Author: sHq_LoGiNz

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), in partnership with MSU AgBioResearch (ABR), has joined forces with CNH brand, Case IH, to elevate agricultural research and learning. 

Through this strategic alliance, Case IH is offering Michigan State University affordable access to a fleet of high-performance tractors, which are now actively supporting operations across campus farms and research facilities.

These advanced machines are playing a pivotal role in both daily maintenance and scientific exploration at MSU:

At the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, the Farmall 55C is instrumental in turf management tasks such as topdressing, grading, and fertilizing. It also aids in excavation and handling growth media, contributing to the center’s mission of advancing turfgrass science.

The Farmall 75C, located at the Plant Pathology Field Laboratory and South Campus Landscape Maintenance, is the primary mowing tractor for vineyards, orchards, nurseries, and right-of-way areas -ensuring these research zones remain accessible and well-kept.

The Magnum 200 supports a wide range of programs at the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center and the Crop and Soil Sciences Agronomy Farm, including breeding trials for soybeans, wheat, maize, and potatoes, as well as studies in weed science, soil fertility, and crop pathology. It also contributes to operations at the Mason Research Farm and Plant Pathology Farm.

“We deeply appreciate Case IH’s support for our plant science research efforts on south campus,” said Mike Particka, Agronomy and Mason Farm Manager.

Expanding Impact Beyond Campus

Off-campus, the Magnum 340 has become a cornerstone of operations at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS). Its powerful hydraulic system enables efficient use of hay baling and wrapping equipment, while its strength supports key activities for the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) and Great Lakes BioEnergy Research Center (GLBRC). From hauling grain carts to manure tankers and performing tillage, the Magnum 340 is vital to MSU’s agroecological research.

At the Trevor Nicholes Research and Extension Center, the Farmall 110N plays a central role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). It ensures precise application of plant protectants across apple orchards, blueberry fields, and grape vines. The tractor also supports pest control studies -such as those targeting the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) – and contributes to IR4 research, which evaluates plant protectants for crops not yet covered by existing labels, helping expand their use and improve crop protection.

An additional Farmall 110 is also in operation at the West Central Michigan Research and Extension Center (WCMREC) in Hart, Michigan.

Whirlpool Foundation recently joined community and state officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of “Project T,” a transformative redevelopment initiative in Benton Harbor, Michigan, also home to Whirlpool Corporation’s global headquarters. This initiative, a public-private partnership, will redevelop the site of the former Mercy Hospital to construct 14 duplex buildings, marking Phase 1 of a project that will deliver up to 77 new homes when complete and will help revitalize a Benton Harbor neighborhood.

“Project T” is a collaborative effort, developed in partnership by Renovare Development and Harbor Habitat for Humanity, with support from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Michigan Growth Office, the City of Benton Harbor, and Whirlpool Foundation. A Whirlpool Foundation grant, combined with local tax programs and funding from MSHDA, has been instrumental in making this project a reality.

“Whirlpool Corporation has called Benton Harbor home for more than a century, and our investment in this project reflects our belief in this community’s future,” said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “By supporting sustainable design and attainable homeownership, we’re helping create opportunities for families and ensure thriving neighborhoods for the long term.”

Phase 1 will include 28 two- and three-bedroom homes designed for families earning 60–120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Six of the homes will be built to Zero Energy Ready standards, with planning supported by Whirlpool Corporation’s sustainability team, integrating sustainable features throughout the site. This comprehensive approach, combined with specialty mortgage products, down payment assistance, and grants, is designed to empower families to build equity, strengthen stability, and, in the long term, create generational wealth.

Phase 2 will introduce 39 rental units, anchored by a childcare center. This holistic vision for the campus ensures that families not only have access to quality housing but also the essential support systems needed to thrive.

In addition to supporting the community of its global headquarters, Whirlpool Corporation has more than a quarter century relationship with Habitat for Humanity International, and Bitzer was elected to serve on Habitat’s board earlier this year. 

For more information on Project T, please visit projecttbentonharbor.com. For more information on Whirlpool Corporation’s support of Habitat for Humanity, visit whirlpoolcorp.com/hfh.

Whirlpool Foundation
Since 1952, the Whirlpool Foundation has been making real, positive differences in local communities where Whirlpool Corporation families live and work. This is accomplished through two central pillars: House+Home. “House” supports a decent and affordable place to live and plan for the future, and “Home” focuses on creating thriving, resilient communities with the essential services, quality education, and job training needed to help people dream bigger and do better. The Foundation has an absolute commitment to equality and fairness and takes an innovative approach to social investing that prioritizes impact with measurable results.
 

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October 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Novata, a leading sustainability data management platform for private markets, today announced the acquisition of Atlas Metrics, a top European sustainability performance and reporting platform.

This strategic move expands Novata’s global reach and unites two complementary companies to meet the growing demand from investors and corporates for trusted, efficient, and scalable sustainability data solutions.

Together, Novata and Atlas Metrics now supports more than 400 clients and 13K+ companies worldwide, equipping investors, banks, and corporates with the tools they need to collect, report, and act on sustainability data.

Since its founding in 2021, Atlas Metrics has become a market leader across Europe, serving hundreds of banks and a broad range of venture capital firms. Its award-winning technology combines scalable architecture with intuitive workflows and AI-driven insights to simplify sustainability reporting and risk identification. With Atlas Metrics, Novata strengthens its European presence, deepens partnerships with financial institutions, and accelerates product innovation for clients globally.

“This acquisition is an important step toward building the global leader in sustainability management,” said Alex Friedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “By welcoming Atlas Metrics into the Novata family, we’re delivering on our mission to transform sustainability data into business resilience. Together, we have the scale, technology, and global expertise to help companies and investors turn ESG data management, regulatory readiness, and benchmarking into drivers of long-term value creation.”

As sustainability expectations evolve and the marketplace consolidates, organizations are seeking market-leading partners with proven technology and global expertise who will be around for the long-term. To support this next phase of growth, Novata recently completed an additional fundraise, underscoring strong market confidence in its mission and momentum. The round was led by S&P Global, with participation from Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE), Motive Ventures, The Ford Foundation, and Novata co-founders Alex Friedman and Josh Green.

“From the start, we saw a natural alignment with Novata, both in mission and in culture,” said Wladimir Nikoluk, CEO of Atlas Metrics. “Atlas Metrics has always believed that sustainability management should be simple, scalable, and rooted in technology. Joining Novata lets us deliver on that belief at global scale, giving our clients across and beyond Europe the innovation, efficiency, and trust they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.”

The integration of Atlas Metrics’ technology and Novata’s platform simplifies sustainability management and unlocks long-term value for companies and investors alike. With teams now in New York, London, Berlin, and Singapore, supported by a strong balance sheet and world-class partners, Novata combines local expertise with global scale, giving clients the perspective and connectivity they need to manage complexity across markets.

For more information about the announcement, visit Novata’s website.

About Novata

Novata is the private markets’ sustainability management partner. We empower tens of thousands of companies to achieve their sustainability goals with our trusted data management platform and advisory practice—because it’s good for business and it’s good for the planet. Learn more at www.novata.com.

About Atlas Metrics

Atlas Metrics is a leading all-in-one platform for non-financial performance. Atlas helps over 3,000 banks, companies and investors measure, communicate, and amplify their impact with automations, AI, secure data sharing, and advanced analytics. Learn more at www.atlasmetrics.io.

Contacts

Katie Stueber, Novata
press@novata.com

Lauren Maupetit, Atlas Metrics
press@atlasmetrics.io

Published by Las Vegas Sands on October 4, 2025

October 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Sands and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) have awarded $5,000 scholarships to 10 students at HACU-member schools, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and University of North Texas (UNT), to support their preparation for careers in the hospitality industry.

Sands Hospitality Advancement Scholarships provided through HACU, the only national association representing Hispanic-serving institutions, represent Sands’ commitment to building a thriving hospitality industry workforce.

UNLV and UNT students who are majoring in hospitality or are interested in a career in the industry and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 were eligible to apply for the scholarship.

“HACU’s partnership with Sands providing scholarships for students working toward careers in the hospitality industry has proven to be a great success in supporting their aspirations,” HACU Interim CEO David Mendez said. “These scholarships pave the way to success for students in their educational pursuits toward their future careers and give potential employers an educated, well-prepared workforce.”

Sands’ engagement with HACU for hospitality scholarships is one of the company’s many hospitality education initiatives, which include the Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program in Singapore, the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program in Las Vegas, the University of North Texas Las Vegas Study Tour, contributions to higher education institutions in Macao, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship and instruction from company leaders.

“We provide students with financial resources for their hospitality studies to empower their success, as well as ensure our industry has strength, depth and diversity in talent for the future,” Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, said. “We wish our recipients a successful semester and a future that is ripe with the opportunities our multifaceted industry can bring.”

Sands’ focus on hospitality education is a core component of its 2021-2025 ambition to invest $200 million in workforce development, which the company surpassed a year early at the end of 2024.

“Though our workforce development target was met, the commitment is continuous, and supporting hospitality education in our regions and corporate headquarters is a top priority,” Reese added.

To learn more about Sands’ workforce development and hospitality education initiatives, read the company’s latest ESG report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/.

To learn more about Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, visit https://www.hacu.net.

Sustainability isn’t a destination. It’s a journey of continuous improvement.

That’s why we created the Higg Brand & Retail Module (Higg BRM): to help brands and retailers track their progress, set goals, and make data-driven decisions that matter. And for Cascale members, there’s an even bigger advantage: exclusive access to our Higg BRM Benchmark.

Now in its third year, the Higg BRM Benchmark is available through our Member Analytics Portal (MAP). It’s not just another set of numbers — it’s a powerful tool to see where your company stands, how you measure up against industry peers, and further refine your roadmap. With benchmarking, we don’t just want you to ask “how are we doing?” — we encourage you to ask “how do we lead?”

Developed by Cascale, Higg BRM benchmarking complements our existing Higg BRM assessment by providing:

• Comprehensive analysis of your ESG performance across Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars
• Aggregated peer comparisons to better understand where your organization stands
• Data-driven insights to highlight critical areas for improvement
• Year-over-year performance to demonstrate progress and identify opportunities

When you stack your Higg BRM scores against peers and industry leaders, the data tells a compelling story. By comparing Higg BRM scores with other companies and industry leaders, brands can take their ESG analysis to the next level to make more informed decisions. If your organization falls below the industry average, benchmarking highlights where you can make the case for greater resources and improvements. If you’re ahead of your peers, it provides the evidence you need to safeguard budgets and showcase your leadership. With these insights, you can sharpen priorities, track real progress, and make data-driven decisions that strengthen both performance and credibility.

The Value of Higg BRM Benchmarking

We acknowledge the challenge of translating data into action. We designed the benchmarking feature to provide data insights that can be shared among internal teams and leadership in order to foster conversations, determine resource allocation, identify critical hotspots, and further develop a roadmap derived from a comprehensive view of your company’s sustainability efforts.

We understand that no two companies are on the same journey, so all use cases will look different — but every organization needs to evaluate where they’re at to understand where they’re going. That’s the power of benchmarking. Benchmarking is available to all Cascale members who complete the Higg BRM according to our membership requirements timeline, giving you the tools to track progress, learn from peers, and accelerate your sustainability journey year after year.

How Can Benchmarking Elevate Your Performance? 

The benchmark transforms numbers into a narrative your teams and leaders can act on, helping you:

• Share actionable insights with internal teams and leadership
• Make smarter decisions about resource allocation
• Identify critical hotspots in Environmental, Social, and Governance practices
• Develop a detailed roadmap from year-over-year performance trends

By leveraging Higg BRM benchmarking, you can turn insights into action, drive continuous improvement, and stay ahead in your sustainability journey.

As sustainability expectations, regulations, and priorities continue to evolve, one thing remains clear: guesswork won’t get you far. You need data-driven insights to make informed decisions. Our benchmarking gives you the clarity and confidence to lead with purpose and take action that drives real impact.

Higg BRM Benchmarking Learning Session 

We recently hosted a webinar for our Brand and Retailer members to dive deeper into benchmarking benefits and use cases. For deeper discussion and insights, Cascale members can visit Cascale Connect.