Author: Michelle Dryden

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United Natural Foods releases ‘Better for All’ environmental, social, and governance report for fiscal year 2023

Details significant progress on the Company’s key areas of focus – delivering positive impact, operational efficiency, and reinforcing its value proposition to stakeholders.

 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) (the “Company” or “UNFI”) today released its 13th annual Better for All Report detailing UNFI’s progress on its social, environmental, and governance objectives during the Company’s 2023 fiscal year, ended July 29, 2023.

 

The report demonstrates the success of the Company’s enhanced focus on its most pressing impact areas – safety, well-being, waste, climate, sourcing, and community. It underscores that UNFI’s initiatives benefitting the planet, society, and the food industry can also directly benefit the Company’s business performance, resulting in enhanced value for all of its stakeholders.

 

UNFI’s Better for All strategy continues to focus on establishing the Company as a key connector within the food system value chain, creating and growing critical linkages among farmers, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.

 

“UNFI is building a company that creates sustainable value for stakeholders and shareholders, and a better food system for all,” said Sandy Douglas, President and CEO of UNFI. “In FY2023, we issued new responsible sourcing policies and position statements, expanded supplier diversity efforts, reaffirmed our broader commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), started work on our ninth and largest on-site solar array, completed LED lighting conversions across all of our distribution centers (DCs), and deployed a new system that helps us reduce food waste in our DCs.”

 

As a result of these efforts across the Company during fiscal 2023, UNFI reported the following milestones toward its goal to build a food system that is better for its people, its communities, and the planet:

  • Published, in connection with the Company’s new Supplier and Vendor Code of Conduct, both a formal policy designed to support the goal of zero deforestation across our primary deforestation-linked commodities by 2025, and a position statement and action plan for animal welfare standards in our supply chain. These have allowed the Company to work more efficiently and effectively with suppliers and vendors in pursuing these goals.
  • Completed a roof-mounted solar array installation, the Company’s largest to date, at its Howell, New Jersey distribution center, with a new, even bigger roof-mounted solar array at its Riverside, CA distribution center slated for the near future. UNFI’s solar array initiatives lower the Company’s carbon footprint and provide an excellent return on investment while also reducing the energy cost of operating a distribution center.
  • Launched the Climate Action Partnership to encourage suppliers to make credible climate commitments and provide innovative and scalable resources specific to the food system. This forum allows the Company to share best practices with suppliers who have common goals and drive more collaboration and efficiency across supply chains.
  • Reaffirmed its commitment to DEI and continued to build a diverse, high-performing, and agile workforce by delivering more DEI programming to employees. These initiatives help UNFI recruit talented associates and benefit from their diverse perspectives, whether they work in Company distribution centers or corporate offices.
  • Successfully completed an electric vehicle (EV) Blueprint that outlines how the Company plans to transition to zero-emission vehicles in the state of California. This reduces fuel and maintenance costs while also improving air quality.
  • Completed LED lighting conversions in all distribution centers, which not only decreases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lowers cost but also improves safety by increasing lighting and limiting maintenance work throughout the facility.
  • Deployed a Reverse Logistics Disposition Reporting (RLDR) system at all UNFI distribution centers that increases inventory visibility, improves operating efficiency, reduces food waste, and minimizes waste disposal costs, contributing to lower shrink in distribution centers.
  • Supported the “Acres: Cultivating Equity in Black Agriculture” program, launched by The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), to improve the Company’s relationships with an excellent source of high-quality producers.

 

Mr. Douglas added, “Our associates can be very proud of the solid progress on company sustainability and operational efficiency goals. I look forward to what we’ll accomplish together in 2024.”

 

About UNFI

UNFI is North America’s premier grocery wholesaler delivering the widest variety of fresh, branded, and owned brand products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, eCommerce providers, and foodservice customers. UNFI also provides a broad range of value-added services and segmented marketing expertise, including proprietary technology, data, market insights, and shelf management to help customers and suppliers build their businesses and brands. As the largest full-service grocery partner in North America, UNFI is committed to building a food system that is better for all and is uniquely positioned to deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers. To learn more about how UNFI is delivering value for its stakeholders, visit www.unfi.com.

 

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and management estimates; actual results may differ materially. The risks and uncertainties which could impact these statements include those described in the Company’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 29, 2023 filed with the SEC on September 26, 2023 and other filings the Company makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to update any information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. Any estimates of future results of operations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company’s control and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These estimates are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results.

Contacts

For UNFI Investors:
Kristyn Farahmand

401-213-2160

kristyn.farahmand@unfi.com
-or-

Steve Bloomquist

952-828-4144

steve.j.bloomquist@unfi.com

For Media:
UNFI
Charles Davis

215-539-1696

cdavis@unfi.com

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Amneal to participate at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: AMRX) announced today that Chirag Patel, Co-Chief Exec. Officer and President, and Tasos Konidaris, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Jan. 9 to 10, 2024.

 

Chirag will present on Jan. 10 at 11:15 a.m. PST, and a live webcast will be accessible on the Company’s website at https://investors.amneal.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days following the event.

About Amneal

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: AMRX), headquartered in Bridgewater, NJ, is a fully integrated global pharmaceuticals company. We make healthy possible through the development, manufacturing, and distribution of a diverse portfolio of approximately 270 pharmaceutical products, primarily within the United States. In its Generics segment, the Company is expanding across a broad range of complex product categories and therapeutic areas, including injectables and biosimilars.

 

In its Specialty segment, Amneal has a growing portfolio of branded pharmaceuticals focused primarily on central nervous system and endocrine disorders, with a pipeline focused on unmet needs. Through its AvKARE segment, the Company is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and other products for the U.S. federal government, retail, and institutional markets. For more information, please visit www.amneal.com.

Contacts

Investor
Anthony DiMeo

Head of Investor Relations

anthony.dimeo@amneal.com

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Business Government Healthcare Lifestyle Regulations & Security Science

Merck provides US regulatory update on gefapixant

RAHWAY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — $MRK #MRK — Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) regarding Merck’s New Drug Application (NDA) for gefapixant, an investigational, non-narcotic, oral selective P2X3 receptor antagonist, under development for the treatment of refractory chronic cough (RCC) or unexplained chronic cough (UCC) in adults.

 

In the CRL, the FDA concluded that Merck’s application did not meet substantial evidence of effectiveness for treating RCC and UCC. The CRL was not related to the safety of gefapixant. Merck is reviewing the FDA’s feedback to determine next steps.

Chronic cough is defined as a cough lasting longer than 8 weeks. In adults with RCC, the cough persists despite appropriate treatment of underlying conditions such as asthma or gastroesophageal reflux disease, and UCC is a cough where the underlying cause cannot be identified despite a thorough evaluation.

 

“We thank our clinical trial participants and investigators for their important contributions that add to the body of knowledge related to chronic cough and help to raise awareness about the significant unmet medical need and the impact of RCC and UCC on patients,” said Dr. Joerg Koglin, senior vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. “Acknowledging the absence of any approved treatments for refractory or unexplained chronic cough, we are disappointed in the FDA’s response to our application for gefapixant.”

 

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

 

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

 

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

 

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Contacts

Media Contacts:

Julie Cunningham

(617) 519-6264

Deb Wambold

(215) 779-2234

Investor Contacts:

Peter Dannenbaum

(732) 594-1579

Damini Chokshi

(732) 594-1577

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Business Lifestyle Perspectives

AM Best revises outlooks to positive for Work First Casualty Company

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance — AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Work First Casualty Company (Work First) (Delaware).

The Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect Work First’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

 

The positive outlooks recognize Work First’s consistent and profitable operating performance, which has outpaced composite peers in certain metrics, as well as business profile characteristics that have developed a strong and defensible presence in the temporary staffing niche.

 

Work First is a niche provider focused on writing workers’ compensation policies for temporary staffing companies, in business segments such as light manufacturing or office clerical, among others. The company is licensed in all 50 states and operates through long-term agency partnerships throughout the United States. Work First’s balance sheet strength is supported by the company’s strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), prudent reserving and a conservative investment portfolio, while also acknowledging limited financial flexibility as a privately held stock company.

 

Work First has posted consistent operating profitability over the past five years, with positive income resulting from its underwriting operations, augmented by investment returns. Loss and loss adjustment expense ratios, as well as return on revenue and equity measures, outpace composite measures over the past five years. This is further evidence of Work First’s strong relationships with its producers, and the resulting quality business on its books. AM Best considers the company’s ERM capabilities as appropriate for the scale and scope of operations, and properly aligned with its stated risk profile.

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Raymond Thomson, CPCU, ARe, ARM
Associate Director

+1 908 882 2394
raymond.thomson@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Alan Murray
Director
+1 908 882 2195
alan.murray@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

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Business Digital - AI & Apps Energy Environment Lifestyle Local News Perks Perspectives Science

Universal Display Corporation named to The Wall Street Journal’s list of Best-Managed Companies of 2023

EWING, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — $OLED #OLED — Universal Display Corporation (Nasdaq: OLED) (UDC), enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, has been named to The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) Top 250 ranking of The Best-Managed Companies of 2023.

 

The annual Management Top 250 ranking of America’s best-run companies is based on a holistic measure of corporate effectiveness that was developed by the Drucker Institute and examines five dimensions of corporate performance: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility and financial strength.

 

“This recognition is a testament to the dedication, passion and hard work of our incredible UDC team members and is a celebration of our commitment to excellence in every facet of our global company,” said Steven V. Abramson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Display Corporation.

 

“From our broadening portfolio of innovative and energy-efficient products and services to fostering a corporate culture of inventiveness, integrity, inclusion and collaboration, we are building on our robust leadership position in the growing OLED ecosystem. As we approach the 30th anniversary of UDC’s founding, we are excited to reach even greater heights in the future and make a lasting impact in the industry.”

 

About Universal Display Corporation

Universal Display Corporation (Nasdaq: OLED) is a leader in the research, development and commercialization of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies and materials for use in display and solid-state lighting applications. Founded in 1994 and with subsidiaries and offices around the world, the Company currently owns, exclusively licenses or has the sole right to sublicense more than 6,000 patents issued and pending worldwide. Universal Display licenses its proprietary technologies, including its breakthrough high-efficiency UniversalPHOLED® phosphorescent OLED technology that can enable the development of energy-efficient and eco-friendly displays and solid-state lighting. The Company also develops and offers high-quality, state-of-the-art UniversalPHOLED materials that are recognized as key ingredients in the fabrication of OLEDs with peak performance. In addition, Universal Display delivers innovative and customized solutions to its clients and partners through technology transfer, collaborative technology development and on-site training. To learn more about Universal Display Corporation, please visit https://oled.com/.

 

Universal Display Corporation and the Universal Display Corporation logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Universal Display Corporation. All other company, brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

 

All statements in this document that are not historical, such as those relating to the projected adoption, development and advancement of the Company’s technologies, and the Company’s expected results and future declaration of dividends, as well as the growth of the OLED market and the Company’s opportunities in that market, are forward-looking financial statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements in this document, as they reflect Universal Display Corporation’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in Universal Display Corporation’s periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, in particular, the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Universal Display Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Universal Display Corporation disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this document.

 

Follow Universal Display Corporation

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(OLED-C)

Contacts

Universal Display:
Darice Liu

investor@oled.com
media@oled.com
+1 609-964-5123

Categories
Business Digital - AI & Apps Healthcare International & World Lifestyle Science Technology

Owkin enters collaboration agreement with MSD to develop AI-powered diagnostics for cancer

  • Owkin to collaborate with MSD to develop and commercialize AI-powered digital pathology Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) diagnostics for four types of cancer.
  • The aim is to pre-screen patients for the MSI-H biomarker, which is found in a broad range of solid tumor types and is a strong predictor of PD1/PDL-1 inhibitor efficacy in cancer.

 

 

PARIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Owkin, a French-American biotechnology company that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to drug discovery, development, and diagnostics, on Monday announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with MSD, the trade name of Merck & Co Inc., Rahway N.J. U.S.A. to develop and commercialize AI-powered digital pathology diagnostics for the E.U. market.

 

Clinical trials have shown that the MSI-H tumor phenotype has potential prognostic and therapeutic importance, especially with the increased application of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies.1,2,3,4 As such, MSI-H has become an important genomic biomarker with applications across several types of cancer. As a result, testing for MSI-H is now recommended by consensus guidelines internationally.5,6,7,8

 

Meriem Sefta, Chief Diagnostics Officer, said, “This strategic alliance with MSD is focused on improving the way patients are diagnosed and receive treatment, advancing our shared mission of supporting healthcare providers in their adoption of innovative digital diagnostics. It is clear that there is a need for AI diagnostics that can both ease bottlenecks and resource pressures while also ramping up biomarker testing to match patients with optimal treatments.”

 

This collaboration seeks to develop a pre-screening procedure to improve testing rates for MSI-H in endometrial, gastric, small intestinal, and biliary cancers. In these cancer types, MSI-H prevalence is low and MSI-H screening is not routinely performed. The collaboration will initially be focused in the European Union.

 

“The application of AI technologies holds tremendous potential in the screening of patients and the diagnosis of disease,” said Scott K. Pruitt, associate vice president and head, Translational Oncology, MSD Research Laboratories. “We look forward to working with the Owkin team toward harnessing this opportunity to identify more patients with MSI-H cancers who may benefit from ICI therapy.”

 

Owkin, which currently has the only MSI digital pathology diagnostic CE-marked in colorectal cancer, will extend the development of its MSI-H AI diagnostics into four new cancer types, leveraging multimodal patient data from multiple academic centers and hospitals.

 

About Owkin

Owkin is a biotechnology company that combines the best of human and artificial intelligence to ensure every patient gets the right treatment. By understanding complex biology through AI, we identify new treatments, de-risk and accelerate clinical trials and develop AI diagnostics. Owkin uses privacy-enhancing federation to access up-to-date multimodal patient data that unlocks AI’s potential to power precision medicine.

 

Owkin is working to deliver AI diagnostics that integrate seamlessly into the digital pathology workflow to support accurate diagnosis at a fraction of the time and cost of existing tests. Our solutions help improve pathology workflows, pre-screen for biomarkers, and predict outcomes— giving healthcare providers a fuller picture of a patient’s disease. This means more patients can benefit from targeted therapies, making precision medicine more accessible to more patients at an earlier stage of their disease.

 

Owkin has raised over $300 million through investments from leading biopharma companies (Sanofi and BMS) and venture funds (Fidelity, GV and BPI, among others).

 

MSIntuit CRC

MSIntuit CRC is a CE-marked AI diagnostic that optimizes testing for microsatellite instability (MSI), a critical biomarker for CRC patients that represents a defect in a cell’s ability to correct mistakes that occur when DNA is replicated. Testing is now recommended by consensus guidelines, such as European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Europe and College of American Pathologists (CAP) in the US. MSI phenotyping is also essential to both the management of hereditary colorectal cancers and prognosis evaluation.

 

MSIntuit CRC is used for pre-screening and applies machine learning to digitized pathology slides to help pathologists and oncologists in their objective to facilitate better access to immunotherapy for all CRC patients.

 

MSIntuit CRC aims to have a significant impact on doctors and patients by decreasing workload and turnaround time, optimizing costs, and preserving tissue material and consumables. By using AI, this innovative tool may also support reproducibility through addressing inter-observer variability, with the end goal of optimizing quality and efficiency for critical tests.

 

1 KEYNOTE-177 (Pembrolizumab in Microsatellite-Instability–High Advanced Colorectal Cancer) https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2017699

2 CheckMate 142 (Nivolumab (NIVO) ± ipilimumab (IPI) in patients (pts) with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): Five-year follow-up from CheckMate 142) https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.3510

3 KEYNOTE-158 (Pembrolizumab in microsatellite instability high or mismatch repair deficient cancers: updated analysis from the phase II KEYNOTE-158 study) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35680043/

4 Dostarlimab for Primary Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36972026/

5 ESMO recommendation, Annals of Oncology 30: 1232–1243, 2019

6 NICE [Accessed June 2023]

7 Cancer Ind. Évaluation du statut MMR tumoral / synthèse. 2021; [Accessed June 2023]

8 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal (Version 1 2018).

Contacts

Stephanie Libous

Director of PR & Comms

stephanie.libous@owkin.com

Edward Farmer

PR Consultant

edward.farmer-ext@owkin.com

Categories
Business Culture Lifestyle Perspectives Regulations & Security

AM Best downgrades Credit Ratings of Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company; revises Under Review Status to developing

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance—AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-” (Excellent) from “a+” (Excellent) of Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company (SLAICO) (Galveston, TX). Concurrently, AM Best has maintained the under-review status on these Credit Ratings (ratings) and revised the implications status to developing from negative.

 

The ratings reflect SLAICO’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

 

The ratings actions were driven by the recent acquisition of SLAICO by Core Specialty Insurance Holdings, Inc. (Core Specialty). The rating downgrades reflect the revision of SLAICO’s business profile assessment to limited from favorable. The assessment is aligned with that of Core Specialty, as SLAICO no longer benefits from the favorable business profile of its former parent. Following the finalized sale, AM Best has determined that the company warrants further monitoring before removing its ratings from under review. Consequently, and coupled with the downgrades, the implications on the SLAICO’s under-review status has been revised to developing from negative.

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Dan Hofmeister
Associate Director

+1 908 882 1893

dan.hofmeister@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Steven M. Chirico
Director
+1 908 882 1694
steven.chirico@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

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Culture Education Environment Lifestyle Perks Perspectives Programs & Events

American Water now accepting applications for 2024 Inclusion and Diversity Scholarship

Awards totaling $100,000 will be distributed nationwide to students continuing education

 

CAMDEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., announced today that it is accepting applications for its 2024 Inclusion and Diversity (“I&D”) Scholarship. Awards totaling $100,000 will be distributed nationwide to students within America Water’s national footprint, continuing their education in a non-medical STEM or business-related field at an accredited four-year college or university.

“American Water is thrilled to again offer the Inclusion and Diversity Scholarship, providing equitable opportunities for students across American Water’s national footprint to continue their education,” said Lori Sutton, Chief Inclusion Officer, American Water. “This scholarship supports the development of our future leaders and reinforces our unwavering commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.”

 

The I&D Scholarship will be administered through a partnership with Scholarship America®, the nation’s leading nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization.

 

American Water announced the inaugural class of I&D Scholarship recipients earlier this year. Ten students were selected out of 1,475 applications and received $10,000 through the scholarship. Awards are renewable up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, based on eligibility.

 

The I&D Scholarship is offered annually to eligible students through 2026, totaling over $1 million in awards.

 

Learn more about American Water’s I&D Scholarship, eligibility and deadlines here.

 

About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

 

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Contacts

Media:
Alicia Barbieri

Director, Communications and External Affairs

American Water

(856) 676-8103

alicia.barbieri@amwater.com

Categories
Business Culture Farewell Services Healthcare Lifestyle Science

Donor Network West, MTF Biologics and family of U.S. Marine and organ donor hero gather for rose dedication memorial ceremony

Special event unveiled a floragraph honoring 25-year-old Matthew Messina that will be featured in the 2024 Rose Parade®

 


EDISON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Donor Network West, an organization that saves and heals lives by facilitating organ and tissue recovery for transplantation and research, and MTF Biologics, a global non-profit organization that saves and heals lives by honoring donated gifts, hosted a memorial event honoring organ and tissue donor and U.S. Marine, Matthew Messina at MTF Biologics Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.

 

The event gathered the organ and tissue donation community and Messina’s family and featured a rose dedication to the family as well as the presentation of a floragraph featuring Messina that will travel across the country to be a part of the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® Float on Jan. 1, 2024.

 

“In a time when my family could see only darkness, the miracle of organ and tissue donation let us see that Matt’s life had done so much good for so many who needed help,” his mother Jan Messina explained. “It’s given us hope. And slowly but surely, we’re living our lives again.”

 

Messina dedicated his young life to service. As a U.S. Marine and big brother to two sisters, he is described as someone who put others before himself. His dreams of continuing to help others through work with young children was cut short when he was seriously injured when a drunk driver struck him in a hit-and-run crash in June 2023. Through organ and tissue donation, Messina was able to provide one last act of kindness in service to others. The donation of his kidneys, pancreas, and liver saved the lives of three others. As a tissue donor, he was able to help more than 100 people regain mobility and enjoy a better quality of life. In total, his organs and tissues helped people living in more than 25 states.

 

“Organ and tissue donor heroes like Matthew save lives and their legacies live on in recipients who have been given a second chance at life,” said Janice Whaley, President and CEO, Donor Network West. “It’s a privilege for Donor Network West to honor donors like Matthew and their families.”

 

Donor Network West and MTF Biologics are sponsors of the 2024 Donate Life Rose Parade® float, which will feature organ donors represented by floragraphs as well as individuals from across the U.S. who are transplant recipients and living donors. The 2024 Donate Life parade float, titled “Woven Together: The Dance of Life,” aims to inspire viewers to say yes to joining the registry as organ donors and to give hope to the 100,000 people who are on the national transplant wait list. The 2024 Donate Life float aims to repeat its success and recognition following the 2023 Donate Life float design which received the Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes Award, the highest Tournament of Roses honor.

 

“We remember donors like Matthew Messina as heroes. We’re grateful to be able to shine light on his life-saving gifts and honor him with a ‘floragraph’ as part of the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade. Matthew’s story highlights the important work of MTF Biologics and Donor Network West, saving and healing lives,” said Joe Yaccarino, President, and CEO, MTF Biologics.

 

For more than 35 years, MTF Biologics has been processing tissue grafts from human donors that are used in a growing array of clinical applications – positively affecting lives across the globe. To date, MTF Biologics has recovered tissue from over 165,000 donors. Since its inception, they have provided over 10 million allografts to clinical partners.

 

About Donor Network West

Donor Network West saves and heals lives by facilitating organ and tissue recovery for transplantation and research. The organization was established in 1987 and is an official Donate Life organization accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). Federally designated to serve 45 counties in northern Nevada and northern California, Donor Network West has headquarters in northern Nevada and California and partners with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the state-authorized donor registries. For information, visit DonorNetworkWest.org and follow us on social media: @mydnwest.

 

About MTF Biologics:

MTF Biologics is a global nonprofit organization that saves and heals lives by honoring donated gifts, serving patients, and advancing science. They provide unmatched service, resources, and expertise to donors and their loved ones who give the gift of donation, people who depend on tissue and organ transplants, healthcare providers, and clinicians and scientists.

 

The International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine (IIAM), a Division of MTF Biologics, honors donors of non-transplantable organs by providing their gifts to the medical research community to combat and cure diseases. Statline, also a Division of MTF Biologics, provides specialized communications and technology expertise to organ, tissue, and eye procurement organizations, as well as the hospitals and patients that they serve. Its sister organization, Deutsches Institute for Zell-und Gewebeersatz – DIZG (The German Institute for Cell and Tissue Transplantation) expands its reach to patients across the globe. For more information, visit www.mtfbiologics.org.

Contacts

Nicole Smith

MTFBiologics@finnpartners.com

Categories
Business Culture Economics Lifestyle Perks Sports & Gaming Technology

Ocean Casino Resort selects Konami Gaming’s SYNKROS casino management system showcasing a suite of top features

Atlantic City Boardwalk resort joins with Konami to deliver industry-leading tech features to guests

LAS VEGAS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Ocean Casino Resort and Konami Gaming, Inc. announced a partnership to drive in-demand casino technology to the 20-acre luxury destination on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk.

 

Ocean has selected Konami’s SYNKROS® as its core gaming enterprise management system, through which the resort is set to take advantage of many exciting features that would be first to market in New Jersey. Ocean is in the position to leverage award-winning technology including Konami’s Konetic™ employee mobile application and integrated SYNK31™ Title 31 / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system, for continuing top-tier service.

 

“We are looking forward to partnering with Konami to present both our guests and our team members with innovative, first to market technology meant to maximize efficiency and improve customer experiences,” said Bill Callahan, General Manager for Ocean Casino Resort. “Konami’s industry-leading technology and global gaming savvy are invaluable in the implementation of these new features to our casino floor.”

 

Through the upcoming SYNKROS launch, guests at Ocean will have the opportunity to tap into a suite of new and convenient bonusing and funding options. Another high-demand solution is the award-winning mobile app Konetic, which brings a convenient online workflow to many casino employee tasks including jackpot hand pays, managing dispatching alerts, cash can processing, progressive signs monitoring, and more. And with the implementation of SYNK31, Ocean is an industry early adopter of comprehensive, fully integrated Title 31 / AML compliance.

 

“As Ocean Casino Resort continues to achieve exceptional growth, the resort is investing in state-of-the-art gaming technology and innovative systems to enhance its operations and guest experience,” said Tom Soukup, senior vice president & chief systems product officer at Konami Gaming, Inc. “Our team is incredibly driven toward Ocean’s ongoing customer service strength, growth success, and market differentiation.”

 

This conversion is expected to be completed before Summer 2024.

 

Those interested in learning more about SYNKROS’ award-winning product suite are encouraged to visit www.konamigaming.com.

 

About Ocean Casino Resort:

Spanning over 20 beachfront acres on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, Ocean Casino Resort, named “Best Casino” by Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly 2023” awards, features 1,860 guest rooms and suites; 135,000 square feet of gaming entertainment; over 1,750 slot machines; 125 gaming tables; 160,000 square feet of meeting and convention space; 90,000 square feet of unique outdoor space; 5 upscale dining restaurants; 10 casual dining options; a 40,000 square foot spa; 6 signature day and nightlife experiences; and a 4,500-seat concert venue. Ocean is home to the world’s largest Topgolf Swing Suite and offers both land-based sports wagering and online gaming within the state of New Jersey through its real-money gaming sites. Ocean Casino Resort is owned and operated by AC Beachfront, L.L.C. For more information about Ocean, please visit theoceanac.com or follow Ocean on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok.

 

About Konami Gaming, Inc.

Konami Gaming, Inc. is a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION (TSE: 9766). The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of casino games and technology for the global gaming market. For more information about Konami Gaming, Inc. or the SYNKROS® casino management system, please visit www.konamigaming.com.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Tashina Lazcano

Director of Marketing & Communications

702.419.6025

wortham0609@konamigaming.com