Month: August 2023

Covia is the responsible steward of over 80,000 acres of land across our footprint. Planning for responsible land use is embedded throughout the life cycle of our operations – from our careful approach to early development and operational planning, to our production phase, all the way through our collaborative reclamation process aimed at protecting, restoring, and nurturing the land and biodiversity.

With this in mind, Covia Mexico Team Members including Environmental Coordinator Abel Oswaldo Cabada Mendoza, began brainstorming ideas about Covia’s Canoitas, Mexico site. After months of planning, they recently opened their site’s first forest nursery – El Huixachin. Located near the plant, El Huixachin will grow native trees and plants such as huisache, mesquite, guajillo, chapote, and yucca coahulensis.

The planning and establishment of this nursey was no small task. The Team has created a nursery that has the capacity to grow 12,000 plants per year with plans to donate much of the harvest to local schools, gardens, and parks. This initiative aims to contribute to the site’s reclamation initiatives, but more importantly, to boost the site’s ties with local communities, fostering a shared commitment to environmental stewardship.

Mendoza commented on this great accomplishment saying, “This first stage of the nursery represents a lot for Planta Canoitas and the Environmental Team. We are cultivating a culture of sustainability and aiming to increase interest in conservation practices. We plan to teach species reproduction and planting techniques so that Team Members and community members can replicate these skills in their homes and neighborhoods. This program is a part of our ESG strategy and driven by our core value, Act Responsibly.”

Our nation’s heroes and their families should not have to battle for a place in the civilian workforce. Although there’s been progress recently in how employers recruit and hire military-connected talent, we can’t take our eye off the ball.

As we recognize National Hire a Veteran Day, it’s necessary to confront the barriers veterans and military spouses encounter in their civilian careers. It’s not enough to thank them for their service and sacrifices. Instead, we must transform our gratitude into action and continue to work together to bridge the military-civilian divide.

Approximately 200,000 service members transition from military to civilian life each year, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. These veterans bring a unique combination of technical skills and applicable experience to the civilian workforce. They’re exceptional leaders, strategic thinkers, and problem solvers. They’re also team-oriented, dedicated, and disciplined. Yet, too many struggle to find meaningful employment after they hang up their uniforms.

The employment landscape is even more challenging for military spouses, a group often overshadowed in this discourse. For more than a decade, they have faced an unemployment rate at or above 20%, a figure largely attributed to frequent relocations. Moreover, the Blue Star Families’ annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that financial pressures and spousal unemployment or underemployment were the biggest issues affecting military families in 2022.

A common misconception among employers is that military service doesn’t translate to the civilian workplace. However, only a small fraction of veterans—roughly 20%—served in combat-related roles. The others worked in career fields that also exist in the civilian sector, such as logistics, engineering, cybersecurity, communications, and more.

Here at Comcast NBCUniversal, we deeply value the diverse backgrounds and skillsets of our military-connected colleagues. They serve in a variety of roles across the enterprise, from project management to marketing, and their work ethic and adaptability are invaluable attributes in our fast-paced, dynamic industry.

That’s why we’ve implemented military culture training programs for our recruiters and hiring managers, including the SHRM Foundation’s Veterans at Work Certificate Program and PsychArmor’s School for Employers. Through these programs, we deepen our team’s understanding of military service and ability to identify transferable skills. We also offer fellowships for transitioning service members and paid internships for student veterans and military spouses who are searching for their next career.

Since 2015, we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 veterans and military spouses into our Comcast NBCUniversal family. For us, though, it’s about more than just hiring numbers. It’s about cultivating an inclusive and empowering environment where military-connected employees can grow and thrive.

20K+ Veterans and military spouses welcomed into the Comcast NBCUniversal family

No matter where our teammates are in their military journey, we’re here to support them and their families at every turn and through every transition. We’re aware of the challenges many face because of military service, and we’re proud to offer a comprehensive list of employee benefits and programs to meet their unique needs. This includes our Military Concierge, Guard and Reserve Leave, Differential Pay, and Military Spouse Transfer Assistance.

Our Veterans Network (VetNet) Employee Resource Group is another great example of how our connection to the military company has influenced our company culture and focus. With over 8,500 members, this group serves as a vital support system for our military-connected teammates, providing opportunities for mentorship, networking, and professional development. VetNet members also participate in several veteran-related service projects each year, including Wreaths Across America, Boxes to Boots, and our Flag Replacement Program.

8.5K+ Veterans Network (VetNet) Employee Resource Group members

Comcast has a longstanding tradition of serving those who have served. Our founder, Ralph Roberts, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and we continue to honor his legacy by donating to military community-serving organizations, creating special experiences for our military customers, and supporting veteran-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs through Comcast RISE.

More than ever, we’re focused on helping veterans and their families navigate our increasingly digital world. We recently announced plans to expand our installation of Lift Zones in community centers nationwide through Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advancing digital equity. These Lift Zones provide military families with free, high-capacity WiFi, along with access to digital literacy programs and workforce development resources. In addition, we’re partnering with NPower and other nonprofit organizations to provide tech training and job placement.

Ultimately, we view our enduring commitment to hiring and empowering veterans and their families as an investment—one that not only enhances our workforce, but also contributes to the health of our nation’s military. All branches of the military are struggling to meet their recruitment goals, and we support those who serve by addressing the most pressing needs of military families, creating pathways to meaningful employment for veterans and military spouses, and helping members of the Guard and Reserve find balance between their military and civilian careers.

As a military spouse and the mother of a service member, I’m proud to lead the Military Engagement effort at Comcast NBCUniversal, and I extend my sincere gratitude to all companies and organizations that share our passion for supporting veterans and their families. I also encourage more businesses to strengthen and diversify their workforces with military talent.

It’s time to recognize the potential of our veterans and military spouses and bring them into the fold. So, this National Hire a Veteran Day, let’s all make a commitment to value their service in our businesses as much as we value their service to our nation.

To learn more about Comcast NBCUniversal’s Military Engagement initiative, click here. Jobseekers can explore opportunities at Comcast Careers, NBCUniversal Careers, and through Comcast NBCUniversal’s LinkedIn page.

Mona Dexter is Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal, a military spouse, and the mother of a service member.

PARIS, August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Now more than ever, those responsible for food safety face unprecedented change. The executive summary of the 2023 GFSI Conference, just released, offers insights and strategies to help food industry professionals overcome the challenges.

The 40-plus page recap covers all the sessions of the three-day conference, which looked at ways to tackle the turmoil facing the food safety world amid supply chain disruption, climate shocks, and workforce shortages.

In electronic format, the summary gives an end-to-end digest of an event that brought together more than 700 food safety experts from 50 countries to take swift action and identify new approaches to pressing 21st century food safety challenges. Under the theme “Delivering Safe Food in Turbulent Times: The Need for Agility and Resilience”, participants sought out, shared and got answers to problems common among those striving to ensure safe food for all.

The words and images relive the jam-packed line-up of top experts from industry, regulatory bodies, intergovernmental organisations and academia, and summarize their ideas concisely. They provide compelling insights from the expanded series of breakout sessions that covered : harmonisation and benchmarking, public-private partnerships, and capability building.

>> Read Executive Summary at the GFSI website. 

>> Learn more about the GFSI conference

>> See the highlight videos

Notes to editors:

About the Global Food Safety Initiative

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI; the Coalition) is a CEO-led Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum, bringing together 44 retailers and manufacturers and an extended food safety community to help oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere. As one of the world’s largest networks to help achieve safe food , GFSI is committed to making food safety everyone’s business and the Coalition members are addressing challenges facing food safety systems in their supply chains and the markets they operate in, and are helping to raise the food safety bar globally. Its ambition is to strengthen and harmonise food safety systems so they are able to feed the growing, global population and develop markets that can deliver food safely, no matter where in the world the consumer is. Learn more at: www.mygfsi.com

For further information: Contact James Pieper, Senior Manager, Communications, GFSI, The Consumer Goods Forum, at j.pieper@theconsumergoodsforum.com or on +33 787 69 34 11.

This June marked the firm’s 17th Impact Days, Franklin Templeton’s annual global month of service led by its global volunteering program, Involved. These June volunteer events were designed to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most, while giving Franklin Templeton employees a chance to make meaningful connections with each other. Read the article featuring global events.

Locally, employees developed ways to help and give back to their communities through a variety of events, including tree planting, landscaping, renovating classrooms, preparing meals and donating school supplies.

International Events

Canada 
Canada employees celebrated Impact Days in many ways. On June 7, Involved volunteers, supported by the nonprofit Tree Canada, by planting more than 120 trees in Allison’s Park Mississauga. On June 12, Toronto employees created 80 welcome packages for children and youth participating in the Jays Care RBI program, which is designed to enhance the mental and physical health of kids through sports. On June 13, volunteers visited Canadian Blood Services, a nonprofit organization that provides blood, plasma, and transfusion and stem cell registry services.

Hong Kong 
Employees in Hong Kong partnered with St. James’ Settlement, a social service agency, in celebrating the Dragon Boat festival. They handmade rice dumplings to distribute to local communities and older people in need.

India 
On June 3, 20 volunteers added pictures of animals, vegetables and flowers to the classrooms of MPPS P&T Colony school to help kids learn and identify objects easily.

Hyderabad employees visited the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home on June 10. Volunteers delivered groceries, helped clean up the garden and spent the day engaging in conversation with residents.

The Mumbai office had young magicians visit the office to take employees to the world of creativity. Students and alumni from the Akanksha Foundation and volunteers in the Mumbai office played concept games focused on critical thinking, problem solving and communication, followed by a violin recital to celebrate the spirit of giving back.

On June 24, New Delhi volunteers visited local longtime partner Van Phool School, a facility that caters to 100 less-privileged students from poorer areas of the city. Volunteers engaged in fun activities with students and teachers and donated books, school bags, stationery and a wholesome meal.

Japan 
Thirteen Tokyo employee volunteers went “plogging” in Marunouchi, the district where the Franklin Templeton office is located, picking up litter during a walk or run. The session lasted 30 minutes, and the collection weighed about 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

Malaysia 
In June, colleagues in Malaysia hosted a food drive to support the local children’s shelter, a home for at-risk youth often recovering from abuse or neglect. On June 8, volunteers visited the facility to donate food and other supplies and spend the day with the children. On June 26 and July 4, Kuala Lumpur volunteers visited the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) and helped pack meals to feed individuals experiencing homelessness.

Singapore 
Involved Singapore invited 15 flower enthusiasts to a floral arrangement event on June 23 to handcraft bouquets with preserved flowers guided by a professional florist. Fifteen caregivers from Dementia Singapore joined the workshop as part of the organization’s initiative to achieve more holistic care.

US events 

California 
On June 16, Rancho Cordova, CA volunteers partnered with Rebuilding Together Sacramento to help with general home repairs and maintenance to improve the lives of vulnerable residents and revitalize the greater Sacramento community.

On June 7, 20 San Mateo, CA volunteers put together 257 candy bags for Soldiers’ Angels to ensure that deployed military members and veterans know they aren’t forgotten. Volunteers created personalized thank you cards and filled candy bags.

On June 21, more than 50 San Mateo, CA volunteers joined a fun, fast-paced event run by Rise Against Hunger (RAH) to assemble 10,000 meal bags to be shipped to international communities in need.

Florida 
On June 17, Florida volunteers walked up and down the Fort Lauderdale, FL Beach with buckets, garbage pickers and sanitation equipment, collecting about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms) of trash.

Throughout June, Fort Lauderdale, FL Involved hosted its annual towel drive to support HOPE South Florida, a local organization providing services to the homeless.

On June 17, St. Petersburg, FL employees volunteered at Clothes to Kids, a nonprofit providing new and quality clothing to low-income or in-crisis school-aged children. Volunteers helped sort and tag incoming donations at the organization’s Tampa location. On June 27, St. Petersburg, FL employees hosted a bake sale to raise funds for Community Action Stops Abuse, an organization working to end domestic violence. The proceeds from the bake sale have gone to support individuals who have escaped abusive situations or environments.

New York and New Jersey 
Colleagues in New York, NY kicked off Impact Days on May 31 at the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. All proceeds from the world’s largest corporate running event benefit the Central Park Conservancy.

On June 28, New York City volunteers decorated birthday cards and added personal notes for isolated older New Yorkers who receive meals from Citymeals on Wheels. Getting a personalized note along with their meal can brighten their day.

On June 26, Short Hills, NJ employees joined for pizza, drinks, salads and dessert for a suggested $10 donation to fundraise for the Essex County LGBT Reaching Adolescents in Need (RAIN) Foundation.

About Franklin Templeton 
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,300 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

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Features include:

No monthly service or overdraft fees.No balance requirement.Debit card.Free check cashing and direct deposit.Immediate access to funds.Free money orders.Free and unrestricted branch access and telephone banking.Free online and mobile banking, and banking alerts.Free electronic and paper statements.24/7 banking support.FDIC insured.

For more information on Fifth Third’s innovative and inclusive products, read the 2022 Sustainability Report.

AUSTIN, Minn., August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, has been named one of America’s greatest workplaces by Newsweek.

Hormel Foods team of 20,000 are employed throughout the world, with its global headquarters in Austin, Minn., its home for more than 130 years. The company is well known for its commitment to its team members and the communities where they live and work.

“Being named one of America’s greatest workplaces is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Katie Larson, senior vice president of human resources at Hormel Foods. “We’ve worked hard to create an uncommon culture for our 20,000 inspired team members. Our success stems from these remarkable team members, who foster a culture of respect, collaboration and dedication. This recognition is a testament to these efforts.”

Hormel Foods has a long-standing reputation as one of the most successful food companies in the world and has received numerous honors and accolades. The company has recently been named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of the world’s most admired companies by Fortune, one of America’s most responsible companies for a fourth consecutive year by Newsweek, one of the world’s top female-friendly companies by Forbes, and one of America’s most trustworthy companies by Newsweek for two years in a row.

To view the full list of Newsweek’s America’s greatest workplaces, visit newsweek.com/rankings/americas-greatest-workplaces-2023.

August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – The Chemours Company (“Chemours”), a global chemistry company, recently announced important achievements in the development and manufacture of Opteon™ 2P50, a new heat-transfer fluid for two-phase immersion cooling (2-PIC). The proprietary fluid is currently in the final testing stages for manufacturing capability, with initial commercialization targeted for 2025, pending appropriate regulatory approvals. Chemours’ Opteon™ 2P50 is a proprietary hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) dielectric fluid designed to meet the growing demand for high-performing products that reduce environmental impact while enabling circularity. Opteon™ 2P50 offers zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and substantially lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to incumbent fluids.

Chemours’ introduction of Opteon™ 2P50 represents a critical step in positioning the company to meet a growing challenge brought on by a new era of data transmission driving a dramatic increase in demands for faster computing, AI capabilities, and other cutting-edge applications—all of which are based in technologies requiring elevated cooling capacities. Chemours’ new 2-PIC fluid enables high-performance computing and energy-efficient cooling across a broad range of thermal management applications.

“Two-phase immersion cooling represents a tremendous unmet market need and Chemours is excited to be entering this space and investing in the present and future needs in such a significant way,” said Natalia Duchini, Senior Director, Global Technology at Chemours. “We’ve innovated a next-generation fluid that meets or exceeds our customers’ most critical criteria for performance and efficiency. Moreover, by putting the power of our chemistry to work, it also ensures sustainability in an evolving environmental landscape.”

Worldwide, data centers currently account for approximately 1% of carbon emissions and approximately 1 to 1.5% of electricity consumption. More than 95% of data centers use traditional air- and water-cooling technologies. 2-PIC is the most sustainable, cost effective, and efficient alternative to traditional air-cooled data centers in terms of energy and water consumption. By submerging electronic equipment directly in a dielectric fluid, they can be cooled efficiently and safely, without the risk of hardware damage. Customer trials of Chemours Opteon™ 2P50 have confirmed outstanding performance.

2-PIC can reduce data center cooling energy consumption by more than 90% and nearly eliminate water use, reducing operating expenses. In addition, 2-PIC simplified cooling structure supports reduced capital expenditures by enabling up to a 60% reduction in the physical data center footprint, while ensuring optimum cooling capabilities to support next-generation high-performance computing applications. The ability to reclaim and reuse the two-phase immersion fluid also creates a clear path to a circular economy.

“We’re working to create more than just an incremental improvement,” said Duchini. “Our vision is to set a new industry standard with the performance and thermal stability of Opteon™ 2P50. In addition to playing a critical role in enabling 2-PIC technologies through enhanced thermal management performance, this new solution from Chemours will enable businesses and entire industries to reduce their physical footprint and environmental impact.”

Chemours Opteon™ 2P50 fluid for 2-PIC is aligned with the transition to lower global warming potential (GWP) products. Whether being used in immersion cooling applications, industrial cooling, or throughout the entire cold chain, Chemours Opteon™ products offer a strong sustainability profile, and excellent performance properties across a broad range of applications.

For more information visit Opteon.com.

View the original announcement at, Chemours.com.