innovations inside and out are the results of International DriverFirst and Advanced Classics design philosophies, in which technology and innovative styling converge with next-generation aerodynamic design to deliver superior fuel efficiency. Majors said the new LoneStar also sets a higher standard for comfort through improved driver ergonomics and a quieter cab.
"Over the past decade drivers have come to love the iconic status of the LoneStar tractor's exterior styling and appearance with the distinctive grille and sloped hood that were inspired by International's D-Series trucks," said Majors. "Based on this feedback, we wanted to incorporate much of what we've recently learned from drivers and focus our engineering on an all new driver-centric interior while maintaining the iconic exterior look of the truck. As a result, we've made major improvements to the LoneStar in vehicle uptime performance and multiple new and improved features that enhance driver appeal."
Among the new features that International has added to the LoneStar are:
- A new, single-canister aftertreatment system, Majors said is now 60% smaller and 40% lighter than its predecessor and has also been simplified for quicker servicing.
- All new cab wiring and an in-cab power distribution module that is inside the truck, for better protection from the elements.
- International has moved all key service points under the hood, inside the cab, and around the vehicle are ergonomically designed for easy access and servicing, and many components have been engineered with longer intervals between required maintenance.
- A completely revamped HVAC system, that Majors said now delivers outstanding comfort and visibility. It is not only more robust and reliable, drivers will be impressed by the quick defrost functionality. During testing at a frigid 0°F, Majors said the LoneStar's bMAX defrost cleared 100% of the windshield in under 30 minutes from start-up time.
Additionally, Majors noted, International’s DriverFirst design philosophy actively asked for driver input on how to improve the interior design of our trucks. As a result, the LoneStar features an all new, ergonomically designed interior with new digital information display, a new integrated stalk shifter integrating transmission and engine brake functionality, durable and easy to clean soft touch vinyl interior, and stylish diamond interior is standard. Majors said drivers will notice that the doors, side glass, and cab mirrors have all been redesigned to enhance visibility and ultimately helping to reduce neck strain and fatigue over the long haul. Additionally, International redesigned the fuse panel in the passenger-side dash. “Drivers told us they needed a flat area to write on,” Majors said. “This redesign does just that. But we also added deep channeling around the electronics to keep any spilled drinks out of the electronic components housed in that compartment.”
Other in-cab improvements, Majors said, focused on safety and reducing driver fatigue. These include vastly reduced sound levels inside the cab, improved front, and side, visibility, redesigned and repositioned pedestal mirrors and an all-new instrument cluster with improved graphics and easier-to-read dial faces.
Another major upgrade is the addition of the Cummins X15 engine as an option with ratings ranging from 485 to 605 horsepower. When combined with the Lonestar’s contoured hood, fenders and new aerodynamic pedestal mirrors, Majors said the new X15 option is up to 3% more fuel efficient than the previous generation of the tractor, and noted that the truck will be offered in specialized ratings that will allow customers to dial in the ideal balance of performance and efficiency required for any on-highway operation.
International will unveil upgraded Lonestar tractor later this month at the NACV Show in Atlanta. The new models will begin appearing at International dealerships nationwide in early January.


text:
Harland Corporation (formally Hair X-Tensions Ltd) established 5 years ago is the internationally renowned hair and beauty company that owns and operates multiple worldwide ecommerce stores attracting millions of unique visitors in the massive £6.4 billion hair and beauty industry. They own some of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious domain names, including www.hairextensions.co.uk, which was one of the largest domain name purchases in UK internet history. Harland holds number 1 spots in Google for some top level key words including hair extensions and has ambitious plans to become the Amazon of the hair and beauty world. With 11 awards won in just over 12 months, including 1 national award, they are a prestigious multi-award winning company.
The Winning Entry:
Harland impressed the judges with their innovative use of internet technology which has helped them to become one of the largest online companies in their industry. By using cutting edge web technology they were able to achieve a 100% increase in turnover and have gone from working from home to a 7000 Sq Ft warehouse in just under two years.
Without the use of technology we wouldn’t have a company full stop. We also wouldn’t have been able to create 6 jobs with a further 3 advertised vacancies? says Darren Williams company director, who at the age of 29 is one of our youngest overall Outstanding Business Achievement Award winners.
Life after the Awards
Harland Corporation will use their third place winnings of £10,000 to invest in researching new markets and to become a true worldwide player in the massive global hair & beauty market.
Our ambition is to become the Amazon of the hair & beauty world and become a top 100 website in the next 5 years. The prize money will enable us to explore new markets and dramatically increase our exporting and we aim to put the UK on the map when it comes to famous worldwide brands. I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of an exciting new chapter not only in our company but also in the internet revolution.


text:
Tiger Brands Limited said on Thursday, 16 August 2012, that it is renewing its cautionary to shareholders as the company is still awaiting regulatory approval for its offer to purchase 63.35% of Dangote Flour Mills (DFM) in Nigeria.
In July, Tiger Brands‚ SA's largest food producer‚ reached an agreement in principle with Dangote‚ the West African manufacturing group‚ to purchase 63.35% of the Nigerian flour and pasta maker Dangote Flour Mills (DFM).
The transaction would expand Tiger Brands' presence in Nigeria.
Last year‚ it bought 100% of Deli Foods Nigeria‚ a biscuit maker‚ for R296.3m. It also paid R421.1m for a 49% stake in UAC Foods Nigeria‚ a manufacturer of branded food products.
In May this year‚ Tiger Brands advised its shareholders it had entered talks with the Nigerian conglomerate over DFM.
Tiger Brands spent R2.1bn on acquisitions last year‚ according to its annual report.
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za


text:
Best of Your Hometown awards party tickets on sale
Are you the kind of person who wants to know something before everyone else does? Do you crave information like a thirsty person craves water? Well, we feel ya and we want you to know that the Independent Mail is there for you.
Back in June, the Independent Mail opened voting for the annual Best of Your Hometown Readers' Choice awards.
Over the course of three weeks, hundreds of thousands of votes were cast for thousands of local businesses from throughout the Upstate in an effort to name one the best of the best.
Thousands upon thousands of voters went online and into stores to cast their ballots all in an effort to support their favorite businesses and people while being entered for a chance to win a new drone.
Recently, the votes have been tabulated to determine who would win in categories such as Best Pizza, Best Burger, Best Attorney, Best Outdoors Store, Best Bakery and more than 100 others.
The results are in, the finalists have been announced and on Aug. 30, the winners will be known to a select few attendees before our special Best of Your Hometown section is published on Aug. 31.
So, do you want to know who those winners are? Are you dying to figure out who won Best Wings, Best Hardware Store, Best Barbecue and Best Accountant?
Well, you could be among those select attendees if you buy one of the limited tickets to the Independent Mail's Best of Your Hometown Readers Choice awards announcement event.
Starting at 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Bleckley Inn in downtown Anderson, hundreds will gather to celebrate the winners of the annual Best of awards. Featuring live music, great food, beer, wine and more, the event is set to be among the best yet.
It all starts with music from The Jake Bartley Band, one of the premiere local bands in the Electric City. The massive food spread will be provided by Tucker's Restaurant while beer and wine will also be provided. And, as the party rolls along, you can head over to the awards area where emcee Brandon Grace will be announcing winners in Dining, Places, Services and Shopping.
Friends, family, business owners and more will be in attendance as winners are named. And anyone who attends will get a special advance copy of the Best of Your Hometown section that will be published in the Aug. 31 Independent Mail.
Tickets are available until Aug. 27 at a cost of $30 for subscribers and $40 for non-subscribers. A four-pack of tickets can be had for $100. The ticket includes music, food, beverage and generally have a good time celebrating local business and groups. But get them now, because tickets are limited to about 100 for the general public. The rest are going to our winners and their friends and family.
For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.independentmail.com/party.


text:
Black Midi have released a vinyl live album, Live Fire, along with a mini-documentary on a drum session that Morgan Simpson and Mdou Moctar’s Souleymane Ibrahim held earlier this year. The artists joined forces at Chicago’s Electrical Audio and drummed together to their respective bands’ songs “Sugar/Tzu” and “Chismiten.” Watch the six-minute documentary below and scroll down to hear a rendition of “Sugar/Tzu” from the live album.
Live Fire is part of Rough Trade’s new batch of exclusive vinyl, which also includes records from the Smile and Mitski, among others.
Read Pitchfork’s interview with Black Midi around their recent album Hellfire, “Shit-Talking and Boat Riding With Art-Rock Misfits Black Midi.” Mdou Moctar’s Afrique Victime was among Pitchfork’s favorite albums of 2021.
All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


text:
Marketing guru: I can save Saab - (With Reptilian Marketing?)
Background: Clotaire Rapaille - Reptilian Marketing (Video)
Clotaire Rapaille - SUVs and the Reptilian Brain - 60 Minutes (Video)
Red Ice Radio - Dominick Ohrbeck - Reptilian Marketing vs. The HeartBrain Model
A French-born, US-based marketing expert who has often criticized American carmakers claims he can turn around troubled Swedish automaker Saab Automobile.
“I want Saab. Give me Saab and I will save it and make it prosper again,” writes G. Clotaire Rapaille, who has served as a marketing advisor to several large automakers, in a letter sent December 26th to thousands of subscribers.
“This is a fantastic brand and we should not let it die.”
When contacted by The Local, Rapaille said he was "very serious" about his offer, and explained that while he hadn't made direct contact with Saab, General Motors (GM), or the Swedish government about his proposal, he expected to hear from them at some point.
"They will try to contact me, I'm sure," he told The Local.
"When someone is drowning and they are given a hand, they don’t argue with it, they just take it. They have no other choice."
According to Rapaille, Saab has a “tribe of loyal followers” and represents the “core value” of Swedish culture.
“This is the image of Sweden in the world; this is an element of the Swedish contribution to the world. We cannot let it die,” he writes.
He goes on to accuse Saab’s US-based owner GM of having “killed” Saab by treating it as a generic car.
“The time of management by engineers is over,” he argues, believing instead that marketers and anthropologists are better equipped to know what people want and why they want it.
Rapaille claims he can lead efforts to turn Saab around because of his expertise in auto industry branding and marketing around the globe.
“Besides that, I love cars,” he adds.
In return for taking charge of the beleaguered Swedish brand, which GM said last week it plans to wind down starting in 2010 after failing to find a suitable buyer, Rapaille said he wants a salary of one dollar per year as well as 25 percent of the Saab shares optioned at the current price.
In addition he demands “total power to take the company where it has to go” and the “total support” of the Swedish government.
To start, Rapaille called for a emergency meeting to be convened at Saab headquarters in Trollhättan in western Sweden to develop a “brand resurrection” plan.
Speaking with The Local, Rapaille downplayed his lack of experience running a car company, admitting the closest thing he has is nearly three decades experience of running his own multinational consulting firm.
He was also sparse on details about his plans to save Saab, but emphasized instead the power of his marketing insights.
"The point is I know how to sell Saabs and can get people to buy Saabs," he explained.
"I have the notoriety and the power to rally people around the world and to attract the best people to defend Saab and make sure the brand doesn’t die."
Rapaille again slammed GM's "engineer mentality" as the reason for the poor performance of the Saab brand over the last two decades.
In his eyes, Saabs built under GM's stewardship increasingly lacked the essence of what made Saab a brand so treasured by its admirers.
"It’s time to tell the engineers and financial people on the board to get out and go fishing and let people who know how to run the show take over," he said, arguing that engineers "don't understand people".
"It’s time for a paradigm shift...the engineering mentality has failed," he continued.
Rapaille also said he's received hundreds of supportive responses to his proposal from Saab enthusiasts and fellow branding experts from around the world.
"Saab is filled with an incredible amount of emotional capital. I’ve been amazed by the reaction I’ve received. It’s so powerful," he said
"Saab people love the brand and don’t want to let it die."
He also criticized the way the Swedish government has handled the attempted sale of Saab.
"I don’t know if the Swedish government really cares about Saab, I don't think they really do," he said.
But according to Rapaille, the support of the government isn't important to getting his plan a hearing with Saab and GM leadership.
"I’m not interested in talking to the government. The pressure needs to come from the people who love Saab and want to see it kept alive," he said.
Saab spokesperson Gunilla Gustavs said she had no knowledge of Rapaille’s offer.
“I don’t know anything about it,” she told The Local.
“A number of parties have shown an interest in Saab since early December. But GM are the ones who know about the different offers and out of principle we don’t comment on who has shown an interest.”
Going Global: Swedish Volvo to be sold to Chinese Geely?
Latest News from our Front Page
Galaxy Poll: 86 per cent of Australians want childhood vaccination to be compulsory?
Australians want Prime Minister Tony Abbott to make childhood vaccination compulsory and close loopholes that allow vaccine refusers to put all children at risk.
An exclusive national Galaxy poll commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph has revealed overwhelming support to ensure every child is vaccinated.
The highest support for compulsory jabs is in South Australia, where 90 per cent support the call.
The poll ...
Eye in the sky: Local police now using drones to spy on citizens
The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office is doing something that no other agency in Harris County is believed to have done yet: Use drones to help fight crime.
It's an eye in the sky for law enforcement, without giving up the element of surprise.
"It could absolutely save lives," says Constable Alan Rosen.
Rosen says the agency's two new $1,200 drones, which ...
New Zealander of the Year: refuse vaccines, lose money
Following in the footsteps of Australia, 2014 New Zealander of the Year, Dr. Lance Oâ€™Sullivan, wants to punish people who donâ€™t get vaccinated.
The New Zealand Herald (4/15) reports:
â€œA leading New Zealand doctor has called on the Government to follow Australiaâ€™s example to cut child welfare payments to families who do not vaccinate their children, saying the policy would help protect ...
Iris Scanner Identifies a Person 40 Feet Away
Police traffic stops are in the news again, tragically, sparking a new round of discussion on whether and how to outfit police with cameras and other technology.
For several years now, researchers at Carnegie Mellon Universityâ€™s CyLab Biometrics Center have been testing an iris recognition system that can be used to identify subjects at a range of up to 40 feet.
Yes, You Can Catch Insanity
One day in March 2010, Isak McCune started clearing his throat with a forceful, violent sound. The New Hampshire toddler was 3, with a Beatles mop of blonde hair and a cuddly, loving personality. His parents had no idea where the guttural tic came from. They figured it was springtime allergies.
Soon after, Isak began to scream as if in pain ...
|More News » |


text:
ANZ CIOs doing well on digital – but with a caveat, says Gartner
CIOs in Australia and New Zealand are top of the class when it comes to customer focus and digitalisation initiatives, according to a new missive from analyst firm Gartner.
The figures, which come from the 2017 Gartner CIO Agenda survey, found that of the almost 2,600 respondents in 93 countries, 49% of ANZ CIOs are participating in digital ecosystems ‘as platforms to exchange information and interact electronically with competitors, customers, regulators, stakeholders and other enterprises’.
When it came to technology investment priorities for CIOs in the ANZ region, business intelligence and analytics was cited by 42% of respondents, with cloud (33%) in second and digital marketing (28%) in third. BI and cloud were the top two trends globally, while the third most popular, infrastructure and data centre, polled only 16% in ANZ. Like other areas, CIOs in ANZ say a lack of skills and resources are the biggest barrier to achieving their digital objectives.
“The implications of digital ecosystems for ANZ CIOs are profound,” said Jenny Beresford, research director at Gartner in a statement. “Many will need to shift their enterprise from a linear value chain business, trading with well-known partners and adding value in steps, to being part of a faster and more dynamic networked digital ecosystem.”
Respondents from the region expect only 2% IT budget growth in 2017, lower than the previous year (2.9%) and lower than the global average of 2.2%. Those who have a cost optimisation target have achieved 78% of their goals on average.
One of the best indicators of nations becoming more digitally aware is through cloud computing. The most recent report from the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA) found New Zealand and Australia to have strong showings, being positioned #3 and #4 respectively in terms of international connectivity, data centre quality and security and more, although behind Hong Kong and Singapore.
Despite the positive signs, Beresford added a note of caution. “While many are actively participating now, ANZ CIOs need to take a more assertive and ambitious outlook to avoid falling behind in 2018,” she added.
- » Germany and US leading the way in enterprise software-driven landscape, says Pivotal
- » How CIOs in Africa are defining new business models for digital transformation
- » Apple and Salesforce strike enterprise app strategic partnership
- » Don’t let your next big idea die: How the CIO can use low code to be innovation’s biggest champion
- » New York cybersecurity fund shows importance of investing in people rather than technology


text:
Photo-Me outlines revival plans as it returns to profit
Photo-Me International, the instant service equipment company, has swung back into the black, with pre-tax profits of £9.3million for the year to April 30.
The Surrey-based company, which had suffered losses of £5.1million a year earlier, reported a 5.7 per cent increase in sales and surplus cash of £8.1million at the year-end compared to net debt of £23.5million in the year before.
It said it was in a ‘much stronger position’ following an overhaul in its boardroom and strategy-rethink.
Record fine: Photo-Me International was hit with a £500,000 penalty from the UK financial watchdog for failing to disclose key information to the market promptly
The photo booth firm, which was recently fined £500,000 from the Financial Services Authority for failing to disclose inside information to the stock market as soon as possible – the biggest penalty of its kind ever imposed - also announced plans to re-energise the business and drive better performance.
'We have gone through an extensive process of examining every aspect of our core photo booth business,’ said chairman John Lewis, who was appointed in May.
Photo-Me said it is focused on new initiatives to drive alternative revenue streams, including the roll out of Photobook Makers offering five-minute digital print albums, as well as the development of ‘futuristic’ and 3D capable booths.
It is also eyeing expansion in growth markets such as China.
The group, which sold off its loss-making wholesale photo-processing labs manufacturing business Imaging Solutions last July, aims to increase the number of sites it operates in its main photobooth arm, focusing on the best locations.
Shares in the company surged 3 per cent on evidence its turnaround is working.
Most watched Money videos
- Citroen unveil the My Ami Cargo, a dinky electric van
- Volkswagen's Up! is a stylish city car with big performance
- What the frunk!? Ford Lightning features a trunk on the front
- Rare 1960 crashed Jaguar sells at auction for £90,000
- Take a look at £3.3 million Bugatti Chiron Super Sport hypercar
- Cupra Born: First all-electric hot hatch from Spain
- Will investors see a Roaring Twenties on the stock market?
- The all-new 7-seater SUV Kia Sorento with a panoramic sunroof
- Highway England catch dangerous drivers using unmarked supercabs
- Europe's most powerful EV charging hub to be installed in Oxford
- New £2m electric Nevera: The fastest accelerating car in the world
- Ineos Grenadier 4X4 is tested for sturdiness on the toughest roads


text:
Mobile networks draw lines for price war
Ireland's biggest mobile phone networks are preparing for a price war as two new operators prepare to launch into the market here.
Vodafone, 3 Ireland and Meteor are all planning new deals to persuade Ireland's four million phone customers to stick with existing providers. Call, SMS and data allowances are all expected to see a change as the average Irish bill looks set to fall below €25 per month.
The operators' move comes ahead of next month's launch of iD, a new operator from Dixons Carphone, the company formed from the merger of Dixons and The Carphone Warehouse.
The new operator, which is investing €30m in the enterprise, released research claiming that a third of Irish bill-pay customers plan to switch networks in the next 12 months
While it has not yet announced details of tariffs or plans, its UK sister network has launched 'free' iPhone deals on €30 per month contracts.
Meanwhile, UPC is to launch a mobile operator of its own in the autumn. The cable operator will complete the launch after announcing that it is also to buy TV3 in an €80m deal.
Magnus Ternsjo, CEO of UPC, said that the cable operator will be pushing bundled 'quadplay' services as a key offering.
"This forms part of our planned strategy to grow by further developing our connected entertainment services and building on our phone service by entering the mobile arena and making UPC more attractive to our customers," he said.
Ireland's mobile phone market is dominated by three networks, Vodafone (37pc), 3 Ireland (33pc) and Meteor (20pc). Tesco Mobile is the only 'virtual' mobile operator to gain significant market share, with 6pc of Irish phone users.
"Over 65pc of the [Irish] market are pre-pay mobile customers who have not committed to a mobile operator," said Hamish White, iD general manager.
"Equally, our research shows there is a real appetite to switch. We know what consumers are looking for and are not currently getting from their mobile provider. We're planning to fill the gap. We're confident we'll reach our ambitious target in the Irish market."


text:
Tom Brophy and Larry Brownstein were getting up every morning at an obscene hour to get in to the Jewish Community Center kitchen before the rest of the world rose. With them, they'd bring bags and bags of green kale, fresh from the farm. They'd dehydrate the kale and package it for sale at 13 stores and markets across the state including the new Elm City Market in New Haven and Brookside Farm Stand and Amity Meat in Woodbridge. Their product, called Tasty Kale, is also available for sale at the Bethany Farmer's Market.
Tasty Kale chips come in five different flavors, one discovered by accident, according to the company owners. Zing Zang Tasty Kale happened when maple syrup was accidently added to oregano, turmeric, paprika, onion and garlic. Brownstein says Zing Zang is being sought by people with cancer since turmeric is said to have healing qualities.
Other flavors are: Za’tar Tasty Kale, Curry Tasty Kale, Garlic Tasty Kale and Sweet Tasty Kale.
The idea came from Brownstein's daughter, who has a blog called Always Snacking. She asked her dad to take pictures for it of what she was taking out of the oven. He photographed dried kale and then he sampled it. He bought a dehydrator and started making his own. Brownstein's trainer at the Jewish Community Center started eating the kale and passing it out. Tasty Kale was born. Brownstein, who owns Amity Insurance and Financial Services, teamed up with Tom Brophy, a web developer who works from an office - and soon to be production center for Tasty Kale - on Lunar Drive.
Tasty Kale had a moment of notoriety in the fall when the product was featured on NPR’s Food Shmooze program with Faith Middleton, who loved the product.
The business has outgrown the kitchen at the Jewish Community Center and earlier this month, Woodbridge gave the gentlemen permission to run the production efforts out of a Lunar Drive office.
“We just had a re-order from Fairway Market in Stamford,” Brophy said. A re-order is big in this business. Now from their new location, they'll be able to produce even more Tasty Kale.


text:
Samsung has continued to promote the development of folding screens in the past two years. Currently, it has launched a number of folding screen mobile phones with two different forms, namely, up and down folding and left and right folding, but Samsung may not be satisfied with this. The latest news shows that Samsung will equip the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to be released this year with a new screen form, which will bring a screen that can be folded twice. The overall design is more difficult, showing Samsung’s unparalleled folding screen.
According to the exposed renderings, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be equipped with a dual-hinge design, and the foldable screen has also changed from the previous single-fold to double-fold, which also makes the size of the phone’s screen further increase, and the whole is more like A tablet device.
In addition, it has been revealed that Samsung will equip the Galaxy Z Fold 3 with two different design solutions at the same time, and there is also a Z-folding method. This design makes this phone only need a screen, and the part left on the outside after folding The screen can naturally replace the previous attached screen, which is more practical and more in line with the naming of the Galaxy “Z” Fold.
Read Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Is Expected to be Released Around May
It is worth mentioning that, according to recent Korean media reports, Samsung may launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3 series of folding phones ahead of schedule this year.
According to reports, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a high degree of completion, and the problem of insufficient durability of the screen and hinge has been greatly improved. The overall market performance has exceeded expectations. Samsung will officially launch the Galaxy Z this year to around May. Fold 3 models.
Do not forget to follow us on our Facebook group and page to keep you always aware of the latest advances, News, Updates, review, and giveaway on smartphones, tablets, gadgets, and more from the technology world of the future.
The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Leaks: Dual-Folding Design, Releasing Soon appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.


text:
The US$ 50 million Uzbek-Kyrgyz Investment Fund is to be set up. The decision was taken at the meeting between Uzbek Deputy PM/Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov and Kyrgyz Acting PM Artyom Novikov in Fergana, the Kyrgyz government said.
The parties also agreed to create a working group on interaction in the customs area and sign a roadmap for expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation.
In addition, the parties agreed to review a number of joint projects until December 25.
The parties also discussed the development of the transport industry, including international freight to expand the geography of exports of both countries, and joint trade, logistics and wholesale distribution infrastructure in the two countries.
In 10 months of 2020, the two-way trade with Kyrgyzstan topped US$ 736.3 dollars, of which Uzbek exports are at US$ 622.4 million, imports - US$ 113.9 million.


text:
- Wealth PMS (50L+)
Nifty results continue to be HORRIBLE. I can’t even begin to tell you how bad the situation is, but see this today. Three Nifty companies announced results. And they were like this:
This is just serious suckage.
At this point, this is simply the worst quarter I’ve seen in recent times with respect to results and profit growth. 38 Nifty companies have announced results and this time, they’ve dropped aggregate profits by as much as 55%.
If you remove that big one timer by Sterlite (Vedanta), you still have a huge 21.1% drop in aggregate profits.
This is not a scorecard you want to see from an economy that has quoted at 20 P/E for the last year or so.
Even RBI is starting to say the worst is yet to come. Whatever happens, don’t ignore your stop losses. And remember that in such a market, investing in a consistently profitable company is probably even more important than ever before.


text:
Traffic moves on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India. Photo: Reuters/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo
New Delhi: India will not extend an April 2022 deadline to tighten fuel efficiency standards, in a setback for carmakers which are lobbying for more time, government and industry sources told Reuters.
The corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) requirements are designed to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles as India pushes auto manufacturers to invest in more fuel-efficient cars or cleaner technologies like electric, biofuels or compressed natural gas.
“The deadline to meet CAFE norms will not be extended,” a senior government official told Reuters, adding that some concessions could be considered if it sees serious intent by automakers to invest in clean technologies.
The push to delay the rules by two years is being led by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), an industry group that represents major carmakers in India including top sellers Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor.
Executives from Maruti and Mahindra & Mahindra were part of a SIAM delegation that discussed the matter with transport ministry officials on March 2.
India introduced a first phase of CAFE requirements in April 2017, giving carmakers until the end of March next year to cut carbon emissions from new cars to 130 grams per kilometre.
In a second phase starting from April 1, 2022, India has proposed a further cut to 113 grams per kilometre.
Automakers in India including Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Volvo and Ford Motor are closest to meeting the April 2022 target, according to auto consultancy JATO Dynamics’ CAFE report, while Mahindra, Toyota Motor and Stellantis have more ground to cover.
JATO’s analysis is based on fuel efficiency data provided by automakers or road transport ministry guidelines.
Carmakers have argued that they would find it difficult to make further investments to meet the stricter requirements, especially as profits have been hit by slumping sales over the last two years.
An economic slowdown in 2019 and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 caused annual passenger vehicle sales to fall by around 30% over the period.
Not extending the deadline would force some companies to invest in cleaner technologies while also adjusting to sell fewer gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles, which are currently in high demand, said Ravi Bhatia, president for India at JATO.
Sticking to the deadline, however, would allow India to cut its fuel import bill, curb pollution and meet its carbon reduction targets under the Paris Accord.
“There eventually might be a middle path that does not hurt the companies financially but also allows the government to maintain its aggressive attitude towards carbon reduction,” one industry source said.
The CAFE rules also aim to bring regulations for carmakers in India in line with global standards.
Hybrid and electric vehicle sales have increased in Europe, for example, where carmakers face heavy penalties if they don’t develop low-emission technology.
India has not yet set penalties for companies that do not meet the stricter CAFE requirements.
“If we see progress by companies, we could look at some concessions around any penalties or other areas where it is possible to be flexible,” the government official said.
(Reuters ‒ Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Aditi Shah; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)


text:
Petra Klassen Wigger kicked off her speech by emphasising the importance that all the CGF pillars’ work together, Sustainability and Health & Wellness have key areas of synergies and are both aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Petra then went over the three core resolutions, established in 2011, that are part of the Health & Wellness Pillar and the progress on these commitments. Petra concluded her speech with a forward thinking message on what’s next for the pillar including further alignment with the SDGs, greater collaboration for better lives and the creation of a materiality matrix.
Some 240 delegates from nearly 30 countries joined this year’s Sustainable Retail Summit, held in Paris on 27th & 28th October. The event delivered on its promise to inspire and inform, leaving participants equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement sustainable business practices in their organisations and drive positive change across the industry.
The conference brought together thought leaders from business, government and civil society and was a unique education and networking opportunity for all those in attendance.
Steps being taken to develop healthier communities was one of the three core themes of this year’s summit, together with food waste and forced labour, with two sessions focused exclusively on the topic. Health & Wellness Steering Committee Co-Chair Petra Klassen Wigger was also on hand to help kick off the event by providing the audience with an introduction to our work.
The summaries of these sessions can be found below and have been taken from the Sustainable Retail Summit Executive Summary.
Day 1: Introduction to Health & Wellness
– Petra Klassen Wigger, Scientific Advisor/ Corporate Nutrition, Nestle S.A.
Day 1: Healthier Communities Discussion
CEO Chimney Talk:
– Guido Barilla, Chairman, Barilla and Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation
– Sonat Burman-Olsson, President & CEO, Coop Sverige AB
– Emmanuel Faber, CEO, Danone
A Chef’s View:
– Thierry Marx, French Chef specialised in molecular gastronomy
– Demir Aytaç, Chief Human Resources Officer, Migros, Turkey
– Richard Ellis, Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Walgreens Boots Alliance
– Isabelle Grosmaitre, Alimentation Initiative Catalyst, Danone
Guido Barilla began by saying in order to guarantee the future of food, our industry must ask and answer difficult questions. He said we face a number of challenges and the problems we face are our own. We, as an industry, created them. Thankfully, we know we can change. We can drive new business solutions and inspire legislation the right way. Guido concluded by noting we need to eat better, eat less and pay more. If we don’t understand value, we will face continuing problems.
Sonat Burman-Olsson noted how health and wellness has been on Sweden’s public agenda for many years. The government is doing numerous things to ensure health, while retailers are doing things too. Grocery retail is very intense in Sweden, but, on health, we work together, she said. For Coop, our customers own our business, so they are pushing us on a daily basis.
Emmanuel Faber then talked about the importance of events like the Sustainable Retail Summit in bringing everyone together. He said that over the last 50 years, the retail industry has been successful in increasing calorie intakes, but this is no longer sustainable. He stressed the importance of food diversity in tackling problems like food insecurity and health. It’s not about standardisation. We need to understand local eating habits and traditions and he is convinced the future relies on diversity of food types and diversity of agriculture. You have to look at where and why people eat.
As the CEOs came together, the conversation focused on key topics like GMOs, paying a fair price, food diversity, eating in moderation and the need for greater innovation. They also stressed the need for retailers and manufacturers to collaborate on health.
Chef Thierry Marx also looked at the role of innovation and importance of understanding where food comes from and where it will go in the future. Through a think tank, he has spent a lot of time looking at this. He said price is extremely important in showcasing quality. He said we need to see value in what we buy. However, we also need to put the right training and education programmes in place to ensure long-term health and wellbeing.
In the panel, Demir Aytaç noted how Migros had put emphasis on helping employees become health ambassadors. He said their goal is to change communities through their employees.
Richard Ellis then noted how Walgreens Boots Alliance changed its thinking by comparing itself to countries. Once they did this, they began thinking about their responsibilities differently. He said you need to find ways to win for everyone and collaboration is one core way his company is achieving this.
Lastly, Isabelle Grosmaitre shared Danone’s experience on healthier communities. She said their work is about bringing health through food to as many people as possible. She said we need to find solutions and how food is the most significant partner to health and the important role of research in understanding people’s habits. We can then act locally, measure progress and impact and act together.
Day 2: Healthier Communities Case Studies
– Christine Cioffe, Senior Vice President Global R&D Strategy and Portfolio Management, PepsiCo
– Greg Beddoe, Global VP of R&D, Mars Food
– Julie Greene, Health & Nutrition Director, Ahold Delhaize
Christine Cioffe began the session on healthier communities by introducing PepsiCo’s journey and plans, highlighting the recently-announced Performance for Purpose 2025 objectives that focused on products, people and the planet. On products, she said PepsiCo is committed to reducing calories, sugar, saturated fat and sodium levels. She said PepsiCo also wants to offer more everyday nutrition and provide access to understand communities and consumers. She stressed it’s not just about the removal of ingredients. She then provided examples of this commitment in action. Christine said the approach taken must start with the consumer, looking at the consumer context and evolution of the industry and what is impacting food and beverage of the future. Christine then talked about the importance of employee health and wellness. She concluded by highlighting how PepsiCo is open to partnerships with all, and that it’s an emphasis on outcomes and providing more choices and sustainable practices that dictate who PepsiCo partners with.
Greg Beddoe led delegates through how nutrition is a driver of health and wellbeing at Mars. He said it’s imperative we can talk about growth we are proud of. He introduced the Mars Food Nutrition Criteria, saying it covers every part of their business. He said food is science and art. We need to blend the science of nutrition with art, noting that we eat with our eyes first. He said food from Mars has to make lives easier – easier to choose and use. He then talked about their approach to reformulation to promote healthier communities and their five-year journey. He said you need consumer buy in, so taste is king. Flavour is therefore evaluated in the context of the meal and how Mars can enhance taste while improving nutrition. He provided a number of examples of how Mars is driving positive change for the consumer – like how cross-promotions will not deliver more than the recommended daily allowance of sodium or added sugar from 2017. Greg closed by looking at Mars’ key learnings, providing both the key enablers and challenges.
Julie Greene then joined the discussion by looking at the role of food retail in healthier communities. She began with exploratory questions to help define who we are as retailers, why retailers exist and what ethical role retailers have in communities. She said retailers were created to provide access, variety and convenience, but their role has now developed to much more. She said consumers still need convenience, but are also seeking guidance, service, affordability and improved quality. She also said other channels are encroaching on food retail and retailers should seek to solve the evolving needs of the consumer. The challenge is clear, she said, but the way forward requires change. However, she also noted that not every retailer or region is at the same level of readiness to change. She closed by saying that people managing nutrition-related chronic illness need to change or face the consequences. The food industry needs to change too and support the health of our communities.


text:
Coinbase has introduced it will purchase futures trade FairX in a transfer to give crypto spinoff merchandise to U.S. traders.
The acquisition of FairX, which lists futures contracts that monitor marketplaces such as inventory indices and oil, comes 4 months soon after Coinbase applied for membership in the National Futures Affiliation, the top derivatives self-regulatory corporation in the United States.
Coinbase handles the next-largest location trading volume in cryptocurrencies behind Binance, with a 24-hour investing volume of $3.8 billion, in accordance to CoinMarketCap. But the buying and selling volume of crypto derivatives now exceeds location buying and selling, reaching $2.9 trillion in December.
Money exchange operators, which include CME Team, “have started giving crypto futures to offer an founded, regulated location in which traders can speculate or hedge their holdings,” according to the Economical Periods.
Coinbase said the FairX deal “represents our up coming phase towards creating the robust and holistic investing environment investors are trying to get.” The company plans to provide crypto derivatives originally by way of FairX’s “existing companion ecosystem,” but, over time, will “leverage FairX’s infrastructure to give crypto derivatives to all Coinbase consumers in the U.S.”
“The growth of a transparent derivatives market is a vital inflection stage for any asset class and we believe it will unlock even more participation in the crypto-financial state for retail and institutional investors alike,” Coinbase claimed in a blog write-up.
As CoinDesk stories, “At existing, only a handful of exchanges allow for U.S. buyers to trade bitcoin and ether futures, with dollars-settled merchandise staying each the most common and the longest-out there products and solutions.”
When it launched final yr, FairX stated it would purpose to provide “simpler, a lot more obtainable futures for lively individual traders.” It has associations with big brokerages which includes TD Ameritrade, E*Trade, ABN AMRO, Wedbush, and Virtu Monetary.
In other the latest crypto derivative exchange bargains, Crypto.com acquired Nadez and FTX obtained LedgerX.
FairX’s “market-primary exchange know-how and demonstrated skill to deliver outlined futures in a uncomplicated, simple-to-fully grasp structure, align with Coinbase’s determination to building a a lot more truthful, accessible, economical, and transparent financial method enabled by crypto,” Coinbase explained.


text:
Online food delivery company GrubHub forecast current-quarter revenue above estimates and said it would look at buying smaller rivals to reach more customers and add restaurants to its network.
Shares of the company (GRUB), which reported better-than-expected quarterly results, rose as much as 10% Wednesday morning.
GrubHub, which now has a restaurant base of nearly 75,000, said it expects revenue of $197 million to $205 million for the current quarter ending December, above analysts’ estimate of $183.8 million.
CEO Matt Maloney told Reuters that the most intelligent way to grow the online food delivery business was by acquiring smaller properties.
“We are always looking for opportunities to do this, when it financially makes sense.”
GrubHub has been on an acquisition spree to boost its restaurant network and has lapped up Foodler, OrderUp, and Yelp’s food delivery platform Eat24.
Investors are focusing on GrubHub’s ability to integrate its acquired businesses and how quickly it can make them “meaningfully profitable,” Stifel analyst John Egbert said.
Eat24 will start contributing to GrubHub’s revenue from the current quarter and will start adding significantly to earnings from the third quarter of next year, CFO Adam DeWitt told Reuters.
The online food delivery business has heated up since technology giants Uber and Amazon.com (AMZN) forayed into that market.
While Uber and Amazon are tuning up their takeout services, GrubHub is forging partnerships.
“We are early on a lot of partnerships: Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Groupon,” Maloney said on a conference call with analysts.
Facebook launched a service earlier this month that would allow users to order food from restaurants such as Papa John’s and delivery services such as GrubHub and Amazon-partner Olo.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to change hungry Facebook diners into GrubHub or hungry Facebook users into GrubHub diners,” he said.
While the partnerships are still work-in-progress, GrubHub had 9.81 million active diners in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, up nearly 28% from a year earlier.
Active diners is a metric that tracks the number of unique customer accounts from which an order has been placed in the past twelve months.
GrubHub said third-quarter net income attributable to common stockholders slipped to $13 million or 15 cents per share, from $13.2 million or 15 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned 28 cents per share, on revenue of $163.1 million, beating analysts’ expectations.


text:
According to SeeLevel HX’s annual report, the average time spent sitting at a drive-thru has increased from 25 seconds a year ago, to a whopping 382 seconds! Additionally, order accuracy has dropped to 85%, down from 87% in 2020.
Using mystery shoppers, SeeLevel HX evaluated line times and order accuracy across 10 chains and 1,492 restaurant locations from July through early August in order to piece together their study. More than half of the orders were placed during lunch hours.
Fast-food chains have prided themselves on efficiency and accuracy for decades – it’s what makes them so appealing. The COVID-19 pandemic, despite making things tremendously more challenging for businesses to operate, heightened their importance. Restaurants slowly closed shop as in-house dining was shut down, forcing them to only offer take-out options. The quick-food experience was shot – but people still need to eat.
In August, drive-thru visits climbed 11% compared to two years ago and accounted for nearly half of off-premise orders, according to the NPD Group.
SeeLevel HX reports that Chick-fil-A topped the list when it came to order accuracy, with Yum Brands’ Taco Bell following shortly behind. Arby’s, Carl’s Jr. and Restaurant Brands International’s Burger King all tied for third place.
The restaurant industry continues to struggle in finding help, as many were furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic and do not wish to return to that line of work. In efforts to motivate those looking for work, many establishments have upped their wages. It goes without saying that the lack of workers has led to the increased wait times, and arguably, the lack of accuracy. Those new to the industry have a lot to learn when it comes to customer satisfaction.


text:
- François-Xavier Branthôme
A two-year agreement with Kraft Heinz to manufacture and distribute Heinz tomato ketchup products
Pioneer Foods announced on 6 November that it is set to acquire the outstanding 50.1% in its joint venture, from Heinz SA Proprietary Ltd, a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company – makers of the famous tomato ketchup.
Other brands in the Heinz Foods SA stable are Wellington’s sauces and condiments, the John West range of canned seafood products, and other prepared meals, pies and pastries brands. According to a market update, Heinz Foods SA will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Foods in 2018.
“By acquiring full ownership of Heinz Foods SA, we look forward to the further growth and development of the portfolio that includes a range of number one or two brands in their respective categories,” said Pioneer Foods CEO Tertius Carsten in statement. It did not say how much it would be paying for the outstanding 50.1% of Heinz Foods SA.
Pioneer, which sells a number of well-known brands including Sasko, Weet-Bix, Ceres fruit juice, White Star maize meal and more, said it would also be entering into a two-year agreement with Kraft Heinz to manufacture and distribute Heinz tomato ketchup products. It will also distribute HP & Lea Perrins products and certain other Kraft Heinz Products.
Pioneer said the transaction was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.


text:
A father in California was left outraged after his daughter, 13, was told by teachers at her school that her outfit was "too distracting" for the boys in her class.
Demetra Alarcon was taken out of class by teachers at Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos and told that her blue romper suit was too short.
Her father, Tony, who is an independent investment banker, had to bring her a new outfit to wear, which included a vest top and a pair of shorts. However, teachers at the school still deemed Demetra's clothes inappropriate and forced her to change again, this time claiming that the shorts did not meet the 4-inch inseam stipulation in the school's dress code
Furious, Tony is now urging the school to change its dress code, maintaining that unfairly targets girls - especially in the hot summer months.
"I was told the shorts weren't appropriate. I had to go back into the car, where I luckily had a pair of leggings as a backup," he told KTVU.
He told CBS San Francisco: "I mean, today it’s 90 degrees outside and she’s wearing leggings because she doesn’t want to be dress-coded for wearing shorts.”
Tony posted about his plight on social media, and received sympathy from other parents.
"Fisher has a dress code policy, which is clothing specific. Most of the clothing mentioned are women's clothing like halter tops (and) spaghetti straps," he wrote, pointing out that it was nearly impossible to find shorts that met the school’s policy.
Speaking to Mercury News, he said: "The only stores that sell longer shorts are Sears and Lands End."
He explained that he and his wife employ their own system when checking that their kid's clothes are appropriate, and it involves making sure that their "front and rear" are covered in any position, including sitting and touching toes.
He expressed concern that the dress code may be having a negative impact on the female students at the school.
He said: "We have to have dress codes that are fair and reasonable, and don't cause them emotional issues - cause them to question their bodies or feel like they're sex symbols at 13 years old. Because they're not. They're just kids."
Los Gatos Union School District Superintendent Diana G. Abbati declined to speak to reporters on camera, but later released a statement saying: "Students are expected to wear clothes that are suitable for the school activities in which they participate."
Sources: The Sun


text:
LONG distance emission free driving across the Continent has moved a step closer with a collaboration of some of Europe's biggest automotive hitters.
BMW, Ford and the Volkswagen Group have announced a joint venture to install hundreds of fast charging points for electric vehicles across Europe.
The companies involved also include Audi and Porsche and Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
They plan to create a network of 400 ultra-fast charging sites powerful enough to significantly reduce current charging times.
At the moment, most battery powered electric vehicles have a real-world range of only around 100 miles.
The fast chargers will allow EVs to partly replenish their batteries in less than half an hour and with more plug-in hybrids arriving on the market will make pan-European electric motoring possible.
The car companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe which will open the doors for more battery-electric vehicles to be marketed.
The build-up is planned to start in 2017 and an initial target of about 400 sites is planned.
By 2020 EV drivers should have access to thousands of high-powered charging points.
"This high-power charging network provides motorists with another strong argument to move towards electric mobility," said Harald Kruger, chairman of the board of management of BMW.
"The BMW Group has initiated numerous public charging infrastructure projects over the last years. The joint project is another major milestone clearly demonstrating that competitors are combining forces to ramp-up e-mobility."
And Daimler boss Dr Dieter Zetsche added: "The breakthrough of e-mobility requires two things: convincing vehicles and a comprehensive charging infrastructure.
"With our new brand EQ, we are launching our electric product offensive: by 2025, our portfolio will include more than ten fully electric passenger cars. Together with our partners, we are now installing the highest-powered charging infrastructure in Europe.
"The availability of high-power stations allows long-distance e-mobility for the first time and will convince more and more customers to opt for an electric vehicle."
Under the arrangement, which has still to be formalised, the car companies intend to make substantial investments.
While the founding partners - BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen Group - will be equal partners in the joint venture, other automobile manufacturers will be encouraged to sign up.


text:
The Ministry of health South Korea urged citizens to stop mixing alcohol drink soda with wasps.
The Ministry of health South Korea urged citizens to stop mixing alcohol drink soda with the wasps, hoping to bring down high blood pressure and solve problems with diabetes, reports Rus.Media.
To enhance the effect of the inhabitants of the country have begun to add to the drink centipedes and earthworms, however, these cocktails can lead to choking, warn officials. In a joint statement, the departments and ministries for food safety and medicines States that the choking may cause an allergic reaction, provoked by the mixture of alcohol with insects.
The craze wasps, zamochenny in soju, began with the filing of the online stores, which began selling a drink made according to an ancient recipe. People in the chain shared ways of cooking “drugs” in social networks.
“This is nothing more than a rumor that wasps can help to restore health,” warned a researcher from the Ministry of security, food and medicine, Son of Kim hwan.


text:
Love is more important than ever at times like these, Beaverbrooks managing director Anna Blackburn reminds us as she announces the decision to close all 69 of its UK stores.
Brian Duffy, CEO of The Watches of Switzerland Group, has expressed his gratitude to his thousands of employees for their resilience, resourcefulness and positivity throughout this period. All stores in the United States and the UK will be closed by the end of today and the company does not expect them to re-open any earlier than April 27.
Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb, Goldsmiths, Mayors and Beaverbrooks are focusing on serving customers through their websites, which remains open for orders and deliveries, and concierge services.
“Our website and our fabulous customer service team are still 100% here for you,” Ms Blackburn says. However, “The safety and wellbeing of our customers, our colleagues and the wider community remain our top priority and we want to do what’s best by them. So it is with an extremely heavy heart that we’ve taken the decision to close all of our 69 stores from 5pm Monday 23rd March,” she adds.
The Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) has over 140 stores in the UK and United States.
In a trading update to the stock market and media, the company says sales have increased ahead of expectations in the seven weeks to March 15, with revenue up 16.8% relative to the prior year and like-for-like sales up 12%.
New guidance says the group currently expects total revenue for the full financial year to 26 April 2020 to be in the range of £809 million to £812 million.
As the Covid-19 outbreak has escalated, the group says its sites in London airports were adversely affected.
Key destinations including London and Los Angeles were also hardest hit, but the impact was offset by a rise in sales to domestic customers both in the UK and the US. There is no guidance on how sales have been in the week since March 15, during which social isolating measures in the UK and the USA have been stepped up significantly, with New York in lock-down. All stores in America closed on March 19.
WOSG says its balance sheet sheet is strong and it has significant financial headroom and liquidity.
But it has taken steps to eliminate discretionary expenditure, reduce working capital and where possible, delay capital projects.
It welcomes government measures announced in the UK of business rates suspension, employee cost support and tax payment deferrals, which are expected to have a positive impact on cash planning.
The Group has taken steps to ensure the continuity of the ecommerce proposition, with online operations expected to be continued as normal,” a WOSG statement says.
“Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers during these unprecedented times. We are taking the necessary steps to mitigate and minimise the impact of this crisis on our business,” Mr Duffy says.
“We are anticipating a continuation of the store closures into our new financial year which begins on 27 April 2020. We remain confident in the strong fundamentals that underpin the luxury watch category including its great value preservation. Demand remains strong and we anticipate that this will be the case when the market returns to more normal conditions,” he adds.


text:
LittleBigPlanet Karting will have a commercial built by fans to air on national TV.
LittleBigPlanet Karting, the upcoming racer from United Front Games pitting Sackboy against the evil-stuffed Horde gang, will have a commercial created by fans and air on national TV, via a contest revealed on the PlayStation Blog.
In keeping with the LittleBigPlanet theme of Play, Create, Share — already on display as beta testers share their videos for the upcoming racer — Sony and Mofilm are inviting enthusiasts to create a 25-second commercial. The companies have provided video and audio assets for aspiring advertisers. Ten finalists will be chosen from among entries submitted by October 8th. The top 10 will be featured on the game's Facebook page, where the community will vote for a winner to receive airtime and $25,000.
LittleBigPlanet Karting is headed for a November 6th launch on PlayStation 3. You can check out the official rules on Mofilm's website.
- Street Fighter: The Movie — What went wrong
- How indie devs are finding success, and publicity, in toys and merch
- Tales from the Borderlands stars two lying, greedy Pandorians (update)
- BBC launches update of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy text adventure
- The final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there


text:
We are excited to announce a “Small Business Saturday” event to be held on Good Neighbor Days weekend this year, July 18th! This event and advertising will hopefully serve as a way to show our local support of the community, highlight Chamber members in town and drive more business your way. Our (the Executive Board) will have yard signs saying “Byron Area Chamber of Commerce Member” to be displayed in front of participating businesses that day.
Our goal is for this is to encourage our community to remember to #ShopLocal as we start reopening and come together to support and encourage our local small businesses.
PO Box 764 - Byron, MN 55920
Byron Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.


text:
Chadwicks Group has announced that Heiton Buckley on Robinhood Road has changed its name to Chadwicks Robinhood Road, becoming the largest Chadwicks branch.
Today’s announcement is part of an ongoing nationwide rebrand and upgrade programme by Chadwicks Group which commenced in 2018.
Chadwicks Robinhood Road has been serving the needs of local tradespeople and the wider community for 55 years. While there are changes and enhancements to the branch, the team remains the same. Customers can expect the same expert product knowledge and best in class customer service, they have come to enjoy from the Robinhood road branch. The 48-strong team of highly trained specialists remains the same, with some colleagues being part of the team for over 40 years!
At over 10,500 square feet, the new look branch has been designed with the customer in mind, featuring over 2,000 new products for the trade. New additions include a showroom, paving and decking area, new lines of workwear, Baumit external wall insulation display, Velux Centre, Brick Centre and an increased power tool range.
A new catering van has also been introduced onsite, welcoming customers to meet and refuel together while in branch.
A key feature of the upgraded Robinhood Road branch is the Chadwicks ECO Centre which will provide local customers with trustworthy and expert advice on the latest sustainable building products. As members of the Irish Green Building Council, Chadwicks aims to support customers in reducing their environmental impact using sustainable building solutions.
The ECO Centre features the latest and greatest materials for all sustainable building needs including insulation, airtightness, ventilation systems, heat pumps and controls, solar energy and water-saving products.
Chadwicks Robinhood Road also features a new Fixing Centre, a “store within a store” concept which aims to provide builders, engineers, and specialist tradespeople with all the tools and materials they may need in one convenient location. The Fixing Centre offers a host of fixing materials which includes setting chemicals, concrete anchors, nuts, bolts, nails, and fixings, perfectly suited for any trade job. As well as having a substantial range in stock, customers can also order specialised fixings through the dedicated team comprised of fixing and tool specialists.
Speaking at the opening of the new look branch, Chadwicks Group ambassador and Irish boxing champion, Jack Marley, said: “As a Chadwicks Group ambassador, I am delighted to celebrate the opening of the newly upgraded Robinhood Road branch. I am a strong believer in community and knowing that this branch was established 55 years ago with some team members serving the needs of Clondalkin locals for over 40 years is really special. It is great to be able to kick off the celebrations today, and I look forward to having a chat with the team to learn about the latest sustainable building products featured in the newly introduced ECO Centre.”
Ross O’Connor, Chadwicks Robinhood Road Branch Manager, said: “We are delighted to officially unveil our newly revamped branch. The Chadwicks Robinhood Road team has been part of the Clondalkin community since 1968 and we are proud to serve all DIY enthusiasts and tradespeople in the area. The new-look branch has been designed with our customer in mind, and visitors can expect an expanded product range including the latest in sustainable building and fixing solutions alongside a seamless shopping experience. Colleagues who have been working at the branch for over 40 years are excited to welcome customers to our newly upgraded branch and continue to offer the best-in-class customer service they have come to enjoy.”


text:
Indeed those businesses facing effective demand had “slayed the market” he said. It was the best of times for Irish exporters but those in the domestic economy had a different story to tell.
This was due to consumers simply not spending following shock after shock to their economic confidence.
The economy needs to grow annually by between three and four per cent in volume, he told delegates. Both the lack of employment and our debt burden could be solved by this higher growth figure, he claimed.
“We should, as an economy, have the ambition to run at double the growth rate of the EU – which is not particularly high in the first place. It’s currently one per cent and hoping for 1.5 per cent.”
He also pointed out that of the 230 European ‘regions’, Ireland came 35th in terms of prosperity.
“… A growth of three per cent would push us into the Top 20.”
Balanced economic growth should be the ambition and this is firmly in the hands of consumers, he added.
It should be possible to achieve three per cent annual growth over the next 20 years as we have ‘form’ in this repsect.
“We have the capacity (the infrastructre, the know-how, entrepreneurial spirit and a malleable workforce etc). “Any neutral observer of the Irish economy can see the potential growth rate here,” he said.