Month: March 2023

For the fourth consecutive year, Southwire has been recognized as a Top Diversity Employer by DiversityJobs.com.

The mission of DiversityJobs is to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace by creating a space for diversity-minded employers to engage the best and brightest diverse talent, and the company’s annual Top Diversity Employers list seeks to recognize organizations that are taking active steps to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.

“At Southwire, we value each of our team members — The People Behind the Power™ — and recognize the importance of diverse perspectives, beliefs, skill sets and ideas,” said Fernando Esquivel, executive vice president and Chief People & Culture Officer. “Our four key values are empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion; to uphold these values and achieve our organizational goals, we must attract and retain diverse talent, embrace our differences and work together.”

Southwire is one of only 34 companies in the Manufacturing and R&D category to top the list in 2023. This achievement is made possible through the company’s ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and inclusive recruitment practices, which combine to create a workplace where different backgrounds and perspectives support positive relationships and collective success.

“Being named a Top Diversity Employer aligns greatly with Southwire’s recruitment efforts, as we continue to mature and accelerate our DEI strategy,” said Sharita Spruill, director of Talent Acquisition. “Southwire continues to increase efforts to become an employer of choice through a variety of activities, including external partnerships, Giving Back, talent development and increasing investments within our Employee Resource Groups.”

Dating back to 2014, Southwire’s six Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) — Women’s Network, Spectrum, NEXTgen, T.E.A.M., Veterans Network and ALLIED — provide opportunities for team members to connect and drive Southwire’s DEI mission forward. This empowers the company to build a culture that recognizes and celebrates the value of diverse backgrounds, equity in opportunity, and inclusivity in action.

“This recognition is a testament to Southwire’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Cara Herzog, vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Our team members are the foundation of our culture, and we believe an inclusive and diverse workforce strengthens our ability to be generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.”

To explore career opportunities with Southwire, please visit careers.southwire.com. To learn more about Southwire’s DEI initiatives, please visit the company’s website at www.southwire.com/dei.

For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 23, 2023 /3BL Media/ — American Airlines, the Dallas Mavericks, the Neal and Jamie Hawks Foundation and Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse were proud to partner for the 16th annual Seats for Soldiers, a one-of-a-kind experience to honor our nation’s heroes. More than 100 service members — wounded, ill and injured service members from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard — enjoyed dinner hosted by Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse, as well as courtside seats for the Dallas Mavericks versus Detroit Pistons game on Jan. 30 at American Airlines Center.

After missing two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sponsors and soldiers were thrilled to be back this year. The day began with the military service members boarding an American Airlines charter flight from San Antonio to Dallas-Fort Worth, with American’s pilots and flight attendants volunteering their time for the special flight.

“We are thrilled to have Seats for Soldiers back at the American Airlines Center after a two-season break,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer. “As an Army veteran myself, I’m especially proud to work alongside a team that cares for our nation’s heroes and makes special events like these happen.”

After arriving at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the group of soldiers were treated to a four-course dinner provided by Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse at the Network Bar, prior to attending the Mavericks vs. Pistons game. This year’s menu was created by Nick & Sam’s Corporate Chef and Partner Samir Dhurandhar and featured an Allen Brother filet mignon and ‘Salt n Pepper’ Scottish Salmon main dish option with sides. The meal concluded with Dallas Mavericks seven-layer cake and Sweet House vanilla ice cream. The Nick & Sam’s staff volunteered their time to host the group, and the service was provided free of charge to the service members.

“We are honored to partner with American Airlines & the Dallas Mavericks to thank our service members and veterans for their dedication to our country,” said Samir Dhurandhar, Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse’s Corporate Chef and Partner.

The concept for Seats for Soldiers originated with Dallas Mavericks season ticket holders Neal and Jamie Hawks, who, along with other front-row season ticket holders, have donated their seats year after year to host the wounded service members. After the game, the soldiers attended a meet-and-greet session with the Mavericks players and entertainers.

“After a two-season hiatus, we are honored to bring back Seats for Soldiers as a token of our appreciation to the brave men and women in uniform,” said Dallas Mavericks Governor Mark Cuban. “The game of basketball, and sports in general, would not be possible without the sacrifice of these service members, and this night is our way to recognize them.”

About American Airlines Group
To Care for People on Life’s Journey®. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

About the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a first-class global sports and entertainment organization providing memorable experiences for fans worldwide. The Mavs compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Western Conference and play at American Airlines Center under the direction of Coach Jason Kidd, General Manager Nico Harrison, CEO Cynt Marshall and Governor Mark Cuban. Since the inaugural season in 1980- 81, the Mavs have won four division titles, two conference championships and one NBA championship in 2011. In addition to on-court success, the Mavs are committed to making a difference in North Texas through community programs and the Mavs Foundation. For more information on Dallas Mavericks players, staff, stats and tickets, visit mavs.com.

About Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse
Founded in 1999 by restauranteur Phil Romano, Nick & Sam’s Uptown Steakhouse has become one of Dallas’ most popular and attractive dining destinations. Our universal appeal is a result of exceptional prime steaks, chops, seafood, and world class sushi, in addition to the best selections of Japanese Wagyu in the U.S. and paired with a Wine List of 500 labels and outstanding customer service. Nick & Sam’s name stems from the son of a friend (Nick) and Mr. Romano’s son (Sam). This restaurant is the culmination of Mr. Romano’s extensive experience in concepting, designing highly successful and original restaurants throughout the United States. An exceptional management and service staff has been assembled to ensure optimum performance from day one with a goal of maintaining the highest customer service and satisfaction. Corporate Chef/Partner Samir Dhurandhar is constantly and consistently raising the bar with innovated edible conceptions using the highest quality ingredients and his pure passion to offer only the best to our guests. For more information, please visit https://nick-sams.com.

A £7 million fund has been launched to ‘green up’ the freight delivery process, which will create new jobs in the UK.

The government-backed freight innovation fund (FIF) will help support up to 36 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the next three years to ensure freight solutions are efficient to help improve transport links and decarbonise the sector.

Innovative technology will be scaled up and rolled out across the industry, thanks to the funding, which is expected to improve journey times and predictability. It is hoped the new solutions will help reduce air pollution, reduce traffic, generate jobs and ensure customers receive their goods more efficiently.

Industry-leading businesses will work with the SMEs to develop innovations to improve the resilience of freight and its impact on the environment by looking at ways to improve the goods moving between rail, road and maritime transport.

Tightening up operations

The FIF was unveiled last year as part of the government’s ‘future of freight’ plan for the UK freight transport sector. The cross-modal and cross-government plan focuses on a series of priorities for the sector including cost efficiency, reliability, resilience, environmentally sustainability and being valued by society.

SMEs will be given the opportunity to test new innovations, roll out new technology and undertake new work processes to reduce emissions and unlock efficiencies, the latter having the potential of being “huge” according to the Department for Transport.

The businesses will also benefit from a FIF accelerator which will provide bespoke support to innovators to help them access private investment and networking opportunities with other movers and shakers in the freight industry.

Richard Holden, Roads Minister, said: “Our freight industry is vital to underpinning the economy and keeps Britain moving, so it is crucial we invest in new innovations to make it greener and quicker.

“This fund will accelerate new ideas and technologies, helping to develop a future pipeline of innovations that can be rolled out to create jobs and allow everyone to get their goods faster and easier.”

Strengthening the freight network capacity will help it recover from any disruption and will increase supply chain resilience for a multitude of industries across the country.

Overcoming ongoing freight issues

The government’s future freight plan sets a strategy for the government and industry to align their work to deliver a world-class, smooth flow of freight across roads, railways, seas, skies and canals in the UK.

However, there are challenges to overcome including three long-standing issues:

The lack of large-scale data collection cross-industry which could be shared across the different modes of freight transport to improve better coordination and efficienciesDifficulties in inter-modal transport (such as rail and road) and ways to improve breaking up large consignments into smaller ones to reduce traffic and emissionsImproving freight distribution in ports across various transport modes which could improve efficiency and predictability of the rest of the journey

The plan also highlights the importance of identifying a National Freight Network to monitor and comprehend movements within the freight industry and its economic value.

Delivering a better future

This latest fund for the industry follows on from previous government initiatives designed to increase R&D. Other technologies supported in separate funds include Hypermile’s AI programme to help HGV drivers save fuel, AI analysis from Fishbone Solutionsto ensure wagons are working correctly via vibrational data and a tool from CGA Simulation designed to predict the best place for infrastructure to enable revolutionary development in logistics.

Governmental innovation agency Connected Places Catapult developed the FIF and will give SMEs access to technical and business support from the organisation.

Nicola Yates OBE, CEO at Connected Places Catapult, said: “Each year in the UK, we transport 1.6 billion tonnes of freight using many different modes of transport, and it has never been quicker or easier. The freight sector makes a huge contribution to our economy and contributes significantly to domestic carbon emissions.

“We are delighted to be working with Department for Transport to launch this freight innovation fund as part of their future of freight strategy. The fund will help us to work with innovators and industry partners to develop a pipeline of technology and data innovations that will tackle the freight sector’s emerging needs, ensuring that resilience, efficiency and carbon reduction are core to the sector’s future.”

Jonathan Goldsmith, Head of Transport and Infrastructure – Sustainable Business at Acre UK, said: “Global freight is responsible for 30% of all transport-related carbon emissions from fuel combustion. Emissions are set to quadruple by 2050 as supply chains become more complex, and consumers demand even faster access to goods, making freight one of the hardest industries to decarbonise.

“This is a positive first step; however, much more investment is needed if we are to meet 2050 net zero ambitions.”

At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy.

Our 18 years’ experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.

Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations.

Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow.

Alkermes was recently named to Ragan Communications and PR Daily’ list of Top Places to Work for 2023! If you are interested in joining Team Alkermes, check out our careers page:

The story of Project Mâmawi, and that of many more inspiring Indigenous People from northern Alberta to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and places in between, can be found in the 2022 edition of Suncor’s Pathways magazine. Our Pathways magazine is a representation of our ongoing commitment to the Journey of Reconciliation. Visit Suncor.com to read more stories.

Turnarounds are large, complex events at the Mildred Lake upgrading complex, so much so that they get their own name.

During a turnaround, thousands of skilled trades from across Canada work around the clock to safely bring down several plants at the site, about 40 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alta. Workers inspect equipment, perform repairs, replace parts, upgrade technologies and restart plants sometimes in less than two months.

“We’ve always named our projects to build a sense of ownership with the workforce that comes here,” says Mike Wheeler, turnaround event manager. “In 2022, we decided to find a name that reflects our direction as an organization. Our Indigenous and Community Relations team recommended Mâmawi, which is Cree for together, speaks directly to our approach of one team—one goal for turnarounds.

They also made themselves available to speak to our workforce and answer questions. I’ve learned so much that’s helped my understanding of Indigenous issues. It’s helped my own journey of reconciliation.”

But Project Mâmawi also brings benefits to the wider region with 24 Indigenous-owned vendors supplying goods and services to the turnaround.

“These local, Indigenous–owned suppliers do a lot of work with us outside of turnarounds,” says Mike. “They understand the expectations about working safely and reliably and are people who live in our town and region. They care and are committed to Project Mâmawi’s success. This is reflected in our strong record on safety.”

While the project encouraged firms to hire local workers, turnarounds often attract skilled labour from across Canada and can often last up to 60 days. Project Mâmawi built on work done by previous turnarounds to showcase the region to the visiting workforce.

“Last year, we included the opportunity for contractors to attend the Athabasca Tribal Council Cultural Festival during their days off by providing a coach bus to take them from camp to the event.”

Welcome cards were also distributed to all workers, which spoke to the importance of inclusion and respect. They acknowledged the turnaround was taking place on Treaty 8 territory and the traditional lands of several First Nations and Métis communities. The front of the card included custom artwork from local Indigenous artist Nancy Desjarlais, who spent her childhood on Fort McMurray 468 First Nation.

“The water, trees and sun all relate to Fort McMurray’s scenery and are also representative of returning the land to its original state,” says Nancy, who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta in 1994. “The bison were included because of the efforts by Syncrude to repopulate the bison herd. Bison are a great source of livelihood for Indigenous people, providing meat, clothing and bones for ceremonial weapons. The bison are positioned here as these two perspectives ‘coming together.’”

With Nancy’s roots in the region and her Cree-Metis ancestry, creating the artwork for Project Mâmawi was a natural commission.

“We want to continue to operate Mildred Lake safely, reliably and responsibly throughout the year,” adds Mike, “and provide opportunities for Indigenous communities to benefit from our operation.”

The story of Project Mâmawi, and that of many more inspiring Indigenous People from northern Alberta to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and places in between, can be found in the 2022 edition of Pathways magazine. Visit our Pathways magazine page to read more.