How Dakota State University leverages Cisco’s technology to power AI research and innovation.
Dakota State University is at the forefront of AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity education.
By leveraging Cisco’s cutting-edge data center technologies, DSU enhances research capabilities, optimizes campus operations, and provides students with hands-on experience to excel in a rapidly evolving, tech-driven world.
View original content here.
Grants will support storm preparedness and natural disaster readinessApplications will be accepted through April 25 for eligible organizations
CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Duke Energy Foundation today announced a new commitment of $500,000 to support storm preparedness efforts in local communities across North Carolina. Eligible organizations are invited to apply for grants of up to $25,000.
“The impact of Hurricane Helene last fall showed us the importance of strong collaboration between emergency management agencies, first responders and nonprofit organizations when it comes to natural disasters,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy North Carolina state president. “We’re proud to support storm preparedness efforts in the communities we serve as they continue to grow and see new opportunities to bolster resilience to severe weather events.”
These grants will support various storm preparedness and natural disaster readiness initiatives, including but not limited to:
Programs facilitating collaboration across agencies, sectors and communities for disaster preparedness and response.Innovative planning initiatives for local communities to prepare for natural disasters and extreme weather.Local storm preparedness trainings, materials, kits and other community engagement and education initiatives.Specialized training for first responders for natural disaster scenarios.
This is a long-standing priority for Duke Energy Foundation, which has awarded nearly $5.6 million to support the state’s storm preparedness since 2020. Recent examples of storm preparedness grants from the Foundation benefiting North Carolina communities include funding for the City of Wilmington to install new flood gauges, a City of Raleigh initiative to distribute weather radios to vulnerable neighborhoods, a public safety tethered drone program announced by Person County, and the purchase of specialized equipment for the Town of Harrisburg’s swift water rescue team, among many others.
Applications will be accepted until April 25 at 5 p.m. ET. Interested organizations can apply through the Duke Energy Foundation’s website.
Duke Energy Foundation
Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Garrett Poorman
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_GarrettP
They say “good things take time,” but sometimes it’s wise to not wait too long and take matters into your own hands. This is especially true when those “matters” have the power to determine business risks or give you a competitive edge, such as plastic regulation.
The world has been waiting for a global plastics treaty since 2022, when representatives from 175 nations agreed on a mandate to create a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. While progress has been made during the five rounds of negotiations to date, a final treaty has yet to be agreed. With negotiations set to continue, SAP has collaborated with Earth Action to launch the “Shift into Gear” report, inciting companies not to wait but to start preparing now to meet global plastics legislation.
It’s not just a reporting duty
Plastics regulation isn’t new. It has rapidly spread across the globe like a rising tide, driven by the urgency to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and curb the plastic waste that is choking both marine and land-based ecosystems. Companies now face the growing tide of extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations and pay plastic taxes in certain jurisdictions. Globally, the corporate liabilities linked to plastic usage are projected to exceed US$20 billion by 2030.
In this shifting landscape, SAP and Earth Action argue that plastic and data management are no longer reporting duties only, but fundamental business imperatives. Companies that fail to navigate these waters may find themselves sinking under the weight of financial liabilities, whereas those that prepare, comply with regulations, and leverage digital solutions will ride the wave, standing to gain a competitive advantage.
Disparate EPR regulations make compliance onerous and expensive
Originally designed to fund waste management, EPR regulations are now focused on the eco-design and recyclability of items. Complications for corporations arise from the variety of different EPR regulations across different territories. The report describes how one consumer goods company operating in over 180 countries can face a minefield of 30 to 50 different EPR policies, which could cost in the region of 0.5%-1% of final product revenue. For multinational corporations, this can add up to millions of euros of risk—or opportunity.
Avoidance isn’t a viable option. Non-compliance comes with significant financial risks including fines, litigation, and potential clean-up costs. Reputational risk linked to consumer protection violations, false advertising, and environmental damage is also a factor that could result in revenue loss and a decline in investor confidence.
SAP joins forces to lobby for standardization
SAP is working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, calling for industry alignment on packaging data. Together, we are pioneering a project to enable standardized data to be exchanged throughout supply chains. This can allow businesses to access and analyze materials from a variety of suppliers to empower the design of more sustainable and recyclable packaging, which can minimize waste and reduce EPR fees and plastic taxes.
SAP’s position
SAP continues to be active in treaty negotiations and is calling for four key elements within the treaty:
The establishment of common definitions for plastics and packaging to ensure mutual understanding and interoperabilityHarmonization across the plastics lifecycle, covering criteria for product design, extended producer responsibility schemes, and reporting on material fateHarmonized national disclosure schemes to ensure uniformity, comparability, and information transparencyRecognition of the role of digital tools for traceability
Negotiations to finalize the global plastics treaty are expected to resume with delegates due to convene for INC 5.2 in 2025.
Companies should not delay
The report is clear. Companies must not wait for a finalized treaty before taking action. With a myriad of national and regional regulations already in existence, including the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), there is already work to do. Delaying compliance may leave companies lagging behind and unable to meet existing and upcoming regulations, leading to the financial and reputational risks already mentioned. Under the PPWR, for example, the penalties for non-compliance are not just theoretical—they are a looming reality. Each EU member state can impose sanctions that are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive, ranging from hefty fines to sales bans or mandatory product recalls because of non-compliant packaging. In other words, the clock is ticking and the consequences of inaction could hit harder than anticipated.
Early adopters stand to benefit from their experience and will be better prepared for the shifting regulatory field when the treaty enters into force. By proactively implementing robust data management solutions and streamlining their reporting processes, they can start to make gains in terms of circularity and sustainability. In doing so, they will obtain an unprecedented view of their plastic material flows, allowing them to unlock efficiencies and reduce risk.
Data management is critical
Contrary to an often referred to argument put forward by treaty detractors, the data organizations require for compliance does exist and can be found within existing enterprise systems. Companies should look to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and financial reporting platforms. These are treasure troves, filled with procurement records, supplier data, and waste management information—key assets for reporting purposes.
Businesses should also coordinate with their suppliers and customers with a view to data sharing for resource optimization and to scale efficiencies.
Data management systems like SAP Responsible Design and Production help companies collect and use data by aggregating it from third-party systems. It can not only allow sustainability managers to accurately calculate fees and taxes but can give them a lifecycle view of indirect taxation costs and, by considering downstream recyclability and recycled content, the environmental impact of design choices. The solution can also allow users to experiment with switching materials, products, and altering supply chains, providing them with the information they need for agile decision-making.
Prepare for an ambitious treaty
Corporations must invest in their enterprise systems to leverage data and collaborate with their supply chain to meet upcoming legislation and avoid risks and penalties of non-compliance. The sooner they start, the better their competitive advantage. By utilizing data management systems to collect robust data and collaborate with supply chains, they will be equipped to thrive in the era of plastic regulation, limiting their costs, achieving sustainability targets, and complying with evolving regulations.
Read the full Shift into Gear report here.
Darren West is global head of Circular Economy Solutions at SAP.
by Laurel Mintz, founder & GP of Fabric VC
Change isn’t coming – it’s already here. Venture capital is undergoing a seismic shift, and if you’re not investing in women-led and diverse startups, consider this your wake-up call. Investors who aren’t yet looking at the untapped potential of these founders are missing out on some of the most exciting and profitable return opportunities in today’s financial markets. At Fabric VC, we’ve seen first-hand how shifting the landscape to investing in diverse founders isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s a winning strategy towards creating stronger returns and sustainable businesses. This is where opportunity meets impact, and the results speak for themselves.
The Power of Diverse Leadership: A Market Advantage. Here’s the thing: diversity isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the key to better business outcomes. The days of the old boys’ club running the show are numbered, and as the world of business evolves, so too does the understanding that diversity – whether gender, racial, or socio-economic – is directly correlated to better business outcomes. Studies show that companies with more women in leadership positions perform better financially, are more innovative, and are able to navigate change with agility. These aren’t just feel-good facts – they’re statistics that should make any investor sit up and take notice.
Diverse leadership isn’t a ‘nice-to-have.’ It’s a competitive edge. When you invest in founders who bring unique perspectives to the table, you unlock untapped markets and innovative solutions that others might overlook. That’s a pretty solid argument for why diversity is more than just a buzzword – it’s the future of investment.
Read Laurel’s informative article here – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-diverse-founders-is-good-for-the-world-and-your-portfolio
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Originally published in Lenovo’s 2023/24 ESG Report
Investing in communities
Lenovo’s social investments are focused on empowering underrepresented populations with access to technology and STEM education. Lenovo has a goal of committing a minimum of 0.5 percent of its pretax income to global social investment programs and initiatives. Lenovo’s social investments are executed through charitable corporate contributions and its charitable entities: the Lenovo Foundation, U.S. 501(c)(3), and the Lenovo Foundation Beijing (non-profit registered in China). The global philanthropy team has established global giving guidelines and compliance processes that are localized for alignment across the diverse markets where Lenovo does business.
Lenovo philanthropy governance
Corresponding with the launch of the Lenovo Foundation in 2018, Lenovo’s global philanthropic initiatives are governed by a global philanthropy board of executives. The board works to represent the global communities that Lenovo philanthropy serves while advocating for philanthropic initiatives in their local region. The board governs and advises the operations of the Lenovo global philanthropy team through six board meetings each year and ongoing grantmaking oversight.
Social investment focus areas
In alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Lenovo global philanthropy has key focus areas of contributions: reduced inequalities, quality education, and poverty reduction. Lenovo invests in these key focus areas through strategic investments, employee volunteerism, and humanitarian response.
Partner with charitable organizations, educational institutions, and civic groups to empower under-represented populations with access to technology and STEM education. In FY 2023/24 Lenovo invested approximately USD $16.7M in strategic partnerships with charitable, mission aligned organizations around the world.Share Lenovo’s Smarter Technology for All vision with communities around the world through employee volunteerism aligned to its mission and vision. In FY 2023/24, Lenovo invested approximately USD$2.5M in employee engagement initiatives like its Love on Month of Service, global matching gift benefit, and volunteer incentives (sometimes known as dollars for doers). Reference the Consolidated Metrics section to see volunteer hours and matching gift expenditures for FY 2023/24.Use Lenovo’s technology and philanthropic resources to strategically respond to natural and humanitarian disasters. In FY 2023/24, Lenovo invested approximately USD$1.7M in response to natural and humanitarian disasters.
Impact and measurement
The Lenovo global philanthropy team assesses and reviews its programs and partnerships to measure and increase its charitable impact. The team has set goals to directly impact 15 million people and transform one million lives by 2025 (base year FY 2021/22). To measure progress toward these goals, the team has standardized how it measures impact and transformation across its charitable investments.
Impact
Direct impact (15 million lives by 2025): Beneficiaries measured through person-to-person contact as measured at volunteer events, trainings, product loan programs, and product donations provided without individual ownership or 1:1 ratio (i.e., computer labs at schools).Indirect impact (not measured): Secondary beneficiaries of volunteer events, trainings, product loan programs, or product donations provided without individual ownership or 1:1 user ratio (i.e., families benefiting from students’ increased tech literacy, parents not needing to secure childcare while child is at a STEM program).
Transformation
Transformative impact (1 million lives by 2025): Beneficiaries who received training or education, advancement, or credentials that provide transformative opportunities for quality of living that they did not have access to before.
Lenovo philanthropy conducts annual impact surveys with its charitable partners to collect partner-reported data that can be analyzed against the team’s standards. With these standardizations set, the team is on track to meet their goals by FY 2025/26.
Global programs
Community partnerships
Lenovo has developed strategic community partners in each of Lenovo’s business geographies. The community partners are selected in alignment with the Lenovo Foundation’s mission to empower underrepresented populations with access to STEM education and technology. Lenovo also has disaster relief partners established in key geographies. In addition to partners focused on Lenovo’s philanthropic missions and disaster response at the business geography level, Lenovo has selected global partners whose reach extends beyond the needs of one business geography.
Love on global month of service
Since 2017, Lenovo’s employees around the world have organized an annual service event. With the leadership and organization of the global philanthropy team and support from local business leaders, employees in offices around the world are invited to design a volunteer event aligned to the Foundation’s mission to empower underrepresented populations with access to technology and STEM education. Projects are organized with local NGOs to align to Lenovo’s philanthropic mission while meeting the needs of the diverse communities where Lenovo’s employees live and work. The program’s impact is measured by the key metrics of number of employees engaged, beneficiaries, hours volunteered, and offices participating. Lenovo’s Love on Global Month of Service has grown by at least one metric every year since it began.
TransforME Grant Round
In FY 2023/24, Lenovo’s philanthropic team continued their strategic initiative to fund nonprofit organizations focused on providing digital skills training for adults. Grantees were selected based on various factors including their ability to remove barriers to success for adults to engage in programs. To date, the grant round has invested more than $2.5M in funds to more than 20 organizations around the world. In FY 2023/24, the team focused on opportunities to renew funding with existing TransforME grantees, rather than conduct an open grant round.
Employee resource group grant round
To strengthen Lenovo’s social impact and employee engagement, Lenovo’s philanthropy program empowered the leaders of its employee resource groups by facilitating partnerships with community organizations that are aligned to their diversity segment. In its third year, the program funded new and renewed partnerships that empowered diverse communities and shared Lenovo’s smarter technology for all vision around the world.
Humanitarian response
Lenovo philanthropy organized measured responses to natural and humanitarian disasters throughout FY 2023/24. Lenovo leverages its own funds and technology to respond to disasters and engages employees in matching gift opportunities as appropriate. Among the largest responses, Lenovo responded to:
Flooding in Auckland New Zealand with nearly $15,000 in long-term recovery funds after January 2023 flooding.Flooding in Brazil in April 2023, supporting Instituto Verdescola with USD $40,000.Hurricane in Peru in May 2023, working with UNICEF Peru to provide USD $15,000 in response.Flooding in Italy in May 2023, supporting the efforts of the Italian Red Cross with USD $20,000.Flooding in Northern India in July 2023, providing USD $2,000 in response funding.Flooding in Chile in July 2023, providing USD $10,000 to support the efforts of Techo.Wildfires on the island of Hawaii in August 2023, providing $10,000 in recovery and relief efforts.Flooding in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei of China in August 2023 with RMB10M/USD $1.4M in funds for efforts to rescue and rebuild.Earthquakes in Morocco in September 2023, providing USD $20,000 to support Wine To Water’s efforts to provide access to clean water after the disaster.Earthquakes in Jishishan, Gansu Province of China in December 2023, providing RMB1M/USD $140K in recovery, response, and materials for the winter months.Earthquakes in Noto, Japan in January 2024, with $12,000 to the response efforts of Japan Heart.
In addition to these matrix-driven responses, Lenovo provides ongoing and strategic support to the American Red Cross to ensure disaster preparedness.
Love on platform for employee giving benefits
Launched in 2021, the Love on platform is Lenovo’s employee engagement tool, available to full-time employees in Lenovo’s Asia Pacific, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Latin America, and North America business geographies. The tool encourages employees to give their time and resources, supported by volunteer and matching gift benefits from Lenovo.
Volunteer benefit: Lenovo’s employees are encouraged to volunteer eight hours per quarter with causes and charities of their choice. Employees can claim five dollars (or its local currency equivalent) per volunteer hour in the Love on platform, which can then be donated to any cause on the platform that meets Lenovo’s giving guidelines.Matching gift benefit: Employees can donate to causes on the Love on platform that meet Lenovo’s Charitable Giving Guidelines and receive a 100 percent match from Lenovo. The Lenovo philanthropy team hosts annual giving campaigns to encourage donations to employees’ favorite causes, strategic community partners, and in response to humanitarian crises (see Humanitarian Response).
Philanthropy in China
The Curiosity Project: bringing cutting-edge AI to students in rural China
In a pioneering move coordinated through the Work for Humankind program, Lenovo has unveiled an AI-enhanced science and technology (sci-tech) museum within one of China’s rural elementary schools, Heshi Town Central Primary School in Xiushui County.
The initiative
Together with the Lenovo Foundation Beijing, Lenovo proudly presents the “Curiosity Project.” This effort employs AI and other advanced technologies to craft a state-of-the-art sci-tech museum within a remote rural school. Fueled by innovative technology such as AI and AR, the museum boasts six immersive sections dedicated to diverse subjects like Art, History and Sports. It’s more than a museum – it’s a bridge, connecting textbook learning with the infinite realms of imagination, paving the way for future discoveries. This initiative underscores Lenovo ongoing commitment to ESG, bridging the digital divide between urban and rural communities and accelerating rural transformation.
Beyond the walls
Free and open to all schools, the museum stands to benefit over 120,000 students directly. Collaborations with industry bodies, guest speakers, and Lenovo’s volunteers will provide blended educational experiences, both online and offline. This project not only offers a primer in tech for remote students but also stands as Lenovo’s enduring testament to technological potential, welcoming all to explore the future. Lenovo has also brought the AI PC prototype to the sci-tech museum, enabling students to be the first to experience the AI PC’s capabilities. The museum will continue to feature technological advancements in the future, serving as a beacon of innovation and inviting media, customers, partners, and the general public to experience and engage in demonstrations and educational discussions.
Beyond Water: Community impact through sustainable water access
Lenovo’s commitment to sustainability, communities, and employee engagement was showcased through its ongoing partnership with Wine To Water, a non-profit organization that provides access to clean drinking water and hygiene education to communities around the world. The partnership began as a small initiative within Love on Month of Service, but was gradually recognized as an opportunity to combine environmental and social impact goals while engaging employees in purpose by providing access to clean water.
In Spring 2023, groups of Lenovo employees embarked on service projects in Nepal, the Amazon, and the Dominican Republic. Employees worked alongside community members to build infrastructure and create access to clean water, while also sharing WASH hygiene principles. Volunteers experienced feelings of gratitude and empowerment in each service trip, which were captured in the Beyond Water documentary created with funding from Lenovo. Lenovo philanthropy will continue its Wine To Water partnership with support of strategic infrastructure-building initiatives, donations of Lenovo technology, and disaster response initiatives.
CINCINNATI, March 17, 2025 /3BL/ – Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) has been recognized by Forbes for the third straight year as one of America’s Best Large Employers of 2025. The annual ranking showcases companies with exceptional feedback from current and former employees, as well as industry peers and consumers.
“We are proud to be once again recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Large Employers,” said Todd Schneider, President & CEO of Cintas. “The positive feedback that we receive from our employee-partners, industry peers and customers is a testament to our unique culture and the trust it has earned us. We’re committed to fostering a supportive work environment and continuing to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Forbes and Statista identified America’s Best Employers 2025 through an independent survey conducted with a substantial sample of over 217,000 U.S. employees working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in the United States.
Of the 2,000 public companies that qualified, only 300 made the final ranking. In total, over 6.5 million employer evaluations were taken into account. The final score is determined based on two types of evaluations:
Personal: Given by employees themselves.Public: Given by friends and family members of employees, or members of the public who work in the same industry, with a much higher weighting for personal evaluations.
This marks Cintas’ third consecutive year of being named a Best Large Employer by Forbes. Cintas was also named to the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2025 and FORTUNE’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2025.
About Cintas Corporation
Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, towels, restroom supplies, workplace water services, first aid and safety products, eye-wash stations, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.
Cintas Media Contact:
Michelle Goret, Cintas Vice President of Corporate Affairs | goretm@cintas.com, 513-972-4155
Originally published on Saint-Gobain North America LinkedIn
For people entering the workforce with a degree in engineering, one of the best ways to start a career is through an early career program such as Saint-Gobain North America’s Essentials of Manufacturing (EOM) program. Over the course of 18 months, participants work in a full-time operational role while learning about Saint-Gobain’s business, products, and bridging the gap between educational theory and real-life manufacturing practices.
Mackenzie Moore, a West Virginia University graduate and EOM Engineer at the CertainTeed Gypsum Plant in Moundsville, WV, graduated from the Essentials of Manufacturing program in December 2024. She continued to learn technical and soft skills through the program while she was still in a learning mindset. The supportive environment of this program allows for engineers to work through challenges as part of the learning process.
“The EOM program has given me the opportunity to grow in ways I didn’t think were possible before joining Saint-Gobain. I was able to travel across the US, visiting different plants and learning about various processes, which pushed me outside of my comfort zone and kept me learning.”
– Mackenzie Moore
When Allie Brayton joined EOM in 2023, she was transitioning from the world of R&D into manufacturing and did not know the doors this opportunity would open for her.
“The various learning and development opportunities provided by the program along with the superb networking helped me flourish in this company right from the get-go, which has helped progress my career far beyond where I thought I would go,” said Allie. “In such a short period of time, I have moved from a local plant to a national role and now into a global position in under two years.”
One of the greatest advantages of the EOM program is the breadth of knowledge and experience it provides, according to Megan Conard, current EOM engineer. Not only does the Essentials of Manufacturing program encourage strong connections within the industry, it can open a variety of different doors. Megan, Mackenzie, and Allie are currently enrolled in the company’s Essentials Global Experience, an international career development opportunity in Paris, France.
Many people who graduate from Essentials of Manufacturing enter into full-time careers within Saint-Gobain, like Benjamin Thieme, current Plant Manager at our GCP facility near Chicago, IL. When he began his career as an EOM engineer for ADFORS in 2022, he imagined that he would be designing and making parts for a company. At Saint-Gobain, he was exposed to so many different aspects of the manufacturing industry, and his career has thrived.
“From an overall standpoint, the EOM program exposed me to the Saint-Gobain way of doing things,” said Ben. “I didn’t feel like just an ADFORS employee but had more visibility into what all of Saint-Gobain North America was doing. So now at my plant in Chicago, I know what Saint-Gobain wants across all its businesses and how I can drive those initiatives at my plant.”
As part of our current and largest EOM cohort to date, Jake Mcbride says working as a sustainability engineer has been an amazing opportunity for him. He’s been able to lead projects and contribute meaningful change, which is a different experience than many of his friends from college.
There are so many possibilities for career and personal growth with Saint-Gobain North America. And we are currently hiring for the next cohort of Essentials of Manufacturing Engineers in both the United States and Canada. Check out our open early career engineering jobs.
Southwire Company, LLC., the leading North American manufacturer of wire and cable, will tap Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), a global leader in hydrogen solutions for the green hydrogen economy, to implement a green hydrogen ecosystem at its new distribution site in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
This initiative marks Plug’s entry into the industrial supplier market, building on its established presence in the e-commerce and retail sectors. Through this partnership with Southwire, Plug is expanding its reach by demonstrating the versatility and appeal of its green hydrogen solutions in new markets.
Under the recently signed agreement, Plug will supply more than 50 hydrogen-powered forklifts, equipped with GenDrive fuel cells, and a fueling station featuring four GenFuel dispensers. Plug will also source hydrogen from one of its production facilities in Georgia, Tennessee or Louisiana. Additionally, Plug will provide on-site service for the fuel cells for an initial five-year period and maintain the hydrogen infrastructure for 10 years.
Aiming to accelerate carbon reduction goals from the supply chain, Southwire has embedded sustainability into the strategy and its business practices. The company’s commitment to sustainability encompasses promoting energy and water efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sourcing and redesigning with sustainable materials and enhancing circular economy. The Plug solution is expected to displace over 1 million pounds of CO2 per year from our direct operations.
“The deployment of our hydrogen and fuel cell solutions at Southwire reflects our laser-focused commitment to our core markets and a return to the fundamentals that have driven our success,” said Plug CEO, Andy Marsh. “Today, sustainability is a critical factor in the decision-making processes of many organizations. Our innovative hydrogen infrastructure provides a sustainable alternative at any scale.”
“Our partnership with Plug Power is a testament to the commitment of our stakeholders, as well as our team members to ensure sustainability is part of our culture, embedded in our daily decision-making process,” said Se Oh, Southwire’s vice president of operations sustainability. “As we seek to discover what is possible, we’ll continue to leverage our partners such as Plug Power to help make Southwire generationally sustainable for the next 75 years and beyond.”
Plug revolutionized the material handling industry by establishing the first commercial market for fuel cells. Designed as direct replacements for traditional batteries, Plug’s fuel cells deliver reliable, consistent power while eliminating emissions. With the added benefit of clean hydrogen supply, Plug enables customers to keep their fleets running 24/7, maximizing productivity and operational efficiency.
About Plug Power
Plug is building the global hydrogen economy with a fully integrated ecosystem spanning production, storage, delivery, and power generation. A first mover in the industry, Plug provides electrolyzers, liquid hydrogen, fuel cell systems, storage tanks, and fueling infrastructure to industries such as material handling, industrial applications and energy producers—advancing energy independence and decarbonization at scale.
With electrolyzers deployed across five continents, Plug leads in hydrogen production, delivering large-scale projects that redefine industrial power. The company has deployed over 70,000 fuel cell systems and 250 fueling stations and is the largest user of liquid hydrogen. Plug is rapidly expanding its generation network to ensure reliable, domestically produced supply, with hydrogen plants currently operational in Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana, producing 39 tons per day.
With employees and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the globe, Plug powers global leaders like Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, BMW, and BP.
For more information, visit www.plugpower.com.
For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom. To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to sustainability, visit www.southwire.com/sustainability.
AllianceBernstein is honored to have been announced as the winner for the Best ESG Investment Fund: Thematic and Best ESG Research: Investment Manager at the ESG Investing Awards 2025. These awards celebrate the best in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds, research and products.
To learn more about the awards: https://www.esginvesting.co.uk/awards/
Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.
About AllianceBernstein
AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. We believe corporate responsibility, responsible investing and stewardship are intertwined.
To be effective stewards of our clients’ assets, we strive to invest responsibly—assessing, engaging on and integrating material issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into most of our actively managed strategies (approximately 79% of AB’s actively managed assets under management as of June 30, 2024). We also strive to hold ourselves as a firm to similar practices that we ask of issues. Our stewardship practices, investment strategy and decision-making are guided by our purpose, mission and values.
Our purpose—pursue insight that unlocks opportunity—inspires our firm to act responsibly. While opportunity means something different to each of our stakeholders; it always means considering the unique goals of each stakeholder. AB’s mission is to help our clients define and achieve their investment goals, explicitly stating what we do to unlock opportunity for our clients. We became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2011. This began our journey to formalize our approach to identifying responsible ways to unlock opportunities for our clients through integrating material ESG factors throughout most of our actively managed equity and fixed-income client accounts, funds and strategies. AB also engages issuers when it believes the engagement is in the best financial interest of its clients.
Because we are an active manager, our differentiated insights drive our ability to deliver alpha and design innovative investment solutions. Material ESG and climate issues are important elements in forming insights and in presenting potential risks and opportunities that can affect the performance of the companies and issuers that we invest in and the portfolios that we build.
Our values provide a framework for the behaviors and actions that deliver on our purpose and mission. Values align our actions. Each value emerges from the firm’s collective character—yet is also aspirational.
Invest in One Another means that we have a strong organizational culture where diversity is celebrated and mentorship is critical to our success. When we invest in one another, we empower our employees to reach their potential, so that they can help our clients realize theirs. This enables us to partner with clients to design and deliver improved investment outcomes.Strive for Distinctive Knowledge means that we collaboratively identify creative solutions to clients’ economic, ESG and climate- related investment challenges through our expertise in a wide range of investment disciplines, close collaboration among our investment experts and creative solutions.Speak with Courage and Conviction informs how we engage our AB colleagues and issuers. We seek to learn from other parts of our business to strengthen our own views. And we engage issuers for insight and action by sharing ideas and best practices.Act with Integrity—Always is the bedrock of our relationships and has specific meaning for our business. Unlike many other asset managers, we’re singularly focused on providing asset management and research to our clients. We don’t engage in activities that could be distracting, or create conflicts—such as investment banking, insurance writing, commercial banking or proprietary trading for our own account. We are unconflicted and fully accountable.
As of June 30, 2024, AB had $770B in assets under management, $539B of which were ESG-integrated. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.
Food fortification is one of the most cost-effective, scalable solutions to tackle hidden hunger – and yet, its full potential remains untapped.
At Griffith Foods, we believe fortification is a low-hanging fruit that can drive massive impact on public health. By adding essential vitamins and minerals to everyday foods, we can help prevent deficiencies, improve global food and nutrition security, and harness nutrition as a key driver of healthier, more sustainable food systems.
That’s why we are proud to have contributed to WBCSD’s new playbook, a practical resource for businesses to accelerate action on fortification.
Download the playbook here: https://lnkd.in/eaFHG4tt and let’s Create Better Together!
Our Sustainability Journey
At Griffith Foods, we are committed to driving positive impact through a regenerative mindset. Sustainability is connected to everything we do as a business, and by 2030, we are dedicated to significantly improving the future with a singular sustainable business strategy that we call our 2030 Aspirations. To learn more about Griffith Foods and its current sustainability efforts, visit them online and download the 2023 Sustainability Report.
About Griffith Foods
At Griffith Foods, our purpose defines who we are, what we do, and why we exist, highlighting what makes us distinct and authentic in the marketplace. We help our partners meet the evolving needs and desires of consumers in ways that respect and sustain the planet. Our care and creativity mean we’ll find the right mix of global reach and local impact to serve the earth and nourish all of us who call it home.
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