Geovanny Vicente – Página 206

Air Products Recognized for Corporate Social Responsibility at China Charity Festival for Sixth Consecutive Year

SHANGHAI, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Air Products (NYSE:APD) was presented with the 2020 Best Social Responsibility Brand Award at the 10^th China Charity Festival award ceremony held in Shanghai on January 28-29. This is the sixth consecutive year the company has been recognized at this influential event for its corporate social responsibility(CSR) activities and continued contributions to social development in <span…

Over the past six years, Air Products has received the same honor four times, and also won both of the Overall Community Care Award and Best Community Program Award two times.

«Sustainability is part of Air Products’ higher purpose and at the core of everything we do. Through the Air Products Foundation and our employees’ joint efforts, we continued to expand our CSR programs in 2020 amid challenging times posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Working together, we have continued to make a positive impact on the communities where we operate,» said Simon Moore, vice president, Investor Relations, Corporate Relations and Sustainability at Air Products.

Air Products’ key CSR activities in China in 2020 included:

Launched a new program to help provide safe and healthy drinking water through the Air Products Foundation to more than 12,000 students at 17 rural schools in Xiangyuan county, Shanxi Province.
Continuing its LIN (liquid nitrogen) Ambassador gas science education program to foster the next generation’s interest in innovation and scientific thinking through fun and safe LIN experiments. Now in its sixth year, the program has reached more than 7,000 students and teachers in 20 cities across the country.
Supported COVID-19 rescue and recovery efforts, including an immediate donation of 500,000 renminbi, approximately $70,000, to support the most urgent medical care needs; a $100,000 grant via the Air Products Foundation to assist recovery efforts; and deliveries of most needed medical liquid oxygen and helium to hospitals.

«As a corporate citizen, we have been ‘Working here. Living here. Giving here.’ in China for over 30 years and supporting our customers and diverse industries to improve energy efficiency, productivity and environmental performance with our gases, leading-edge application technologies and innovative solutions,» said Saw Choon Seong, China president at Air Products. «This award is a strong recognition of our company’s continued contributions. The honor belongs to our employees who are passionate about and actively involved in contributing to a sustainable world. We will continue to work together with our customers and other stakeholders to build a better future for China during the 14^th Five-Year Plan period and beyond.»

The 10^th China Charity Festival, co-organized by dozens of Chinese mainstream media outlets, honored approximately 260 leading organizations from a wide range of industries with various awards. The judging panel consisting of leaders and experts from public welfare organizations, consulting firms, institutions and media evaluated all candidates according to the indicators of sustainability, creativity, adaptability, credibility and level of influence.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for 80 years. Focused on serving energy, environment and emerging markets, the Company provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the global leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment. The Company develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world’s largest industrial gas projects, including: gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals; carbon capture projects; and world-scale carbon-free hydrogen projects supporting global transportation and the energy transition.

The Company had fiscal 2020 sales of $8.9 billion from operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of over $60 billion. More than 19,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products’ higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the company’s Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.

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SOURCE Air Products

Pending Home Sales Inch Back 0.3% in December

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Despite dropping slightly in the last month of 2020, the latest pending home sales registered as the highest ever recorded in the month of December, according to the National Association of Realtors^®. The decrease marks the fourth consecutive month of month-over-month declines. While contract transactions fell in one of the four major U.S. regions, activity climbed or remained flat in the three other areas. Compared to a year ago, all…

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI),^*www.nar.realtor/pending-home-sales, a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings, waned 0.3% to 125.5 in December. Year-over-year, contract signings jumped 21.4%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.

«Pending home sales contracts have dipped during recent months, but I would attribute that to having too few homes for sale,» said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. «There is a high demand for housing and a great number of would-be buyers, and therefore sales should rise with more new listings.»

«This elevated demand without a significant boost in supply has caused home prices to increase and we can expect further upward pressure on prices for the foreseeable future,» Yun said.

Yun continues to project that 2021 will bring about strong economic growth, supported by low mortgage rates and fiscal stimulus, which in turn will bolster existing-home sales.

«I expect the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to average 3%, with the Federal Reserve refraining from any rate increases this year,» he said.

Yun added that, with rates to remain low, existing-homes sales are likely to reach 6.49 million, which would be a 15% increase from 5.64 million in 2020. «There will also be slower home price appreciation, likely 6.6%, as increased confidence from homebuilders will ultimately lead to an increase in housing starts.»

December Pending Home Sales Regional Breakdown
The Northeast PHSI rose 3.1% to 112.0 in December, a 22.1% increase from a year ago. In the Midwest, the index fell 3.6% to 111.7 last month, up 13.9% from December 2019.

Pending home sales in the South increased 0.1% to an index of 150.6 in December, up 26.6% from December 2019. The index in the West was unchanged in December, remaining at 111.3, which is up 18.9% from a year ago.

Realtor.com^®‘s Housing Market Recovery Index, which reveals metro areas where the market has recovered or even exceeded prior trends, showed Portland, Ore.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Denver, Colo.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Boston, Mass., had enjoyed the most significant recovery as of January 16.

The National Association of Realtors^® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

^*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.
The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20% of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.

NOTE: Existing-Home Sales for January will be reported February 19. The next Pending Home Sales Index will be February 25; all release times are 10:00 a.m. ET.

Information about NAR is available at www.nar.realtor. This and other news releases are posted on the NAR Newsroom at www.nar.realtor/newsroom. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the «Research and Statistics» tab.

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SOURCE National Association of Realtors

Federal Program’s Quick Response Helps U.S. Manufacturers Supply Critical PPE and Other Domestic Products

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The CARES Act recognized the potential of manufacturers to implement creative strategies to adapt and respond to the pandemic and provided $50 million for the 51 MEP Centers in every state and Puerto Rico to assist manufacturers in a wide variety of ways. These efforts include helping firms retool production systems, identify new supply chains, integrate new technologies, deliver safety…

A team at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led by CURS Interim Director Dr. Nichola Lowe, Professor of City and Regional Planning, documented the wide range of MEP Center responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their report is based on the team’s research conducted during the fall of 2020

Key findings include:

94,681 manufacturers contacted by MEP Centers as reported June 30 through September 30, 2020
8,966 manufacturing client projects completed by MEP Centers as reported June 30 through September 30, 2020
MEP Centers in 48 states provided new or expanded consulting services or performed needs surveys
MEP Centers in 42 states provided product and/or supplier matching services
MEP Centers in 31 states created return-to-work guides
MEP Centers in 29 states provided assistance with retooling to produce PPE
MEP Centers in 13 states assisted manufacturers with PPE product testing and development

«MEP Centers have expanded far beyond process-oriented client support, demonstrating their ability to also help firms retain and redirect workforce talent, design innovative products and develop emergency response strategies that will be helpful for future pandemics and natural disasters. Scaling these efforts further will ensure our national economic recovery is driven by manufacturing innovation and the growth of high-paying, quality jobs,» said Dr. Nichola Lowe.

The report contains 51 profiles, one for each state and Puerto Rico. Each profile is 1-2 pages long and outlines the MEP Center’s pandemic-related assistance to their state’s manufacturers in areas such as training, layoff aversion, domestic sourcing and technology needs. The report includes a detailed chart that shows the types of pandemic-related assistance done by each state’s MEP Center.

«MEP Centers used the opportunities afforded by CARES Act funding to respond to both shorter-term challenges related to COVID-19, such as PPE retooling assistance and conducting needs assessments, as well as long-term opportunities that will benefit manufacturers long after the pandemic is over. In the short-term, MEP Centers have shown innovation and an ability to lean on nonconventional partners to meet common goals,» shared Olivia Raines, Project Lead at the Center for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About the Center for Urban and Regional Studies
The Center for Urban and Regional Studies conducts and supports research on urban and regional affairs — research that helps to build healthy, sustainable communities across the country and around the world. This project was supported by the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with funding from the North Carolina Coronavirus Relief Fund, established and appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly.

About ASMC
The American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) is a trade association of manufacturing extension centers that work to improve the innovation and productivity of America’s manufacturing community. ASMC advocates for legislative and programmatic resources that allow our small manufac13turing clients to better compete in the global marketplace. The Coalition and its members do this by increasing awareness of the importance of American small manufacturers, the challenges which they face, and the federal legislation and programs that affect them.

Media Contact

Kelly Buchanan, Foundation for Manufacturing Excellence, +1 7852188669, kelly@mfgfoundation.com

Twitter

SOURCE Center for Urban and Regional Studies

ALYI Announces First Rideshare Electric Motorcycles Scheduled To Go Into Service By July

DALLAS, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) today announced finalizing plans for its first rideshare electric motorcycles to go into service by July of this year. ALYI has an order to deliver 2000 electric motorcycles in Kenya to be deployed into the motorcycle taxi (boda) market. The first delivery schedule for July is intended to support a first phase, pilot rollout of the rideshare service.

ALYI’s Revolt Electric Motorcycle…

ALYI’s Revolt Electric Motorcycle Program is only a small part of the company’s comprehensive strategy to build a far-reaching electric vehicle ecosystem.

The success of any electric vehicle will depend on the simultaneous availability of an entire network of solutions necessary to support the electric vehicle.

For example, the electric vehicle support network ranges from the availability of power, to charging stations where power can be accessed, to long-range batteries to make electric vehicles efficient modes of transportation, to connectivity so software updates for motor synchronization and battery optimization applications can be continuously updated along with other electric vehicle user support applications.

ALYI’s primary business focus is on its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy out of which electric vehicles will be just one component.

ALYI is building its electric vehicle ecosystem in a region with one of the lowest per capita transportation ratios in the world, Sub Saharan Africa.

To both attract industry leading talent to collaborate in ALYI’s electric vehicle ecosystem, and to provide an opportunity to prove innovations coming out of the electric vehicle ecosystem, ALYI is launching an annual electric vehicle race in partnership with a brand name racing organization. The annual race event will be hosted simultaneously with an electric mobility symposium and expo.

ALYI is setting itself apart from the rest of the electric vehicle industry not only through its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy, but also through its commitment to democratize the electric vehicle ecosystem.

ALYI’s financing partner and electric vehicle ecosystem collaborator, RevoltTOKEN, has already provided key funding to advance ALYI’s business plan to its current stage. RevoltTOKEN plans to democratize the ALYI electric vehicle ecosystem through the introduction of a dedicated cryptocurrency that will offer holders a participation opportunity in the ecosystem. RevoltTOKEN, the business entity, plans to offer RevoltTOKENs, a cryptocurrency, through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

Next week, we plan to publish a more detailed presentation on our comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem strategy. Starting now, we anticipate beginning to announce electric vehicle collaboration partnerships.

For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI’s overall latest developments, please visit www.alternetsystemsinc.com.

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies’ contracts, the companies’ liquidity position, the companies’ ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact:
Randell Torno
info@lithiumip.com
+1-800-713-0297

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SOURCE Alternet Systems, Inc.

Arctech White Paper: AI Solar Tracking Solutions Give Energy Output a 7% Boost

SHANGHAI, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Arctech Solar, a leading solar tracking, racking and BIPV systems provider, has recently released a white paper entitled «The Next Generation of Artificial Intelligence Solar Tracking Solutions» at an online global launch event. The white paper details major upgrades for its tracking solution that can improve power generation of solar power plants by up to 7%, thereby boosting returns for power plant owners and investors.

Co-authored by Arctech’s CTO…

Co-authored by Arctech’s CTO Bruce Wang and Mika Jovanović, the solar technology team leader of DNV·GL, the white paper explores the AI-powered solar tracking solutions that are capable of overcoming the problem of energy production losses suffered by solar power plants due to challenging weather conditions, ubiquitous terrain undulation and inevitable variability in site construction, while ensuring a reliable increase in energy yield throughout the life cycle of PV power plants.

According to the white paper, Arctech’s solar tracking solution integrates four strategies: the tracking control strategy on a real terrain, the cloud strategy based on real-time weather data, the bifacial strategy for bifacial modules and trackers and the control strategy based on sharing parameters with inverters.

«Data in the white paper are obtained from simulation and field verification by Arctech Solar. The third-party certification body, DNV·GL, has confirmed the reliability of the published data, and other well-known certification organizations such as TUV Rheinland, TUV Süd and the China General Certification Center also support the assessment report from DNV·GL,» said Bruce Wang, Arctech’s CTO.

As DNV·GL states in its assessment report, the accredited certification body believes the estimates of Arctech Solar are consistent with DNV·GL’s power generation simulation results and previous experience.

Besides, the white paper also offers an overview of Arctech’s value-added technical solutions which include an optimized AI tracking algorithm, cleaning robots and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

«Arctech is always trying to help customers achieve success with best-in-class products and services,» said Guy Rong, President of Arctech’s Global Business. «We will continue to focus on lowering LCOE, enhancing profits for customers, and helping them make economically unviable projects in the past feasible now through technological innovation. Meanwhile, we will ensure the life cycle security and power generation gains for solar PV power plants. At Arctech, we believe customer’s success is Arctech’s success!»

To learn more and download the whitepaper: https://www.arctechsolar.us/Alwhitepaper

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SOURCE Arctech Solar

Comerica Bank’s Texas Index Improved Again

DALLAS, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Comerica Bank’s Texas Economic Activity Index increased in November to 123.8. November’s index reading was 30 percent above the index historical low of 95.5. The index averaged 139.7 points for all of 2019, 4.4 points above the average for 2018. October’s index reading was 121.1.

<a…

Our Texas Economic Activity Index improved for the fifth consecutive month in November, as oil prices increased. Eight out of nine sub-indexes were up for the month, including nonfarm employment, unemployment insurance claims (inverted), housing starts, house prices, industrial electricity demand, drilling rig count, total state trade and state sales tax revenue. The only declining sub-index was hotel occupancy, which has been subdued since last March. Labor market conditions are a key feature of state economies. Texas continues to outperform the U.S. At the end of 2020, total nonfarm employment in Texas was down 3.3 percent from a year earlier, reflecting the drag from the coronavirus pandemic, while the U.S. as a whole was down 6.2 percent. Moreover, Texas showed a strong net gain of 64,200 payroll jobs in December, while the U.S. posted a net loss of 140,000. Texas still posted a slightly higher unemployment rate at year end than the U.S average, 7.2 percent for Texas compared with 6.7 percent for the U.S. Tightening global commodity prices works in favor of the Texas economy, supporting the drilling rig count and all manner of oil field production and servicing activity. An ongoing risk for Texas is the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on both domestic and international air travel, as two major airlines are headquartered in North Texas. The emergence of new strains of the coronavirus is already leading to restrictions in international travel.

The Texas Economic Activity Index consists of nine variables, as follows: nonfarm payroll employment, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, housing starts, house price index, industrial electricity sales, Texas rotary rig count, total trade, hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue. All data are seasonally adjusted. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Total index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages.

Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $88 billion as of Dec. 31, 2020.

To subscribe to our publications or for questions, contact us at ComericaEcon@comerica.com. Archives are available at http://www.comerica.com/insights. Follow us on Twitter: @Comerica_Econ.

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SOURCE Comerica Bank

ECOfashion Corp Launches «Seed to Style»– Accessible, Affordable & Inclusive Certified Organic Apparel Brand–Exclusively with QVC® and on QVC.com

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Leading with modern design, high quality, comfort, and full transparency, Seed to Style is premiering its affordable and authentic sustainable fashion collection exclusively with leading mulitplatform ecommerce retailer, QVC—to inspire and activate today’s more conscious consumer.

Seed to Style’s products start at the source: cultivating non-GMO seeds, free of harmful toxic inputs, for a truly regenerative future—offering high quality, super…

Seed to Style’s products start at the source: cultivating non-GMO seeds, free of harmful toxic inputs, for a truly regenerative future—offering high quality, super soft, and accessible organic clothing.

This new brand launch will debut live on January 29th, with a one-hour show exclusively on QVC and on QVC.com, while supporting ethical fashion inclusivity—with sizes ranging from XXS-3X. As 68% of American women are a size 14 or above, Seed to Style will provide a wider mainstream audience with the option to #dressorganically—with no compromise in value OR values.

«As a creative visionary, entrepreneur, mother and consumer, I believe that products should give people a way to buy what they love and seek, while ALSO making a positive difference to human and planetary wellness, farmer and worker welfare, and future generations,» states Seed to Style Founder and CEO, and QVC on-air guest, Marci Zaroff.

An ECOlifestyle pioneer, innovator and authority, Marci adds, «There is a misconception that style and sustainability are mutually exclusive, but this is not true. With a seed representing life, we shouldn’t have to settle for better-designed clothes if they result in harm to humanity or our environment. Seed to Style is not about sacrifice; it’s about getting more—more value, more beauty, more health, more joy. If we can experience life—with gorgeous responsible fashion that’s protecting our bodies and regenerating our planet—that is the ultimate win.»

As Marci reveals as the premise of her book «ECOrenaissance: Co-creating a Stylish, Sexy and Sustainable World» (Simon & Schuster), thru the lens of design, we can affect positive change—we can look good, feel good, AND do good in the world. With a deep passion and commitment to both climate action and social justice, the Seed to Style family is driven to elevate all who touch their products, on every level. From natural disasters to the global Covid pandemic, we are all longing for a new chapter—a rebirth of humanity, built on the realization that we are all a part of a shared, collective ecosystem—together.

The new Seed to Style GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic apparel brand first and foremost focuses on fabulous fashion—from cozy knit cardigans and cropped poncho sweaters, to uber soft jersey tops and ombre lounge sets, to printed sweatshirt dresses and pullover hoodies, to twill utility pants, shirts and more. Seed to Style promises to excite and delight even the most discerning fashionistas with its timely must-have styles—including its special long-sleeve organic jersey top with thumbholes in six stunning colors and prints, which QVC is featuring as a January 29th, 24-hour on-air «Big Deal®.»

«QVC’s long-standing commitment to doing business the right way includes protecting the environment and championing a more sustainable way to retail. When Marci Zaroff and her team came to us with the idea of an all-organic apparel line, we jumped at the opportunity,» said Rachel Ungaro, GMM and VP of Apparel for QVC and HSN. «Seed to Style brings to life our shared commitment to both style and sustainability and we’re proud to share it with our customer.»

About Seed to Style
Seed to Style is owned by ECOfashion Corp, a «Greenhouse of Brands,» founded by ECOlifestyle pioneer, innovator, expert and author Marci Zaroff. Launching exclusively on QVC in 2021, Seed to Style is committed to ethical and sustainable manufacturing, certified organic, regenerative and preferred fibers, low-impact dyes, and fair trade, cradle to cradle practices. Its sister organic home fashion brand, «Farm to Home,» also debuted on QVC January 21, 2021.
For more information visit:
http://www.seedtostyle.com | IG: seedtostyle

Media Contact:

Brandsway Creative

Alexandra Rothenberg
Senior Account Executive
AR@brandswaycreative.com

Media Contact

alexandra rothenberg, brandsway creative, +1 (914) 523-9028, ar@brandswaycreative.com

SOURCE ECOfashion Corp

EcoPlum and ChicoBag Make Case for Impact on Plastic Waste, Partnership Spans Over a Decade

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Today EcoPlum®, a sustainable promotional products and marketing solutions company, announces publication by ChicoBag of a carbon impact case study profiling EcoPlum. EcoPlum also celebrates its partnership with ChicoBag, its longest-running supplier. For over a decade, EcoPlum has sourced reusable, eco friendly merchandise from ChicoBag to replace single-use, disposable items increasing plastic waste accumulation.

The carbon impact case study and EcoPlum profile is titled «Your Promo Products Will be Sitting in a Landfill 1000 Years from Now (But They Don’t Have to Be).» ChicoBag provides quantifiable and specific product data sets showing, for the first time, the positive environmental impact, i.e., carbon reduction, when reusable products sold by EcoPlum replace single-use plastic ones. ChicoBag calculates, for example, that 250 of its reusable totes replace the waste accumulation of 260,000 single-use plastic bags. Overall, the profile highlights how EcoPlum uses its Sustainable Swag® line to create conscious habit change in a massive 24-billion-dollar promotional products industry steeped in waste.

Gia Machlin, EcoPlum President and CEO, said, «Our mission is reducing plastic waste, but until ChicoBag stepped up with this analysis of their products, we did not have concrete data to show our clients just how much impact reusable products can make in reducing plastic waste.»

EcoPlum also celebrates its partnership with ChicoBag, its first-ever supplier and the only manufacturer it has worked with for over a decade. EcoPlum offers its clients a variety of ChicoBag reusable products in its Sustainable Swag® line. Included are many types of ChicoBag reusable bags, containers, To-Go Ware utensil sets, and face masks.

«Of course, all businesses want to build their brand equity. Having a trusted partner who knows how to do this and has your best interest in mind is hard to find. EcoPlum is a rare find and a proud partner that we highly recommend to any of our customers,» said Andy Keller, ChicoBag CEO. «Our customers who work with EcoPlum have a serious advantage in the marketplace.»

The original ChicoBag packable tote is the first branded product that EcoPlum created for its own use, carrying the EcoPlum logo, tagline, and messages. It is still the company’s signature promotional item for its easy representation of what it means to be sustainable.

ChicoBag manufactures colorful, long-lasting reusable bags, utensils, containers, and face masks to replace single-use disposable items and reduce the amount of environmental waste going into waterways and landfills. The company is carbon neutral certified, is a member of 1% for the planet, belongs to the Fair Labor Association, and is a certified B-Corporation.

About EcoPlum

EcoPlum® is an environmentally focused business-to-business company offering branded marketing solutions and its Sustainable Swag® line of promotional products. EcoPlum Business Gifts brands and customizes all types of eco friendly merchandise with logos, taglines, and messages for client companies, universities, and organizations.

At EcoPlum, we believe that an organization’s brand reflects its values. Our mission is to help buyers make responsible choices on branded gifts and elevate their marketing practices in a more sustainable direction. EcoPlum created the Sustainable Swag® line of environmentally-sound alternatives to conventional promotional products with a goal of reducing plastic and other harmful waste in our landfills and oceans. We are committed to a triple-bottom-line strategy focused on people, planet, and profit.

EcoPlum sells unique, innovative, high-quality, best-in-class promotional merchandise, combining both style and function. Sustainability. Meet Style.® at EcoPlum. We guide clients to the right products for their audience, customize the branding, and ensure rigorous standards for ecological and social sustainability are met. Transparency is essential. Product sourcing criteria include, but are not limited to USDA organic, vegan, fair trade, fair labor, biodegradable, renewable, recycled, reclaimed, reusable, sustainably harvested, Made-in-the-USA, handcrafted or artisan, non-toxic, energy-efficient, ethically sourced, other third-party eco-labels, women/minority-owned, and B-Corporation. EcoPlum product categories include apparel, bags, kitchen, bar, office, outdoors, wellness, food, and PPE (personal protective equipment).

EcoPlum is a member of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The company earned the Green America Gold Business Seal of Approval and is certified nationally as a women-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Gia Machlin, President & CEO EcoPlum, is a member of the Women Presidents Organization. She is also on the advisory board for Enterprising Women (EW) magazine and was one of a select group of award-winners for their «2020 Enterprising Women of the Year.»

Sustainable Swag® solutions at EcoPlum.com, https://ecoplum.com. For more information: info(at)ecoplum(dot)com, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EcoPlum, The EcoPlum Biz Blog, Twitter via @ecoplum, and Instagram via @ecoplum.

Contact:
Marcia Robbins
ecoplum.com
1-888-730-9990 Ext. 101
marcia@ecoplum.com

Gia Machlin
ecoplum.com
1-888-730-9990 Ext. 103
gia@ecoplum.com
###

Media Contact

Marcia Robbins, EcoPlum, 8887309990, marcia@ecoplum.com

Gia Machlin, EcoPlum, 8887309990, gia@ecoplum.com

Twitter

SOURCE EcoPlum

Hydrogen As a Fuel

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On the road to climate-friendlier mobility, hydrogen is gaining importance as an energy source for fuel cells. However, hydrogen fueling is more complex than that of gasoline and diesel. Unlike other gases, hydrogen heats up as it expands, causing pressure and temperature changes during fueling that need to be precisely monitored. In response to this challenge, Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH has developed the TMU-W 004 mass flow meter. It is the first of its kind…

«For passenger cars, fueling the hydrogen is typically done at 700 bar. This high pressure is necessary to generate the energy density needed for useful ranges,» explains Guido Thometzki, CEO of Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH. «During this process, the temperature must not exceed +85 °C, otherwise the tank lining can be compromised. Since the tank expands and heats up during filling, the hydrogen is cooled before it gets to the tank. This high-pressure environment, combined with the small size of the hydrogen molecule, makes special demands on the accuracy of flow monitoring.»

Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH optimized its proven Coriolis Mass Flow Meter for such high-pressure applications, and now offers the TMU-W 004. The meter ensures that during filling the amount of hydrogen transferred to the vehicle tank is measured accurately. This enables correct billing of the amount filled, which is a prerequisite for fueling at public hydrogen filling stations. It covers a measurement range of 0.133 kg/min H₂ to 4 kg/min H₂.

Special arrangement of sensors delivers precise results

For the meter to fit into Nel’s narrow fuel dispensers, it was designed substantially narrower than its predecessor models. Inside the compact and deformation-resistant housing are two U-shaped measuring tubes arranged in parallel. An exciter system causes the measuring tubes to vibrate at their natural frequency. «As the media flows through these tubes, the Coriolis effect causes additional phase-shifted deviations of the tubes,» explains Thometzki. «Sensors positioned at the optimum points on the measuring tubes pick up these phase-shifted deviations and send them as signals to the transducer (also called the transmitter) for further analysis. From them, the current mass flow is calculated.» The special device architecture – that is, the shape of the measuring tubes and the ideal positioning of the sensors on the tubes – along with the further harmonizing of the other components such as the gusset plates, make this a particularly sensitive and accurate meter, despite the thick walls of the measuring tubes. This robustness on the part of the measuring tubes is necessary in order to withstand the high 1000 bar pressure (the test pressure is actually 1500 bar). The tough, fully welded housing with corrugations for added stiffness gives ample protection for the sensitive measurement equipment within.

The flow amount can be evaluated using the pulse or status output of the transducer. The user also receives information for the temperature flow and optionally the density as well. This can be used to control the compressor pumping the hydrogen, for example switching to a higher volume or conversely interrupting pumping,» adds Thometzki. The transducer has a two-line LCD display that shows the values directly. The unit is easy to configure using the four keys provided on it. Among other functions, the user can define outputs and do fault analysis with the keys. The transducer can be set up as a round version or installed in a switchgear cabinet as a rack version. Both the TMU-W 004 housing and the field housing of the transducer are pressure-resistant and intrinsically safe, which helps prevent fire or explosion in case gas escapes.

Simulations and flow measurements ensure measurement precision

In the development, manufacture and calibration of its meters, Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH makes use of many simulation and optimization methods to ensure the precision and reliability of its devices under all conceivable conditions. «Devices for handling high-pressure gases like hydrogen, such as the new TMU-W 004 for hydrogen filling stations, naturally cannot be an exception,» explains Thometzki. «On the contrary, in the development of the TMU-W 004 in particular we used specially developed high-precision simulation methods for the flow and structural design, like FEM (finite element method), CFD (computational fluid dynamics), and FSI (fluid structure interaction).» Only in this way was it possible in the TMU-W 004 to meet the seemingly contradictory requirements of the highest measurement precision and extreme reliability in handling high-pressure gases. The measurement precision also had to remain high despite pressure and temperature fluctuations during filling. «The fact that the TMU-W 004 not only meets the requirements of OIML R 139 2018, but significantly exceeds them with its precision class rating of 1.5 for hydrogen, shows, especially in international comparison, how much the TMU-W 004 development team has accomplished,» says Dr Thomas Chatzikonstantinou, technical director at Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH in conclusion.

Further information on the Internet at: https://www.koboldusa.com/products/flow/flow-measurement-without-moving-parts/tmu-w-high-pressure-coriolis-mass-flow-meter/

For over a hundred years, Heinrichs Messtechnik GmbH, founded in 1911 in Düsseldorf, has developed and sold flow meters. From the beginning, one of its core markets was the chemical and petrochemical industry, and so since the ’60s the company has pushed the development of all-metal float-type flow meters. In the mid-1980s, Heinrichs was the first European company to build a mass flow meter using the Coriolis effect, and in the years that followed steadily expanded its Coriolis instrument line. Today the company has customers in many industries, including chemicals oil/gas, energy, and plant and mechanical engineering. In 2008, Heinrichs became part of the Kobold Group, giving it an extensive sales network thanks to the Group’s international subsidiaries. Heinrichs develops and manufactures all of its products in-house at its headquarters in Cologne, which currently employs 60 people.

More info for readers/viewers/interested parties:
KOBOLD Instruments Inc.
1801 Parkway View Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15205
Phone: 412-788-2830
E-mail: 290316@email4pr.com
Internet: www.koboldusa.com

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SOURCE KOBOLD Instruments Inc.

Lehigh County Controller Takes on Highmark Health Insurance

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Lehigh County Controller’s Office reviewed Lehigh County’s prescription drug plan administered through Highmark which lost savings of almost $1.4 million, while battling a lack of transparency and openness about drug costs. The report sheds light on the middlemen of the insurance world, Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs and their power.

PBM’s directly…

PBM’s directly negotiate with pharmacies to determine how much they will reimburse them for the cost of their drugs and receive rebates from pharmaceutical companies to improve the likelihood that consumers will utilize a preferred drug.

These rebates should in theory be passed back to the insurer, in this case, Lehigh County. However, this process does not always occur and savings can depend in large part on the negotiation of the contract.

Lehigh County elected to choose a fixed discount structure, meaning that it received a flat rate savings for each employee on its healthcare plan. Lehigh County is self-insured. It could have elected to take full rebate value which results from savings passed from the pharmaceutical company to the Pharmacy Benefit Manager, but chose not to do this. In 2019, Lehigh County found that the actual rebate value exceeded the fixed discount by $700,000.

«This audit exposes what many of us have known, that our healthcare system is wasteful, lacks transparency and is subject to the greed of Pharmacy Benefit Managers that are more interested in profit,» said Controller Mark Pinsley.

The Controller’s Office also identified $654,749 in potential drug cost savings through evaluating competitor pricing. The Controller’s Office recommends that the county contractually obligate Highmark to utilize the lowest cost local drug price and mandate reference to the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) used by Medicare and Medicaid.

Lehigh County would have saved $1.6 million had it taken the rebates between 2017 and 2019.

Furthermore, the Controller’s Office took issue with Express Scripts online drug delivery service which competes with locally owned pharmacies that often offer competitive pricing. Express Scripts is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Controller’s Office spoke about the practice of billion-dollar corporations shifting local tax dollars way away from small businesses within the county and state.

«Throughout the audit process my office found numerous instances in which better negotiating on the part of the county may have resulted in more savings, stronger support of local small businesses and important contractual provisions requiring transparency with the Controller’s Office on the true cost of prescription drugs,» said Pinsley.

PBM’s remain one of the most profitable corporate entities in the world. CVS Health and Express Scripts have over $278 billion in revenue annually. Disney’s total revenue in 2016 was $55 billion, according to the Pennsylvania Pharmacist’s Association.

The Controller’s Office full audit report with its recommendations, and responses from both McGriff and Lehigh County’s Department of Administration are included with the press release.

For the full audit results please follow the link: https://www.lehighcounty.org/Portals/0/PDF/controller/General_Reports/Highmark%20Audit%20Final%20Issue%20Public%20Release.pdf?ver=Bi-kgiHO6hwG0v9G811WZw%3d%3d

Contact: Joshua Siegel
Phone: 610-782-3082
Email: 290304@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Lehigh County Controller’s Office