Tag: 3BL

With a global workforce in a variety of settings including offices, laboratories and manufacturing plants, maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for our Viatris colleagues regardless of their location is imperative.

We work systematically to establish a culture of health and safety. Viatris’ global Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Management system, technical requirements, processes and systems across our locations form the foundation; however, to truly instill and uphold a culture of health and safety, we must also lead by example through our behavior, communication and tone at the top. To continuously improve and enhance risk awareness and mitigation, we establish areas of focus for our health and safety management year over year. In 2023, areas of particular focus included enhancing safety culture, process safety, electrical safety and equipment safety.

We work proactively on incident prevention, diligently working every day to identify and reduce health and safety risks to both our colleagues and the communities in which we operate. Our total recordable incident rate in 2023 was 0.50 versus an industry average of 1.6.1

Leadership and communication are important aspects of establishing a strong safety culture and performance. We encourage and expect our leaders to continuously reinforce safety messages and maintain open 1Recordable cases per 200,000 hours worked Sources communication with their teams. All of our operations sites have a Safety Culture Enhancement Plan, which is to be regularly reviewed and updated. In addition, we also:

Completed 11 safety climate assessments across our locations using a Safety Climate tool developed by Global EHS leadersExpanded our Safety Walk Around program, conducting more than 690 safety walks by site leadership teams resulting in Prevention Opportunities and 1,100 safety conversationsContinued the Viatris Safety Culture Webinar Series, with more than 215 leaders attendingHeld refresher training on our VSafety Situational Awareness program, which was launched in 2022 with a goal of reducing the frequency and severity of incidents where the human factor is a key contributor, and extended the program to more sites including in Ireland and FranceExpanded Safety Leadership Coaching to more sites globally

Enhancing Process Safety

Working systematically with health and safety risks associated with the manufacturing process, known as Process Safety, is a central part of our health and safety management. In 2023, we continued to enhance our Process Safety Global Program, which was developed and launched globally the year before along with the related technical requirements. We utilized Teams meetings to roll out initial training and developed a companywide Process Safety Introduction eLearning program to integrate an overview of our process safety program into our site operations rolebased curricula.

An enhanced risk assessment program was rolled out across manufacturing locations to capture and evaluate risks associated with the development and manufacturing of products. Approximately 1,840 risk assessments were conducted through the tool, generating valuable insights to help to reduce risks. In Hyderabad, India, a state-of-the-art Process Safety lab is being established to analyze process safety hazards both from chemical reactivity and powder dust explosivity. To capture any process safety risks during scale up of new products from the R&D sites in India, almost 60 new products were reviewed to incorporate process safety information (PSI) data, which included preliminary risk assessment and powder safety data. The data were provided to the manufacturing locations as a part of technical transfer documentation, which will be further used by the facilities during detailed site level risk assessments.

One of those risks involved bursting of rupture discs, which are used on equipment to reduce pressure energy and avoid catastrophic equipment failure. The Process Safety team worked with a site to analyze the causes of failure and implemented new processes, resulting in reducing the failure rate.

Further, in 2023, we implemented a world-class Process Safety management assessment program at our facility in Indore, India. We received external certification for the program by the International Sustainability Rating System (ISRS) in its ninth and latest updated edition.

Developing an Enhanced Incident Reporting System for Non-Operations Colleagues

Throughout 2023, the Global EHS Systems Team worked with EHS Regional leaders and and non-operations EHS liaisons to enhance an incident reporting system to capture incidents involving our non-operations colleagues, which includes non-operations office-based colleagues, colleagues who are officially designated as working remotely and commercial colleagues who may fit into either of those categories. The system provides a simple, easy-to-use report that is easily accessible from the company’s intranet so that non-operations colleagues can quickly and easily report any work-related injuries or illnesses. Global and Regional EHS teams can then provide assistance with investigations, root cause analyses and corrective actions to prevent the same or similar incidents from occurring in the future.

View the full 2023 Sustainability Report.

Sources 
1 Recordable cases per 200,000 hours worked

Covia takes time to acknowledge the dedication and leadership of Team Members who have made a significant impact on the job or in their communities by sharing their stories. Today we recognize John Hargrove, Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator at Covia’s Hephzibah, Georgia, plant. John has been with Covia for six years in a variety of roles – supporting the Hephzibah plant in several capacities. Read on to learn more about John’s journey with Covia and how he helps encourage a Safety-First mindset at his plant.

A Desire to Grow

Before starting at Covia, John served for four years in the United States Marine Corp. There, he learned how to work successfully with a team, keeping each other safe along the way. After completing his service, John found a career in the mining industry and was hired to operate heavy machining equipment at an open pit mine. He worked in that position until 2018 when he applied for a utility operator position at Covia’s Hephzibah, Georgia, plant.

In his new position, John quickly learned how to properly operate Covia’s mill equipment for both dry and slurry mixes. The plant benefited from his reliability and his desire to constantly learn about the plant’s operations and processes. John’s passion for growth was recognized and he was soon promoted to the position of production supervisor. In preparation for the position, John spent a lot of time with the maintenance superintendent, learning the ins and outs of maintenance and production operations.

John’s willingness to learn and improve his skills did not go unnoticed. His keen eye for safety, desire to experience new opportunities, and his rapport with the team members at the plant led to the opportunity to take the role of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) coordinator.

In his role as EHS coordinator, John manages the plant’s environmental and safety responsibilities, such as managing industrial-hygiene testing to continuously monitor dust levels. John’s attention to detail and open communication style help create a safe work environment. By having honest conversations with his fellow team members, John makes sure everyone is following best practices, taking proper precautions, and looking out for one another. John’s experience working across several positions in the plant helps him get his message across because the team knows he’s not nitpicking, and he knows what he’s talking about.

Now, after a year in the position, John believes it’s a good fit for his skills because it offers him new opportunities to learn and grow every day. It also extends to his home life. In addition to his keen eye for safety at the plant, John practices what he preaches at home with his three-year-old son. John enjoys going out into nature with his family and allowing his son to be “dangerous carefully,” encouraging him to fully explore the natural world in a safe way.

A Keen Eye for Safety

Thanks to the Safety-First mindset of team members at the Hephzibah plant, the team recently reached a major milestone – 20 years without a lost-time incident. This is due in no small part to team members like John who help encourage a safe workplace. John shared advice that Senior Plant Manager Adam Beatty gave him when he took over as EHS coordinator. “The most important part of any safety program is making sure everyone can make it back home in the same way they came in.” While production is important and vital to Covia’s operation, John mentioned that the number one life-saving rule they follow is “safety before production.” He works to make sure that everyone gets home safely so they can start each day anew.

John is thrilled with his plant’s safety record and proud of how the team looks out for one another – trusting that they are focused on going home in one piece. He knows that the future is bright for the Hephzibah plant as they continue to safely deliver quality mineral solutions for years to come.

For further information regarding Covia’s core value of Safety First and its significance in our operations, please visit CoviaCorp.com.

Promoting equal opportunities for women is part of our broader work to build a more inclusive culture, and this requires intentional effort and continuous change. Our approach to improving the representation of women involves providing mentorship, training, and programs specifically tailored to address the unique challenges they face in our industry.

In 2023, we launched Advancing Women in Tech (AWT), a comprehensive learning experience designed to empower, retain, and support AMD women in technical careers. Research shows that many women leave the engineering workforce after about 4 to 10 years because they feel their employer is not investing in them, a sense of isolation due to the lack of a network of peers, and not knowing how to navigate a path forward in their career.i To help address these challenges, our AWT program targets AMD women at the Senior Engineer and Member of Technical Staff (MTS) levels.

The program includes sessions on career development, presentation skills, filing a patent, networking, and addressing the confidence gap. The AWT team travels to AMD sites and holds these workshops locally. Our Creative Studio filmed panel sessions with senior executive and technical women at AMD to allow every participant to learn from the same leaders, regardless of their location. Each section of content opens with one of these recorded panels. The program is extremely interactive, and participants come away enabled to better navigate the unique challenges of women in technical careers, with an expanded network of women and tools to enable them to advance in their careers.

In 2023, we held six programs, in San Jose, California, Markham, Canada, and Austin, Texas. We review feedback from participants and adjust content for constant improvement, which has led to the program evolving over time. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are expanding our offerings for 2024. We visited our Hyderabad site in February 2024 and hosted two well-received and impactful sessions. Looking forward, we will revisit the sites from 2023, expand with two additional sites, and offer alumni events for past participants.

Read more at https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/diversity-belonging-inclusion.html.

Originally published in AMD 2023-24 Corporate Responsibility Report. 
 

i “Understanding Generation Z in the workplace,” Deloitte, https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/understanding-generation-z-in-the-workplace.html (accessed May 15, 2024).

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

From working in sales in Mexico to being in construction in the Kansas City area, every job Jose Barrios has held has propelled him closer to his dream of opening his own restaurant.

“If you don’t have a dream, you don’t have a purpose,” said Barrios, who, with his wife, owns Royal Biscuit, a breakfast hotspot in Blue Springs, Missouri. “I visited a couple of different banks, but they didn’t guide me. They just told me, ‘You need this’ and that’s it.”

That’s where Jessica Jordan came in, prepared to support Barrios and provide options as he grew his business. Barrios was one of Jordan’s first customers as branch manager at the U.S. Bank Blue Springs North location outside of Kansas City. Over the years, Jordan and her team helped Barrios with everything from consumer checking accounts for Barrios’ employees to planning the expansion of his business.

“I was looking for a building to create another Royal Biscuit,” Barrios said. “Instead, I got the opportunity to buy a creamery. So, I was like, ‘Why not?’ It’s something new, and it’s supporting community.”

Barrios purchased Odessa Creamery, about 30 minutes from Royal Biscuit, which dishes up ice cream cones and hamburgers in Odessa. Prior to Barrios purchasing the business, the creamery had been open for more than 50 years.

“We were his very first stop to get his new business account set up, as well as establish credit card processing for the creamery through U.S. Bank’s Elavon,” Jordan said. “He has this saying that he makes friends, not customers. That’s how we feel every time that he walks into the building. We are not only his bankers, but we are his friends here to help them every step of the way.”

To get where he is today, Barrios pointed at his past and the people who have supported him. For years, he worked two jobs – starting at 5 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. Fast food and construction, as well as working at a breakfast and Mexican restaurant, were on his resumé before taking the plunge and opening Royal Biscuit.

“I really love being able to support business owners like Jose,” said Steve Sickmeyer, the Small Business Banking specialist who works with Barrios. “Having that opportunity to watch the business grow, you get to see the community begin to flourish. You get to see people get energized and get to come together to bring unity in our communities.”

Barrios’ drive to grow his businesses is ongoing, he said, and he is actively looking to open a second Royal Biscuit location.

“(U.S. Bank) helped me to keep growing,” Barrios said. “You can’t do anything by yourself. It takes a community of support to find success, to take care of people and to make dreams real.”

September 19, 2024 /3BL/ – Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed the first of two bill packages aimed at restricting the ability of investors to act on climate risk. This legislation would harm the nation’s capital market system by limiting the consideration of financially relevant information and putting retirement security at risk.

Ceres issued the following statement on the two bill packages:

“If passed and signed into law, these bills would impede shareholders’ engagement with the companies they own, limit visibility into corporate decision-making, place strict regulations and monitoring efforts on investors, jeopardize economic returns, and weaken the foundation of a strong free market. It is not the role of government to limit how financial professionals make decisions as they seek to maximize long-term shareholder value and returns.

“We have already seen severe economic consequences of restrictive investment policies in many states across the nation. When major banks in Texas could no longer finance the state’s public debt due to the restrictions placed on state investment policies, it resulted in more than $300 million in additional interest on municipal bonds in just the first eight months the law was in place. And in Oklahoma, municipalities are facing additional borrow costs due to the passage and implementation of anti-ESG legislation, raising borrowing costs for Oklahoma and creating hundreds of millions in additional expenses.

“The legislation up for debate this week in the U.S. House would do even more widespread damage. Policies that restrict investors and companies from considering all risk factors encroach on the free market, defy responsible business, and put Americans’ retirement savings at risk.” 

The House is expected to vote today on the second bill package, which would restrict the authority of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to compel critical disclosures and oversee the shareholder democracy process. If enacted, the bill would dramatically shift the balance of power away from investors and towards corporate management, restricting transparency and inhibiting shareholder engagement.

About Freedom to Invest 

Freedom to Invest launched in 2023 to mobilize investment and business voices to defend against state and federal policies designed to undermine responsible business and financial investment practices. Hundreds of anti-ESG bills have been defeated in the last two years, including state legislation that would ban certain asset managers from working in states, make it a felony to use responsible investing principles, and upend municipal bond markets. For more information, visit www.freedomtoinvest.org.

About Ceres 

Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and sustainable world. United under a shared vision, our powerful networks of investors and companies are proving sustainability is the bottom line—changing markets and sectors from the inside out. For more information, visit ceres.org.

As an Operations Support Supervisor for CertainTeed Architectural in Plymouth, WI, Willie Hodges can’t say enough about his inspiring career journey at Saint-Gobain, and the family he’s made along the way.

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 145 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.

Discover your career at Saint-Gobain North America here

Watch the Saint-Gobain video series Success in the Making 

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’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€47.9 billion in sales in 2023 
160,000 employees, locations in 76 countries 
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

We’re helping solve our customers’ big challenges by innovating and delivering solutions that are better for their business—and for the environment.

Project At-a-Glance:

The opportunity: Support UAE-based Pure Harvest Smart Farms to create a controlled environment suitable for agricultural production while utilizing as little energy and as few natural resources as possible.

The solution: A sustainable electrified thermal management system that alternately heats and cools the high-tech greenhouse, utilizing:

Trane® heat pumpsTrane centrifugal chillers using near-zero GWP R-1233zd refrigerantChiller and heat pump control and optimizing systems

Sustainability outcomes: All metrics are based on prior year (2022) comparisons unless otherwise stated.

Expected reduction of 8293 metric tons of carbon (mtCO2e) per yearLower system water usageReduced food loss and transportation pollution

Growing tomatoes in the desert

Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a sustainability-focused, controlled environment agriculture company based in the United Arab Emirates, is now doing what many thought was impossible: growing strawberries, lettuce and melons in one of the most challenging environments on Earth: the desert of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

One of the most technologically advanced indoor agriculture companies, Pure Harvest looked to Trane® to install the high-performance thermal management systems needed to grow delicate produce in such extreme environments.

“We’re talking about a country that’s 80% desert, with very limited agricultural resources,” said Adnan Javed, General Manager, Trane EMEA. “All the non-arable land means that the UAE must import about 90% of its food. The UAE government has been trying to change that by encouraging local food production, which it hopes will increase food security, particularly in cases of natural disaster or emergency.”

High-tech greenhouses

Pure Harvest believes its high-tech greenhouses can be part of that solution. Small yet very high-producing oases of arable land, these state-of-the-art installations are similar to other forms of indoor agriculture, except that they leverage natural light. Inside, every aspect of the growing environment is carefully monitored and maintained, from temperature to humidity, air movement and carbon dioxide levels.

That level of control requires an extremely sophisticated system. The cooling and heating solution must not only be highly precise, it must be able to maintain a steady indoor environment as outside temperatures fluctuate between 60° F by night to well over 120° F by day.

To help them construct such a system, Pure Harvest looked to Trane for a solution: a modular electric thermal management array comprised of Trane heat pumps and centrifugal chillers using R-1233zd refrigerant. An efficient and sustainable electric solution, the Trane system was designed to not only to meet the combined heating and cooling requirements of the greenhouse, but to do so using minimum power and water, as high efficiency is central to Pure Harvest’s economic model.

“Reliability and efficiency correlate directly to production, and therefore the cost of the agricultural produce coming from the greenhouse,” said Majed Halawi, VP Engineering & Construction, Pure Harvest Smart Farms. “It’s our ability to grow high quality food intensively and close to where it’s consumed that allows us to deliver fruits and vegetables at comparable prices to imports. But we must also achieve that in a way that’s sustainable, and that utilizes less in the way of natural resources. That’s a very important part of the Pure Harvest concept.”

Thinking globally, acting locally

Growing food close to where it’s sold and consumed has other very important benefits that relate to Trane Technologies’ environmental goals. One of those goals is reducing the carbon footprint of the transportation cold chain, which in addition to the built environment is one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitting parts of the global infrastructure.

The Pure Harvest project in the UAE brings the world a step closer to achieving that aim and is a demonstration of what can be achieved when a manufacturer and a customer set out to create new, innovative, sustainable solutions. Encouraged by this success, Pure Harvest has begun building similar installations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

“We feel privileged to be a part of this project,” said Javed. “We’re committed to supporting public initiatives that improve food security, water conservation, skilled job creation and economic diversification. We’re proud to have helped a local company in its drive to increase the UAE’s food security, reduce its dependence on food imports, lower food miles and reduce carbon footprints.”

Learn more about this project on the Healthy Spaces Podcast.

Discover more about our sustainable innovation in our 2023 ESG Report.

Originally published in Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report

Maintaining an ethical culture

We have built a strong reputation for being an ethical and trustworthy company. That’s why we enforce anti-bribery and anti-corruption practices and policies, and show honesty and integrity as we interact with our customers, business partners, and each other.

Our approach 

Our Ethics and Compliance Program is grounded in our core value of doing what’s right. To maintain high ethical standards, we reinforce the understanding of and adherence to our Global Code of Conduct, related policies, and legal and regulatory requirements across the organization by delivering education, training, and conducting risk assessments.

We gauge our ethical culture by conducting an annual survey among our employees. The Ethical Culture Survey, administered through a well-respected external party, identifies both positive and potentially challenging insights into our corporate culture. This enables us to benchmark our results year-over-year and to compare our results with industry peers and cross-industry participants.

Our actions and performance in 2023 

The 2023 results of the survey reflected our employees’ belief in our commitment to maintain a strong ethical culture, adhering to our Global Code of Conduct and core values, and assuring we do what’s right. The results make clear that our employees understand our policies and procedures and trust that we maintain a “safe to say” environment. When benchmarked against our peer group, Principal consistently scores at or above industry standards on many of the pillars that comprise the survey.

We regularly benchmark our Ethics and Compliance Program through our membership of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), a group sponsored by the Ethisphere Institute, and the Department of Justice Guidance. The Enterprise Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer shares assessment results with executive leadership and the Audit Committee of the Principal Board of Directors.

This marks the 13th time Principal has been recognized for its ethical leadership and business practices since the Ethisphere list launched in 2006.

Recognized as a 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies® honoree: Ethisphere (December 2023)1

Alignment with our Global Code of Conduct 

All employees must complete annual training and acknowledgment related to our Global Code of Conduct (Code). The computer-based training (CBT) course covers topics that are contained in the Code. The topics covered rotate on a three-year basis. They include anti- bribery and corruption, human rights and human trafficking, economic sanctions, insider trading, antitrust and competition laws, social media and news media, employee pressure, protecting and using company assets, conflicts of interest, intellectual property, complaint handling, gifts and entertainment, political activity, financial crimes, and whistleblowing.

Topics covered in the 2023 CBT included reporting Code violations, employee pressure, protecting and using company assets, conflicts of interest, intellectual property, and bribery and corruption. Once they complete the training, employees sign an attestation of understanding and acceptance. Every Director and employee of Principal is accountable for following the Code.

In 2023, 99.9% of active employees completed training on our Global Code of Conduct. We used quizzes to test participants’ knowledge of the material and concepts covered in the course.

99.9% of active employees completed training on our Global Code of ConductRanked as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024: Newsweek (December 2023)Included in the 2024 JUST 100 and recognized as one of 2024 America’s Most JUST Companies: JUST Capital (December 2023)

The Ethics and Compliance team, Corporate Special Investigations Unit, management, and other compliance personnel, regularly review the effectiveness of the Code by:

monitoring the Ethics Hotline and reviewing metrics for trends,releasing an Annual Report of Investigations to employees via our internal employee website,requiring annual Code training for all employees,conducting an annual ethical culture survey,tracking employee views of ethics and compliance policies on our internal employee website each quarter,completing annual risk assessments, andreporting quarterly to various compliance areas, which includes closed investigations and outcomes.

Each year we provide Ethical Culture Survey results to leaders and identify areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement. We also supply suggestions and resources for having regular ethics-related discussions with their teams.

Reporting unethical behavior 

If our employees, customers, or business partners need to report concerns about unethical or fraudulent activity pertaining to Principal, they can do so through the Ethics Hotline by phone (U.S. only) or submit an online reporting form (available globally). Both offer anonymous options where geographically allowed. Anonymous concerns go directly to a third party not affiliated with Principal.

Employees also have the option to report suspicious activity to the Enterprise Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer in their area, the Chief Privacy Officer, the employee relations consultant or Human Resources, or a member of the Corporate Special Investigations Unit. In addition to the Code of Conduct, the methods for reporting suspicious activity are outlined in various Enterprise policies (e.g., the Whistleblower Policy, the Compliance Policy, the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy) and are available to employees.

We regularly remind employees about the Ethics Hotline to report suspected fraudulent or unethical activities. In 2023, 100% of submissions to our Ethics Hotline were fully reviewed and investigated.

Every year, representatives from each compliance area work together to produce a consolidated enterprise compliance risk assessment, which identifies key compliance risks across the organization. The 2023 results, which are currently being finalized, will help inform the compliance team’s strategic focus.

Anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and conflicts of interest 

We are committed to supporting international and local efforts to eliminate corruption and financial crimes. To ensure we stay vigilant, we conduct annual anti-bribery and corruption (AB&C) risk assessments.

The Enterprise Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer is accountable for the AB&C Policy and program, and reports bribery and corruption risks to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. In 2023, 100% of Board members and executive and senior management teams were provided with materials on AB&C, trends in the industry, and were kept informed of future priorities of our program.

No charges were filed by any regulator against Principal for corruption in 2023.

Read more:

Anti-Bribery and Corruption PolicyAnti-Money Laundering PolicyGlobal Code of Conduct (PDF)Reporting Fraud of Unethical ConductOFAC/Sanctions PolicyPolitical Activity Policy

Annual ethics and compliance related trainings

Additional training is provided to targeted employee audiences based on their roles and responsibilities on an ad hoc basis, such as financial crimes training (elder financial exploitation, anti-money laundering, and economic sanctions) as well as anti-bribery and corruption for audiences that have a higher risk of bribery in their work.

Audience/Training Content

Board of Directors: Global Code of ConductAll active employees: Global Code of ConductNew leaders: Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation (including sexual harassment)New employees: Making privacy a priorityIdentifying and preventing fraudGlobal Code of ConductConflicts of interestU.S. employees: Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation (including sexual harassment)Principal international employees: Anti-bribery and corruption

Additional training is provided to targeted employee audiences based on their roles and responsibilities on an ad hoc basis, such as financial crimes training (elder financial exploitation, anti-money laundering, and economic sanctions) as well as anti-bribery and corruption for audiences that have a higher risk of bribery in their work.

What’s next 

In 2024, we remain focused on benchmarking and ongoing evaluation of our Ethics and Compliance Program, providing employee communications and training on key risk-related topics, and maintaining a pulse on our ethical culture through our annual ethical culture survey.

12024 designation is based on results as of August 2023.

To learn more, read the Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report.

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​

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SAN FRANCISCO, September 19, 2024 /3BL/ – First responders deserve the most advanced connectivity solutions in the world, and T-Mobile is stepping up to answer the call. During T-Mobile’s (NASDAQ: TMUS) Capital Markets Day, CEO Mike Sievert unveiled T-Priority, a new solution built with first responders to deliver the unprecedented support they deserve every day and — especially — during massive emergencies. T-Priority includes:

The world’s first network slice for first responders. Built on T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone Core, the network slice ensures first responders get lower latency and faster 5G speeds more consistently and it also gives them the highest priority across every single 5G band, even in times of extreme congestion.Best-in-class partners. T-Priority comes with a complete and growing support system tailored to first responders’ critical needs, with the latest technological solutions from top industry partners like Motorola Solutions, Ericsson, and 3rd-Eye Technologies, Inc., who bring a proven heritage of supporting first responder missions.An emergency response team dedicated to first responders and public safety. T-Mobile’s emergency team is ready 24/7 to support disasters, public safety incidents, large events and more to boost capacity and restore coverage where needed, including mobilizing a fleet of emergency vehicles and rapidly deployable technologies to support first responders, communities and customers.

Because T-Priority was designed for the most scaled and challenging requirements, T-Mobile announced today that the City of New York will be the anchor customer for T-Priority. The City of New York is leveraging their partnership with T-Mobile’s leading network for their employees, as the city continues to innovate and implement cutting-edge technologies.

“First responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and they deserve nothing less than the most advanced connectivity solutions to do their critical work,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “With T-Priority, we’re more committed than ever to serving those who serve us all by delivering a dedicated 5G solution to agencies of all sizes across the country. At T-Mobile, our job is to make sure first responders can count on a consistent 5G experience that will evolve to meet the changing needs of the first responder mission, backed by a dedicated, award-winning support system, to be ready when it matters most.”

“Our north star for the City of New York is to make it safer and more affordable for all New Yorkers, including our dedicated public servants,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “Providing our agencies and all city employees with the latest technologies is crucial to achieving this mission, and with T-Priority we will continue to do so.”

Connectivity Challenges Facing First Responders 
First responders are becoming more reliant than ever on cellular communications and data-intensive tools like drones and AR/VR as they adopt new tools to serve their communities. But during emergency situations, network congestion can put these critical communications at risk. Cellular traffic can spike significantly, while data-intensive tools can demand stronger network performance — like the low latency and higher speeds of 5G.

Today’s solutions simply can’t keep pace with the evolving mission demands of the modern first responders. Here’s why: Imagine a congested network like rush hour traffic. Priority access and preemption are tools that give you a faster on-ramp, but you still have to crawl in slow traffic once you’re on the highway. A dedicated network can carve out an emergency lane, but even that can get slow when it’s crowded with first responders (especially if it’s 4G). That changes today.

T-Priority: A Solution Built for Tomorrow’s Emergencies. Ready Today. 
T-Priority is a first-of-its-kind solution to keep first responders connected in the 5G era of public safety. The world’s first network slice for first responders helps ensure best-in-class connectivity, not just day-to-day, but also in times of extreme congestion, and supports a wide range of data-intensive applications that make up an increasing share of traffic in the day-to-day lives of first responders.

Here’s how it works: think of the slice like a traffic cop. It’s always directing network traffic to ensure first responders have the best possible experience. It makes sure they get lower latency and faster 5G speeds more consistently for data-intensive communications tools by giving them up to 5 times the network resources of the average user.

The slice really shines in rare times of extreme congestion. Imagine if an emergency caused a massive spike in cellular traffic during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The network is already packed with people on Bourbon Street live streaming the parade. A surge on top of that could result in extreme congestion. As first responders stream into the area to help, the slice ensures their traffic is prioritized above everyone else. As the event escalates and more and more first responders show up, the network effectively becomes a first responder network, and the network will work to maintain a minimum service level to all of them. And, given the huge capacity of T-Mobile’s 5G network, that large group of first responders is supported.

Other day-to-day T-Priority features include:

Priority access and preemption for voice and data on the nation’s leading 5G network.2.5x faster speeds on average than other providersfor data-intensive communications.40% more 5G capacity than other providers to help more first responders stay connected.More 5G coverage than AT&T and Verizon, with T-Mobile covering 98% of Americans. And T-Mobile recently made significant investment to expand coverage in rural America to tackle coverage gaps.Enhanced security with access to a security slice from T-Mobile SASE that helps defend against cyberthreats.

Best-in-Class Support for First Responder Agencies 
T-Priority’s new first responder rate plans launch later this year and are available for state, local and federal agencies. They’re also available to businesses, like utility and transportation organizations, that provide critical support during emergencies.

With T-Priority, America’s largest, fastest and most advanced 5G network is truly dedicated to helping first responders.

T-Priority is a natural evolution of T-Mobile’s innovations with first responders. Back in 2020, T-Mobile launched Connecting Heroes, a program that supports small state and local agencies and first responder volunteer groups with free, unlimited 5G service. Connecting Heroes will continue to provide free access to the nation’s leading 5G, so agencies of all sizes serving communities across the nation, have an option that helps them serve their communities, keep them safe and meet the need of their mission every day.

For more information, visit https://t-mobile.com/business/t-priority.

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T-Priority features will be available for eligible emergency response organizations on select plans. Capable device required. Performance baseline commits available network resources to help maintain threshold throughput, even in times of congestion. Coverage not available in some areas and may be impacted by emergencies; check your response area. See 5G device, coverage, & access details at T-Mobile.com.

About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com

Media Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t-mobile.com

September marks a time of change. From the end of summer to back to school, there are so many things that are wrapping up or starting fresh.

The month also includes one of our favorite events for pollinators through the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, held by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) in partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation.

During the BioBlitz, participants are encouraged to capture photographs of the plants, insects and animals present in parks and submit them using the iNaturalist platform, an app which identifies and records the observations. This helps park agencies better understand, manage and plan for the multitude of different species and habitats in their local parks.

Earlier this summer, ScottsMiracle-Gro reinforced its commitment to pollinators by opening an apiary on its Marysville campus, which complements our commitment to the sixth edition of the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. 

“We encourage community members and park goers throughout the country to participate in the annual Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz to collectively impact pollinators in a positive way,” said Brian Herrington, president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. 

As we embrace the season change throughout September, learn more about Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz and ways you can help.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With approximately $3.6 billion in sales, the Company is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company’s brands are among the most recognized in the industry. The Company’s Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hawthorne Gardening Company, is a leading provider of nutrients, lighting, and other materials used in the indoor and hydroponic growing segment. For additional information, visit us at www.scottsmiraclegro.com. 

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