Tag: 3BL

No two paths into manufacturing look the same. There are endless entry points to an amazing career in the industry. For Daniel Beltran, Human Resource Manager at Saint-Gobain Life Sciences in Gaithersburg, Maryland, he found a company that makes a difference in people’s lives

Saint-Gobain is an industry leader with thousands of talented team members who are dedicated to one unified purpose: Making the World a Better Home. With more than 160 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada, there are so many robust and fulfilling career opportunities available. You’ll have the opportunity to work with colleagues from a wide range of businesses, cultures, and experiences.

About Success in the Making

Anyone can be a manufacturer! Whether you are just starting out or transitioning your career path, the manufacturing industry presents opportunities for success. Saint-Gobain North America’s Success in the Making series features the stories of team members who built their careers in manufacturing and thrived!

Watch the full Success in the Making series on YouTube.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.6 billion in sales in 2024 
More than 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries 
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Eastman

KINGSPORT, Tenn., November 13, 2025 /3BL/ — Eastman is powering the latest medical package innovation from Medipack, allowing the company to offer its customers the performance they need and added sustainability they want.

Eastman’s Eastar™ 6763 Renew copolyester is a key component in Medipack’s new MEDPETG 6763 RN thermoforming film. Using Eastar 6763 Renew allows the company to offer packaging that performs like its legacy wrap but with a lower environmental footprint.

Medipack has long used Eastar 6763 as part of its production process but wanted to offer a more sustainable option. The company turned to Eastar 6763 Renew because it’s made with up to 50% certified recycled content* from hard-to-recycle waste materials processed through Eastman molecular recycling. This means waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill are used to make a new Medipack product, reducing the use of virgin feedstocks and preserving natural resources.

The result is a drop-in replacement that performs as well as traditional products, with a reduced carbon footprint and fewer items going to the waste stream. Medipack swapped Eastar 6763 in without changing its manufacturing process or acquiring additional medical certifications, both of which can be long and costly processes.

“Eastman’s molecular recycling technology makes it possible for us to use certified recycled content without compromising quality or safety — an essential requirement in medical packaging,” said Felix Neidhart, Sales Manager, Medipack. “It enables the benefits of recycled content in sterile barrier packaging, which was previously not feasible. This is a major step toward circularity in medical packaging.”

Eastar 6763 Renew offers the clarity, durability and sterilization compliance that make it ideal for pharmaceutical and medical use. It performs identically to and holds the same certifications as the legacy Eastar 6763 copolyester.

“We take great pride in making a sustainable option available in the medical market,” said Heather Singler, Eastman’s medical commercial director. “We couldn’t be happier that Medipack has been able to take advantage of Eastar 6763 Renew to deliver products its customers can count on.”

Visit Eastman’s website for more information on Eastar 6763 Renew, or Medipack’s website for details on MEDPETG 6763.

^{*Certified recycled content allocated using ISCC mass balance.}

About Eastman

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.

About Medipack

Medipack AG, based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is a leading provider of high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions for the medical technology sector. The company focuses on innovation, quality, and resource-efficient production. With a skilled and experienced team, Medipack develops customized packaging that meets the strict requirements of the industry while taking ecological responsibility seriously. Continuous development and a strong focus on customer needs make Medipack a reliable partner for medical packaging. For more information, visit www.medipack.ch

Key takeaways: Telecom companies are hoping for quick 6G standardization followed by a rapid increase in 6G enterprise and retail customers, with AI being a key enabler:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are expected to become essential and critical components of the 6G standards, scheduled for release in 2028 or 2029.
• Engineers in 6G and AI could take products to market quickly by understanding the potential benefits of AI / ML for 6G design validation.

The 6G era is poised to be fundamentally different — potentially the first “AI-native” iteration of wireless telecom networks. With extensive use of AI expected in 6G, engineers face an unprecedented challenge: How do you validate a system that is more dynamic, intelligent, and faster than anything before it?

This blog gives insights into 6G design validation using AI for engineers working in communication service providers, mobile network operators, communication technology vendors, and device manufacturers.

We explain the new applications that 6G and AI could unlock, the AI techniques you’re likely to run into, and how you could use them for designing and testing 6G networks.

What are the key use cases that 6G and AI will enable together?

The two engines of 6G and AI are projected to power exciting new use cases like real-time digital twins, smart factories, highly autonomous mobility, holographic communication, and pervasive edge intelligence.

These are among the major innovations that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) envision from 6G and AI. Let’s examine these key use cases for AI in 6G and 6G for AI in 2030 and beyond.

Real-time digital twins using 6G and AI

With promises of ubiquitous deployment, high data rates, and ultra-low latency, 6G and AI could create precise real-time representations of the physical world as digital twins.

Digital twins will be powerful tools for modeling, monitoring, managing, analyzing, and simulating all kinds of physical assets, resources, environments, and situations in real time.

Digital twin networks could serve as replicas of physical networks, enabling real-time optimization and control of 6G wireless communication networks. Proposed 6G capabilities like integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) could efficiently synchronize these digital and physical worlds.

Smart factories through 6G and AI

6G and AI have the potential to support advanced industrial applications (“industrial 6G“) through reliable low-latency connections for ubiquitous real-time data collecting, sharing, and decision-making. They could enable full automation, control, and operation, leveraging connectivity to intelligent devices, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), and robots. Private 6G networks may effectively streamline operations at airports and seaports.

Autonomous mobility via 6G and AI

6G and AI are set to enhance autonomous mobility, including self-driving vehicles and autonomous transport based on cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. This involves AI-assisted automated driving, real-time 3D-mapping, and high-precision positioning.

Holographic communication over 6G

6G and AI data centers could enable immersive multimedia experiences, like holographic telepresence and remote multi-sensory interactions. Semantic communication, where AI will try to understand users’ actual current needs and adapt to them, could help meet the demands of data-hungry applications like holographic communication and extended reality, transmitting only the essential semantics of messages.

Pervasive edge AI over 6G technologies

The convergence of communication and computing, particularly through edge computing and edge intelligence, is likely to distribute AI capabilities throughout the 6G network, close to the data source. This has the potential to enable real-time distributed learning, joint inference, and collaboration between intelligent robots and devices, leading to ubiquitous intelligence.

How will AI optimize 6G network design and operation?

In this section, we look more specifically at how AI is being considered for the design and testing of 6G networks.

At a high level, 6G communications will likely involve:

• physical components, like the base stations, PHY transceivers, network switches, and user equipment (UE, like smartphones or fixed wireless modems)
• logical subsystems, like the radio access network (RAN), core network, network functions, and protocol stacks

Some of these are expected to be designed, optimized, and tested using design-time AI models before deployment. Others are expected to use runtime AI models during their operations to dynamically adapt to local traffic, geographical, and weather conditions.

Let’s look at which aspects of 6G radio and network functions are likely to be enhanced by the integration of AI techniques in their designs.

AI-native air interface

In the UE-to-RAN air interface, AI models could enhance core radio functions like symbol detection, channel estimation, channel state information (CSI) estimation, beam selection, modulation, and antenna selection.

Some of these AI models may run on the UEs, some on the base stations, and some on both.

AI-assisted beamforming

AI is envisioned to:

• assist in ultra-massive multiple-input multiple-output (UM-MIMO) using more precise CSI
• predict optimal transmit beams
• reduce beam-pairing complexity
• assist reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for environmental optimization

AI-optimized RAN

It’s hoped that AI will become instrumental in end-to-end network optimization and dynamically adapting the entire RAN through self-monitoring, self-organization, self-optimization, and self-healing.

Automated network management

AI holds the potential to automate network operation and maintenance as well as enable automated management services like predictive maintenance, intelligent data perception, on-demand capability addition, traffic prediction, and energy management.

Real-time dynamic allocation and scheduling of wireless resources like bandwidth and power for load balancing could be automatically handled by AI. AI-based mobility management could proactively manage handoffs and reduce signaling overhead.

Additionally, analysis of vast network data by AI promises precise threat intelligence, real-time monitoring, prediction, and active defense against network faults and security risks.

What AI techniques are most effective for validating 6G system-level performance?

AI is a wide field with many techniques, like deep learning, reinforcement learning, generative models, and machine learning. Let’s look at how these different AI algorithms and architectures could be used for 6G design, validation, and network performance testing.

Reinforcement learning (RL)

RL has the potential to be at the forefront of AI for 6G self-optimization, network design, and testing because it is good at replicating human decision-making, testing on a massive scale, and enabling the recent rise of large reasoning models.

RL and deep RL could be used for the following use cases:

• RAN optimization: RL is already being used for intent-based RAN optimization in 5G, enabling autonomous decision-making in dynamic network environments, particularly for mobility management, interference mitigation, and energy-efficient scheduling. RL can control and optimize complex workflows.
• Enhanced beamforming: Deep RL could be used for beam prediction in the spatial and temporal domains.
• Functional testing: Autonomous agents, trained using RL, could test 6G hardware and software systems, looking for bugs as their rewards. Each agent will be a deep neural network trained using proximal policy optimization or direct preference optimization to do sequences of network actions and favor those sequences that are likely to maximize their rewards (the number of bugs found).
• Performance testing: In a 6G system, performance will be an emergent property of hundreds of interacting network parameters. Manually finding the combinations that lead to poor performance will be nearly impossible. An RL agent could automatically explore these combinations and identify configurations that result in performance bottlenecks.

Deep neural networks (DNNs)

DNNs could be used for the following:

• Channel estimation: DNNs and other deep learning architectures like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) could estimate channel conditions, which will be crucial for overall system performance, especially in complex, high-noise environments.
• CSI compression: CNN-based autoencoders are poised to become the most commonly used architecture for CSI compression.

Transformer networks

Transformer-based autoencoders (like Transnet) have been tested for compressing CSI feedback from UEs to a 5G base station and could be used for 6G too.

Graph neural networks (GNNs)

GNNs are used to model the relational structure of network elements. They could learn spatial and topological patterns for tasks like mobility management, interference mitigation, and resource allocation.

They may also be used as physics-informed models for channel estimation reconstruction.

Generative adversarial networks (GANs)

GANs will probably be used to learn and create realistic wireless channel data. They could also be used for denoising and anomaly detection.

Large reasoning and action models

These models are created from pre-trained large language models or large concept models by using RL to fine-tune them for reasoning and acting. They are the foundations of agentic AI. Agentic AI for 6G is still a very new research topic. Agentic AI’s ability for complex orchestration of smaller AI models, hardware, databases, and tools could make it suitable for testing 6G networks.

How is synthetic data generated by AI used in 6G testing and validation?

A key benefit of AI will be its ability to synthesize test scenarios and data that simulates realistic 6G environments in lockstep with the 6G standards as they emerge and evolve in the coming years. Such synthesis could enhance designs and reduce development risks from day one.

The use of AI in network operations will lead to non-determinism and an explosion of possible outcomes that challenge testability and repeatability.

Design and test engineers will have to worry about how they can test all possible scenarios and edge cases. Physical deployments would not be possible until customer trials start. Even physical prototypes will be initially impossible and become expensive later on.

This is why AI-powered simulations and AI-generated realistic data are projected to become critical for 6G companies. AI could generate any type of large, realistic data needed to train and test the sophisticated AI/ML algorithms of 6G. The key technologies and techniques involved are outlined below:

• Digital twins: A digital twin is an accurate and detailed proxy for a real-world implementation, capable of emulating entire networks and individual components. These virtual representations will be key to simulating ultra-dense 6G environments. They could support integrated modeling of network environments and users to test complex RAN optimization problems.
• Generative AI models: GANs could become crucial for testing 6G wireless channels. A GAN could be trained on data from real-world 5G networks augmented with 6G-specific parameters calculated using known analytical models. The generator network would learn to synthesize realistic 6G data and simulate virtual channels for realistic environments, even accounting for geography. Later, measured data from 6G hardware prototypes could be included to enhance their realism.
• Specialized testbeds: Synthetic data is vital for studying new 6G sub-terahertz bands (100-300 GHz) because physical measurements are not practical. AI-generated scenarios based on data from sub-terahertz testbeds could recreate the complex impairments and nonlinearities expected at these frequencies.
• Simulation tools: Sophisticated visual tools like Keysight Channel Studio (RaySim) could simulate signal propagation and generate channel data in a specific environment, like a selected city area. It could model detailed characteristics like delay spread and user mobility, mimicking real-world conditions needed for training components like 6G neural receivers.
• Systems modeling platforms: An end-to-end system design platform like Keysight’s System Design will have the ability to generate high-quality 6G data for neural network training. It would combine system design budgets, 3GPP-compliant channel models (like clustered delay line models), measured data, and noise to produce diverse samples with varying noise and channel configurations.

Can AI validate hardware and chip-level designs for 6G communication systems?

AI techniques like anomaly detection and intelligent test automation could help you design and validate all the advanced chips and components that will go into 6G hardware for capabilities like sub-terahertz (THz)frequency bands and UM-MIMO.

Below, we speculate on how 6G and AI could be used for chip and hardware design.

Data-driven AI modeling

The behaviors of 6G technology enablers like UM-MIMO, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and sub-terahertz frequency bands will be too complex to fully characterize using analytical methods. Instead, neural networks could create accurate, data-driven, nonlinear AI models.

AI models in electronic design automation (EDA)

EDA tools like Advanced Design System and Device Modeling could seamlessly integrate AI models for designing the high-frequency gallium nitride (GaN) radio frequency integrated circuits that’ll probably be needed in 6G. These tools could run artificial neural network models as part of circuit simulations and device modeling.

Validation of AI-enabled components

Validating the AI-native physical layer blocks (like neural receivers) will be paramount. Only AI-driven testing and automation could effectively tackle the black box nature and non-determinism of AI models.

AI-driven simulations

AI-driven simulation tools like Keysight RaySim could synthesize high-quality, site-specific channel data that — combined with deterministic, stochastic, and measured data — to create highly realistic environments for validating THz and MIMO designs.

Optimized beamforming and CSI

AI models could potentially enhance beamforming by improving spectral efficiency. A problem with many antennas is the huge CSI feedback overhead. AI models like autoencoders could compress CSI feedback by as much as 25% without degrading efficiency and reliability.

Hardware-in-the-loop validation

AI channel estimation models have the potential to handle multidimensionality and noise levels more robustly than traditional methods. They could be used by system design software and tested in hardware-in-the-loop setups (with channel emulators, signal generators, and digitizers) to assess effectiveness based on metrics like block error rate and signal-to-noise ratio.

Anomaly detection

Anomaly detection could be applied to data generated by AI simulations and models to identify unusual behaviors or deviations that may point to design flaws or operational issues.

What are the challenges and limitations of using AI in 6G design validation?

Could AI and its results be trusted? Without careful design, every AI model is prone to out-of-distribution errors, data scarcity, poor model interpretability, overfitting, and hallucinations. A better question that your 6G and AI engineers must keep asking is, “How can we make our AI models, as well as AI-generated tests and data, more accurate and more trustworthy?”

For that, follow the recommendations below.

• Design for seamless integration: AI-based solutions must seamlessly integrate and agree with existing wireless principles built upon decades of tried-and-tested signal processing and communication theories. For example, a fully AI-designed physical layer that can dynamically change the waveform based on ambient conditions poses challenges for traditional measurement and design techniques like digital predistortion and amplifier design.
• Address data scarcity upfront: Real-world wireless data is often sparse. 6G ecosystems will probably be particularly challenging to characterize. Address this by augmenting data from 5G-Advanced networks with data calculated by 6G-specific analytical models. However, plan for extensive manual pre-processing because preparing realistic channel data to train models will not be trivial.
• Aim for model interpretability: To balance the opacity of powerful black-box techniques like deep neural networks, combine them with models that are more interpretable — like decision trees and random forests — through approaches like mixture-of-experts, ensembling, and explainable AI.
• Use physics-informed models: By bounding AI results with data from physics-informed models, engineers will be able to ensure that AI models operate within physical reality, making them robust and trustworthy. For example, reinforcement learning, which could be used for intent-based RAN optimization, can produce different results for the same input, generate out-of-bounds parameters, or fail to constrain to physical reality.
• Prevent overfitting: Sparse data and poor data diversity can lead to overfitting. For example, data generated under severe fading channel conditions is known to result in overfitting. Follow data augmentation and cross-validation best practices to counteract overfitting.
• Plan hardware-in-the-loop testing: Synthetically generated channels can be loaded into channel emulators like PROPSIM to test AI/ML algorithms in base stations and UEs. This will enable model advancements based on real failures and impairments.
• Avoid negative side effects: AI integration should not lead to excessive energy usage, unmanageable training data, or security risks. AI will greatly expand the threat surface, but since AI itself is quite new, cybersecurity risks are not well understood. This means 6G and AI integrations must be carefully designed for resilience and quick recovery from cyber attacks.

Keysight empowers your 6G and AI engineers

In this blog, we gave an overview of how AI could be used for the design and testing of future 6G networks.

At Keysight, we can empower your 6G engineers and provide rock-solid assistance throughout your development cycles, thanks to our pioneering 6G research, AI expertise, and development of 6G-ready test and measurement solutions.

Contact us for expert insights on 6G standards, AI in 6G, and 6G for AI.

• Supported by TIP and conducted by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., a new study has successfully tested an improved Pyrolysis-GC/MS (Py-GC/MS) method for quantifying tire and road wear particles (TRWP) in soil and sediment, confirming robustness and accuracy across the varying compositions of tires from different regions.
• The findings support harmonization efforts and may inform future refinement of standardized analytical methods for TRWP measurement such as ISO/DIS 21396¹, ISO/AWI 20593² and others.

GENEVA, November 13, 2025 /3BL/ – The Tire Industry Project (TIP) announces the publication of a new scientific study that confirms the robustness of an improved Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) method for quantifying tire and road wear particles (TRWP) in environmental samples.

Titled “Pyrolysis-GC/MS calibration for environmental quantification of tire tread: Standards and marketplace averaged elastomer subunit profiles” and published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere’s September 2025 volume, the study validates a Py-GC/MS protocol that now improves accuracy and reproducibility in quantifying TRWPs in soil and sediment, even when particle composition varies by either geography or tire manufacturing method. The research was conducted by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. and supported by TIP as part of its ongoing commitment to advancing tire wear emissions science.

Why It Matters

TRWPs are receiving increased attention from scientists and regulators, and accurate measurement is essential to understanding their potential impact on ecosystems and human health. This study addresses a long-standing challenge: the variability in rubber composition between calibration standards and real-world tire samples. By using market-weighted average elastomer profiles from the US and EU, researchers refined the Py-GC/MS protocol to reduce measurement bias and improve consistency across diverse environmental samples.

Py-GC/MS is recognized as the most advanced and accurate method of TRWP analysis by the scientific community. In the current study, researchers analyzing cryo-milled tire tread (CMTT) samples representative of market averages from the US and EU found that the samples contained similar styrene and butadiene content across both regions. By modifying the Py-GC/MS protocol to leverage this finding, the researchers confirmed the mitigation of known sources of environmental measurement bias, strengthening the method’s ability to account for real-world variability in TRWP composition.

Key Findings:

• Improved calibration: Uses representative cryo-milled tire tread (CMTT) samples to ensure accurate quantification across geographies.
• Standardization support: Contributes to the development of international standards such as ISO/DIS 21396 and ISO/AWI 20593.
• Scalability: Calibration standards remain stable for up to three months at 4°C, enabling efficient batch preparation and multi-laboratory application.

“This study represents a significant step forward in harmonizing methodologies and standardizing TRWP quantification,” said Larisa Kryachkova, Executive Director of TIP. “By advancing the Py-GC/MS method, which TIP has supported through years of sustained research and partnership, we’re ultimately strengthening the global scientific ecosystem’s ability to collaboratively understand and address tire wear emissions.”

To read the full study, please visit: https://tireparticles.info/academic-resource/#post-596

##

Notes to Editors:

The study was written by Stephanie A. Thornton, Sashoy G. Milton, Lauren R. Lautermilch, Andrey Massarsky, and Kenny M. Unice.

• Stephanie Thornton is a Chemical Engineer and Health Scientist specializing in computational modeling for environmental and human health risk assessment. She applies her expertise in exposure assessment and toxicology to projects on product stewardship and has published research refining methods for measuring tire and road wear particles (TRWPs).
• Sashoy Milton is a LEED Green Associate Health Scientist who evaluates the toxicity and movement of chemicals to understand their behavior and potential risk to health. She has in-depth experience with projects that integrate quantitative exposure and risk assessments with sustainability. Milton holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.
• Lauren Lautermilch is a Health Scientist experienced in using epidemiological and biostatistical principles to evaluate and interpret the health effects associated with occupational, environmental, and behavioral exposures, such as vinyl chloride, groundwater contaminants, and substance use. She uses rigorous statistical approaches to uncover patterns, identify disparities, and develop evidence-based strategies to promote health equity and sustainability.
• Andrey Massarsky, PhD is a Senior Supervising Health Scientist at Stantec with over 16 years of experience in the field of toxicology. He specializes in human and ecological risk assessments as well as the implementation of New Approach Methods (NAMs) in toxicology.
• Kenny Unice is a Principal Health Scientist and applied researcher in human and environmental health risk, exposure assessment, and sustainability at Stantec. Unice has more than 20 years’ experience investigating and driving understanding of how chemicals travel, persist or change in the environment to impact organisms and ecosystems.
   

About the Tire Industry Project (TIP)

Formed in 2005, the Tire Industry Project (TIP) is a voluntary CEO-driven initiative with a mission to anticipate, understand, and address global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues relevant to the tire industry and its value chain.

TIP acts by commissioning independent research of the highest standards, collaborating on sectoral solutions, and engaging with external stakeholders.

TIP is part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), bringing together 10 leading tire companies that represent more than 60% of the world’s tire manufacturing capacity.

In 2025, TIP marks its 20th anniversary — a milestone that reflects its long-term commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering collective industry action to improve sustainability across the tire value chain.

For more information, visit The Tire Industry Project.
 

¹Specifies a method for the determination of the mass concentration of TRWP in soil and sediments using the Pyrolysis-GC/MS method

²Specifies a method for the determination of the mass concentration of TRWP in ambient air using the Pyrolysis-GC/MS method

Client background

Our client, a quality assurance, quality control and managerial services company in the oil and gas industry, serves clients mainly across the Appalachian basin and along the east coast. The business owners have more than 30 years of combined experience in the industry and are focused on providing reputable and knowledgeable inspectors that their clients can rely on. They strive to demonstrate their commitment to integrity, safety and quality in everything they do. Their workforce is mainly in the field, with a central office location for their back-office team.

Business challenge

The client began their relationship with Baker Tilly through engaging with our outsourced accounting, tax and benefits administration teams. These service teams provided outsourced payroll processing, Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) compliance reporting, among other services.

The client’s overall goal was to reduce the amount of time they were spending on manual payroll and HR activities and to remain compliant with all necessary regulations. The client was performing manual operational tasks daily and weekly to keep these types of processes moving and provide documentation to the service teams. Baker Tilly’s outsourced accounting team brought in the outsourced HR team, who saw an opportunity to implement an automated and streamlined approach to make the client’s overall experience more efficient and provide them more time to focus on strategic improvements and growth. Additionally, the added services would provide the necessary HR regulatory compliance oversight and help solve the local tax jurisdictions and withholdings challenges for employees in the field that the client was struggling with.

Results

Through working with Baker Tilly’s outsourced HR and payroll team, the client became compliant with all federal, state and local payroll taxes across their service area. The amount of time spent on payroll processing was reduced to a bi-weekly review of the payroll registers that could be performed in under 30 minutes instead of hours, and ACA compliance and reporting was reduced to an annual review of the employee reports that can be completed in hours instead of a few days. The client also received guidance on various employee relations issues, which helped mitigate the potential of a lawsuit from emerging.

By reducing the amount of time spent on these operational activities, the client was able to refocus their time and energy on more strategic endeavors for the company. This ultimately contributed to the client having the time to launch a new, separate entity, expanding the portfolio of companies for the owners. By installing the same payroll and HR automations and level of support as the original business, the new entity also had the foundation of streamlined and integrated HR and payroll systems installed, making tracking, reporting, and staying in compliance relatively simple and easy.

Baker Tilly solution

The outsourced HR and payroll team implemented tailored solutions for the client, including a customized time tracking system that could manage employees working across multiple customers in multiple states with varying pay rates each day. This system automatically loads the list of customers, states, and pay rates per staff member to simplify employee time entry and increase accuracy. The outsourced HR and payroll team also worked collaboratively with the outsourced accounting team to integrate ADP Workforce Now, the payroll system the client now uses, with QuickBooks Online to streamline data flows and ensure compliance.

The client and outsourced HR and payroll team continue to meet regularly to keep pace with how the client is changing and growing, to ensure policies and procedures are accurate and in compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll and HR regulations.

How we can help

As an owner or leader in your organization, you make a lot of decisions in your day. Managing your back-office tasks shouldn’t be one of them. Baker Tilly Advantage is built to free you from the operational complexities and responsibilities related to accounting, tax, HR and payroll. Gain the confidence that comes with working with a top 10 accounting and advisory firm whose services can grow as you grow.

Connect with a Baker Tilly specialist 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., November 13, 2025 /3BL/ – DP World, a global leader in logistics and supply chain solutions, has released a new white paper titled “Peak Season Ready: DP World’s Q4 Fulfillment Checklist for Brands.” The publication comes as the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts U.S. holiday spending will surpass $1 trillion for the first time, underscoring both the scale of opportunity and the heightened pressure on retailers to perform during the 2025 peak season.

Designed as a practical playbook for consumer brands, the report helps U.S. retailers navigate fluctuating sales growth, rising returns, and persistent supply chain volatility. Drawing on 2024 retail performance data and insights from the NRF, McKinsey & Company, and the U.S. Trade Representative, it outlines actionable strategies to help brands build agility into their fulfillment operations and protect profitability during the industry’s most critical quarter.

Brittany Caskey, Chief Commercial Officer, DP World in the Americas, said: “Retailers are entering a unique peak season – one defined by both record spending and record pressure. Consumers are prioritizing value and speed, so brands need the flexibility to adapt quickly without eroding margins. This white paper provides practical tools to help them build that agility into their fulfillment networks.”

U.S. Brands Face a “Do More With Less” Peak Season

The paper reveals that holiday sales returns are expected to approach $900 billion, continuing to pressure margins across the sector.

It identifies the top four fulfillment risks for the season:

• Spiky demand patterns driven by mobile commerce and promotional peaks;
• Carrier congestion and surcharges, with on-time performance fluctuating from 90–97%;
• Escalating returns, which can erode up to 66% of product value without modern triage and resale processes; and
• Tariff-related cost uncertainty from recent Section 301 adjustments reshaping landed costs.

Checklist for Fulfillment Agility

To mitigate these pressures, DP World’s Q4 checklist highlights five focus areas:

1. Demand & Inventory: Regionalize stock to reduce time-in-transit and hedge against carrier constraints.
2. Space & Labor: Leverage flexible, multi-customer warehousing to scale efficiently without fixed leases.
3. Fulfillment Design: Build regional fulfillment waves and exception playbooks for disruptions.
4. Transportation: Deploy multi-carrier routing to avoid surcharges and caps.
5. Customer Experience & Returns: Tighten reverse logistics workflows for faster recovery and resale value.

DP World’s U.S. Network: Flexibility at Scale

DP World operates multi-customer warehouses in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and California, providing coast-to-coast coverage that reduces lead times and enables same- or next-day delivery to dense consumer zones. Each location offers scalable pallet positions, seasonal labor programs, and integrated returns processing to help brands recover value from returned inventory.

The company’s integrated ports-to-warehouse-to-last-mile network connects these facilities directly to import gateways, allowing retailers to rebalance inventory and respond dynamically to shifts in demand or carrier performance.

A Long-Term View: Building Competitive Advantage Through Agility

The white paper concludes that as AI-driven forecasting, sustainability mandates, and Gen Z consumer habits reshape the retail landscape, supply chain agility will become a long-term differentiator – not just a seasonal necessity.

DP World’s network of 36 logistics facilities across the U.S. and 14 ports and terminals across the Americas enables brands to access flexible, end-to-end solutions that connect the factory floor to the customer’s door.

The full white paper is available for download at www.dpworld.com/usa/industries/retail-and-consumer.

-END-

DP World Americas Media Contact: 
Melina Vissat 
Head of Communications 
M: (+1) 704-605-6159 
E: melina.vissat@dpworld.com

About DP World

DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 100,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics, and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimizing disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.

In the Americas, DP World operates with a team of over 16,000 people across 12 countries, driving excellence through a robust network of 14 ports and terminals and more than 40 warehouses. By harnessing our global reach and local expertise, we simplify logistics, enhance operational performance, and redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in global trade.

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW.

For more insights into how DP World is reshaping global trade, visit www.dpworld.com.

St Aidan’s Primary School and Nursery recently reached out on social media for help replacing their old and worn-out cable reels. Wesco Anixter responded, offering assistance that was warmly welcomed by the school. Working in partnership with MAXI Haulage, the team arranged the collection and delivery, providing the school with durable upcycled reels that will serve students for years to come.

The project was a true community effort with seven Wesco Anixter employees at the company’s Lichfield location volunteering a total of 37 hours to upcycle used reels, carefully removing nails, staples, and splinters to ensure the drums were safe for children. The Wesco Anixter team expressed their enthusiasm for the project, saying, “I love the colours, so this is a pleasure,” and “this brings out my creative side.” Wesco Anixter supplied the paint, while the team brought their own brushes and tools, transforming the reels with vibrant school colors.

MAXI Haulage played a key role in the delivery, with driver William Story ensuring the children had an excellent experience. The initiative was met with heartfelt gratitude from the school. MAXI Haulage also supported the responsible removal of the old and rotten drums.

“We are incredibly grateful to the team at Wesco Anixter for not only gifting us cable drums but for also volunteering their personal time and talent to brand the cable drums with our school colours,” said Kerri Thomson, Head Teacher of St Aidan’s Primary School and Nursery, shared. “Your generous gift is deeply appreciated by all, but most importantly it is already bringing so much joy to our nursery learners! The repurposed drums will help to encourage creativity, physical development, and imaginative play and help to support language and communication development too.”

“Supporting the school and meeting the pupils was a real pleasure,” said Graeme Wands, Wesco Anixter Director of Sales. “Delivering the finished reels and seeing them put to use immediately was incredibly rewarding. This collaboration highlights the power of community and sustainable principles, bringing lasting benefits to employees through volunteerism.”

About Wesco Anixter

Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wesco is a FORTUNE 500® company with more than $22 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry’s premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates nearly 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations.

About MAXI Haulage 

Maxi Haulage Ltd is one of the UK’s leading transport and logistics specialists, with over 50 years of experience delivering reliable, efficient, and environmentally responsible haulage solutions across the UK and Ireland. Headquartered in Ayrshire, the company operates a modern fleet and an extensive depot network, providing full-load, groupage, and contract logistics services for major retailers, manufacturers, and distributors. Renowned for its strong customer partnerships, innovation in fleet management, and commitment to sustainability, Maxi Haulage continues to set industry standards in safety, service, and performance.

 

CLEVELAND, November 13, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank Real Estate Capital arranged a $21,472,000 non-recourse, Fannie Mae first mortgage loan secured by a 184-unit, apartment complex known as Schooner Cove III, located in Ypsilanti, MI. The fixed rate loan is structured with a 15-year term, and subsequent to a 120-month interest only period, amortizes on a 360-year schedule.

Built in 1995 and renovated in 2018, Schooner Cove III is a lakeside community situated on Ford Lake, The 13 three-story residential buildings consist of affordable units that include studio, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments.

The Property operates under a Regulatory Agreement/Restrictive Covenant Low Income Housing Tax Credit Agreement dated December 26, 1996, with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (“LIHTC”) and 100% of the units are restricted to tenants whose income is 60% or less of AMI.

McKinley Companies has owned and operated affordable and workforce housing communities in Ann Arbor since 1968. McKinley specializes in value-added acquisitions and redevelopment of multifamily communities and is a generational long term holder of its real estate. It is currently the largest owner of workforce housing in the Ann Arbor and Orlando markets with 500 full time team members and total assets in excess of $3 billion.

Samantha Miller and David Baker from Key’s Commercial Mortgage Group arranged the financing.

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 11 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 KeyCorp

KeyCorp’s roots trace back 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 $187 billion at September 31, 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 is Member FDIC.

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Originally published on November 5, 2025 on LinkedIn.

This November, Sysco colleagues across the globe are rolling up their sleeves for Purpose Month — a time to volunteer, give back, and help those facing food insecurity. As food banks and pantries gear up for the holidays, we are uniting to make a lasting impact on the communities we serve.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 76,000 colleagues, the company operates 340 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 730,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2024 that ended June 29, 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

 For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information.In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

View original content here.

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

DALLAS, November 13, 2025 /3BL/ – The Mary Kay Ash Foundation^®, a champion of women’s health innovation for nearly three decades, announced a $500,000 grant to Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation to accelerate a pioneering triple-negative breast cancer clinical trial and advance early detection initiatives that shift care from reactive to proactive at the newly established Texas Cancer Interception Institute.

The two-fold grant includes: 

• $100,000 in continued support of a forward-thinking TRIM-EBC Clinical Trial led by world-renowned Celebrating Women chair for Breast Cancer Research, Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD. The trial explores the potential of weight-loss medications to reduce recurrence risk in overweight breast cancer patients.
• The second part is a multi-year gift to the Texas Cancer Interception Institute, which aims to detect and intercept cancer at its earliest stages – when it is most treatable, will help shift women’s cancer narratives from “I have cancer,” to “I have cancer, but we caught it early.” Designed to be deployed on a broad scale, the program aims to revolutionize early detection and intervention strategies for better breast cancer survivorship and beyond.

This latest commitment underscores a shared mission between the two organizations: to invest in transformative cancer research that improves outcomes and brings us closer to curing cancers that disproportionately affect women. Over the past two decades, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation® has contributed $1.3 million to the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, reflecting an enduring alliance rooted in scientific discovery and compassion.

“The Mary Kay Ash Foundation remains committed to finding cures for cancers affecting women – we are championing for our mothers, daughters, sisters, and all the women in our lives,” said Michael Lunceford, President, Mary Kay Ash Foundation Board of Directors. “This grant represents a powerful next step in redefining cancer care – moving from a reactive nature to early detection and viable treatment options – with the goal of a long, healthy life after cancer. We are honored to stand alongside Baylor Scott & White in shaping the future of women’s health.”

In recognition of its steadfast, decades-long commitment to women’s health, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation was honored with the prestigious Circle of Care Award at the 2025 Celebrating Women Luncheon, hosted by the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation. The award celebrates those who have made a profound impact in shaping the future of breast cancer care through advocacy, philanthropy, and innovation. Since its inception, the luncheon has raised more than $42 million to fund research, advance detection, and support programs that empower women and families facing breast cancer.

“Mary Kay Ash believed in the power of women to change the world – that conviction lives on through her namesake Foundation’s bold commitment to advancing women’s health by investing in early detection and better treatments,” said Christina Goodman, President, Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation. “When brilliant minds like Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD and compassionate hearts come together, extraordinary things happen. This partnership is focused on bringing hope, healing, and new possibilities to patients and families across our communities.”

Did You Know?

Mary Kay is committed to ending cancers affecting women globally with its impact extending around the world through research funding and awareness campaigns driven by Mary Kay markets on multiple continents:

• In Spain, Mary Kay partners with the FERO Foundation to support metastatic breast cancer research.
• In Brazil, the Instituto Mary Kay funds cancer education and screening programs reaching thousands of women annually.
• In Malaysia, Mary Kay collaborates with the National Cancer Society of Malaysia to promote early detection.
• In Canada, the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation supports Look Good Feel Better^® workshops for women undergoing cancer treatment and provides product donations to help women feel beautiful after cancer.

Together, Mary Kay Inc., its global markets, and its four company-sponsored foundations and charitable funds have contributed nearly $44 million worldwide to help eliminate cancers affecting women. Learn more about Mary Kay’s ongoing global impact – from advancing women’s health and empowerment to protecting natural resources and fostering lasting change – in the 2025 Sustainability Report.

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About Mary Kay Ash Foundation^® 
Guided by Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation^® raises and distributes funds to end domestic violence and invest in breakthrough cancer research to find cures for women-related cancers. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has contributed more than $98 million to organizations aligned with its two-fold mission. In addition, the Foundation supports awareness initiatives, community outreach programs, and advocates for legislation to ensure women are healthy and safe. Together, we can make the world better for women. To learn more about how to educate, advocate, volunteer, donate, and join life-saving work to support and empower women, visit marykayashfoundation.org, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation
Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation raises money to advance the Mission of Baylor Scott & White Health: Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Scott & White Health promotes the well-being of all individuals, families and communities. At Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, philanthropy is the catalyst for change – advancing innovation, expanding access to compassionate care and empowering more people to live well. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare in North Texas. 

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