Month: September 2024

Southwire is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Statewide Renewable, a solar project developer, to install a solar array at its North Campus Plant.

The company has a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability, and in support of that commitment, is investing in renewable energy as it looks to the future.

“Southwire introduced its formal sustainability philosophy in 2008 based on five tenets: Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth,” said Colby McCollum, metals sourcing buyer at Southwire and one of the originators behind the project.“This solar installation will provide a meaningful carbon footprint reduction for our North Campus Plant and will serve as a flagship project for future solar arrays.”

Installation of the solar panel system will begin later this year and is expected to be completed in early 2025. The array will generate approximately five megawatts of direct current electricity and provide 15-20 percent of the site’s power – enough to provide electricity to more than 400 homes for a year1. The system is projected to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2,200 metric tons – the same impact as removing more than 500 vehicles from the road for one year1.

“The project will significantly reduce the facility’s CO2 emissions associated with our electricity use and demonstrate how our products can be utilized to support renewable energy applications,” said Bo Quick, vice president, Corporate Sustainability. “At the same time, it will offer a visual indicator of Southwire’s commitment to sustainability to our customers, team members, community and other stakeholders.”

Southwire is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of renewable electricity, and the planned solar system will utilize wire and cable, clamps, connectors, conduit and other Southwire products.

To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to sustainability, visit our website at https://www.southwire.com/sustainability

1Based on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator

September 18, 2024 /3BL/ – QVC® and the Housewares Charity Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the home and housewares industry, have again joined forces to present Living for Giving, a cross-platform shopping event to support Feeding America®. The fourth Living for Giving event, which is now live on QVC.com, provides customers a meaningful opportunity to give back. While shopping eligible national name brand houseware products at discounted prices1, a minimum of 70%2 of the purchase price will go towards supporting the Feeding America network of food banks. To donate this holiday season, customers can look for the Feeding America product donation item numbers on air, on QVC.com, and on the QVC apps. 

“Lending a helping hand to bring food to America’s table remains as important as ever. QVC is here to provide a little relief, a lot of hope, and the love of food as we invite our customers to once again shop their favorite national brand products all while supporting a great cause which empowers communities,” said Suzanne Quigley, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs for Qurate Retail GroupSM. “Through the generosity of our vendor community, the support of our customers, and the reach of our platforms, we’re able to raise awareness and funds for Feeding America and support their mission to deliver hunger-relief across the U.S.” 

Customers can also tune-in on Wednesday, September 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET to watch QVC Program Hosts David Venable and Alberti Popaj host a two-hour Living for Giving live broadcast, featuring notable brands such as Mrs. Prindable’s, Rastelli’s, DASH, Cuisinart, Shark Ninja, Corky’s, Pop Sonic, Mama Mancini’s, Just Bagels and more.

“The Housewares Charity Foundation is delighted to collaborate with QVC to support Feeding America for the fourth consecutive year,” said Barbara Westfield, Member Board of Directors, the Housewares Charity Foundation. “Assisting the movement to end hunger by aiding access to meals and nutrition is our mission and because of this event we have been able to share our mission with more consumers and inspire more people to give back.”

In 2023, the Living for Giving campaign generated more than $1.1 million, which helped provide more than 11 million meals3 to people facing hunger. For more than 40 years, the Feeding America network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs has supported tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity by helping them access much needed food and resources.

Living for Giving runs through Decembers 20 across all QVC TV, digital, streaming and social platforms. For additional information on the “QVC and Housewares Charity Foundation Presents Living for Giving” event, visit QVC.com.

To learn more about QVC and Qurate Retail Group’s commitment to Corporate Responsibility visit: www.qurateretailgroup.com/lp/corporate-responsibility.

1While supplies last.

2Purchase price excludes shipping and handling charges and tax; minimum donation amount is 70% of purchase price and benefits the Housewares Charity Foundation for distribution to Feeding America.

3$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local partner food banks. 

###

About QVC

QVC® is a world leader in video commerce (“vCommerce”), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms. QVC empowers shoppers with knowledge and shares insights in a lively and engaging way. QVC offers an ever-changing collection of familiar brands and fresh new products – from home and fashion to beauty, electronics and jewelry – and connects shoppers to interesting personalities, engaging stories and award-winning customer service. Based in West Chester, Pa., and founded in 1986, QVC has retail operations in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan and Italy. Worldwide, QVC reaches more than 200 million homes via 13 TV channels, which are widely available on cable/satellite TV, free over-the-air TV, and digital livestreaming TV. The retailer also reaches millions of customers via its QVC+ and HSN+ streaming experience, websites, mobile apps and social pages. To learn more, visit corporate.qvc.com, follow @QVC on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow QVC on Pinterest, YouTube or LinkedIn. 

Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB, QRTEP) is a Fortune 500 company that includes the Qurate Retail GroupSM portfolio of brands as well as other minority interests. Qurate Retail Group is the largest player in vCommerce and comprises six leading retail brands – QVC, HSN®, Ballard Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill® and Grandin Road® – all dedicated to providing a more human way to shop. For more information, visit qurateretailgroup.com, or follow Qurate Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn. QVC and Q are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc.

About Housewares Charity Foundation 

Over 25 years ago, the housewares industry came together and formed this foundation to “give back and pay it forward” to the very people we market products to everyday. The Housewares Charity Foundation is comprised of large and small companies in our industry with a viewpoint of always giving back to the community, delivering over $50 million dollars for great causes including pediatric cancer, breast cancer research, Alzheimer’s, MS and more. The Housewares Charity Foundation believes the home is our heart and our core mission is to gather our vendor community in contributing and building strong values.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger.

Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

Verizon

Dorian Webb opened her first pop-up shop in Napa, California, in July 2024.

Dorian Webb had been successfully running her eponymous luxury jewelry line, Dorian Webb, for years. But after landing a collaboration with a major jewelry retailer, she wanted more support. That’s where Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, with its free resources, came in.

“One thing that I enjoyed about the program was it really encouraged you to think strategically about your business—and holistically—so that you could actually work on your business and not be enmeshed in the running of it,” Webb says.

When it came to the retail collaboration, which launched in June 2024, Webb says the Creating Financial Projections course on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform helped her understand how to prepare for the sizable expenses associated with selling to a large company, and to anticipate how manufacturing, profit margins, and the time spent developing samples would impact her bottom line.

“Working through those numbers, I was really able to think through the choices and the decisions I’d have to make in my business on a daily basis, which was incredibly helpful,” she says.

To bolster her business overall, Webb also learned to spur sales in earlier quarters of the year, rather than rely on the traditionally busy end-of-year period. In July 2024 she opened a summer pop-up shop in Napa, California. She says the retail space will also allow her to test products and get real-time feedback from customers. She believes these different strategies to scale her business will result in a 20% increase in year-over-year sales.

For Webb, who worked with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready experts both in group courses as well as 1:1 sessions, the human element is the true strength of the program. “The presenters were experts in their field and had a wealth of knowledge that they generously shared with all of us,” she says. “Everyone who taught our classes, seminars and webinars was vested in the outcomes and really wanted to see us succeed.”

“People are the magic of the program,” she adds.

In the end, improving her business’s financial underpinnings helps Webb focus on her ultimate goal—creating jewelry that creates a connection between her and her customers. “Every day I wake up and I know that I’m able to use my creativity to make someone else happy,” Webb says. “And that’s what brings me meaning.”

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user’s experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.