diciembre 2020 – Página 127

Kia K5 And Telluride Earn 2021 Edmunds «Top Rated» Awards

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Kia K5 has been named «Edmunds Top Rated Sedan» in the 2021 Edmunds Top Rated Awards. Joining the K5, the Telluride has earned the top spot as «Edmunds Top Rated SUV» for the second year in a row.

<img id="prnejpga384left" title="Kia K5 and Telluride earn 2021 Edmunds “Top Rated” Awards" border="0" alt="Kia K5 and Telluride earn 2021 Edmunds…

«Kia has a longstanding commitment to innovation, quality and driver satisfaction, and we’re honored that the experts at Edmunds are once again recognizing these values in our vehicles,» said Sean Yoon, president & CEO, Kia Motors America, Kia Motors North America. «The award-winning Telluride and K5 represent success in two very different segments and are proof of the brand’s ‘Give It Everything’ spirit.»

As a two-time Edmunds Top Rated Awards winner, the Telluride’s popularity as a big and bold SUV is undeniable and has set a high bar for all Kia vehicles to achieve. New for 2021 and representing a new chapter in Kia’s bold design, the K5 is the brand’s most powerful mid-size sedan ever offering drivers an inspired and technology-packed alternative to the traditional sedan.

«We test over 300 vehicles every year, and it’s clear that the K5 and Telluride are category winners,» said Alistair Weaver, editor-in-chief at Edmunds. «The K5’s ride is as smooth as those from some luxury sedans, and it makes a striking first impression thanks to sharp design that’s far more compelling than some of its more pedestrian-looking competition. In terms of SUVs, the Telluride has truly changed our expectations for the segment, thanks to its combination of high-quality design, family-friendly functionality and impressive value.»

Edmunds Top Rated Award winners are selected by the Edmunds editorial team based on their informed opinion gathered during their vehicle testing and ranking process. Edmunds’ editors selected the overall winners from a group of finalists that consisted of each of the highest-ranked eligible new vehicles in their classes. Eligible vehicles underwent the full Edmunds testing process and were rated based on driving, comfort, interior, tech, storage and value. See more at: Edmunds.com/toprated.

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the «Official Automotive Partner» of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in West Point, Georgia.*

For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

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SOURCE Kia Motors America

Kia K5 And Telluride Earn 2021 Edmunds «Top Rated» Awards

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Kia K5 has been named «Edmunds Top Rated Sedan» in the 2021 Edmunds Top Rated Awards. Joining the K5, the Telluride has earned the top spot as «Edmunds Top Rated SUV» for the second year in a row.

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All-new K5 wins Sedan segment; Telluride is again Top-Rated SUV

About Kia Motors America

*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

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SOURCE Kia Motors America

2 In 3 Companies Plan To Offer Year-End Bonuses, Robert Half Survey Finds

MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The final weeks of 2020 may bring a nice surprise for many workers, new research from global staffing firm Robert Half shows. Two-thirds of senior managers surveyed (67%) said their company plans to award year-end bonuses. Of those respondents, 45% expect to give bigger bonuses than last year, and 46% foresee amounts staying the same.

A Bonus Breakdown
Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Raleigh,…

A Bonus Breakdown
Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta have the highest percentages of employers planning to reward workers with additional pay. Bonus amounts are most likely to increase in Seattle, Atlanta and Indianapolis.

A separate survey of workers suggests the extra cash may be an unforeseen gift for some. While over half of employees (54%) said they’re expecting a year-end bonus, the other 46% noted they have no hopes of bringing home a larger paycheck this month.

View the full results by market.

«Organizations that pulled through 2020 know they couldn’t have done it without the hard work and dedication of their staff,» said Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half. «Personal recognition paired with a financial reward can go a long way to spreading gratitude during the holidays and retaining top performers in the future.»

Raises Are in the Works
The research also revealed that more than half of senior managers surveyed (57%) said their company suspended salary increases as a result of the pandemic. However, of those, more than one-quarter (27%) anticipate reinstating them by year-end, and another 43% expect to do so during the first half of 2021.

McDonald added, «Many companies had to implement cost-cutting measures when the pandemic hit, including salary freezes. While employers continue to keep a close eye on their budget, it’s encouraging to see bonuses and raises as we head into the new year.»

For more information on compensation and hiring trends, download the Robert Half 2021 Salary Guides.

About the Research
The online surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms from July 7 to December 16, 2020. They include responses from nearly 2,800 senior managers and 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older at companies in 28 major U.S. cities with 20 or more employees.

About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm. The company has more than 300 staffing locations worldwide and offers hiring and job search services at roberthalf.com. For additional management and career advice, visit the Robert Half blog at roberthalf.com/blog.

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SOURCE Robert Half

Kia K5 And Telluride Earn 2021 Edmunds «Top Rated» Awards

<img id="prnejpga384left" title="Kia K5 and Telluride earn 2021 Edmunds “Top Rated” Awards" border="0" alt="Kia K5 and Telluride earn 2021 Edmunds…

About Kia Motors America

*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

SOURCE Kia Motors America

Council on Competitiveness Releases «COMPETING IN THE NEXT ECONOMY,» a Call to Action and Roadmap for Expanding United States Innovation Capacity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Council on Competitiveness, through its National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers, issued a call to action and roadmap for America to increase its innovation capacity tenfold (10X). This goal is set in the firm belief that the nation’s long-term growth in productivity and inclusive prosperity requires placing greater attention on innovation to confer a competitive advantage.

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The 10X goal, and the roadmap of 50 specific recommendations to achieve it, are the product of 15 months of diligent collaboration and effort from nearly 60 National Commissioners and their teams. The National Commission represents the diverse U.S. innovation ecosystem, including national leaders from industry, academia, labor and the national laboratories. Organized across four working groups, teams met during 100 plus virtual workshops to develop the 50 recommendations. These recommendations were released during the 2020 National Competitiveness Forum at 12:00pm EST on December 17, 2020, as a living and evolving report titled, Competing in the Next Economy.

«America is at a crossroads. Competitor nations are making strategic investments in research and technology to close the gap of our leadership. We are entering a new age of innovation where we must excel,» said Deborah Wince-Smith, president and CEO of the Council on Competitiveness. «To be successful, we need to out imagine, out innovate, and out compete other countries.»

Competing in the Next Economy raises the alarm that «warning lights are flashing» in terms of America’s historic position as the world leader in innovation, threatening the nation’s competitive future in the global economy. The report also serves as a roadmap for local, state and national policymakers to come together with the private sector to focus in a bold and transformational way on all efforts to optimize the United States for a new, unfolding, challenging innovation reality. The 50 specific recommendations in the report will support the following four objectives:

Increasing U.S. leadership and national strategies for innovation
Increasing the number of innovations developed in and deployed by the U.S.
Increasing the speed at which the U.S. innovates
Increasing the number and diversity of Americans engaged in innovation

«The challenge to America is so great that we can do no less than strive to increase our innovation tenfold. We must have world-leading capabilities to ensure our economic and national security, our geopolitical leadership, and our place as the world’s beacon of progress and problem-solving,» said Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO, Life Biosciences, Inc., and Chairman, Council on Competitiveness.

The full report is here: Compete.org/Reports

About the Council on Competitiveness

For more than three decades, the Council on Competitiveness (Council) has championed a competitiveness agenda for the United States to attract investment and talent and spur the commercialization of new ideas. While the players may have changed since its founding in 1986, the mission remains as vital as ever—to enhance U.S. productivity and raise the standard of living for all Americans.

The members of the Council — CEOs, university presidents, labor leaders and national lab directors — represent a powerful, nonpartisan voice that sets aside politics and seeks results. By providing real-world perspective to policymakers, the Council’s private sector network makes an impact on decision-making across a broad spectrum of issues — from the cutting-edge of science and technology, to the democratization of innovation, to the shift from energy weakness to strength that supports the growing renaissance in U.S. manufacturing. The Council firmly believes that with the right policies, the strengths and potential of the U.S. economy far outweigh the current challenges the nation faces on the path to higher growth and greater opportunity for all Americans.

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SOURCE Council on Competitivenes

PriceSmart Announces Plans to Build Two New Warehouse Clubs in Guatemala and Jamaica

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT) today announced that it plans to proceed with the construction of its 48^th warehouse club in Guatemala City, Guatemala, expected to open in the fall 2021, and its 49^th warehouse club in Portmore, Jamaica, expected to open in spring of 2022.

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In June 2019, the Company acquired nearly 150,000 square feet of land in Cayalá (Zone 5 municipality), southeast of Guatemala City, Guatemala, where it plans to build its fifth club in Guatemala. In September 2019, the Company acquired approximately 218,000 square feet of land in Portmore, a suburb west of the capital of Jamaica, where it plans to build its second club in Jamaica.

«Despite the roller coaster we rode with most of the world in this last year, we are ready to proceed with the construction of two new clubs, one each in Guatemala and Jamaica. We expect to open these clubs in the next fiscal year. The Cayalá Guatemala club, our fifth club in Guatemala, follows the successful opening and solid performance thus far of our fourth club opened in Guatemala last year. We also believe there is strong demand for expansion of our business model and warehouse clubs in Jamaica. As I’ve frequently mentioned before, new club openings are likely to initially adversely impact our comparable net merchandise sales. However, as we move forward with new club openings, as in this case, when we believe that in the long run, such expansion provides opportunities for growth by way of incremental membership, growth in net merchandise sales and services, and a better shopping experience for our members. Thanks to the incredible commitment of our employees, we are nearing the end of this calendar year excited about future possibilities,» commented Sherry S. Bahrambeygui, CEO of PriceSmart, Inc.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, headquartered in San Diego, owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, selling high quality merchandise and services at low prices to PriceSmart Members. PriceSmart operates 47 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory (eight in Costa Rica and Colombia; seven in Panama; five in the Dominican Republic, four in Trinidad and Guatemala; three in Honduras; two each in El Salvador and Nicaragua; and one each in Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica and the United States Virgin Islands). The Company also plans to open new warehouse clubs in Cayalá, Guatemala and Portmore, Jamaica in the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, respectively. Once these two new clubs are open, the Company will operate 49 warehouse clubs.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements concerning the Company’s anticipated future revenues and earnings, adequacy of future cash flows, omni-channel initiatives, proposed warehouse club openings, the Company’s performance relative to competitors, the outcome of tax proceedings and related matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words «expect,» «believe,» «will,» «may,» «should,» «project,» «estimate,» «anticipated,» «scheduled,» and like expressions, and the negative thereof. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to: adverse changes in economic conditions in the Company’s markets, natural disasters, compliance risks, volatility in currency exchange rates, competition, consumer and small business spending patterns, political instability, increased costs associated with the integration of online commerce with our traditional business, whether the Company can successfully execute strategic initiatives, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, cost increases from product and service providers, interruption of supply chains, COVID-19 related factors and challenges, including among others, the duration of the pandemic, the unknown long-term economic impact, the impact of government policies and restrictions that have limited access for our Members, and shifts in demand away from discretionary or higher priced products to lower priced products, exposure to product liability claims and product recalls, recoverability of moneys owed to PriceSmart from governments, and other important factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other factors discussed from time to time in other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date that they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update them, except as required by law.

For further information, please contact Michael L. McCleary, EVP, Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer (858) 404-8826 or send an email to ir@pricesmart.com.

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SOURCE PriceSmart, Inc.

Gunvor Invests In Artemis Technologies To Revolutionize Maritime Transport

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Gunvor Group, one of the world’s largest physical energy commodities traders, has made an investment in Artemis Technologies as a part of the company’s commitment to developing nonhydrocarbon solutions to maritime transportation. The investment by Gunvor follows the recent award of a £33 million UK Government innovation grant to the Artemis Technologies-led Belfast Maritime Consortium, which aims to develop zero-emission high-speed…

Artemis Technologies, founded in 2017, is an applied technologies spin-off of the Artemis Racing sailing team, which competed in the 34th and 35th editions of the America’s Cup—the most technologically demanding sailing competition in the world. Artemis Technologies is a purely commercial endeavour that draws on the team’s world-class designers, engineers, and boat builders to develop practical applications for its advancements in speed and efficiency.

«Artemis Technologies is working on a number of compelling innovations that will help decarbonise the maritime sector at a time when there is growing demand for low-carbon alternatives,» said Torbjörn Törnqvist, Chairman of Gunvor Group. «Gunvor has committed to reduce the carbon footprint of the commodities we’re trading and our industrial processes, as well as to explore relevant commercial opportunities. There is no silver bullet to the climate change issue. Many solutions are needed.»

Gunvor’s investment will aid Artemis Technologies’ development of a transformative electric hydrofoiling propulsion system, the Artemis eFoiler™ that will power «green» vessels of the future. The vessels developed as a part of the Belfast project will operate with up to 90% less energy than traditional ferries, with the capability of carrying up to 350 passengers and produce zero emissions during operation.

This Artemis eFoiler™ system combines technologies from the 13-partner Belfast syndicate, which includes a mix of companies within the maritime, aerospace, energy, and automotive industries, as well as academic institutions and public bodies.

«With approximately 30% of ship emissions coming from domestic voyages, the maritime sector is under pressure to develop and adopt new disruptive innovations,» said Double Olympic sailing gold medallist and CEO of Artemis Technologies, Dr. Iain Percy OBE. «This means that reducing emissions on smaller domestic fleets, which typically make these shorter journeys, will be key in meeting net zero goals.»

Artemis Technologies was recently profiled in the «Future of Everything» podcast.

The Belfast Consortium was recently profiled by BBC News.

About Gunvor Group

Gunvor Group is one of the world’s largest independent commodities trading houses by turnover, creating logistics solutions that safely and efficiently move physical energy from where it is sourced and stored to where it is demanded most. With strategic investments in industrial infrastructure—refineries, pipelines, storage, and terminals—Gunvor further generates sustainable value across the global supply chain for its customers. More information can be found at GunvorGroup.com.

Mr. Seth Thomas Pietras
stp@gunvorgroup.com
+41 79 870 6290

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SOURCE Gunvor Group

GTIS Partners: Again Named The Most Sustainable Private Equity Real Estate Firm in South America

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GTIS Partners LP («GTIS»), a real estate private equity firm headquartered in New York City, with offices in São Paulo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Paris and Munich, today announced that the GTIS Brazil Real Estate Fund («GTIS Brazil Real Estate Fund I») has been recognized as 2020’s most sustainable private equity real estate investment fund in South America by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark («GRESB»). This is the sixth consecutive year the fund has taken the top ranking.

GTIS Brazil Real Estate Funds III and II took second and third-place honors, respectively, rounding out the top three. Additionally, all three GTIS Brazil funds received five out of five stars and ranked first in their respective peer groups based on property type concentration.

GRESB reviewed in 2020 more than 1,200 property companies, real estate investment trusts (REITs), funds, and developers, finding that GTIS consistently outperformed its peers, in part due to an investment process and company culture that centers around ESG considerations.

As one of the largest foreign real estate investors in Brazil, GTIS has committed more than $2.4 billion of equity to its Brazil platform. The firm has been actively investing in Brazil real estate since 2005, and has been participating in the GRESB survey for its Brazil funds since 2012, making it one of the first institutional investors in Brazil to recognize the importance of sustainability and governance.

«We are extremely honored to receive this recognition from GRESB for the sixth year in a row. We consistently implement ESG processes at GTIS in the same way we build real estate – from the ground up,» said Josh Pristaw, Senior Managing Direction, Head of Capital Markets and Co-head of Brazil. «GTIS has dedicated many resources over the years to ensuring our investment process takes into consideration all material ESG components. We have found that what makes for good social impact directly correlates with strong investments and subsequently, strong returns.»

«As a leader in real estate investing, we must take into consideration the effects of our capital deployment on ESG issues,» said João Teixeira, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of the Brazil Office. «We have a duty not only to our investors, but to the communities and people with whom we interact who have entrusted us with their money, their property, and their time. I have witnessed firsthand the positive outcomes in Brazil that have come from a conscientious investment process and know that GTIS will continue to put ESG efforts at the forefront.»

«We are proud to recognize the 2020 GRESB ‘Sector Leaders’ and ‘Most Improved’ for their clear commitment and meaningful action to improve their ESG performance,» said Paul van Tongeren, Co-Founder of GRESB. «Your efforts continue to shape the future of sustainability leadership and play a critical role in driving the transition towards sustainable real assets.»

In addition to real estate, GTIS employs ESG principles in its renewable energy investments in its state-of-the-art industrial/logistics center outside São Paulo. The development has been outfitted with a rooftop solar farm with a 2.5-megawatt capacity that exceeds the approximately 1.5 million square foot center’s energy needs. The firm is also in the process of migrating five office assets and seven hotel assets to providers of free market renewable energy sources instead of the local utility provider, thereby acquiring nearly 35,000 kWh of annual energy from renewable sources over the next 5-7 years.

GTIS also employs rigorous ESG processes in its US investments which include multifamily and single family projects located in growth markets. The firm also invests in US Opportunity Zones, most recently in Phoenix, with the mission of stimulating economic development in underserved areas while focusing on sustainability and socio-economics.

For more information on GTIS’ approach to ESG see here: https://www.gtispartners.com/our-firm-sustainability

About GTIS Partners
GTIS Partners is a leading real asset investment and development firm headquartered in New York with offices in São Paulo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Paris and Munich. The firm was founded in 2005 by Tom Shapiro and is managed by President Tom Shapiro and Senior Managing Directors Thomas Feldstein, Josh Pristaw, João Teixeira, Rob Vahradian and Amy Boyle. The firm manages over $4 billion in gross assets and is active across a wide range of real estate sectors including single family and multifamily housing, office, industrial/logistics and hospitality as well as renewable energy infrastructure and opportunity zone investments. The firm invests at various points in the capital structure including credit, common equity and structured equity. In the US, GTIS has invested in over 130 assets across 40 unique markets including growth areas such as Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta, Tampa and Charlotte. In Brazil, GTIS is among the largest real assets private equity firms with holdings including office, residential, logistics, hospitality and renewable energy investments. Marquee assets in São Paulo include the Infinity office building and Palácio Tangará, a five-star resort style hotel. For more information, please visit www.gtispartners.com.

About GRESB
GRESB is a mission driven and investor led organization providing standardized and validated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to the capital markets. Established in 2009, GRESB has become the leading ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world. The 2020 real estate benchmark covers more than 1,200 property companies, real estate investment trusts (REITs), funds, and developers. Our coverage for infrastructure includes more than 540 infrastructure funds and assets. Combined, GRESB represents US $5.3 trillion in real asset value. The reported ESG data is used by more than 100 institutional and financial investors to monitor investments across portfolios and understand the opportunities, risks and choices that need to be made as the industry transitions to a more sustainable future. For more information, please refer to www.GRESB.com.

Media Contacts
Steve Bruce / Mary Beth Grover
ASC Advisors
(203) 992-1230
sbruce@ascadvisors.com / mbgrover@ascadvisors.com

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SOURCE GTIS Partners

GM Defense Begins Build-Out Of North Carolina Facility For Production Of Infantry Squad Vehicle

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors, today announced that it has started renovations of an existing GM building to support the production of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a light and agile all-terrain troop carrier intended to transport a nine-Soldier infantry squad. The facility, located in Concord, North Carolina, will produce ISVs for the U.S. Army as part of a $214.3 million…

Construction at the 75,000-square-foot facility is expected to continue into early spring, and the production line will begin delivering vehicles in April. As GM Defense ramps to full-rate production, the facility will help to manufacture 649 ISVs and will support the production of up to 2,065 vehicles with additional authorization over eight years. The ISV program is the first major award for GM Defense since the subsidiary was re-established by its parent company in 2017.

«We have tremendous momentum behind our ISV win, featuring a first-of-its-kind tactical wheeled vehicle that gives our Soldiers speed, durability and performance to enhance mission success,» said Tim Herrick, interim president of GM Defense. «GM Defense is responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the ISV. This facility will enable us to meet our customer’s timeline for delivery while continuing our journey to bring commercial technologies and transformative mobility solutions to the defense market.»

The ISV is based off the award-winning 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck architecture and leverages 90 percent proven commercial-off-the-shelf parts, including Chevrolet Performance race components. The 5,000-pound ISV was uniquely engineered to fulfill military requirements and designed to provide rapid ground mobility. This expeditionary vehicle is light enough to be sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air transportability. The ISV’s innovative Rollover Protection System (ROPS) will provide agile transportability on any battleground.

The GM Defense production facility is located near North Carolina-based Hendrick Motorsports, which brings its extensive experience developing race cars in high-load, high-risk environments, to support defense applications. Hendrick Motorsports is responsible for providing the chrome-moly steel exoskeleton of the vehicle frame, including the ISV ROPS system.

GM Defense also has a teaming agreement with Ricardo Defense, which will lead the Integrated Product Support for the ISV, including technical manual development, new equipment training, provisioning, total package fielding and field service support.

GM Defense is driving the future of military mobility by leveraging the best-in-class capabilities of General Motors for unmatched innovation, proven performance and breakthrough life-cycle economics. The ISV will bring world class manufacturing efficiencies, ease of maintenance and a well-established global supply chain to the U.S. Army.

Stay tuned for future updates on www.GMDefenseLLC.com.

GM Defense LLC delivers integrated vehicles, power & propulsion, and mobility & autonomy solutions to global defense, security, and government markets. The exceptional reliability of GM Defense’s technologies results from decades of proven performance and billions of dollars spent in independent research and development by its parent, General Motors, a world leader in global design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

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SOURCE General Motors Co.

Choice Hotels Re-Enlists With Operation Homefront For Third-Straight Year To Support Military Families

ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, is once again joining forces with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to create strong, stable and secure military families. Building on the company’s ongoing support since the partnership began in 2018, Choice Hotels expects to raise over $100,000 and will donate 500 room nights to assist military families by year-end. As part of this year’s donation efforts, the company is holding a «Season of Giving» holiday drive, where members of its award-winning loyalty program, Choice Privileges, can redeem their points to help servicemembers, and Choice will make a matching donation up to $50,000.

«It’s no secret that this has been a challenging year for many around the world, but especially so for service members and their families. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we supported Operation Homefront families by donating Choice Privileges points towards hotel rooms to help those displaced — an effort that was amplified by our incredibly generous loyalty members,» said Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. «We’re doubling down now on the opportunity for Choice Privileges members to redeem their points to benefit this worthy cause by committing to match their efforts with our own $50,000 donation, which will help reunite service members with their loved ones.»

The partnership between Choice Hotels and Operation Homefront allows the leading nonprofit to continue supporting the critical financial needs of military families, including rent payments, car and home repairs, food, utility bills, grocery assistance and more. Since the beginning of the partnership, over 28 million Choice Privileges points have been donated to Operation Homefront – nearly 3,000 room nights.

– In 2018, Choice pledged 2,000 room nights to help veterans and active duty service members connect with their families and friends throughout the year.

– Last year, Choice and Operation Homefront launched the «Choice Salutes» campaign for Veterans Day weekend, where a portion of proceeds from hotel reservations were donated to military families. Residents of Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland were surprised with a trip to visit their families for the holidays.

– Since the beginning of the partnership, more than 600 bicycles have been donated to Operation Homefront as part of an annual company holiday tradition, where Choice Hotels employees collect and assemble bicycles for Operation Homefront families.

To further express its appreciation for those who serve, Choice Hotels offers military benefits and features under the Choice Privileges program, including:

– Upgraded Membership: Immediately upon registration, active duty or reserve military members and retired military, National Guard, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel will earn Lifetime Gold Elite status, which entitles members to 10% extra points on every stay and an Elite Welcome Gift upon check-in at Choice-branded hotels.

– 2,500 Choice Privileges Points: As an extra thank you, new and existing Choice Privileges members will earn 2,500 points on their next stay after completing the military registration form.

Operation Homefront has fulfilled nearly 44,000 requests for assistance since 2011, providing military families with more than $28 million in critical financial support.

«Many families across America are struggling to make ends meet and sadly, our military families have been especially hard hit and the need for our highly-valued programs is more important now than ever. As we face a surge in requests for assistance, we are thrilled to have Choice Hotels, and their Choice Privileges members, join us as we work to help this very deserving group of fellow citizens overcome their financial hardships,» said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and chief executive officer, Operation Homefront. «We need to be there for them in their time of need for all they have done, and continue to do, for all of us in our nation’s time of need.»

Choice Hotels has a long history of enhancing the diversity of its ownership base through a one-of-a-kind emerging markets development team, which helps underrepresented individuals, including veterans, enter the rewarding business of hotel franchising. As a result of Choice Hotels’ commitment to creating a bright future for veterans, the company was recently named by Forbes as a Best Employer for Veterans. To learn more about Choice Hotels and Operation Homefront, visit ChoiceHotels.com/OperationHomefront.

About Choice Hotels^®
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing nearly 600,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of September 30, 2020, the Choice^® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges^® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.

About Operation Homefront

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, over 90 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

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SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.