News Hub | News Direct

Transportation

Airlines Automotive Electric Vehicles Logistics Maritime
Article thumbnail News Release

DHL and Mykke Hofmann Launch Sustainable Fashion Capsule: Forever Pieces

DHL

Six (6) winning designs from an international competition with 2,375 entries from 80 countries available as a limited collection as of May 16, 2022. Clothing designed to be timeless, with an NFT warrantee certificate on a the blockchain to extend the garment’s wearability and lifespan. Arjan Sissing, Global Head of Brand Marketing at DHL: “Our vision of positive fashion unites sustainable logistics, circularity and fair production conditions with long-lasting quality”. All profits from the sale of the Forever Pieces collection will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages. DHL and Mykke Hofmann (the socioecological fashion label based in Munich) are jointly launching a fashion capsule entitled Forever Pieces, where the design boasts a span of a lifetime. The unique collection will be available from May 16, 2022, on www.MykkeHofmann.com. The Forever Pieces collection was created from a design competition announced last fall on social media by DHL and Mykke Hofmann. A total of 848 fashion enthusiasts from 80 countries entered, and 2,375 designs were submitted. Of the submissions, six designs were selected to create the collection which includes a trench coat, a blouse, a pair of trousers, a dress, and a top and bottom as a co-ord set. Forever Pieces represents everything we associate with our vision of positive fashion,” explains Arjan Sissing, Global Head of Brand Marketing at DHL. “This competition stands for sustainability and thus unites themes such as sustainable production, circularity and fair production conditions with long-lasting fashion.” Participating in the competition were many up-and-coming designers and fashion enthusiasts who welcomed the opportunity to bring their sustainable fashion ideas to life. “The feedback from the competition exceeded all our expectations in terms of both quantity and quality,” explains Jelena Hofmann, founder and CEO of Mykke Hofmann. “The response shows how deeply the concept of sustainability is anchored in the up-and-coming fashion community.” The main prize awarded to competition winners was 1000EUR in prize money, and the opportunity to bring to life the garment as a Forever Piece. “It is important to design fashion in an environmentally friendly way, and this competition offered me a way to do that,” says winner Marta Soloducha, explaining why she decided to take part. The fashion student from Warsaw designed a trench coat whose versatility makes it a Forever Piece. The garment can be worn not only as a coat, but also as a blazer or skirt separately when detached. Micaela Clubourg, an up-and-coming designer from Argentina, now living in Spain, submitted a co-ord set like no other to the Forever Pieces collection. The pair of trousers features a non-waste design, with no fabric wasted in production, while the top represents an eternal design. The other winners are Gaia Stollo from Italy who contributed a classic pair of trouser, Yolanda Patricia Cabarcas, a native of Colombia now working as a freelancer in Milan, who submitted a timeless blouse, and Camilla Pane from Italy who designed a transitional little black dress. Like the rest of Mykke Hofmann’s collection, the entire Forever Pieces collection is produced at a factory in Serbia in which women are given a stable job with fair conditions. All workers are paid 50 per cent above regulated wages and are provided with professional equipment – with health and safety as top priorities. The Forever Pieces are designed to be timeless pieces that go beyond trends and accompany their wearers for a long time. When customers purchase the product, they receive a warranty certificate in the form of a climate neutral NFT to extend the wearability of the clothing through certain repairs. The NFT is stored in a digital wallet on the blockchain, which means the warranty certificate cannot get lost or be inadvertently. All proceeds from the sale of the collection will go to SOS Children’s Villages, the world’s largest non-profit organization focused on supporting children without parental care and families at risk. DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, who has been a partner to SOS Children Village since 2010. DHL is the fashion and retail industry’s leading global logistics partner. For decades, DHL has pioneered solutions to meet the requirements of designers, retailers and some of the world’s most glamorous fashion events, while supporting the sustainable fashion movement with environmentally friendly shipping solutions. The Forever Pieces collaboration is DHL’s latest undertaking to support talented young designers and champion sustainability in fashion. “Our tailored global logistics solutions allow our fashion partners to optimize their production and sales processes, further helping their business’ success and growth,” says Mirella Muller-Wuellenweber, President Global eRetail and Fashion at DHL Customer Solution & Innovation. “We offer a unique delivery experience with maximum speed and flexibility while keeping carbon footprint at a minimum, especially in the fast-growing e-commerce sector.” Note to editors: You can find more information about the competition, the winners, and designs at: inmotion.dhl/foreverpieces You can find the press release for download as well as further information on dpdhl.com/pressreleases For additional images please download here - https://we.tl/t-33rI2OIeph Press contact: The Atentive Agency Kehinde Akinnawo Email: kehinde@theatentive.com Phone: 07477682886 On the Internet: dpdhl.com/press Follow us at: twitter.com/DeutschePostDHL DHL – The logistics company for the world DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”. DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81 billion euros in 2021. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050. About Mykke Hoffmann Mykke Hofmann is a female collective rooted in the Balkan, based in Germany, and cosmopolitan at heart. The company runs a contemporary womenswear label and their own production site in Pančevo, Serbia. Mykke Hofmann embraces flowing materials, an alluringly feminine style, intricate details, and women with attitude. Mykke Hofmann is 100 per cent committed to fair production and sustainable in great parts, but still on a journey. Contact Details DHL Kehinde Akinnawo (The Atentive Agency) +44 7477 682886 kehinde@theatentive.com Company Website https://www.dpdhl.com/

May 16, 2022 03:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

CoorsTek Recognized as a US Best Managed Company

CoorsTek

CoorsTek is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2022 US Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, the program recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies and the achievements of their management teams. The 2022 designees are U.S. private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people and fostering a dynamic, resilient culture, as well as strong financials. This year’s designees continued to propel their businesses forward by prioritizing purpose, investing in their workforces, and demonstrating their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. “We are honored to be recognized as a best managed company again this year,” said Jonathan Coors, CEO of CoorsTek. “This award is a tribute to the dedication and resiliency of our CoorsTek team members across the globe over the past several years. It also speaks to the strong values that guide our daily activities and actions, and our focus on delivering essential products and services to the marketplace.” Applicants are evaluated and selected by a panel of external judges focused on assessing hallmarks of excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. They join a global ecosystem of honorees from more than 40 countries recognized by the Best Managed Companies program. About The Best Managed Companies Program The Best Managed Companies program is a mark of excellence for private companies. U.S. designees have revenues of at least $250 million. Hundreds of private companies around the world have competed for this designation in their respective countries through a rigorous and independent process that evaluates four key criteria in their management skills and practices — strategy, execution, culture and governance/financials. U.S. program sponsors are Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal. For more information, visit www.usbestmanagedcompanies.com. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. About CoorsTek Founded in 1910 and headquartered in Golden, Colorado, CoorsTek is a fifth-generation, family owned and operated global manufacturer of engineered ceramics. By utilizing over half of the world’s known elements in our material formulations, we deliver unique solutions to our diverse customer base by leveraging ceramic properties. With more than 30 facilities across three continents, five million square feet in manufacturing space, and more than 6,000 team members, we are the partner of choice in engineered ceramics. CoorsTek makes the world measurably better by providing customers with amazing solutions, serving customers in numerous industries including semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, medical, energy and many others around the world. For more information about the company and its products please visit our website at www.coorstek.com. Contact Details CoorsTek Nancy Fullerton +1 517-304-4695 nfullerton@coorstek.com Company Website https://www.coorstek.com

May 11, 2022 03:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

City Produce Joins FreshEdge

FreshEdge

INDIANAPOLIS – FreshEdge, a family of produce and specialty food companies backed by Rotunda Capital Partners, acquired City Produce, a fresh food distributor headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. For many years, City Produce has been serving North Central Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and central to southern Alabama distributing fresh fruits and vegetables, including an array of fresh-cut offerings, dairy, meats, seafoods, specialty foods, and more. City Produce operates out of two facilities, one in Fort Walton Beach, and a second in Foley, Alabama. The addition expands FreshEdge’s footprint into the southern United States and provides space and logistical support to better serve its customer base as it spreads farther south. City Produce joins Piazza Produce & Specialty Foods, Indianapolis Fruit, Get Fresh Produce, McCartney Produce, Monteverde’s, Valley Produce, Vine Line, Garden Cut, CIBUS Fresh and Papania’s. FreshEdge now operates with more than 2,000 employees, approximately 808,500 square feet of warehouse space, and a fleet of more than 720 trucks. “We welcome Tommy Sundy and his amazing team to the FreshEdge family of companies,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of FreshEdge. “We are excited for this great company to join FreshEdge as we expand farther into the Southeast.” Terms of the deal, which closed on May 10, 2022, were not disclosed. The transaction strengthens the combined business’s presence in Florida and southern Alabama. “City Produce will be a great addition to our expanding group of ‘best in class’ fresh food distribution companies,” said Greg Corsaro, president and COO of FreshEdge. “We look forward to Tommy’s continued leadership at City Produce.” “Our City Produce team is excited to join the FreshEdge family - knowing we’ll be ‘better together’,” said Tommy Sundy, president. “This is the next step in increasing our footprint, serving customers with expanded offerings and growing for our future.” FreshEdge is backed by Rotunda Capital Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm focused on investments in founder and family held companies. Rotunda seeks to provide opportunities for management teams to reach strategic, financial, and operational objectives. Rotunda entered the food business in 2017 with the acquisition of Indianapolis Fruit and Piazza Produce. FreshEdge was created in 2019 when Get Fresh Produce joined the platform. City Produce represents FreshEdge’s seventh acquisition since Rotunda’s initial investment. Together, Rotunda and FreshEdge intend to continue expanding FreshEdge by welcoming more companies into the group—all focused on high quality produce and specialty food products, along with exceptional service—to create a unique group of complementary entities. About FreshEdge FreshEdge was formed in 2019 through the combination of Get Fresh Produce (founded 1982) and the IF&P Foods family of companies, primarily composed of Indianapolis Fruit (founded 1947) and Piazza Produce (founded 1970). McCartney Produce (Paris, TN) joined the FreshEdge family in November 2020 followed by Valley Produce (Knoxville, TN) in June 2021, Vine Line (Grand Rapids, MI) in October 2021, and Monteverde's (Pittsburgh, PA) in November 2021. Collectively, these leading fresh food distribution companies have nearly 500 years of combined experience serving the grocery and food service industries. FreshEdge includes two Garden Cut branded fresh-cut processing facilities, a tomato re-packer, a USDA fresh kitchen (CIBUS Fresh), and two transportation companies. FreshEdge's fleet resource includes more than 720 trucks servicing the Midwest and beyond from 12 facilities totaling approximately 808,500 square feet of warehouse space. Today, FreshEdge is one of the largest independent fresh food distributors in the United States and a category leader in providing both the foodservice and retail industries with fruit, vegetables, proteins, fresh grab-n-go offerings, dairy, floral, and specialty products. For more information, visit www.freshedgefoods.com. About Rotunda Capital Partners Rotunda Capital Partners is an operationally oriented private equity firm focused on transforming family-founder owned companies into dynamic, data-driven platforms able to achieve and manage significant growth. Since its founding in 2009, Rotunda has partnered with management teams to build great businesses within three primary sectors: value-added distribution, asset-light logistics and industrial & business services. Rotunda strives to achieve replicable results by implementing its Rotunda Performance System to create strategic alignment, develop lean processes and create robust, data-driven infrastructures. For more information, visit www.rotundacapital.com. Contact Details FreshEdge Greg Corsaro +1 317-981-3440 gcorsaro@freshedgefoods.com Rotunda Capital Partners Jill Lafferty +1 847-280-1295 jill@rotundacapital.com Company Website https://www.freshedgefoods.com/

May 11, 2022 07:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Dartmouth Innovation & Technology Festival Celebrates Completion of Dartmouth’s West End District Focused on Solving the World’s “Wicked Problems”

Dartmouth

With $500 Million in capital and programming investments, expanded district combines Dartmouth’s liberal arts focus with entrepreneurial spirit, technological and scientific expertise to create future leaders; Festival program will include a range of speakers and topics focused on creating a sustainable, equitable future Former Dartmouth president, John Sloan Dickey, famously implored students to apply their education for the benefit of humankind—because “there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” That’s the spirit behind the recently completed West End District at Dartmouth, which will be celebrated at the Dartmouth Innovation & Technology Festival, May 12-14, 2022. The festival will gather leading alumni, global technology experts, public policy leaders, faculty, and students for provocative discussions about innovation, collaboration, and the art of the possible. Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon said of the West End District, “Solving society’s greatest challenges requires that students, faculty, and staff have the necessary cutting-edge infrastructure to do their best work." Dartmouth’s West End began with the idea that organizing scholarship by research areas, rather than by departments, works better to break down the silos that have kept scientists, business leaders, and innovators looking at complex problems only from within their own disciplines. Interdisciplinary, inter-school, and intergenerational collaboration will prepare future leaders to tackle the world’s most wicked issues. The West End District includes the Tuck School of Business, Thayer School of Engineering, and two new state-of-the-art buildings, the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center, which houses the Department of Computer Science, Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Digital Applied Learning and Innovation Lab. Key Points The West End District changes the way teaching and learning happens. It allows faculty and students to think systemically and holistically about society’s challenges—and is where big ideas become bold realities at the intersections of science, technology, business, and the liberal arts. The West End was a top priority of Dartmouth’s The Call to Lead campaign and is the largest building project in Dartmouth’s 253-year history. The Dartmouth Innovation & Technology Festival will feature a range of events, including: The presentation of the first annual McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact, awarded to Jason McLellan, a structural biologist whose groundbreaking coronavirus research conducted at the Geisel School of Medicine laid the foundation for COVID-19 vaccines that have saved countless lives. Keynote and panel conversations about a range of topics, including sustainability, whether crypto currency can deliver long-term value, women’s health, artificial intelligence, transportation, and increasing diversity in STEM. Interactive experiences in makerspaces led by faculty and Dartmouth students. About Dartmouth Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world’s greatest academic institutions. Dartmouth has forged a singular identity for combining its deep commitment to outstanding undergraduate liberal arts and graduate education with distinguished research and scholarship in the Arts and Sciences and its four leading graduate schools—the Geisel School of Medicine, the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business. Contact Details Racepoint Global Madison Everts dartmouth@racepointglobal.com

May 10, 2022 01:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

Telos “Mission” NFT Challenge - 175,000 in Crypto Prizes!

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) presents its “Mission NFT Challenge” for digital graphic creators, offering a very attractive prize pool to be shared among contest winners. Telos believes that NFTs are both an art form and a pivoting technology that should be easily and affordably accessible to the masses. As such, Telos strives to facilitate the lowest barrier of entry into the emerging field of NFTs. Utilizing Byt.io, the latest leading NFT marketplace to integrate Telos, end-users will mint and trade their NFTs at unprecedented fast speeds while enjoying industry-low gas fees. The Telos EVM will also offer a congestion-free minting experience that leaves no carbon footprint or any of the front running / MEV that constantly plagues Ethereum users. Furthermore, contract deployment is a fraction of the cost and significantly faster on Telos when compared to virtually every other network, making it a far superior ecosystem to build on. Transactions are instant on Telos! Some Contest Details: The contest opens for registration on Monday May 9th, 12:00 pm EST and participants can submit their projects by Friday, June 24th, 12:00 pm EST. Public Voting on the submissions will take place between Monday May 23rd, 12:00 pm EST to Thursday, June 30th, at 12:00 pm EST. Twenty finalists will be announced on Friday July 1st, 12:00 pm EST and the top five winners will be selected and announced on Tuesday July 5th at 11:00 am EST. Telos encourages all digital artists and aspiring NFT projects to compete in this contest to win one of 5 prizes worth 25,000 TLOS each. Furthermore, an honorable pick by The Big Gooey, Telos’ in-house NFT curator, will award one winner with an additional 50,000 TLOS. The contest and voting will be hosted on the Taikai platform (also built on telos), which recently completed a very successful hackathon for the Telos Ignite contest. The public will vote on all submissions to select the top 20 projects after which a panel of judges will decide on the top five. This maiden NFT contest is inviting artists to bring their NFT projects (ERC 721) and deploy them on the tEVM where they can be minted to be sold on the Byt marketplace or other secondary markets. All additional details and criteria can be found on the Taikai platform through the following link: https://taikai.network/en/telos-foundation/hackathons/nftp-slug/overview About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper, and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running and, more uniquely, offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, Telos still sustainably supports hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network), and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. As a result, the Telos blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 landscape better than any other blockchain in existence. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Telos NFT Curator The Big Gooey thebiggooey@telosfoundation.io Byt Co-founder Will Perkins will@byt.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

May 09, 2022 11:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video
Article thumbnail News Release

Agora Data Closes Latest Crowdsourced Securitization

Agora

Leading auto fintech firm Agora Data announced the closing of ACAST 2022-1, the company’s most recent crowdsourced securitization on May 5. Powered by proprietary machine learning algorithms and radical artificial intelligence, Agora continues to disrupt the auto finance market. This most recent transaction aggregated more than 40 independent dealers and finance companies with auto loan portfolios ranging from $100 thousand to more than $60 million into a single securitization. This closing marks another major milestone in Agora’s commitment to non-prime auto loan originators and the auto finance market. “I am excited for the dealer community as our patent pending use of artificial intelligence and finance solutions enable dealers of all sizes to compete on a level playing field with the large dealer groups and institutions,” said Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data. Burke went on to say, “Securitizations enable Agora to offer higher advances plus abundant and affordable capital to independent dealers. The dealer receives all of the upside cash as consumer loans continue to perform. Furthermore, the non-recourse features of securitization help dealers with balance sheet management.” Agora’s technology-based solutions offer dealers the best way to grow without giving up their equity or assuming too much risk. The company’s advanced data analytics forecast non-prime cash flows with precision using predictive modeling and artificial intelligence. The company’s platform also provides benchmarking and trends to maximize loan performance and optimize underwriting criteria to improve profitability. "Our prior securitizations are performing in line with expectations, validating Agora's comprehensive data analytics with at least 98 percent accuracy," said Chris Hawke, Agora's CFO. “For dealers, that means the secret to low-cost funding is now unlocked. As a bonus, dealers can leverage their newly found capital to grow more safely, efficiently, and sustainably, since their operations are based on predictable and reliable data." The company expects to close more crowdsourced securitizations in 2022, providing unprecedented access to low-interest-rate funds and accelerating the growth of independent dealers and finance companies nationwide. For more information about Agora’s suite of dealer resources, including its free technology platform with real-time data, visit www.agoradata.com or call 1-877-592-4672. About Agora Data, Inc: Agora Data is a leading auto fintech firm with a robust platform that delivers a suite of tools to empower independent dealers and finance companies to finance their non-prime customers. Agora’s family of auto finance products provides a wide range of critical funding paths so originators can obtain the cash they need to fuel growth, compete, and build wealth. Powered by patent pending technology, originators can access real-time data analytics and planning resources to help optimize the performance of their portfolios. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever crowdsourced subprime auto securitization in 2020 and continually brings groundbreaking products to an underserved market. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 1-877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

May 09, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Foresight to Host a Virtual Investor Webinar: Market Trends and Its Solutions for the Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Era

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd.

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq and TASE: FRSX) (“Foresight” or the “Company”), an innovator in automotive vision systems, today announced that the Company will host a virtual investor webinar titled “Market Trends and Foresight’s Solutions for the Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Era”, on Monday, May 16, 2022 at 12:00 PM ET. Interested participants are invited to register in advance by clicking here. During the webinar, leading executives will review the hottest market trends and latest technological developments in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Learn how Foresight’s and Eye-Net Mobile Ltd.’s (“Eye-Net”) technologies gain traction worldwide, while enhancing road safety by reducing accidents involving vehicles and vulnerable road users. This webinar will provide valuable insight into how Foresight and Eye-Net are well positioned to lead urban solutions optimizing public space and serving citizens around the world. Speakers and Agenda: 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM - The Renaissance of Stereo Vision in ADAS and Autonomous Vehicles. Speaker: Christian Weber, Head of Advanced Engineering ADAS of Continental ADAS 12:15 PM - 12:30 PM - Integrating Foresight into the World of Autonomous Vehicles. Speaker: Doron Cohadier, VP Business Development of Foresight 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM – Changing the Road Safety Paradigm by Foreseeing Beyond Line of Sight. Speaker: Dror Elbaz, COO & Deputy CEO of Eye-Net 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM – Q&A Session For more information regarding this event, please visit Foresight’s Investor Relations page here. About Foresight Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq and TASE: FRSX) is a technology company developing smart multi-spectral vision software solutions and cellular-based applications. Through the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Foresight Automotive Ltd., Foresight Changzhou Automotive Ltd. and Eye-Net Mobile Ltd., Foresight develops both “in-line-of-sight” vision systems and “beyond-line-of-sight” accident-prevention solutions. Foresight’s vision solutions include modules of automatic calibration and dense three-dimensional (3D) point cloud that can be applied to different markets such as automotive, defense, autonomous vehicles and heavy industrial equipment. Eye-Net Mobile’s cellular-based solution suite provides real-time pre-collision alerts to enhance road safety and situational awareness for all road users in the urban mobility environment by incorporating cutting-edge AI technology and advanced analytics. For more information about Foresight and its wholly owned subsidiary, Foresight Automotive, visit www.foresightauto.com, follow @ForesightAuto1 on Twitter, or join Foresight Automotive on LinkedIn. Contact Details Investor Relations Contact: Miri Segal-Scharia, CEO, MS-IR LLC +1 917-607-8654 msegal@ms-ir.com Company Website https://www.foresightauto.com/

May 09, 2022 08:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

CleverTap Appoints Honey Bajaj as SVP & Global Chief of Consumer Experience

CleverTap

CleverTap, the world’s leading retention cloud, today added to its core leadership team with the appointment of Honey Bajaj as SVP & Global Chief of Consumer Experience. In this position, Bajaj will pioneer CleverTap’s extensive program to help companies reimagine customer experience and realise the “Art of Possible”. Bajaj is a design strategist, an innovation leader and a social entrepreneur with extensive work in India and the U.S. Her ability to problem solve and identify patterns in human behaviour has earned her multiple prestigious awards and recognition as an Innovation Global Shaper and Inventor of the Year (2016). She is also a dual degree holder with a Master’s Degree in Engineering and Management and a Master’s in Sustainability Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Design and Innovation Methodologies in the Digital World. Before joining the CleverTap Leadership Team, Honey built an innovation pipeline for several Fortune 500 companies, including Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, Disney, Microsoft Research, MIT Media Lab and Tata Group, one of India’s largest and highly profitable conglomerates. There she developed detailed market segmentation frameworks based on purchase behaviour to orchestrate product launches and go-to-market strategies. Bajaj has also dedicated her talent in designing for scale and impact to serving the needs of government bodies, financial institutions and healthcare organisations. Her work, which spans over a decade, has impacted over 50 million lives. “As we scale CleverTap into a global category creator for “Retention Cloud”, we realise that our customers are eager to co-create experiences that will fuel growth and the future of their own digital businesses. For this reason, we are expanding our leadership team with a new appointment that benefits the most important stakeholder: our customers’ customers,” Vikrant Chowdhary, CleverTap Chief Growth Officer, explains. “From fintech to e-commerce, and from on-demand Super Apps to media and streaming services, companies need the inspiration and tangible examples of the “Art of Possible” to unleash human- centred design thinking, unlock new perspectives and drive powerful momentum and positive results for all stakeholders.” This outcome, he continues, is “inextricably linked with our customers’ abilities to realise and hyper-personalize omnichannel journeys for their customers.” “I have always focused on designing for impact and inventing for scale by contextualizing tech for the consumers. The truth is, no matter what we think we’re doing, we are all in the customer-experience business. Before you can accomplish it, you need to envision it. The digital behaviour and expectations of customers is evolving faster than most industries are able to deliver.I am looking forward to my journey with CleverTap to embed human-centered principles and design thinking into a series of initiatives and programs,” Honey Bajaj says. “These efforts will allow digital-first companies to co-create and simulate digital journeys that will fuel growth through superior customer experience and will enable CleverTap’s customers to realise their consumer journeys in a more seamless and contextual manner as the lines of the digital and omnichannel world are no longer separated.” About CleverTap CleverTap is the modern, integrated retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. For brands that understand and value user retention, CleverTap drives context and individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML powered insights and automation. Customers around the world representing over 10,000 apps, including Vodafone Idea, SonyLIV, Daimler, Gojek, Carousell, and Premier League, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long term revenue. Backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia India, Tiger Global Management, and Accel, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Forward-Looking StatementsSome of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap’s belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could amount in the actual result being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages. Contact Details Sony Shetty sony@clevertap.com Company Website https://clevertap.com/

May 06, 2022 12:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Cooper Standard Reports First Quarter Results

Cooper Standard Holdings Inc.

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CPS) today reported results for the first quarter 2022. First Quarter 2022 Summary Sales totaled $613.0 million, reflecting continued weak light vehicle production volume Net loss amounted to $61.4 million or $(3.58) per diluted share Adjusted EBITDA totaled $0.1 million Quarter-end cash balance of $253 million; continuing strong total liquidity of $396 million “We continued to make progress in our commercial negotiations to recover incremental material costs and we expanded index-based agreements to include customers representing over 60 percent of our revenue base,” said Jeffrey Edwards, chairman and CEO, Cooper Standard. “The resulting price increases helped to partially offset the impact of higher input costs and lower production volumes in the first quarter. Moving forward, we expect further recoveries of both commodity and non-commodity inflation. Combining these with our continued cost optimization and efficiency initiatives will drive improving results as production volumes ramp up throughout the year and into 2023.” Consolidated Results The year-over-year change in first quarter sales was primarily attributable to unfavorable volume and mix resulting from reduced customer production schedules and unfavorable foreign exchange, partially offset by net realized price increases. Net loss for the first quarter 2022 was $(61.4) million, including restructuring charges of $7.8 million and other special items. Net loss for the first quarter 2021 was $(33.9) million, including restructuring charges of $21.0 million and other special items. Adjusted net loss, which excludes restructuring, other special items and their related tax impact, was $(51.4) million in the first quarter 2022 compared to $(14.5) million in the first quarter of 2021. The year-over-year change was primarily due to higher commodity and material costs, unfavorable volume and mix resulting from reduced customer production schedules, and cost increases from general inflation. Adjusted net loss, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted loss per diluted share are non-GAAP measures. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable financial measures, calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), are provided in the attached supplemental schedules. Cost Recovery Initiatives The Company is continuing aggressive efforts to recover incremental costs associated with increasing raw material prices, higher wages and other general inflation. Through a combination of expanded index-based agreements, price increases and deferred price concessions, the Company now has customer commitments to increase the expected percentage of recovery on the incremental material-related costs incurred in 2021 or expected to be incurred in 2022. The expanded index-based agreements have been established with customers representing over 60 percent of the Company's revenue base and they cover both oil-based materials and metals. These index-based agreements will reduce the impacts of commodity price volatility on the Company's future financial results. The Company expects to continue its efforts to further expand index-based agreements with customers and will pursue recovery of incremental costs not covered by index-based agreements through ongoing periodic commercial negotiations. The Company further expects the rate of cost recoveries realized will accelerate in future periods as new agreements take full effect. Segment Results of Operations Sales * Net of customer price adjustments Volume and mix, net of customer price adjustments, was driven by vehicle production volume decreases due to semiconductor-related customer schedule reductions. The impact of foreign currency exchange primarily related to the Euro and Brazilian Real. Adjusted EBITDA * Net of customer price adjustments Volume and mix, net of customer price adjustments, was driven by vehicle production volume decreases due to semi-conductor-related customer schedule reductions. The impact of foreign currency exchange was driven by the Brazilian Real. The Cost (Increases) / Decreases category above includes: Commodity cost and inflationary economics; Manufacturing lean efficiencies and purchasing savings through lean initiatives; Reduction in compensation-related expenses due to salaried headcount initiatives and restructuring savings. Cash and Liquidity As of March 31, 2022, Cooper Standard had cash and cash equivalents totaling $252.9 million including $50.0 million in proceeds related to an asset sale-leaseback transaction. Total liquidity, including availability under the Company's amended senior asset-based revolving credit facility, was $395.6 million at the end of the first quarter. Additionally, subsequent to the end of the first quarter, the Company received $29 million in cash payments from the United States Internal Revenue Service for tax refunds related to net operating loss carrybacks made available by the CARES act. An additional $23 million in tax refunds related to net operating loss carrybacks are expected to be received during the second quarter of 2022. The cash received further bolsters the Company's strong liquidity position. Based on our current expectations for light vehicle production and customer demand for our products, we expect our current solid cash balance and access to flexible credit facilities will provide sufficient resources to support ongoing operations and the execution of planned strategic initiatives for the foreseeable future. Outlook Light vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers continue to experience significant production delays and disruption due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage and other supply chain constraints, many of which have been worsened by geopolitical tensions and the evolving military actions in Eastern Europe and pandemic related restrictions in China. Significantly higher commodity and materials costs, rising wages, general inflation and tight labor availability continue to create additional headwinds for the industry. At the same time, consumer demand for new light vehicles remains strong and U.S. dealer inventories remain near historic low levels. Current customer schedules and industry forecasts have production volumes improving in the second half of 2022. The projected ramp up, however, remains dependent on the capacity and efficiency of the global supply chain and the availability of key components and commodities. The Company expects to provide a formal update to guidance following the second quarter of the year. Conference Call Details Cooper Standard management will host a conference call and webcast on May 6, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. ET to discuss its first quarter 2022 results, provide a general business update and respond to investor questions. A link to the live webcast of the call (listen only) and presentation materials will be available on Cooper Standard’s Investor Relations website at www.ir.cooperstandard.com/events.cfm. To participate by phone, callers in the United States and Canada should dial toll-free (877) 374-4041. International callers should dial (253) 237-1156. Provide the conference ID 4746756 or ask to be connected to the Cooper Standard conference call. Representatives of the investment community will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. Callers should dial in at least five minutes prior to the start of the call. Individuals unable to participate during the live call may visit the investors’ portion of the Cooper Standard website ( www.ir.cooperstandard.com ) for a replay of the webcast. About Cooper Standard Cooper Standard, headquartered in Northville, Mich., with locations in 21 countries, is a leading global supplier of sealing and fluid handling systems and components. Utilizing our materials science and manufacturing expertise, we create innovative and sustainable engineered solutions for diverse transportation and industrial markets. Cooper Standard's approximately 22,600 employees are at the heart of our success, continuously improving our business and surrounding communities. Learn more at www.cooperstandard.com or follow us on Twitter @CooperStandard. Forward Looking Statements This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor created thereby. Our use of words “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “forecast,” or future or conditional verbs, such as “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” or “may,” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and various assumptions. Our expectations, beliefs, and projections are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, we cannot assure you that these expectations, beliefs and projections will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or achievements to be materially different from the future results or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Among other items, such factors may include: Impacts, including commodity cost increases and disruptions related to the war in Ukraine and the current COVID-related lockdowns in China; our ability to offset the adverse impact of higher commodity and other costs through negotiations with our customers; the impact, and expected continued impact, of the COVID-19 outbreak on our financial condition and results of operations; significant risks to our liquidity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic risk; prolonged or material contractions in automotive sales and production volumes; our inability to realize sales represented by awarded business; escalating pricing pressures; loss of large customers or significant platforms; our ability to successfully compete in the automotive parts industry; availability and increasing volatility in costs of manufactured components and raw materials; disruption in our supply base; competitive threats and commercial risks associated with our diversification strategy through our Advanced Technology Group; possible variability of our working capital requirements; risks associated with our international operations, including changes in laws, regulations, and policies governing the terms of foreign trade such as increased trade restrictions and tariffs; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; our ability to control the operations of our joint ventures for our sole benefit; our substantial amount of indebtedness and variable rates of interest; our ability to obtain adequate financing sources in the future; operating and financial restrictions imposed on us under our debt instruments; the underfunding of our pension plans; significant changes in discount rates and the actual return on pension assets; effectiveness of continuous improvement programs and other cost savings plans; manufacturing facility closings or consolidation; our ability to execute new program launches; our ability to meet customers’ needs for new and improved products; the possibility that our acquisitions and divestitures may not be successful; product liability, warranty and recall claims brought against us; laws and regulations, including environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; legal and regulatory proceedings, claims or investigations against us; work stoppages or other labor disruptions; the ability of our intellectual property to withstand legal challenges; cyber-attacks, data privacy concerns, other disruptions in, or the inability to implement upgrades to, our information technology systems; the possible volatility of our annual effective tax rate; the possibility of a failure to maintain effective controls and procedures; the possibility of future impairment charges to our goodwill and long-lived assets; our ability to identify, attract, develop and retain a skilled, engaged and diverse workforce; our ability to procure insurance at reasonable rates; and our dependence on our subsidiaries for cash to satisfy our obligations; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except where we are expressly required to do so by law. This press release also contains estimates and other information that is based on industry publications, surveys and forecasts. This information involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information. CPS_F Financial statements and related notes follow: Non-GAAP Measures EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share and free cash flow are measures not recognized under U.S. GAAP and which exclude certain non-cash and special items that may obscure trends and operating performance not indicative of the Company’s core financial activities. Net new business is a measure not recognized under U.S. GAAP which is a representation of potential incremental future revenue but which may not fully reflect all external impacts to future revenue. Management considers EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, free cash flow and net new business to be key indicators of the Company’s operating performance and believes that these and similar measures are widely used by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in evaluating the Company’s performance. In addition, similar measures are utilized in the calculation of the financial covenants and ratios contained in the Company’s financing arrangements and management uses these measures for developing internal budgets and forecasting purposes. EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) adjusted to reflect income tax expense (benefit), interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization, and adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA further adjusted to reflect certain items that management does not consider to be reflective of the Company’s core operating performance. Adjusted net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss) adjusted to reflect certain items that management does not consider to be reflective of the Company’s core operating performance. Adjusted basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share is defined as adjusted net income (loss) divided by the weighted average number of basic and diluted shares, respectively, outstanding during the period. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities minus capital expenditures and is useful to both management and investors in evaluating the Company’s ability to service and repay its debt. Net new business reflects anticipated sales from formally awarded programs, less lost business, discontinued programs and replacement programs and is based on IHS Markit forecast production volumes. The calculation of “net new business” does not reflect customer price reductions on existing programs and may be impacted by various assumptions embedded in the respective calculation, including actual vehicle production levels on new programs, foreign exchange rates and the timing of major program launches. When analyzing the Company’s operating performance, investors should use EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, free cash flow and net new business as supplements to, and not as alternatives for, net income (loss), operating income, or any other performance measure derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and not as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of the Company’s liquidity. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, net debt, free cash flow and net new business have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of the Company’s results of operations as reported under U.S. GAAP. Other companies may report EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, free cash flow and net new business differently and therefore the Company’s results may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. In addition, in evaluating adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss), it should be noted that in the future the Company may incur expenses similar to or in excess of the adjustments in the below presentation. This presentation of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss) should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by special items. Reconciliations of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss) and free cash flow follow. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited) (Dollar amounts in thousands) The following table provides a reconciliation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA from net loss: (1) Loss attributable to deconsolidation of joint venture investment in Asia Pacific, which required adjustment to fair value. (2) Non-cash impairment charges in 2022 related to idle assets in Europe. (3) During 2021, we recorded subsequent adjustments to the net gain on sale of business, which related to the 2020 divestiture of our European rubber fluid transfer and specialty sealing businesses. Adjusted Net Loss and Adjusted Loss Per Share (Unaudited) (Dollar amounts in thousands except per share and share amounts) The following table provides a reconciliation of net loss to adjusted net loss and the respective loss per share amounts: (1) Loss attributable to deconsolidation of joint venture investment in Asia Pacific, which required adjustment to fair value. (2) Non-cash impairment charges in 2022 related to idle assets in Europe. (3) During 2021, we recorded subsequent adjustments to the net gain on sale of business, which related to the 2020 divestiture of our European rubber fluid transfer and specialty sealing businesses. (4) Represents the elimination of the income tax impact of the above adjustments by calculating the income tax impact of these adjusting items using the appropriate tax rate for the jurisdiction where the charges were incurred. Free Cash Flow (Unaudited) (Dollar amounts in thousands) The following table defines free cash flow: Contact Details Contact for Media Chris Andrews +1 248-596-6217 candrews@cooperstandard.com Contact for Analysts Roger Hendriksen +1 248-596-6465 Roger.hendriksen@cooperstandard.com Company Website http://www.cooperstandard.com/

May 05, 2022 04:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time

1 ... 9192939495 ... 145