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Business Science

Stevenson Search Partners launches rebrand, reinforcing its evolution and legacy in global life science executive search

Fast-growing life science sector requires a trusted, agile and collaborative partner to support innovation and revolutionary medical developments

 

FORT LEE, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Stevenson Search Partners (formerly The Stevenson Group), a global life science executive search firm, announced today the launch of a company-wide rebranding, including a new name, logo, visual identity and website, to reflect its evolution into a modern and dynamic next generation search partner for life science companies. The refreshed branding reinforces the company’s mission to find and deliver executive talent who inspire, innovate and make a real impact across the biotech, pharmaceutical, medical/healthcare technology and CRO/CDMO sectors.

The new name reflects who the company has been for more than 40 years (Stevenson), what it does (Search), and its important driving philosophy (Partner). The visual identity represents the energy, connections and authenticity of the company, and, the revamped website presents its expertise, diversity as well as client stories. Together, they point Stevenson forward into an exciting, dynamic industry which it has spent decades serving and strengthening.

 

“We are thrilled to begin 2022 with a renewed brand, energy and commitment to providing leading edge talent to our partners across the globe,” said Adam Bloom, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stevenson Search Partners. “By enabling life science companies to harness the best talent and the brightest minds, we’re hoping to strengthen the entire segment, igniting more innovation and advancements across the globe. That’s good not only for our clients, but for patients and our healthcare environment overall.”

 

The recent significant growth in the global life science industry – fueled in part by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as revolutionary medical and biotech developments – has created heightened demand for innovation and new talent. In 2021, funding to the healthcare, biopharma, and health-tech sectors set new records, nearly doubling 2020 totals, and providing a large pool of capital to support investments and advancements over the next several years1.

 

The industry has also risen to meet the critical COVID-19 challenges, including the development of new MRNA technology and efficacious, life-saving vaccines and therapeutics in an unprecedented and expedited timeframe. Stevenson’s updated branding embodies its passion and commitment to supporting the remarkable life science professionals who are dedicated to advancing medicines, improving lives and making a difference.

 

The company’s entrepreneurial and diversity-driven culture, with its expansive industry expertise and broad international reach, continue to set it apart as a long-term strategic partner and champion. In 2020, Stevenson expanded its operations with the opening of an office in the United Kingdom, which also serves the European Union and other regions, as part of its strategic growth in the global life science and healthcare area.

 

“This is an important time for the life science industry, and our UK office presence now better positions us to serve our clients with enhanced access, efficiencies and understanding of local markets,” said Renu Vijh, Ph.D., Partner, Stevenson Search Partners. “It is further proof of our momentum and differentiation in the marketplace as we continue to widen our global network and expertise.”

 

About Stevenson Search Partners

With more 40 years of experience, Stevenson Search Partners (formerly The Stevenson Group) is a trusted executive search advisor servicing the global biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology, health technology and CRO/CDMO sectors, with offices in the US and the UK. Dedicated to finding executive talent who will drive innovation across the life science industry, Stevenson’s expertise includes C-Suite, Research, Clinical, Development, Commercial Manufacturing and Corporate functions, and working with companies ranging from start-ups and academic spinouts to large pharma clients. Stevenson provides a unique collaborative, long-term approach to its clients with a global network and strategic talent mapping and pipelining and competitive analysis services. Stevenson Search Partners is committed to actively supporting, strengthening, and promoting diversity — to its clients, in its own organization, and across the life science ecosystem. For more information, visit stevensonsearch.com.

 

References:

  1. 2022 SVB Financial Group Report

Contacts

Media Contact:

Robin Traum
Lipson Communications
845.558.7422
Robin@lipsoncommunications.com

Categories
Business Environment

American Water named one of the top ten World’s Most Sustainable Corporations

Corporate Knights includes American Water on Global 100 list for sustainability leadership and transparency

 

CAMDEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly-traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced today that it has been named on Corporate Knights’ 18th annual Global 100 list of the World’s Most Sustainable Corporations for the third year in a row. American Water is the top-ranked water utility company on the list and is ranked sixth on the over-all list.

“At American Water, we support and embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals because we believe it is the right thing to do,” said Susan Hardwick, EVP, CFO and interim CEO of American Water. “We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and supporting the sustainability of a key renewable and essential resource. This commitment is shared by our employees, and we are honored to be included on the Global 100 list as recognition of our efforts.”

 

According to Corporate Knights, there is a continued correlation between higher investor returns and strong performance on key ESG metrics. It also sheds light on the evolution of ESG priorities and outcomes, and on the extent of the gap between leading sustainability performers such as American Water and their global corporate peers. The ranking is based on a rigorous assessment of 6,914 companies with more than $1 billion in revenues.

 

Learn more about American Water’s commitment to sustainability and environmental leadership here.

 

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE:AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs approximately 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to an estimated 14 million people in 25 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Investor Relations:
Aaron Musgrave

Senior Director, Investor Relations

(856) 955-4445

aaron.musgrave@amwater.com

Media:
Joseph Szafran

External Affairs Manager

(856) 955-4304

joseph.szafran@amwater.com

Categories
Business

Hayward adding Derek Spearman in new vice president of U.S. manufacturing position

Spearman will serve in a newly created position and brings to Hayward a strong operations background that includes domestic and international operations leadership, Lean Manufacturing deployment expertise, and strategic capacity and operational footprint design

 

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HAYW) (“Hayward”), global designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad portfolio of pool equipment and technology, announces that Derek Spearman is joining the company as the Vice President of US Manufacturing. In this newly created role, Spearman will be responsible for all plant and planning operations for the company’s US-based plants.

“I am honored to join the Hayward team, and I look forward to continuing to build upon its solid foundation,” Spearman said. “Hayward is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapidly changing manufacturing environment thanks to its great business model and talented management team. This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am looking forward to making an impact.”

 

Spearman is joining Hayward’s Global Operations Staff, which is led by Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Donald Smith.

 

“Derek Spearman is joining Hayward in a new and vitally-important role where he will add additional experience, capacity and quality to what is already a world-class Operations team. Hayward will benefit greatly from Derek’s expertise in domestic and international operations leadership, Lean Manufacturing deployment, and strategic capacity and operational footprint design. I am excited for him to get started,” Smith said.

 

Spearman is joining Hayward after spending four years at Timken Company where he was the Vice President of Lovejoy Incorporated. At Timken, Spearman directed operations at five domestic and international plants staffed by more than 400 people, and he managed budgets exceeding $100 million.

 

Spearman has also previously held roles as a Director of Operations, Plant Manager, Six Sigma Blackbelt Lean Leader, Quality Director, and Area Manager with organizations such as GKN Driveline, Matcor-Matsu Group, Ford Motor Company, Eli Lilly, and Whirlpool Corporation.

 

Spearman earned an MBA from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University.

 

About Hayward Holdings, Inc.

Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HAYW) is a leading global designer and manufacturer of pool equipment and technology all key to the SmartPad™ conversion strategy designed to provide a superior outdoor living experience. Hayward offers a full line of innovative, energy-efficient and sustainable residential and commercial pool equipment, including a complete line of advanced pumps, filters, heaters, automatic pool cleaners, LED lighting, internet of things (IoT) enabled controls, alternate sanitizers and water features.

 

This release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company that are based on the beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to management. When used in this release, words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “intend,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “plan,” “target,” “predict,” “project,” “seek” and similar expressions as they relate to us are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current views with respect to future events, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements. Hayward has based these forward-looking statements largely on management’s current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that management believes may affect Hayward’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Important factors that could affect Hayward’s future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include the following: our ability to execute on our growth strategies and expansion opportunities; our ability to maintain favorable relationships with suppliers and manage disruptions to our global supply chain and the availability of raw materials; our relationships with and the performance of distributors, builders, buying groups, retailers and servicers who sell our products to pool owners; competition from national and global companies, as well as lower cost manufacturers; impacts on our business from the sensitivity of our business to seasonality and unfavorable economic and business conditions; our ability to identify emerging technological and other trends in our target end markets; our ability to develop, manufacture and effectively and profitably market and sell our new planned and future products; failure of markets to accept new product introductions and enhancements; the ability to successfully identify, finance, complete and integrate acquisitions; our ability to attract and retain senior management and other qualified personnel; regulatory changes and developments affecting our current and future products; volatility in currency exchange rates; our ability to service our existing indebtedness and obtain additional capital to finance operations and our growth opportunities; impacts on our business from political, regulatory, economic, trade, and other risks associated with operating foreign businesses; our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights of others; the impact of material cost and other inflation; the impact of changes in laws, regulations and administrative policy, including those that limit US tax benefits or impact trade agreements and tariffs; the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; impacts on our business from the COVID-19 pandemic; and other risks and uncertainties set forth under “Risk Factors” in the prospectus for Hayward’s initial public offering and in Hayward’s subsequent SEC filings.

Contacts

Investor Relations:
Hayward Investor Relations

908.288.9706

investor.relations@hayward.com

Media Relations:
Tanya McNabb

tmcnabb@hayward.com

Categories
Business Environment

New Jersey American Water files for rate adjustment

Over $985 Million in System Upgrades for Water Quality and Reliability Drives Request

 

CAMDEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — New Jersey American Water has filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for new rates based on the significant investment the company has made or will make into its water and wastewater infrastructure since its last rate case.

“Since our last rate case, we have invested or will invest more than $985 million in infrastructure upgrades, including nearly 140 miles, or over 736,000 feet, of water main, to continue to deliver high-quality water, reliable service and fire protection for the more than 2.8 million people in 18 counties we serve,” said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water.

 

Some of the company’s critical infrastructure projects across its service areas included in the rate request are as follows:

 

  • Filter rehabilitation project and related improvements to improve water quality at the Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Facility, serving more than 1 million people in the company’s Central operating region including Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Union counties.
  • System improvements to six of the company’s seven surface water treatment plants – Oak Glen, Swimming River, Delaware River, Canal Road, Canoe Brook and Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plants – serving most of the company’s customers.
  • Replacement of aging, critical, large-diameter transmission mains in the company’s Central and Coastal regions, and several large-scale pipeline replacement projects throughout the state to improve system reliability.
  • Improved groundwater treatment for PFAS to maintain compliance with DEP regulations, and for 1,4-dioxane at the Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant to meet proposed regulations.
  • Implementation of additional leak detection technology in the company’s Central and North operating regions.
  • Replacement or upgrades to improve water quality at dozens of wells, pumping stations and other critical facilities serving customers in service areas throughout the state.
  • Sewer system upgrades to protect the environment throughout the company’s statewide service areas including sewer mains, lift stations and other infrastructure in Ocean City, Lakewood, Long Hill and Haddonfield.

 

In addition to these major projects, New Jersey American Water’s investment into replacing or rehabilitating nearly 140 miles, or over 736,000 feet, of aging water mains is also included in this rate request. The company renews aging water mains on a 90- to 100-year cycle, which achieves the level of investment recommended by New Jersey’s Water Quality Accountability Act. As reflected in the company’s certification submission in December 2021, New Jersey American Water is fully compliant with each requirement of the law, including Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, licensing of water supply and wastewater operators, water supply allocation permits, hydrant and valve maintenance, cyber security, violation mitigation plans, and infrastructure improvement/capital investment plans. The company is also poised to be in compliance with new amendments to the law that were added for 2022.

 

New Jersey American Water’s investments into its treatment facilities to comply with new regulations for PFAS and upcoming regulations for other compounds are also included in this rate request. While many drinking water utilities are challenged by PFAS contamination, New Jersey American Water successfully piloted cutting-edge treatment strategies to effectively remove PFAS from several groundwater stations and is also upgrading treatment capabilities at its surface water treatment plants for other emerging compounds. New Jersey American Water’s water treatment technology, combined with its proactive infrastructure investment program and the expertise of more than 800 professionals across the state work together to support the continued provision of high quality and reliable water service to customers.

 

McDonough added that New Jersey American Water’s rates are based on the actual cost of providing water and wastewater service. “To help mitigate rate increases for customers, we work very hard to control our costs, leverage our economies of scale and operate as efficiently as possible,” he said. “Even with the proposed increase, the cost of high-quality, reliable water service would continue to be about a penny per gallon and remain among the lowest household utility bills.”

 

If the company’s proposed rates are approved as requested, the monthly water bill for the average residential customer using 5,520 gallons per month, would increase $6.78 per month, or $0.23 cents per day. The average monthly residential sewer bill would increase between $0.26 and $16.69, depending on the service area.

 

The company’s rate request undergoes extensive public scrutiny by the BPU, the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, and the Office of Administrative Law. This vetting will include numerous interrogatories, public hearings and evidentiary hearings. This process, based on prior requests, can take a minimum of nine months. To increase transparency of the process, the company’s petition and its associated exhibits are being posted to the Company’s website, newjerseyamwater.com, under Customer Service & Billing, Your Water and Wastewater Rates.

 

New Jersey American Water is seeking a total annual revenue increase of approximately $94.7 million. The increased rates proposed in the rate petition are a request only. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will make the final decision regarding the actual increase. Once a final decision has been made, customers will receive information on the new rates in the mail and on the company’s website. New Jersey American Water also continues to provide income-eligible customers with payment assistance programs, including its H2O Help to Others program, which provides service charge discounts of up to 100 percent. For more information, visit newjerseyamwater.com, under Customer Service & Billing, Bill Paying Assistance.

 

About New Jersey American Water

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.

 

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to 14 million people in 25 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing.

 

AWK-IR

Contacts

Media:
Denise Venuti Free

Director of Communications and External Affairs

856-955-4874

Denise.Free@amwater.com

Categories
Business

AM Best withdraws credit ratings of Associated Indemnity Corporation

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance—AM Best has withdrawn the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa” (Superior) of Associated Indemnity Corporation (AIC) (headquartered in Chicago, IL). At the time of the withdrawal, these Credit Ratings (ratings) were stable.

AM Best has withdrawn these ratings as AIC is no longer a risk-bearing entity, nor is it currently part of any reinsurance or pooling agreement that would warrant rating support from another entity. AM Best currently does not conduct ratings on non-risk-bearing entities. If AIC were to become a risk-bearing entity again, the company would be eligible to participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process.

 

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, WCF National Insurance Company completed its acquisition of AIC from Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. AIC was acquired as a clean shell. Under the terms of the transaction, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company will reinsure and indemnify WCF National Insurance Company for all policies issued and operations conducted by AIC prior to the date of sale.

 

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 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 © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Daniel Mangano

Senior Financial Analyst

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5547

daniel.mangano@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Robert Raber
Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5696

robert.raber@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com

Categories
Art & Life Business

Cenntro Electric Group announces the change of its trading symbol from ‘NAKD’ to ‘CENN’

FREEHOLD, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Cenntro Electric Group Limited (NASDAQ: NAKD), a leading EV technology company with advanced, market-validated electric commercial vehicles, today announced that its trading symbol on the Nasdaq Capital Market (NASDAQ) will change from “NAKD” to “CENN” at the open of market trading on Friday, January 14, 2022.

The change in trading symbol follows the previously announced closing of Naked Brand Group Limited’s acquisition of the outstanding capital stock of three entities comprising Cenntro Automotive Group and its name change to “Cenntro Electric Group Limited.”

 

“We are pleased that our new trading symbol now aligns with our brand and will strengthen our visibility with investors and provide consistent recognition to our shareholders as we reach another milestone as a public company,” said Peter Wang, CEO, Managing Director and Chairman of Cenntro Electric Group Limited. “We remain committed to our vision and maximizing shareholder value by leveraging our IP and ability to design and produce innovative electric commercial vehicles while scaling our decentralized production model as we address the needs of growing market demand.”

 

No action is required from Cenntro shareholders in order to effectuate the change in trading symbol. Cenntro’s ordinary shares will continue to be listed on NASDAQ and the CUSIP number will remain unchanged.

 

About Cenntro Electric Group

Cenntro Electric Group is a leading EV technology company with advanced, market-validated electric commercial vehicles. Cenntro plans to lead the transformation in the automotive industry through scalable, decentralized production and fully digitalized autonomous driving solutions empowered by the Cenntro iChassis. Cenntro has produced and delivered over 3600 commercial EVs in more than 26 countries. For more information about the company, please visit www.cenntroauto.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. Such statements may be, but need not be, identified by words such as “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “could,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “will,” “aim(s),” “can,” “would,” “expect(s),” “estimate(s),” “project(s),” “forecast(s)”, “positioned,” “approximately,” “potential,” “goal,” “strategy,” “outlook” and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding decentralized production and fully digitalized autonomous driving solutions. All such forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied in this communication. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact Cenntro’s forward-looking statements, please see disclosures contained in Cenntro’s public filings with the SEC, including the “Risk Factors” in Cenntro’s Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 5, 2022 and which may be viewed at www.sec.gov.

Contacts

Investor Relations Contact:

Chris Tyson

MZ North America

CENN@mzgroup.us
949-491-8235

Company Contact:

PR@cenntroauto.com
IR@cenntroauto.com

Categories
Business News Now!

Provenir appoints Waldemar Faltenberg to lead expansion in the DACH region

Appointment underscores company’s growing presence in the region

 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #banking—Provenir, a global leader in AI-powered risk decisioning software, today announced Waldemar Faltenberg has been appointed Senior Sales Executive, DACH, following the company’s rapid growth in 2021 and increased demand for its products and services in the region. Faltenberg will manage sales operations for Austria, Germany and Switzerland as Provenir continues to expand its presence worldwide.

Faltenberg brings more than 15 years’ experience in financial services to his new role. Prior to joining Provenir, he served in senior sales management and consulting positions at BFS finance GMBH, VR Smart Finanz AG, VR Leasing AG and Coface, developing marketing strategies, building and expanding partnerships and guiding clients through digitalization projects to modernize their online channels.

 

“Waldemar has a wealth of experience in the German banking market and in credit risk decisioning specifically,” said Frode Berg, Managing Director EMEA. “An increasing number of organizations in EMEA are selecting Provenir as their risk decisioning partner. Waldemar will spearhead our efforts to engage with fintech innovators and innovative banks seeking access to industry-leading AI-powered risk decisioning software for real-time credit decisioning.”

 

“I am excited to join Provenir at this pivotal time as demand for solutions enabling real-time processes is surging to meet customers’ desire for instant decisions,” said Waldemar. “The market for financial services solutions in DACH is growing rapidly, and I look forward to continuing to build upon Provenir’s momentum in the region.”

 

Provenir’s AI-powered risk decisioning software is the industry’s first, true risk-decisioning ecosystem. It provides a comprehensive real-time view of unified decisioning-performance, third-party and historical data, as well as automated analytics. Through one unified digital experience, users can create the platform-as-a-service (Paas) cloud solution that best fits their business needs.

 

About Provenir

Provenir helps fintechs, financial institutions, and payment providers make smarter decisions faster by simplifying the risk decisioning process. Its no-code, cloud-native SaaS products form a risk decision engine for real-time approvals and make it easy to rapidly create sophisticated decisioning workflows. With a global data marketplace for seamless integration, powerful AI and machine learning models, and real-time insights, Provenir has supercharged decisioning speed. Provenir works with disruptive financial services organizations in more than 40 countries and processes more than 2 billion transactions annually.

Contacts

Erin Lutz

Lutz Public Relations and Marketing (for Provenir)

949-293-1055 | erin@lutzpr.com

Categories
Business

SmartBiz awards $25,000 in grants to minority-owned small businesses

SAN FRANCISCO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — SmartBiz Loans®, the leading small business financing platform for SBA and bank term loans, has announced five new recipients of the 2021 SmartBiz® Grant Program. The Program was established to support minority, women, and veteran business owners during the continuing pandemic and is an extension of the Company’s mission to help equip entrepreneurs with reliable access to smart capital.


Last quarter, SmartBiz awarded five $5,000 grants for a total of $25,000 to small businesses in the U.S. as part of the Program. The recipients were chosen from a pool of eligible minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses who applied and outlined how they will use the funds to help their business face new challenges and move forward.

 

“The SmartBiz team is committed to empowering entrepreneurs across the U.S.,” says Evan Singer, CEO of SmartBiz. “From supply chain problems to hiring issues, we know that brighter days are coming and are proud to contribute to small business rebuilding.”

 

The grant recipients include Jasmine Parker, owner of Listen to Your Art Therapy & Empowerment Services, LLC located in Spring Hill, Florida. The organization provides art therapy sessions to assist teens in solving problems, increasing self-esteem, building social skills, and behavior management. Grant funds will be used to expand their mobile services.

 

Eliana Stefanitsis, owner of Molos Restaurant, is using the proceeds for staff uniforms and vendor payments. Molos Restaurant is a Greek and Mediterranean inspired seafood restaurant located on the Hudson River in New Jersey.

 

MPower Fitness, located in Palm Coast, Florida, is owned and operated by Fatima Q. Sena. She’ll use grant funds to purchase gym equipment so she can work with an older demographic and for print advertising to reach that community.

 

Freedom Bremner describes himself as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. He is the founder of Houseofreedom, LLC in New Jersey. The funds will be used for social media and online marketing to promote his live music production services.

 

Brandi Dobbins owns and operates B’s Maple House Restaurant in Ontario, California. Founded in 2020, B’s Maple House specializes in soul food, blending California flavor with traditional Southern delights. The grant funds will help support daily business operations and new equipment purchases.

 

SmartBiz has committed to support an ongoing grant program for minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses.

 

ABOUT SMARTBIZ LOANS

SmartBiz is the leading AI-powered small business financing platform for SBA and bank term loans, equipping entrepreneurs with access to the right capital at the right time. To date, SmartBiz has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in SBA 7(a), PPP, and bank term loans while increasing efficiency for its network of banks and trusted lending partners. Over 60% of the loans funded by our banks are for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have utilized SmartBiz to access the funding they need to grow.

 

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, SmartBiz is backed by Venrock, Investor Growth Capital, First Round Capital, Baseline Ventures, and Uncork Capital. Learn more at smartbizloans.com.

Contacts

Suzanne Robertson

SmartBiz Loans

Suzanne.robertson@smartbizloans.com
818.585.0181

Categories
Business

NICE positioned as the overall exemplary vendor in 2022 value index for Agent Management by Ventana Research

NICE ranked highest among 18 vendors and recognized as a Value Index Leader across all seven categories evaluated

 

HOBOKEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #NICE—NICE (Nasdaq: NICE) today announced that it has been named the overall Exemplary Vendor in the 2022 Value Index for Agent Management report by Ventana Research. NICE ranks highest from among 18 vendors assessed and was named a Value Index Leader across all seven categories evaluated in the report. For a complimentary copy of the report, please click here.

Keith Dawson, Vice President and Research Director for Customer Experience at Ventana Research, said, “Choosing the right agent management technology has a major impact on businesses, lowering the total cost of ownership, increasing the return on investment and boosting an organization’s ability to reach its performance potential. NICE has demonstrated leadership across all categories under product and customer experience through CXone and is well deserving of the top rank it has received.”

 

“Our analysis of agent management tools found that many vendors are focusing on helping organizations cope with the lasting disruption from the pandemic,” continued Keith Dawson. “Technology has evolved far beyond old school workforce optimization. For vendors, expanding the scope of their portfolios into areas like knowledge management and real time agent guidance (for example) is a way to differentiate and add value to their customers.”

 

Among the categories assessed and in which NICE received top ratings include Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability, TCO/ROI, Usability and Validation. These categories were mapped across the product experience and customer experience axes, classifying NICE as the overall leader in Ventana Research’s Value Index for Agent Management report.

 

Paul Jarman, CEO, NICE CXone, said, “With today’s hybrid work model and raising employee engagement requirements, organizations must deliver flexibility, ease of use and adaptability to engage agents and drive positive work experiences. It has highlighted the importance of empowering and preparing agents to address any customer needs event. NICE’s leadership in this report is indicative of our continued commitment to driving meaningful agent experiences through cutting-edge innovation via our CXone and Workforce Management solutions.”

 

About NICE

With NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it’s never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world’s #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered self-service and agent-assisted CX software for the contact center – and beyond. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform – and elevate – every customer interaction. www.nice.com

 

Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE’s marks, please see: www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Jarman, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the “Company”). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “project,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy; success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company’s products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners;, cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

Contacts

Corporate Media Contact
Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, ET, chris.irwin-dudek@nice.com

Investors
Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, ET, ir@nice.com
Omri Arens, +972 3 763 0127, CET, ir@nice.com

Categories
Lifestyle Technology

Cubic Transportation Systems to provide next-generation fare payment technology to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

New account-based system will enable open payments and more seamless future expansion to new modes of transport.

 

SAN DIEGO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Cubic Corporation announced today that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division was awarded a second contract from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to continue providing and updating Port Authority Trans-Hudson’s (PATH’s) next-generation fare payment system. The investment will bring the next generation of contactless fare payment and collection technology, allowing riders to “tap and go” with their mobile devices and credit/debit cards.

The PATH system connects New York and New Jersey. As part of the new contract, CTS will provide PATH with Cubic’s fare payment back office to centralize automated fare collection on conventional public transport modes. The back-office technology also offers passengers a single account to manage all their travel needs, transforming PATH into an account-based system similar to those utilized in Chicago, Brisbane, Australia and more.

 

“PATH is continually searching for innovative ways to enhance the travel experience for all of our riders,” said PATH Director Clarelle DeGraffe. “With this new system, we’ll be adopting the most current and effective technology to advance that goal and make for a more seamless experience at the turnstile.”

 

The first phase of the contract consisted of readiness efforts for the full implementation of the contactless payment system, such as gate upgrade kits and upgrades to the field network and infrastructure. Once complete, PATH’s convenient payment system will function similar to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s OMNY system in New York and the Oyster system in London.

 

These more flexible innovative features will ultimately enable PATH to more seamlessly integrate the system with mobility services such as bike share, scooter hire and tolling in the future.

 

“Our aim is to be a global mobility technology provider that makes cities easier to navigate for locals, business travelers and tourists alike. This award showcases our proven track record to support a full range of needs for large transportation agencies. With the new additions to the fare payment system, PATH can finalize its implementation and continue to create a world-class, customer-friendly system for riders,” said Jeff Lowinger, president, CTS.

 

The system will be fully deployed by early 2024 and will replace PATH’s legacy SmartLink payment system. To learn more, visit panynj.gov.

 

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR, and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries’ effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. For more information about Cubic, please visit www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp.

Contacts

Lauren Jochum

Cubic Transportation Systems

PH: +1 865.466.3860

lauren.jochum@cubic.com