Month: August 2023

Food security is now a worldwide issue. To keep up with a rising population, the global agriculture sector will need to produce more food by 2050 than what was produced in the last 8,000 years combined. Yet, the agricultural sector is confronted with growing challenges, ranging from less arable land and water to a lack of broadband access in rural America, which impedes innovation and growth.

Land O’Lakes, one of America’s premier agribusiness and food companies, is a farmer- and retailer-owned cooperative that is inextricably linked to the success of the people producing and growing our food. Driven by their purpose, Rooted in Tomorrow, the organization is actively advancing solutions to build a sustainable future for farmers and a safe and reliable food supply. Land O’Lakes’ initiatives support farmers globally through grantmaking, leveraging the latest tools to help farmers profitably transition to more sustainable agriculture practices, and increasing the representation of women in agriculture.

We invited Kim Olson, Chief Communications Officer, to share how Land O’Lakes is strengthening its role as a leader in sustainable production while building on sustainable practices that farmers have been implementing for generations.

Listen for insights on:

Driving strategic and substantial impact as a company that serves all stakeholdersCreating resonant and inspirational communications that educate consumers about the journey of food from farm to tableCollaborating with stakeholders to identify the right solutionsAdvice for the C-Suite related to remaining authentic and developing a strong relationship with your CEO

To listen to this episode and others, visit Purpose 360 Podcast.

CLEVELAND, August 15, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided $20.2 million for the construction of new affordable housing in Anchorage, AK. CDLI provided $9 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity, a $10 construction loan and a $1.3 million permanent loan to finance the new construction of Ch’bala Corners II, a 38-unit, family project developed and managed by Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA). (Ch’bala is the Upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina word for spruce.) KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM) also sold $10 million of tax- exempt bonds through a public offering, the proceeds of which will be used to support the financing of the project.

Ch’bala Corners II consists of three 8-plex buildings, three 4-plex buildings and one duplex. Of the 38 units, 23 units will be restricted at 50% area median income (AMI) and 15 units will be restricted at 60% AMI. Eight units will be set aside for disabled households, and eight units will be set aside for homeless households. Ch’bala Corners will proudly house eligible Alaska Native/Native America families.

Ch’bala Corners II also received local support and engagement including soft financing from the following:

US Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Housing Block Grant fundsState of Alaska Supplemental Grants Program (SGP) fundsFederal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Affordable Housing Program (FHLB AHP) grant fundsMunicipality of Anchorage HOME Investment Partnerships Program grant fundsMunicipality of Anchorage American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant fundsState of Alaska Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) disaster relief funds.

Residents at Ch’bala Corners II will have access to a variety of programs and services, provided by CIHA Resident Services and local partners, that support health, wellness, community engagement and financial self-sufficiency.

“We are grateful for the financial support of KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment and KeyBanc Capital Markets in the development of Ch’bala Corners II. Affordable housing financing is complex and multifaceted,” said Gabe Layman, President/CEO, Cook Inlet Housing Authority. “We appreciate the professionals at KeyBank CDLI and KBCM for thoughtfully navigating this process with us, allowing for the addition of 38 units of much needed affordable housing in our community. Affordable housing is the foundation that helps families stabilize and thrive.”

“We are excited to work with Cook Inlet Housing Authority to invest in Ch’bala Corners II because it is community-based and serves the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Kortney Brown, senior relationship manager with KeyBank CDLI. “Cook Inlet Housing Authority’s ability to partner and collaborate with other agencies and providers is representative of how complex affordable housing projects can be successfully completed.”

Kortney Brown and Brett Sheehan of KeyBank CDLI structured the financing. Ila Afsharipour of KeyBanc Capital Markets Public Finance Group provided the bond underwriting.

About Cook Inlet Housing Authority 
Cook Inlet Housing Authority’s (CIHA) mission is to create housing opportunities that empower our people and build our communities. CIHA develops, owns, and operates affordable housing in the Cook Inlet region of Southcentral Alaska. https://cookinlethousing.org

About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment 
KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) finances projects that stabilize and revitalize communities across all 50 states. As one of the top affordable housing capital providers in the country, KeyBank’s platform brings together construction, acquisition, bridge-to-re-syndication, and preservation loans, as well as lines of credit, Agency and HUD permanent mortgage executions, and equity investments for low-income housing projects, especially Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. KeyBank has earned 10 consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it the first U.S. national bank among the 25 largest to do so since the Act’s passage in 1977.

About KeyBanc Capital Markets 
KeyBanc Capital Markets is a leading corporate and investment bank providing capital markets and advisory solutions to dynamic companies capitalizing on opportunities in changing industries. Our deep industry expertise, broad capabilities and unique ideas are seamlessly delivered to companies across the Consumer & Retail, Diversified Industries, Healthcare, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Utilities, Power & Renewables, and Technology verticals. With over 800 professionals across a national platform, KeyBanc Capital Markets has more than $50 billion of capital committed to clients and an award-winning Equity Research team that provides coverage on nearly 600 publicly traded companies. Securities products and services are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and its licensed securities representatives, who may also be employees of KeyBank N.A. Banking products and services, are offered by KeyBank N.A.

About KeyCorp 
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Aramark and Babylon Micro-Farms

Aramark has partnered with Babylon Micro-Farms, an indoor micro-farm company, to expand its healthy influence. Aramark Headquarters has its own in-unit garden with fresh herbs and lettuces, which is used by their chefs almost every day. The unit is controlled from an app that enables staff to control the light, water, and nutrients. The Babylon micro-farms unit was installed in January at Aramark Headquarters on the 7th floor right off the 2400 Market Café.

Aramark and Babylon’s partnership started in 2021 when units were installed at Virginia Commonwealth University, University of South Carolina, Lander University, and Western Carolina University. Aramark installed one to two micro-farm units at each university campus, serving over 90,000 students in total. The goal of the partnership was to increase student engagement and educate the students on micro-farms and their impact.

There are currently 49 units installed throughout Aramark university locations, with 21 more units planned to be added to other Aramark locations. A few of these locations include SUNY Poly, Loyola University, University of Texas: San Antonio, and Southwestern University.

Aramark Headquarters Executive Chef Andrew Boxer gave us a behind-the-scenes look of the unit and showed us what he was cooking up in the kitchen. To learn more about Babylon Micro-Farms watch the first Aramark video blog here: Farming at your Fingertips

Video Blog: Aramark’s newest video blog series that will capture all the innovative projects Aramark is working on in just a few minutes. These short clips will highlight Aramark’s innovative ideas, employees, and more.

ROME, Ga., August 15, 2023 /3BL/ – Pirelli North America today announced a new partnership with The Ray, a non-profit based in Atlanta that has helped to develop a net-zero highway testbed on an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in West Georgia, near the Pirelli factory in Rome.

This partnership aims to advance research and solutions in areas such as technology for road safety, circular economy, EV charging infrastructure, renewable energy, and environmental and social impacts of tires and roads. As part of the non-profit’s Advisory Board, Pirelli will contribute to the strategic thinking around roadways of the future.

With multiple studies pointing to the benefits of both rubber-modified asphalt and re-use of tire material, Pirelli is investigating future projects with The Ray to further research the impact of rubber-modified asphalt, as well as the use of tire-derived aggregate for stormwater galleries.  

In addition, the brand is joining a multi-tiered partnership focused on tires and the circular economy – driving education, innovation, solutions development and sharing of best practices.

“Being part of sustainability solutions that extend beyond just our product is an important part of our commitment to climate action,” says Maureen Kline, Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Pirelli North America. “We know that tires are the one thing between the vehicle and the road. By working with The Ray, we can join forces to identify challenges, develop solutions and drive real change.”

Pirelli believes that tire design will have a key role in shaping the future of mobility and this new partnership demonstrates its commitment to pursuing increasingly challenging goals in terms of sustainability. The company has set goals to increase the renewable and recycled content of tires and reduce environmental impacts. In addition, Pirelli is focusing on mitigation strategies for the broader impacts of its products, including end-of-life tires and tire and road wear particles. The partnership with The Ray will look at areas of mitigation as Pirelli seeks to become an even better steward of its products.

“Pirelli leads from Georgia, with an advanced manufacturing facility that was the first FSC-certified tire plant in the world. Likewise, The Ray leads and scales net-zero transportation infrastructure from The Ray Highway in Georgia,’ said Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray. “The alignment between the organizations, focused on safety, circularity and innovation, will power the partnership to produce groundbreaking projects and research in the coming years, and the impact will benefit communities across the country.”

The Ray is a non-profit organization and living innovation lab focused on sustainable highway transportation and setting new standards for the roadways of the future. Current projects include the use of highway rights-of-way for solar arrays, cloud-based data management for connected vehicle safety and efficiency, drones used as first responders, pollinator gardens for endangered species, and further deployment and impact of bioswales. The Ray defines net-zero in transportation as “Zero Deaths, Zero Waste, Zero Carbon and Zero Impact,” and facilitates the building and scaling of clean transportation and energy projects with transportation agencies, including Georgia and other state Departments of Transportation, tollway and turnpike agencies, regional collaboratives, and local governments.

“This partnership with Pirelli will bring The Ray one step closer to achieving the net-zero transportation goals,” said Kelly.

For more information on Pirelli and its sustainable products and commitment go to https://www.pirelli.com, and more information about The Ray, its history and current projects can be found at https://theray.org/.

About Pirelli

Founded in Milan in 1872, today Pirelli stands as a global brand known for its cutting-edge technology, high-end production excellence and passion for innovation that draws heavily on its Italian roots. The company’s product range consists of innovative tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles due to the solid partnerships with the most prestigious manufacturers. These collaborations allow Pirelli to develop tires, depending on the model, which are tailor made to satisfy the specific needs of the most sophisticated consumers.Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) includes the Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) facility and research and development center at its Rome, Georgia headquarters, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Silao, Mexico, sales and marketing offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Montreal and Mexico City. The company manufactures, distributes and markets original equipment and replacement tires for export and domestic car/motorcycle applications.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. Our mission is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment, and more capable of creating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. The Ray Highway is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for us all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org. 

Originally published on Manila Standard 

KFC Philippines solidified its billing as an eco-friendly energy user quick-service restaurant (QSR) in the country as its number of stores with solar panel-mounted rooftops already reached 64. 

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