Tag: 3BL

Originally published in Key’s 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance report

Through advocacy, connections, and empowerment, Key4Women supports the financial progress and empowerment of businesswomen, providing a wealth of resources to help them meet their personal and professional goals. Since its launch in 2005, our certified advisors have facilitated more than $12 billion in loans to women-owned businesses.

The program offers members:

Customized financial services and advice from Key4Women certified advisors
 Exclusive member events and forums with industry experts to help foster professional and business development while creating lasting connections with industry leaders and professionals
 Timely and robust thought leadership content and insights, covering the latest in financial and business trends to help women succeed
 Strong support of national and local women organizations

With thousands of Key4Women Certified Advisors throughout Key’s footprint, we understand the unique needs of women entrepreneurs and leaders. Access to capital and mentorship continue to be two critical needs of women-owned businesses, which is why Key4Women expanded its pitch contest from Northeast Ohio to Washington State in 2022. Through the competition, nearly $70,000 in cash prizes were awarded to 20 finalists.

To learn more about Key’s commitments to empowering businesswomen, read the 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report here.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Not far from where a new station is being built for Chicago’s Red Line expansion, in the heart of the city’s Roseland-Pullman neighborhood, is one of the few Black-owned, independent furniture stores in the Midwest. For 81 years, 30 of those under the ownership of Eddie Davis, Bass Furniture’s Michigan Ave. location has stood the test of time.

“There’s been a lot of stores that have gone out of business, but Bass Furniture is still there,” said Davis, who bought Bass Furniture from Gil Levy, the original owner’s son-in-law, in the 1990s. “I don’t profess to be such a smart businessperson. I do what I do and thank God that I’m allowed to do it.”

Davis, who worked at the store for years before taking steps to buy the store, faced difficulties with financial institutions to secure financing to buy the business. For instance, one bank okayed financing over the phone but declined in person. Davis was eventually financed by Levy himself, who later sent Davis a note saying the $125,000 he owed was paid in full.

It was around this time that he first met Katrina Barber, a young teller working at Pullman Bank. Pullman Bank was later acquired by U.S. Bank, where Barber is now a branch manager. For 32 years, she’s been there for Davis and his family as they’ve opened up accounts ranging from personal checking to mortgages and loans.

“I first worked with Mr. Davis as a teller when he was making his deposit,” said Barber. “I then moved over to the business side of banking and learned more and more about his business. Our relationship was fostered throughout the years around the trust and belief that we were going to take care of him and his business.”

It’s that trust that anchors Barber, the Pullman Branch team and U.S. Bank to the community. Since 2009, U.S. Bank has invested more than $100 million in the Pullman community. Among that support is the U.S. Bank Pullman Community Center, which opened in 2018. Chicago is also home to one of the bank’s new Business Access Advisors (BAA). Serving as a trusted resource, BAAs aim to expand networking and business development opportunities for Black business owners as well as provide business and consumer products that help strengthen both the financial profile of the business and its owner.

“Historically and in this moment, minority-owned businesses face hurdles with access to capital, connections and information,” said Micae Brown, Chicago’s BAA, who visited Bass Furniture with business bankers during a city-wide tour of Black-owned businesses. “However, at U.S. Bank, myself, the BAAs, business bankers and others are working with business owners and the community to assist in addressing gaps that make it difficult to grow their business.”

For Davis, it all comes back to community and the knowledge he won’t ever walk alone.

“Before the pandemic, we would have this annual fundraiser for the Roseland Business Development Council, which Bass Furniture is a member of,” said Davis. “The bank would support us in our efforts. That’s why, whenever Katrina is doing something, we’re there. No man is an island. You can’t do things by yourself.”

To see the recent #usbankroadtrip visit to the Pullman branch featuring Barber and Davis, watch the video above.

Originally published on 3M News Center

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 19, 2023 /3BL Media/ — 3M (NYSE: MMM) is expanding its ongoing commitment to materials science-based climate tech solutions by working with Svante Technologies, Inc. (Svante) to develop material that can trap carbon dioxide (CO2) found in the atmosphere and permanently remove it.

“3M is committed to helping build a low-carbon economy.  We are driven by a need to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, and our partnership with Svante to create innovative climate solutions is an exciting prospect for us,” said Ray Eby, president of 3M’s Personal Safety Division. “Similar to how we tripled production of N95 respirators during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are eager to take on the challenge of scaling the production and supply of carbon removal materials over the next decade and beyond to meet global demand. Our deep expertise in filtration technology, extensive global R&D community and our unwavering commitment to create world-changing solutions give us the confidence to scale these carbon-adsorbing solutions with the necessary speed to combat climate change.”

3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of 3M, recently participated in Svante’s Series E fundraising round, which raised $318 million to accelerate the manufacturing of Svante’s carbon capture and removal technology.

“3M is another great addition to our network of world-class strategic partners and investors,” said Claude Letourneau, Svante’s president and chief executive officer. “3M’s 120+ years of expertise in producing materials science-based solutions at scale is unparalleled and will aid us in our efforts to capture millions of tons of CO2 from diverse sites around the world.” 

Svante has developed a process for coating solid sorbents onto laminate sheets and stacking into high-performance filters, which are available for both industrial point-source capture (from hydrogen, cement, steel, aluminum, pulp & paper plants, and refineries) and for direct air capture.  Because of the wide array of markets the company serves, Letourneau says Svante’s technology can be applied to 85% of the total carbon capture and removal segment. 

“With 51 technology platforms across 3M, we’re innovating and creating new technology capabilities to meet the growing needs of the carbon capture and removal market,” said Fabrice Moguet, senior vice president of research and development for 3M’s Safety and Industrial Business Group. “To fulfill Svante’s needs and help combat climate change, we’ll need to scale to thousands of miles of technical material over the next few years, and we’re excited to manufacture our first products in the United States for Svante’s DAC applications.”

The joint development agreement (JDA) between 3M and Svante focuses on the development and manufacture of solutions using parallel channel structured adsorbent technology for sale into the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry.

About 3M

3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone.  By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet.  Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news or on Twitter at @3M or @3MNews.

About Svante

Svante manufactures solid sorbent-based filters and rotary contactor machines that capture large-scale CO2 emissions from existing infrastructure, either for safe storage or to be used for further industrial use in a closed loop. With the ability to capture CO2 from industrial sources and directly from the atmosphere in an environmentally sustainable way, Svante makes industrial-scale carbon capture and removal a reality. The company is on the 2023 Global Cleantech 100 and was ranked second among private companies in the Corporate Knights Future 50 Fastest-Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada. To learn more about Svante, visit www.svanteinc.com, or follow Svante on LinkedIn or Twitter @svantesolutions.

JC Fresh Farms produces a record 315,700 pounds of grape/medley tomatoes during the second week of May

Orangeline Farms produces a record of over 14,000 cases of sweet snack peppers the same week

FISHERS, Ind. May 19, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Land Betterment Corporation (“Land Betterment” or the “Company”), an environmental solutions company fostering positive impact through upcycling former coal mining and industrial sites to create sustainable community development and job creation, today announced that its subsidiary, Betterment Harvest, recently realized a record week of production between its JC Fresh and Orangeline Farms located in Ontario, Canada. The record-setting, second week of May production follows a successful 2023 crop planting and an initial pick that was one week earlier compared to last year. Additionally, the farms have secured record contract pricing for the 2023 season.

Matt Tatomir, Co-President of Betterment Harvest and Founder of JC Fresh and Orangeline Farms, commented, “We applaud our world-class team for a great start to this season and the 2023 year where we have been outperforming on almost every metric. Also, the technology we have implemented along with gained efficiencies in picking practices, has enabled us to materially reduce our operating costs. We are proud of the accomplishments we have made to date, and we believe we can continue to gain on our current momentum throughout the rest of the season.”

Betterment Harvest’s record production week included:

14,200 cases of sweet, mini-snack peppers at Orangeline Farms;Over 315,700 pounds of grape/medley tomatoes at JC Fresh Farms; andOn a consolidated basis, generated a record weekly revenue of $894,500.

JC Fresh Farms 
JC Fresh Farms comprises 33-acres of hi-tech double poly greenhouses with the ability to expand operations by an additional 17 acres of high-tech diffused glass. The facility is located in Kingsville Ontario, Canada and is currently in production with a focus in the exclusive specialty tomato class.

Orangeline Farms 
Orangeline Farms, located in Leamington, Ontario resides on 120 acres of land and is comprised of 20-acres of hi-tech, double poly greenhouse and an additional 12-acre hi-tech glass facility. The facility is currently in production with a focus on the exclusive sweet, snack-pepper market. Orangeline expects to grow nearly 500,000 pepper plants during the 2023 growing season, yielding approximately 5 million pounds of product annually.

Customer and Sales Channels 
Both JC Fresh Farms’ and Orangeline Farms’ crop is fully committed to the top produce marketers in the world, and on fixed-price contracts which allow for solid revenue forecasting and management of both variable and fixed costs. The contractual arrangement allow Betterment Harvest to lock in revenue and access to the world’s leading retailers requiring hundreds of thousands of pounds weekly.

Betterment Harvest 
Betterment Harvest, a Land Betterment company, is a leading controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company with a highly scalable model and the off-take agreements to support its growth plan. Operational footprint spans from Ontario Canada to Perry County Kentucky with over 65 acres of operational CEA. To learn more, visit bettermentharvest.com.

Land Betterment Corporation 
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Pending B-Corp, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through upcycling former coal mining sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community. Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet. For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Land Betterment Corporation’s control. The words “believes”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “continue”, “seeks”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “estimates”, or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

Company Contacts:

Mark LaVerghetta 
317.537.0492 ext. 0 
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance 
info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman 
207.205.0790 
Stakeholder Engagement Director 
info@landbetterment.com

Source: Land Betterment Corporation

Hear from Megan Sirna, human resources leader, in the first video of our new series, Principles in Perspective. “What I’ve learned is what a difference it makes to work at a company that values the fact that every employee is unique.” Megan says as she talks about how respect and meaningful work makes our culture unique.

Georgia-Pacific

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us . For news, visit: gp.com/news

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Tetra Tech is Leading with Science® to deliver innovative solutions for its clients’ most challenging water problems around the world. In 2023 Engineering News-Record (ENR) ranked Tetra Tech #1 in Water in its “Top 500 Design Firms” issue for the 20th year in a row. Tetra Tech also maintained the #4 spot out of 500 firms in the 2023 Design Firms list.

Tetra Tech achieves consistently high ENR rankings thanks to the hard work, dedication, and passion of its teams of industry-leading experts. Their knowledge spans all phases of the water cycle, combining state-of-the-art techniques and demonstrated best practices to help protect public health and improve quality of life.

We thank our clients for their continued partnership and the opportunity to create smart solutions for complex water, environmental, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and international development challenges.

Tetra Tech’s 2023 rankings include:

#4 in Top 500 Design Firms#1 in Water (20th year in a row)#2 in Sewer and Waste#3 in Hazardous Waste#4 in International Markets#8 in General Building#10 in Power

View Tetra Tech’s company awards.

CAMDEN, N.J., May 19, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today announced that it received the 2023 Gold Halo Award for Best Education Initiative. The Halo Awards, presented by Engage for Good, acknowledge companies that have made a significant impact through cause marketing and social impact programs.

Subaru was recognized for its commitment to supporting education and its partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org. Through the 2022 Subaru Loves Learning® initiative, Subaru and 621 of its retailers helped offset teachers’ financial burden by donating $3.3 million to 652 schools and 5,699 teachers across the U.S., allowing teachers to select which supplies would make the biggest impact in their classrooms. Along with financial donations, this initiative also included full scale events where Subaru retailers delivered supplies to their local schools.

“At Subaru, we believe that education is the key to unlocking a better future for all. We are proud to partner with AdoptAClassroom.org to extend its mission and help to equip more under-resourced students with the learning tools they need to succeed,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Subaru of America, Inc. “We’re honored to receive this prestigious award as we continue to work with our partners and retailers to show our commitment to providing all students an equal opportunity at a quality education.”

AdoptAClassroom.org is a nonprofit organization that empowers teachers with the funds they need to purchase essential classroom supplies. The organization works with individual donors and corporate partners like Subaru to help teachers provide their students with a high-quality education, regardless of zip code.

“The partnership between Subaru and AdoptAClassroom.org has had a tremendous impact on teachers and students nationwide,” said Ann Pifer, Executive Director of AdoptAClassroom.org. “Thanks to the generous support from Subaru and its retailers, more than 300,000 teachers have had the opportunity to provide students with crucial resources while feeling the love, appreciation, and support they deserve as learning professionals.”

The Halo Awards were presented at the Engage for Good Conference on May 17, 2023.

For more information about Subaru Loves Learning and the automaker’s commitment to education, visit subaru.com/learning.

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About AdoptAClassroom.org 
AdoptAClassroom.org believes every child deserves the tools and materials they need to learn and thrive in school. To achieve this, teachers are spending an average of $860 of their own money each year on their classrooms. AdoptAClassroom.org is a national nonprofit that funds PreK-12 teachers and schools across the U.S. to help equip more classrooms and students for success, and offset the financial burden on teachers. Since 1998, AdoptAClassroom.org has raised $65 million and equipped more than 6.4 million students across the U.S. 90% of all funded classrooms are considered high needs. The 501(c)(3) holds the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the highest transparency rating offered by Candid/GuideStar. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.

About Subaru of America, Inc. 
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Diane Anton 
Corporate Communications Manager 
(856) 488-5093 
danton@subaru.com

Adam Leiter 
Corporate Communications Specialist 
(856) 488-8668 
aleiter@subaru.com

By Dan Lambe

There’s a need for forests everywhere around the world.

Alongside our worldwide network of partners, the Arbor Day Foundation has been involved in some incredible work on the global forestry stage. That reach continues to expand as more attention and understanding of the impact reforestation work can have on international forests of greatest need.

While the Arbor Day Foundation has built a 50-year legacy of impact through tree planting, we continue to have more and more “firsts” for the organization. We have another first on the horizon as we prepare to plant in Laos for the first time with the help of the World Wildlife Fund and Global EverGreening Alliance. The unique ecosystems in this Southeast Asia country are essential to the survival of many plant and animal species—many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Like so many other “firsts” for the Foundation, this one wouldn’t be possible without a partnership of like-minded organizations committed to positive impact through trees. This collaboration between three international players in conservation leverages the strength needed to dial up the magnitude of impact in this critical landscape. We are proud to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with World Wildlife Fund and Global EverGreening Alliance, pushing forward on exactly the kind of projects that are needed to advance biodiversity and climate resiliency.

But the environmental benefits of a thriving ecosystem are not all we hope to achieve in Laos. At the heart of this mission, is a deep desire to help our fellow humans.

These forest lands support the livelihoods of people living in Laos. Some of these marginalized communities have poor access to basic resources and are dependent on forest lands to provide them with food, medicine and housing. Trees help keep these local communities going and we want them to be part of the effort to plant 30,000 more. We’re seeking to engage the people of Laos to take ownership over their own forest lands and empower community leaders to be actively involved in this project. They understand how their communities can benefit from these important forests.

In Laos, Southeast Asia and communities all over the world, trees can be a catalyst for change. They can represent the end of a seemingly insurmountable struggle and the beginning of a healthier, more joyous reality.

At the Arbor Day Foundation, we want to spur that transformation in the areas that need it most. By combining efforts with some of the world’s most respected environmental organizations on the planet — the World Wildlife Fund and Global EverGreening Alliance —we expect to see the people and wildlife of Laos reap the rewards of a vital investment in their community.

Dan Lambe is CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation, the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. He can be reached at dlambe@arborday.org. 

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May — and all year long — we come together to foster belonging among Asian and allied employees.

Mani Prakash remembers being approached after speaking at a conference. The attendee was surprised and inspired to see a South Asian in the spotlight at such a prestigious event.

That’s when he realized he could make a bigger difference for other people of Asian descent at Medtronic. Shortly after, the vice president of research and development joined the Asian Impact at Medtronic Network (AIM) and is now co-chair of the global Network that has 20 local hubs and 4,800+ members across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.

During his time in that role, he’s focused on developing talent through mentorship. He also sees the need to continually create value for patients through increased representation across Medtronic – not just in our engineering departments.

“It’s about ensuring diversity in all our teams,” Prakash said, adding that increased representation in customer- and patient-facing roles is key.

Important conversations about health disparities are more likely to happen if our teams are diverse, he said.

This commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity (ID&E) accelerates innovation and helps bring our lifesaving technologies to more patients around the world. And Prakash is just one Medtronic employee actively making AAPI history and fostering belonging for Asian-descent colleagues.

Medtronic was also recently honored for its ongoing commitment to ID&E and the Asian-descent community. Recognized consistently by Asia Society since 2014, this year Medtronic won two awards from Asia Society’s biennial 2023 Asian Corporate Survey.

This recognition is especially meaningful because it’s heavily based on anonymous feedback from our AAPI employees, authentically reflecting our ID&E culture and progress that employees themselves are feeling.

Best Employer for Supporting AAPI Employee’s Belonging and InclusionBest Employer for AAPI Employee Growth and Advancement

 As we continue to break down barriers, there are a couple of key things to consider during AAPI Heritage Month and beyond, Prakash said.

The AAPI community is not a monolith

Often, people act as if being Asian American is one culture, Prakash said. But both in the AAPI community and in India, there are hundreds of cultures.

“To many people I’m just an Indian who speaks Indian, but there’s a decent amount of diversity in India,” he said.

It’s important to understand and get to know the culture of the people you work with.

“That creates better teams,” he said.

While not a monolith, the barriers and challenges people of Asian descent face are often shared experiences – and an opportunity to learn and build solidarity.

Avoid stereotyping

“Oh, you are an Asian so you must be good at math. Maybe you should be an engineer,” is a common refrain, Prakash said.

He sees that thinking as an obstacle to increasing representation across fields, and it can keep employers from giving people a chance.

“We have to broaden our thinking,” he said.

The AIM Network is encouraging people to AIM Higher, both within and across communities this AAPI Heritage Month. Read more about our year-round actions and impact in our Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity 2022 Annual Report.

Fifth Third Bank employees in northern Ohio marked the occasion of Fifth Third Day by deploying into their communities to provide meals for the hungry. Fifth Third Day is celebrated by the Bank each year on May 3, or 5/3 on the calendar. Fifth Third’s goal is to provide 10 million meals across its retail footprint throughout the month.

In Northern Ohio, employees worked at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank on May 2 at its Stark campus in Canton to unload food donations from Stark County area schools. On May 3, Fifth Third volunteers worked at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank at its main campus in Akron to sort, inspect and repackage food donations. Employees also visited the Greater Cleveland Foodbank to pack food kits, and Connecting Kids to Meals in Toledo to pack plates, utensils, condiments, snacks and other items to supply healthy meals to local children.

Click here for more information about Fifth Third Bank, National Association’s Fifth Third Day efforts.