MANUFACTURING : View Posts

The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products.

Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and materials-handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker’s home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing.

Manufacturing is the production of goods for use or sale using labor and machines, tools, chemical and biological processing, or formulation. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing other, more complex products, such as aircraft, household appliances or automobiles, or sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who then sell them to end users – the “consumers”.

Manufacturing takes turns under all types of economic systems. In a free market economy, manufacturing is usually directed toward the mass production of products for sale to consumers at a profit. In a collectivist economy, manufacturing is more frequently directed by the state to supply a centrally planned economy. In mixed market economies, manufacturing occurs under some degree of government regulation.

Modern manufacturing includes all intermediate processes required for the production and integration of a product’s components. Some industries, such as semiconductor and steel manufacturers use the term fabrication instead.

History and development
In its earliest form, manufacturing was usually carried out by a single skilled artisan with assistants. Training was by apprenticeship. In much of the pre-industrial world, the guild system protected the privileges and trade secrets of urban artisans.

Before the Industrial Revolution, most manufacturing occurred in rural areas, where household-based manufacturing served as a supplemental subsistence strategy to agriculture (and continues to do so in places). Entrepreneurs organized a number of manufacturing households into a single enterprise through the putting-out system.

Toll manufacturing is an arrangement whereby a first firm with specialized equipment processes raw materials or semi-finished goods for a second firm.

Companies in this industry manufacture a wide variety of goods; major product groups include food and beverages, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, and computers and electronics.
Major companies include Pfizer, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Tyson Foods (all based in the US); Nestlé (Switzerland), Sanofi (France), Siemens (Germany), and Toyota Motor (Japan).

The global manufacturing sector generates about $12 trillion in annual revenue, according to the UN. Top manufacturing countries include China, the US, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, Italy, France, and the UK. Leading exporting countries include China, the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and South Korea. Growth drivers include rapid industrialization in the developing world, along with the use of technology to improve products and supply chains.

The US manufacturing sector consists of about 256,000 companies with combined annual sales of about $5.4 trillion.

The US manufacturing industry appears back on track and is likely to surpass growth expectations for two consecutive years in a row. Deloitte projections based on the Oxford Economic Model (OEM) indicate the 2018 manufacturing GDP numbers are likely to register a 3 percent upswing over 2017, the highest annual growth levels recorded since 2010.2 This year was also notable in terms of net employment gain, with the industry adding 300,000 new jobs.3 Meanwhile, the US Manufacturing PMI in September 2018 stood at 55.6 on the back of increasing industry output and new order gains.4 This brings us to an all-important question: Will the industrial manufacturing industry continue to remain the bright spot in the economy and a leader in global manufacturing performance?

The answer is uncertain, given today’s complicated times. Deloitte’s economic analysis indicates that manufacturing GDP should increase by 3.7 percent in 2019, and based on the confidence of industry leaders, this could be a feasible outcome. According to the latest Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, optimism soared this past year at 93.9 percent, the highest yearly average in the history of the survey.5 An analysis by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) indicates that the US manufacturing sector is likely to regain output levels lost during the Great Recession before the middle of 2019.6

Yet there are indications that the outlook may not be all bright. The manufacturing industry is currently dealing with one of the tightest labor markets in history, exacerbated by high job-opening levels (more than 400,000 since January 2018) and historic low unemployment rates.7 Also complicating the market momentum are the recent activity around trade agreements and tariffs and rising raw material costs, which have the potential to send disruptions throughout the manufacturing industry in the coming months.

Companies in this industry manufacture a wide variety of goods; major product groups include food and beverage, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, and computers and electronics.

The top manufacturing countries include China with $4 trillion, accounting for about 30% of the world total, followed by the US at $2.3 trillion (about 17%), Japan at $1 trillion (about 7%), Germany at $800 billion (about 6%), and South Korea at $460 billion (3%).

The US manufacturing sector consists of about 290,000 establishments with combined annual sales of about $6 trillion.

THIS PROFILE IS COURTESY US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WIKIPEDIA.ORG –CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS PROFILE

www.dnb.com

Strategy And Synergy Session 8 with Dr. Ken Walley
Date: 03/25/2025
Time: 9.30 AM US Eastern Time

Discussion Questions:
1. What are some of the obvious ethics/practices of the industry or entity in the industry that violate scriptures?
2. What are the notable complaints of those who patronize this industry or entity in this industry?
3. What services or products of this industry or entity of this industry ultimately hurt people?
4. Does the industry or entity in the industry violate Environmental Social and Governance ESG sustainability goals in any way?
5. How does this industry or entity in this industry compete that is flawed in your opinion?
6. What are some of the tactics of this industry or entity in this industry that does not augur well for other industries and the overall economy?

ATLANTA and HAMILTON, BERMUDA, – The Coca‑Cola Company and Bacardi Limited today announced an agreement to debut BACARDÍ rum and Coca‑Cola as a ready-to-drink (RTD) pre-mixed cocktail.

BACARDÍ Mixed with Coca‑Cola RTD will be available in several markets around the world, with the initial launch planned for select European markets and Mexico in 2025.

“We are continuing to develop our portfolio as a total beverage company, including in the growing alcohol ready-to-drink market,” said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca‑Cola Company. “This new relationship with Bacardi Limited supports our strategic expansion, and we look forward to the introduction of BACARDÍ Mixed with Coca‑Cola next year.”

“We are excited to bring together two iconic brands so that consumers may enjoy one of the most world’s most popular cocktails – first invented generations ago with BACARDÍ rum and Coca‑Cola – in a high-quality, convenient format,” said Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited. “Through this relationship, we will expand our reach and accessibility so that even more consumers of legal drinking age can enjoy this classic BACARDÍ rum and Coca‑Cola cocktail.”

BACARDÍ Mixed with Coca‑Cola RTD packaging will feature two of the world’s most recognizable global trademarks. Family-owned Bacardi was first established in 1862 in Cuba before moving to Bermuda, while Coca‑Cola debuted in 1886 in Atlanta.

This is not the first time the two brands have come together. In 1900, the Cuba Libre cocktail was invented using BACARDÍ rum, Coca‑Cola and lime at the American Bar in Havana. The combination of the most-awarded rum and the world’s most popular soft drink remains among the top bar calls globally.

Cans will include clear responsibility symbols stating that the drink is to be enjoyed only by consumers of legal drinking age. BACARDÍ Mixed with Coca‑Cola RTD will adhere to responsible marketing practices held by The Coca‑Cola Company and Bacardi Limited.

The global benchmark for alcohol beverage volume (ABV) is 5% but will vary depending on the market.

About The Coca‑Cola Company
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our hydration, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 162 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 1, 2024 — 3M (NYSE:MMM) announced today that Anurag Maheshwari is appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective September 1, 2024.

Maheshwari currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Otis Worldwide Corporation (Otis), a global leader in the manufacture, installation, and servicing of elevators and escalators, with customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. He joins 3M with proven experience as a chief financial officer and expertise across financial and business functions, including strategic planning, operations, investor relations, capital deployment, business transformation, and P&L ownership.

Before being named Otis’ CFO in July 2022, Maheshwari spent two years in the Asia Pacific region at Otis, serving as Vice President, Finance, Information Technology and Chief Transformation Officer. Prior to joining Otis, Maheshwari served as Vice President, Investor Relations, at Harris Corporation and then L3Harris from January 2017 to February 2020, leading the company’s interaction with the investor community, while driving strategic investment planning and capital deployment. He began his career as a consultant before taking on several executive-level roles of increasing responsibility in strategy, business leadership, private equity, and finance at United Technologies, Affinity Equity Partners, and Harris Corporation. Maheshwari holds a master’s degree in finance from the Asian Institute of Management and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bombay University.

“I am thrilled to welcome Anurag to 3M and to our leadership team,” said Bill Brown, 3M Chief Executive Officer. “I have known and worked with him for more than twenty years and am confident that his leadership and expertise will play a vital role in driving profitable growth at 3M, achieving operational excellence across the enterprise, and advancing our capital allocation priorities.”

“I am excited to join 3M, a company I have long admired as one of the most innovative in the world,” said Maheshwari. “I look forward to working again with Bill and partnering with the team to advance the company’s priorities and make a positive impact for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”

As 3M’s CFO, Maheshwari will lead the Company’s global finance organization and will be responsible for business finance, accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax, and investor relations, in addition to transformation, country governance, and 3M’s global service centers.

Pending Maheshwari’s assumption of the CFO role on September 1, 3M announced the appointment of Teri Reinseth as Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective August 1, 2024. Reinseth currently serves as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, and has been in this role since April 1, 2019.

About 3M
3M believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas, and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news

Washington, D.C. – Following the announcement that Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) will be the Republican vice presidential candidate, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Senator Vance is a fellow Ohioan and understands the transformative power of manufacturing to improve the quality of life for everyone. The NAM board has had the chance to hear his powerful personal story firsthand, learning about the experiences and Appalachian roots that have made him a champion for expanding opportunity for all. He recognizes the role manufacturing plays in building strong communities and an exceptional nation, and he is committed to supporting the growth of our industry.

“We are at a critical moment for the 13 million people who make things in America, and for the whole nation. Whoever is elected to lead our country for the next four years will need to enact a policy agenda that empowers manufacturers to invest in their communities, create jobs and increase wages. The NAM is committed to working with all candidates to shape the manufacturing strategy in the next administration and advance the NAM’s ‘Competing to Win’ policy agenda for growing manufacturing in the U.S.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

SPRING, Texas – ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SK On, a global leading electric vehicle (EV) battery developer, that opens the door to secure a multiyear offtake agreement of up to 100,000 metric tons of MobilTM Lithium from the company’s first planned project in Arkansas. SK On plans to use the lithium in its EV battery manufacturing operations in the United States. This will contribute to ExxonMobil’s goal, announced in late 2023, of supplying lithium for about 1 million EV batteries annually by 2030 and support the build out of a U.S. EV supply chain.

Demand for lithium is forecasted to grow sharply in coming years, as it is an essential component for EVs, consumer electronics, energy storage systems, and other clean energy technologies. The planned project will extract lithium from underground saltwater deposits and convert it into battery-grade material onsite in Arkansas. This approach aims to produce lithium more efficiently and with fewer environmental impacts than traditional hard rock mining.

“The world needs more lithium to support its emissions goals, and we’re doing our part to drive solutions forward in the United States,” said Dan Ammann, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “This collaboration with SK On demonstrates the leading role we play in the growing market for domestically sourced lithium, a market that’s advancing energy security and climate objectives, as well as supporting American manufacturing.”

Planned production of MobilTM Lithium will use ExxonMobil’s core capabilities in subsurface exploration, drilling, and chemical processing, offering U.S. EV battery manufacturers a more secure, lower-carbon lithium supply option. Through the appraisal drilling program and technology pilot using Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, ExxonMobil has successfully produced lithium carbonate from the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas.

In the U.S., SK On currently operates two battery plants in Commerce, Georgia, and is building four more plants through joint ventures with Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Group. After 2025, the annual production capacity of SK On in the U.S. alone is expected to reach more than 180 GWh, which is enough to power about 1.7 million EVs a year.

“SK On has been working with global partners to secure key battery raw materials in a move to support our growing U.S. manufacturing base and lead electrification in the region,” said Park Jong-jin, Executive Vice President of Strategic Procurement at SK On. “Through this partnership with ExxonMobil, we will continue strengthening battery supply chains in the U.S.”

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About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy and petrochemical companies, creates solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs.

The corporation’s primary businesses – Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions – provide products that enable modern life, including energy, chemicals, lubricants, and lower emissions technologies. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading portfolio of resources, and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world. ExxonMobil also owns and operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the United States. In 2021, ExxonMobil announced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission-reduction plans for 2030 for operated assets, compared to 2016 levels. The plans are to achieve a 20-30% reduction in corporate-wide greenhouse gas intensity; a 40-50% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity of upstream operations; a 70-80% reduction in corporate-wide methane intensity; and a 60-70% reduction in corporate-wide flaring intensity.

As the world looks to accelerate climate action, 3M is intensifying its commitment to climate innovation—using cutting-edge materials science to advance decarbonization, energy efficiency, resilient infrastructure and more. 3M’s diverse global portfolio and deep technological expertise enables our company to develop products that consumers and other companies can use to tackle some of the most pressing climate issues. Below are just a few areas where 3M Science is making an impact.

Carbon capture is essential to global environmental stewardship. To get to net-zero atmospheric carbon, the world needs to remove at least 1-2 gigatons annually directly from the atmosphere—one gigaton of mass is roughly equivalent to 200 million elephants.

To help advance decarbonization and direct air capture, 3M is collaborating with companies like Svante to innovate solutions like Sorbent-on-a-Roll (SOAR), a reusable sorbent filtration material that acts like a sponge to adsorb CO2 from the atmosphere. When a filter box of SOAR material is saturated, the carbon is removed by steam heat and can be permanently sequestered, enabling the filter to continue adsorbing more carbon.

By leveraging each company’s capabilities – including 3M’s ability to produce advanced filtration technology at-scale – 3M and Svante believe it will be feasible to capture millions of tons of CO2 from diverse sites around the world.

Greenhouses are an essential tool to meet growing food production demands, which must increase by 50-70% while simultaneously minimizing environmental and energy impact. In the US, greenhouses cover 13.9 million acres and are expected to grow 10% annually.

3M is partnering with Voltiris to transform greenhouses, helping them become energy-independent while simultaneously improving plant growth and yield. 3M’s solution is light management, using an array of thin films to capture the optimal light waves to grow plants, then utilizing the remaining light waves to produce solar energy that can provide up to 70% of a greenhouse’s energy needs.

There is no one-size-fits all solution when it comes to greenhouses and the challenges they have. This is why 3M will soon be offering a portfolio of thin film solutions to help reduce energy use and increase crop yield.

Green hydrogen—a sustainable fuel source produced using renewable energy—is a critical strategy in reducing global carbon emissions, especially for hard-to-decarbonize industries like steel production and long-haul transport. It is estimated that clean hydrogen will supply 15% of global energy demands by 2050, abating carbon emissions up to 80 gigatons.

To meet this need, 3M is supporting the developing hydrogen economy—from production to storage and shipping solutions. For example, just ten grams of our innovative 3M™ Nanostructured Supported Iridium Catalyst Powder can help separate ten tons of hydrogen from water while preventing 100 tons of carbon emissions annually. It can help the industry reach its goals to reduce hydrogen production costs by 80% and create momentum for an industry estimated at $4.3 billion by 2026 and $2.5 trillion by 2050.

Additionally, 3M has invested in EVOLOH, a California-based developer of electrolyzer stacks for hydrogen production, and signed a joint research project agreement with HD Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (KSOE) to develop large liquid hydrogen storage tanks using 3M Glass Bubbles—high-strength, low-density hollow glass microspheres.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s that time of year when Americans everywhere will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with family, friends and fireworks. A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) highlights the hazards posed by consumer use of fireworks. CPSC is raising awareness and sharing safety tips to prevent these types of injuries and deaths over the holiday.

For 2023, CPSC received reports of eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks. Out of the eight deaths, five were associated with firework misuse, two with a device malfunction, and one involves unknown circumstances.

The report shows that between 2008 and 2023, injuries from fireworks have increased overall, despite recent data showing a steady decline since the peak in 2020 during the pandemic when public displays were canceled.

“While it is a great American tradition to enjoy fireworks around the 4th of July, it is important to remember that all fireworks, even sparklers, pose dangers to consumers. The safest way to view fireworks is to watch professional displays,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. “If you choose to light your own, make sure you only buy legal fireworks intended for consumer use from a reputable retailer. And follow the simple safety tips provided below and on CPSC’s website.”

To understand more about fireworks-related injuries hazards around the 4th of July, CPSC conducted an analysis of the injury data in the four weeks surrounding the holiday in 2023 and found the following:

Teenagers ages 15 to 19 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries, with children ages 5-9 years old having the second highest rate.
There were an estimated 800 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 700 with sparklers.
The parts of the body most often injured by fireworks were hands and fingers (an estimated 35 percent of injuries) along with head, face, and ears (an estimated 22 percent).
About 42 percent of the emergency department-treated fireworks-related injuries were for burns.
In fiscal year 2023, approximately 18% of selected and tested fireworks products were found to contain noncompliant components, including fuse violations, the presence of prohibited chemicals and pyrotechnic materials overload.
CPSC urges consumers to celebrate safely this holiday by following these safety tips:

Tips to Celebrate Safely

Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt some metals.
Make sure fireworks are legal in your area, and only purchase and set off fireworks that are labeled for consumer (not professional) use.
Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy, in case of fire or other mishap.
Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
Never point or throw fireworks (including sparklers) at anyone.
After fireworks complete their burning, to prevent a trash fire, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding the device.

Media can view our MNR here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9275751-cpsc-fireworks-injuries-trend-upwards/

View CPSC’s latest fireworks PSA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWvUcCkqk-o

For more fireworks safety tips, visit Fireworks | CPSC.gov

Release Number
24-280
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

WASHINGTON – As the summer swim season kicks off with the opening of pools nationwide, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its annual drowning and submersion report. Focused on deaths and injuries for children under age 15, the report shows that fatal drownings for children increased 12 percent in 2021, the most recent year for which data are available, compared to 2020. Drowning remains the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old, with a disproportionately higher risk for swimming-aged children in Black communities. CPSC urges families with young children and those in historically excluded communities to prioritize water safety, as they spend more time in and around pools.

CPSC’s report addresses nonfatal drownings for the period 2021 through 2023 and fatal drownings for the period 2019 through 2021, reflecting a lag in the reporting of fatal drowning statistics.

CPSC’s latest data show the following for children in the U.S. younger than 15 years of age:

Between 2019 and 2021, there was an average of 358 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year, and 75% of those victims were younger than 5 years of age.
The number of fatal child drownings in 2021 was 380, a 12 percent increase from the 339 fatal drownings reported in the previous year.
Between 2021 and 2023, there was an average of 6,500 estimated pool- or spa-related, hospital emergency department (ED)-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries each year.

Additionally, the report highlighted specific drowning hazards for children under 5 years of age:

In 2023, 77 percent of all estimated pool- or spa-related, ED-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries involved children younger than 5 years of age.
Between 2019 and 2021, there was an average of 269 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings for children under 5, roughly 75 percent of the total average number of fatal drownings for all children under 15.
“Children can drown quickly and silently and the increase in drownings for this age group is a sobering reminder of how prevalent these tragedies are,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. “Parents and caregivers should never let their guard down around water, that means installing layers of protection, like fencing, alarms, pool covers, and self-latching features to keep unsupervised kids from accessing the water.”

Where location was known, 81 percent of fatal drownings involving children under age 15 occurred in a residential setting, including at the victim’s home, or at the home of a family member, friend, or neighbor.

The report also highlights the continuing trend of racial disparities in drowning fatalities. Out of the 71 percent of drowning fatalities involving children under age 15 whose race was specified, African American children made up 23 percent of all drownings, higher than 15 percent of the population for that age.

For drowning fatalities among children aged 5 to 14, 45 percent of drowning deaths involved African Americans where race was identified. These numbers highlight the importance of reaching historically excluded communities with water safety information and support.

Parents and caregivers can follow Pool Safely’s simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water:

Never leave a child unattended in or near water, and always designate an adult Water Watcher. This person should not be reading, texting, using a phone or being otherwise distracted. In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds, and fountains.
If you own a pool or spa, install layers of protection, including barriers to prevent an unsupervised child from accessing the water. Homes can use door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching devices on fence gates and doors that access pools.
Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training.
Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments.
Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.
You can read the full CPSC drowning and entrapment reports by visiting PoolSafely.gov.

Pool Safely, a national public education campaign supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, works with collaborators around the country to reduce child drownings, nonfatal drownings and entrapment incidents in swimming pools and spas. Parents, caregivers and the media are encouraged to visit: PoolSafely.gov or to follow Pool Safely on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X for vital safety information regarding the prevention of child drownings in and around pools and spas.

For more information, contact Nikki Fleming in CPSC’s Office of Communications at nfleming@cpsc.gov.

Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

Release Number
24-253

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

For lifesaving information:

Visit CPSC.gov.
Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
Contact a media specialist.

CINCINNATI — Shailesh Jejurikar, Chief Operating Officer and Andre Schulten, Chief Financial Officer of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) will be featured speakers at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess Global Consumer Conference on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 8:30 A.M. CEST (Central European Summer Time) / 2:30 A.M. ET (Eastern Time).

Media and investors may access the live audio webcast at www.pginvestor.com. The webcast will also be available for replay.

About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

Category: PG-IR

Jennifer Corso

+1-513-983-2570

Source: Procter & Gamble

NSC1 is focused on pursuing world-leading technologies and manufacturing capabilities, providing excellent products and services, and seeking strategic-growth opportunities.

Enhanced Electrical Steel Technologies: Essential to Electric Vehicles & More
• NSC is one of the top electrical steel producers in the world in terms of technology and reliability and has a proven advantage in the market.
• The goal of this transaction is to utilize NSC’s electrical steel technology to make U. S. Steel one of the leading electrical steel producers in the United States and accelerate its decarbonization goals.
• NSC is one of the best steelmakers in the world that can produce high-grade electrical steel by using electric arc furnace (EAF) technology.
• In addition, NSC is further improving manufacturing capacity and quality of the highest grade non grain oriented electrical steel sheets, which contribute to higher performance of eco-cars, and thus contribute to CO2 emissions reductions.
Increased Access to Automotive Flat-Steel Technologies: Essential to American-made Vehicles
• NSC will be able to help U. S. Steel develop new technologies and innovations for the benefit of auto customers.
• U. S. Steel will be able to build on its longstanding relationship with the U.S. auto industry by offering those customers even more value through its connection to NSC. NSC’s highly regarded manufacturing and quality
technologies will be available to aid U. S. Steel’s automotive customers in the development of next-generation vehicles. For more information, visit www.bestdealforamericansteel.com
Differentiated Operation and Maintenance Technologies: Essential for American Competitiveness
• The combined expertise and experience of NSC and U. S. Steel is expected to further enhance the cost competitiveness and reliability of U. S. Steel’s operating facilities.
• U. S. Steel will also be able to leverage NSC operational technologies and know-how related to energy savings, integrated steel production and recycling.

Drive Towards Decarbonization: Essential to a Sustainable World
• To meet the needs and demands of customers, NSC and U. S. Steel share a commitment to decarbonize by 2050 and recognize that solving sustainability challenges is a fundamental pillar of a steelmaker’s long term viability and growth.
• Likewise, NSC and U. S. Steel understand diverse methods or alternatives are necessary to overcome the challenges facing the steel industry.
• NSC is working on three breakthrough technologies to progress towards its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, including:
– High-grade steel production in large size electric arc furnaces;
– Hydrogen use in the direct iron reduction process; and
– Hydrogen injection technology for blast furnaces.
• U. S. Steel is similarly focused on reducing its carbon footprint, including through reduced energy consumption, increased use of renewable energy, and advancing partnerships for carbon capture and other methods benefiting integrated operations.

CORK, Ireland, – Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, marking significant progress and unwavering focus on decarbonizing the built environment. Notably, the company reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 43.8% since 2017, putting it ahead of schedule in achieving its 2030 science-based target of a 55% reduction. The company also reported a 27.1% reduction in Scope 3 emissions derived from the use of its products, exceeding its 2030 science-based target of achieving 16% reduction in use of sold products by 2030.

“At Johnson Controls, our focus on sustainability is a force multiplier accelerating our strategy, cutting our operating costs, and helping us attract and retain the best and brightest talent in the industry,” said George Oliver, chairman and CEO. “Putting our operating technology and OpenBlue digital platform to work achieving our own ambitious decarbonization goals enables us to be a trusted partner to our customers, accelerating their climate progress and success. I am proud of the progress we have made and am excited by the many initiatives we have underway that make the promise of sustainable buildings a reality.”

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions and buildings represent some of the fastest—if not the fastest—paths to meeting global climate targets. Throughout the report, Johnson Controls highlights key innovations and initiatives that deliver energy efficiency and decarbonization in buildings. This includes the solutions and services that form the smart building trifecta: energy-efficient equipment, clean electrification and digitalization.

These solutions are making a difference in buildings like Children’s of Alabama medical center, where OpenBlue and heat pump technologies are delivering $450,000 in annual savings and reducing the use of natural gas by 69%. In Norway, OpenBlue is helping create the largest net energy-positive building in the northern hemisphere. In Dubai Silicon Oasis, Johnson Controls chillers and AI-driven solutions are reducing carbon by 30% and delivering guaranteed energy savings of 4.2 million kWh per year. In 2023, OpenBlue Enterprise Manager and OpenBlue Central Utility Plant helped our customers avoid an estimated 70,000 metric tons CO2e, more than four times the avoided emissions of 2020.

“We have very purposefully created a company that is uniquely qualified to meet the needs of customers at every level—creating the products, installing and servicing them, investing in advanced technologies like AI, and creating the financing structure to support net zero journeys end-to-end,” said Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls. “The numbers show we are having tremendous impact in cutting energy, emissions, and cost in our own operations and for our customers. We are moving the needle on net zero buildings fast and we realize every day that decarbonizing buildings is a winner for the climate and for smart, cutting-edge organizations that are determined to best in class.”

Against the backdrop of the hottest year on record, Johnson Controls remains committed to innovation, investing 90% of new product R&D into climate-related technologies. The company is also addressing hard-to-abate steel production and embodied carbon with more than 80% of steel purchases in the United States and 50% globally produced from recycled scrap materials using low-carbon, electric arc furnace steel-making technology.

Johnson Controls is also helping customers overcome financing challenges with innovative structures like “Net Zero Buildings as a Service,” which establishes outcome-based, net zero financing. It redefines risk by guaranteeing energy savings and paying project costs out of the savings. The company also offers performance-contracting projects, with guaranteed energy and operational savings realized over time. Since January 2000, Johnson Controls performance-contracting projects have helped partners and customers avoid over 39 million metric tons of emissions and they are set to save partners over $8.4 billion in energy and operational costs over their project terms.

At NRG Park in Harris County, Texas, a 20-year energy savings performance contract is expected to generate more than $54 million in savings that will fund the entire cost of the complex-wide upgrades, while also providing surplus savings that will be reinvested back into the Harris County community. The project spans much of the complex, including upgrades to HVAC equipment, building automation systems, water conservation, life safety systems and lighting, as well as high-efficiency chiller upgrades and the integration of Johnson Controls OpenBlue Central Utility Plant.

Johnson Controls attributes its global sustainability leadership to its global workforce. In 2023, Johnson Controls employees volunteered over 61,000 hours, the most volunteer hours recorded in one year since 2017, with more than 82% of the volunteer hours supporting one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company is also investing in the rising generation of diverse, sustainable leaders through a wide range of scholarship, training, and community engagement programs.

ATLANTA and REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. and The Coca‑Cola Company on Tuesday announced a five-year strategic partnership to align Coca‑Cola’s core technology strategy systemwide; enable the adoption of leading-edge technology; and foster innovation and productivity globally.

As part of the partnership, Coca‑Cola has made a $1.1 billion commitment to the Microsoft Cloud and its generative AI capabilities. The collaboration underscores Coca‑Cola’s ongoing technology transformation, underpinned by the Microsoft Cloud as Coca‑Cola’s globally preferred and strategic cloud and AI platform.

Through the partnership, the companies will jointly experiment with groundbreaking new technology like Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions. This includes testing how Copilot for Microsoft 365 could help improve workplace productivity.

“Through our long-term partnership, we have made significant progress to accelerate system-wide AI Transformation across The Coca‑Cola Company and its network of independent bottlers worldwide,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft. “We are proud to support Coca‑Cola as it continues to embrace the era of AI and looks to solutions like Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to drive innovation across every area of its business.”

Coca‑Cola has migrated all its applications to Microsoft Azure, with most major independent bottling partners following suit. As a pioneer in AI adoption, Coca‑Cola has been innovating with generative AI for nearly a year and has already leveraged Azure OpenAI Service to reimagine everything from marketing to manufacturing and supply chain and beyond. The company is currently exploring the use of generative AI-powered digital assistants on Azure OpenAI Service to help employees improve customer experiences, streamline operations, foster innovation, gain a competitive advantage, boost efficiency and uncover new growth opportunities.

“This new agreement builds on the success of Coca‑Cola’s partnership strategy with Microsoft, showing our commitment to ongoing digital transformation,” said John Murphy, president and chief financial officer of The Coca‑Cola Company. “Our partnership with Microsoft has grown exponentially, from the $250 million agreement we initially announced in 2020 to $1.1 billion today.”

The agreement reflects a significant step in advancing Coca‑Cola’s digital transformation, focused on providing expanded access to Microsoft’s cloud and AI platforms — as well as solutions such as Microsoft 365, Power BI, Dynamics 365, Defender and Fabric — to enhance efficiency and scalability while fostering innovation across the system.

“Our expanded partnership with Microsoft is an important next chapter in Coca‑Cola’s journey toward a digital-first enterprise powered by emerging technologies,” said Neeraj Tolmare, senior vice president and global chief information officer for The Coca‑Cola Company. “Microsoft’s capabilities help accelerate our adoption of AI to create incremental enterprise value.”

About The Coca‑Cola Company
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, Smartwater, Vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft Source at http://news.microsoft.com/source. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

SAN JOSE, Calif., – Today at the SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning conference, Applied Materials, Inc. introduced a portfolio of products and solutions designed to address the patterning requirements of chips in the “angstrom era.” As chipmakers transition to process nodes at 2nm and below, they increasingly benefit from new materials engineering and metrology techniques that help overcome EUV and High-NA EUV patterning challenges, including line edge roughness, tip-to-tip spacing limitations, bridge defects and edge placement errors.

Sculpta Momentum: Growing Adoption and New Applications
At last year’s SPIE lithography conference, Applied introduced the Centura® Sculpta® patterning system, which allows chipmakers to reduce EUV double patterning steps by elongating patterned features, bringing the tips of the features closer together than achievable with a single EUV or High-NA EUV exposure. Applied is now working with all leading-edge logic chipmakers on a growing number of Sculpta applications. For example, in addition to reducing tip-to-tip spacing, chipmakers are using Sculpta to remove bridge defects, thereby enabling reduced patterning cost and improved chip yield.

“Leading chipmakers are seeing excellent results as they deploy Sculpta systems in production and explore additional applications beyond EUV double patterning step reduction,” said Dr. Prabu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials. “Sculpta is an entirely new tool in the patterning engineer’s tool kit that will be used in many more applications as engineers use their imaginations to solve challenging problems in new ways.”

“Pattern shaping is an innovative solution that is helping Intel accelerate its process technology roadmap,” said Ryan Russell, Corporate Vice President for Logic Technology Development at Intel. “We are deploying Sculpta systems for our angstrom process nodes, with initial results showing improved throughput, enhanced wafer yield, and reduced process complexity and cost. Pattern shaping facilitates new strategies for advanced patterning and paves the way for pushing lithographic print boundaries.”

“Pattern shaping is a breakthrough technology that addresses key challenges in the EUV era,” said Jong-Chul Park, Master of Foundry Etch Technology Team at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is an early development partner and is evaluating the Sculpta systems for our 4nm process. We are looking forward to positive results, including reduced cost and complexity and increased yield.”

New Etch Technology Heals EUV Line Edge Roughness
EUV systems produce fewer of the photons needed to crisply define line and space patterns in photoresists. As a result, lines with rough edges are etched into the wafer, potentially creating open and short circuits in the chip. These yield-killing defects are becoming more prevalent as chipmakers implement angstrom era designs with narrower line and space patterns.

Applied today introduced the Sym3® Y Magnum™ etch system, which combines deposition and etch technology in the same chamber. The unique system deposits material along rough edges, making EUV line patterns smoother before they are etched into the wafer, enabling an increase in yields and a decrease in line resistance to improve chip performance and power consumption. In foundry-logic, Sym3 Y Magnum has already been adopted for critical etch applications at leading chipmakers and is now being deployed for EUV patterning in angstrom era nodes. In memory, Sym3 Y Magnum is the most widely adopted etch technology for EUV patterning in DRAM.

New CVD Patterning Film for Angstrom Era Patterning
Applied today introduced the Producer® XP Pioneer® CVD (chemical vapor deposition)​ patterning film. The Pioneer film is deposited on the wafer prior to photoresist pattern processing and is uniquely designed to transfer desired patterns to the wafer with exceptional fidelity. Pioneer is based on a unique high-density carbon formula that is more resilient to etch chemistries used in the most advanced process nodes, permitting thinner film stacks with superior sidewall feature uniformity. Pioneer has already been adopted by leading memory manufacturers for DRAM patterning.

Pioneer has been co-optimized with Applied’s Sculpta pattern-shaping technology, enabling patterning engineers to maximize pattern elongation while maintaining tight control of the original EUV pattern. Pioneer is also being co-optimized with the new Sym3 Y Magnum etch system to provide higher selectivity and better control over conventional carbon films for critical etch applications in logic and memory processing.

Avoiding Placement Errors: Introducing Aselta
Applied’s industry-leading eBeam metrology systems are used by the world’s leading logic and memory companies to develop and control their most critical EUV patterning applications. A major challenge is tightly defining and placing the billions of features on each layer so they properly align with their opposite features on the next layer of the chip. Small placement errors reduce chip performance and power consumption, and large errors create yield-killing defects.

Applied has acquired Aselta Nanographics, a technology leader in design-based metrology using contours. Contours enable patterning engineers to gather orders of magnitudes more data about the shapes their recipes are creating in patterning films and on the wafer. This data is fed back into the lithography and process flow to create more exact on-chip features and placement.

“Aselta contour technology is now being integrated with Applied’s VeritySEM® CD-SEM system and PROVision® eBeam metrology system to give chipmakers a unique end-to-end capability that addresses the full spectrum of angstrom era metrology challenges,” said Keith Wells, Group Vice President of Imaging and Process Control at Applied Materials.

A Growing Patterning Portfolio and Business
Since 2012, Applied Materials has made patterning a research and development priority, investing to deliver new products and solutions that help customers overcome their toughest patterning challenges, particularly in emerging EUV and High-NA EUV applications. The company’s patterning product portfolio today includes CVD and ALD deposition; four types of materials removal (etch, selective materials removal, pattern shaping and CMP); thermal processes; and eBeam metrology. The company has increased its served available market in patterning from around $1.5 billion in 2013 to more than $8 billion in 2023 – and grown its share of the opportunity from about 10 percent to more than 30 percent over the same timeframe.

About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations make possible a better future. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

ST. PAUL, Minn., March 25, 2024 — Harnessing the power of best-in-class materials science, 3M is proud to introduce a world’s first innovation to help redefine how the world packs, ships and sells goods across all industries. 3M is launching the first known padded, paper-based curbside recyclable mailer material that businesses can also use to automate their packaging process. This new material called 3M™ Padded Automatable Curbside Recyclable (PACR) Mailer Material is capable of producing packages up to three times faster than manual packing when paired with qualified automated packaging machines.

“3M Science continues to advance and create products that are sustainable and meet stringent performance requirements,” said John Banovetz, 3M’s chief technology officer. “3M is well positioned to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, and this includes creating more sustainable and better performing materials to help reduce the impact on our planet.”

This new mailer is made with a single layer of kraft paper that is lightweight, durable and resists moisture penetration. The proprietary padding technology helps to effectively protect against drops, bursts, vibration, and other potential risks incurred during shipping.

It is specially designed to be used with qualified automated packaging machines and is heat sealable with potential dwell times under one second to help facilitate fast and efficient operations. The material is not industry specific and is compatible with a range of printing technologies. It also comes in a wide array of sizes to meet the packaging requirements for all kinds of goods.

For decades, 3M has been an established leader in helping businesses pack and ship reliably. In 2022, the company launched Scotch™ Cushion Lock™ Protective Wrap which is a sustainable alternative to plastic wrap.

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news.

STAMFORD, Conn. Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE: PM) announces the launch of an extended partnership via its U.S. business to support female empowerment with a record-setting $5 million investment in the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to providing tools and resources to help women entrepreneurs thrive in business throughout Connecticut.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240304800265/en/

(from left to right) Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Citizenship Officer, PMI U.S.; Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons; U.S. Congressman Jim Himes; State Representative Tom O’Dea; Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council; Gov. Ned Lamont; Stacey Kennedy, President Americas & CEO of PMI’s U.S. Business; Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (Photo: Business Wire)
(from left to right) Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Citizenship Officer, PMI U.S.; Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons; U.S. Congressman Jim Himes; State Representative Tom O’Dea; Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council; Gov. Ned Lamont; Stacey Kennedy, President Americas & CEO of PMI’s U.S. Business; Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (Photo: Business Wire)

Beginning January 2025, in coordination with WBDC, PMI’s U.S. business will contribute $1 million per year over a five-year period toward the “Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative” (WEEI) to help remove barriers that prevent women from full participation in Connecticut’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Philip Morris International is committed to making positive impact throughout Connecticut communities and beyond. Our partnership with WBDC and investment through the ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative’ enables us to better support Gov. Ned Lamont’s vision of positioning our state as a catalyst for women and their families,” said Stacey Kennedy, President, Americas Region & CEO of PMI’s U.S. business. “As the first multinational to receive Global EQUAL-SALARY Certification, we believe supporting female empowerment and ensuring economic equality is paramount for our collective economic growth. We encourage other companies to join in the initiative to empower females across the state. We have chosen to partner with WBDC because of their 27-year track record as the leading force for women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship and a driver of economic equity across Connecticut.”

Since 1997, WBDC has educated and trained more than 18,900 clients in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns— helping women to launch, sustain, and scale more than 14,170 businesses, create and maintain more than 31,400 jobs, and access more than $57 million in capital. This support from PMI will ensure continuity of the vital services WBDC provides and will allow the WBDC to build a legacy thousands of female entrepreneurs in Connecticut can rely on for years to come.

Decades of research show women’s full economic participation has enormous benefits, including increasing financial stability in their households and reducing poverty in their communities. Data from the New York-based Eurasia Group indicates that if policymakers were to prioritize investment in women’s economic power, the global economy could grow an additional 7% or $10 trillion by 20301. Through WEEI, PMI and WBDC, Connecticut-based women will receive the education, training, resources, and access to capital they need to put them and their families on the right path to economic self-reliance.

“This investment from PMI will enable us to continue the critical work we do to support economic independence through entrepreneurship for women in Connecticut,” said WBDC CEO Fran Pastore. “We are pleased that PMI has trusted us to use these funds to continue to help women access capital, education, and resources to support themselves and fuel employment within our state. Over the past few years, we have seen a 275% increase in the number of women who come to us seeking to launch or scale their business. Without the support of corporations in our community like PMI, this growth, and the growth we anticipate in the future, would not be possible.”

“Investments in female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses are investments in the future of Connecticut,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “From our efforts to advance pay equity, to enacting a paid family medical leave program, to safeguarding healthcare services and increasing access to childcare so that women who enter the workforce can not only stay in the workforce, but advance as leaders and entrepreneurs, these are just some of the reasons Connecticut is one of the best states in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.”

This historic partnership was announced during a press conference at PMI’s Stamford, Connecticut headquarters (677 Washington Boulevard, 11th floor Stamford, CT 06901) at 10 a.m. EST on Monday, March 4, 2024. In attendance was Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont; U.S. Congressman Jim Himes; Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz; Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons; Stacey Kennedy, President Americas & CEO of PMI’s U.S. Business; Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Citizenship Officer, PMI U.S.; and Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council.

1Eurasia Group. (October 2023). Women’s Economic Power.

Philip Morris International, U.S.: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI), U.S., is working to deliver a smoke-free future. Since 2008, PMI has invested $12.5 billion globally to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match – a leader in oral nicotine delivery – creating a global smoke-free champion led by the companies’ IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized versions of PMI’s IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables and Swedish Match’s General snus as Modified Risk Tobacco Products. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com/us/ and www.pmiscience.com.

Cambridge, Massachusetts: February 21, 2024 – Today, GE Vernova launched GridOS® Data Fabric, the first data fabric designed for grid orchestration, to help utilities operate a grid that is both smarter, as renewable energy scales, and more resilient, as extreme weather events increase.

The grid today is more complex than ever before, and energy data is a contributor to this complexity, as this data is dispersed across the energy network, multiplying exponentially and creating data challenges for electric utilities to manage. GridOS® Data Fabric uses federation to access decentralized data from multiple sources and virtualization to create a centralized view across the grid ecosystem, from transmission, distribution and the edge, and information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) applications. This unified data view helps grid operators discover, govern, and utilize large volumes of highly distributed data to make better decisions faster while orchestrating the grid in real-time.

“We are working to address complications arising from big energy data,” said Sanjay Banga, President, Transmission and Distribution Vertical at Tata Power. “Unlocking energy data across the grid will help us address variable renewable power, grid disruption, and the induction of millions of EVs, solar panels, solar pumps, and IoT edge devices. Scalable solutions that make data management easier for utilities will help us better forecast generation and load for grid balancing and optimize capex for optimal data analytics. This supports our drive toward 24/7 availability of reliable, sustainable power for end users,” added Banga.

Energy data provides opportunities for electric utilities
As utilities modernize the grid by installing line sensors and smart meters, they are able to gather large amounts of data to enhance grid intelligence. They also need to process an increasing number of external data sources, such as weather, wildfire, traffic, and emergency services information. GridOS® Data Fabric is designed to integrate energy data from across OT and IT, as well as these external data sources to facilitate coordinated decision-making.

“Energy data plays a key role in delivering a more efficient grid. Utilities will need to connect energy data from across the grid ecosystem to effectively automate grid operations, orchestrating more intelligent, secure, and resilient grid that is ready and built for future electrification needs. By leveraging energy data, AI and machine learning (ML) powered technologies, utilities can move at speed to meet demand while addressing renewables management and electrification challenges,” said Mahesh Sudhakaran, General Manager at GE Vernova’s Grid Software business.

Collaborations to scale up grid modernization
Collaborations are key to accelerating grid orchestration and scaling breakthrough technologies that rely on energy data. Itron, an American energy, water, smart city, Industrial Internet of Things, and intelligent infrastructure services company, will leverage GE Vernova’s GridOS® Data Fabric to connect grid operations and grid edge data, from sources such as residential solar, electric vehicles, and more. “A key component of the GridOS® Data Fabric software is its ability to connect and integrate data to make more accurate real-time decisions that enable a reliable and resilient grid. The data to be exchanged with Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence solutions can provide new insights to promote grid stability and to train and power AI and ML applications that help automate key aspects of the grid operation,” said Don Reeves, Senior Vice President, Outcomes at Itron.

GE Vernova’s GridOS® strategy is centered around a modular, composable, data-driven software portfolio designed to orchestrate a more sustainable energy grid and help utilities keep pace with the energy transition. This announcement builds on GE Vernova’s acquisition of Greenbird Integration Technology AS and the launch of GridOS® in 2023. “This launch includes GridOS® Connect, our energy data integration engine, a key component for the federated grid data fabric that feeds continuously updated data sets into the system. This is information that has been difficult for utilities to compile and analyze holistically in the past,” said Thorsten Heller, Chief Innovation Officer at GE Vernova’s Grid Software business. “With GE Vernova’s acquisition of Greenbird Integration Technology AS last year, we are ready to help utilities unlock data for a smarter, resilient grid that is fit for future generations.”

The announcement comes ahead of DISTRIBUTECH International, an annual transmission and distribution event, where GE Vernova will be showcasing its electrification grid hardware and software solutions that are designed to help utility customers address the challenge of big data, climate change, and energy security to accelerate the energy transition and orchestrate a more sustainable energy grid.

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Notes to Editors:

GE Vernova’s GridOS® Data Fabric website
GE Vernova’s GridOS® Data Fabric whitepaper
DISTRIBUTECH

GE Vernova will be attending DISTRIBUTECH International from 26-29 February 2024.
Executives will be available for briefings and interviews with attendees and the media at the GE Vernova booth #2127.
Please contact Arti Mohan or Becky Norton for media availabilities at DISTRIBUTECH International.
About GE Vernova
GE Vernova is a planned, purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification businesses and is supported by its accelerator businesses of Advanced Research, Consulting Services, and Financial Services. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova’s Electrification Software business is focused on providing a suite of software products and services to customers aiming to accelerate a new era of energy by electrifying and decarbonizing the energy ecosystem through intelligent and efficient data analytics, monitoring, and management.

GE Vernova’s mission is embedded in its name – it retains its legacy, “GE,” as an enduring and hard-earned badge of quality and ingenuity. “Ver” / “verde” signal Earth’s verdant and lush ecosystems. “Nova,” from the Latin “novus,” nods to a new, innovative era of lower carbon energy. Supported by the Company Purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova will help deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. Learn more: GE Vernova and LinkedIn.

About Itron
Itron is a proven global leader in energy, water, smart city, IIoT and intelligent infrastructure services. For utilities, cities and society, we build innovative systems, create new efficiencies, connect communities, encourage conservation and increase resourcefulness. By safeguarding our invaluable natural resources today and tomorrow, we improve the quality of life for people around the world. Join us: www.itron.com.

Itron® is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc. All third-party trademarks are property of their respective owners, and any usage herein does not suggest or imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated.

WILMINGTON, North Carolina: February 14, 2024 — GE Vernova’s Nuclear Fuel business, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to manufacture, ship and analyze the performance of nuclear fuel with Uranium-235 enrichments of up to 8 weight percent.

“These regulatory milestones build on our long history of designing and fabricating fuel for the nuclear industry,” said Mike Chilton, Executive Vice President, GNF. “We will continue to innovate to help our customers run their plants even more efficiently and be ready to support the next generation of reactor technology with reliable, flexible fuel products as the industry progresses to the use of higher enrichments.”

With the latest NRC approval of GNF’s fuel fabrication license amendment, the company’s manufacturing facility in Wilmington, NC is the first commercial facility in the U.S. to hold a license to fabricate fuel enrichments up to 8 weight percent. The NRC has issued a Certificate of Compliance allowing GNF to ship nuclear fuel bundles up to 8 weight percent utilizing the company’s RAJ-II shipping container. The NRC has also approved licensing topical reports for advanced nuclear methods that enable GNF to analyze fuel with enrichments greater than 5 weight percent.

These approvals were made possible in part by work GNF and GE Vernova’s Advanced Research business have conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Program. GNF is developing and deploying fuel technologies with enhanced accident tolerance and operational flexibility while enabling sustained economic performance by improving bundle efficiency.

Higher enrichment fuels are anticipated to improve nuclear fuel cycle economics including through power uprates for existing boiling water reactors and also for the next generation of reactor technology including advanced and small modular reactors.

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About GE Vernova
GE Vernova is a planned, purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification businesses and is supported by its accelerator businesses of Advanced Research, Consulting Services, and Financial Services. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., with more than 80,000 employees across 100+ countries around the world. GE Vernova’s Nuclear Power business, through its global alliance with Hitachi, is a world-leading provider of nuclear fuel bundles, services, and advanced nuclear reactor designs. Technologies include boiling water reactors and small modular reactors, such as the BWRX-300, which is one of the simplest, yet most innovative boiling water reactor designs. GE Vernova’s Nuclear fuel business, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), is a world-leading supplier of boiling water reactor fuel and fuel-related engineering services. GNF is a GE Vernova-led joint venture with Hitachi, Ltd. and operates primarily through Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC in Wilmington, N.C., and Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Co., Ltd. in Kurihama, Japan.

GE Vernova’s mission is embedded in its name – it retains its legacy, “GE,” as an enduring and hard-earned badge of quality and ingenuity. “Ver” / “verde” signal Earth’s verdant and lush ecosystems. “Nova,” from the Latin “novus,” nods to a new, innovative era of lower carbon energy. Supported by the Company Purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova will help deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. Learn more: GE Vernova and LinkedIn.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using “Baby Loungers” because they violate the federal safety regulation for infant sleep products, posing a risk of suffocation and a fall hazard to infants. Specifically, the loungers fail to meet the safety requirements of CPSC’s Infant Sleep Products regulation because they do not have a stand, which creates an unsafe sleeping environment for infants. In addition, the loungers fail to meet the regulation’s marking, labeling, and instructional literature requirements. The lounger and its packaging also lack a tracking label containing product information such as the date of manufacture, which is required for children’s products including durable infant or toddler products.

CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, Poetint002 of China, but the firm has not agreed to recall these loungers or offer a remedy to consumers. Consumers who purchased the product will receive this notice directly.

The baby loungers were sold online on Amazon.com and other e-commerce sites. CPSC evaluated the loungers in the Grey Animal printed fabric. The white sticker label on the packaging identifies the products as “Baby Loungers.” There is a red tag on the products with three rectangular symbols. The lounger is oval in shape and was sold in the color style “gray animal.” It is gray on the outside and white on the inside with animals such as lions, moose, and giraffes printed on the inside of the lounger. It comes with a small pillow with similar animal imagery on it.

Although the ISP regulation applies to products manufactured on or after June 23, 2022, the CPSC urges consumers to stop using all loungers sold by Poetint002 regardless of their date of manufacture. Further, CPSC continues to advise firms to stop sale of non-compliant infant sleep products regardless of the date of manufacture.

CPSC urges consumers to stop using the loungers immediately, unzip and disassemble the products, cut-up the lounger cover, sleeping pad, and side bumpers and dispose of the pieces in the trash or textile recycling, in accordance with local garbage collection policies.

Parents and caregivers are reminded:

The best place for an infant to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard.
Use a fitted sheet only and never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant’s sleeping environment.
Infants should always be placed to sleep on their back. Infants who fall asleep in an inclined or upright position should be moved to a safe sleep environment with a firm, flat surface such as a crib, bassinet or play yard.
Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.

Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

Release Number
24-063
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

For lifesaving information:

Visit CPSC.gov.
Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
Contact a media specialist.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 28, 2023 — 3M (NYSE: MMM) today announced the following investor event:

Morgan Stanley 11th Annual Laguna Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Monish Patolawala, President and Chief Financial Officer, will speak at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
This event will be webcast live and a replay will be available on 3M’s Investor Relations website at http://investors.3M.com.

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news.

Investor Contact:
Bruce Jermeland
(651) 733-1807
or
Diane Farrow
(612) 202-2449
or
Eric Herron
(651) 233-0043

Media Contact:
Tim Post
tpost3@mmm.com

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today warns about increasing rates of illicit cigarette consumption in the European Union (EU), which are depriving governments of billions in tax revenues and eroding tobacco control policies. PMI calls for a reassessment of policy choices that may be contributing to the year-over-year growth of the illicit market in the region and for innovative approaches that can help drive millions away from continued smoking to be considered.

The 2022 KPMG annual study on illicit cigarette consumption in the EU, U.K., Norway, Switzerland, Moldova and Ukraine, commissioned by Philip Morris Products SA, reveals that 35.8 billion illicit cigarettes were consumed across the EU alone, causing governments the loss of an estimated €11.3 billion in tax revenue—8.5% more than in 2021. The growth of the illicit market in the EU was partly driven by the continued rise of counterfeit consumption, which reached its highest level ever recorded. Notably, the vast majority of counterfeits (61.5%) were consumed in France.

“Some countries unwilling to embrace innovation and make better alternatives to cigarettes available to adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking continue to rely on policies that have contributed to the current state of illicit trade. The cost of ignoring the negative impact of illicit cigarettes on adult smokers, and on public health, is too high to turn a blind eye to,” stated Gregoire Verdeaux, senior vice president of External Affairs, PMI. “It has truly become a ‘made in the EU’ problem, as fake cigarettes are being manufactured, distributed, sold, and consumed in countries within the EU, undermining efforts to reduce and eliminate cigarette smoking—and public health goals altogether.”

According to interviews with law enforcement agencies included in the KPMG report, the production and distribution of counterfeit cigarettes within EU borders is increasing, with criminal organizations centering their activities toward higher-taxed and higher-priced EU member states and gaining larger profits. Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, and Germany are witnessing a growth in cigarette seizures and raids on clandestine manufacturing operations.

“The KPMG report clearly shows how the growth of the illicit cigarette market poses an existential threat to the industry’s sustainability and transformation in Europe. We can observe how the illicit cigarette problem in the EU has become highly concentrated in a handful of countries, where governments have not embraced innovative approaches to effectively deter millions from continued smoking,” added Verdeaux. “Traditional tobacco control policies are simply not enough. Aggressive fiscal policies, prohibitionist approaches, and lack of deterrence in countries like France and Belgium are only benefitting criminals and pushing adult smokers toward the black market.”

Despite the overall illicit consumption increase, the KPMG study notes that the majority of EU members— 21 out of 27 countries—experienced a stable or declining share of illicit cigarette consumption in 2022. Excluding France, overall illicit consumption in the remaining markets in the study declined by 7.5%, largely due to decreases in Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania. Particularly, in countries like Poland and Romania, illicit consumption reached the lowest-ever incidence since KPMG began publishing its annual studies.

“Effective policymaking, fiscal calendars, deterrent penalties, and impactful enforcement are enabling several EU member states to experience a decline in the consumption of illicit cigarettes,” said Massimo Andolina, president Europe region at PMI. “In other countries, it is unfortunate to witness the legal market shifting toward one that is run by criminal networks, which attest to the failure of disproportionate tax increases, and regulatory frameworks that do not contemplate the principle of risk differentiation. The KPMG report should serve as a wake-up call for regulators and policymakers in the EU to consider that millions of consumers are relying on the black market to continue smoking.”

Moldova and Ukraine were included in the KPMG report for the first time. The 2022 findings placed Ukraine as the second-largest market in Europe for illicit cigarette consumption, with 7.4 billion cigarettes, behind France’s 16.9 billion. The share of illicit cigarettes in Ukraine has followed an increasing trend since 2018—in 2022, one out of five cigarettes consumed stemmed from the illicit market. The third-largest illicit market in Europe is the U.K., with 5.9 billion illicit cigarettes, on the rise since 2020.

“In these times of economic hardship, with inflation putting extra pressure on consumer purchasing power, we need robust law enforcement, comprehensive regulatory approaches and forward-thinking policies that can help improve the lives of millions of adults who continue to smoke,” noted Verdeaux. “This includes the adoption of differentiated policies on alternatives to cigarettes, including access to information about better alternatives, and smoke-free products that are available and affordable for all. No one should be left behind.”

A detailed overview of the results and methodology of the KPMG report is available here.

For more information about PMI’s illicit trade prevention efforts, visit PMI.com.

Note to editors
For PMI, eliminating the illicit tobacco trade has been a long-standing priority. We rely on the latest technology to secure our supply chain and protect our products, while implementing preventive and protective measures to fight illicit trade and working with public and private sectors to advance efforts against this global issue. PMI continues to support relevant regulations like the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and the EU Tobacco Products Directives’ tracking-and-tracing provisions.

The KPMG report estimates the size and scale of illicit cigarette consumption, known as counterfeit & contraband (C&C), which includes illicit whites. The annual study defines these in its glossary as follows:

– Contraband: “Genuine products that have been either bought in a lower-tax country and exceed legal border limits or acquired without taxes for export purposes to be illegally re-sold (for financial profit) in a higher priced market.”

– Counterfeit: “Cigarettes that are illegally manufactured and sold by a party other than the original trademark owner.”

– Illicit whites: “Cigarettes that are usually manufactured legally in one country/market, but that evidence suggests have been smuggled across borders during their transit to the destination market under review where they have limited or no legal distribution and are sold without payment of tax.”

More information about the share incidence of each illicit category is available on page 12 of the KPMG report.