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Business Journals
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Mile High United Way Announces Five 2025 Community Champions Award Recipients
Mile High United Way Announces Five 2025 Community Champions Award Recipients These Corporate Partners Made Outstanding Contributions to the Community Over the Last Year DENVER – Mile High United Way is pleased to announce the 2025 Community Champion Award recipients. These annual awards recognize Mile High United Way's corporate partners for their outstanding contributions and service to the Metro Denver community. The 2025 winners are: • Champion of Hope Award: CoBank • Spirit of Hope Award: CAC Group • Partner in Service Award: Black & Veatch • Social Impact Award: Comcast • Brian Smith Award for Outstanding Community Leadership: Maureen McDonald, HCA HealthONE 'We are thrilled to highlight the incredible commitment of each of these organizations and individuals. They make Metro Denver a place where all families can thrive. Each Community Champion demonstrates the collective power we have when we thoughtfully and strategically work to create opportunities for all,' said Christine Benero, president and CEO of Mile High United Way. Learn more about each award: The Champion of Hope Award is the highest honor for corporate community involvement in the workplace. The award honors companies that have not only run an outstanding giving campaign but also demonstrated their commitment to the community in comprehensive and tangible ways. Last year, CoBank provided outstanding support through volunteerism and investment in Mile High United Way. CoBank staff attended the 2025 Women United Luncheon, volunteered during the 2024 Day of Caring and assembled 400 basic needs kits for individuals in the community. The Spirit of Hope Award honors companies that have demonstrated their commitment to the community in comprehensive and tangible ways through their new or renewed partnership with Mile High United Way. CAC Group was an incredible partner in their expanded Caring in Action campaign, where employees donated to the causes they care most about. Then, CAC group matched employees' donations. Additionally, employees volunteered with Mile High United Way on CAC Impact Day in September 2024, participated in National Volunteer Week 2025 events and hosted a community spring update. The Partner in Service Award honors outstanding achievement in activating a workforce to create hands-on impact in our community. This award celebrates large one-time days of service, ongoing volunteer engagement throughout the year or new volunteer projects that align with company goals. Black & Veatch showed consistent commitment to our community last year, running supply drives to support our community events, including the 2024 Children's Holiday Party, 2024 Back to School Bash and the 2025 Women United Village. Staff also volunteered at each event, highlighting their commitment to our community. The Social Impact Award recognizes a corporate partner that has embraced corporate social responsibility as part of their community engagement and business strategies. These companies engage with Mile High United Way year-round to inspire employees to give, volunteer, advocate and lead. It can include companies that have launched an innovative program, aligned their community work with their business goals or taken a stance on an important community issue. For more than 25 years, Comcast has supported key initiatives, including our 211 Help Center and United for Business program, and also helped strengthen our community presence through valuable media services, including public service announcements. The Brian Smith Award for Outstanding Community Leadership celebrates an amazing leader who embodies the spirit of philanthropy by volunteering, supporting community efforts, advocating for Mile High United Way through corporate and individual partnerships, and going above and beyond to affect positive change. This year, we are pleased to honor Maureen McDonald, regional AVP of community engagement for the Continental Division of HCA HealthONE. McDonald thoughtfully and strategically responds to community health needs for 11 hospitals across Denver and Wichita, Kan., and supports Mile High United Way as a trustee, Tocqueville Society member and volunteer.
Business Upturn
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
AI can empower agriculture retailers, farm supply cooperatives
DENVER, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New artificial intelligence technology is enabling agricultural retailers and farm supply cooperatives to optimize their operational performance while strengthening all-important customer relationships. In addition to broad-based AI platforms that can be leveraged to simplify everyday business operations, farm suppliers now have access to AI apps specifically designed to support field agronomy and crop production. According to a new research brief from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, AI technology offers ag retailers a new set of tools to optimize workflows, inventory management, employee performance and other key business functions. Farm supply businesses that rise to the challenge of adopting AI can also enhance their position as trusted advisors and essential partners in the ag supply chain. 'AI in agriculture can be utilized in a company's back office, front office as well as within agronomy and supply chain operations divisions,' said Jacqui Fatka, farm supply and biofuels economist with CoBank. 'Early adoption and reliable partnerships will provide an advantage for those willing to test the AI landscape. Ag retailers should research companies and pick AI partners who understand agriculture and promise value beyond just lofty ROIs.' Agricultural cooperatives and retailers serve as a critical relationship bridge between farmers and input providers. The potential erosion of those relationships due to alternative distribution models, disruptive technologies or other competing forces is one of the biggest challenges ag retailers face moving forward. Early adoption of AI can help the ag retailer sector stay ahead of competitors while maintaining and strengthening customer relationships. Fatka suggested ag retailers start with easy-to-implement, low-stakes AI applications for things like email and presentation assistance and customer interaction summaries before tackling more complex tasks. 'Testing out different pathways to gain internal acceptance can lead to greater long-term success. For instance, an easy initial test might be recording virtual meetings with CoPilot. Within minutes, it can deliver an AI-generated summary of the meeting with key takeaways, immediate action items and future tasks.' Ag retailers can also start leveraging AI to optimize workflows for standard business functions like human resources, accounting, operations and sales. Using AI to evaluate and streamline these functions offers a high return on investment relative to the efforts required to build or implement such tools. Fatka stresses, however, that companies should establish guardrails for the use of customer information and understand privacy changes with the use of AI tools. While AI is unlikely to eliminate ag retail jobs, it can help simplify tasks and reduce human error or bias. In addition, as labor continues to be a challenge for many rural enterprises, it can provide continuity during labor turnover. AI can also help agronomists and other staff cover more acres or customers. Apps like AgPilot enable agronomists to interact with AI verbally while traveling between customers, allowing them to input crop protection recommendations and smoothly advance potential sales from one stage to another. 'The stakes are high for agribusinesses operating in an environment where margins are tight,' said Fatka. 'However, ag retailers will need to ensure AI costs do not outweigh the benefits. The cost of experimentation is minimal and delaying a trial adoption of these promising tools could result in missed opportunities for growth.' Read the research brief, How AI is Empowering Agriculture Retailers. About CoBank CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 78,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Multiple Farm Credit associations collaborate with Plug and Play to advance agricultural finance through new Seed4Growth Program
SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant step forward for agricultural finance, American AgCredit (AAC), Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica), Frontier Farm Credit, AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit East and CoBank, announce the launch of a new program with Plug and Play called Seed4Growth. The innovation program aims to collaborate across the ag and finance sectors, keeping industry leaders up to date on the rapidly evolving landscape, while showcasing the most cutting-edge digital solutions. "We are thrilled to expand our partnership and launch the Seed4Growth program. This initiative will drive innovation and collaboration, ultimately benefiting the agricultural community," said Mark Jensen, Chief Executive Offices, AgCountry, FCSAmerica, Frontier Farm Credit. Krista McDonald, EVP Chief Strategy Officer, AgCountry, FCSAmerica, Frontier Farm Credit added, "We are excited to be a part of the Seed4Growth program that is evolving the Farm Credit innovation ecosystem in a collaborative way. This partnership is a testament to our commitment to working together to become more future-focused." Expanding the Partnership The Farm Credit organizations, part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, first approached Plug and Play for support in navigating the dynamic startup ecosystem – looking for technology solutions and resources that help support the evolving agricultural lending and finance marketplace in support of farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses. AAC and FCSAmerica began working with Plug and Play programs in 2023. They welcomed CoBank to the relationship in 2024. An additional association, Farm Credit East, joins the collaboration with the launch of the Seed4Growth Program. Impact The expanded relationships have already yielded significant successes and benefits. Representatives from AAC, FCSAmerica, and CoBank have expressed their enthusiasm about the expanded partnership and its potential impact on the agricultural finance industry. "The collaboration provides significant insights into technological disruptions, helping us gain direct insights into the investment and commercialization of emerging technology. Plug and Play facilitates the comprehension of next-generation advancements in technology and innovation that are critical to the core business of Farm Credit organizations. The introduction of Seed4Growth will drive a better future for the entire System," said Alp Basol, Head of Innovation and Center of Excellence at CoBank. "Working with Plug and Play has been eye-opening for our organization. The expertise offered in tech scouting and the ability to connect us with external innovators who operate at the speed of disruptors has meaningfully informed our innovation journey. Plug and Play's proactive approach and deep industry insights have been instrumental in enhancing our strategic vision," said Mike Lancaster, Chief Customer Value Officer at American AgCredit. The Seed4Growth program is designed to further explore what's possible in Fintech and Agtech, ultimately benefiting farmers, ranchers, and the global food supply. By bringing others into the fold, the program promises to make an even greater impact on the agricultural community through advanced financial solutions and cutting-edge technologies. For more information about the new program or to get involved, visit [Website] or contact press@ About American AgCredit American AgCredit was chartered in 1916 as part of the nationwide Farm Credit System and is the nation's fourth-largest Farm Credit association. American AgCredit specializes in providing financial services to agricultural and rural customers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma, and serves capital market customers throughout the U.S. Learn more at About Farm Credit Services of AmericaFarm Credit Services of America is a customer-owned financial cooperative proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With more than 47.6 billion in assets and nearly 8 billion in members equity, FCSAmerica is one of the region's leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Learn more at About Farm Credit East Farm Credit East is a member-owned cooperative serving businesses involved in agriculture, forest products and commercial fishing throughout its eight-state territory of New York, New Jersey and New England. In addition to loans and leases, the organization offers a full range of specialized financial services. Farm Credit East is governed by a 15-person board of directors, comprised of 13 customer-elected, one customer appointed and one outside appointed director. For more information, visit About CoBank CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 78,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. About Plug and Play Plug and Play is the ultimate innovation platform, on a mission to make innovation open to anyone, anywhere. Since 2006, we have brought together 95,000+ startups, 550+ world-leading corporations, and hundreds of venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies across 25+ industries. Together with our partners, we are creating a unique ecosystem designed to facilitate meaningful introductions, invest in startups, and bring together key stakeholders. Plug and Play offers corporate innovation programs and helps corporations in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including PayPal, Honey, N26, Flutterwave, Trulioo, BigID, Turing, and many more. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we are active in 60+ locations across five continents. For more information, visit Media Contact:Plug and Playpress@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Plug and Play Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Convenience store M&A activity suggests more consolidation is coming
Majority of recent transactions involve smaller operators, but major moves among larger entities could be coming in 2025 DENVER, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The pace of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. convenience store sector is accelerating with recent trends suggesting the nation's c-store landscape is ripe for more change. While most of the transactions in 2024 involved smaller chains or single-store operators, several larger operators inked deals to significantly expand their footprints into new regions. According to a new research brief from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, c-store consolidation stands to disproportionally affect rural communities, many of which lack a grocery store or access to major food delivery services. Convenience stores often fill an important need in rural areas, providing local access to food, grocery items, fuel and even household staples. 'Mass merchandisers like Walmart are unevenly spread among states through various regions of the country,' said Billy Roberts, food and beverage economist with CoBank. 'Convenience stores are found in towns large or small. Food insecurity affects roughly 1 in 10 Americans and nearly 90% of U.S. counties with the highest rates of food insecurity are rural. Consequently, c-store consolidation trends can have a significant impact on food accessibility in rural areas.' The convenience store market remains heavily fragmented and widely dispersed, which lends itself to additional consolidation. The U.S. had 152,396 convenience stores in 2024, a 1.5% year-over-year increase, according to data from the National Association of Convenience Stores. Only 22 c-store chains in the U.S. have more than 400 locations, while roughly 96,000 have 10 or fewer. The majority of the sector – 63% – is comprised of single-store operators. 'The vast number of single-unit operators alone points to opportunities for larger chains to expand their relationships or acquire new properties to maximize efficiencies across supply chains and distribution networks,' Roberts added. Acquisitions of smaller operators have been commonplace in recent years. Data from Capstone Partners indicates 80% of deals completed in 2023 were for target companies of less than 50 stores. Through September of 2024, 74% of the transactions involved smaller c-store entities. However, several major moves involving some of the largest operators have occurred in recent years. Notable examples in 2023 include Maverik purchasing Kum & Go's 400 c-stores, RaceTrac's purchase of Gulf Oil and its 1,000 branded sites, and BP's $1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America. Similar activity in 2024 was largely driven by major chains looking to expand their geographical footprint. FEMSA purchased 249-unit Delek US Holdings. Casey's acquired 198 CEFCO c-stores for $1.15 billion, pushing the chain to over 2,900 locations. And Sunoco sold 200 stores to 7-Eleven in a $1 billion deal. The biggest potential deal that could shake up the market even further puts 7-Eleven's 13,000 U.S. locations on the table, along with its market-leading position. While 7-Eleven recently announced plans to open 1,300 new stores in North America through 2030, it has been an acquisition target itself lately. Canada-based Alimentation Couche-Tard recently attempted to purchase 7-Eleven owner Seven & i Holdings for nearly $40 billion. In a saga that began in August 2024, the Canadian c-store chain and 7-Eleven are reportedly working on a potential divestiture package to address regulatory concerns considered a major hurdle to the merger. Alimentation Touche-Card is well represented in the c-store sector with over 7,000 Circle K locations. Under a merger, the combined 7-Eleven/Circle K would be nearly 10 times the size of their next-closest competitor and own more than 13% of all c-stores in the US. Roberts said regardless of how things play out with 7-Eleven, major acquisitions within the c-store space generally require significant capital expenditure investments. 'Rebranding acquired units can demand upwards of $1 million per store, mostly for upgrading or building out kitchens to support foodservice aspirations. The evolution of c-stores as food destinations is playing a significant role in all these acquisition moves.' Read the research brief, C-store M&A Activity Signals Consolidation Era. About CoBank CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 78,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. CONTACT: Corporate Communications CoBank 800-542-8072 news@
Winnipeg Free Press
31-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Renewed marketing, product development keys to improved pork sales: report
Opinion Canadian pork producers are likely to chew slowly as they digest a report released this week by one of the largest agricultural creditors in the U.S. While the paper by CoBank focuses on U.S. pork production and consumption trends, the North American hog and pork industries are highly integrated. Whatever happens in this report's wake, if anything, will spill across the border to influence the Canadian sector. Nearly one-quarter of the pigs born in Canada are sent to the U.S. for feeding and slaughter. Sixty per cent of those live hog exports are weanlings sent to U.S. feeding operations. Canada also exported US$1.7 billion in pork products to the U.S. in 2024, while importing US$850 million back. JOHN LOCHER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Pigs eat from a trough at the Las Vegas Livestock farming operation in Nevada CoBank says the U.S. industry's continued reliance on export sales to places like Mexico, China, South Korea and Canada for nearly a quarter of its production is becoming too risky because of 'new trade policies' creating more volatility in global trade. Even without U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs in the mix, trade with China has fallen sharply since record sales in 2020. That country's domestic production rebounded faster than expected following a devastating outbreak of African swine fever in 2018. Sales to China in 2024 were less than a quarter of the kilograms sold five years ago. Bacon has achieved a cult-like following and sausage products have gained appeal, which has doubled the market prices for the pork bellies and trimmings used to make them. However, the 'muscle cuts,' such as pork loins and hams, are often discounted because they aren't as convenient and consumers often don't know how to cook them. 'Sluggish exports could mean more pork loins in domestic markets, and U.S. consumers have difficulty cooking 'the perfect pork chop,'' the report says. Exports of so-called 'variety meats,' such as livers, hearts, kidneys, tongues, stomachs, snouts, ears, feet and tails, were worth $1.3 billion in 2024, but they aren't popular menu items in North America. 'Any trade barriers in place for countries that purchase variety meats could cause implications for the U.S. pork sector because those products have extremely limited demand in the U.S.,' CoBank says. The industry has launched campaigns focused on convincing consumers they need more pork on their forks, something the Canadian sector has been working on, too. Even though Canadian pork consumption is much lower, at about 16 kg per capita, recent marketing efforts have achieved increases of just under 15 per cent. CoBank warns increasing U.S. consumption, which has remained static at about 22 kg per capita since the 1970s, will be challenging because the parts of the animal the industry currently exports are such a hard to sell to American consumers. 'If the U.S. consumer is to reimagine pork, the pork industry may need to make drastic changes, including recalibrating the genetic hog makeup and showcasing different cuts at retail and through food service.' CoBank cites Kansas State University research that names taste as the primary driver for protein purchases. When it comes to animal protein, the flavour is in the fat. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. That's a problem for a sector that heeded the low-fat messaging of yesteryear and shifted genetic focus in selecting breeding stock towards lean carcass weights, rapid growth and feeding efficiency. CoBank says the industry needs to rethink that strategy if it wants to convince consumers to eat more pork. It also must put more effort into marketing and new product development focused on eating quality and convenience. 'The lean hog formulation that was adopted by the broad bulk of U.S. producers more than two decades ago has largely influenced the pork that U.S. consumers are offered today,' the report says. 'This has left something to be desired when comparing pork chops to beef steaks, often with an overcooked chop delivering a bad experience.' CoBank is signalling a shift in market direction that has obvious implications for the Canadian sector. When it's time to make a change, the consolidated and vertically integrated industry will be able to pivot relatively quickly. However, with all the moving parts to this equation, now is not the time. Laura Rance is executive editor, production content lead for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@ Laura RanceColumnist Laura Rance is editorial director at Farm Business Communications. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
