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Seventy-three years is a long time for an auto body shop to be in business, but the post-World War II automobile boom couldn’t have been better timed for Easley’s Body and Paint Shop in West Plains, MO, which first opened doors in 1945.
Over the next 10 years, the automobile industry would quadruple production, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, and between 1945 and 1980, motor vehicle production increased ten-fold, researchers from the University of Gronigen in the Netherlands reported. Hindsight seems to suggest Truman Easley’s decision to open an automobile body and repair shop at the onset of the boom was perceptive, if not shrewd.
Today, the shop has continued to adapt to its customer base and performs repairs and body work on a multitude of vehicles made for land and water travel. Now under the leadership of owner/operator Roger Harper, the company aims to offer quality collision repair and partners with other area businesses to put customers’ needs first, said Shealia Harper, shop manager and Roger’s wife.
Roger took over ownership of the business in 2009 from Brock Moore, who had bought it about 15 years before from Easley, Shealia said. Roger has been with the company for about 25 years, as has the shop’s only other employee, Jerry Wood.
For at least 25 years, Easley’s Body and Paint Shop has been located at 4719 U.S. 160, about three miles south of West Plains city limits. Services offered in addition to general auto body work and repair include windshield and window replacement, collision repair, spray-on bedliners and auto body paint. Shealia said the company stands out because of its dedication to quality work and customer service.
“We treat people like we want to be treated,” she explained. “We want people to feel they’re well taken care of.”
Every step of the way, she added, customers are partners in their own projects as the company makes an effort to give customers exactly what they want, affordably.
Easley’s Body and Paint Shop works with all insurance companies, increasing accessibility for many customers. In addition, the company guarantees its work for as long as the customer owns the vehicle on which work was carried out.


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But Prince Harry won't be her date.
After Harry and Meghan recently announced that they would be stepping down – with the Queen's seal of approval – many have speculated what the life of a post Sussex shift Meghan Markle would look like. Perhaps she would return to acting? Or even relaunch her currently defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig?
The world truly is Markle's oyster and it would seem the pearl inside is actually an invitation to the Met Gala.
As reported by Page Six, Meghan Markle will be attending the 2020 Met Gala hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 4 with British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful. Markle and Enninful famously worked together on British Vogue’s Forces For Change issue in 2019, an issue which marked the duchess’s first guest editorship.
With Enniful as her date to the annual fashion party, Prince Harry will likely be sitting this one out. “Naturally Meghan was one of the first names on the guest list, and Edward’s team are excited that the two will go together," said a source. “Meghan is keen to step out occasionally without Harry so that she can establish herself once more in Hollywood."
Meghan has also reportedly picked out a “glamorous androgynous” look tied to this year's theme: "About Time: Fashion and Duration." The exhibition will explore the connection between fashion and time through writings of authors, such as the late Virginia Woolf — including her novel Orlando, which sees the main character transition from a man to a woman.
Markle’s reported appearance comes 24 years after Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, walked the very same Met steps at the 1996 Met Gala in a John Galliano for Dior navy slip dress paired with her iconic seven-strand pearl and sapphire choker to the event which honoured Christian Dior himself.
Meanwhile, Meghan's attendance will be a welcomed surprise to the woman responsible for the entire event, Anna Wintour. Last year, Wintour revealed that the duchess and her sister-in-law Kate Middleton were the top two names on her dream guest list during an appearance on the Today show. "I would love to have the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge together," Wintour said. "That would be my dream couple. They could leave their husbands at home. It's the two of them I want."
Whatever the future holds career-wise for Markle, one thing is certain—we cannot wait to see Markle’s take on Met Gala red carpet dressing.
Main image by Getty Images

domain: news


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|By PR Newswire||
|February 25, 2014 03:00 PM EST||
DUBLIN, February 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/89gj7h/global_retail) has announced the addition of the "Global Retail Chocolate Industry 2013-2018: Trends, Forecasts and Opportunity Analysis" report to their offering.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )
The global retail chocolate industry is growing at an impressive rate and is expected to grow further in near future. The industry revenue is forecasted to reach $117.3 billion by 2018 at a good growth rate over the next five years (2013-2018). Vitamin- and calcium-rich sugar-free chocolates, dark chocolate, i.e., full of energy and nutritious element, and organic and natural products are some products that are expected to escalate the global chocolate industry towards high growth rates in future.
The report studies the manufacturers of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate and provides a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, profit, and cost structure for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World. The report also provides a forecast, addressing market opportunities for the next five years (2013-2018) for each of these regions.
As per the study, innovation of new products with new flavors and less calorie such as sugar-free chocolates increase the demand of chocolates. The health benefits of chocolates, such as presence of antioxidants in dark chocolates, vitamins, and minerals in rich milk chocolates act as the drivers of the industry. Due to increasing health and wellness concerns, customers are leaning towards diet chocolates and sugar-free products, which increase the demand of chocolates, and thus contribute to industry growth.
The milk chocolate segment is expected to emerge as the topmost growth market during the forecast period (2013-2018) in the global retail chocolate industry. APAC is expected to emerge as the most potential regional market during forecast period among all the other regions as developing organized retail sector, infrastructure, and favorable regulatory environment in major countries of APAC would raise the market towards growth.
This in-depth research study is designed and intended for use by new entrants, manufacturers, material suppliers, investors, executives, and consultants. The data and analysis found in this report can be utilized for a variety of functional business reasons including business development, strategic planning, business presentations, determination of market size and trends, competitive analysis, investment decision, and joint product development.
This comprehensive guide provides readers with valuable information and the tools needed to successfully drive critical business decisions with a thorough understanding of the market's potential. This report will save clients hundreds of hours in personal research time on a global market and it offer significant benefits in expanding business opportunities throughout the global retail chocolate industry analysis. In a fast-paced ever-changing world, business leaders need every advantage available to them in a timely manner to drive change in the market and to stay ahead of their competition. This report provides business leaders with a keen advantage in this regard by making them aware of emerging trends and demand requirements on an annual basis.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Executive Summary
2. Retail Chocolate Industry Background and Classifications
3. Market Analysis
4. Financial (Cost Structure, Profitability, Debt and Assets) Analysis
5. Competitive Landscape and Growth Opportunities Analysis
6. Industry Strategic Assessment
7. Expert Opinions
8. Company Profiles for Leading Players
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/89gj7h/global_retail
Media Contact: Laura Wood, +353-1-481-1716, [email protected]
SOURCE Research and Markets
Pulzze Systems was happy to participate in such a premier event and thankful to be receiving the winning investment and global network support from G-Startup Worldwide. It is an exciting time for Pulzze to showcase the effectiveness of innovative technologies and enable them to make the world smarter and better. The reputable contest is held to identify promising startups around the globe that are assured to change the world through their innovative products and disruptive technologies. There w...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Pulzze Systems will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Pulzze Systems, Inc. provides infrastructure products for the Internet of Things to enable any connected device and system to carry out matched operations without programming. For more information, visit http://www.pulzzesystems.com.
Aug. 30, 2016 01:20 PM EDT
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19th Cloud Expo, taking place November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterpri...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Hitrons Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Hitrons Solutions Inc. is distributor in the North American market for unique products and services of small and medium-size businesses, including cloud services and solutions, SEO marketing platforms, and mobile applications.
Aug. 30, 2016 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 779
Why do your mobile transformations need to happen today? Mobile is the strategy that enterprise transformation centers on to drive customer engagement. In his general session at @ThingsExpo, Roger Woods, Director, Mobile Product & Strategy – Adobe Marketing Cloud, covered key IoT and mobile trends that are forcing mobile transformation, key components of a solid mobile strategy and explored how brands are effectively driving mobile change throughout the enterprise.
Aug. 30, 2016 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 600
SYS-CON Events announced today that Adobe has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Adobe is changing the world though digital experiences. Adobe helps customers develop and deliver high-impact experiences that differentiate brands, build loyalty, and drive revenue across every screen, including smartphones, computers, tablets and TVs. Adobe content solutions are used daily by millions of co...
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Almost two-thirds of companies either have or soon will have IoT as the backbone of their business in 2016. However, IoT is far more complex than most firms expected. How can you not get trapped in the pitfalls? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Tony Shan, a renowned visionary and thought leader, will introduce a holistic method of IoTification, which is the process of IoTifying the existing technology and business models to adopt and leverage IoT. He will drill down to the components in this fra...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that eCube Systems, a leading provider of middleware modernization, integration, and management solutions, will exhibit at @DevOpsSummit at 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. eCube Systems offers a family of middleware evolution products and services that maximize return on technology investment by leveraging existing technical equity to meet evolving business needs. ...
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As the world moves toward more DevOps and Microservices, application deployment to the cloud ought to become a lot simpler. The Microservices architecture, which is the basis of many new age distributed systems such as OpenStack, NetFlix and so on, is at the heart of Cloud Foundry - a complete developer-oriented Platform as a Service (PaaS) that is IaaS agnostic and supports vCloud, OpenStack and AWS. Serverless computing is revolutionizing computing. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Raghav...
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Data is an unusual currency; it is not restricted by the same transactional limitations as money or people. In fact, the more that you leverage your data across multiple business use cases, the more valuable it becomes to the organization. And the same can be said about the organization’s analytics. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Bill Schmarzo, CTO for the Big Data Practice at EMC, will introduce a methodology for capturing, enriching and sharing data (and analytics) across the organizati...
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The emerging Internet of Everything creates tremendous new opportunities for customer engagement and business model innovation. However, enterprises must overcome a number of critical challenges to bring these new solutions to market. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Michael Martin, CTO/CIO at nfrastructure, outlined these key challenges and recommended approaches for overcoming them to achieve speed and agility in the design, development and implementation of Internet of Everything solutions wi...
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Without truckers, America would grind to a halt. There’s no doubt about it. Truckers work a demanding job delivering our food, clothes and other necessities. But rather than support our hard-working men and women behind the wheel, President Joe Biden continues to empty their wallets and force them to drive electric trucks for his radical climate-change agenda. Well, we are pushing back.
The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California have no right or legal justification to force truckers to follow their radical climate-change policies. That’s why I, along with 18 other state attorneys general, are taking Biden to court. Iowa’s trucking industry employs about 100,000 Iowans. That is nearly one in 13 of our state’s workers. Meanwhile, Biden’s illegal truck ban puts the whole industry at risk. The Biden administration has set us on track to devastate the nation’s biofuels industry, hike prices for businesses and truckers, and designate California as a leading decision-maker in the trucking industry.
BIDEN ADMIN ECO RULE CURBING OIL DRILLING, MINING FACES WIDESPREAD Opposition In March, the Biden administration’s EPA violated the Constitution by granting California a waiver to issue its own set of truck emissions standards. Those radical standards go further than the regulations set for the rest of the country and effectively ban the sale of gas or diesel trucks.
California and eight other states have embraced the radical, climate-change regulation that will force trucking companies to purchase expensive and inferior vehicles.
California’s truck ban requires that about 55% of delivery vans and small trucks, 75% of buses and larger trucks, and 40% of tractor-trailers and other big rigs be fully electric by 2035. By 2045, gas and diesel trucks will be outright banned from being sold in California. But it gets much worse. Due to the Biden administration’s waiver, it is likely that these rules will impact not just California, but America in its entirety. Since California has such a large economy – the fifth largest in the world – its radical climate-change agenda influences the entire trucking industry.
States are forced to comply with California’s zero-emissions standards to compete in the market. This incentivizes truck manufacturing companies to spike prices for gas and diesel vehicles so that Americans won’t buy them. Eight other states have already adopted California’s sweeping truck ban, including Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Connecticut, Maine and North Carolina are following in their footsteps.
Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that California gets to make the rules for the rest of the country. On the contrary, the Constitution requires equal sovereignty among the states, meaning that one state does not get special treatment to set the standards for everyone else.
In fact, the Clean Air Act provision used to justify the EPA’s waiver is unconstitutional precisely because it violates the equal sovereignty principle. The EPA’s waiver also triggers the major-questions doctrine, a legal principle that means big regulations need to go through Congress, rather than unelected bureaucrats. And make no mistake, with California’s truck ban, rural America will be left in the dust. Charging stations are scarce in the countryside. Considering electric trucks have significantly shorter range than gas or diesel trucks, traveling an average of about 870 to 1,050 fewer miles between fueling, supply chain nightmares lie ahead.
States are forced to comply with California’s zero-emissions standards to compete in the market. This incentivizes truck manufacturing companies to spike prices for gas and diesel vehicles so that Americans won’t buy them.
Despite being two to three times more expensive, electric trucks are also less efficient. Rather than 15 minutes to fill up, electric trucks take 10 hours to fully charge. And if we have learned anything from California’s rolling blackouts, it’s that our power grid isn’t ready to support the sharp influx of electric vehicles. The issues are endless.
The harsh reality for the trucking industry – which already faces increased operations costs, rising fuel prices and a shortage of drivers – is that it will be forced to cut jobs and make other challenging decisions as a result of the expensive regulations that threaten to put truckers out of business altogether.
As attorneys general, we aren’t going to take a backseat as the Biden administration and California attempt to impose their radical climate agenda and regulate truckers out of business. It’s time to hit the brakes on the California truck ban, and our lawsuit will do just that.
Factoring: Beware of the fine print
JULY 7, 2023•
Land Line Staff
For some truckers, factoring is just a part of their business plan. They research the companies, read the contracts carefully and make thoughtful decisions. Others who are needing a quick infusion of cash, might not be that careful or take enough time to really know what they are getting themselves into.For those who may not know, factoring is basically an agreement between your company and a factoring company that provides you with cash advances in exchange for your company’s invoices or accounts receivable.The factoring company will charge a factoring fee, which is usually around 2-5% and upward, depending on the specific company. Some factoring companies will also add a service charge and/or interest based on how long it takes the customer to pay the invoice. Make sure you know the fee structure before you sign the agreement.
The Business Services Department at the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has recently been fielding a number of calls regarding factoring contracts – and the fact that ELD authorizations and waiver wording is popping up. For example from the TAFS, Inc. contract:“The undersigned client (“Client”) of TAFS, Inc., a Kansas corporation (“TAFS”), utilizes an electronic logging device (ELD) to keep records of duty service as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. As a material condition of doing business with TAFS, Client hereby expressly authorizes its current and future ELD provider(s) to grant TAFS unlimited access to all data recorded through Client’s ELD system, including, but not limited to, location data for Client’s equipment, and expressly consents to the transfer to and use by TAFS of all such data. Client hereby waives and releases and forever discharges TAFS and its ELD provider(s), and their respective employees, agents, affiliates, successors and assigns, of and from any and all claims, demands, counterclaims, liabilities, obligations, suits or causes of action of any kind or nature whatsoever arising from or related to the access, transfer and/or use as authorized hereunder.”
So what could happen if you refuse to share your ELD data after signing a contract saying you would? Instead of getting paid quickly with the standard deductions, you could be forced to wait until the factoring company gets paid, which defeats the purpose of factoring invoices to begin with. Power of attorney Another key piece of contract language to watch for is anything that gives the factoring company power of attorney over your business.
The language can range from very limited to extremely far-reaching in scope. Back to the TAFS factoring agreement, as an example. The company’s contract includes an extensive list of business dealings that TAFS can conduct on behalf of the trucking company. It includes dealing with insurance claims, directing where and how payments are made, suing for collections (on your dime), etc.
Be mindful that when you sign over power of attorney you are limiting your ability to make your own business decisions. Again, OOIDA cautions that every clause in these factoring contracts be gone over with a fine-tooth comb by someone familiar with the pitfalls of contract language. OOIDA warns that similar language like the two examples above could be incorporated into contracts from other factoring companies and all contracts should undergo a thorough review.
Breaking up is hard to do, Some factoring agreements include minimum volume terms that could cost you thousands of dollars in fees that weren’t really considered an issue until you decided to part ways with the factoring company.
If your company was invoicing for $15,000 a month when you entered the factoring agreement and later dropped to half that volume, the factoring company is sure to have kept track of the fees it lost because of the downturn. Now that you’ve decided to terminate, the reduction in fees becomes a real problem that could translate into substantial costs for you. Be clear about minimum volume requirements prior to signing the agreement.
You could face other problems when terminating a factoring agreement. Although they’re not common practice among reputable factoring companies, you should still be aware of them. Some factoring companies require at least a year’s commitment, and they may also have agreements that include automatic renewal provisions unless you give them a specified amount of notice. These agreements may also include early termination penalties.
It’s very important that you know of these provisions before you sign the contract. Some unscrupulous factoring companies have charged extremely unreasonable termination penalties and have also required lengthy notice of termination. This could cost you big. For example, consider this scenario: When you decided to factor with your current factoring company, they filed a public document informing all interested parties that it has rights to your invoices as collateral for the advances it makes to you as per the agreement. This is normal procedure. The document is called a UCC Financing Statement or UCC-1, and is filed in the public location(s) dictated by the laws of the individual state(s) where you do business. UCC (Universal Commercial Code) refers to the collection of laws dealing with commercial business.
Let’s say that your current factoring company can no longer meet your needs – or the rates are too high. You want to terminate and switch to a new factoring company. However, as long as this UCC-1 filing is in place, it’s difficult, and sometimes impossible, for another company to take over your factoring needs.
If the original factoring agreement requires a lengthy notice of termination – sometimes as much as 120 days or more – the UCC-1 filing won’t be released until that time has passed. LL
Thank You for reading and God Bless Your every move. Nick Manis


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Scoring off the pitch
England rugby player Matt Dawson has scored a notable success by turning his hobby into a business. In two years, his sports memorabilia company has become one of the leaders in its field.
Having played nearly 40 times for England, the 28-year-old scrum-half has accumulated many kits. He says: 'These items mean a lot to me, but much more to collectors who will pay huge prices for memorabilia.'
Dawson's company, Living With Legends, sold a pair of David Beckham's boots for £1,000 and they were sold on for £8,000. 'Match-worn gear is in demand because it is rare,' he says. 'People will pay up to £250 for an original England rugby shirt signed by all the squad. Friends in other professional sports have got at least as much kit around the house as I have, so there is plenty out there.'
Dawson, who plays for rugby union's Northampton Saints, went into business with two friends from Milton Keynes - Tom Keeley, 40, a graphic designer, and Tim Wakefield, 38, who owns a sports print company.
In 1998, they set up a website, ww.livingwithlegends.com, where customers may buy memorabilia. Besides offering original items, the company arranges the manufacture of limited-edition replica shirts from various sports, with original signatures.
Dawson has found that sales depend on the success of a tour or match. If an important game goes well, a limited edition shirt may sell out. With a £30,000 annual turnover, Dawson views the last two years as a pilot scheme, now on course to expand.
The three partners have invested £50,000. They want to raise £150,000 to take the company forward. Dawson says: 'The money would be spent on hiring a general manager and assistant, and the projected range of editions for 2001. Also, we would like to deal with higher profile sports people - and they are not cheap.'
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Excessive Quality Standards Behind Scandals—Business Expert (News)
Tokyo, Dec. 25 (Jiji Press)—Excessive quality standards from the product design stage are behind inspection data manipulation scandals at Kobe Steel Ltd. and other companies, says business management expert Nakazawa Takao.
"Designers draw up immaculate product plans, hoping to attain perfection to an unnecessary extent," said the Fukuyama University professor well versed in small business management.
"I can see they want to make themselves different from other companies, but it takes time, effort, and cost to adhere to these designs," he said in a recent interview. "It's time to review the practice and ease the standards."
Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi Materials Ltd., and other manufacturers were recently found to have tampered with quality data and shipped products that did not fully meet client requirements.
It is wrong to view the scandals at individual companies as representing deterioration in the country's manufacturing industry at large, Nakazawa said, noting that Japan has 270,000 manufacturing companies in total.[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]


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Since Apple Inc. introduced the first iPhone in 2007, mobile handsets have only gotten bigger. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will buck that trend on Monday when he presents a smaller iPhone, seeking to entice holdouts to upgrade to a new smartphone even if they don’t want a larger device.
The ambitions for the new phone may be commensurate to its diminutive size. Unlike previous new iterations of the device, the 4-inch iPhone won’t be packed full of technological innovations intended to send hordes of Apple fans queuing around the block on launch day to snap it up. Instead, it’s meant to woo those still clinging to the more than two-year-old 5S or 5C, the last models with the more compact screen.


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Weechat explains why he is quitting his job to build an online network for people to collaborate with each other on projects they don’t always work on.
“We want to make the Internet better for everybody,” he says.
“It’s really important to me to help everyone and to be an innovator in the ecosystem that is the Internet.”
Weechats biggest accomplishment to date was the creation of the Weechate Project, a tool that allows anyone to collaborate in the same project, including developers, designers, journalists, and even entrepreneurs.
“The thing that we have is this platform where you can just send a message and the network is all set up to let people interact with each another.”
The company’s most recent major milestone was the launch of Weechatum, a decentralized marketplace for Weechatable, a platform for developers to sell and buy Weechatos tokens.
The platform, which was built in conjunction with the Wechat Foundation, was used to sell more than $2 million worth of tokens in less than 24 hours.
Weechato has raised over $20 million in funding from various sources including the Weemat Foundation.
Wechats latest announcement has more to do with the fact that Weechatz wants to build a marketplace where everyone can sell Weechates products, including digital goods.
“A lot of the things we’re selling on the marketplace are stuff that we think we’re going to be able to sell through our platform, so that’s why we’re announcing that we’re shutting down our platform,” Weechatin says.
The future of Wechate.io is still up in the air, but Weechatt says that it is still an open platform.
“There are lots of different things that we want to do.
There are so many things that the ecosystem is built around.
And the thing is, we want people to participate and make something out of the whole ecosystem,” Wechatin says, adding that he thinks that a marketplace will help drive a lot of innovation and growth in the marketplace.


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As federal lawmakers continue to escalate their partisan yelling matches and finger-pointing, alcohol beverage makers are hoping they can put aside those emotions—just for a quick minute—to vote on H.R.1175/S. 362, aka the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA). First enacted in January 2017, CBMTRA is set to expire December 31, 2019, unless voted into permanency.
On October 16, close to 2,000 individuals connected to the alcohol beverage industry (representing all 50 states) staged a “Day of Action,” calling members of Congress to urge passage of the bipartisan legislation. CBMTRA makes permanent the initial two-year reduction in federal excise taxes on wine, beer, hard cider, and distilled spirits.
The Beverage Alcohol Coalition that organized the event includes American Craft Spirits Association, Brewers Association, Beer Institute, Distilled Spirits Council, Wine Institute, WineAmerica, and U.S. Association of Cider Makers.
Hopefully by the time you read this, CBMTRA will be in the books. But if not, reach out to any of the mentioned organizations find out how you can help the efforts toward passage.


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November 18, 2003 |
EARNINGS Agilent Technologies Inc., the world's biggest maker of scientific testing gear, had a fourth-quarter profit of $13 million after losses for seven straight periods. Net income equaled 3 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $236 million, or 51 cents, a year earlier. Sales fell 3.5% to $1.68 billion, the Palo Alto, Calif., company said. Agilent benefited from cost cuts and an improving market for semiconductors, Chief Executive Ned Barnholt said. Shares of Agilent added $1.80, or 6.
August 19, 2003 |
Agilent Technologies Inc., a money-losing maker of test equipment, said Monday that it had a wider fiscal third-quarter loss as it cut costs and wrote off deferred tax assets. Its shares rose after Agilent said it would break even or have a profit in the current period. The loss was $1.56 billion, or $3.28 a share, compared with $228 million, or 49 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Sales in the quarter ended July 31 rose 8% to $1.5 billion from $1.39 billion.
February 22, 2003 |
Agilent Technologies Inc., the Palo Alto-based maker of high-tech testing equipment, said Friday that it would cut an additional 4,000 jobs, or more than 11% of its workforce, in an attempt to stem continuing losses. Company executives blamed the harsh financial results on customers deciding not to purchase new equipment. Agilent's customers encompass a diverse group of companies in the communications, electronics and life sciences industries, ranging from chip maker Intel Corp.
February 6, 2003 |
Agilent Technologies Inc., a Palo Alto firm whose testing equipment is used by clients as diverse as chip maker Intel Corp. and drug giant Merck & Co., said Wednesday that its fiscal first-quarter loss was wider than it had forecast because customers postponed purchases. Revenue in the quarter ended Jan. 31 was $1.35 billion to $1.45 billion, down from $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion previously forecast, the company said. The loss, excluding some costs, was 22 to 28 cents a share.
November 19, 2002 |
Agilent Technologies Inc. shares rose during extended trading hours after the maker of testing and measurement equipment said Monday that sales topped forecasts and that it would eliminate 2,500 jobs. The company reported a fourth-quarter loss partly because of severance costs. The net loss was $236 million, or 51 cents a share, in the quarter ended Oct. 31, compared with net income of $197 million, or 43 cents, a year earlier, Agilent said. Sales rose 8.
August 20, 2002 |
Agilent Technologies Inc., a maker of test and measurement equipment, reported a larger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter loss because of weak demand and disruptions caused by a new companywide management system. For the three months ended July 31, the Palo Alto company lost $228 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with a loss of $225 million, or 49 cents, in the same period last year.


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In a bid to encourage the manufacture and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, the government instructed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) council to reduce GST on electric cars from 12 percent to 5 percent in the Union Budget.
The Goods and Services Tax Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet today and decide on lowering tax rates for electric vehicles, officials said. Sitharaman presided over the earlier meeting of the Council on 21 June.
The 36th meeting of the Council, which will happen through video conferencing, is also likely to decide the valuation of goods and services in solar power generating systems and wind turbine projects for the purposes of levying GST, according to a PTI report.
The Council, which has state finance ministers as members, in its meeting last month, had referred the issue relating to GST concessions on electric vehicle, electric chargers and hiring of electric vehicles, to an officers committee.
The industry wants a tax cut of 7 percent. "That will be significant," said Surinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric and Director General of the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles. The cut will then make e-vehicles affordable, and push for its adoption, he said.
The GST rate on raw material for EVs which includes the likes of lithium-ion batteries and electric motors though still stands at 18 percent. The affordability factor can be a hindrance for the purchase of e-vehicles, though, Gill said.
The solar industry has been pitching for a different ratio for splitting goods and services for levying GST.
The Council will also consider tax structure for solar power projects. That is the need of the hour, said sector specialists. E-vehicles can be truly carbon neutral if they work on solar power, said Kavan Mukhtiyar, Partner and Leader-Automotive, PwC India. The GST council should consider it favourably, Mukhtyar said.
GST rate for petrol and diesel cars and hybrid vehicles is already at the highest bracket of 28 percent plus cess. Yet, customers will still prefer to buy fuel-powered ones, said Gill. He said the government should consider bringing in indirect measures to boost early adoption of electric vehicles through the campaigns. "The awareness of e-vehicles is less in other parts of India as compared to the metros. The government should promote awareness as they did with a slew of projects like the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, among others. When there is a thrust from the government, it gets better attention from the public," said Gill.
To push domestic manufacturing of e-vehicles, the Centre proposed to the Council to slash GST rates to 5 percent from 12 percent. "We want the council to ratify the announcement made by the Finance Minister," said Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric.
The recommendations of the officers committee are likely to be placed before the Council today, officials said.
Updated Date: Jul 25, 2019 11:28:16 IST


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Shares of Coinbase popped 17% on Monday as cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether rallied.
Ethereum contains roughly 30% of Coinbase’s buying and selling quantity, whereas Bitcoin quantities to about 21%, in response to CoinMarketCap data.
Tech shares are largely within the inexperienced on Monday, as buyers seem to wager that the Federal Reserve will be less aggressive against inflation than feared. Which may be giving Coinbase shares some additional steam. Nonetheless, the corporate’s inventory is down 75% for the yr and is off about 83% from its 52-week excessive on Nov. 9, 2021.
Coinbase’s surge comes got here after an internal email from the corporate final month saying the corporate is shedding 18% of its staff.
CEO Brian Armstrong additionally warned final quarter that the corporate grew “too shortly” throughout a bull market and called out the need to handle Coinbase’s burn price and enhance effectivity. He additionally stated that crypto winters could lead to a decline in buying and selling exercise.
“We seem like getting into a recession after a ten+ yr financial increase. A recession might result in one other crypto winter, and will final for an prolonged interval,” Armstrong stated within the e mail. “Whereas it is exhausting to foretell the economic system or the markets, we all the time plan for the worst so we are able to function the enterprise by means of any setting.”


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Another reely good reason to enjoy Australian seafood
31 March 2017
On Sustainable Seafood Day, lovers of Australian seafood can rest easy knowing that the locally-caught produce on their plate is sourced from the world's best managed fisheries.
The continuous improvements to fishing practices made by the fishing industry and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority are paying dividends.
"Australian fisheries are in the best shape they have been in for more than 20 years," Minister Ruston said.
"We live in an age where consumers really care about where their food is sourced.
"More and more consumers are seeking to make responsible seafood choices and there is growing public concern about overfishing, farming practices and their impact on our oceans and wildlife.
"Our fisheries practices are world class.
"You can be rest assured, however, that Australian fisheries will keep serving up sustainable seafood."
"Today is a day for celebrating this proud Australian industry.
"With so many different seafood options out there, choose Australian caught seafood – you know it's sustainably managed."
Celebrated each year, Sustainable Seafood Day encourages people to recognise the importance of sustainably managed fisheries.


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On Thingiverse, a site where anyone can share their 3-D digital designs for others to use, you can find the blueprints for printing a world of oddities: a scale model of a great white shark skull, Star Wars cufflinks, and the “Monster Cube” puzzle, to name a few entries among the 60,000 open-source designs that Joshua Pearce, a researcher at Michigan Technological University, estimates live on the site.
But among the curiosities are also a growing number of common household items that can be made on a 3-D printer and are actually pretty useful. So Pearce decided to do the math.
In a study published in the journal Mechatronics in July, Pearce discusses 20 common household items he found on Thingiverse, and how he then searched Google Shopping to calculate a range of what it would cost to get these items shipped to his door. He compared these to the costs of making the items on a home 3-D printer, including the price of materials and even the electricity consumed during the estimated print time.
His conclusion? “For the average American consumer, 3-D printing is ready for showtime,” he writes. If a consumer printed only those 20 items in a year (really, he could do it in a weekend for a total of $18), the avoided purchase costs would range from $300 to $2,000.
That means a 3-D printer could pay for itself in as little as four months and at least within two years. The payback time could shrink even more, he says, especially as 3-D printers become more affordable, reliable and easy to repair by making their own parts. Earlier this year, Staples began selling 3-D printers starting at $1299.99.
This all seems exciting on the surface. These days, everyone from President Obama to General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt talks up the potential for 3-D printing to reinvent how the U.S. does business–helping to bring manufacturing back to domestic shores, but also allowing average households to have their own mini-factories at home.
However, the list of 20 items in Pearce’s study should give us pause. They include a key hanger, a jewelry organizer, a garlic press, a paper towel holder, a spoon holder, a Pierogi mold and several kinds of iPhone cases, docks and stands. Pearce deliberately chose affordable items in his study. But for people on a budget, buying a mold to make Pierogis (which, by the way, are delicious) isn’t exactly going to make or break the daily budget calculation. It’s also worth questioning whether another item on the list–a shower head–could possibly function as well in a plastic 3-D print compared to a store-bought item that has been designed to last.
Nevertheless, the trend is growing. It will get easier and more affordable to make things at home on a 3-D printer, and soon these devices will be cheap enough that it will make sense for many people to jump in and buy one. But Amazon and Walmart shouldn’t be worried about competition just yet.


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Tag : Browns
London Fashion Week: day three, buyer diarySubscription
Day three at London Fashion Week was dominated by big names, including Burberry and Victoria Beckham.
Robbery investigation at BrownsSubscription
Police are investigating an alleged armed robbery at designer boutique Browns’ Shoreditch store, Drapers can reveal.
Browns CEO takes on new role Subscription
Luxury retailer Browns’ chief executive, Holli Rogers, has taken on the newly created role of chief fashion officer at etailer Farfetch.
Holli Rogers, CEO, BrownsSubscription
Holli Rogers is leading an era of tech innovation and growth for independent luxury retailer Browns. Although it does not disclose profit figures, in April Rogers told Drapers Browns had 100% year on year growth – with no sign of slowing down.
Browns partners with BFC to support designersSubscription
The British Fashion Council has announced it is partnering with luxury retailer Browns on its Newgen initiative.
The Place London to open in ParisSubscription
UK boutique The Place London will open a new store in Paris in January.
What to expect from Riccardo Tisci's BurberrySubscription
Next month Italian designer Riccardo Tisci will unveil his vision for Burberry with his first London Fashion Week catwalk show as the British brand’s chief creative officer. What can we expect?
Browns teams up with luxury rental platformSubscription
Browns has launched a pop-up with US-based rental and styling platform Armarium at the luxury retailer’s South Molton Street store.
Despite questions over the future of London Fashion Week Men’s following the departure of some big names, emerging labels flourished in the limelight at a successful spring 19 edition.


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Warehousing and trade companies have proposed to establish FTWZs
West & North India contractors ahead.
The Policy is expected to oust polluting vehicles that are 15 years old.
Infrastructure to drive economic growth in the post-COVID-19 markets.
Infrastructure to drive economic growth in the post-COVID-19 markets, writes Agnelorajesh Athaide.
Sectors include capital goods and machinery, mobile and electronics and more...
Sector outlook remains negative in near-to-medium term: ICRA.
CW’s webinar on the current economic scenario and what can be done for revival...
CW’s webinar discusses the impact of COVID on ports, and the way forward...
The Supreme Court has chosen to turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the small businesses of the country wanting it to ward off the looming threat of penal action under the Ministry of Home Affairs order and the Disaster Management Act.


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The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) disparages the USDA for considering this change since it ...
"... offers unfair advantages to large-scale breweries. There are many micro-breweries now selling truly organic beers (with organic hops). These companies cannot compete with the prices of larger companies stepping into the "organic" beer business, like Budweiser, who will be allowed to use less expensive, conventionally grown hops (non-organic hops costs less than half as much as organic hops)."
- Organic Consumers Association, USDA To Allow More Conventional Ingredients In Organics
Budweiser is owned by Anheuser-Busch, who recently debuted two new organic beers, Stone Mill Pale Ale and Wild Hop Lager.
The USDA is accepting public comments on this proposal until Tuesday, May 22, at Regulations.gov. Or you can visit the OCA's site and sign their petition.
Post a Comment


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How to win back the hearts and minds of dormant customers is a common challenge faced by online retailers. After all, the cost of acquiring a new customer is significantly higher than keeping an existing one.
Crafting a win-back program typically involves segmenting inactives, and developing relevant messaging and offers to lure them back. But data integration is another common obstacle to mounting a successful campaign.
Rue La La – a Signal client and one of Internet Retailer’s Hot 100 E-Retailers of 2014 – recently asked for our help with this challenge.
Boston-based Rue La La is an invitation-only online retail destination that offers members exclusive “flash sales” – private sale boutiques that are open for brief windows of time. Rather than owning brick-and-mortar stores, Rue La La connects with customers via its website, daily emails and mobile apps.
Rue La La La was seeking to efficiently target lapsed customers with relevant display ads. But executing the campaign required matching data between CRM and retargeting vendors, which were unable to share the information.
With Signal Fuse™ – the industry-leading solution for real-time, cross-channel profile integration – data matching took place in the cloud and occurred instantly. Rue La La was able to re-ignite customer relationships while building real-time, cross-channel data capabilities with unlimited possibilities for the future.
“With Signal Fuse, Rue La La was able to wake up dormant customers and increase conversions in a key retargeting campaign by more than 10 percent,” said Eric Sherman, Senior Manager, Acquisition Marketing, Rue La La.
Want to learn more about Rue La La’s compelling use case? Download the free case study and read our press release.


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Even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday hailed the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy stance of maintaining status quo in key rates, he said that the apex bank’s projection of six per cent GDP (gross domestic product) growth this fiscal was far too conservative and he would rather go by the estimates of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC).
“[The] RBI always makes very hard and conservative assessment... The GDP growth I am inclined to accept [is] the figure of [the] Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, headed by C. Rangarajan, that means from 6.5 to 6.75 per cent… Of course, the assessment of the RBI on the whole is in conformity with the government’s own thinking on both fiscal policy as well as monetary policy,” Mr. Mukherjee said while interacting with the media on quarterly monetary policy review measures.
To a query on whether the stimulus measures would continue, especially when the RBI is signalling a reversal to tight-money policy in the near future, Mr. Mukherjee said: “As I mentioned [earlier], that until the economy is on a firm recovery path, it will continue.”
On the greater challenge of tackling inflationary pressures — with the RBI scaling up Wholesale Price Index-based inflation to 6.5 per cent by the fiscal year-end from five per cent estimated earlier — Mr. Mukherjee pointed out that the government had taken steps to ensure that the adverse impact of the price spiral was reduced by strengthening the supply-side management.
Listing the steps taken in this regard, the Finance Minister said that commodities in short supply were being imported and despite the likely shortfall in kharif crop production, there would be no shortage of foodgrains as the stocks were sufficient.
Mr. Mukherjee, however, admitted that until the global economies recovered — particularly in Europe and the U.S. — the prospect of robust export growth was unlikely. “But the encouraging trend is that the rate of decline which was very high in the earlier months has reduced though it still continues to be negative,” he said. As for the overall scenario, Mr. Mukherjee said: “On the whole, the economy, I would like to say, is responding well to the policy statement which we have initiated. The RBI and the Ministry of Finance are working in close cooperation and this will continue in future.”


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According to new research from WFA and global media advisors, MediaSense, nearly half of all advertisers, agencies, ad tech companies and media owners believe the industry is in its worst ever shape with regards to talent.
Nearly half (48%) of all advertisers, agencies, ad tech companies and media owners think the industry is facing its “worst-ever crisis” when it comes to talent, topping off at 54% among agencies, according to new research from WFA and global media advisors, MediaSense.
68% globally say that talk of a “crisis” is not overstating the matter, a figure that rises to 74% in the US. In addition, 77% of respondents admitted that there is “some” or “high” scarcity of talent in their organisation, peaking at 85% among the agency and ad tech sectors, and at 81% in the US and 93% in APAC.
Perhaps the most worrying finding from Media’s Got Talent?, however, is that 67% of all respondents (76% in APAC) believe that talent scarcity is proving to be a major blocker to growth.
In the largest study of its kind, the findings are based on responses from more than 400 stakeholders from many of the world’s largest advertisers, agencies, media platforms and technology companies. 81% of respondents were at director level with advertiser respondents responsible for in excess of $110 billion in annual communications spend.
Media’s Got Talent? found that the key areas of talent shortage were in data and analytics (84% at both advertisers and agencies), eCommerce/retail media (71% at advertisers and 73% at agencies) and measurement (69% at advertisers and 74% at agencies).
Data and analytics were also highlighted as the single most important capability to prioritise for the next two years, with 71% of advertiser and 64% of agencies agreeing, significantly ahead of eCommerce/Retail media at 53% and 42% respectively.
Some skills are in less short supply, however. Across all regions and industry cohorts, the more ‘right-brained’ disciplines of media buying, social media, influencer marketing and creative are better supplied. For example, only 36% of respondents are seeing scarcity in social and influencer marketing in EMEA. Similarly, disciplines which can be more easily automated or handled via offshoring – such as ad operations or search marketing – are also experiencing less scarcity.
Matt Green, Director, Global Media Services at WFA says, “The talent crisis is affecting all parts of the industry and clients are feeling the pinch within their internal global media teams. But, as this research shows, the impact is particularly pronounced on the agency side and this is having a profound impact on the ability of clients to execute campaigns globally”.
He adds, “While the industry couldn’t have predicted a global pandemic, this study also identifies intractable, but more predictable issues, that have had a dramatic impact including training, talent management and even a perceived lack of purpose. These factors need to be addressed for the health of all our businesses and in the interest of a stronger client and agency dynamic”.
The factors being blamed for the skills shortage include poor training, talent management (both 76%), a lack of purpose (68%), poor client agency behaviour (61%) and over-specialisation and recruitment by tech companies (both 58%).
This latter factor, with tech companies able to offer a different pace of work, alongside more attractive and motivating remuneration is most pronounced in the US (69% vs 52% in EMEA and 59% in APAC). Advertisers are most affected by the tech-steal with 64% of advertisers compared to 49% of agencies agreeing that this is a major contributor to the talent shortage.
Other key findings are:
Ryan Kangisser, Managing Partner at MediaSense comments, “This study comes at an important time in the industry with businesses experiencing levels of staff attrition never seen before. And, while we remain first and foremost a people-centric business, ‘riding the wave’ is no longer a viable strategy. We know the impact this has on future growth, so it is vital that businesses start to invest in talent in a more meaningful way, ensuring they strike a better balance between specialists and all-rounders, youth and experience, expertise and attitude”.
Gerry D’Angelo, VP, Global Media, P&G, and Co-Chair WFA Media Forum & Media Board says, “Organisations need to have really effective career management and development systems in place to give employees real clarity on where the ownership of their career lies and how they can develop”.
Belinda Smith, Founder and CEO, Second Arrow, and WFA Global Diversity Ambassador explains, “We spend a lot of time bringing in really talented people and asking them to conform to the systems, norms, and culture of the organisation where we should actually be asking them to use their skills and experiences to really change us as an organisation. That’s how we keep moving forward”.


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Business News Archive - October 09, 2012
FERRARA, Italy, October 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss Electricty Provider SIG Working with Sunergic and Italian Company Giulio Barbieri Holding company SIG
MUNICH, Germany, October 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- - 177,716 vehicles sold in September, an increase of 11.6% - BMW brand worldwide sales climb by 14.3%
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct.
NEWTON, Mass. and AMSTERDAM, Oct.
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. and AMSTERDAM, Oct.
SEOUL, Korea, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Renewable Energy Korea 2012' (hereafter REK 2012) is held from Oct. 9th-12th at COEX, KOREA.
Nad’s, the hair removal experts just launched the ideal product for anyone like Brad Pitt who may need a little assistance in the nose hair grooming department.
In today's world of constrained resources and limited capital, there is a tremendous need to think creatively and implement smarter models for doing business in the water sector.
Lucintel estimates moderate growth for global marine ports and services industry during 2012-2017. Irving, TX (PRWEB) October 08, 2012 The global marine


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Technology has been a boon to fraudsters intent on getting their hands on your hard-earned savings. We highlight the warning signs to watch out for.
Thinking of cashing in your retirement nest egg? Watch out for conmen offering tax-free deals and super-quick access to your money.
Identity theft has risen by a third over the past year, according to UK fraud prevention service Cifas.
Twenty years ago, a tech-savvy music fan logged on to the internet and became the first person ever to make an online purchase – a CD of Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales album – for the sum of £7.74...
Twenty years ago, a tech-savvy music fan logged on to the internet and became the first person ever to make an online purchase - a CD of Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales album - for the sum of £7.74...
Consumers have been warned that criminals are increasingly using social media to recruit unwitting 'money mules' that help them launder money.
Consumers are being warned of a telephone scam that see fraudsters trick people into thinking they are talking to their bank.
Fraudsters are targeting restaurant diners through a new phone scam, according to Financial Fraud Action UK.
NHS doctors see around 116,000 patients they suspect are exaggerating or feigning whiplash injuries to claim compensation fraudulently every month, a shock report has found.
Free trial scams have duped RBS customers out of £2.9 million, or £30,000 each day, since last June.
Financial fraudsters are using the name of fund management group Fidelity to con investors out of their cash.
News, articles and guides on all things money related, from pensions and investments to savings and mortgages. Moneywise offers independent news and views, video and blogs as well as uniquely independent and interactive comparison services.
Moneywise distributes services supplied by Interactive Investor. Interactive Investor Trading Limited, trading as "Interactive Investor", is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Copyright © 2017 Moneywise.


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FLOW’s Customer Feedback Ratings Improve
In its continuing effort to give customers more ways to access its services and transform its customer experience, Flow has introduced an upgraded state-of-the-art Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system which facilitates self-serve options twenty four hours per day, seven days per week.
This move comes as Flow completes its comprehensive rebranding across the Caribbean and relocates its new Customer Contact Centre of Excellence to Jamaica. Since February 2016, Flow has embarked on a phased reintroduction of the Customer Contact Centre of Excellence, the aim of which is to improve service levels across the wider Caribbean.
With the newly introduced IVR system, customers of the former Columbus (legacy Flow) will begin to experience a much more interactive service that allows them to automatically access account information such as bill balances, last payment made, current payment due date, as well as pay cable TV and broadband bills.
Alvin Stokes, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience, expressed delight at the progress being made as the company takes deliberate steps on its journey towards becoming the number one service provider across the region.
“The addition of the upgraded transactional capabilities of the state-of-the-art IVR system underscores our mission to totally transform our customer experience. Early indications are that we have been making inroads,” said Stokes, while confirming that “since the relocation of the Contact Centre of Excellence back to Jamaica we have seen an improvement in customer satisfaction ratings of +18%.”


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Sourcing promo products from China or overseas in 2021?
Back in February we wrote our first article about the Coronavirus impact and how it might affect orders of promotional merchandise in the coming months. And here we are, eleven months later, having to have a similar conversation.
Anyone planning to order promotional products and branded merchandise from overseas in the next 12 months should (probably) read this.
What are the main issues causing delays?
Port Congestion: Many of the ports across Australia are suffering from berthing congestion issues. Sydney has been particularly hard hit with incoming freight being diverted in some cases to Melbourne and Brisbane as a result. Aldi supermarkets released a statement earlier this month warning customers their popular festive Special Buys might not arrive in-store as planned due to the delays. The congestion, due in part to lack of workers on the ground as well as broader delays due to Covid-19, has seen the shipping community slapped with additional PSS (peak season) surcharges. Not happy Jan.
Industrial Action: Throughout the past few months, wharf workers and their trade union have been engaged in industrial action across Australian ports. Whilst the Maritime Union of Australia agreed to halt its industrial action in September, Shipping Australia has warned to expect substantial disruption to container supply chains.
Container Issues: One of the knock on effects of the recent industrial action has been a build of empty shipping containers due to ships not being able to evacuate the full complement of empty containers due to servicing delays. This has led to an acute shortage of available containers with the leasing market also at capacity. According to Nico Hecker, Hapag-Lloyd’s director of global container logistics; “We are currently seeing a ‘black swan’ event and experiencing the strongest increase in 40ft demand, following one of the strongest decreases in demand ever. Both happening within just six months.”
What does that mean for promotional merchandise coming to Australia?
Delays are likely. Things might not go according to plan.
At this stage projected delays out of China may continue until after Chinese New Year (Feb 2021).
How should businesses who have events, activations and promotional marketing planned for 2021 prepare?
Plan Ahead: With a multi-tiered supply chain, even limited delays at different stages means we are strongly advising our clients to allow for a 2-4 week contingency plan for any products they plan to order.
Think Local: If you do need merchandise fast and if the size of order, type of product and budget allows then we would suggest working with one of our 400+ local suppliers. They currently have good stock levels, with merchandise that can be branded locally and delivered in shorter time frames.
Be Careful About Sourcing Direct: Whilst it can be tempting to cut costs by sourcing direct from one of the thousands of commodity merchandise suppliers online, we would urge caution. Being reliant on one supplier and without supply-chain transparency getting a clear understanding of stock levels, availability and delivery time lines can mean your products are delayed further still.
Work with a trusted supplier: The massive disruption in global supply chains in addition to the shipping issues closer to home has highlighted how important it is to work with experienced suppliers. Seek out partnerships with companies that prioritize supply-chain strategy and who can provide you with a selection of overseas and local suppliers to best meet your needs. Ensuring your supplier works with a reputable/trusted freight forwarder will help minimise delays as their influence is key for securing vessel bookings. By using a trusted supplier you will be best positioned to not only meet customer deadlines but also control costs that could jeopardise your bottom line.
At Inck, we are in the business of making branded merchandise EASY – so feel free to get in touch so we can help you with your promotional merchandise needs into 2021 and beyond, whether it’s sourcing promo products in China or finding local suppliers.
#promotionalproducts #brandedmerchandise #coronavirus #inckmerchandise #promotionalmarketing #procurement


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We're up bright and early in Las Vegas for LG's CES 2013 press conference. In amongst all manner of consumer electronics -- from refrigerators, to televisions, to cleaning robots -- LG's teased some new Android-powered goodies. An recent video has teased what looks like an Optimus G-class device, so we're likely in for some new Android-powered phones this morning.
Naturally, we're covering the whole event live. You can catch our liveblog after the break. The action kicks off at 8am PST (11am EST).


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Cryptocurrency store e-coin.io has announced that it will close down as a result of a cyber threat, citing insufficient funds to pay its staff.
The online store, which was previously listed on CoinDesk, is currently offering bitcoin and litecoin trading services.
“Due to the lack of funds we will be unable to continue our business operation, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you,” the store wrote in a statement to CoinDesk.
“We are working hard to restore the company’s infrastructure and services and will be fully operational again once we have more funds.”
The statement continued: “We will be contacting our customers as soon as we can and will have no further comment at this time.
We are extremely sorry for any disruption this may have caused.”
In March, e-currency exchange Coinlab shut down after the hackers used its website to infect the server hosting it, and later threatened to steal customer funds.
According to a statement from the company, its “primary goal” is to “protect and support our customers from cyber threats and any other cyber attack”.
“The business will be shutting down immediately.
The employees will be offered jobs elsewhere, and the company will continue with normal operations,” it added.
Coinlab’s website has been restored, but the company has since suspended trading of its products.
In the past, e, the currency of the internet, has faced similar problems.
In September 2016, ecoin-pay.com went offline after a hacker group targeted the site with malware.
At the time, the site said the hack was carried out by a group called “D-Squad”, who claimed responsibility for other attacks.
But the group was later revealed to have been the work of the cyber-security firm CrowdStrike, which published a report claiming the group had been responsible for a string of recent attacks on US financial institutions.
The firm said it was “actively investigating” the attack, which it claimed targeted the websites of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In November 2016, Coinlab said that it had suspended trading after hackers breached its servers, including the website.
In April 2017, the company announced that its trading services were being taken offline and the staff would be given severance packages.
“At Coinlab, we value our customers and take these risks seriously,” the statement said at the time.
The company added that it was continuing to work with the FBI on its investigation. “
The security of our customers is our top priority, and we are currently working closely with our team to determine what additional measures will be necessary to restore trading to the site.”
The company added that it was continuing to work with the FBI on its investigation.
CoinLab has previously said that its payment processor BitPay has stopped processing payments from the cyber threat group.
The payment processing service has previously received threats and was the subject of a hack in February.
In June, CoinLab said it would close the site entirely after a cyber attack, but said that the company was working with the US government on an investigation.


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A wedding guest has caused a stir online for potentially upstaging the bride with a racy red garment.
Next week, mix94.5 brekkie presenter Matt will turn 50 and get married for the first time on the same day. Here’s how his life ended up at this unusual milestone.
An Australian bride whose glamorous wedding was marred by a massive coronavirus outbreak has spoken out, saying she would “never have put people at risk knowingly”.
They were supposed to be celebrating the wedding of their dreams but two Geraldton doctors have postponed their matrimonial bliss to fight coronavirus on the front line.
Newly-married Bindi Irwin has shown off the "beautiful" gift she received from movie star Russell Crowe.
As weddings across the country are frantically being rearranged, along with the rest of the 2020 calendar, one Perth bride and groom have created a poignant postcard from the coronavirus era.
When the fast food giant announced it was giving six ‘lucky’ couples a KFC-themed wedding, more than 2000 applied for the ‘privilege’. Now the first ‘winning’ couple can be revealed.
A man’s plan to propose to the love of his life has unravelled - badly - after the bride-to-be discovered that the Tiffany and Co ring he said he bought her was actually a very cheap rip-off.
Former Bachelor Matty Johnson has slowly started planning his dream wedding with his fiancee Laura Byrne.
A professional bridesmaid who has walked the aisle hundreds of times has lifted the lid on her unique career - and how many dresses are stacked in her closet.
A young couple recruited their grandmothers to act as flower girls for their Tennessee wedding, with the sweet photos of the bridal party going viral online.
Life is going to be anything but boring for Rebekah Cybulski, who on Saturday said “I do” to now-husband Damian if his choice of wedding attire is anything to go by.
Guests at a wedding got a shock when they received a gift list of items costing from around $550 upwards.
A Canadian man has come up with a different approach to asking for his partner’s hand in marriage
When Robbie Klitzing pitched a KFC-themed wedding to his girlfriend, he ended up on the couch. But he’s used the time to consider why companies should follow the Colonel’s lead.
Wedding planner Lisa McGee is giving Perth women the chance to dust off their beloved gown and wear it with pride at Perth’s first-ever wedding dress charity ball.
Keeping the headcount down is a necessary evil to avoid financial blowout, so when a bride-to-be received a guest’s RSVP card for herself plus 21 extras she was more than a little stunned.
Social media has gone to town on a farmer’s proposal to his girlfriend, saying he had well and truly been steered in the wrong direction.
Leading Perth designer Jonte Morgan is seeing more cost-conscious customers looking the perfect gown at boutique Jonte Designs.
Hundreds of wedding dresses are being sold for a steal after a local store was damaged by smoke.


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EA Sports tweeted the first two screenshots of the nextgen version of FIFA 2021 . The footage shows detailed faces of Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Atletico Madrid striker Juan Felix.
And this is how these same players look on the current generation of consoles. The difference is visible to the naked eye.
FIFA 21 on PS5 and Xbox Series will boast at least improved lighting and faster downloads. The game will reach new consoles on December 4th, and owners of the game on PS4 and Xbox One will receive a free nextgen upgrade.


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On April 25-30, Binh Dinh held many events to welcome tourists, including low-range fireworks to open the Quy Nhon Festival – Sea Paradise.
On April 22, Tran Van Thanh, director of Binh Dinh Department of Tourism, said that for the upcoming holidays of April 30 and May 1, thousands of tourists have registered to book rooms at many hotels and coastal towns owned by the local people.
“Many coastal towns and hotels are filled with rooms after tourists learned that the place held many events, festivals and fireworks to coincide with the holiday time of April 30 and May 1, inquired Mr Thanh.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Vu, chairman of Binh Dinh Tourism Association and director of Hoang Yen Hotel Complex, added that three 3- and 4-star hotels of Hoang Yen have been booked by tourists so far, more than 80% of the total 200 rooms for the holidays of April 30 and May 1.
“We still keep the same room rate and include breakfast at the hotel to serve tourists. Many festivals, especially the province, organize fireworks on public holidays, so booking rooms for tourists has increased enormously compared to previous years,” said Mr. vu.
Before the holidays, many family groups in Quang Ngai also contact to book rooms to come to this place to have fun and relax. If you haven’t booked in advance, it can be difficult to find accommodation for this holiday season.
“We called many resorts and coastal hotels in Binh Dinh to book a room for our family vacation, but all of them reported that the room was sold out. Fortunately, a hotel owner in the city of Quy Nhon had a room, so there was no room left. We signed up for the perfect family vacation,” said Mr. Duy (living in Quang Ngai).
Binh Dinh has set a target that from now until the end of the year, tourists who come to visit here will reach nearly 3.4 million visitors, and by the end of 2025, 8 million visitors will come to the place for sightseeing and tourism.
According to the leader of Binh Dinh Department of Tourism, the department will organize many activities on April 25-30, such as: beach volleyball exchanges, team building competitions, street art activities, flower car parades in the street, sports cheerleading, lion dance, kite competition, inauguration of the Scientific Space Complex, Cosmos Model House and Science Museum, youth music festival, etc.
On the evening of April 29, Binh Dinh launched 15 minutes of low-range fireworks to open the Quy Nhon Festival – the sea paradise in Nguyen Tat Thanh Square.
@ Sing News


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Sterling has fallen on the back of inflation figures released this morning, which show the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained steady at 2.4% in June.
The Office for National Statistics said the rate was unchanged on the previous month at 2.4%, its joint-lowest level in 14 months. Upward pressure on prices came from motor fuels, domestic gas and electricity...
‘Important to have an anchor’
Lack of innovation for solutions
Some 2,000 consumers affected
Achievements, charity work and other happy snippets


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A few months ago, I had the opportunity to join an expedition to learn about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Israel. We met with government officials, industry leaders, university research centers and technology transfer offices, venture capital investors, and, of course, the headliners – the entrepreneurs…
Glen Tullman Launches Livongo Health™ to Empower Consumers with Chronic Conditions to Live Better, Beginning with Diabetes
Livongo Health™, a consumer digital health company, launched today with a vision to empower people with chronic conditions to live better through the combined power of technology, real-time personalized information, and support from their chosen care team.
Livongo Health™ is announcing the availability of Livongo for Diabetes, its new consumer digital health platform that provides real-time information, personalized tools and a connected support network to empower people with diabetes to live better.


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On Saturday Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty’s Hero was flat at India Box Office
Hero Day 2 Box Office Collection:
6.52 Crore Trade Figure
6.62 Crore Producer Figure
Total till date:
13.24 Crore Trade Figure
13.47 Crore Producer Figure
6.72 Crore Trade Figure
6.85 Crore Producer Figure
Budget: 28 Crores
Thursday + Friday $350,000 or Rs 2.32 Crores which is a decent number for a new comer movie but in USA Hero is currently dull.
On Saturday Hero was 3% lower than that on Friday.
On Saturday Hero was pretty much at the same levels as on Friday and the movie is struggling majorly in North India multiplexes of Delhi and Punjab but is doing better in single screens and mass areas.
Hero is still doing similar to Heropanti which had a 6.5 Crore opening and a 21 Crore weekend and went on to do 50 Crores but released in early part of 2015 which is a weak period for releases.
Hero however is facing competition from holdover release Welcome back and will also face competition from a wide release Katti Batti in coming weeks.
Salman Khan’s promotion and the hit song had ensured that Hero gets a start but its all about the weekdays that matter.
Hero is doing better at single screens than on multiplexes but the release has been done targeting more multiplex screens than single screens. Also on single screens it faces competition with welcome back.
Still a 20 Crore weekend which looks likely for a movie starring newcomers and is such a low cost one is pretty good. A Crore first weekend will put it amongst top bollywood 15 movies of 2015.
Hero had an opening which was the second highest ever opening for a movie starring newcomers after Student of The Year
For Hero Friday is 13th highest opening day of 2015 and bigger than movies like Drishyam, Bombay Velvet and Piku.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Because you've all stopped buying PCs, AMD's wiped $1b+ off expected sales
Q3 revenue still set to be up overall, Ryzen biz says in FYI to Wall St
AMD has warned investors its guidance for quarterly revenue was out by $1.1 billion.
The Ryzen processor designer is not due to report its Q3 results until November 1, though has nonetheless decided to give Wall Street a taste of its numbers – a move that businesses rarely use unless they have bad news to disclose or feel investors need to know about changing trading conditions sooner rather than later.
Today’s announcement mixes good and bad news.
The headline item is that AMD now forecasts Q3 revenue of $5.6 billion, down from the $6.7 billion haul (plus or minus $200 million) it previously predicted. That's a 16 percent crash in predicted sales.
The biz has blamed people not buying enough personal computers, and thus its processors for those machines, for its woes.
“The PC market weakened significantly in the quarter,” AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su said in a canned quote. “While our product portfolio remains very strong, macroeconomic conditions drove lower than expected PC demand and a significant inventory correction across the PC supply chain.”
- AMD's Ryzen V3000 goes head to head with Intel's embedded chips on power, oomph
- AMD was right about chiplets, Intel's Gelsinger all but says
- Removing an obsolete AMD fix makes Linux kernel 6 quicker
Both analyst houses attributed the sales slump to a combination of economic uncertainty and rising inflation, and buyers having snapped up all the gear they need to get through the pandemic-driven shift to working-from-home.
The good news we mentioned above is that even with the PC sales slump kicking a billion dollar hole in revenue, AMD’s revised guidance still indicates a 29 percent year-on-year revenue increase for Q3.
Datacenter, gaming, and embedded products delivered that result, with all reporting “increased significantly year-over-year in-line with the company’s expectations.”
Su declared herself “pleased with the performance of our Data Center, Embedded, and Gaming segments and the strength of our diversified business model and balance sheet,” and said AMD “remain[s] focused on delivering our leadership product roadmap and look forward to launching our next-generation 5nm data center and graphics products later this quarter."
The chief exec didn’t address AMD’s margins, which have fallen along with PC sales.
Forecast non-GAAP gross margin of 54 percent was reduced to “approximately 50 percent,” with a roughly $160 million charge related primarily to “inventory, pricing, and related reserves in the graphics and client businesses” denting numbers.
AMD’s warning is another sign, if it were needed, of softening global economic conditions primarily caused by plague, inflation, and war.
Enjoy your weekend, dear reader. If you can. ®


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CATL begins building cathode plant in Yichang
CATL has begun construction of a large industrial park in the Chinese city of Yichang for the production of battery materials for electric vehicles and the recycling of batteries. The first phase is scheduled to be commissioned in 2023 and the entire project completed in 2025.
According to media reports, CATL has now officially made these plans public on its WeChat account. The news website Auto Gasgoo, reports that an agreement was already reached with the local authorities in mid-October. In an earlier statement, CATL also mentioned Brunp Recycling and Ningbo Brunp CATL as project partners. CATL is said to have a majority stake in Brunp, while Ningbo Brunp CATL is a joint venture between the two companies.
Yichang is located in the west of the Chinese province of Hubei. The production facility will cover the entire production of cathode material, including the processing of raw materials and pre-products. The plan is to have an annual production capacity of 360,000 tonnes of iron phosphate, 220,000 tonnes of lithium iron phosphate, 180,000 tonnes of NCM precursor material, 40,000 tonnes of lithium cobalt oxide and 40,000 tonnes of recycled graphite. The industrial park’s facilities are expected to be able to provide battery cathode materials for 4 million electric vehicles when completed.
A separate complex of the planned industrial park in Yichang will also be dedicated to recycling. The recycling capacity is expected to reach up to 300,000 tonnes of batteries per year. Reuters reported in October that CATL was aiming to build a recycling factory for battery materials in Hubei province – under the direction of a joint venture yet to be founded with the company Hubei Yihua Chemical Industry. It remains unclear whether this will be an identical plant or a second one.
Involvement in the recycling sector is relatively new for CATL. According to the news agency, among other things, new standards and guidelines formulated by the Chinese government to promote battery recycling and to save materials probably played a role in CATL’s investment decision.
CATL is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of battery cells for electric cars. The group’s success is mainly due to its strong position in the domestic market. According to information from the beginning of the year, CATL wants to defend this position by massively expanding its production capacities – specifically, it is talking about an increase in output to 230 GWh of battery cells this year and to 1,200 GWh in 2025, with the following intermediate steps: 380 GWh (2022), 540 GWh (2023) and 830 GWh (2024).
The expansion of production capacity is to be accompanied by expansion to Japan, Indonesia, the USA and Europe, with Germany playing a key role in the European market. This key role stems from CATL’s first production facility outside China, which started in Erfurt. The groundbreaking ceremony took place there in October 2019, a personnel offensive is currently underway, and completion is planned for 2022. The battery cells produced there will be supplied to BMW and Volkswagen, among others.
CATL recently acquired the Canadian mining company Millennial Lithium to secure raw materials for production. The takeover of the lithium producer is just the latest example of a series of investments that CATL has made in recent times to expand its supply chain vertically. The battery maker recently bought stakes in Neo Lithium Corp, also a Canadian company, Greenland’s North American Nickel and Australia’s Pilbara Minerals, among others. Since April, a CATL subsidiary has also held a stake in China Molybdenum’s Kisanfu mine, a cobalt site in the Democratic Republic of Congo.


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In its latest weekly update, Bungie stated that it is listening to player feedback regarding weapon balance and that changes are in the works.
According to senior designer Jon Weisnewsk, the balance team recently got its first set of actual data from the analytics team and is currently deciding what needs to be done to address balance.
“Since the launch of Destiny 2, we have been reading your feedback, spectating streams, and watching YouTube videos,” he said. “Very recently, we received our first real batch of player data from our analytics team. We’ve also been shoulder-to-shoulder with you in the trenches daily, playing the ever-loving crud out of this game.
“We’re not ready to go into detail about any weapon or ability tuning at this point, but there is an ongoing process in play, so we did want to drop a quick line and say… We have heard your feedback. Thank you! Destiny 2 will get updates that tune the sandbox experience.”
Weisnewsk also addressed the popularity of the MIDA Multi-Tool, stating that while it is popular, there are other weapons that match or exceed its effectiveness in all activities.
“It’s only the first month of a long adventure,” he added. “Many players are still gathering weapons for their arsenal and we have a handful of guns that haven’t even hit the game yet. We’re excited to see how things evolve. As always, thanks for playing, and keep the feedback rolling in.”
Destiny 2 is available now on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a PC release to follow in October.


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Döner Kebab Meat-Cutting Robot [video]
If you've spent any time in Germany (or much of central Europe), you're familiar with the ubiquitous Turkish döner kebab stand, with its signature column of meat eternally spinning in front of a vertical grill. This past weekend, at Berlin's first ever conference celebrating the street snack, Ahmet Kalyoncu unveiled his döner kebab slicing robot, a machine that will supposedly revolutionize the döner kebab market. The purpose of the machine is to allow döner stand employees to stand farther from the grill, thus getting less sweaty and improving the customer's experience. Additionally, Kalyoncu says the robot can cut meat at greater speeds "without ever getting bored." And late-night revelers across Germany rejoiced. Video below.
[via Cold Mud]


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This month I opted for the KMS California Topbox, because I received the quick blow dry spray in a previous box and fell in love with it. This month’s box is also very funky! For those of you not familiar with Topbox, it is a monthly beauty box subscription, where for $12 a month you receive 4 deluxe beauty samples. It’s a great way to try out different brands and items without spending a lot of money. (more…)
This past Tuesday was my first weigh in since I’ve starting working out with a personal trainer. She told me not to weigh myself at home, which wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be, but I was becoming pretty curious. I’m pleased to share I have lost four pounds and four inches (off my bust and hips) in four weeks! (more…)
Last month, many students graduated from Canada’s universities and colleges. Convocation should be a joyous time, where students celebrate their years of hard work with their families and embark on exciting careers. However, there have been many news reports about high youth unemployment rates all over the world showering doom and gloom on this year’s graduates.
My convocation ceremony from Algonquin College’s public relations program was held on Tuesday, July 25. Radio announcer Steve Madely, who delivered the convocation address to my class of graduates and received an honorary degree from the college, told us there is no better time to graduate. (more…)


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shares rose Thursday after the company posted a 20.2% year-over-year increase in first-quarter earnings and said it should top analysts' full-year estimates.
Net sales for the quarter were $998.7 million, up 13.7% from the same period in 2006.
Earnings rose to $122.5 million, or 98 cents a share, from $101.9 million and 76 cents a share a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had estimated 93 cents a share for the most recent quarter.
Looking ahead, LabCorp expects full-year net sales growth of 12% to 14% and earnings between $4.11 and $4.27 a share. Wall Street's consensus target is $3.97.
Following the report, shares of the Burlington, N.C., lab-services company rose $6.47, or 8.9%, to $78.95.


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Institutional and retail electronic brokerage Interactive Brokers has incorporated all the event data types provided by Boston-based event data vendor Wall Street Horizon into its IB Trader Workstation platform, and will make it available to its professional and non-professional “retail” active trader clients, along with a new capability to export the WSH data into other applications.
Interactive Brokers began offering clients access to WSH’s core datasets—forward-looking and historical earnings dates, conference call dates, splits and dividend dates, and board and shareholder meeting dates—in 2010, and soon after added international data.
“As an Interactive Brokers client, you could subscribe to this on a month-to-month basis… and look up and slice and dice information on screen,” says WSH founder and chief executive Barry Star. “However, over the years, a number of their clients came to us asking for the ability to download data—for example, for machine-based analysis and trading…. I would say a machine-readable export capability was the number one thing that clients were asking for.”
Read the full article here.


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This is the one America has been waiting to see: the 2013 Audi A3 Sportback, an A3 with five doors, an A3 we'll probably see—nominally modified—sold on these shores.
Read This Article
Audi celebrates the new A3 with comedians, photojournalists, street artists, and more in its latest commercial.
We get to drive a lot of cars, but sometimes it's the ones we don't get to drive that entrench themselves in the deep recesses of our conscious-pulsing-car-loving-insides.
Our roundup of the week's top news stories.


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Reports are now emerging that the company is in the process of developing its next smartphone, potentially under the name Nubia Z60 or part of the Red Magic 9 series.
This upcoming device is rumored to include Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and an enhanced under-screen front-facing camera. The leak originates from the reputable tipster Digital Chat Station, although the precise name of the device remains undisclosed.
The likelihood of it being named the Nubia Z60 is higher, considering that Nubia unveiled the Nubia Z50 in December 2022. This timeline aligns with the potential release window for the Z60.
Notably, a Nubia phone with the model number NX769J recently appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking platform, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. It demonstrated impressive performance with a single-core score of 1596 points and a multi-core score of 5977 points. This device is rumored to be the Red Magic 9 gaming smartphone.
Furthermore, two Nubia phones with model numbers NX721J and NX769J recently secured Wi-Fi Alliance certification, confirming their compatibility with Android 13 and support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks.
The NX721J model may potentially be the much-anticipated Nubia Z60 flagship phone. In a prior leak, the same tipster hinted at Nubia’s development of a smartphone featuring a 35mm camera and a 1-inch sensor.


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Marietta started the new year with one less spot for breakfast and brunch.
The last day of business for Cafe 33 -- located at 2520 E. Piedmont Road -- was New Year's Eve.
On a comment thread on the page, a spokesperson for the restaurant attributed the closure to low foot traffic and issues with a landlord. They said they hope to open in a new location in the future.
Cafe 33's menu offered a variety of breakfast and brunch dishes including omelettes, French toast, waffles, sandwiches and salads as well as doughnuts and coffee drinks.


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For companies to succeed, along with trying to create a fully employed economy, the biggest factor is cost efficiency. More and more companies rely on the cheapest alternative to produce outputs, in hopes of earning profits. Boston Consulting Group reports that it costs roughly $8 an hour to use a robot for spot welding in the auto industry, compared to $25 for a worker.
Automated forex robots help you to control and maintain all of your trades automatically. In addition, some of the robots have the feature of working on autopilot, making profit for you. They just search and pick up signals when and where to close or open your trades, maximizing your revenue.
The main reason for offshore manufacturing is to reduce production costs for a manufacturer who is trying to make more profits by exploiting the comparative advantages that exist in other countries and which are not in his/her country.
Most of the manufacturing conducted in the U.S. is high tech manufacturing, such as chemical, semiconductor, petro-chemical, pharmaceutical, among others. To understand the nature of the manufacturing processes requires background information. That’s where a degree in engineering becomes so critical. Spending the time earning an engineering degree is worth it: many engineering jobs in this sector start around $50,000 and rise up to over $100,000.
In addition to cost efficiency, high-tech training for certain manufacturing jobs would be very scarce to come by. The automated, hyper-efficient shop floors of modern manufacturing won’t give Trump much room to deliver on his promises to bring back millions of jobs for his blue-collar supporters. Instead of companies investing in robots to give them better returns in the future, they would have to invest in training programs to help accommodate workers that need the training for more complex jobs. Specifically, for more digitalized companies, the margin for investing in training compared to that of robotic costs would be very high, to the point where it wouldn’t even make much sense to invest in job-specific training.