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Harris Williams Advises Midwest Dental on its Sale to Smile Brands Inc.

Harris Williams Advises Midwest Dental on its Sale to Smile Brands Inc.

RICHMOND, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it advised Midwest Dental, a portfolio company of FFL Partners (FFL), on its sale to Smile Brands Inc. (Smile Brands), a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors (Gryphon). Midwest Dental is a leading dental service organization with over 230 clinics in 17 states. The transaction was led by James Clark, Andy Dixon, Tyler Bradshaw, Andrew Hoft and Cameron Thomas of the Harris Williams Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) Group.

“Midwest Dental is a premier dental services organization with a legacy that spans more than 50 years. The company has a devoted base of patients of all ages and has become a trusted partner providing best-in-class support to its affiliated dental practices,” said James Clark, a managing director at Harris Williams. “It was a pleasure working with the teams at Midwest Dental and FFL on this transaction, and we are excited to see the strategic combination evolve over time.”

“The dental industry remains attractive to investors given its solid fundamentals and long-term growth dynamics. Midwest Dental’s rapid recovery following COVID-19 shutdowns demonstrates the strength of its operating model and management team, as well as the industry’s resilience and importance to overall patient health. We are excited to have had the opportunity to work with the company and to extend our successful track record in the sector,” added Andy Dixon, a managing director at Harris Williams.

Midwest Dental is a leading dental services organization, founded in 1968 as a single dental practice in rural Mondovi, Wisconsin. The company emphasizes patient satisfaction and improving dental health outcomes by providing an exceptional care environment for its over 350 affiliated dentists. Today, the company continues its philosophy supporting over 230 clinics across 17 states including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

FFL is a San Francisco-based private equity firm with over $4.5 billion under management. For over twenty years, the firm has helped build industry-leading companies, supplying capital and advice to exceptional management teams to grow businesses and unlock value. FFL has deep experience in investing and operations and has brought large-company best practices and professional networks to smaller companies. Business growth has provided over 75% of the value created by FFL for its investors. FFL invests in business services, industrials and healthcare services.

Based in Irvine, California, Smile Brands is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. The organization’s award-winning culture has made it the only dental support organization on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work for the past three years. Smile Brands’ affiliated dentists benefit from industry-leading business support services, so they can spend more time caring for patients and less time on the administrative, marketing and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. The organization supports approximately 420 affiliated practices and 60 brands across 18 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon, a leading middle market private equity firm based in San Francisco.

Based in San Francisco, Gryphon is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle market companies in partnership with experienced management. The firm has managed over $5.0 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $300 million in portfolio companies with enterprise values ranging from approximately $100 million to $600 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources and operational expertise.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

The Harris Williams HCLS Group has experience across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare providers; payors and payor services; outsourced pharmaceutical services; medical device supply chain; healthcare IT; and pharmacy. For more information on the HCLS Group and other recent transactions, visit the HCLS Group’s section of the Harris Williams website.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 5th Floor, 6 St. Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AE, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [email protected]). Geschäftsführer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

For media inquiries, please contact Julia Moore at [email protected].

KEYWORDS: United States North America New York Virginia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Professional Services Health Dental Finance Consulting Banking

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Albertsons Companies, Inc. Announces Proposed Senior Notes Offering

Albertsons Companies, Inc. Announces Proposed Senior Notes Offering

BOISE, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) (the “Company”) today announced its intention to offer $500 million in aggregate principal amount of additional 3.500% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Additional Notes”). The Additional Notes will be issued under the same indenture as those issued by the Company on August 31, 2020. The Company and its subsidiaries, Safeway Inc., New Albertsons L.P. and Albertson’s LLC, will be co-issuers of the Additional Notes.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with approximately $224 million of cash on hand, to (i) fund a partial redemption (the “Redemption”) of $700 million in aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “Existing 2025 Notes”) and (ii) pay fees and expenses related to the Redemption and the issuance of the Additional Notes.

Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the Existing 2025 Notes, the Company will issue a conditional notice of redemption to redeem the outstanding Existing 2025 Notes. The Redemption will be conditional upon successful completion of the offering of the Additional Notes.

The Additional Notes will be offered in the United States to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and to persons outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Additional Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Additional Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of September 12, 2020, the Company operated 2,252 retail food and drug stores with 1,725 pharmacies, 398 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, the Company made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans’ outreach.

Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations, perspectives and projected financial performance, are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions, when related to the Company and its subsidiaries, indicate forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding our current expectations and beliefs as to our ability to consummate the offering of Additional Notes, the intended use of proceeds thereof, other pending transactions, and other future events. These risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, about which there are still many unknowns, including the duration of the pandemic and the extent of its impact. The Company cautions that actual results could differ materially from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements. The Company also cautions that undue reliance should not be placed on any of the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no responsibility to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect actual outcomes. Information about certain potential factors that could affect our business and financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements are included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, as amended, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended June 20, 2020 and September 12, 2020, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and may be contained in reports subsequently filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Media Contact:

Melissa Plaisance

[email protected]| 925-226-5115

KEYWORDS: Idaho United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Retail Discount/Variety Retail Supermarket Convenience Store

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LendingTree Ranks America’s Most Expensive Small Towns

Vineyard Haven, Mass., Summit Park, Utah, and Jackson, Wyo. have the most expensive home prices among small towns in US

PR Newswire

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In its latest study, LendingTree® analyzed the 50 US towns with populations under 50,000 with the most expensive median-home values. LendingTree then ranked the towns based on where home values were the highest and also compared home values in these towns to home values in the nation’s 50 largest cities. The goal: To determine whether towns are actually less expensive than cities.

Key findings

  • Small towns Vineyard Haven, Mass., Summit Park, Utah and Jackson, Wyo., have the most expensive home prices in the nation. The median home prices in these towns are $667,400, $598,900 and $563,100 respectively, meaning that a home in any of these areas costs about as much as a home in Los Angeles does. In fact, homes in Vineyard Haven and Summit Park are even more expensive than they are in Los Angeles.
  • Relative to income, homes in Vineyard Haven, Mass., Breckenridge, Colo. and Jackson, Wyo., are the most expensive. In these areas, the median home price is an average of 7.5 times higher than the median area income. This suggests that homebuyers in these towns have to stretch their budgets in order to buy a home.
  • Homes are the least expensive relative to median household income in Los Alamos, N.M., Gillette, Wyo. and Rock Springs, Wyo. The median home price in these areas is an average 2.7 times higher than the median area income, suggesting that homes in each town are relatively affordable. However, this isn’t all that surprising given that the median income in each town is higher than the overall average for the towns featured in LendingTree’s study, while home prices are lower than average.
  • On average, buying a home in one of the nation’s 50 most expensive towns is more costly than buying a home in one of the nation’s largest metros. An average of the median home prices across the towns featured in LendingTree’s study is $271,224. In the nation’s 50 largest cities, the average of median home prices is $269,180.
  • Although America’s most expensive towns are often more expensive than its largest cities, people who live in towns tend to earn less income than they would in a city. The median household income across the nation’s most expensive towns averages to $60,150, nearly $7,000 less than the average median household income across the nation’s 50 largest cities.

 




Top 10 Most Expensive Small Towns in US

 


Rank


Micropolitan area


Total population 2018


Median household income


Median home value


Home value to income ratio

1

Vineyard Haven, MA

17,313

$71,224

$667,400

9.37

2

Summit Park, UT

40,511

$100,453

$598,900

5.96

3

Jackson, WY

34,139

$78,452

$563,100

7.18

4

Breckenridge, CO

30,429

$77,589

$563,000

7.26

5

Steamboat Springs, CO

24,874

$74,273

$510,600

6.87

6

Heber, UT

30,523

$77,449

$388,900

5.02

7

Hood River, OR

23,131

$62,935

$355,100

5.64

8

Gardnerville Ranchos, NV

47,828

$62,503

$346,500

5.54

9

Juneau, AK

32,330

$88,213

$344,000

3.9

10

Hailey, ID

28,201

$51,207

$340,800

6.66

 

To view the full report, visit: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/most-expensive-towns-in-america/

Methodology
Data used in this study comes from the 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (the most recent survey which has the data necessary to perform this study). For the purposes of this study, LendingTree used micropolitan level data to approximate town level data.

When determining whether or not a home is affordable, the assumption is that an income earner will be able to afford a 20% down payment on the median home value in their area, and that they will receive a mortgage loan with a rate of 4.6% (the average rate offered to Americans). By using that data, the likely monthly payment and down payment for a median-priced home in a given micropolitan area were calculated.

An “affordable” monthly mortgage payment is based on the “28% rule,” which says that a person should not spend more than 28% of their yearly gross salary on yearly costs related to housing. This rule, while not necessarily applicable to everyone, is useful for homebuyers to keep in mind, as it helps to ensure that they are not overspending on their home and leaving too little money for other expenses.

By subtracting the monthly housing payment that is affordable to an income earner in the geographies highlighted in the study from the calculated housing payment that would be required to purchase a home valued at the median level, we are able to determine whether or not an average townsperson can reasonably afford to purchase a home in the town that they live in.

About LendingTree
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search, and can choose the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student loans, insurance, credit cards and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on our network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. In short, LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information, go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree

MEDIA CONTACT:


Stacia Werksma

[email protected]

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SOURCE LendingTree.com

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ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 307,000 Jobs in November

PR Newswire

ROSELAND, N.J., Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Private sector employment increased by 307,000 jobs from October to November according to the November ADP National Employment Report®.  Broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge, the ADP National Employment Report is produced by the ADP Research Institute® in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics.  The report, which is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis.  



November 2020 Report Highlights

*

View the ADP National Employment Report Infographic at www.adpemploymentreport.com.

Total U.S. Nonfarm Private Employment:     307,000

By Company Size

– Small businesses:     110,000

  • 1-19 employees     60,000
  • 20-49 employees     50,000

– Medium businesses:     139,000

  • 50-499 employees     139,000

– Large businesses:     58,000

  • 500-999 employees     45,000
  • 1,000+ employees     13,000

By Sector

– Goods-producing:     31,000

  • Natural resources/mining     1,000
  • Construction     22,000
  • Manufacturing     8,000

– Service-providing:     276,000

  • Trade/transportation/utilities     31,000
  • Information     0
  • Financial activities     8,000
  • Professional/business services     55,000
         – Professional/technical services     18,000
         – Management of
           companies/enterprises     1,000
         – Administrative/support services    36,000
  • Education/health services     69,000
         – Health care/social assistance     60,000
         – Education     9,000
  • Leisure/hospitality     95,000
  • Other services     18,000

* Sum of components may not equal total, due to rounding.

– Franchise Employment**

  • Franchise jobs     33,700

**Complete details on franchise employment can be found here.

“While November saw employment gains, the pace continues to slow,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. “Job growth remained positive across all industries and sizes.”

The matched sample used to develop the ADP National Employment Report was derived from ADP payroll data, which represents 460,000 U.S. clients employing nearly 26 million workers in the U.S. The October total of jobs added was revised from 365,000 to 404,000.  

To obtain additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including additional charts, supporting data and the schedule of future release dates, or to subscribe to the monthly email alerts and RSS feeds, please visit www.adpemploymentreport.com.

The December 2020ADP National Employment Report will be released at 8:15 a.m. ET on January 6, 2021.

About the ADP National Employment Report
®
The ADP National Employment Report® is a monthly measure of the change in total U.S. nonfarm private employment derived from actual, anonymous payroll data of client companies served by ADP®, a leading provider of human capital management solutions.  The report, which measures nearly 26 million U.S. workers, is produced by the ADP Research Institute®, a specialized group within the company that provides insights around employment trends and workforce strategy, in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, Inc.

Each month, ADP Research Institute issues the ADP National Employment Report as part of the company’s commitment to adding deeper insights into the U.S. labor market and providing businesses, governments and others with a source of credible and valuable information.  The ADP National Employment Report is broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge.

The data for this report is collected for pay periods that can be interpolated to include the week of the 12th of each month, and processed with statistical methodologies similar to those used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to compute employment from its monthly survey of establishments.  Due to this processing, this subset is modified to make it indicative of national employment levels; therefore, the resulting employment changes computed for the ADP National Employment Report are not representative of changes in ADP’s total base of U.S. business clients.

For a description of the underlying data and the statistical model used to create this report, please see the ADP National Employment Report: Development Methodology.

About the ADP Research Institute
The mission of the ADP Research Institute is to generate data-driven discoveries about the world of work, and to derive reliable economic indicators from these insights. We offer these findings to the world at large as our unique contribution to making the world of work better and more productive, and to bring greater awareness to the economy at large.

About Moody’s Analytics
Moody’s Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs.

About ADP (NASDAQ – ADP)
Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential.  HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people.   Learn more at ADP.com

ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People,
ADP National Employment Report, ADP Small Business Report, ADP National Franchise Report, and ADP Research Institute are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2020 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.

ADP-Media

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SOURCE ADP, Inc.

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Healix International/HX Global launches 2021 Risk Forecasts New Risk Oracle Report Released to the Public

Boston, Dec. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of its continuing efforts to help businesses plan for and manage risks  associated with employee safety,  Healix International/HX Global is pleased to announce the release of its annual Risk Oracle report and Security Risk Map for 2021. The report provides essential resources for employers with global operations looking to anticipate and react risks anywhere in the world.

Although COVID-19 has dominated the focus of every business in 2020, around the world there also has been a steady stream of underlying challenges that have received less risk management focus, despite their potential to cause enduring operational disruption. The Risk Oracle report and Security Risk Map help to shed light on the less noticed, yet potentially damaging risks businesses might face.

As 2020 has demonstrated, 2021 is likely to also be a very busy year for challenging global events. As the report and Risk Map will show, some events will be predictable, some unprecedented. These types of risks – combined with a global drive for economic growth and the expectation of a new and as yet undefined “normal” – are expected to drive a greater need for robust organizational resilience plans than ever before.

Risk Oracle 2021: What’s inside?

  • Top risks to watch in 2021
  • A look back on regional highlights for the preceding year
  • Outlook for the global risk landscape for the year ahead
  • An introduction to Healix Sentinel
  • Regional Security Risk Maps

PLUS: The Risk Oracle report features a deep-dive into COVID-19, including expert analysis of the “vaccine race to save the world” and an assessment of what the new normal might  look like as the year progresses.


Click here to download the report.

Security Risk Map 2021

While risks can never be fully eliminated, understanding the evolving threats to an organization is essential. The Healix International/HX Global team draws upon specialized expertise from across its organization. It has assessed the risk landscape of every country around the world and assigned a security risk rating to each one. The risk ratings are designed to indicate the likelihood of being impacted by a security incident in a given country.


About HX Global


HX Global, the U.S. division of Healix International, has been providing assistance and travel risk consultancy solutions to some of the world’s most well-known corporations, governments and NGOs for over two decades. HX Global’s fully integrated team has the skill and experience to address the myriad risks facing today’s travellers. Its combined medical, travel and risk management expertise places HX Global in the unique position to deliver comprehensive, cost-effective solutions without compromising high-quality support for the end-user. To learn more, please visit www.hx-global.com. 



For more information, please contact the HX Global Press Office:
Stephanie Miller, Sr. Communications Director, Americas
[email protected] 
+1 617 750 7907

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Recruiter.com’s Recruiter Index® to be Featured on CNBC for Seventh Consecutive Month

HOUSTON, Dec. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recruiter.com Group, Inc. (OTCQB: RCRT), a leading hiring platform with the world’s largest network of recruiters, is pleased to announce its Chairman and CEO, Evan Sohn, will present the results of the Company’s Recruiter Index® for November 2020 live on CNBC this Thursday, December 3, on “The Exchange,” which airs 1 pm to 2 pm EST.

The Recruiter Index® is a survey of the Recruiter.com recruiter network, which is comprised of more than 27,000 small and independent recruiters. It has a successful track record of forecasting the Labor Department’s jobs report by relying on recruiters’ sentiment.

“Our network platform gives us special insight into areas of business that show the most growth potential, and I am excited for the opportunity to again share the latest results with the CNBC audience,” said Sohn.  

Recruiter.com will also host a video conference and panel discussion at 1:00 pm EST on Tuesday, December 8, to further discuss the Recruiter Index, as well as general recruiting and hiring trends.

To participate in the video conference, click here or go to:

https://recruiter.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P
H
RfHatqQhiXZWgzrd0rdg

Recruiter.com Group, Inc.

Recruiter.com is a hiring platform for the world’s largest network of small and independent recruiters. We empower businesses to recruit specialized talent faster with virtual teams of recruiters, AI job-matching, and video technology. Visit https://www.recruiter.com.

For investor information, visit https://www.recruiter.com/investors.html.

Please follow social media channels for additional updates:

Company Contact:

Recruiter.com Group, Inc.

Phone: (855) 931-1500

Investor Relations:

Dave Gentry

RedChip Companies, Inc.

Phone: (407) 491-4498

[email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “forecasts,” “forecasting,” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include continued demand for professional hiring, the accuracy of the Recruiter Index® survey, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the job market and the economy as virus levels are again rising in many states, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.



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Sinopec’s Fixed-point Poverty Alleviation and Pairing Program Lifts Eight Counties Out of Poverty in Response to UN Sustainable Development Goals

PR Newswire

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, “Sinopec”) has announced that Dongxiang Autonomous County in Gansu Province has been lifted out of poverty, the last of the eight counties in Sinopec’s fixed-point poverty alleviation and pairing program to eradicate poverty.

 

 

 

The previous seven counties in Sinopec’s poverty relief program that have overcome poverty are Fenghuang and Luxi counties in Hunan Province, Yingshang and Yuexi counties in Anhui Province, Yopurga County in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Baingoin County in Tibet Autonomous Region and Zeku County in Qinghai Province.

Sinopec has developed precise poverty alleviation plans based on regional characteristics and advantages.

In poverty relief through industrial development, Sinopec has adapted to local conditions and natural endowments to develop specialty industries, such as promoting the quinoa produced in Dongxiang County, the “Sunshine Bazaar” series of dried fruit products in Xinjiang and an “Easy Joy-Zhuoma Spring” project that brings natural drinking water from Tibet to consumers across the country.

In poverty relief through consumption, Sinopec has helped products from the poverty alleviation program to enter the national market through 27,000 gas station convenience stores and seven online poverty relief shopping platforms, with the entire Sinopec system participating proactively in the initiative. In the past two years, Sinopec has helped to sell more than CNY600 million (US$91.40 million) worth of poverty relief products.

In terms of poverty relief through employment, Sinopec has hosted special job fairs in poverty-stricken regions with the goal of “one person’s employment lifts a family from poverty”. A Sinopec Poverty Alleviation Training Platform was established to offer regular vocational skills and agricultural training.

In promoting poverty relief through education, Sinopec has built 68 schools in designated poverty alleviation regions, purchased more than 30,000 pieces of teaching equipment and issued more than 20 million yuan ($US 3.1 million) in grants. To further support education development in poor areas, Sinopec also opened Spring Buds and Resilient classes for students in need.

In medical poverty alleviation, Sinopec has carried out the Sinopec Lifeline Express Health public welfare project for 16 years, bringing light to more than 46,000 cataract patients in impoverished regions. The company also introduced medical resources from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMC) to poor areas and equipped them with urgently needed medical equipment, while continuing to improve the local medical conditions and make precise poverty alleviation plans.

In the meantime, Sinopec also focuses on improving people’s quality of life by implementing a series of livelihood projects including transportation, water supply, lighting, pipelines, water conservation and dilapidated building renovation that effectively addressed and improved the working and living problems of drinking water, electricity, transportation and housing in densely populated areas. These projects promoted the economic development of poverty-stricken areas and built the foundation to eradicate poverty.

“Sinopec will earnestly fulfill its corporate social responsibilities and complete solid work in all aspects to play a pillar role in poverty alleviation, we will continue to aid impoverished counties in the fixed-point poverty alleviation and pairing program, with support not being withdrawn, and Sinopec will consolidate the hard-earned results and push forward rural revitalization, joining hands with the people in poor regions to strive for a well-off future,” said Zhang Yuzhuo, chairman of Sinopec.

Sinopec has been actively involved in poverty alleviation since 1988, it has invested more than 2.4 billion yuan (US$ 365.6 million) in support and assistance. As of now, 67 Sinopec affiliated enterprises are carrying out supporting projects in 709 villages, with a total of 1,945 staff members fighting on the frontline of poverty alleviation.

Sinopec has achieved remarkable results in the continuous practice and exploration of precise poverty relief efforts, which led to the establishment of a Sinopec poverty alleviation model that drives industry with consumption, stimulates employment with industry and motivates productive powers in poverty-stricken areas.

For more information, please visit: www.sinopecgroup.com/group

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SOURCE Sinopec

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CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée Selects QAD DynaSys Cloud Solutions to Improve Customer Service Levels and Satisfaction

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée Selects QAD DynaSys Cloud Solutions to Improve Customer Service Levels and Satisfaction

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–QAD DynaSys, a leading provider of digital supply chain planning solutions, announced today that CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée, a French leader in pharmaceutical distribution, has selected the QAD DynaSys Retail Planning solution including demand planning, distribution planning, procurement planning, and advanced analytics capabilities to optimize its supply chain. QAD DynaSys is a division of QAD Inc. (Nasdaq: QADA) (Nasdaq: QADB).

“We are in a permanent quest for continuous improvement of our processes. Acquiring an APS (Advanced Planning Systems) solution for our supplies and forecasts is fully in line with our approach,” said Céline Querry, procurement manager at CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée. “In addition, our market’s globalization, relocalization of production and variations in demand made the pharmaceutical supply chain more complex. In this context, we decided to structure our planning process, including sales forecasting, supply planning and inventory optimization. After undergoing a review process that included several prominent advanced planning systems providers, we selected QAD DynaSys.”

Created in 1921 by a group of pharmacists, CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée is a leader in the pharmaceutical distribution industry, and works closely with pharmacies and dispensaries in France. It is a public limited company whose customers are also shareholders and directors. It has an annual revenue of 2.125€ billion and employs 1,700 people throughout 25 different sites.

From a specific solution to an agile supply chain

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée realized that to compete in the face of the historic disruption affecting the pharmaceutical market, it needed to make its supply chain more collaborative and flexible. At the beginning of 2019, CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée launched a call for tender, focusing on the market’s prominent software vendors. In 2020, it selected QAD DynaSys’ cloud-based retail planning solution. QAD DynaSys Retail Planning includes the DynaSys Demand Planning, Distribution Planning, Procurement Planning and Advanced Analytics solutions.

“We are an essential intermediary between laboratories, which have their own priorities and supply problems, including the globalization in the supply of active ingredients, and pharmacists who must serve a wide range of public health concerns,” said Marc Hoeschen, director of logistics at CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée. “We also have a legal duty to deliver prescription medicine within 24 hours, or guarantee 15 days of available inventory of sales in our distribution area. We must anticipate difficulties that may occur on one side of the supply chain and balance that with the needs of those on the other side, while taking into account our costs. To accomplish all this, we must have the most agile and reliable supply chain possible.”

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée selected QAD DynaSys to improve customer service and satisfaction levels while optimizing its costs. It chose the QAD DynaSys solution for several specific reasons including:

  • The comprehensive nature of the QAD DynaSys end-to-end digital supply chain planning solution
  • QAD DynaSys’ leading-edge technology
  • The solution’s easy-to-use Adaptive User Experience (UX)
  • QAD DynaSys’ robust and evolving use of machine learning within its supply chain solutions
  • Hosting the solution in the cloud matches the company’s business strategy
  • The deep expertise of the QAD DynaSys project team and QAD DynaSys’ ability to support CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée’s business in the future
  • The financial stability of QAD and its continuous investment in research and development

“The choice of QAD DynaSys and its cloud-based solution is fully aligned with our quest for continuous improvement,” said Hoeschen. “Customer satisfaction is our only objective. Our commitment to pharmacists, who are also shareholders and administrators of the company, is unwavering. We owe them the best. It is a fraternal and common vision that makes up the DNA of our organization.”

“We are pleased to welcome CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée into the growing QAD DynaSys community,” said QAD DynaSys President Ariel Weil. “We know that our end-to-end digital supply chain planning solutions can support the challenges faced by life sciences companies like CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée. Our team of experts is ready to implement the solution, and customize it to their business activities and information technology environment. We are delighted to help them build the future of their supply chain with confidence and sustainability.”

About CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée

  • One of the leading pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors in the French market with an 11.5% market share
  • A leader in its geographic sector with a 32.15% market share
  • 24 sites to support daily deliveries to pharmacies
  • Over 4,000 customers (pharmacies)
  • 1,700 reactive employees to serve them

Learn more: www.cerp-rrm.com/

About QAD DynaSys – Digital Supply Chain Planning Solutions

QAD DynaSys, a division of QAD Inc. (Nasdaq: QADA) (Nasdaq: QADB), provides Digital Supply Chain Planning solutions. With 35 years of experience, QAD DynaSys provides an integrated and collaborative planning solution that allows businesses to optimize their supply chains, including sales and operations planning, demand planning, network and inventory and business resources optimizations. QAD DynaSys software enables customers and partners in the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, life sciences, apparel, luxury, high tech, automotive, distribution and retail verticals to meet their goals of better managing Demand and Supply Chain Planning, and building the future of their supply chain.

For more information about QAD DynaSys, visit www.dys.com or email [email protected].

Note to Investors: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding projections of revenue, income and loss, capital expenditures, plans and objectives of management regarding the company’s business, future economic performance or any of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are based on the company’s current expectations. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “could,” “will likely result,” “estimates,” “intends,” “may,” “projects,” “should,” “would,” “might,” “plan” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: risks associated with our cloud service offerings, such as defects and disruptions in our services, our ability to properly manage our cloud service offerings, our reliance on third-party hosting and other service providers, and our exposure to liability and loss from security breaches; demand for the company’s products, including cloud service, licenses, services and maintenance; pressure to make concessions on our pricing and changes in our pricing models; protection of our intellectual property; dependence on third-party suppliers and other third-party relationships, such as sales, services and marketing channels; changes in our revenue, earnings, operating expenses and margins; the reliability of our financial forecasts and estimates of the costs and benefits of transactions; the ability to leverage changes in technology; defects in our software products and services; third-party opinions about the company; competition in our industry; the ability to recruit and retain key personnel; delays in sales; timely and effective integration of newly acquired businesses; economic conditions in our vertical markets and worldwide; exchange rate fluctuations; and the global political environment. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with the company and factors that may affect our forward-looking statements, please refer to the company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and, in particular, the section entitled “Risk Factors” therein, and in other periodic reports the company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. Management does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

QAD DynaSys

Arnaud Hédoux

Marketing Director

+33 (0)3 88 19 14 14

[email protected]

QAD Inc.

Scott Matulis

Public Relations

818-451-8918

[email protected]

Evan Quinn

Analyst Relations

617-869-7335

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: California Europe United States North America France

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Software Pharmaceutical Internet Health Technology Logistics/Supply Chain Management Transport Other Technology

MEDIA:

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Lumen Introduces Data Access Accelerator

Businesses can benefit from near real-time data access over virtually any distance

PR Newswire

DENVER, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Businesses worldwide are looking to improve how they manage their data to enhance performance of data-intensive applications. To help these businesses access data residing anywhere in the world as if it were local, Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) has introduced Data Access Accelerator. This managed service, which runs on the Lumen Platform, allows for unstructured, file-based data to be acquired and processed from different locations. Now businesses can experience improved productivity with near real-time file access regardless of location, spend less time moving files, and devote more time to gaining valuable insight from their data. It is another way Lumen is furthering human progress through technology.

Lumen Data Access Accelerator helps businesses access data residing anywhere in the world as if it were local.

 “Business success today means being able to acquire, analyze and act on data anywhere, from the cloud to the distributed network edge,” said David Shacochis, vice president of enterprise technology and field CTO for Lumen Technologies. “With Lumen Data Access Accelerator, we give organizations access to their data across secure networks, so files stored thousands of miles away load as if they were stored locally. This solution helps them take advantage of the data-intensive applications of the 4th Industrial Revolution and can be used in combination with the Lumen global edge compute platform.”

Lumen® Data Access Accelerator offers organizations the following benefits:

  • Accelerated time-to-value from data with the ability to make high-performance connections to geographically dispersed, file-based data wherever it resides, without copying or moving first.
  • Enhanced user productivity from near real-time access to files and expanding how those files can be used and where they can be processed and manipulated.
  • Adaptable infrastructure that can adjust to changing business needs, minimizing reliance on IT to build new infrastructure for data storage and transfer.
  • Strengthened data integrity and security from executing on files at the point of origin, instead of creating duplicate copies.
  • Maximize competitiveness by obtaining value from data faster than those who struggle with data replication.
  • Simplified data management
    lifecycle with a solution fully managed and monitored by Lumen.

“Businesses are struggling to turn unstructured data into business value, because it is often stored in disparate environments and locations, far from the analytics tools, applications and users that need it,” said Lynda Stadtmueller, research vice president, network, data center & cloud, Frost & Sullivan. “Lumen’s new Data Access Accelerator will streamline and speed the flow of this unstructured data, allowing users and machines to access it as if it were local. As a fully managed service, Lumen Data Access Accelerator simplifies data management, enabling organizations to maximize the value of their data.”

Additional Resources 

About Lumen Technologies
Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately 450,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver amazing experiences. Learn more about Lumen’s network, edge cloud, security and communication and collaboration solutions and our purpose to further human progress through technology at news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /Lumentechnologies, Twitter: @Lumentechco, Facebook: /Lumentechnologies, Instagram: @Lumentechnologies and YouTube: /Lumentechnologies. Lumen and Lumen Technologies are registered trademarks of Lumen Technologies, LLC in the United States. Lumen Technologies, LLC is a wholly owned affiliate of CenturyLink, Inc. 

* The Lumen brand was launched on September
14
, 2020. As a result, CenturyLink, Inc. is referred to as Lumen Technologies, or simply Lumen. The legal name CenturyLink, Inc. is expected to be formally changed to Lumen Technologies, Inc. upon the completion of all applicable requirements.

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SOURCE Lumen Technologies

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Keyrus makes a strategic investment in RunAsCloud – a leading cloud strategy consultancy in the United States

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Keyrus adds extensive AWS and Azure experience to its team by taking a majority stake in RunAsCloud, a US leader in cloud consulting.

Founded in 2015 by one of the first Solution Architects at AWS in New York, RunAsCloud’s mission is to deliver phenomenal value to its customers through empathy and efficiency. This partnership enables Keyrus to accelerate its geographical expansion strategy in North America, with the addition of RunAsCloud’s main offices in Boston and Miami, extending Keyrus’s presence to eight cities in North America.

RunAsCloud specializes in analyzing its clients’ large-scale business and technical goals and building strategies to achieve them using the public cloud. These strategies typically include actions such as migrating systems and applications, automating DevOps tasks, and securing cloud environments against cyberattacks. RunAsCloud uses a Design – Build – Optimize methodology for cloud engineering, resulting in better-performing systems for business users and lower costs for IT and management.

RunAsCloud has extensive expertise with Amazon and Microsoft, enjoying an Advanced Tier partnership with AWS and a Gold partnership with Azure. RunAsCloud has achieved such status by successfully recording client case studies and engineering certifications in multiple technical domains, including cloud security, DevOps solutions, cloud migrations, modernizations, and end-user computing. RunAsCloud has also established a partnership with VMware to facilitate providing VMware Cloud solutions for Disaster Recovery, hybrid, and cloud-native migrations.

Beginning in late 2019, Keyrus and RunAsCloud collaborated to deliver data and analytics consulting services to a number of major clients using AWS. Both parties noted the clear cultural and technical synergies existing between them, which helped them deliver even more effective solutions for their clients.

In recent months, Keyrus has been collecting data on business trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and these clearly show an acceleration in our clients’ shift towards cloud-first operations.

Through this investment, Keyrus aims to expand the partnerships with our clients deeper into the office of the CIO, both in the US and worldwide.

For RunAsCloud, joining forces with Keyrus will allow RunAsCloud to work with a much larger and more global client base. The team’s combined offering places it at the forefront of the industry in terms of executing large-scale data and analytics projects in the cloud.

“Digital Transformation requires the highest level of cloud expertise. Through this transaction, we are
 
developing highly effective means to help our clients compete digitally and in an optimal manner in a post COVID-19 world,”
 says Eric Cohen, President and CEO of Keyrus.

“There is a substantial talent gap in DevOps and cybersecurity specifically for deploying data and
 
analytics technologies in the cloud,” adds Scott Hanrahan, Managing Director at Keyrus in the US. “We have been thrilled with the joint client work we have done already with RunAsCloud on that front. Together, we look forward to solving these and other challenges for all of our clients.”

RunAsCloud CEO Nate Aiman-Smith comments: “Keyrus’s engineering skill, culture, and market maturity make it a perfect new home for RunAsCloud. Together, we will expand Keyrus’s service offerings, while jointly developing new groundbreaking solutions for our clients.”

ABOUT KEYRUS

Creator of value in the era of Data and Digital

An international player in consulting and technologies and a specialist in Data and Digital, Keyrus is dedicated to helping enterprises take advantage of the Data and Digital paradigm to enhance their performance, facilitate and accelerate their transformation, and generate new drivers of growth and competitiveness.

Placing innovation at the heart of its strategy, Keyrus is developing a value proposition that is unique in the market and centered around an innovative offering founded upon a combination of three major and convergent areas of expertise: Data Intelligence, Digital Experience, and Management & Transformation Consulting.

Present in 20 countries on 4 continents, the Keyrus Group has 3,000 employees.
Keyrus is listed in compartment C of the Eurolist of Euronext Paris
(Compartment C/Small caps – ISIN Code: FR0004029411 – Reuters: KEYR.PA – Bloomberg: KEY: FP)

Further information at: www.keyrus.com.

ABOUT RUNASCLOUD

RunAsCloud is a cloud consultancy delivering engineering excellence and fast, focused, delivery.

Further information at: www.runascloud.com.

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Contacts:

Agence LEWIS
Morgane Joffredo
Tél : +33 (0)1 85 65 86 45
[email protected]

KEYRUS
Félix Bassous
Tél : +33 (0)1 41 34 10 00
[email protected]

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SOURCE Keyrus