In mid-January, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake. Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Friday, January 29, 2010
INDUSTRY NEWS: Ex-hospital executives settle medicare scandal
Ex-City of Angels Medical Center hospital execs in Los Angeles have settled a civil lawsuit filed by the US Attorney claiming that the execs paid recruiters to bring homeless people to the hospital for unnecessary medical treatment.
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EX-HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES SETTLE MEDICARE SCANDAL
LOS ANGELES – Former hospital executives at City of Angels Medical Center will pay $10 million to settle a civil lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Attorney, claims that Robert Bourseau and Dr. Rudra Sabaratnam paid recruiters to bring homeless people to the hospital for unnecessary medical treatment.
The facility would then bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for those treatments, defrauding the state and US Federal government out of millions of dollars. Both Bourseau and Sabaratnam pleaded guilty to criminal charges and will pay restitution. Both will be sentenced to prison time in February 2010. Many of those homeless patients were paid around $100 to come into the hospital by recruiter Estill Mitts. Mittis claims to have received $20,000 a month in kickbacks for the delivery of between 30 and 50 patients a month. In September 2008, Mitts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, money laundering and tax evasion for his role in the scheme. Also facing charges is Dante Nicholson, the hospital's former senior vice president. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Source: Lawday
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EX-HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES SETTLE MEDICARE SCANDAL
LOS ANGELES – Former hospital executives at City of Angels Medical Center will pay $10 million to settle a civil lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Attorney, claims that Robert Bourseau and Dr. Rudra Sabaratnam paid recruiters to bring homeless people to the hospital for unnecessary medical treatment.
The facility would then bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for those treatments, defrauding the state and US Federal government out of millions of dollars. Both Bourseau and Sabaratnam pleaded guilty to criminal charges and will pay restitution. Both will be sentenced to prison time in February 2010. Many of those homeless patients were paid around $100 to come into the hospital by recruiter Estill Mitts. Mittis claims to have received $20,000 a month in kickbacks for the delivery of between 30 and 50 patients a month. In September 2008, Mitts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, money laundering and tax evasion for his role in the scheme. Also facing charges is Dante Nicholson, the hospital's former senior vice president. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Source: Lawday
INDUSTRY/BUSINESS NEWS: US food & drink product launches decline during 2009 recession
According to a Mintel press release, food and drink product launches declined in the US during the 2009 recession. Retailers should take note of changing patterns in the US as they can be a good indicator of Canadian and overall North American industry activity.
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Food & drink product launches decline during 2009 recession
Chicago (January 26, 2010)—The economic slump paid its toll on US food and drink manufacturers in 2009, according to a recent review of Mintel’s Global New Product Database (GNPD). Food and drink product launches show a substantial decline of nearly 30% from 2008.
“In the last decade, Mintel GNPD has only tracked occasional, small declines in new product introductions for the US market, never a decline as strong as this,” notes Lynn Dornblaser, leading new product expert at Mintel. “We see that a number of small companies, which typically introduce a wide range of products, have been stopping or slowing their introductions due to the economy. Additionally, some categories have simply become so over-saturated that there is little room for new products.”
Despite this declining trend, there are some categories and claims that found a hidden niche in which to excel. Ethical and environmental claims increased from 9% of all product launches in 2008 to 17% in 2009. Specifically in this category, the environmentally friendly packaging claim nearly tripled, growing from 3% of all products launched in 2008 to 9% in 2009.
“The increase in ethical and environmental claims is less about companies introducing new products or changing their packaging and more about manufacturers communicating with their consumers and knowing what’s important to the people who purchase their products,” says Lynn Dornblaser.
Meanwhile, in clear correlation with the recession, products boasting an economy claim have increased by 72% from 2008 to 2009*.
In addition, side dishes was one of the few categories of food and drink that saw an increase in 2009, with 16% more launches than in 2008*. This increase is most likely due to more people eating in and the introduction of products that offer convenient solutions, such as vegetable steam bags.
Still, most categories saw decreases due to the down economy, notes Lynn Dornblaser: “Natural and organic products, which saw large increases in 2008, took a few steps back in 2009 due to their higher price points.
Food and drink introductions with an all-natural claim decreased from 15% of all launches in 2008 to 13% in 2009. The organic claim, showed a similar decline of 12% to 10% in the same timeframe.
*These numbers are based on a percentage difference from 2008 to 2009, not based on a percentage of total launches.
Source: Mintel Press Release
_________________________
Food & drink product launches decline during 2009 recession
Chicago (January 26, 2010)—The economic slump paid its toll on US food and drink manufacturers in 2009, according to a recent review of Mintel’s Global New Product Database (GNPD). Food and drink product launches show a substantial decline of nearly 30% from 2008.
“In the last decade, Mintel GNPD has only tracked occasional, small declines in new product introductions for the US market, never a decline as strong as this,” notes Lynn Dornblaser, leading new product expert at Mintel. “We see that a number of small companies, which typically introduce a wide range of products, have been stopping or slowing their introductions due to the economy. Additionally, some categories have simply become so over-saturated that there is little room for new products.”
Despite this declining trend, there are some categories and claims that found a hidden niche in which to excel. Ethical and environmental claims increased from 9% of all product launches in 2008 to 17% in 2009. Specifically in this category, the environmentally friendly packaging claim nearly tripled, growing from 3% of all products launched in 2008 to 9% in 2009.
“The increase in ethical and environmental claims is less about companies introducing new products or changing their packaging and more about manufacturers communicating with their consumers and knowing what’s important to the people who purchase their products,” says Lynn Dornblaser.
Meanwhile, in clear correlation with the recession, products boasting an economy claim have increased by 72% from 2008 to 2009*.
In addition, side dishes was one of the few categories of food and drink that saw an increase in 2009, with 16% more launches than in 2008*. This increase is most likely due to more people eating in and the introduction of products that offer convenient solutions, such as vegetable steam bags.
Still, most categories saw decreases due to the down economy, notes Lynn Dornblaser: “Natural and organic products, which saw large increases in 2008, took a few steps back in 2009 due to their higher price points.
Food and drink introductions with an all-natural claim decreased from 15% of all launches in 2008 to 13% in 2009. The organic claim, showed a similar decline of 12% to 10% in the same timeframe.
*These numbers are based on a percentage difference from 2008 to 2009, not based on a percentage of total launches.
Source: Mintel Press Release
INDUSTRY NEWS: Health Canada to give food companies greater flexibility to add supplements to more foods
According to an article in the Vancouver Sun, Health Canada is newly committed to putting a discretionary fortification policy in place after the government put on hold a plan last September that would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of foods, including junk foods.
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Health Canada opens door to more vitamins, minerals in foods
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
OTTAWA — Health Canada is moving to allow food companies to add vitamins and minerals to more products — in part because so many companies are already using a government loophole to get their fortified snacks and drinks onto store shelves.
In a new letter to industry executives and public-health advocates, the head of nutritional sciences at Health Canada's food directorate puts them on notice that the government is working to give food companies greater flexibility to add supplements to more foods. And that's partly because food companies have swamped Health Canada's natural health products branch to get their products on to the market through a back channel.
"Some members of the food industry have sought faster market access for fortified foods by applying for product licences as natural health products," William Yan wrote in his letter announcing a one-day think tank next month to find a "path forward" for the "expanded voluntary addition of vitamin and mineral nutrients to foods."
Health Canada has received "several hundred" natural health product licence applications for "products in food format," so the government intends to transition to the food regulatory framework, Yan writes. And for that to happen, Health Canada must loosen the rules for fortified foods, he says.
The department established the natural health products directorate in 2004 to regulate herbal remedies. But as the backlog of licence applications grew, the directorate created an amnesty program to allow applicants to sell unlicensed products, provided they had submitted an application and Health Canada was not aware of any health risk associated with the product.
By the fall of 2009, there were nearly 500 juice and water products, about 150 energy drinks and 25 candy products sitting on the natural health products wait-list. The food industry refers to this as a "workaround" to get novel foods on to the market.
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
In Yan's letter, Health Canada admits public-health advocates had expressed concerns about "the possible use of claims for these fortified foods that could lead consumers to make poor food choices." Some in the food industry, however, thought the 2005 plan "did not go far enough," Yan noted.
In the lead up to Health Canada's Feb. 16 think-tank on expanding the voluntary addition of supplements to foods, the same lines are being drawn.
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an Ottawa-based obesity expert, would prefer closing loopholes than open up the market to more fortified foods and drinks.
"If the chief of police said, 'You know what? There's a lot of people speeding on the highway, we should probably raise the speed limit.' I don't think that's a good idea," said Freedhoff, who's concerned consumers lack the "nutritional wherewithal" to appraise claims about fortified products and juices.
"It's a glass of sugar water, but if we put Omega-3s in everything and various other nutrients in things and promote that as being incredibly healthy on the front of packages, I worry about that."
Applauding Health Canada for putting this issue on the "frontburner," the spokesman for the Food and Consumer Products of Canada, disagrees.
"We have a savvy, educated consumer base in Canada looking for healthier products, and we believe fortified foods is one way to deliver on that promise to Canadians," said Derek Nighbor.
"This is not about a public health imperative. This is about making the broader food supply a little bit healthier and introducing consumer choice."
Valerie Tarasuk, nutritional sciences professor at the University of Toronto, says getting food products out of the natural health products regime is the right move, but she still has some concerns.
"I think everybody agrees it's a real problem that we have a whole lot of foods that are on the market that look like foods and act like foods, except they aren't covered under the food regulations," said Valerie Tarasuk, nutritional sciences professor at the University of Toronto.
For example, foods sold as a natural health product do not need to include a nutritional fact box, such as caloric intake and sugar content.
But Tarasuk said sanctioning the proliferation of fortified foods could put consumers, especially children and teenagers, at risk of consuming excessive levels of such nutrients as folic acid, calcium or niacin.
Source: Vancouver Sun
__________________
Health Canada opens door to more vitamins, minerals in foods
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
OTTAWA — Health Canada is moving to allow food companies to add vitamins and minerals to more products — in part because so many companies are already using a government loophole to get their fortified snacks and drinks onto store shelves.
In a new letter to industry executives and public-health advocates, the head of nutritional sciences at Health Canada's food directorate puts them on notice that the government is working to give food companies greater flexibility to add supplements to more foods. And that's partly because food companies have swamped Health Canada's natural health products branch to get their products on to the market through a back channel.
"Some members of the food industry have sought faster market access for fortified foods by applying for product licences as natural health products," William Yan wrote in his letter announcing a one-day think tank next month to find a "path forward" for the "expanded voluntary addition of vitamin and mineral nutrients to foods."
Health Canada has received "several hundred" natural health product licence applications for "products in food format," so the government intends to transition to the food regulatory framework, Yan writes. And for that to happen, Health Canada must loosen the rules for fortified foods, he says.
The department established the natural health products directorate in 2004 to regulate herbal remedies. But as the backlog of licence applications grew, the directorate created an amnesty program to allow applicants to sell unlicensed products, provided they had submitted an application and Health Canada was not aware of any health risk associated with the product.
By the fall of 2009, there were nearly 500 juice and water products, about 150 energy drinks and 25 candy products sitting on the natural health products wait-list. The food industry refers to this as a "workaround" to get novel foods on to the market.
Health Canada's new commitment to put a new discretionary fortification policy in place comes after the government shelved a blueprint last September; the plan, tabled in 2005 by the previous Liberal government, would have allowed food companies to add supplements to a range of food products, including junk food such chocolate bars and chips.
In Yan's letter, Health Canada admits public-health advocates had expressed concerns about "the possible use of claims for these fortified foods that could lead consumers to make poor food choices." Some in the food industry, however, thought the 2005 plan "did not go far enough," Yan noted.
In the lead up to Health Canada's Feb. 16 think-tank on expanding the voluntary addition of supplements to foods, the same lines are being drawn.
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an Ottawa-based obesity expert, would prefer closing loopholes than open up the market to more fortified foods and drinks.
"If the chief of police said, 'You know what? There's a lot of people speeding on the highway, we should probably raise the speed limit.' I don't think that's a good idea," said Freedhoff, who's concerned consumers lack the "nutritional wherewithal" to appraise claims about fortified products and juices.
"It's a glass of sugar water, but if we put Omega-3s in everything and various other nutrients in things and promote that as being incredibly healthy on the front of packages, I worry about that."
Applauding Health Canada for putting this issue on the "frontburner," the spokesman for the Food and Consumer Products of Canada, disagrees.
"We have a savvy, educated consumer base in Canada looking for healthier products, and we believe fortified foods is one way to deliver on that promise to Canadians," said Derek Nighbor.
"This is not about a public health imperative. This is about making the broader food supply a little bit healthier and introducing consumer choice."
Valerie Tarasuk, nutritional sciences professor at the University of Toronto, says getting food products out of the natural health products regime is the right move, but she still has some concerns.
"I think everybody agrees it's a real problem that we have a whole lot of foods that are on the market that look like foods and act like foods, except they aren't covered under the food regulations," said Valerie Tarasuk, nutritional sciences professor at the University of Toronto.
For example, foods sold as a natural health product do not need to include a nutritional fact box, such as caloric intake and sugar content.
But Tarasuk said sanctioning the proliferation of fortified foods could put consumers, especially children and teenagers, at risk of consuming excessive levels of such nutrients as folic acid, calcium or niacin.
Source: Vancouver Sun
INDUSTRY/TECH NEWS: Planet-Tek Expands The Marketplace Station
Canada: 30 Retailers. One Digital Network.
Planet-Tek Systems
Planet-Tek Systems is pleased to announce plans to expand The Marketplace Station, its in-store digital signage program into 30 leading natural health retailers across Canada in 2010. Originally launched in 2008 at select Whole Foods Market locations, the program has been an integral marketing vehicle for both the retailer and brands within the store for communicating products and services to consumers.
The Marketplace Station team will continue to provide end-to-end campaign planning and media buying services for brands within each location to compliment their in-store marketing mix. Campaigns are available in 30-second inventory segments, along with available digital content services.
New this year, interspersed into the full-motion programming, will be editorial features on health and lifestyle ideas provided and sponsored by Preferred Nutrition. Additionally, there will be interactive applications (apps) that are being sponsored by some of the top brands in the natural health industry that include Advantage Health Matters, Bio-K Plus, Renew Life, SISU, Preferred Nutrition, and Platinum Naturals. These interactive applications are designed as “apps”, so users (consumers and staff) can learn about products on-demand through a simple touch-screen framework.
“We are proud to service some of the top retailers and brands in the industry with a program that allows information to be readily accessible where it matters most”, says George Andreoglou, President of Planet-Tek Systems. Furthermore, our ability to develop interactive content in the form of “apps” will allow for the mobilization of this content onto smart phone platforms in the future so brands can continue their relationship with consumers and the retailers”.
Barcode Scanner
Full-motion programming Interactive applications Brand-specific content Product-specific content
The Shift in Marketing Funds to Retail: marketers continue to look for innovative, tactical, and measurable platforms in order to educate consumers, especially at-retail where 70% of purchase decisions occur. The proliferation of out-of-home media includes a diverse range of print publications (e.g. magazines and newspapers) that each only captures a fraction of target consumers. By having a dedicated in-store digital program across leading retailers it provides marketers with a concentrated channel and opportunity to devote greater marketing funds.
Retail Fragmentation: The natural health industry does not have a single mass retailer in Canada. There are leading independent stores and small chains that comprise majority of the retailers for natural health suppliers. A dedicated in-store program among the leading retailers in the industry allows marketers to plan and implement national promotions through a single point of contact.
Design and Aesthetics: a stunning 32” interactive display surrounded within a custom enclosure will hold prominence and distinction at retail. It has been architected from the ground up to utilize eco-friendly media player technology powered by Apple™, and integrated peripherals such as a bar-code scanner device and an audience analytics sensor.
Compliance: retailers today are striving to de-clutter the store environment by reducing traditional point-of-purchase (p.o.p) displays that diminish the store’s appearance – and wind-up in landfill after the promotional period ends. By offering cleaner, concentrated communications, vendors will be able to decrease dependency on printed static promotions. Planet-Tek provides all its clients 100% compliance for campaigns conducted under the digital program – something rare of with traditional p.o.p communications.
Key Drivers and Features of The Marketplace Station Program
New Features: new features of the program this year includes the use of touch screen displays that will allow users to interact with content they are interested in. An integrated bar-code scanning system will further trigger on-demand product information. Consumers and staff at-retail will be able to learn about featured products through an interactive content framework that is easy to navigate through.
Analytics and Research: the digital program is capable of deriving data from actual audience viewership that is captured through an anonymous analytics sensor against each display. Additionally, touch screen data from users interacting with featured content will also be captured this year. Select data will be compiled into Pulse Analytics Reports and delivered on a monthly basis so retailers and brands can heighten their intelligence of the in-store environments. Data will be broken down on a store-by-store basis highlighting viewer impressions delivered per month, time of day impressions, gender of impressions, and touch screen impressions against content displayed.
“Putting this type of data in the hands of us, the retailers and marketers, will help us heighten the knowledge of the industry as a whole” says Guy D’Addario, Director of Marketing of Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket, Ontario.
Source: Planet-Tek Press Release
Planet-Tek Systems
Planet-Tek Systems is pleased to announce plans to expand The Marketplace Station, its in-store digital signage program into 30 leading natural health retailers across Canada in 2010. Originally launched in 2008 at select Whole Foods Market locations, the program has been an integral marketing vehicle for both the retailer and brands within the store for communicating products and services to consumers.
The Marketplace Station team will continue to provide end-to-end campaign planning and media buying services for brands within each location to compliment their in-store marketing mix. Campaigns are available in 30-second inventory segments, along with available digital content services.
New this year, interspersed into the full-motion programming, will be editorial features on health and lifestyle ideas provided and sponsored by Preferred Nutrition. Additionally, there will be interactive applications (apps) that are being sponsored by some of the top brands in the natural health industry that include Advantage Health Matters, Bio-K Plus, Renew Life, SISU, Preferred Nutrition, and Platinum Naturals. These interactive applications are designed as “apps”, so users (consumers and staff) can learn about products on-demand through a simple touch-screen framework.
“We are proud to service some of the top retailers and brands in the industry with a program that allows information to be readily accessible where it matters most”, says George Andreoglou, President of Planet-Tek Systems. Furthermore, our ability to develop interactive content in the form of “apps” will allow for the mobilization of this content onto smart phone platforms in the future so brands can continue their relationship with consumers and the retailers”.
Barcode Scanner
Full-motion programming Interactive applications Brand-specific content Product-specific content
The Shift in Marketing Funds to Retail: marketers continue to look for innovative, tactical, and measurable platforms in order to educate consumers, especially at-retail where 70% of purchase decisions occur. The proliferation of out-of-home media includes a diverse range of print publications (e.g. magazines and newspapers) that each only captures a fraction of target consumers. By having a dedicated in-store digital program across leading retailers it provides marketers with a concentrated channel and opportunity to devote greater marketing funds.
Retail Fragmentation: The natural health industry does not have a single mass retailer in Canada. There are leading independent stores and small chains that comprise majority of the retailers for natural health suppliers. A dedicated in-store program among the leading retailers in the industry allows marketers to plan and implement national promotions through a single point of contact.
Design and Aesthetics: a stunning 32” interactive display surrounded within a custom enclosure will hold prominence and distinction at retail. It has been architected from the ground up to utilize eco-friendly media player technology powered by Apple™, and integrated peripherals such as a bar-code scanner device and an audience analytics sensor.
Compliance: retailers today are striving to de-clutter the store environment by reducing traditional point-of-purchase (p.o.p) displays that diminish the store’s appearance – and wind-up in landfill after the promotional period ends. By offering cleaner, concentrated communications, vendors will be able to decrease dependency on printed static promotions. Planet-Tek provides all its clients 100% compliance for campaigns conducted under the digital program – something rare of with traditional p.o.p communications.
Key Drivers and Features of The Marketplace Station Program
New Features: new features of the program this year includes the use of touch screen displays that will allow users to interact with content they are interested in. An integrated bar-code scanning system will further trigger on-demand product information. Consumers and staff at-retail will be able to learn about featured products through an interactive content framework that is easy to navigate through.
Analytics and Research: the digital program is capable of deriving data from actual audience viewership that is captured through an anonymous analytics sensor against each display. Additionally, touch screen data from users interacting with featured content will also be captured this year. Select data will be compiled into Pulse Analytics Reports and delivered on a monthly basis so retailers and brands can heighten their intelligence of the in-store environments. Data will be broken down on a store-by-store basis highlighting viewer impressions delivered per month, time of day impressions, gender of impressions, and touch screen impressions against content displayed.
“Putting this type of data in the hands of us, the retailers and marketers, will help us heighten the knowledge of the industry as a whole” says Guy D’Addario, Director of Marketing of Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket, Ontario.
Source: Planet-Tek Press Release
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
INDUSTRY NEWS: SunOpta Announces Energy Recovery Project; Receives Award
SunOpta announced Wednesday that the Company is starting an environmentally responsible energy recovery project at its oat fiber facility in Cambridge, Minnesota. When completed the project will reduce the release of greenhouse gases and waste materials from the facility, and provide a return on the approximately US$1 million invested capital. Over the past year SunOpta also received two awards in recognition of the Company's commitment to environmental sustainability.
For more on this story, check out an upcoming issue of ihr magazine.
____________________________
SunOpta Announces Energy Recovery Project at Cambridge Oat Fiber Operations and Receives Awards for Environmental Stewardship
TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2010 -- SunOpta Inc. ("SunOpta" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) today announced that it has commenced an environmentally responsible energy recovery project at its Cambridge, Minnesota oat fiber facility. The planned installation will extract methane from the digestion of waste-water resulting from the oat fiber production process, converting the methane to pipeline quality natural gas and using this energy to power the facility. When completed, the project will significantly reduce the release of greenhouse gases and various waste materials from the facility as well as provide an excellent return on invested capital of approximately $1 million USD. This initiative is consistent with SunOpta's stated objective of reducing its environmental footprint and promoting sustainable business practices.
SunOpta's environmental initiatives are widespread and over the past year SunOpta received two awards in recognition of the Company's commitment to environmental sustainability.
The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) presented SunOpta with the Spotlight Award – Environmental at the CHFA Expo East tradeshow held in Toronto, Ontario this past October. The CHFA honoured both a supplier and a retailer with the Spotlight Environmental Award for their leadership and outstanding commitment to the environment. SunOpta, Canada's leading distributor of natural and organic foods and natural health care products, received the Supplier award for its focus on environmental sustainability at both a local and global level.
Earlier this year, SunOpta also received the Industrial Environmental Achievement Award from the Central States Water Environment Association. This award was granted to SunOpta's oat fiber manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Minnesota for outstanding contributions in waste minimization, pollution prevention, environmental compliance, and environmental stewardship. SunOpta's Cambridge facility reduced water use by approximately 20 million gallons (77 million liters) in a 12 month period, dramatically improved the water quality of its waste-water discharge, and achieved significant energy savings.
SunOpta's environmental sustainability initiatives also include:
* The United Nations CEO Water Mandate - SunOpta is one of the ten founding global corporations to endorse the CEO Water Mandate which represents a call for action and provides a strategic framework to address issues of water sustainability in response to the emerging global water crisis. Since signing on to the mandate in July 2007, SunOpta has successfully completed a series of water conservation programs at its SunOpta production plants in Minnesota, Kentucky, and Iowa and has reduced consumption of water by over 200 million gallons (909 million liters). The learnings gained from these initiatives are being applied to other SunOpta facilities around the world.
* Waste-Water Conversions - SunOpta is implementing innovative waste-water conversion projects at its food manufacturing facilities. For example, SunOpta is extracting fruit solids from waste-water at its fruit manufacturing plant in South Gate, California and diverting the solids to an ethanol producer. In addition, SunOpta is developing further projects to extract methane from waste-water, reducing carbon emissions and waste materials, and drive energy savings.
* Sustainable Organic Agricultural Production“ SunOpta, which is one of the world's largest organic ingredient suppliers, actively encourages farmers world-wide to convert to sustainable farming practices and organic agriculture. The Company supports growers through the three year transition to organic by paying a premium for their products and assisting them with agronomic, business and community development issues.Â
* Carbon Footprint Reporting and Facility Programs - SunOpta is tracking its carbon footprint at each facility (74 facilities world-wide) and is implementing company-wide energy conservation programs. In addition, facility-based environmental teams are actively involved in recycling and waste-reduction and supporting community environmental programs.
Source: SunOpta Press Release
For more on this story, check out an upcoming issue of ihr magazine.
____________________________
SunOpta Announces Energy Recovery Project at Cambridge Oat Fiber Operations and Receives Awards for Environmental Stewardship
TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2010 -- SunOpta Inc. ("SunOpta" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) today announced that it has commenced an environmentally responsible energy recovery project at its Cambridge, Minnesota oat fiber facility. The planned installation will extract methane from the digestion of waste-water resulting from the oat fiber production process, converting the methane to pipeline quality natural gas and using this energy to power the facility. When completed, the project will significantly reduce the release of greenhouse gases and various waste materials from the facility as well as provide an excellent return on invested capital of approximately $1 million USD. This initiative is consistent with SunOpta's stated objective of reducing its environmental footprint and promoting sustainable business practices.
SunOpta's environmental initiatives are widespread and over the past year SunOpta received two awards in recognition of the Company's commitment to environmental sustainability.
The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) presented SunOpta with the Spotlight Award – Environmental at the CHFA Expo East tradeshow held in Toronto, Ontario this past October. The CHFA honoured both a supplier and a retailer with the Spotlight Environmental Award for their leadership and outstanding commitment to the environment. SunOpta, Canada's leading distributor of natural and organic foods and natural health care products, received the Supplier award for its focus on environmental sustainability at both a local and global level.
Earlier this year, SunOpta also received the Industrial Environmental Achievement Award from the Central States Water Environment Association. This award was granted to SunOpta's oat fiber manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Minnesota for outstanding contributions in waste minimization, pollution prevention, environmental compliance, and environmental stewardship. SunOpta's Cambridge facility reduced water use by approximately 20 million gallons (77 million liters) in a 12 month period, dramatically improved the water quality of its waste-water discharge, and achieved significant energy savings.
SunOpta's environmental sustainability initiatives also include:
* The United Nations CEO Water Mandate - SunOpta is one of the ten founding global corporations to endorse the CEO Water Mandate which represents a call for action and provides a strategic framework to address issues of water sustainability in response to the emerging global water crisis. Since signing on to the mandate in July 2007, SunOpta has successfully completed a series of water conservation programs at its SunOpta production plants in Minnesota, Kentucky, and Iowa and has reduced consumption of water by over 200 million gallons (909 million liters). The learnings gained from these initiatives are being applied to other SunOpta facilities around the world.
* Waste-Water Conversions - SunOpta is implementing innovative waste-water conversion projects at its food manufacturing facilities. For example, SunOpta is extracting fruit solids from waste-water at its fruit manufacturing plant in South Gate, California and diverting the solids to an ethanol producer. In addition, SunOpta is developing further projects to extract methane from waste-water, reducing carbon emissions and waste materials, and drive energy savings.
* Sustainable Organic Agricultural Production“ SunOpta, which is one of the world's largest organic ingredient suppliers, actively encourages farmers world-wide to convert to sustainable farming practices and organic agriculture. The Company supports growers through the three year transition to organic by paying a premium for their products and assisting them with agronomic, business and community development issues.Â
* Carbon Footprint Reporting and Facility Programs - SunOpta is tracking its carbon footprint at each facility (74 facilities world-wide) and is implementing company-wide energy conservation programs. In addition, facility-based environmental teams are actively involved in recycling and waste-reduction and supporting community environmental programs.
Source: SunOpta Press Release
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
In mid-January, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake. Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
INDUSTRY TIPS: Marketing Strategies and Social Media
Jeff Hilton, partner and co-founder of Integrated Marketing Group, wrote recently on his blog about the perspectives of consumers versus marketing execs when it comes to technology. He particularly emphasizes the importance of social media as a marketing tool, making the point that consumers drive marketing these days more than the other way around. So if you're taking a second look at your merch and marketing strategies for this year, consider adding an element of consumer input and feedback! For more to-do's in the New Year, check out the upcoming issue of ihr magazine.
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Marketing in 2010 & Beyond
— It’s Complicated
The more I learn about social media, the more I realize I have only scratched the surface. Sure I post to Facebook and LinkedIn on a regular basis. I tweet daily. I download podcasts. And I write a blog. Yet I can’t begin to keep up with the new and changing technology. I find I read fewer magazines, and seldom pick up a newspaper. I get headlines and stories that matter to me online through RSS feeds and Google alterts. I select my stations from hundreds of options on satellite radio. Television and the Internet are merging in format, delivery and content and I will be at the keyboard.
The bottom line is that I decide what I see, how I see it and when I see it. As a consumer, it’s empowering. As a marketing executive, it drove me nuts; until I embraced the shift in power. Today’s consumer calls the shots. They control the input, not me. No longer is the consumer a captive audience that we can reach when and if we please. As marketers we need their permission to even talk to them. That’s why social media is important. Smart marketing executives build relationships and community around their brands. They go where consumers are and attempt to participate in the market conversation in a way that relates to individual interests, but also advances the goals of the brand. It’s exhilarating and it’s maddening. But it’s the future. Accept it. Embrace it.
Source: Jeff Hilton, partner and co-founder of Integrated Marketing Group; imgbrandwire blog
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Marketing in 2010 & Beyond
— It’s Complicated
The more I learn about social media, the more I realize I have only scratched the surface. Sure I post to Facebook and LinkedIn on a regular basis. I tweet daily. I download podcasts. And I write a blog. Yet I can’t begin to keep up with the new and changing technology. I find I read fewer magazines, and seldom pick up a newspaper. I get headlines and stories that matter to me online through RSS feeds and Google alterts. I select my stations from hundreds of options on satellite radio. Television and the Internet are merging in format, delivery and content and I will be at the keyboard.
The bottom line is that I decide what I see, how I see it and when I see it. As a consumer, it’s empowering. As a marketing executive, it drove me nuts; until I embraced the shift in power. Today’s consumer calls the shots. They control the input, not me. No longer is the consumer a captive audience that we can reach when and if we please. As marketers we need their permission to even talk to them. That’s why social media is important. Smart marketing executives build relationships and community around their brands. They go where consumers are and attempt to participate in the market conversation in a way that relates to individual interests, but also advances the goals of the brand. It’s exhilarating and it’s maddening. But it’s the future. Accept it. Embrace it.
Source: Jeff Hilton, partner and co-founder of Integrated Marketing Group; imgbrandwire blog
INDUSTRY/BUSINESS NEWS: Dean Foods to Contest Justice Department Complaint
Dean Foods has announced that the Company will contest a complaint filed by the Department of Justice challenging the Company's April 2009 acquisition of Foremost Farms.
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Dean Foods to Vigorously Contest Justice Department Complaint
Says Acquisition of Wisconsin Plants Benefits Farmers and Customers
DALLAS/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dean Foods (DF) announced that it was contesting a complaint filed today by the Department of Justice challenging its April 2009 acquisition of Foremost Farms. The company believes its acquisition of the DePere and Waukesha, Wis. fluid milk processing plants from Foremost is fully compliant with antitrust laws, and will defend itself vigorously against the complaint.
The company believes that, from the time of the acquisition almost a year ago, this transaction has benefitted Wisconsin dairy farmers by providing a stable and growing outlet for their milk. In addition, the transaction already has produced important cost savings that will benefit customers and spur competition in and around Wisconsin. It promises to deliver even greater customer benefits once the DePere and Waukesha plants are fully integrated into the Dean network.
The company believes an objective judicial review of the facts will reveal that competition is alive and flourishing in Wisconsin.
Source: Dean Foods Press Release
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Dean Foods to Vigorously Contest Justice Department Complaint
Says Acquisition of Wisconsin Plants Benefits Farmers and Customers
DALLAS/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dean Foods (DF) announced that it was contesting a complaint filed today by the Department of Justice challenging its April 2009 acquisition of Foremost Farms. The company believes its acquisition of the DePere and Waukesha, Wis. fluid milk processing plants from Foremost is fully compliant with antitrust laws, and will defend itself vigorously against the complaint.
The company believes that, from the time of the acquisition almost a year ago, this transaction has benefitted Wisconsin dairy farmers by providing a stable and growing outlet for their milk. In addition, the transaction already has produced important cost savings that will benefit customers and spur competition in and around Wisconsin. It promises to deliver even greater customer benefits once the DePere and Waukesha plants are fully integrated into the Dean network.
The company believes an objective judicial review of the facts will reveal that competition is alive and flourishing in Wisconsin.
Source: Dean Foods Press Release
INDUSTRY/BUSINESS NEWS: NRF Forecasts Retail Sales Increase for 2010
The National Retail Federation 2010 economic forecast is projecting that retail sales will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to the report, customer confidence will be driven by, in part, economic indicators like the housing market and employment starting to show positive signs.
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NRF Forecasts 2.5% Increase in Retail Sales for 2010
-More Jobs, Better Housing Market to Boost Consumer Confidence-
Washington, January 26, 2010 – The National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent.
“As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, retailers will soon be able to reap the benefits of leaner, smarter inventories and a year and a half of pent up consumer demand.”
Other positive economic contributions will come from trade, especially strong exports, a turnaround in the inventory cycle, and federal government spending. Consumer spending will lag behind overall economic growth, Wells estimates, but will continue to expand at a modest 2.0 – 2.5 percent rate.
Source: NRF Press Release
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NRF Forecasts 2.5% Increase in Retail Sales for 2010
-More Jobs, Better Housing Market to Boost Consumer Confidence-
Washington, January 26, 2010 – The National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent.
“As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, retailers will soon be able to reap the benefits of leaner, smarter inventories and a year and a half of pent up consumer demand.”
Other positive economic contributions will come from trade, especially strong exports, a turnaround in the inventory cycle, and federal government spending. Consumer spending will lag behind overall economic growth, Wells estimates, but will continue to expand at a modest 2.0 – 2.5 percent rate.
Source: NRF Press Release
Monday, January 25, 2010
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
In mid-January, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake. Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
INDUSTRY TIPS: How Does Your Loyalty Program Measure Up?
Does your store currently offer a loyalty program, or some kind of return-consumer incentive? In Marketing Daily, Karlene Lukovitz writes about the effectiveness of loyalty programs, and how to keep your consumers more engaged, including data from a new report from the CMO Council. According to survey results, consumers reported that relevant and valued rewards - that is, rewards that are relevant to their needs individually - are the most important element in a loyalty or rewards program. The area of improvement that customers chose most was a needed increase in savings, or more coupons and discounts. They reported junk mail and difficulty redeeming points as the most common turn-offs.
How does your loyalty program measure up? Get customer feedback so both retailer and consumer can get the most out of the experience!
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Disconnects Hamper Loyalty Program Effectiveness
by Karlene Lukovitz
Loyalty programs represent a large and growing portion of marketing budgets. But according to a new report from the CMO Council, relatively few companies are fully delivering the elements that are most important in acquiring and keeping participants engaged.
The council surveyed 700 consumers, as well as 600 marketers. About 75% of consumers reported enrollment in supermarket loyalty programs, 71% in airline frequent flier clubs, and 60% in credit card incentive programs, with smaller percentages reporting enrollment in other types of programs.
Consumers clearly confirmed that relevant, valued rewards -- meaning rewards that match their individual preferences and are easily redeemable -- along with relevant, personalized communications, are the most important factors in driving loyalty program participation and satisfaction.
The good news: 78% indicated being "very or pretty" satisfied with their program experiences. However, 70% said they want more discounts/savings, 44% want better deals/offers and 39% want free products/premiums for patronizing program operators. Moreover, 56% said they want more compelling personal benefits and services, as well as more relevant offers/individualized deals.
The program turnoffs most cited by consumers were too much spam and "junk mail" (43%), difficulties in redeeming points/miles (38%) and too many conditions/restrictions (38%). Insufficient value in rewards/membership, and insufficient personalization of communications and service, were also high on the complaints list.
Marketers aren't unaware of consumer priorities. Nearly 40% said that they view discounts/savings as the key member benefits, 34% said that they view free products/premiums as essential incentives, and 33% indicated that their companies are offering points for merchandise redemption as added motivators. Asked to cite common consumer complaints about loyalty programs, marketers' answers paralleled those of consumers.
Nearly 64% of marketers view loyalty programs as essential or very valuable to the marketing mix, and 80% are committed to maintaining or increasing program funding. Yet, 46% acknowledged that acquiring and maintaining motivated participants is their biggest loyalty program challenge, and only 15% view their programs as highly effective at leveraging member loyalty/brand preference.
Feeling thwarted by obstacles to delivering sufficiently personalized loyalty rewards and communications is a root problem, the research indicates. Aside from acquisition/retention, marketers' most-cited loyalty program obstacles/issues include measuring marketing value and effectiveness (42%); collecting, integrating and maintaining customer data (41%); deriving valuable insight and intelligence (38%); delivering more personalized offers and inducements (35%); and creating more customized communications (33%).
Nearly 73% of marketers' companies collect basic demographics and 68% track members' locations, but roughly one-third or fewer track factors such as members' product/personal preferences, satisfaction levels and brand loyalty.
Tellingly, there is a "chasm" between where companies are focusing communications/marketing investments and how members actually learn about loyalty programs, stresses CMO Council VP, programs and operations, Liz Miller.
Nearly 60% of marketers rely on Web sites, 58% on email, 47% on word-of-mouth, 46% on point-of-sale information, 41% on direct mail and 38% on sales/service reps. Cost-effective email is the channel preferred by 84% of marketers, followed by print mailings/statements (52%), corporate Web sites, dedicated club sites (32%), SMS text messaging (24%) and social networks (16%).
Meanwhile, 65% of consumers said they acquire program information via point-of-sale messaging at retail, versus 10% via online advertising and 3% via social media networks or blogs.
The real issue is not that companies aren't collecting customer data -- it's that marketers "feel paralyzed by lack of access to integrated, real-time, usable data" due to internal functional and/or IT infrastructure silos, says Sandra Zoratti, SVP marketing for Ricoh/IBM joint venture InfoPrint Solutions Company, which sponsored the research.
There is no question that companies must develop the capabilities to effectively deliver customized rewards and relevant, multichannel communications based on member transactions and contacts, says Zoratti. But instead of remaining paralyzed by internal customer data challenges, marketers can improve their programs by focusing on the rudiments.
"If you don't have enough individual member preference information, do a survey -- then concentrate on doing what's necessary to deliver the rewards and relevant, compelling communications that your members want most," she advises.
Source: Marketing Daily
How does your loyalty program measure up? Get customer feedback so both retailer and consumer can get the most out of the experience!
____________________________
Disconnects Hamper Loyalty Program Effectiveness
by Karlene Lukovitz
Loyalty programs represent a large and growing portion of marketing budgets. But according to a new report from the CMO Council, relatively few companies are fully delivering the elements that are most important in acquiring and keeping participants engaged.
The council surveyed 700 consumers, as well as 600 marketers. About 75% of consumers reported enrollment in supermarket loyalty programs, 71% in airline frequent flier clubs, and 60% in credit card incentive programs, with smaller percentages reporting enrollment in other types of programs.
Consumers clearly confirmed that relevant, valued rewards -- meaning rewards that match their individual preferences and are easily redeemable -- along with relevant, personalized communications, are the most important factors in driving loyalty program participation and satisfaction.
The good news: 78% indicated being "very or pretty" satisfied with their program experiences. However, 70% said they want more discounts/savings, 44% want better deals/offers and 39% want free products/premiums for patronizing program operators. Moreover, 56% said they want more compelling personal benefits and services, as well as more relevant offers/individualized deals.
The program turnoffs most cited by consumers were too much spam and "junk mail" (43%), difficulties in redeeming points/miles (38%) and too many conditions/restrictions (38%). Insufficient value in rewards/membership, and insufficient personalization of communications and service, were also high on the complaints list.
Marketers aren't unaware of consumer priorities. Nearly 40% said that they view discounts/savings as the key member benefits, 34% said that they view free products/premiums as essential incentives, and 33% indicated that their companies are offering points for merchandise redemption as added motivators. Asked to cite common consumer complaints about loyalty programs, marketers' answers paralleled those of consumers.
Nearly 64% of marketers view loyalty programs as essential or very valuable to the marketing mix, and 80% are committed to maintaining or increasing program funding. Yet, 46% acknowledged that acquiring and maintaining motivated participants is their biggest loyalty program challenge, and only 15% view their programs as highly effective at leveraging member loyalty/brand preference.
Feeling thwarted by obstacles to delivering sufficiently personalized loyalty rewards and communications is a root problem, the research indicates. Aside from acquisition/retention, marketers' most-cited loyalty program obstacles/issues include measuring marketing value and effectiveness (42%); collecting, integrating and maintaining customer data (41%); deriving valuable insight and intelligence (38%); delivering more personalized offers and inducements (35%); and creating more customized communications (33%).
Nearly 73% of marketers' companies collect basic demographics and 68% track members' locations, but roughly one-third or fewer track factors such as members' product/personal preferences, satisfaction levels and brand loyalty.
Tellingly, there is a "chasm" between where companies are focusing communications/marketing investments and how members actually learn about loyalty programs, stresses CMO Council VP, programs and operations, Liz Miller.
Nearly 60% of marketers rely on Web sites, 58% on email, 47% on word-of-mouth, 46% on point-of-sale information, 41% on direct mail and 38% on sales/service reps. Cost-effective email is the channel preferred by 84% of marketers, followed by print mailings/statements (52%), corporate Web sites, dedicated club sites (32%), SMS text messaging (24%) and social networks (16%).
Meanwhile, 65% of consumers said they acquire program information via point-of-sale messaging at retail, versus 10% via online advertising and 3% via social media networks or blogs.
The real issue is not that companies aren't collecting customer data -- it's that marketers "feel paralyzed by lack of access to integrated, real-time, usable data" due to internal functional and/or IT infrastructure silos, says Sandra Zoratti, SVP marketing for Ricoh/IBM joint venture InfoPrint Solutions Company, which sponsored the research.
There is no question that companies must develop the capabilities to effectively deliver customized rewards and relevant, multichannel communications based on member transactions and contacts, says Zoratti. But instead of remaining paralyzed by internal customer data challenges, marketers can improve their programs by focusing on the rudiments.
"If you don't have enough individual member preference information, do a survey -- then concentrate on doing what's necessary to deliver the rewards and relevant, compelling communications that your members want most," she advises.
Source: Marketing Daily
INDUSTRY NEWS: Nordic Naturals Contributes to Haiti Relief
Nordic Naturals is responding to the crisis in Haiti with an immediate donation to the American Red Cross, and a promotional effort which will contribute funds to Architecture for Humanity. During the month of February, a portion of sales of select Nordic Natural products will go to Architecture for Humanity, a community-focused, long-term sustainable reconstruction initiative of Port-Au-Prince. The Company will be providing retailers with information and ways to best merchandise for this campaign.
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Nordic Naturals Responds To Haiti’s Appeal for Help with Immediate Donation and Plan for Future Rebuilding
Watsonville, CA (January 25, 2010) Nordic Naturals announced that the company has a plan for Haiti disaster relief through an immediate donation to the American Red Cross and a promotional effort that will deliver funds for the community-focused, long-term sustainable reconstruction initiative of the capital city, Port-Au-Prince. Working with the nonprofit organization, Architecture for Humanity www.architectureforhumanity.org, Nordic Naturals plans to launch a special campaign “Open Your Heart to Haiti” whereby consumers purchasing product will be contributing to the fund.
During the month of February, Nordic Naturals will contribute 1% of sales to Architecture for Humanity from their best selling products, Ultimate Omega™ through the Retail division and ProOmega™ through the Professional division, in all sizes of liquid and soft gels. The company will be providing information to retailers and professionals on how to best merchandise for this campaign to make it highly successful. Ultimate Omega, according to independent SPINs data, is the largest selling supplement in the natural products industry. According to Corinna Bellizzi, National Sales Manager, “We are confident that we can contribute significantly through this promotion to an outstanding organization that can make a long-term difference in the lives of Haitians.”
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega and ProOmega provide exceptionally high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in one delicious serving. These products support cardiovascular heath and exceed the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 1,000 mg/day in individuals with heart conditions.
“Architecture for Humanity has significant experience in leading the reconstruction of transitional and permanent infrastructure in post-disaster contexts. Already working in Haiti prior to the earthquake, Architecture for Humanity has also been involved in rebuilding efforts post-Tsunami in India and Sri Lanka and in the Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina” said Cameron Sinclair, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the organization.
Architecture for Humanity is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999 to promote architectural and design solutions to global, social and humanitarian crises. The organization creates opportunities for architects and designers from around the world to help communities in need, by designing and building permanent structures that are safe and sustainable. The organization believes that where resources and expertise are scarce, innovative, sustainable and collaborative design can make a difference.
Source: Nordic Naturals Press Release
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Nordic Naturals Responds To Haiti’s Appeal for Help with Immediate Donation and Plan for Future Rebuilding
Watsonville, CA (January 25, 2010) Nordic Naturals announced that the company has a plan for Haiti disaster relief through an immediate donation to the American Red Cross and a promotional effort that will deliver funds for the community-focused, long-term sustainable reconstruction initiative of the capital city, Port-Au-Prince. Working with the nonprofit organization, Architecture for Humanity www.architectureforhumanity.org, Nordic Naturals plans to launch a special campaign “Open Your Heart to Haiti” whereby consumers purchasing product will be contributing to the fund.
During the month of February, Nordic Naturals will contribute 1% of sales to Architecture for Humanity from their best selling products, Ultimate Omega™ through the Retail division and ProOmega™ through the Professional division, in all sizes of liquid and soft gels. The company will be providing information to retailers and professionals on how to best merchandise for this campaign to make it highly successful. Ultimate Omega, according to independent SPINs data, is the largest selling supplement in the natural products industry. According to Corinna Bellizzi, National Sales Manager, “We are confident that we can contribute significantly through this promotion to an outstanding organization that can make a long-term difference in the lives of Haitians.”
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega and ProOmega provide exceptionally high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in one delicious serving. These products support cardiovascular heath and exceed the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 1,000 mg/day in individuals with heart conditions.
“Architecture for Humanity has significant experience in leading the reconstruction of transitional and permanent infrastructure in post-disaster contexts. Already working in Haiti prior to the earthquake, Architecture for Humanity has also been involved in rebuilding efforts post-Tsunami in India and Sri Lanka and in the Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina” said Cameron Sinclair, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the organization.
Architecture for Humanity is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999 to promote architectural and design solutions to global, social and humanitarian crises. The organization creates opportunities for architects and designers from around the world to help communities in need, by designing and building permanent structures that are safe and sustainable. The organization believes that where resources and expertise are scarce, innovative, sustainable and collaborative design can make a difference.
Source: Nordic Naturals Press Release
BUSINESS NEWS: Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2010 Third Quarter Sales
Matrixx Initiatives Inc. reports that the Company's third quarter revenue decreased 26% to $28.5 million compared to $38.7 million for the same quarter in the previous year. Net income was reported as $3.8 million for the third quarter, compared to a net income of $4.8 million for the same quarter in 2008. The Company reports that the decreased sales in the quarter are in part due to the loss of one of the Company's product lines, which was taken off the market in June 2009.
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Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2010 Third Quarter Sales of $28.5 Million and Net Income of $3.8 Million
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTXX), an over-the-counter healthcare company that develops and markets Zicam(R) products, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2009. Third quarter revenue decreased 26% to $28.5 million compared to $38.7 million for the comparable quarter in the prior year. The Company reported net income for the quarter of $3.8 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, compared to net income of $4.8 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
The decreased sales in the quarter ended December 31, 2009 versus the prior year is primarily attributable to the previously announced loss of nasal Cold Remedy products, which were withdrawn from the market in June 2009. Nasal Cold Remedy sales accounted for approximately 40% of net sales in the prior fiscal year. Partially offsetting the loss of nasal Cold Remedy sales was a 62% increase in oral Cold Remedy unit sales in the quarter ended December 31, 2009 over the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2009, the Company reported net sales of $61.0 million and a net loss of $13.9 million, or $(1.51) per diluted share, which includes a $9.0 million charge for the recall of Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Cold Remedy Swabs as well as charges of approximately $23.9 million for the impairment of goodwill and certain tangible and intangible assets recorded in the quarter ended June 30, 2009. This compares to net sales of $80.8 million and net income of $10.7 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, for the nine months ended December 31, 2008.
Bill Hemelt, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With the discontinuance of our nasal Cold Remedy products, we are pleased that our Zicam Cold Remedy oral delivery products are gaining market share. For the 12 weeks ended December 27, 2009, retail unit sales (three-outlet syndicated scanner data, not including Wal-Mart or club stores) of Zicam Cold Remedy oral delivery products increased approximately 16%, while the total cough/cold category increased approximately 5% compared to the prior year. We attribute the market share gains to increased in-store promotion, advertising, and conversion of consumers of nasal Cold Remedy products to our oral delivery forms. During the quarter ended December 31, 2009 retailers increased their inventory of cough/cold products, which we believe resulted in increased unit sales during the quarter."
Mr. Hemelt continued, "Average gross margin was 73% for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, compared to the 71% average gross margin realized in the quarter ended December 31, 2008. The higher gross margin was primarily due to the mix of products sold and cost reductions achieved on oral Cold Remedy products over the past year. Operating expense continued to be negatively impacted by high legal expense primarily associated with product liability, securities litigation, and FDA matters. Together, those amounted to approximately $1.8 million in legal expense in the third quarter of fiscal 2010. We anticipate legal expense will continue to average between $1.5 and $2.0 million per quarter. At December 31, 2009, the Company had $33.3 million in cash and certificates of deposit."
The incidence of colds historically increases in the January through March quarter and we anticipate spending approximately $10 million on marketing activities during the quarter ending March 31, 2010 to further support our oral Cold Remedy products. The Company is now executing operating plans that reflect fiscal 2010 revenue in the $68 million to $72 million range. Due to the high level of marketing support planned for the fourth quarter relative to anticipated sales, the Company expects to incur a sizable loss in that quarter.
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Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2010 Third Quarter Sales of $28.5 Million and Net Income of $3.8 Million
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTXX), an over-the-counter healthcare company that develops and markets Zicam(R) products, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2009. Third quarter revenue decreased 26% to $28.5 million compared to $38.7 million for the comparable quarter in the prior year. The Company reported net income for the quarter of $3.8 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, compared to net income of $4.8 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
The decreased sales in the quarter ended December 31, 2009 versus the prior year is primarily attributable to the previously announced loss of nasal Cold Remedy products, which were withdrawn from the market in June 2009. Nasal Cold Remedy sales accounted for approximately 40% of net sales in the prior fiscal year. Partially offsetting the loss of nasal Cold Remedy sales was a 62% increase in oral Cold Remedy unit sales in the quarter ended December 31, 2009 over the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2009, the Company reported net sales of $61.0 million and a net loss of $13.9 million, or $(1.51) per diluted share, which includes a $9.0 million charge for the recall of Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Cold Remedy Swabs as well as charges of approximately $23.9 million for the impairment of goodwill and certain tangible and intangible assets recorded in the quarter ended June 30, 2009. This compares to net sales of $80.8 million and net income of $10.7 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, for the nine months ended December 31, 2008.
Bill Hemelt, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With the discontinuance of our nasal Cold Remedy products, we are pleased that our Zicam Cold Remedy oral delivery products are gaining market share. For the 12 weeks ended December 27, 2009, retail unit sales (three-outlet syndicated scanner data, not including Wal-Mart or club stores) of Zicam Cold Remedy oral delivery products increased approximately 16%, while the total cough/cold category increased approximately 5% compared to the prior year. We attribute the market share gains to increased in-store promotion, advertising, and conversion of consumers of nasal Cold Remedy products to our oral delivery forms. During the quarter ended December 31, 2009 retailers increased their inventory of cough/cold products, which we believe resulted in increased unit sales during the quarter."
Mr. Hemelt continued, "Average gross margin was 73% for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, compared to the 71% average gross margin realized in the quarter ended December 31, 2008. The higher gross margin was primarily due to the mix of products sold and cost reductions achieved on oral Cold Remedy products over the past year. Operating expense continued to be negatively impacted by high legal expense primarily associated with product liability, securities litigation, and FDA matters. Together, those amounted to approximately $1.8 million in legal expense in the third quarter of fiscal 2010. We anticipate legal expense will continue to average between $1.5 and $2.0 million per quarter. At December 31, 2009, the Company had $33.3 million in cash and certificates of deposit."
The incidence of colds historically increases in the January through March quarter and we anticipate spending approximately $10 million on marketing activities during the quarter ending March 31, 2010 to further support our oral Cold Remedy products. The Company is now executing operating plans that reflect fiscal 2010 revenue in the $68 million to $72 million range. Due to the high level of marketing support planned for the fourth quarter relative to anticipated sales, the Company expects to incur a sizable loss in that quarter.
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
Nine days ago, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake, Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Sunday, January 24, 2010
RESEARCH NEWS: Green Tea Extract Shows Promise for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Researchers at Meharry Medical College have discovered that an extract of green tea could be used as a treatment for uterine fibroids, according to an article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, by Meharry's Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Ayman Al-Hendy and his team. While consumers may be aware of the various benefits of green tea, this research can be used in conjunction with other marketing and education initiatives towards a specific group of people - particularly, women of the reproductive age. According to a news release from Meharry Medical College, uterine fibroids affect forty percent of reproductive age women.
Green Tea Extract Shows Promise for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Researchers at Meharry Medical College will soon begin human trials which could lead to new treatments for millions of women suffering from fibroid tumors
Nashville, Tenn. – (January 22, 2010) – Researchers at Meharry Medical College have discovered that an extract of green tea could be used as a treatment for uterine fibroids, a disease that affects forty percent of reproductive age women.
An article published this week in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, by Meharry’s Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Ayman Al-Hendy and his team of investigators, stated that an extract of green tea has the ability to kill human leiomyoma cells in tissue cultures and can eradicate fibroid lesions in animal models.
Al-Hendy said if the treatment is found to be effective in humans it can change the lives of millions of women who are currently faced with hysterectomy as their only treatment option.
“If we can prove this compound is effective, millions of women can start self treatment and self management,” he said.
The symptoms of uterine fibroids are often debilitating and include excessive vaginal bleeding, anemia, fatigue and lack of energy. According to Al-Hendy, women who suffer from uterine fibroids may lose time from work, have higher medical expenses and often need advanced medical treatment in order to become pregnant – all things that cause both emotional and economic hardship for families.
Al-Hendy and his team have conducted extensive research on the treatment of fibroid tumors and are dedicated to finding a cure for this disease which disproportionately affects African-American women who are four times more likely to be affected than women from other ethnic groups.
Researchers are in the process of recruiting participants for human trials that will begin soon.
The research will be conducted under the umbrella of the Meharry Clinical and Translational Research Center (MeTRC). In 2009, Meharry was awarded a $21.4 million grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to establish MeTRC which will help accelerate the process of turning laboratory discoveries into actual cures and treatments used by patients.
MeTRC is a “center without walls” comprised of the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, the Center for Women’s Health Research and the Participant and Clinical Interactions Resource. Al-Hendy and Dr. James E.K. Hildreth serve as the principal investigators of this institutional grant.
Source: Meharry Medical College news release
Green Tea Extract Shows Promise for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Researchers at Meharry Medical College will soon begin human trials which could lead to new treatments for millions of women suffering from fibroid tumors
Nashville, Tenn. – (January 22, 2010) – Researchers at Meharry Medical College have discovered that an extract of green tea could be used as a treatment for uterine fibroids, a disease that affects forty percent of reproductive age women.
An article published this week in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, by Meharry’s Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Ayman Al-Hendy and his team of investigators, stated that an extract of green tea has the ability to kill human leiomyoma cells in tissue cultures and can eradicate fibroid lesions in animal models.
Al-Hendy said if the treatment is found to be effective in humans it can change the lives of millions of women who are currently faced with hysterectomy as their only treatment option.
“If we can prove this compound is effective, millions of women can start self treatment and self management,” he said.
The symptoms of uterine fibroids are often debilitating and include excessive vaginal bleeding, anemia, fatigue and lack of energy. According to Al-Hendy, women who suffer from uterine fibroids may lose time from work, have higher medical expenses and often need advanced medical treatment in order to become pregnant – all things that cause both emotional and economic hardship for families.
Al-Hendy and his team have conducted extensive research on the treatment of fibroid tumors and are dedicated to finding a cure for this disease which disproportionately affects African-American women who are four times more likely to be affected than women from other ethnic groups.
Researchers are in the process of recruiting participants for human trials that will begin soon.
The research will be conducted under the umbrella of the Meharry Clinical and Translational Research Center (MeTRC). In 2009, Meharry was awarded a $21.4 million grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to establish MeTRC which will help accelerate the process of turning laboratory discoveries into actual cures and treatments used by patients.
MeTRC is a “center without walls” comprised of the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, the Center for Women’s Health Research and the Participant and Clinical Interactions Resource. Al-Hendy and Dr. James E.K. Hildreth serve as the principal investigators of this institutional grant.
Source: Meharry Medical College news release
INDUSTRY NEWS: Alberta considering own health care legislation
Alberta is looking towards its own health care legislation that will govern how its health-care system operates. According to a Lawday news posting, this is possible a result of the health care debates in the US. The hypothetical health act in Alberta would govern health care in the province, and would work within the Canada Health Act.
Questions arise as to what regulations or standards of practice may change as a result of a differing legislation in a particular province. Will other provinces follow suit? This can potentially affect healthcare practitioners and retailers alike.
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ALBERTA PONDERING ITS OWN HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
EDMONTON – Alberta is pushing for its own health care legislation – possibly as a result of the health care debates brewing south of the border.
A provincial advisory committee is recommending that Alberta have its own legislation governing how its health-care system operates, a reform it says would work within the Canada Health Act. "We asked people where do you think those sort of things belong?" Edmonton Conservative MLA Fred Horne said at the release of a report by the advisory committee on health Wednesday. "They told us quite clearly they belong in a health act built by Albertans for Albertans." The Alberta health act would be the overarching legislation governing health care in the province, Horne said. The report says the act would operate within the Canada Health Act. "The preamble to the act should clearly affirm that Alberta's health-care system will operate within the parameters of the Canada Health Act and its principles of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility," the report said. The committee also proposed that Alberta create its own charter of rights for patients and define principles of accountability, access and transparency that must be maintained in the health care system. In a news release, Premier Ed Stelmach said he was pleased with the committee's recommendations and the idea of an Alberta health act.
Source: Lawday
Questions arise as to what regulations or standards of practice may change as a result of a differing legislation in a particular province. Will other provinces follow suit? This can potentially affect healthcare practitioners and retailers alike.
____________________
ALBERTA PONDERING ITS OWN HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
EDMONTON – Alberta is pushing for its own health care legislation – possibly as a result of the health care debates brewing south of the border.
A provincial advisory committee is recommending that Alberta have its own legislation governing how its health-care system operates, a reform it says would work within the Canada Health Act. "We asked people where do you think those sort of things belong?" Edmonton Conservative MLA Fred Horne said at the release of a report by the advisory committee on health Wednesday. "They told us quite clearly they belong in a health act built by Albertans for Albertans." The Alberta health act would be the overarching legislation governing health care in the province, Horne said. The report says the act would operate within the Canada Health Act. "The preamble to the act should clearly affirm that Alberta's health-care system will operate within the parameters of the Canada Health Act and its principles of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility," the report said. The committee also proposed that Alberta create its own charter of rights for patients and define principles of accountability, access and transparency that must be maintained in the health care system. In a news release, Premier Ed Stelmach said he was pleased with the committee's recommendations and the idea of an Alberta health act.
Source: Lawday
Thursday, January 21, 2010
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
Nine days ago, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake, Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
BUSINESS NEWS: Viterra Announces Year-End Financial Results
Viterra has announced the Company's fiscal 2009 financial results. The Company reported a sales and operating revenue figure of $6.6 billion, compared to $6.8 billion in 2008. Check out an upcoming issue of ihr magazine for more on these financial results.
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Viterra Highlights Year-End Results
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Jan. 21, 2010) - In fiscal 2009, Viterra's (TSX:VT) (ASX:VTA) consolidated sales and other operating revenues reached $6.6 billion compared to $6.8 billion in 2008. The Company shipped 17.0 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds, an all-time record for its North American operations. Declining commodity pricing had the greatest impact on results for 2009, with fertilizer pricing and margins down substantially from 2008.
For the year ended October 31, 2009, Viterra generated EBITDA (see Non-GAAP Measures for the definition) of $323.7 million, which compares to $532.6 million last year. Excluding a first quarter fertilizer inventory write-down, EBITDA was $351.8 million for 2009.
Viterra's full year results reflect record grain shipments, a leveling of gross margins per tonne and the impact on contributions from a significant decline in fertilizer margins. Viterra's quarterly and annual results also include contributions from Viterra's Australian operations for the period from September 24, 2009 to October 31, 2009 (38 days).
Viterra's net earnings for the fiscal year were $113.1 million (or $0.45 per share) compared to $288.3 million (or $1.31 per share) last year, a good result in a year in which the industry experienced dramatic changes in fertilizer pricing. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Company generated cash flow provided by operations (see Non-GAAP Measures) of $223.4 million, or $0.89 per share and free cash flow of $148.1 million which compares to $400.7 million in 2008. (Viterra defines its free cash flow as cash flow provided by operations less capital expenditures, but prior to working capital changes - see Non-GAAP Measures).
Mayo Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the year, "Fiscal 2009 was a defining year for Viterra, one in which we significantly broadened our global presence through the acquisition of ABB Grain Ltd in Australia. We executed a $1.4 billion transaction and, as promised, retained a very strong capital structure with over $1 billion of cash and short-term investments on our balance sheet. Approximately $800 million is available for future growth initiatives. We completed the year as a more geographically diverse company, yet we maintained the financial stability that has become our hallmark. It is this discipline that will allow us to explore additional opportunities as we move forward, while being careful stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us by our
shareholders and lenders."
Viterra's total debt-to-capital ratio at October 31, 2009 remained strong at 31%. The Company had no cash drawings on its $800 million North American line of credit at year-end, and had approximately $597 million drawn on the AUD $1.2 billion operating facility that funds the Australian and New Zealand businesses.
Source: Exerpted from Viterra press release
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Viterra Highlights Year-End Results
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Jan. 21, 2010) - In fiscal 2009, Viterra's (TSX:VT) (ASX:VTA) consolidated sales and other operating revenues reached $6.6 billion compared to $6.8 billion in 2008. The Company shipped 17.0 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds, an all-time record for its North American operations. Declining commodity pricing had the greatest impact on results for 2009, with fertilizer pricing and margins down substantially from 2008.
For the year ended October 31, 2009, Viterra generated EBITDA (see Non-GAAP Measures for the definition) of $323.7 million, which compares to $532.6 million last year. Excluding a first quarter fertilizer inventory write-down, EBITDA was $351.8 million for 2009.
Viterra's full year results reflect record grain shipments, a leveling of gross margins per tonne and the impact on contributions from a significant decline in fertilizer margins. Viterra's quarterly and annual results also include contributions from Viterra's Australian operations for the period from September 24, 2009 to October 31, 2009 (38 days).
Viterra's net earnings for the fiscal year were $113.1 million (or $0.45 per share) compared to $288.3 million (or $1.31 per share) last year, a good result in a year in which the industry experienced dramatic changes in fertilizer pricing. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Company generated cash flow provided by operations (see Non-GAAP Measures) of $223.4 million, or $0.89 per share and free cash flow of $148.1 million which compares to $400.7 million in 2008. (Viterra defines its free cash flow as cash flow provided by operations less capital expenditures, but prior to working capital changes - see Non-GAAP Measures).
Mayo Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the year, "Fiscal 2009 was a defining year for Viterra, one in which we significantly broadened our global presence through the acquisition of ABB Grain Ltd in Australia. We executed a $1.4 billion transaction and, as promised, retained a very strong capital structure with over $1 billion of cash and short-term investments on our balance sheet. Approximately $800 million is available for future growth initiatives. We completed the year as a more geographically diverse company, yet we maintained the financial stability that has become our hallmark. It is this discipline that will allow us to explore additional opportunities as we move forward, while being careful stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us by our
shareholders and lenders."
Viterra's total debt-to-capital ratio at October 31, 2009 remained strong at 31%. The Company had no cash drawings on its $800 million North American line of credit at year-end, and had approximately $597 million drawn on the AUD $1.2 billion operating facility that funds the Australian and New Zealand businesses.
Source: Exerpted from Viterra press release
INDUSTRY NEWS: Loblaw Announces New Chief Financial Officer
Loblaw has announced that Sarah Davis, Executive Vice President, Finance, will become Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective May 5, 2010. Check out an upcoming issue of ihr for more on this story.
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Loblaw announces new Chief Financial Officer
Allan Leighton, President and Deputy
Chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited ("Loblaw") (TSX: L) announced that Sarah Davis, Executive Vice President, Finance, will become Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective May 5, 2010 at the Company's 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Bob Vaux, currently Chief Financial Officer of both Loblaw Companies Limited and George Weston Limited, will continue as Chief Financial Officer of George Weston Limited.
"Sarah is an extremely qualified finance executive who has demonstrated her broader capabilities since joining our management team", said Mr. Leighton. "Her skill sets will be valuable to us as we complete our turnaround and beyond."
Upon accepting the appointment, Ms. Davis said, "I look forward to this opportunity and am pleased to be taking over the financial oversight of a company with such a solid financial position and strong balance sheet."
Over the next three months Ms. Davis and Mr. Vaux will be working on a smooth transition. Ms. Davis, who joined the Company in June of 2007, has more than twenty years of financial management experience gained from senior financial positions at publicly-traded Canadian companies in the
Source: Loblaw Companies press release
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Loblaw announces new Chief Financial Officer
Allan Leighton, President and Deputy
Chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited ("Loblaw") (TSX: L) announced that Sarah Davis, Executive Vice President, Finance, will become Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective May 5, 2010 at the Company's 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Bob Vaux, currently Chief Financial Officer of both Loblaw Companies Limited and George Weston Limited, will continue as Chief Financial Officer of George Weston Limited.
"Sarah is an extremely qualified finance executive who has demonstrated her broader capabilities since joining our management team", said Mr. Leighton. "Her skill sets will be valuable to us as we complete our turnaround and beyond."
Upon accepting the appointment, Ms. Davis said, "I look forward to this opportunity and am pleased to be taking over the financial oversight of a company with such a solid financial position and strong balance sheet."
Over the next three months Ms. Davis and Mr. Vaux will be working on a smooth transition. Ms. Davis, who joined the Company in June of 2007, has more than twenty years of financial management experience gained from senior financial positions at publicly-traded Canadian companies in the
Source: Loblaw Companies press release
BUSINESS NEWS: Martek Announces Agreement to Purchase Amerifit Brands
Martek Biosciences Corporation has announced that it will purchase Amerifit Brands Inc. from Charterhouse Group in an all-cash transaction of $200 million, subject to working capital adjustments. Amerifit Brands develops, markets and distributes branded consumer health and wellness products focused on women's and digestive health benefits. Check out an upcoming issue of ihr for more on this story!
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Martek Announces Agreement to Purchase Amerifit Brands
Acquisition expected to be accretive to earnings in FY'10
Increasing Q1'10 revenue guidance
COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (NASDAQ: MATK) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Amerifit Brands Inc., a consumer health and wellness company, from Charterhouse Group, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at $200 million, subject to working capital adjustments. Amerifit Brands develops, markets and distributes branded consumer health and wellness products focused on women's and digestive health benefits. Amerifit holds leading brand positions in all of its key product categories, and its products are sold in most major mass, club, drug, grocery and specialty stores. Amerifit's key products include: Culturelle®, a leading probiotic supplement; AZO®, the leading OTC brand addressing symptom relief, detection and prevention of urinary tract infections; and ESTROVEN®, the leading all-natural nutritional supplement brand addressing the symptoms of menopause.
"Amerifit's first-class sales and marketing infrastructure and proven management team for selling branded consumer health and wellness products provide Martek with a platform for accelerating the commercialization of our nutritional product pipeline," stated Steve Dubin, Martek's CEO. "I am excited at the prospect of being able to develop consumer brands for some of the exciting new products in Martek's pipeline. This new capability will enable Martek to move up the value chain by getting closer to the consumer and should result in increased revenue and gross profit opportunities."
"The entire management team here at Amerifit is thrilled to become part of the Martek family," said Amerifit CEO Cyrill Siewert. "Amerifit's capabilities of marketing and growing leading consumer brands along with Martek's promising product pipeline, robust R&D capabilities, and commitment to science-based products is a compelling combination that should provide powerful opportunities for growth in the years ahead."
Under the terms of the transaction, Martek will pay consideration of $200 million, subject to working capital adjustments, of which $120 million will be paid from Martek's current cash reserves and the remainder from a new credit facility which has been established by Martek.
The transaction is expected to be accretive to Martek's earnings in fiscal 2010. Expense synergies are not expected. The transaction is expected to close in Martek's second fiscal quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Martek was advised by Canaccord Adams Inc., Hogan & Hartson LLP, and Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Source: Martek Biosciences Press Release
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Martek Announces Agreement to Purchase Amerifit Brands
Acquisition expected to be accretive to earnings in FY'10
Increasing Q1'10 revenue guidance
COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (NASDAQ: MATK) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Amerifit Brands Inc., a consumer health and wellness company, from Charterhouse Group, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at $200 million, subject to working capital adjustments. Amerifit Brands develops, markets and distributes branded consumer health and wellness products focused on women's and digestive health benefits. Amerifit holds leading brand positions in all of its key product categories, and its products are sold in most major mass, club, drug, grocery and specialty stores. Amerifit's key products include: Culturelle®, a leading probiotic supplement; AZO®, the leading OTC brand addressing symptom relief, detection and prevention of urinary tract infections; and ESTROVEN®, the leading all-natural nutritional supplement brand addressing the symptoms of menopause.
"Amerifit's first-class sales and marketing infrastructure and proven management team for selling branded consumer health and wellness products provide Martek with a platform for accelerating the commercialization of our nutritional product pipeline," stated Steve Dubin, Martek's CEO. "I am excited at the prospect of being able to develop consumer brands for some of the exciting new products in Martek's pipeline. This new capability will enable Martek to move up the value chain by getting closer to the consumer and should result in increased revenue and gross profit opportunities."
"The entire management team here at Amerifit is thrilled to become part of the Martek family," said Amerifit CEO Cyrill Siewert. "Amerifit's capabilities of marketing and growing leading consumer brands along with Martek's promising product pipeline, robust R&D capabilities, and commitment to science-based products is a compelling combination that should provide powerful opportunities for growth in the years ahead."
Under the terms of the transaction, Martek will pay consideration of $200 million, subject to working capital adjustments, of which $120 million will be paid from Martek's current cash reserves and the remainder from a new credit facility which has been established by Martek.
The transaction is expected to be accretive to Martek's earnings in fiscal 2010. Expense synergies are not expected. The transaction is expected to close in Martek's second fiscal quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Martek was advised by Canaccord Adams Inc., Hogan & Hartson LLP, and Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Source: Martek Biosciences Press Release
INDUSTRY NEWS: Consumer Protection Group Calling for Privacy In Social-Networking Sites
Keep track of your online activities; and make sure your online presence is conducive and safe for your customers.
A Canadian consumer protection group, the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre, filed a complaint against Nexopia, a social networking site for teens, claiming issues regarding privacy.
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CONSUMER PROTECTION GROUP CALLING FOR PRIVACY IN SOCIAL-NETWORKING SITES
OTTAWA – A Canadian consumer protection group is calling on Canada’s privacy watchdog to force social-networking websites to adopt the same stringent privacy standards as those adopted by social-networking giant Facebook.
The Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre filed a complaint with privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart Monday about the "unnecessary and non-consensual use and disclosure of personal information" by Nexopia, an Edmonton-based social-networking site aimed at teens. Nexopia.com labels itself "the place to be for teens looking to express themselves to the world," and boasts more than 1.2 million registered members — mostly from Western Canada — with more than one billion page views monthly. As a result, PIAC lawyer John Lawford said different rules should be applied to the site, which has users as young as 13. "Our basic complaint is if you are going to treat it like a club, then keep it in the club," he said Tuesday. "Especially for younger people because they don't fully realize the consequences of what's posted on a social-networking site." The complaint outlines six ways that Nexopia violates Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, known as PIPEDA. In her annual report to Parliament released last August, Stoddart identified youth privacy as an emerging "key issue," especially in the face of new technologies.
A Canadian consumer protection group, the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre, filed a complaint against Nexopia, a social networking site for teens, claiming issues regarding privacy.
_________________________
CONSUMER PROTECTION GROUP CALLING FOR PRIVACY IN SOCIAL-NETWORKING SITES
OTTAWA – A Canadian consumer protection group is calling on Canada’s privacy watchdog to force social-networking websites to adopt the same stringent privacy standards as those adopted by social-networking giant Facebook.
The Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre filed a complaint with privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart Monday about the "unnecessary and non-consensual use and disclosure of personal information" by Nexopia, an Edmonton-based social-networking site aimed at teens. Nexopia.com labels itself "the place to be for teens looking to express themselves to the world," and boasts more than 1.2 million registered members — mostly from Western Canada — with more than one billion page views monthly. As a result, PIAC lawyer John Lawford said different rules should be applied to the site, which has users as young as 13. "Our basic complaint is if you are going to treat it like a club, then keep it in the club," he said Tuesday. "Especially for younger people because they don't fully realize the consequences of what's posted on a social-networking site." The complaint outlines six ways that Nexopia violates Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, known as PIPEDA. In her annual report to Parliament released last August, Stoddart identified youth privacy as an emerging "key issue," especially in the face of new technologies.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
Nine days ago, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake, Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble. Help is needed to guide this country and its citizens towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
http://www.vivamagonline.com/Haiti.html
INDUSTRY/MARKETING NEWS: Whole Foods Launches Healthy Eating Initiative
Whole Foods has launched a Healthy Eating campaign that will launch company-wide in both Canadian, UK and US stores. The campaign, Health Starts Here, aims to deepen the Company's commitment to inspiring individuals to follow a healthy lifestyle in addition to educating and informing them of health and nutrition far beyond label-reading.
According to global vice president of quality standards and leader of Health Starts Here at Whole Foods Market, “We opened our first store 30 years ago to provide natural foods as a delicious and healthy alternative to the increasing amounts of highly processed foods with artificial ingredients. Over the years, we realized that providing the healthiest foods available is simply not enough. We are now deepening our commitment to healthy eating by providing education and support tools to inspire interest in foods that help improve and maintain health and vitality.”
This type of large-scale marketing campaign can be used as an example for a smaller-scale campaign, challenge or idea for your customers. Find out what their concerns are - network with them, get feedback, share your own views. Creating a conversation outside a point-of-sale can ensure return business, will give you a better idea of what your customer base is looking for, and keep you one step ahead.
________________________________
Excerpted from full press release:
"HEALTH STARTS HERE" LAUNCHES AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET
Companywide Healthy Eating Initiative Features Educational Tools, Recipes & Programs to Improve Health;
Team Member Support & Additional Store Discounts Provide Incentives for Optimum Employee Health
AUSTIN, Texas. — To help shoppers and Team Members who want to improve their health easily and naturally, Whole Foods Market, a leader in natural and organic foods, announced today that it has launched its “Health Starts Here” initiative at all 289 locations in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Health Starts Here is the first major program to be launched since Whole Foods Market added a new core value to its mission in October 2009: “Promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education.” The new program is based on the following simple principles for everyday healthy eating:
* Plant-based – Focus on fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Get healthy fats in moderation from fresh plant sources such as nuts and avocados.
* Nutrient-dense – Eat foods with high nutrient content in comparison to total calories. Build menus around plant-based foods to emphasize nutrient-rich meals containing a variety of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. These foods are naturally lower in fat.
* Whole foods – Choose foods that are real, fresh and natural. When possible, opt for food that is organic, local and seasonal. Avoid highly processed and refined foods, and those with artificial ingredients.
“These commonsense criteria offer great health benefits, no matter what dietary path you follow,” said Wittenberg. “We are excited to promote wellness and encourage healthier lifestyles by emphasizing the value of eating nutrient-rich foods and showing people how simple it can be. I like to think of it as ‘Take charge, eat well, feel great,’ as eating for health can truly be delicious, nutritious and enjoyable.”
Healthy Eating Partners
Whole Foods Market is featuring two unique third-party healthy eating partner programs to provide easy-to-follow guidance for shoppers and Team Members. Both offer 28-day “getting started” plans while providing plenty of room for personal choices to help those who are interested in starting on their own journey down the road to optimum health.
In-Store Education
Whole Foods Market will feature free information, recipes, in-store lectures, events and support groups. A selection of supporting educational books and cookbooks will also be for sale alongside the “Engine 2 Diet” book and “Eat Right America” program materials.
“Through in-store signage and education about nutrient-dense foods, including information about how to prepare and incorporate them into your everyday life, we want to help our communities attain optimum health and well-being,” says Wittenberg.
Team Member Support and Incentives
To reiterate the company’s commitment to its newest core value and its long-time “Supporting Team Member happiness and excellence” core value, Whole Foods Market’s Health Starts Here initiative also includes two internal programs for Team Members.
Source: Whole Foods Market press release
According to global vice president of quality standards and leader of Health Starts Here at Whole Foods Market, “We opened our first store 30 years ago to provide natural foods as a delicious and healthy alternative to the increasing amounts of highly processed foods with artificial ingredients. Over the years, we realized that providing the healthiest foods available is simply not enough. We are now deepening our commitment to healthy eating by providing education and support tools to inspire interest in foods that help improve and maintain health and vitality.”
This type of large-scale marketing campaign can be used as an example for a smaller-scale campaign, challenge or idea for your customers. Find out what their concerns are - network with them, get feedback, share your own views. Creating a conversation outside a point-of-sale can ensure return business, will give you a better idea of what your customer base is looking for, and keep you one step ahead.
________________________________
Excerpted from full press release:
"HEALTH STARTS HERE" LAUNCHES AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET
Companywide Healthy Eating Initiative Features Educational Tools, Recipes & Programs to Improve Health;
Team Member Support & Additional Store Discounts Provide Incentives for Optimum Employee Health
AUSTIN, Texas. — To help shoppers and Team Members who want to improve their health easily and naturally, Whole Foods Market, a leader in natural and organic foods, announced today that it has launched its “Health Starts Here” initiative at all 289 locations in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Health Starts Here is the first major program to be launched since Whole Foods Market added a new core value to its mission in October 2009: “Promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education.” The new program is based on the following simple principles for everyday healthy eating:
* Plant-based – Focus on fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Get healthy fats in moderation from fresh plant sources such as nuts and avocados.
* Nutrient-dense – Eat foods with high nutrient content in comparison to total calories. Build menus around plant-based foods to emphasize nutrient-rich meals containing a variety of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. These foods are naturally lower in fat.
* Whole foods – Choose foods that are real, fresh and natural. When possible, opt for food that is organic, local and seasonal. Avoid highly processed and refined foods, and those with artificial ingredients.
“These commonsense criteria offer great health benefits, no matter what dietary path you follow,” said Wittenberg. “We are excited to promote wellness and encourage healthier lifestyles by emphasizing the value of eating nutrient-rich foods and showing people how simple it can be. I like to think of it as ‘Take charge, eat well, feel great,’ as eating for health can truly be delicious, nutritious and enjoyable.”
Healthy Eating Partners
Whole Foods Market is featuring two unique third-party healthy eating partner programs to provide easy-to-follow guidance for shoppers and Team Members. Both offer 28-day “getting started” plans while providing plenty of room for personal choices to help those who are interested in starting on their own journey down the road to optimum health.
In-Store Education
Whole Foods Market will feature free information, recipes, in-store lectures, events and support groups. A selection of supporting educational books and cookbooks will also be for sale alongside the “Engine 2 Diet” book and “Eat Right America” program materials.
“Through in-store signage and education about nutrient-dense foods, including information about how to prepare and incorporate them into your everyday life, we want to help our communities attain optimum health and well-being,” says Wittenberg.
Team Member Support and Incentives
To reiterate the company’s commitment to its newest core value and its long-time “Supporting Team Member happiness and excellence” core value, Whole Foods Market’s Health Starts Here initiative also includes two internal programs for Team Members.
Source: Whole Foods Market press release
RESEARCH NEWS: Medical Student Attitudes Toward Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine - survey results
According to survey conducted by UCLA and UC San Diego researchers, published in the online issue of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, three-quarters of medical students feel that Western medicine would benefit from integrating complementary, alternative and integrative medicine (CAM) therapies and ideas. Some of the findings included that 77 percent of participants agreed to some extent that patients whose doctors know about CAM in addition to conventional medicine, benefit more than those whose doctors are only familiar with Western medicine; and 74 percent of participants agreed to some extent that a system of medicine that integrates therapies of conventional and CAM would be more effective than either type of medicine provided independently.
If you, as a retailer, are currently partnered with a health practitioner or profession that practices CAM therapies, this is an excellent point to note to your customers and other affiliates - put this information in your next newsletter, and inform your staff. Your products can be tied to CAM therapies and treatments; use the interest in complementary, alternative and integrative medicine therapies and ideas to your advantage when merchandising, marketing, educating and deseminating information to your customers.
Check out ihr and IHP magazines for more!
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Medical Student Attitudes Toward Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine
Abstract:
While the use of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine (CAIM) is substantial, it continues to exist at the periphery of allopathic medicine. Understanding the attitudes of medical students toward CAIM will be useful in understanding future integration of CAIM and allopathic medicine. This study was conducted to develop and evaluate an instrument and assess medical students’ attitudes toward CAIM. The Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire (CAIMAQ) was developed by a panel of experts in CAIM, allopathic medicine, medical education and survey development. A total of 1770 CAIMAQ surveys (51% of US medical schools participated) were obtained in a national sample of medical students in 2007. Factor analysis of the CAIMAQ revealed five distinct attitudinal domains: desirability of CAIM therapies, progressive patient/physician health care roles, mind–body–spirit connection, principles of allostasis and a holistic understanding of disease. The students held the most positive attitude for the ‘mind–body–spirit connection’ and the least positive for the ‘desirability of CAIM therapies’. This study provided initial support for the reliability of the CAIMAQ. The survey results indicated that in general students responded more positively to the principles of CAIM than to CAIM treatment. A higher quality of CAIM-related medical education and expanded research into CAIM therapies would facilitate appropriate integration of CAIM into medical curricula. The most significant limitation of this study is a low response rate, and further work is required to assess more representative populations in order to determine whether the relationships found in this study are generalizable.
Source: eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep195
If you, as a retailer, are currently partnered with a health practitioner or profession that practices CAM therapies, this is an excellent point to note to your customers and other affiliates - put this information in your next newsletter, and inform your staff. Your products can be tied to CAM therapies and treatments; use the interest in complementary, alternative and integrative medicine therapies and ideas to your advantage when merchandising, marketing, educating and deseminating information to your customers.
Check out ihr and IHP magazines for more!
_______________________________
Medical Student Attitudes Toward Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine
Abstract:
While the use of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine (CAIM) is substantial, it continues to exist at the periphery of allopathic medicine. Understanding the attitudes of medical students toward CAIM will be useful in understanding future integration of CAIM and allopathic medicine. This study was conducted to develop and evaluate an instrument and assess medical students’ attitudes toward CAIM. The Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire (CAIMAQ) was developed by a panel of experts in CAIM, allopathic medicine, medical education and survey development. A total of 1770 CAIMAQ surveys (51% of US medical schools participated) were obtained in a national sample of medical students in 2007. Factor analysis of the CAIMAQ revealed five distinct attitudinal domains: desirability of CAIM therapies, progressive patient/physician health care roles, mind–body–spirit connection, principles of allostasis and a holistic understanding of disease. The students held the most positive attitude for the ‘mind–body–spirit connection’ and the least positive for the ‘desirability of CAIM therapies’. This study provided initial support for the reliability of the CAIMAQ. The survey results indicated that in general students responded more positively to the principles of CAIM than to CAIM treatment. A higher quality of CAIM-related medical education and expanded research into CAIM therapies would facilitate appropriate integration of CAIM into medical curricula. The most significant limitation of this study is a low response rate, and further work is required to assess more representative populations in order to determine whether the relationships found in this study are generalizable.
Source: eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep195
BUSINESS NEWS: Consumer Price Index - StatsCan
StatsCan has released the latest figures for the Consumer Price Index as of December 2009.
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Statistics Canada - Consumer Price Index
Consumer prices rose 1.3% in the 12 months to December, following a 1.0% increase in November. December's increase was the largest since February 2009.
The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index
The rise in the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI) was due primarily to gasoline prices, which exerted upward pressure on the CPI for the second consecutive month. This follows an extended period in which they were the main contributors to year-over-year declines in overall consumer prices.
In December, gasoline prices were 25.6% higher than they were in December 2008. This follows a 14.1% rise in November. December's increase was the largest since September 2008.
Overall, energy prices went up 5.9% in the 12 months to December, following a 1.3% increase in the 12 months to November.
Evolution of the gasoline price index in 2008 and 2009
Seasonally adjusted monthly CPI decreases
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the CPI fell 0.1% from November to December, after rising 0.5% from October to November. Contributors to the decline were lower prices for household operations, furnishings and equipment (-0.8%), clothing and footwear (-1.3%), and alcoholic beverages and tobacco products (-0.1%).
The seasonally adjusted monthly CPI has gone up in six of the past eight months.
12-month change: Six of the eight major components in the CPI increase
In December, six of the eight major components of the CPI recorded price increases. The exceptions were shelter and clothing and footwear.
Transportation prices, which rose 4.7% in the 12 months to December, exerted the largest upward pressure on the CPI, primarily reflecting higher gasoline prices. This was the second consecutive 12-month increase for this component. It followed 12 months of year-over-year declines between November 2008 and October 2009.
However, prices for passenger vehicles were 3.3% lower than the same period last year.
Transportation exerts the most upward pressure
Food prices rose 1.7%, matching the increase in November. Prices for dairy products and eggs rose 1.9% while prices for non-alcoholic beverages went up 4.8%.
Other major contributors to the increase were food purchased from restaurants, sugar and confectionery, lettuce, and bakery and cereal products.
On the other hand, prices fell for fresh fruit, pre-cooked frozen food preparations, and potatoes.
The cost of household operations, furnishing and equipment rose 1.9%. Upward pressure came from communications, other household goods and services, child care and domestic services, and paper, plastic and foil supplies.
Downward pressure on the household operations, furnishing and equipment index primarily came from price declines in furniture and household textiles.
Recreation, education and reading costs advanced 1.6% in the 12 months to December. Major contributors to the increase were tuition fees, cablevision and satellite services, and the purchase and operation of recreational vehicles. In contrast, prices for computer equipment and supplies and home entertainment equipment, parts and services continued to fall.
Broad-based price advances occurred in the health and personal care component (+3.0%).
Shelter costs declined 1.7% between December 2008 and December 2009, identical to the year-over-year change in November 2009. This drop was mainly the result of a 31.2% decline in natural gas prices and a decrease in mortgage interest cost.
The mortgage interest cost index, which measures the change in the interest portion of payments on outstanding mortgage debt, fell 4.9% in December, following a 4.0% decrease in November. Also, homeowners' replacement cost declined 1.2%.
Upward pressure on the shelter component came from homeowners' maintenance and repairs costs (+3.3%) and property taxes (+4.3%).
Atlantic provinces post higher price increases than Western provinces
Prince Edward Island (+3.0%), New Brunswick (+3.0%), and Nova Scotia (+2.6%) posted the largest increases in the 12 months to December. The most significant upward pressure on prices in all provinces came from higher gasoline prices, which rose by as much as 31.9% in Prince Edward Island compared with December 2008.
Higher price increases in most provinces in December
As well, prices for fuel oil and other fuels (+0.8%) were no longer exerting significant downward pressure on the CPI in December, the first 12-month increase since November 2008. These energy products are widely used in home heating in Atlantic Canada, while the rest of the country relies mostly on electricity and natural gas.
A 2.1% price increase in Quebec was driven by higher prices for gasoline and food purchased from restaurants.
In Ontario, prices rose 1.2%. This was due primarily to rises in gasoline prices (+26.8%) and passenger vehicle insurance premiums (+11.8%). However, natural gas prices fell 41.8%.
Consumer prices went up 0.6% in Alberta and 0.4% in British Columbia, with gasoline prices up 21.6% and 24.4% respectively. On the other hand, shelter costs fell 3.7% in Alberta and 3.1% in British Columbia, significantly more than the 1.7% decline posted at the national level.
12-month change in the Bank of Canada's core index
The Bank of Canada's core index advanced 1.5% over the 12 months to December, matching the increase in November.
The seasonally adjusted monthly core index went up 0.1% from November to December, following a 0.2% increase in November.
Annual change: Consumers paid less for energy in 2009
This release provides the annual average movement in components of the CPI for 2009 as a whole. Annual average indexes are calculated by averaging index levels over the 12 months of the calendar year. Annual averages should not be confused with the 12-month change in the CPI, which compares indexes for a given month to indexes for the same month a year earlier.
For 2009 as a whole, consumer prices rose by 0.3%, a significantly smaller increase than the 2.3% rise posted in 2008. The increase in 2009 was the smallest since the annual increase of 0.1% in 1994.
Change in the CPI annual average: 1984 - 2009
Energy prices exerted the most significant downward pressure on the CPI in 2009. Overall, prices for energy were 13.5% lower in 2009, contrasting with the 9.9% increase in 2008. Gasoline prices fell 17.5% in 2009, while prices for natural gas and fuel oil and other fuels were down 20.1% and 29.9%, respectively.
Source: Statistics Canada
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Statistics Canada - Consumer Price Index
Consumer prices rose 1.3% in the 12 months to December, following a 1.0% increase in November. December's increase was the largest since February 2009.
The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index
The rise in the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI) was due primarily to gasoline prices, which exerted upward pressure on the CPI for the second consecutive month. This follows an extended period in which they were the main contributors to year-over-year declines in overall consumer prices.
In December, gasoline prices were 25.6% higher than they were in December 2008. This follows a 14.1% rise in November. December's increase was the largest since September 2008.
Overall, energy prices went up 5.9% in the 12 months to December, following a 1.3% increase in the 12 months to November.
Evolution of the gasoline price index in 2008 and 2009
Seasonally adjusted monthly CPI decreases
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the CPI fell 0.1% from November to December, after rising 0.5% from October to November. Contributors to the decline were lower prices for household operations, furnishings and equipment (-0.8%), clothing and footwear (-1.3%), and alcoholic beverages and tobacco products (-0.1%).
The seasonally adjusted monthly CPI has gone up in six of the past eight months.
12-month change: Six of the eight major components in the CPI increase
In December, six of the eight major components of the CPI recorded price increases. The exceptions were shelter and clothing and footwear.
Transportation prices, which rose 4.7% in the 12 months to December, exerted the largest upward pressure on the CPI, primarily reflecting higher gasoline prices. This was the second consecutive 12-month increase for this component. It followed 12 months of year-over-year declines between November 2008 and October 2009.
However, prices for passenger vehicles were 3.3% lower than the same period last year.
Transportation exerts the most upward pressure
Food prices rose 1.7%, matching the increase in November. Prices for dairy products and eggs rose 1.9% while prices for non-alcoholic beverages went up 4.8%.
Other major contributors to the increase were food purchased from restaurants, sugar and confectionery, lettuce, and bakery and cereal products.
On the other hand, prices fell for fresh fruit, pre-cooked frozen food preparations, and potatoes.
The cost of household operations, furnishing and equipment rose 1.9%. Upward pressure came from communications, other household goods and services, child care and domestic services, and paper, plastic and foil supplies.
Downward pressure on the household operations, furnishing and equipment index primarily came from price declines in furniture and household textiles.
Recreation, education and reading costs advanced 1.6% in the 12 months to December. Major contributors to the increase were tuition fees, cablevision and satellite services, and the purchase and operation of recreational vehicles. In contrast, prices for computer equipment and supplies and home entertainment equipment, parts and services continued to fall.
Broad-based price advances occurred in the health and personal care component (+3.0%).
Shelter costs declined 1.7% between December 2008 and December 2009, identical to the year-over-year change in November 2009. This drop was mainly the result of a 31.2% decline in natural gas prices and a decrease in mortgage interest cost.
The mortgage interest cost index, which measures the change in the interest portion of payments on outstanding mortgage debt, fell 4.9% in December, following a 4.0% decrease in November. Also, homeowners' replacement cost declined 1.2%.
Upward pressure on the shelter component came from homeowners' maintenance and repairs costs (+3.3%) and property taxes (+4.3%).
Atlantic provinces post higher price increases than Western provinces
Prince Edward Island (+3.0%), New Brunswick (+3.0%), and Nova Scotia (+2.6%) posted the largest increases in the 12 months to December. The most significant upward pressure on prices in all provinces came from higher gasoline prices, which rose by as much as 31.9% in Prince Edward Island compared with December 2008.
Higher price increases in most provinces in December
As well, prices for fuel oil and other fuels (+0.8%) were no longer exerting significant downward pressure on the CPI in December, the first 12-month increase since November 2008. These energy products are widely used in home heating in Atlantic Canada, while the rest of the country relies mostly on electricity and natural gas.
A 2.1% price increase in Quebec was driven by higher prices for gasoline and food purchased from restaurants.
In Ontario, prices rose 1.2%. This was due primarily to rises in gasoline prices (+26.8%) and passenger vehicle insurance premiums (+11.8%). However, natural gas prices fell 41.8%.
Consumer prices went up 0.6% in Alberta and 0.4% in British Columbia, with gasoline prices up 21.6% and 24.4% respectively. On the other hand, shelter costs fell 3.7% in Alberta and 3.1% in British Columbia, significantly more than the 1.7% decline posted at the national level.
12-month change in the Bank of Canada's core index
The Bank of Canada's core index advanced 1.5% over the 12 months to December, matching the increase in November.
The seasonally adjusted monthly core index went up 0.1% from November to December, following a 0.2% increase in November.
Annual change: Consumers paid less for energy in 2009
This release provides the annual average movement in components of the CPI for 2009 as a whole. Annual average indexes are calculated by averaging index levels over the 12 months of the calendar year. Annual averages should not be confused with the 12-month change in the CPI, which compares indexes for a given month to indexes for the same month a year earlier.
For 2009 as a whole, consumer prices rose by 0.3%, a significantly smaller increase than the 2.3% rise posted in 2008. The increase in 2009 was the smallest since the annual increase of 0.1% in 1994.
Change in the CPI annual average: 1984 - 2009
Energy prices exerted the most significant downward pressure on the CPI in 2009. Overall, prices for energy were 13.5% lower in 2009, contrasting with the 9.9% increase in 2008. Gasoline prices fell 17.5% in 2009, while prices for natural gas and fuel oil and other fuels were down 20.1% and 29.9%, respectively.
Source: Statistics Canada
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
CRISIS IN HAITI: How You Can Help
Eight days ago, Haiti was rocked by a devastating earthquake, Thousands of people have been injured or killed, homes and notable landmarks have been destroyed, and Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been reduced to rubble.
Today, an area 56km outside of the area most affected by the earthquake was hit by the strongest aftershock after the earthquake to date.
Help is needed to guide this country and all of those affected by this event towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
Today, an area 56km outside of the area most affected by the earthquake was hit by the strongest aftershock after the earthquake to date.
Help is needed to guide this country and all of those affected by this event towards a path of rebuilding and recovering.
Those of us who have much-needed resources can provide help in a number of ways. Our sister publication, Viva, has collected some information on ways you can help - please visit the link below for more information.
INDUSTRY/BUSINESS TIPS - Alternatives to Buy Local Campaigns - SmartMoney.com
Over at SmartMoney's Small Business Site, Diana Ransom offers ways small businesses can find longevity and successful return customers through their efforts.
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Alternatives to Buy Local Campaigns
January 19, 2010
By Diana Ransom
RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS that buying local campaigns provide only limited and short-lived results for small businesses. So, as budget-conscious consumers turn to mass retailers, Internet and malls for bargains, what can small business owners do? Here are three suggestions.
Focus on the fundamentals
“In downtimes, consumers tend to go where they still get the best value,” says Jeffrey Carr, the executive director of New York University's Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. His suggestion for small firms: Focus on the fundamentals of doing business.
“When money gets tight, you either have to increase the value side of the equation or reduce the cost equation,” he says. That means most small businesses, which typically find it hard to compete on price with discount giants like Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target (TGT), should aim to beef up their customer service policies or bolster the quality of their products and services.
Broaden your definitions
Between buying local, fair trade, handmade, and sustainable, shoppers have quite a few labels to choose from. Making matters worse, they often confuse them. In surveys, consumers talk about buying local products, but when you do ethnographic research -- that is, watch them in the act of buying something local -- “they say 'look at this really cool thing I got from a tribe in Botswana',” says Steve King, a partner at Emergent Research, a research and consulting firm in Lafayette, Calif.
His suggestion: Cultivate your product list with the understanding that the consumers are willing to buy local, but they have a broader definition of doing so. Also, play up your other attributes. For instance, hit applicable touch points such as safety, contributing to the community and being environmentally conscious, King says.
Tell a story
For consumers to view your shop as unique and deserving the premium that small businesses often need to levy, offer unique or even one-of-a-kind products and services, says Paul Kurnit, a business consultant and clinical marketing professor at Pace University in New York. Then, make sure those items have a story to go along with them, he says.
Perhaps a store carries porcelain dishes that were hand-painted by a local artist. If that’s the case, include that person’s story with the plates. “The handmade idea is good, but it’s not the whole story,” Kurnit says. “In a tough economy especially, play up the customer connection.”
SourceL: SmartMoney Small Business Site
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Alternatives to Buy Local Campaigns
January 19, 2010
By Diana Ransom
RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS that buying local campaigns provide only limited and short-lived results for small businesses. So, as budget-conscious consumers turn to mass retailers, Internet and malls for bargains, what can small business owners do? Here are three suggestions.
Focus on the fundamentals
“In downtimes, consumers tend to go where they still get the best value,” says Jeffrey Carr, the executive director of New York University's Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. His suggestion for small firms: Focus on the fundamentals of doing business.
“When money gets tight, you either have to increase the value side of the equation or reduce the cost equation,” he says. That means most small businesses, which typically find it hard to compete on price with discount giants like Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target (TGT), should aim to beef up their customer service policies or bolster the quality of their products and services.
Broaden your definitions
Between buying local, fair trade, handmade, and sustainable, shoppers have quite a few labels to choose from. Making matters worse, they often confuse them. In surveys, consumers talk about buying local products, but when you do ethnographic research -- that is, watch them in the act of buying something local -- “they say 'look at this really cool thing I got from a tribe in Botswana',” says Steve King, a partner at Emergent Research, a research and consulting firm in Lafayette, Calif.
His suggestion: Cultivate your product list with the understanding that the consumers are willing to buy local, but they have a broader definition of doing so. Also, play up your other attributes. For instance, hit applicable touch points such as safety, contributing to the community and being environmentally conscious, King says.
Tell a story
For consumers to view your shop as unique and deserving the premium that small businesses often need to levy, offer unique or even one-of-a-kind products and services, says Paul Kurnit, a business consultant and clinical marketing professor at Pace University in New York. Then, make sure those items have a story to go along with them, he says.
Perhaps a store carries porcelain dishes that were hand-painted by a local artist. If that’s the case, include that person’s story with the plates. “The handmade idea is good, but it’s not the whole story,” Kurnit says. “In a tough economy especially, play up the customer connection.”
SourceL: SmartMoney Small Business Site
INDUSTRY NEWS: Burcon receives notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
According to news released today, Canadian biotech firm Burcon received a notice of allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application covering one of its processes in the production of protein isolates from oilseed meals. To-date, Burcon's patent portfolio consists of 107 issued patents in various countries, including 12 issued U.S. patents, and in excess of 200 additional pending patent applications, 67 of which are U.S. patent applications.
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Burcon receives notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
VANCOUVER, Jan. 20 /CNW/ - Burcon NutraScience Corporation (TSX - BU) ("Burcon" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce today that it has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application covering processes for reducing phytic acid in the production of protein isolates from oilseed meals. A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is nearing issuance.
Phytic acid is a naturally occurring anti-nutritional component found in oilseed meals such as canola meal and soybean meal. There is concern that, due to the strong cation binding capacity, high levels of phytic acid in the diet may decrease the bioavailability of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron, and thus impact mineral nutrition (Anderson et al. 1976; Jones, 1979; Larsen & Samdstrom, 1992; Weaver & Kannan, 2002). Phytates may also form complexes with proteins, interfering with their utilization (Hidvegi & Lasztity, 2002). For these reasons, Burcon conducted research into methods for reducing the level of phytate in the vegetable protein isolates produced from Burcon's protein extraction processes. The notice of allowance now received from the United States Patent and Trademark Office covers those processes.
"This most recent notice of allowance from the United States Patent Office is valuable as it covers important processing conditions for producing protein isolates from oilseed meals with improved nutritional characteristics," said Johann F. Tergesen, President and Chief Operating Officer, adding, "These patented processing techniques allow for Burcon's CLARISOY(TM), a revolutionary soy protein isolate as well as Puratein(R) and Supertein(TM) canola protein isolates to have a superior nutritional profile which opens up opportunities for their use in a wider spectrum of nutritional products and in additional food and beverage applications."
To-date, Burcon's patent portfolio consists of 107 issued patents in various countries, including 12 issued U.S. patents, and in excess of 200 additional pending patent applications, 67 of which are U.S. patent applications. Five of Burcon's 67 U.S. patent applications have now been allowed, including the patent allowance which is the subject of this news release, and will be issued as granted U.S. patents in the near future.
Source: Burcon
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Burcon receives notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
VANCOUVER, Jan. 20 /CNW/ - Burcon NutraScience Corporation (TSX - BU) ("Burcon" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce today that it has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application covering processes for reducing phytic acid in the production of protein isolates from oilseed meals. A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is nearing issuance.
Phytic acid is a naturally occurring anti-nutritional component found in oilseed meals such as canola meal and soybean meal. There is concern that, due to the strong cation binding capacity, high levels of phytic acid in the diet may decrease the bioavailability of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron, and thus impact mineral nutrition (Anderson et al. 1976; Jones, 1979; Larsen & Samdstrom, 1992; Weaver & Kannan, 2002). Phytates may also form complexes with proteins, interfering with their utilization (Hidvegi & Lasztity, 2002). For these reasons, Burcon conducted research into methods for reducing the level of phytate in the vegetable protein isolates produced from Burcon's protein extraction processes. The notice of allowance now received from the United States Patent and Trademark Office covers those processes.
"This most recent notice of allowance from the United States Patent Office is valuable as it covers important processing conditions for producing protein isolates from oilseed meals with improved nutritional characteristics," said Johann F. Tergesen, President and Chief Operating Officer, adding, "These patented processing techniques allow for Burcon's CLARISOY(TM), a revolutionary soy protein isolate as well as Puratein(R) and Supertein(TM) canola protein isolates to have a superior nutritional profile which opens up opportunities for their use in a wider spectrum of nutritional products and in additional food and beverage applications."
To-date, Burcon's patent portfolio consists of 107 issued patents in various countries, including 12 issued U.S. patents, and in excess of 200 additional pending patent applications, 67 of which are U.S. patent applications. Five of Burcon's 67 U.S. patent applications have now been allowed, including the patent allowance which is the subject of this news release, and will be issued as granted U.S. patents in the near future.
Source: Burcon
INDUSTRY NEWS: Gasoline Retailers Launch Lawsuit Against Suncor
Sunoco gas retailers in Ontario have filed a lawsuit against Suncor Inc. for allegedly breaching franchise agreements after Suncor said the Company would be terminating 300 retailer contracts.
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GASOLINE RETAILERS LAUNCH LAWSUIT AGAINST SUNCOR
TORONTO – Sunoco gasoline retailers in Ontario are have filed a lawsuit against Suncor Inc. for up to $200 million for allegedly breaching franchise agreements after oil and gas giant said it was terminating 300 retailer contracts.
Suncor announced last week the company was ending all agreements with its independent Sunoco retailers in Ontario as part of its merger with PetroCanada in 2009. About 100 gasoline stations will be sold in April 2010, with the remaining sites re-branded under the PetroCanada banner. "Suncor's franchise operators have been treated as chattels in the amalgamation process," said David Sterns, the lawyer representing the Sunoco retailers. The lawsuit claims Suncor failed to comply with Ontario's franchise legislations when the corporation signed the most recent contracts. The agreements entitle retailers to rescind franchise agreements for compensation.
Source: Lawday
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GASOLINE RETAILERS LAUNCH LAWSUIT AGAINST SUNCOR
TORONTO – Sunoco gasoline retailers in Ontario are have filed a lawsuit against Suncor Inc. for up to $200 million for allegedly breaching franchise agreements after oil and gas giant said it was terminating 300 retailer contracts.
Suncor announced last week the company was ending all agreements with its independent Sunoco retailers in Ontario as part of its merger with PetroCanada in 2009. About 100 gasoline stations will be sold in April 2010, with the remaining sites re-branded under the PetroCanada banner. "Suncor's franchise operators have been treated as chattels in the amalgamation process," said David Sterns, the lawyer representing the Sunoco retailers. The lawsuit claims Suncor failed to comply with Ontario's franchise legislations when the corporation signed the most recent contracts. The agreements entitle retailers to rescind franchise agreements for compensation.
Source: Lawday
Monday, January 18, 2010
INDUSTRY NEWS: Local store first to be green certified in Canada
Have you seen the most recent issue of ihr magazine? If so, then you probably read our cover story about Rainbow Natural Foods. Now, Rainbow Natural Foods is getting some more coverage, becoming the first health food store in Canada to be Green Business certified, through standards set by the Green Business League. In an article in EMC Ottawa West, Rosalyn Stevens speaks to Janet and Michael Kaplan of Rainbow Natural Foods about their Ottawa-based business and the steps they've taken to keep things green. For in-depth coverage about Rainbow, check out our December 2009/January 2010 issue of ihr today!
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Michael and Janet Kaplan have always done their part for the environment. In 1978, the pair opened Rainbow Natural Foods, one of the few stores in Ottawa to sell organic foods and supplements for healthy living.
They promoted environmentally sensible lifestyles and worked to decrease their footprint on the planet. Today, their hard work has paid off.
Rainbow Natural Foods became the first health food store in Canada to be Green Business certified, through the standards set by the Green Business League.
"It's nice to be recognized for the stuff that we've done," Mr. Kaplan said.
The certification was handed out by Carole Lair, president of Greenvolution, a certification company in Ottawa. In order to qualify, businesses must achieve a score based on environmentally friendly practices. In many cases, Ms. Lair said, business owners must make several changes to reach the required score the Kaplans hit the mark without any new work.
The store has always had a bike rack for employees and customers and has encouraged customers to use their own shopping bags by offering a discount to those who do. Today, the store charges for plastic bags and donates the proceeds to charity.
While changes to the building itself are not feasible, as the store is a tenant in the Britannia Plaza, interior work is underway. As the store expands green material much of it recycled is in use. New energy efficient lighting will be installed and the walls will be coated with low-vapor paints. Floors are cleaned with a homemade solution.
Ms. Lair said the certification process begins with an audit of existing practices and identifies areas for the business owners to improve. While the Kaplans' store met the qualifications for silver certification, they were also given opportunities to improve.
"The (items) that we really look at are waste and water reduction ... the products they're using and the toxicity of the store," Ms. Lair said. "We look at all the practices and the pollution as well."
Ms. Kaplan said the list of potential improvements is somewhat daunting, but added that they would work to achieve what they can. Ms. Lair said the process is far from complete once certification is given, noting that the groundwork for additional improvements exists with certified businesses more than uncertified. While this is the first health food store in Canada to reach the accreditation level, Ms. Lair said internationally businesses are doing their part.
"We have 261 (certification) colleagues in the (United States)," she explained, "and as you know, the States and Europe are way ahead of us (in Canada)."
She said she would maintain a relationship with the Kaplans to assist with further improvements and offer advice as needed to the business owners.
Mr. Kaplan said that while him and his partner have been working to promote organic foods and environmentally sensitive living, it was not an easy sell in the beginning. Today, he said even the larger stores are jumping on the bandwagon. He credits the awakening of environmental responsibility for the societal shift and added that the idea of genetically modified foods potentially steered consumers back to the natural side of food.
"It was somewhat satisfying to see some of the big guys do it," he noted. "Everybody should be a natural food store. There shouldn't be an unnatural food store."
Rainbow Foods is located at 1487 Richmond Rd.
Source: EMC Ottawa West
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Local store first to be green certified in Canada
by Rosalyn StevensMichael and Janet Kaplan have always done their part for the environment. In 1978, the pair opened Rainbow Natural Foods, one of the few stores in Ottawa to sell organic foods and supplements for healthy living.
They promoted environmentally sensible lifestyles and worked to decrease their footprint on the planet. Today, their hard work has paid off.
Rainbow Natural Foods became the first health food store in Canada to be Green Business certified, through the standards set by the Green Business League.
"It's nice to be recognized for the stuff that we've done," Mr. Kaplan said.
The certification was handed out by Carole Lair, president of Greenvolution, a certification company in Ottawa. In order to qualify, businesses must achieve a score based on environmentally friendly practices. In many cases, Ms. Lair said, business owners must make several changes to reach the required score the Kaplans hit the mark without any new work.
The store has always had a bike rack for employees and customers and has encouraged customers to use their own shopping bags by offering a discount to those who do. Today, the store charges for plastic bags and donates the proceeds to charity.
While changes to the building itself are not feasible, as the store is a tenant in the Britannia Plaza, interior work is underway. As the store expands green material much of it recycled is in use. New energy efficient lighting will be installed and the walls will be coated with low-vapor paints. Floors are cleaned with a homemade solution.
Ms. Lair said the certification process begins with an audit of existing practices and identifies areas for the business owners to improve. While the Kaplans' store met the qualifications for silver certification, they were also given opportunities to improve.
"The (items) that we really look at are waste and water reduction ... the products they're using and the toxicity of the store," Ms. Lair said. "We look at all the practices and the pollution as well."
Ms. Kaplan said the list of potential improvements is somewhat daunting, but added that they would work to achieve what they can. Ms. Lair said the process is far from complete once certification is given, noting that the groundwork for additional improvements exists with certified businesses more than uncertified. While this is the first health food store in Canada to reach the accreditation level, Ms. Lair said internationally businesses are doing their part.
"We have 261 (certification) colleagues in the (United States)," she explained, "and as you know, the States and Europe are way ahead of us (in Canada)."
She said she would maintain a relationship with the Kaplans to assist with further improvements and offer advice as needed to the business owners.
Mr. Kaplan said that while him and his partner have been working to promote organic foods and environmentally sensitive living, it was not an easy sell in the beginning. Today, he said even the larger stores are jumping on the bandwagon. He credits the awakening of environmental responsibility for the societal shift and added that the idea of genetically modified foods potentially steered consumers back to the natural side of food.
"It was somewhat satisfying to see some of the big guys do it," he noted. "Everybody should be a natural food store. There shouldn't be an unnatural food store."
Rainbow Foods is located at 1487 Richmond Rd.
Source: EMC Ottawa West
INDUSTRY NEWS: Canada's Inuit sue EU in attempt to overturn seal hunt ban
Canada's Inuit people have filed a lawsuit against the EU to try to overturn an EU ban on imports of seal products, according to major Inuit organizations. The ban is set to go into effect in time for the 2010 hunting season. The Inuit economy relies in part on the seal hunt; seal products can include oil used in certain vitamin supplements.
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Canada's Inuit sue EU in bid to kill seal ban
Canada's Inuit people have filed a lawsuit against the European Union in a bid to overturn an EU ban on imports of seal products, major Inuit organizations said on Wednesday.
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Canada's Inuit sue EU in bid to kill seal ban
Canada's Inuit people have filed a lawsuit against the European Union in a bid to overturn an EU ban on imports of seal products, major Inuit organizations said on Wednesday.
The EU ban was imposed in July after decades of protests from animal activists, who said the annual seal hunt was cruel and inhumane. The ban will go into effect in time for the 2010 hunting season.
The Inuit, who call Canada's vast Arctic region home and whose economy relies in part on the seal hunt, say the hunt is humane and complain. They complain the impending EU ban has sharply cut the prices for seal pelts.
"It is bitterly ironic that the EU, which seems entirely at home with promoting massive levels of agribusiness and the raising and slaughtering of animals in highly industrialized conditions, seeks to preach some kind of selective elevated morality to Inuit," said senior Inuit official Mary Simon.
There was no immediate reaction from the Ottawa office of the European Union's executive commission.
While the Inuit hunt seals in the Far North, Canada's main seal hunt takes place in March and April on the ice floes off the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The seals are usually shot, or bludgeoned over the head with a spiked club called a hakapik.
Seal products include fur used in clothing and oil used in vitamin supplements.
The Atlantic seal herd is estimated to number more than 5 million. In 2009, the quota for harp seals -- the main species hunted -- was 280,000.
In November, Canada took action at the World Trade Organization to overturn the EU ban.
This week, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was in China to promote seal products.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Rob Wilson)
Source: Reuters Canada
INDUSTRY TIPS: How To Promote Your Business When Your Website Stinks - AMEX Open Forum
Rohit Bhargava over at the AMEX Open Forum Blog gives some helpful tips to business owners and managers about how to actively promote your business using the Internet. He addresses a great point for busy business owners - getting to the point when you actually have the time and money to properly manage your website, and the gray area in between where you need to do some work for the short-term.
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How to Promote Your Business When Your Website Stinks
by Rohit Bhargava; Author, Influential Marketing
Ok, so you’ve decided to start using the Internet to promote your business more actively and most people you talk to who know about the web tell you the same thing … you need to redesign your website. The problem for many small businesses is that getting to the point when you actually have the budget or manage to get the right help to do it may take some time. In the short term, this leaves you with an interesting challenge that there just isn’t much advice for – the moment when you realize that you still need to promote your business despite having a website that you hate and which you know is less than ideal. Can it really be possible to use the Internet effectively for marketing without a good website? Yes, definitely.
Here are a few ideas on how to do just that.
Source: AMEX Open Forum Blog
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How to Promote Your Business When Your Website Stinks
by Rohit Bhargava; Author, Influential Marketing
Ok, so you’ve decided to start using the Internet to promote your business more actively and most people you talk to who know about the web tell you the same thing … you need to redesign your website. The problem for many small businesses is that getting to the point when you actually have the budget or manage to get the right help to do it may take some time. In the short term, this leaves you with an interesting challenge that there just isn’t much advice for – the moment when you realize that you still need to promote your business despite having a website that you hate and which you know is less than ideal. Can it really be possible to use the Internet effectively for marketing without a good website? Yes, definitely.
Here are a few ideas on how to do just that.
1. Announce a non-existent redesign. The first thing you need to do with a subpar website is to give customers the impression you are working to improve it. The only thing worse than a bad website is one that seems like it will be bad forever. So put a note on your homepage in some way sharing that your redesign is “coming soon.” If you think about it, this is exactly what retail destinations do when they hang those signs saying “please pardon our progress.” Progress takes time, but the first important lesson is that your customers need to know that it is coming ... even if you have no idea when.
2. Create other homepages. The nice thing about the web today is that you can get up and running on a host of other sites to create a branded presence for your business in less than an hour. What this means is that your website doesn’t need to be the only place that you share information about your business. Need a page telling people where you are located? Populate that information into Google Maps and use that link. Want to tell people about your business and share some images? Create a Facebook fan page for your business. There are lots of sites out there where you can share information about your business without needing to just point people to your site.
3. Fix your homepage first. The homepage of your site is the gateway to your business and the first impression someone is likely to have. While a full redesign may be some time away, getting some help to recreate your homepage can be a good investment to start people with a positive experience of your site and then potentially drive them to other homepages as mentioned in #3.
4. Use more direct communications. When you can’t rely on your website to reach your customers, you may want to consider a more direct model. Email marketing certainly fits into this category – but starting a Twitter account and sharing updates directly can also be a way of offering a more consistent stream of content or information without relying on your website to do it.
Source: AMEX Open Forum Blog
INDUSTRY NEWS: Merchants Sue Canada Line Over Construction
Dozens of Vancouver merchants have filed a lawsuit against Canada Line Rapid Transit, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority and Intransit BC. The businesses say that the delays in construction of a public transit line are impairing the public's ability to access their stores; further, they are also claiming that the "cut and cover" construction method is needlessly disruptive.
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MERCHANTS SUE CANADA LINE OVER CONSTRUCTION
VANCOUVER – Dozens of businesses in the City of Vancouver have filed a lawsuit against Canada Line Rapid Transit, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority and Intransit BC over delays in construction over a public transit line. The businesses say the "cut and cover" construction method used to build part of the line was needlessly disruptive, and that a "bored tunnel" would have "involved no disturbance to the surface of the Canada Line route between stations." The street closures "significantly impaired the ability of the public to conveniently access the plaintiffs' premises," according to the complaint. The businesses claim the were either driven out of business or forced to move and, suffered lost revenue and profits while incurring increased costs to cope with the nuisance created by the line's construction. "It was very depressing for a busy store where people are coming in and out all the time to where almost nobody was walking in the store at all," said pharmacist Marvin Nider, one of the plaintiffs. The lawsuit is in addition to another class action lawsuit that has already been filed, involving 250 businesses in Vancouver’s Cambie Village alone. In both lawsuits the plaintiffs claim they were devastated by the cut and cover construction method.Source: Lawday
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MERCHANTS SUE CANADA LINE OVER CONSTRUCTION
VANCOUVER – Dozens of businesses in the City of Vancouver have filed a lawsuit against Canada Line Rapid Transit, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority and Intransit BC over delays in construction over a public transit line. The businesses say the "cut and cover" construction method used to build part of the line was needlessly disruptive, and that a "bored tunnel" would have "involved no disturbance to the surface of the Canada Line route between stations." The street closures "significantly impaired the ability of the public to conveniently access the plaintiffs' premises," according to the complaint. The businesses claim the were either driven out of business or forced to move and, suffered lost revenue and profits while incurring increased costs to cope with the nuisance created by the line's construction. "It was very depressing for a busy store where people are coming in and out all the time to where almost nobody was walking in the store at all," said pharmacist Marvin Nider, one of the plaintiffs. The lawsuit is in addition to another class action lawsuit that has already been filed, involving 250 businesses in Vancouver’s Cambie Village alone. In both lawsuits the plaintiffs claim they were devastated by the cut and cover construction method.Source: Lawday
Friday, January 15, 2010
GLOBAL BUSINESS NEWS: A Two-Speed World Is Emerging from the Wreckage of the Great Recession - BCG
A recent press release containing an analysis from The Boston Consulting Group says that the world's rapidly developing economies - in particular, China, Brazil and India - will accelerate out of the global economic downturn faster than their Western rivals. According to the release, "from 2010 to 2015, if economies follow the historical pattern of postrecession growth charted by the International Monetary Fund, the long-term annual growth rates in the United States, Europe, and Japan could fall below 2 percent." Further, "by contrast, it is likely that growth rates in China, India, and Brazil will return to levels closer to those seen before the crisis: for China, 8 to 9 percent; for India, 6 to 7 percent; and for Brazil, 3 to 4 percent. Of the BRIC countries, only Russia is at risk of seeing growth rates as low as 2 to 3 percent, far below precrisis levels."
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A Two-Speed World Is Emerging from the Wreckage of the Great Recession, as Companies in China, Brazil, and India Prepare to Accelerate Out of the Downturn More Quickly Than Their Western Rivals, Says BCG.
BOSTON, January 6, 2010—The world’s rapidly developing economies are poised to live up to their name in the aftermath of the Great Recession and to reduce the wealth gap between themselves and their great rivals in the West, according to new analysis by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), released today.
From 2010 to 2015, if economies follow the historical pattern of postrecession growth charted by the International Monetary Fund, the long-term annual growth rates in the United States, Europe, and Japan could fall below 2 percent.
By contrast, it is likely that growth rates in China, India, and Brazil will return to levels closer to those seen before the crisis: for China, 8 to 9 percent; for India, 6 to 7 percent; and for Brazil, 3 to 4 percent. Of the BRIC countries, only Russia is at risk of seeing growth rates as low as 2 to 3 percent, far below precrisis levels.
This study, highlighting the fast emergence of a two-speed world, was produced in conjunction with the forthcoming book Accelerating Out of the Great Recession: Winning in a Slow-Growth Economy (McGraw-Hill, February 2010) by BCG senior partners David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter.
“The implication of our projections for the global economy is this: Business leaders need to prepare for a two-speed world,” said Stelter. “Many developing countries appear to have dodged the economic bullet, at least for now. This should force companies in the West to realize—if they haven’t already done so—that they are going to be in a dogfight for growth over the next five to ten years.”
Added Rhodes, “The postcrisis era will be marked by the growth ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ Companies need to understand this and to proactively develop business models that enable them to make the most of growth where it exists.”
BCG’s Simulation of Growth Through 2015 Shows the Emergence of a Two-Speed World
According to the International Monetary Fund, economies tend to have a significant “output gap”—the deviation of actual output from its extrapolated precrisis trend growth—in the seven years after a banking crisis. On average, actual output is 10 percent below its precrisis trend (an output gap of –10 percent).
Building on the IMF’s findings, BCG has created a model to explore the effects of the Great Recession on likely growth patterns. The model shows that, in some countries, the output gap is likely to be significantly worse than average.
In Russia, the BCG model projects an output gap in 2015 of –29.7 percent; in the United Kingdom, –16.7 percent; in the United States, –12.8 percent; and in Germany, –11.7 percent. By contrast, Brazil is projected to be ahead of its precrisis growth trend, with an output gap of 1.3 percent. For India, the output gap is expected to be –2.5 percent; and for China, – 4.3 percent.
Source: The Boston Consulting Group
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A Two-Speed World Is Emerging from the Wreckage of the Great Recession, as Companies in China, Brazil, and India Prepare to Accelerate Out of the Downturn More Quickly Than Their Western Rivals, Says BCG.
BOSTON, January 6, 2010—The world’s rapidly developing economies are poised to live up to their name in the aftermath of the Great Recession and to reduce the wealth gap between themselves and their great rivals in the West, according to new analysis by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), released today.
From 2010 to 2015, if economies follow the historical pattern of postrecession growth charted by the International Monetary Fund, the long-term annual growth rates in the United States, Europe, and Japan could fall below 2 percent.
By contrast, it is likely that growth rates in China, India, and Brazil will return to levels closer to those seen before the crisis: for China, 8 to 9 percent; for India, 6 to 7 percent; and for Brazil, 3 to 4 percent. Of the BRIC countries, only Russia is at risk of seeing growth rates as low as 2 to 3 percent, far below precrisis levels.
This study, highlighting the fast emergence of a two-speed world, was produced in conjunction with the forthcoming book Accelerating Out of the Great Recession: Winning in a Slow-Growth Economy (McGraw-Hill, February 2010) by BCG senior partners David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter.
“The implication of our projections for the global economy is this: Business leaders need to prepare for a two-speed world,” said Stelter. “Many developing countries appear to have dodged the economic bullet, at least for now. This should force companies in the West to realize—if they haven’t already done so—that they are going to be in a dogfight for growth over the next five to ten years.”
Added Rhodes, “The postcrisis era will be marked by the growth ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ Companies need to understand this and to proactively develop business models that enable them to make the most of growth where it exists.”
BCG’s Simulation of Growth Through 2015 Shows the Emergence of a Two-Speed World
According to the International Monetary Fund, economies tend to have a significant “output gap”—the deviation of actual output from its extrapolated precrisis trend growth—in the seven years after a banking crisis. On average, actual output is 10 percent below its precrisis trend (an output gap of –10 percent).
Building on the IMF’s findings, BCG has created a model to explore the effects of the Great Recession on likely growth patterns. The model shows that, in some countries, the output gap is likely to be significantly worse than average.
In Russia, the BCG model projects an output gap in 2015 of –29.7 percent; in the United Kingdom, –16.7 percent; in the United States, –12.8 percent; and in Germany, –11.7 percent. By contrast, Brazil is projected to be ahead of its precrisis growth trend, with an output gap of 1.3 percent. For India, the output gap is expected to be –2.5 percent; and for China, – 4.3 percent.
Source: The Boston Consulting Group
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