Latest news with #Conestoga
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Southwest Steps Back from SAF Production, Passes SAFFiRE to Conestoga
Southwest Airlines has sold its renewable fuels subsidiary, SAFFiRE Renewables, to Conestoga Energy, a U.S. biofuels producer. The deal, whose terms were not disclosed, includes SAFFiRE's intellectual property, technology, leadership team, and plans for a Kansas pilot plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The move marks a shift in Southwest's sustainability approach. Less than two years after acquiring full ownership of SAFFiRE, the airline will now remain only as an investor, aiming to advance the company's technology under Conestoga's leadership. SAFFiRE's process converts corn stover—an abundant U.S. agricultural residue—into renewable ethanol with a carbon intensity below -100, based on technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This ethanol can then be refined into SAF. The pilot plant will be integrated into Conestoga's ethanol facility in Liberal, Kansas, and is slated to start operations in 2026. Conestoga, which already produces over 200 million gallons of ethanol annually from facilities in Kansas and Texas, sees the acquisition as a chance to help bridge the SAF supply gap while creating new opportunities for U.S. agriculture. Southwest remains committed to its goal of replacing 10% of its jet fuel use with SAF by 2030 and is pursuing multiple supply partnerships to achieve this target. SAF is viewed as a crucial tool for decarbonizing aviation, but current production remains small and costly compared to conventional fuel, limiting widespread adoption. According to Conestoga CEO Tom Willis, SAF represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, and the addition of SAFFiRE's technology puts the company at the forefront of market expansion. The acquisition also ensures the continuation of the Kansas pilot project, which is essential for scaling production to commercial levels. The aviation industry faces mounting pressure to cut carbon emissions, and SAF is considered one of the few near-term solutions. Yet without significant cost reductions and increased supply, achieving meaningful adoption will be challenging. Conestoga's bet on SAFFiRE reflects a broader industry push to accelerate SAF production capacity while leveraging advanced biofuel technologies. Read this article on
Skift
4 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Southwest Airlines Sells Its Clean Jet Fuel Business
Southwest Airlines has sold its renewable energy business to Conestoga, the carrier confirmed to Skift Thursday, a deal that covers Saffire Renewables, a Southwest subsidiary acquired in 2024. It includes its intellectual property, certain technologies, a planned pilot sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility, and key leadership team members. Saffire started as a startup making renewable ethanol from corn stover, the leftovers of corn plants after harvest, which can then be turned into jet fuel.
Malay Mail
25-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Judges not infallible, but corrective procedures can set things right — Hafiz Hassan
JUNE 25 — Norman and Elizabeth Hahn and their three sons are devout members of the Mennonite Church, a Christian denomination. The Mennonite Church opposes abortion and believes that 'the fetus in its earliest stages . . . shares humanity with those who conceived it.' More than half a century ago, Norman Hahn started a wood-working business in his garage, and since then, this company, Conestoga Wood Specialties (Conestoga), has grown and now has more than 1,000 employees. Conestoga is organised under Pennsylvania law as a for-profit corporation. The Hahns exercise sole ownership of the closely held business; they control its board of directors and hold all of its voting shares. One of the Hahn sons serves as the president and CEO. The Hahns believe that they are required to run their business 'in accordance with their religious beliefs and moral principles.' To that end, the company's mission, as they see it, is to 'operate in a professional environment founded upon the highest ethical, moral, and Christian principles.' The company's 'Vision and Values Statements' affirms that Conestoga endeavours to 'ensure a reasonable profit in [a] manner that reflects [the Hahns'] Christian heritage.' As explained in Conestoga's board-adopted 'Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life', the Hahns believe that human life begins at conception. It is therefore 'against [their] moral conviction to be involved in the termination of human life' after conception, which they believe is a 'sin against God to which they are held accountable.' The moral conviction of the Hahns and Conestoga mirrors that of the Greens and Hobby Lobby, whose story I shared in 'Where artificial persons can profess a faith'. Hobby Lobby's statement of purpose commits the Greens to 'honoring the Lord in all [they] do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.' Each Greens family member has signed a pledge to run the businesses in accordance with the family's religious beliefs and to use the family assets to support Christian ministries. In accordance with those commitments, Hobby Lobby stores close on Sundays, even though the Greens calculate that they lose millions in sales annually by doing so. They refuse to engage in profitable transactions that facilitate or promote alcohol use; they contribute profits to Christian missionaries and ministries; and they buy hundreds of full-page newspaper ads inviting people to 'know Jesus as Lord and Savior.' Now, can Conestoga and Hobby Lobby, being corporations, engage in the 'exercise of religion'? The majority in Burwell v Hobby Lobby Inc. referred to the Dictionary Act, whose definition of the word 'person' includes corporations, companies, associations, firms, partnerships, societies, and joint stock companies, as well as individuals. The majority has no doubt that 'person', in a legal setting, often refers to artificial entities. The Dictionary Act makes that clear. Conestoga and Hobby Lobby won their respective suit against the federal government for being persons, albeit artificial, having the right to engage in the exercise of religion. Article 160 of the Federal Constitution deals with interpretation, and it provides specific meanings to words used in the Federal Constitution. — Pexels pic Sisters in Islam Forum, on the other hand, won its suit against a state religious authority for being an unnatural person (read: artificial) to which a fatwa (religious edict) does not apply. The majority in the Federal Court's decision rules that Sister in Islam (SIS) is not a person professing the religion of Islam. The phrase 'persons professing the religion of Islam' is used repeatedly in paragraph 1 of the State List of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution. According to the majority, only a natural person can profess, not an artificial person. Reference is not made though to the definition of 'person' in the Federal Constitution itself—the supreme law of the land. Article 160 of the Federal Constitution deals with interpretation, and it provides specific meanings to words used in the Federal Constitution. Article 160(1) refers to the Eleventh Schedule to the Constitution and states that the meanings given there shall apply. The Eleventh Schedule states that 'person' includes a body of persons, corporate or unincorporate. So unlike the word 'parent' which is not defined in the Federal Constitution, the word 'person' is. And not unlike the word 'person' in the US which is defined in a legislation (Dictionary Act), the word is also defined in the Interpretations Act 1948 and 1964. Judges are not infallible, but corrective procedures like appeal and review can set things right. Infallible they may not, but attributing motives is wrong. Justice Robert Jackson of the US Supreme Court famously quipped: 'We are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final'. It means an apex court's decision is considered final, not because they are inherently perfect or incapable of error, but rather because there is no higher judicial body to review them. But here in Malaysia, there can be a review of an apex court's decision, albeit in very exceptional circumstances. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Conestoga chef and hospitality students put to the test at provincial competition: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Social Sharing With capstone projects top of mind, end-of-term can be busy and stressful for college students completing their diploma programs. For Dux Donyll Menil, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin, it also means extra hours in training so they can represent Conestoga College's School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at the Skills Ontario competition in early May. With more than 2,400 secondary and post secondary students vying for medals, it's Canada's largest skilled trades competition. While good marks are important, intangible qualities also play a part in selecting competitors. "There's always the gifted one in class where you can see the ideas are very different, interesting," explained chef Sergio Shidomi, one of Conestoga's culinary instructors. "Who's standing out from the group. It's not easy to do…it's a lot to absorb, so they have to be a very calm person, too." Restaurant Service Dux Donyll Menil's attention to detail and problem-solving skills were important factors in being selected for the Restaurant Service competition. "So much of service is about personality and problem solving in the moment. Dux, our competitor, already he's a great server," said Darryl Haus, hospitality instructor and maître d' at Conestoga's Bloom Restaurant. "You can tell he really, truly is a professional because he knows how to read the guests. He knows how to meet and exceed their expectations." Menil arrived at Conestoga having studied hospitality and hotel management in the Philippines. Here, he knits together academics and work from both sides of the globe. "Working in a restaurant as the server, you think that is a simple thing, but if you're going to put yourself in our shoes, we have a hard time to shift your mood while you're here in the restaurant," said Menil. "We're not only serving food. We're giving you an experience." The Restaurant Service competition will test Menil's bartending skills and ability to identify wine varietals. He will also be expected to serve a four-course meal for four and prepare a unique non-alcoholic cocktail from a list of provided ingredients. Haus and Conestoga instructors, Sam Prout (bartending) and Nikki Does (wines) oversee his training. Baking Competition Over the course of their diplomas, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin displayed a strong understanding of flavours. Shidomi also mentioned Patil's clean presentations at in-school competitions, while Duffin's forte is thinking outside the box. Their coaches are chefs Sabine Heinrich-Kumar and Tim Simpson with Shidomi providing guidance when and as he can. "I get to learn new chefs are so good they calm us down. They run down the process to us and then it's really great," said Patil. As the students' training progresses, their confidence grows. "They've been giving me great feedback on the flavours and the designs," said Duffin. "It's been really helpful everything." In Toronto, Patil and Duffin will compete as individuals, creating bonbons, macarons, and a sculptural chocolate centrepiece. Each submission will need to meet specific weights and measurements and the recipes they're currently developing must use ingredients from a list provided by contest organizers. Attracting young people to skilled trades According to Employment and Social Development Canada, more than 700,000 tradespeople in Canada are expected to retire within five years, which means these competitions are important in highlighting career possibilities for the next generation. These events help colleges attract students, and the students benefit too. Apart from testing their skills outside their school environment, participants make connections and build their professional networks. And while competition training is a lot of extra work, it also allows them to excel beyond their usual schoolwork. "At the end of the day, this as an opportunity for the student to push themselves. So often in the industry, we push ourselves to be better and to learn better," said Haus. "And this is an opportunity for them to grow."
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Conestoga chef and hospitality students put to the test at provincial competition: Jasmine Mangalaseril
With capstone projects top of mind, end-of-term can be busy and stressful for college students completing their diploma programs. For Dux Donyll Menil, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin, it also means extra hours in training so they can represent Conestoga College's School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at the Skills Ontario competition in early May. With more than 2,400 secondary and post secondary students vying for medals, it's Canada's largest skilled trades competition. While good marks are important, intangible qualities also play a part in selecting competitors. "There's always the gifted one in class where you can see the ideas are very different, interesting," explained chef Sergio Shidomi, one of Conestoga's culinary instructors. "Who's standing out from the group. It's not easy to do…it's a lot to absorb, so they have to be a very calm person, too." Dux Donyll Menil's attention to detail and problem-solving skills were important factors in being selected for the Restaurant Service competition. "So much of service is about personality and problem solving in the moment. Dux, our competitor, already he's a great server," said Darryl Haus, hospitality instructor and maître d' at Conestoga's Bloom Restaurant. "You can tell he really, truly is a professional because he knows how to read the guests. He knows how to meet and exceed their expectations." "He knows how to meet and exceed their expectations" says hospitality instructor Darryl Haus (left) of student Dux Donyll Menil (right) who will be taking part in the restaurant service portion of the competition. (Jasmine Mangalaseril/CBC) Menil arrived at Conestoga having studied hospitality and hotel management in the Philippines. Here, he knits together academics and work from both sides of the globe. "Working in a restaurant as the server, you think that is a simple thing, but if you're going to put yourself in our shoes, we have a hard time to shift your mood while you're here in the restaurant," said Menil. "We're not only serving food. We're giving you an experience." The Restaurant Service competition will test Menil's bartending skills and ability to identify wine varietals. He will also be expected to serve a four-course meal for four and prepare a unique non-alcoholic cocktail from a list of provided ingredients. Haus and Conestoga instructors, Sam Prout (bartending) and Nikki Does (wines) oversee his training. Over the course of their diplomas, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin displayed a strong understanding of flavours. Shidomi also mentioned Patil's clean presentations at in-school competitions, while Duffin's forte is thinking outside the box. Their coaches are chefs Sabine Heinrich-Kumar and Tim Simpson with Shidomi providing guidance when and as he can. Student Sanskruti Patil will compete against classmate Emilie Duffin in the baking portion of the competition. (Jasmine Mangalaseril/CBC) "I get to learn new chefs are so good they calm us down. They run down the process to us and then it's really great," said Patil. As the students' training progresses, their confidence grows. "They've been giving me great feedback on the flavours and the designs," said Duffin. "It's been really helpful everything." In Toronto, Patil and Duffin will compete as individuals, creating bonbons, macarons, and a sculptural chocolate centrepiece. Each submission will need to meet specific weights and measurements and the recipes they're currently developing must use ingredients from a list provided by contest organizers. According to Employment and Social Development Canada, more than 700,000 tradespeople in Canada are expected to retire within five years, which means these competitions are important in highlighting career possibilities for the next generation. Emilie Duffin will compete in the baking portion of the Skills Ontario competition. (Jasmine Mangalaseril/CBC) These events help colleges attract students, and the students benefit too. Apart from testing their skills outside their school environment, participants make connections and build their professional networks. And while competition training is a lot of extra work, it also allows them to excel beyond their usual schoolwork. "At the end of the day, this as an opportunity for the student to push themselves. So often in the industry, we push ourselves to be better and to learn better," said Haus. "And this is an opportunity for them to grow."
