Month: September 2025

CLEVELAND, September 11, 2025 /3BL/ – Today, KeyBank proudly announced a dynamic new partnership with Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver for The Ohio State Buckeyes and one of college football’s top athletes. The collaboration marks a strategic move by Key to deepen engagement across communities in its home state of Ohio and connect with younger audiences through shared values of education, empowerment and community impact.

The collaboration will launch a new social-first campaign, “The KeyBank Financial Playbook,” designed to empower individuals with financial knowledge through engaging, football-themed content. The initiative combines Smith’s athletic achievements with KeyBank’s commitment to financial wellness, creating a unique platform to reach younger audiences and sports fans across Ohio and beyond.

Smith, a sophomore at The Ohio State University, has shattered freshman records and is a projected Heisman contender and first-round NFL draft pick. He brings a rapidly growing social media presence and an authentic personal brand.

“Jeremiah Smith is more than a football phenom, he’s a role model for young people, a passionate advocate for education and believes in the power of community and collaboration,” said Patty Jurca, KeyBank Chief Brand Officer. “His commitment to using his platform for good aligns perfectly with KeyBank’s purpose: to help our clients, our colleagues and our communities thrive.”

The partnership also includes exclusive rights to Smith’s name, image and likeness in the banking category, and support of KeyBank’s charitable initiatives.

“Partnering with KeyBank is an opportunity to make a real impact off the field. As a student-athlete, I see firsthand how important financial literacy is for young people and families,” said Smith. “KeyBank has long been a leader in the financial services industry and a pillar in the state of Ohio. Together, we’re working to provide resources and education that strengthen our communities here and beyond.”

“Jeremiah’s influence reaches far beyond the football field,” added Lara DeLeone, KeyBank Central Ohio Market President. “He’s a powerful voice for the next generation, and we’re proud to work with him to unlock new opportunities for our clients and communities.”

ABOUT KEYCORP

In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $185 billion at June 30, 2025. 

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 1,200 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 Member FDIC. 

CFMA# 250910-3479278

This article is authored by Jenelle Shapiro, Sustainability and Circularity Leader, Trane Technologies.

At Trane Technologies, our approach to circularity creates a system that keeps valuable resources in continuous circulation. With a circular business model, every asset is leveraged again and again: products are designed, used, repaired and repurposed to strategically keep critical equipment in use longer and more efficiently. This approach helps curtail waste, reduce environmental impact, support supply chain decarbonization​ and drive cost-effective growth.

Within the reuse and redistribute pillar of our circularity strategy, we focus on using products and components multiple times for their intended purpose without significant modification, conserving valuable resources. Through our Thermo King Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program, this approach informs a frontline decarbonization strategy for our commercial refrigerated transport.

Circularity in action: Reusing and redistributing refrigerated transport

Through the Thermo King CPO program, reconditioned refrigeration units get a verified second life rather than entering the waste stream, delivering immediate carbon footprint reduction. Thermo King launched the program two years ago, partnering with our dealer network to increase the useful life of trailer refrigeration units through targeted service and component replacements – reconditioned units can be purchased by others or retained by their original owner.

The CPO program leverages a national framework that requires every participating dealer to earn a certification before reconditioning equipment. Dealers follow detailed service procedures, replacing specified components and completing rigorous inspections. Every reconditioned unit carries an added warranty for its remaining lifecycle.

Since launch, the network has reconditioned nearly 150 trailer refrigeration units, with more projected this year. By aligning the overhaul work with key hours-of-use thresholds, dealers extend the service life of a transport refrigeration unit from an average of seven years to 10 years or more.

Keeping reliable cold-chain assets on the road longer is a measurable example of how decarbonization initiatives can drive economic value. Each refurbished system postpones the need for a newly manufactured unit, reducing both customer capital outlay and the manufacturing processes that drive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon footprint throughout the supply chain.

Beyond the environmental impact, the Thermo King CPO program also addresses a core operational pain point for fleet managers: the mismatch between the expected lifetime of a refrigeration unit and the lifetime of the transportation trailer itself. By aligning these two lifecycles, the program delivers a tangible bottom-line impact to customers.

Dealers, in turn, gain a compelling offering for fleet managers increasingly motivated by tightening emissions regulations and eager for measurable proof of progress toward a decarbonized economy. The result? A practical lesson in how to reduce the carbon footprint of transport refrigeration while creating business value.

Circularity and environmental stewardship

By extending equipment life, Thermo King’s CPO initiative limits resource extraction, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and showcases decarbonization technology in action. Circularity practices like this are among the tools that will help us reach our 2030 sustainability commitments, including our pledge to reduce our own embodied carbon by 40% and our Gigaton Challenge, our commitment to help customers reduce their carbon emissions by one billion metric tons. Programs like the CPO translate these ambitious goals into real-world impact – one avoided ton of GHG emissions at a time.

Read our circularity strategy overview to learn more about how circularity can help businesses achieve both the benefits of decarbonization and economic growth.

Explore careers that make an impact at Trane Technologies.

Published by Las Vegas Sands on June 26, 2025

LAS VEGAS, September 11, 2025 /3BL/ – Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) has contributed $515,000 to The WASH Foundation, bringing the company’s total foundation contributions to its signature global Sands Cares partner to more than $6.1 million since 2014.

The WASH Foundation aims to bring safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to the 4.2 billion people who lack access to these resources. The 2025 Sands Cares investment supports three foundation priorities: contributing hygiene supplies to people facing hardships through the annual Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build, funding innovative water initiatives in Sands’ local regions through the Drop by Drop Project and helping The WASH Foundation expand its hygiene education programs around the world.

In 2014, Sands made its first Sands Cares donation to The WASH Foundation for the inaugural Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build, launching a partnership that has yielded a number of milestones, including transformation of the organization’s Las Vegas recycling center into a full soap manufacturing operation and introduction of Las Vegas’ first mobile shower unit for people experiencing homelessness, which enabled the foundation to create the Fresh Start WASH & Wellness Program. Fresh Start is now operating six shower units across Southern Nevada, California and Central Florida and has supported more than 91,000 showers.

“Through every evolution of our partnership, Sands has rallied behind us with funding and Team Member volunteer support, and contributed to the development of several impactful programs that have complemented and enhanced our organization’s efforts,” Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World Global and chairman of The WASH Foundation board, said. “Sands has always understood our larger vision – we are improving health, strengthening quality of life and responding to people in crisis through universal WASH access.”

The 2025 Sands Cares contribution to The WASH Foundation supports the following initiatives:

Global Hygiene Kit Build: In a series of builds in Macao, Singapore and Las Vegas, Sands Team Members will assemble 70,000 hygiene kits for distribution by The WASH Foundation to people facing hardships and crisis situations in these regions. The annual Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build has yielded 1,034,000 kits produced by Sands Team Members since 2014.

The Drop by Drop Project: This year’s Sands Cares funding continues underwriting for grants to local nonprofit organizations in Macao and Singapore through the Drop by Drop Project. This program is a collaboration between Sands and The WASH Foundation to provide support for local water stewardship projects that increase water resiliency, reinvigorate ecosystems, incubate new water solutions and engage the community in these areas.

Capacity-Building Support: The third component of Sands Cares funding is earmarked for capacity-building and operational needs to support The WASH Foundation in expanding its reach through school and community programming, as well as disaster relief efforts around the world.

Sands began working with The WASH Foundation’s strategic partner Clean the World in 2011 to collect and recycle discarded hygiene amenities at the company’s resorts. Since then, Sands, Clean the World and The WASH Foundation have diverted more than 663,000 pounds of waste from landfills and worked together to distribute 4.7 million bars of soap to people in need.

“Our partnership with The WASH Foundation touches each pillar of our People, Communities and Planet corporate responsibility platform by engaging our Team Members in meaningful volunteer work, delivering resources to people facing hardships and crises in our communities, and promoting environmental advocacy through water stewardship initiatives,” Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, said. “From that standpoint, we have had a truly valuable relationship. Yet, what we really value is the foundation’s strategic vision and activism in addressing WASH issues to improve lives around the world.”

To learn more about Sands’ corporate responsibility initiatives and other global Sands Cares community engagement priorities, visit https://www.sands.com/responsibility.

To learn more about The WASH Foundation, visit https://thewashfoundation.org/.

# # #

About Sands (NYSE: LVS)

Sands is the leading global developer and operator of integrated resorts. The company’s iconic properties drive valuable leisure and business tourism and deliver significant economic benefits, sustained job creation, financial opportunities for local businesses and community investment to help make its host regions ideal places to live, work and visit.

Sands’ portfolio of properties includes Marina Bay Sands® in Singapore and The Venetian® Macao, The Londoner Macao®, The Parisian Macao®, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, and Sands® Macao in Macao SAR, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd.

Dedicated to being a leader in corporate responsibility, Sands is anchored by the core tenets of serving people, communities and the planet. The company’s ESG leadership has led to inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for World and North America. To learn more, visit www.sands.com.

About The WASH FOUNDATION: Improving Health. Transforming Lives.

The WASH Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to transform the lives of women, children and communities worldwide and improve their health by providing them with enhanced access to clean water, improved sanitation, hygiene education and supplies, and critical hygiene supplies for disaster relief. The WASH Foundation partners with local governments and nongovernmental organizations to strengthen communities’ policies, systems and infrastructure for future generations.

Since its establishment in 2009, The WASH Foundation has helped serve over 17.4 million people, helped provide disaster relief supplies to 1.5 million people, and distributed over 91.3 million bars of soap and 7.1 million hygiene and comfort kits. To learn more about The WASH Foundation and its global impact, please visit https://thewashfoundation.org.

Contacts:

Kristin Koca
Sands
702.923.9142
Kristin.Koca@sands.com 

Sara Weaver
The WASH Foundation/Clean the World Global
321.368.5719
sweaver@cleantheworld.org

When it comes to environmental remediation, the toughest questions are often not technical, they’re business driven. While you may be asking yourself whether your data is strong enough or your strategy clear enough, the C-Suite is focused on financial outcomes:

• Why does this reserve keep changing?
• Why does closure seem endless?
• Why do these sites just never go away?

At the heart of the matter is liability. Leadership wants to know when remediation will be “done,” while you’re wrestling with uncertainty, evolving regulations, and complex site conditions. Bridging this gap requires the right tools, consistent communication, and a clear exit strategy.

In our recent webinar, “Don’t Just Clean It—Leverage It: The Business Case for Extinguishing Remediation Liability,” Rosemarie Hebner, Esq., Senior Consultant, moderated a conversation between Jack Sheldon, Senior Consultant, and Scott Recker, Environmental Remediation Practice Leader, on this topic.

Below are four essential insights from this webinar to help you build confidence with leadership, extinguish liability, and ultimately achieve closure.

Missed the webinar? Watch it on-demand

1. Build a Robust Conceptual Site Model (CSM)

Your conceptual site model is the foundation of any successful remediation program. Without it, you risk oversimplifying site conditions, underestimating liabilities, and losing credibility with stakeholders.

A strong CSM does more than map geology and contaminant plumes—it tells the full story of your site. Leveraging new technologies such as high-resolution site characterization, drone imagery, and advanced visualization software can transform your CSM into a dynamic decision-making tool.

Key takeaway: Invest upfront in high-quality data and visualization. The stronger your CSM, the more confidently you can communicate risk, progress, and strategy to leadership.

2. Align the CSM with Financial Expectations

A CSM is not just a technical tool, it’s a business tool. For leadership, reserves and liabilities are front of mind. Your CSM should help connect environmental conditions with financial outcomes.

Ask yourself: Does the model align with your reserve-setting philosophy? Does it reflect the uncertainties that finance needs to see, while also providing pathways for closure?

Key takeaway: Your CSM must bridge science and finance. When aligned with business expectations, it becomes your most powerful communication tool with executives.

3. Develop and Communicate a Clear Exit Strategy

Leadership’s most pressing question is: “What does done look like?” Without a defined exit strategy, remediation appears endless, and costs can be unpredictable.

An exit strategy must account for uncertainties, such as regulatory changes, third-party risks, and stakeholder concerns. It should also align with your organization’s risk philosophy:

• Minimize spend and maximize cash flow
• Be opportunistic when value can be created
• Aggressively reduce liability upfront to shorten the long tail of costs

Key takeaway: Define what closure looks like early. Map milestones and pathways so that leadership understands not only the current status but also the plan to reach the finish line.

4. Speak the Language of Business

Technical uncertainty is inevitable in remediation. What matters is how you communicate it. Finance teams expect consistency and clarity, even when exact numbers are not possible.

Tools like probabilistic modeling, deterministic estimates, and reserve philosophies (probable vs. estimable liabilities) can help you frame uncertainty in financial terms. Showing projections, such as reduced spend over time across a portfolio, builds confidence and demonstrates control.

Key takeaway: Uncertainty doesn’t have to erode trust. Communicate with data, models, and a clear reserve philosophy, and you’ll gain credibility with your C-Suite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I explain liability when I can’t give a precise number?
A: Use your CSM as a visual communication tool. Show the variables, explain the uncertainties, and tie your reserve-setting approach back to a consistent philosophy agreed upon with finance. This builds trust even when the full liability isn’t yet quantifiable.

Q: Can a CSM show progress over time?
A: Yes. With the right software, you can integrate historic and new data to visualize plume shrinkage, calculate soil or groundwater volumes, and even show mass reductions. Sequencing these over time is powerful for demonstrating progress toward extinguishing liability.

Q: What’s the difference between a reserve and total liability?
A: Reserves reflect probable and estimable obligations, while total liability includes all possible outcomes—even those not yet quantifiable. The two rarely match. What’s important is applying your reserve philosophy consistently across the portfolio.

Looking Ahead

Extinguishing remediation liability requires more than technical fixes. It requires strategy, communication, and alignment with business objectives. By building robust conceptual site models, connecting them to financial outcomes, defining exit strategies, and speaking the language of business, you can shift the conversation from endless liability to measurable progress and closure.

If you have questions about managing your remediation liability or want support building a robust exit strategy, reach out to our Environmental Remediation team today.

Students in 18 countries and territories will work alongside Otis mentors to design mobility solutions that support people and communities during natural disasters.

The Made to Move Communities program aims to build the next generation of talent, ensure workforce readiness, and sustain innovation across the elevator and escalator industry. It has reached more than 1,000 students and resulted in more than $1.25 million in grants to schools globally to support STEM education since 2020.

FARMINGTON, Conn., September 11, 2025 /3BL/ – As natural disasters increase in frequency and intensity, students participating in the Otis Made to Move Communities program this school year will apply artificial intelligence and STEM skills to design mobility solutions to support communities and first responders before, during and after natural disasters.

This is the sixth year of the flagship STEM education and mentoring program from Otis (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company.

“We’ve all witnessed the destruction natural disasters can have on families, communities, public infrastructure and cities,” said Randi Tanguay, Otis Chief Communications Officer. “Our hope is that this challenge will resonate directly with students and inspire them to see the power of STEM-based solutions to mitigate these challenges and build more resilient communities – all while developing skills and potentially shaping their future careers.”

This year, more than 200 students from 25 schools in 18 countries and territories will participate in the program. They will work alongside more than 150 Otis mentors. 

What is the Made to Move Communities Program?

Otis’ Made to Move Communities™ program is a global student challenge inspiring creative, STEM-based solutions to real-world mobility issues. Here’s how it works: 

• Students explore how real-world challenges affect movement in and around their communities and develop innovative solutions with the potential to create more connected communities and improve mobility for all.
• Student teams from each school compete within their respective Otis regions, presenting their ideas to a panel of Otis judges. The winning team from each region then competes in a final round to be named the global winner.
• At the end of the Made to Move Communities program, each participating school receives a grant to continue STEM education. Grants range from $7,500 to $35,000 based on the team’s performance.

How the Made to Move Communities program is building the workforce of the future

Agustín was recently hired as an Otis mechanic in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Just two years ago, he was a high school student participating in the Made to Move Communities program. 

When a job opened up at the local Otis branch, Operations Manager Miguel C. encouraged Agustín to apply. Miguel had mentored the students in the Made to Move Communities program and noted Agustín’s interest in the elevator and escalator industry. 

Their story is an example of how the Made to Move Communities program builds real-world talent, enhances professional growth and deepens the company’s impact in the communities where it operates – while also encouraging future careers at Otis and in the industry. 

“This is how we can empower others, foster innovation, and build a brighter future together,” Miguel said.

Agustín encourages students to participate in the program if they get the chance.

“To other schools and students thinking about joining Made to Move Communities, I’d say go for it,” he said. “It’s not only going to help you grow – it’ll also develop your empathy, teamwork and problem-solving skills.” 

To learn more about the Made to Move Communities program, visit www.otis.com/mtmc. 

What is the Otis Made to Move Communities program?

Otis’ Made to Move Communities™ program is the company’s flagship social impact program. It is a global student challenge inspiring creative, STEM-based solutions to real-world mobility issues. 

What are the goals of the Made to Move Communities program?

The Made to Move Communities program brings together students, educators and Otis colleagues as mentors, with the goals of advancing STEM and leadership skills to help build the next generation of talent, ensuring future workforce readiness, and sustaining innovation.

What is the community impact of the Made to Move Communities program?

Since 2020, Made to Move Communities has engaged over 950 Otis colleagues in mentoring more than 1,000 students, and delivered nearly 100 grants totaling over $1.25 million to support ongoing STEM education at participating schools.

Why is the Made to Move Communities program focused on natural disasters this year?

Each year, Otis identifies a theme that aligns with global trends and business priorities such as aging populations, accessibility or emerging technology.

Over the past half century, natural disasters have increased in frequency at least five-fold and have also become more intense. Disasters can often lead to or exacerbate human mobility challenges, vulnerabilities and needs among affected communities, including by first responders.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2.4 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.4 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 44,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.