Tag: 3BL

Published by Las Vegas Sands on November 15, 2023

Through the third quarter of 2023, Sands Cares Accelerator members have made significant progress toward the goals they defined for their tenure in the exclusive membership program.

Inspired by Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson and his legacy of creating successful businesses and giving back to communities through meaningful philanthropic involvement, the Sands Cares Accelerator empowers nonprofits to build their capacity in a strategic area or develop a new initiative to make greater impact in the community. Each Sands Cares Accelerator member has defined a three-year goal for the program, and they are making solid progress through the first three quarters of 2023.

Art Outreach Singapore’s Focus on the HEARTH Program

The most senior member of the Sands Cares Accelerator is Art Outreach Singapore, which aims to increase art appreciation and support for local artists in Singapore. Art Outreach is focusing its time in the Sands Cares Accelerator on growing its HEARTH program, which offers local artists exhibition space where they can share and develop work, while also providing professional development opportunities.

This year, Art Outreach has focused on building out the HEARTH space with new art installations, presenting showcases and hosting professional development events. In the third quarter of 2023, the nonprofit supported 14 practitioners in the sixth edition of HEARTH, dispersed $4,714 in micro-grant funding and organized three professional development workshops for 160 attendees. The workshops, which ran in July, featured local artists and art professionals who shared ways for artists to build their profiles and network, as well as insights on practical skills such as installation and exhibition lighting.

Looking ahead, Art Outreach is now running an open call and selection process for its seventh edition of HEARTH, which will showcase exhibitions from February to June 2024.

Green Future’s Focus on Recycling Services

Green Future Macau is a nongovernment organization founded in 2012 to provide education and awareness for improving commercial recycling rates in the region. The organization has focused its Sands Cares Accelerator work on launching Sap Fong, an environmental social enterprise that provides Macao businesses with waste sorting and recycling services.

In the third quarter of 2023, Green Future recycled nearly 70,000 kilograms of cardboard paper, an increase from the previous quarter. The organization also hosted two subsidized trainings in which participants were assigned to community recycling centers and exhibition venues to practice sorting and recycling. They also assisted local residents in recycling cardboard at retail stores. In addition, Green Future visited The Venetian Macao to gain insights into Sands China’s environmental initiatives, especially in recycling and food waste reduction.

One of Green Future’s most significant accomplishments this year was launching door-to-door recycling services for both household and commercial clients. To date, Green Future has 23 regular service subscribers. As the recycling market shifts, the organization is currently working to expand services to offer monthly recycling subscriptions and one-time recycling services to households, individuals and businesses.

Finally, Green Future has continued to provide support for frontline workers who recycle cardboard as their main source of income. The organization maintains consistent engagement with this community and offers a trolley exchange program that eliminates the need to queue and wait for cardboard unloading, a temporary collection point to store collected cardboard at night and opportunities for income diversification by sharing client referrals.

The LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada’s Focus on Marketing

Sands Cares Accelerator’s newest member, The LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada, kicked off its work in 2023 with a goal of building marketing and communications to better tell its story and sustain the organization for the future. Improving marketing efforts also serves as a foundation for the organization’s aim to cultivate new donors and drive increased contributions.

Since joining, The Center has developed a crisis communications plan and a messaging platform to better articulate the organization’s mission and services and highlight accomplishments during its 30th anniversary year. The nonprofit also trained its leadership team to communicate the new messaging approach effectively and consistently, and in the third quarter, used its Sands Cares Accelerator resources to produce and release two television and radio commercials, which will run in Nevada through September 2024.

Since the Sands Cares Accelerator’s inception in 2017 through the end of 2022, Sands has invested $1.4 million in member organizations, and Team Members have contributed 535 hours of skill-based consulting and mentoring to support achievement of their goals in the program.

To learn more about the Sands Cares Accelerator and its focus on building nonprofit capacity to advance their impact, read Sands’ latest environmental, social and governance report: https://www.sands.com/2022-environmental-social-and-governance-report/

Talk about a win-win-win.

A Hormel Foods plant just outside Chicago that makes premium Italian meatballs, sausages and pizza toppings has found a way to save water, reduce energy use and transform byproducts into biodiesel.

The company’s Fontanini Foods plant in McCook, Ill., has 60-foot-long ovens that “use a lot of cooling water to prevent overheating,” said Michael Wysocki, the plant’s engineering manager. The water also evenly distributes the heat load.

Until a couple of years ago, when this water got too hot (about 180 degrees), it would go down the drain. “So we found an opportunity to install some water recovery tanks, pumps and controls, and we’re reusing this water,” Wysocki said. “We capture it.”

According to Wysocki, the hot water is pumped to two large boilers that supply steam for the plant’s processes. This saves water and captures “free heat” so the boilers don’t need to use as much natural gas to turn water into steam. The modifications were so groundbreaking, “the oven manufacturer had never heard of it before,” Wysocki said. “We thought that was pretty cool.”

Innovation Leads to Award

Hormel Foods purchased the Fontanini plant from its family founders in 2017. The inventive strategies to save energy and water led Fontanini Foods to garner the 2023 Green Plant of the Year award from Food Processing magazine. Hormel Foods is the first two-time winner of this prestigious award.

Andrew Sieren, Fontanini plant manager, said that from their first day on the job, team members are encouraged to “look for waste in the process” and search for opportunities to reduce it. “It’s in our DNA.”

The Hormel Foods Sustainability Best of the Best competition, held each year, recognizes team members’ best practices. “It’s highly competitive,” Sieren said. “And teams enjoy bringing forth what they’re working on. It gets the competitive juices flowing, and it is a big deal at the plant to win that award.”

Among the innovations that earned the Fontanini facility Green Plant of the Year is a reverse osmosis system that removes impurities, such as calcium and magnesium, from the plant’s water supply.

“Just like that stuff can clog up your coffeemaker at home, it does the same thing in plant equipment,” Wysocki said. “As you use more water, you have to find a way to eliminate that buildup.”

According to Wysocki, this elimination is done by “forcibly blowing down water to flush that stuff out of the system every once in a while. What the reverse osmosis system does is remove a lot of those impurities, so you don’t have to do this blowdown as often, which is essentially wasted water.”

TURNING
Byproducts into Biofuel

The Fontanini plant also uses a skimmer to harvest used cooking oil and other food manufacturing byproducts from ovens and water cookers, and in partnership with a rendering company, DAR PRO Solutions, turns that waste into biodiesel.

“There’s a compounding sustainability side to it, creating green energy,” Wysocki said. The lessons of these water- and energy-saving innovations can spread far and wide through the Hormel Foods best-practice initiative, where advances made at one plant can be shared with engineers at the company’s other facilities.

“We had our plant engineer conference here in April where we had our entire engineering group, from corporate, the plants, everybody all together,” Wysocki said. “We had good discussions about all the different things that not only we’re doing, but other cool innovations around sustainability that a lot of the plants are doing.”

DUBUQUE FACILITY
Reduces Water Use

Wysocki cited the Progressive Processing facility in Dubuque, Iowa, another facility owned by Hormel Foods: “They’re doing a lot of cool stuff, some of it revolving around a reverse osmosis system,” he said. That system has reduced water use by more than 7.2 million gallons, a 9% reduction in water use plus an 11.6% reduction in wastewater at the plant where bacon bits, Hormel® Compleats® meals and SPAM® products are made.

7.2m gallons of water saved

11.6% reduction in wastewater at another Hormel Foods plant

Through best-practice sharing, Wysocki said, “even if it’s not necessarily identical equipment or an identical process, we try to help work through the same major concepts and give each other ideas and brainstorm.” The goal is to “think about ways that you can apply what you’ve learned in one place and use that to the maximum benefit anywhere.”

Wysocki notes that the Hormel Foods 20 By 30 Challenge, which includes climate leadership and waste reduction goals, has served as a catalyst for team members in all sectors of the company to offer solutions and strategies.

TEAM MEMBERS TURN
Experience into Innovation

“Some of our best ideas, some of our biggest breakthroughs, really do come from engagement with our plant professionals and with our mechanics, people working on sanitation, quality control, really anywhere in the plant,” Wysocki said. “Those are the people with the best understanding of the day-to-day process. They’ve seen a lot; they do a lot. And they really have some of the best ideas.”

Wysocki added that these innovations are “not so much a top-down driven exercise, although corporate sets out the challenge.”

It really helps drive that engagement, it also enables team members to see that they’re making a big impact.

MICHAEL WYSOCKI, ENGINEERING MANAGER AT FONTANINI FOODS

Citing an example, he says an oven operator, “one of our second-shift team leaders led a focus group on figuring out how to recover a lot of the oil that is generated inside these ovens, some of that grease and stuff that cooks off the product. Historically, we had to separate it out using expensive equipment and chemicals in our wastewater pretreatment operation before it would eventually get discharged to our local water district.”

Wysocki’s team “really dug deep and came up with some pretty cool ways” to recover more oil. “Working with my team we were able to modify some pumps and controls and give them the tools that they need,” he said. “Then our vendor would haul some of this material away and give us some credits for it.”

A BOOST FOR MORALE
And the Bottom Line

Saving energy and being better environmental stewards is a morale boost for team members, Wysocki said. Through a reporting structure devised by the industrial engineering group, workers can see what’s working and what could be improved.

“It really helps drive that engagement,” Wysocki said. It also enables team members to see that they’re making a big impact.

Energy conservation has become more important in recent years as fuel costs have risen, Wysocki added. “Food plants inherently have a lot of utility demand,” especially when you have to have a refrigerated facility. “So we have a unique opportunity to make a big impact on utility costs by being able to innovate and share ideas. If you can reduce those costs, that has a huge impact on the bottom line.”

Even relatively minor changes, Sieren notes, such as replacing lighting in the facility with LED bulbs, can make a significant difference, financially and for the environment.

“But there’s always more we can look at,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things going on, but a lot of more good things to come.”

Watch the video here! Transcription provided below. 

Natalie (Host): Hey entrepreneurs, my name is Natalie Engler and I’m a communications manager with GoDaddy. On our mission to help entrepreneurs around the world thrive, GoDaddy is pleased to share from the experts how you can prepare your business for busier times of the year like the holiday season. Let’s start by reviewing the data:

According to GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative, 38% of microbusiness owners surveyed say their long-term business aspiration is to “be a solopreneur and remain small.”

And, 30% want to be a small business with “some employees and/or a physical location…”

Natalie: Wow, that’s nearly 70% of respondents stating they want to remain small in their operations. Let’s chat through this further with GoDaddy’s chief marketing officer, and corporate sustainability and ESG manager.

Fara (Guest): I’m Fara Howard and I’m the chief marketing officer at GoDaddy.

Ebony (Guest): I’m Ebony Janelle, and I’m a manager in corporate sustainability and ESG, primarily working with Empower by GoDaddy, our inclusive entrepreneurship program.

Ebony: Some of the top challenges that small business owners are facing that they’re telling us are access to funding, establishing an online presence and marketing their small business. GoDaddy exists to support all entrepreneurs, no matter their circumstances or barriers that they’re facing. In 2017, when we launched Empower by GoDaddy, our social impact program to equip entrepreneurs with the training and tools and resources they need to be successful, we decided to partner with local nonprofits and community partners to learn from the entrepreneurs that we’re serving through Empower by GoDaddy about the challenges they’re facing. Even with the challenges that they’re facing, they prefer to stay small, because they’re trying to build generational wealth and pass their business on to their family. In addition, lots of small businesses are mission driven and are existing to support positive change, and work on social problems.

Fara: Ebony, will you give me a little bit more context on what you mean when you say that small business wants to stay small. I know many entrepreneurs want to grow and be successful. Give me a little bit more detail.

Ebony: Just because a small business wants to stay small, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to be successful. They want to stay under five employees. They want to keep it manageable, so that when they go to build that generational wealth and pass the business on, the next level is able to still support that without any major hiccups, one that you’re able to work in with day in and day out.

Ebony: Fara, let me ask you this, knowing that small businesses have these challenges, how can small business owners strike a balance between growth during the peak season and the desire to remain small?

Fara: It’s a real challenge, I would imagine for the average entrepreneur to deal with the hecticness of the holiday season. So, there are a few things that I think are important for small businesses to keep in mind so that they can manage the business and grow. Number one, have really clear goals and know that oftentimes in the back half of the year, you may actually build a sizable amount of your annual growth in that timeframe. So, number two, be ready, have your products available, have your website up and running. And you may actually need additional support if you have an in-store location, just for that period of time. And then the third is, remember that the customers that you acquire during that peak busy season can be your customers next year. Use email marketing, use social marketing, stay in touch with them, so that you can continue to grow your relationship with them as you grow your business.

Ebony: Talk to me about some of the top trends that you’re seeing small businesses utilize.

Fara: Two big trends that I would contest are here to stay, one is generative AI. I know we’re all talking about it. It’s impacting every industry. And for entrepreneurs, generative AI is a huge benefit on two big fronts. Number one, it’s going to save you time and number two, it’s going to help you get and retain customers. Now, if you haven’t used generative AI, you might be saying how? How can this work? And ultimately, generative AI is an amazing tool to help you answer questions that you may not know the answer to offhand. And generative AI is often built into products to help you do things faster, whether it’s writing product descriptions or creating social media posts. There’s a huge amount of information on generative AI on GoDaddy.com and in GoDaddy’s products to help entrepreneurs again, save time and acquire more customers. And speaking of customers, I think the second trend that’s here to stay is mobile payments. Right, as a small business owner you bring your business with you everywhere you go and there are customers to be had and having mobile payments will enable you to have and build your business when you’re on the road and when you’re actually in your store.

Ebony: Some of my key thoughts and takeaways, even after listening to Fara, is something that I’ve learned from Empower by GoDaddy entrepreneurs. We focus on three pillars with Empower by GoDaddy: education, networking and mentorship. Part of that education piece is remembering that there’s new technology out there existing to help a small business owner not only save time, but also to help them on their journey, including generative AI technology that will help accelerate your growth. So, embrace the journey and learn and educate yourself on the power of generative AI. Remember, building a business takes time. So, be patient as you learn these new tools. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Start with what you have and build from there. Progress is more important than perfection. Specifically, when you’re working with social media. Social media changes day to day, week to week, hour to hour. So be patient and make sure that you’re utilizing social media to boost your business and support your small business. And then don’t forget that community matters. Make sure you find a mentor, somebody that you can learn from, somebody that can encourage you and support you. Find like-minded entrepreneurs and network with them. Learn to grow and challenge yourself.

For more small business tips, visit godaddy.com/resources.

MetLife

NEW YORK /3BL/ – MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) and MetLife Foundation announced a $30 million multi-year commitment to support Upstate New York, which includes pledges of $5 million in funding and impact investments by the Foundation and $25 million in impact investments by MetLife. As part of this commitment, MetLife Foundation has made an impact investment of $1 million to Launch NY to promote entrepreneurship.

“I’m committed to lifting up every community in New York and helping people grow and thrive,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Thanks to public sector efforts and private sector investments like this one from MetLife, Utica and the Mohawk Valley are moving in the right direction. We’ll continue working with our partners to create jobs and opportunity for all New Yorkers.”

MetLife Foundation’s strategy centers on driving inclusive economic mobility and strengthening the communities where MetLife has a presence through three portfolio areas – Economic Inclusion, Financial Health and Resilient Communities. With MetLife employees living and working in the Utica area, the commitment by MetLife and the Foundation will provide ongoing support to the community and residents.

“As a company founded in New York, we are proud to be part of the state’s fabric and believe we have an important role in the communities we serve,” said MetLife President and CEO Michel Khalaf. “The commitment by MetLife and MetLife Foundation seeks to build upon existing efforts in Utica and the surrounding area to help all New Yorkers thrive.”

The $1 million impact investment by MetLife Foundation was part of the first close of Launch NY’s Seed Fund II, LP, a for-profit limited partner fund that invests in high-growth startup companies to drive local employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The first close of the fund, targeted between $15 million and $20 million, is expected to accelerate commitments from other interested investors, as Launch NY remains the most active seed fund in New York state.

“MetLife Foundation’s investment enables us to create opportunities for talented entrepreneurs who will encourage growth and economic prosperity in Upstate New York,” said Dr. Marnie LaVigne, President and CEO of Launch NY. “We value their commitment to the region and look forward to building on our successful partnership.”

In addition to its impact investment to Launch NY, the Foundation has already made over $1.4 million in grants to Upstate New York non-profits including:

Food Bank of Central New York, to address food insecurity through the expansion of their weekend meal program for school-age children and Mobile Food Pantry.Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, to bridge the gap between community and resources through workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, and resident engagement.Munson, to broaden access to their gallery spaces by making them accessible to visitors with mobility limitations, and summer workshops for local children and teens at no cost.

To learn more about the work of MetLife Foundation, visit www.MetLife.org.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

About MetLife Foundation

At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for underserved and underrepresented communities around the world. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations and provide grants aligned to three strategic focus areas – economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities – while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has contributed over $1 billion to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.

Media Contacts:

MetLife

Olivia Janicelli

(212) 578-3547

olivia.janicelli@metlife.com

Medtronic plc, a global leader in healthcare technology, today announced its continued inclusion in the Dow Jones® Sustainability World Index (DJSI) as one of the world’s leading companies for sustainability. The DJSI World Index includes global sustainability leaders that are identified by S&P Dow Jones Indices based on their performance in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment across a variety of sustainability criteria, including long-term economic performance, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

“Each of us at Medtronic recognizes the immense responsibility and privilege we have as an organization, and as individuals, to improve the global health of patients and our planet,” said Geoff Martha, Medtronic chairman and chief executive officer. “We are working to build a healthier, more equitable world for all – one person and one community at a time.”

Progress on ESG performance targets

In October, Medtronic released its fiscal year (FY) 2023 Sustainability Report, which highlights the company’s progress on its ESG strategy, including measurable impact across the ESG performance targets announced in FY2021 in its top focus areas.

 

ESG categoryTargetFY23 status toward targetAccess and innovationMedtronic set a vitality index goal that by FY25, 20% of Medtronic revenue will flow from products and therapies released in the prior 36 months. In addition, the company set a goal to accelerate access to healthcare by serving 79 million patients annually by FY25.16% of Medtronic revenue was from products and therapies released in the prior 36 months. In addition, Medtronic served 74 million+ patients in FY23.Inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E)By FY26, Medtronic will have 45% of global manager-and-above positions held by women and 30% of U.S. manager-and-above positions held by ethnically diverse talent.Medtronic achieved 43% of global manager-and-above roles held by women, as well as 28% of U.S. manager-and-above positions held by ethnically diverse talent.Responsible supply managementMedtronic will grow procurement with U.S. diverse-owned suppliers by 5% year-over-year through FY26.Medtronic grew procurement with U.S. diverse-owned suppliers by 37%.Climate risk and resilienceBy FY25, Medtronic targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 50%.Medtronic reduced emissions intensity by 35%.Patient safety and product qualityBy FY25, Medtronic will achieve 10% reduction in aggregate product complaint rate for identified product families.Medtronic achieved 39% reduction.1

 

More information about Medtronic’s comprehensive sustainability efforts can be found in the 2023 Sustainability Report and by visiting http://www.medtronic.com/ourimpact.

About Medtronic 
Bold thinking. Bolder actions. We are Medtronic. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people across 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight-driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for our world. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary. For more information on Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), visit www.Medtronic.com and follow @Medtronic on and LinkedIn.

Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic’s periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Contacts:

Erika Winkels
Public Relations
+1-763-526-8478

Ryan Weispfenning
Investor Relations
+1-763-505-4626

Robert Ellsworth
Enterprise Sustainability
+1-401-864-4685

 

1 The goal covers the following products: Transcatheter Aortic valves and delivery systems, Venous Closure systems, Spinal Cord Stimulation systems, Mazor Robot guidance systems, Signia™ handles, Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilators, and Diabetes NGP pumps and sensors. The company is focusing on these product families because they represent strategic opportunities to positively influence complaint rate and patient experience through new product introductions and post-release changes. The company continuously evaluates opportunities to reduce complaints and improve the patient experience. As opportunities are identified, Medtronic may expand the scope of this commitment in future years. This target is an aggregate percent reduction from FY20 to FY25. Therefore, annual progress toward this target prior to FY25 does not represent achieving or missing the target.

There’s a famous line, often quoted, which says: “It’s not personal. It’s business.” It’s usually meant to separate emotions from business decisions.

But when your business is focused on providing access to healthcare, it is highly personal. At Viatris, we know this at a fundamental level – because we aren’t just employees. We are also patients. We’re caregivers. We are people. And we understand, on a deep and foundational level, the role that access plays in our ability to live healthier lives.

That is why we are kicking off a program to listen to and engage with colleagues across the company on this topic: how access impacts each of us, our families and our communities globally. We are calling this initiative Access Conversations.

I had the pleasure of hosting our first Access Conversations panel discussion this week and was inspired by the honesty, resilience and hope embodied by Viatris colleagues from around the world as they each shared their experiences – personally as patients, and professionally as people making a difference in Viatris’ ability to deliver access at scale. This discussion demonstrated how providing sustainable access to high-quality medicines is a universal need and responsibility for us all, and why keeping people at the center of this work is essential.

I would like to thank my colleagues listed above for being so open and taking the time to share how their personal experiences have shaped their view of access. In our work, it’s critical to remember how the healthcare-related challenges and opportunities we face in our individual lives influence our approach to business.

Access at Viatris

At Viatris, access is fundamental to our mission of empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We are beginning this series of access-related conversations, starting with our own colleagues, to help us better understand the barriers we seek to overcome. In 2022 alone, we supplied approximately 1 billion patients worldwide with Viatris medicines – and each person we reached has a unique story and valuable perspectives on how we can collectively continue to improve access.

What Access Means to Us

I asked each colleague to share a little about what access means to them as an individual, and also within their role at Viatris:

Ana Petry: The importance of raising disease awareness

Ana, who recently experienced a personal tragedy in the loss of a close family member, shared her thoughts on the importance of raising awareness and sharing information around mental health to reduce stigma and improve recognition of symptoms. Often, this is a first hurdle to seeking access to mental health services. Her efforts in support of Brazil’s Yellow September campaign are making a difference in education about mental health and suicide prevention in the country.

Shane Horgan: The impact of a global and reliable supply chain

Shane has the unique experience of working in a Viatris site that also manufactures the medicine he takes, providing him with a strong perspective on the importance of a reliable supply chain. He plays a key role in ensuring Viatris’ global supply chain is designed to reach more people with health solutions when and where they need them.

Leah Evert: The need for resources and tools in support of access to healthcare

After her cancer diagnosis, Leah found support in advocacy networks. She shared that access is about more than just access to medicine, but also about local community connections and sourcing information to be able to advocate for oneself. In her professional role at Viatris, she also helps ensure that colleagues have access to resources and programs that are necessary to experience the best of healthcare.

We look forward to having more Access Conversations with Viatris colleagues and others across the world as we learn from experiences, uncover barriers, discuss potential solutions, and hear personal perspectives.

Nasdaq’s Head of ESG Solutions Randall Hopkins discusses how Nasdaq is shaping the carbon market landscape and empowering businesses with forward-thinking corporate net-zero strategies. With climate being a critical global challenge, we’re leaning into our commitment to support our clients through their energy transition with powerful, innovative technology solutions.

Join the conversation during COP28 here: https://www.nasdaq.com/cop28

Manufacturers face numerous challenges, from meeting regulations to handling equipment breakdowns and more. There’s no shortage of variables that cause logistical nightmares – losing companies money for every minute of downtime. According to a recent industry report by Deloitte, unplanned downtime alone can cost manufacturers an estimated $50 billion each year.

“Uptime is the name of the game in all types of production, including food and beverage manufacturing,” said Vic Stockman, vice president of Services, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada, a world leading food processing and packaging company. “So it’s vital to prevent unwanted breakdowns, before unplanned downtime affects your bottom line.”

In today’s strained labor market, Stockman stressed two elements for operations to run as efficiently and sustainably as possible: providing the right training and knowing when you need outside support.

Here are his tips for boosting any operation’s performance, uptime and profits.

1. Manage maintenance

Although preventive maintenance is key to avoiding equipment failure, it’s challenging to stick to recommended maintenance intervals while following demanding production schedules. For that reason, he advises using experienced technicians so maintenance is done right the first time – reducing unwanted downtime.

“Plants can also consider World Class Manufacturing (WCM) approaches to optimize maintenance intervals, and explore other areas of improvement,” added Stockman. “At Tetra Pak, we used what we’ve learned from decades of experience in our WCM packaging material factories and share those insights with our food and beverage customers.”

Predictive maintenance is another great tool to maximize your processing equipment: Condition monitors report how the equipment is running to predict failures before they occur, so plants aren’t performing maintenance until it’s needed.

2. Optimize internal staff

Another vital aspect to efficient production is operator training, which ensures equipment is used properly. This is especially important during high staff turnover. If someone doesn’t have the right skills or training, it’s easier for them to replace many working components instead of properly diagnosing the root cause to a specific broken part or component – leading to additional downtime and increased need for parts that did not have to be replaced.

Having an on-site engineer can alleviate this issue. “Our on-site engineers tell us customers experience about a 25% reduction in unnecessary consumption of spare parts,” said Stockman. “Plant operators also have the opportunity to learn from on-site engineers, which ensures consistency during staffing changes.”

3. Improve procedures

Plants can also re-assess operating procedures to minimize downtime. Using the correct steps for maintenance, spare parts, cleaning intervals and more is crucial for consistent operations.

An outside consultant can evaluate how existing procedures are being executed and identify areas for improvement. For example, if a plant is experiencing a high rate of shrinkage, they may suggest more training in a certain area, pinpoint where a new sensor may improve outcomes – or another custom solution based on their observations.

Even the performance of a brand-new line can be enhanced with superior expertise and training. “One Tetra Pak customer with several brand-new lines increased uptime by 20% with better operator training,” Stockman said. “We made sure our customer’s operational team was well trained and understood how to react to different scenarios – and how to properly plan and sequence operations. For example, they staggered activities so peak utilities usage didn’t negatively impact multiple pieces of equipment.”

4. Tap outside expertise

To improve processes, consider remote support for your on-site team from an outside expert (who could be virtually anywhere) to discover the best solutions, with minimal downtime.

On-site employees can consult with experts who may better understand the problem and suggest next steps, which alleviates downtime in two ways: First, since the remote support engineer needs no travel time, they can “be there” quickly. Second, the remote expert can use their expertise, assess the problem with fresh eyes and suggest efficient solutions.

“With Tetra Pak’s remote support customers, about 90% of the issues we’re diagnosing are related to run settings and not the components, while less experienced staff may replace the many components instead of adjusting an incorrect setting,” explained Stockman. “It really pays to have this expertise at your fingertips.”

While these tips help your facility get the most value by producing as much as possible, they also make your plant run more sustainably. Minimizing lost product means less waste, running more efficiently means using fewer utilities to achieve the same goal, and cleaning less means saving chemicals and reducing water use.

“You can increase uptime and output with the right resources and mindset,” Stockman said. “By ensuring your employees are well trained, have the right tools – and can consult outside resources when needed – you’ll have the best expertise available to solve current issues and prevent unplanned downtime.”

To learn more about optimizing manufacturing operations, visit https://www.tetrapak.com/en-us/solutions/services.

CLEVELAND, December 15, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided a $35 million construction loan and $15.7 million in 4% federal low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity to finance the acquisition and rehabilitation of Cambridge Square Apartments, located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

KeyBank also arranged a $18 million permanent loan through the Fannie Mae forward MBS Tax-Exempt Bond (M.TEB) program. The $22 million of tax-exempt MTEB bonds were sold by KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Cambridge Square consists of eight three-story residential buildings and one community building, consisting of 204 apartments. The unit mix includes 78 one-bedroom units, 102 two-bedroom units, and 24 three-bedroom units. The tenant units (97%) are covered by a 20-year Section 8 Housing Assistance (HAP) Contact. The 198 HAP units will be reserved for families and individuals earning no more than 50% of the area median income (AMI). The remaining six units are LIHTC restricted at 60% AMI.

The sponsor for Cambridge Square is Community Preservation Partners (CPP) an affordable housing rehabilitation company. Since its founding in 2004, CPP has developed more than 12,500 low-income housing units and invested more than $2.6 billion into neighborhoods across the United States, keeping housing costs affordable for thousands of seniors, families, and individuals.

Cambridge Square will offer an on-site service coordinator through American HealthCare Group to connect residents to a variety of community resources and services such as health care and health care education, financial literacy and computer literacy, childcare, youth activities, nutritional services, disability services, tenant home ownership training and parenting programs.

Anna Belanger and Jonathan Wittkopf of KeyBank CDLI structured the tax credit equity and debt financing for the transaction. Robbie Lynn of KeyBank CMG structured the Fannie M. TEB. Sam Adams of KeyBanc Capital Markets marketed the bonds.

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 $188 billion at September 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.

Look at every opportunity to finance projects by evaluating their eligibility for tax credit financing through the NMTC program, which is designed to support investment in low-income communities. 2016-2020 ACS data now available!

Use the interactive tax credit mapping tool

The NMTC program provides tax credits for investment into operating businesses and development projects located in qualifying communities by certified Community Development Entities (CDEs). Up until Sept. 1, 2024, certified CDEs may use either the 2011-2015 ACS data or the 2016-2020 ACS data. As of Sept. 1, 2024, certified CDEs must use 2016-2020 ACS data applied to the 2020 census tracts to identify CDE eligible census tracts in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Use the interactive tax credit mapping tool to help determine if a project may qualify within eligible census tracts.

Submit your project to Baker Tilly’s tax credit specialists for additional qualification analysis.

Disclaimer: The data presented in this map are provided as a reference and the validity cannot be guaranteed. The CDFI Fund is the authority of this data figure and for NMTC eligibility.