Latest news with #Cornejo
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US brewer FIFCO USA names new CEO
Brewing company FIFCO USA has promoted Gustavo Cornejo to the position of CEO. Cornejo will replace Piotr Jurjewicz, who has been the CEO of the Rochester, New York-headquartered group since 2022. The new FIFCO USA has worked for the company for more than a decade, taking on roles across multiple divisions, including a stint in the US where he led sales operations. Cornejo has most recently been general manager for FIFCO's operations in northern Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico, 'where he focused on strategic growth and operational improvements', the Costa Rica-based group said in a statement. Rolando Carvajal, the group CEO of FIFCO, said: 'I am looking forward to working with Gustavo in this new capacity and I am confident in his ability to push FIFCO USA towards positive business outcomes. 'He is a strategic leader and will bring a fresh perspective towards our business challenges, leveraging deep knowledge of the FIFCO system and a clear understanding of our US business.' Since becoming CEO in 2022, Jurjewicz had prioritised the 'modernisation and efficiency', the FIFCO statement said. Carvajal said Jurjewicz's 'contributions have been significant, and we deeply appreciate his continued dedication to a seamless transition'. Commenting on his new role, Cornejo added: 'I will spend the next 100 days immersing myself in the business and working with partners internally and externally to shape a forward-looking strategy, which I am excited to share once this process is complete.' FIFCO USA caters as the US importer for Costa Rica's Imperial beer and operates the Rochester-based Genesee Brewery. The company holds the US distribution rights for Anheuser-Busch InBev's Labatt brand, It provides contract manufacturing for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage companies. "US brewer FIFCO USA names new CEO " was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Iowa egg supplier denies allegations of human trafficking, harassment
An Iowa industrial egg supplier is denying allegations that it engaged in human trafficking or threatened immigrant workers with deportation in retaliation for their complaints. In March, attorneys for six Guatemalan citizens sued Iowa's Centrum Valley Farms and company manager Jose Cornejo in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. The plaintiffs, all of whom lived in Belmond, Eagle Grove, Clarion or Webster City while working for Centrum Valley Farms, seeks unspecified damages for harassment, discrimination and retaliation; wrongful discharge; human trafficking related to forced labor; violations of wage-and-hour laws related to overtime pay; and violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The plaintiffs — Kenny Augusto Tetzaguic Lux, Gerver Noel Marroquin Argueta, Isaias Tevalan Lopez, Consuelo Esperanza Lux Tepaz, Cecilia Angelica Bernal Cobo and Juan Carlos Tetzaguic Lux – claim Centrum Valley Farms recruited them to work at the company's Clarion egg farm and packaging facility and helped them obtain work-authorization documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with Cornejo acting as their supervisor. On a daily basis, Cornejo, who is Mexican, made 'repeated unwelcome comments disparaging the plaintiffs for their Guatemalan national origin,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo is accused of telling the plaintiffs all Guatemalans were lazy and that he wanted to replace them with Mexicans or Americans. When the Guatemalans complained about Cornejo to other managers, the lawsuit claims, the harassment allegedly grew worse with Cornejo threatening to have them deported. 'Cornejo even brought a firearm to work, showed it to the plaintiffs, and displayed it in his office to intimidate the plaintiffs and silence their complaints,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo also is accused of threatening to turn the Guatemalans in to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they tried to voluntarily leave their positions at the company. The company eventually terminated the Guatemalans' employment 'in retaliation for their complaints,' the lawsuit adds. On Jan. 25, 2023, Cornejo allegedly brought a firearm to his office and displayed it on his desk to intimidate Lux and the other Guatemalans, according to the lawsuit. One of the other plaintiffs alleges Cornejo referred to him as his 'faithful dog,' his 'slave' and as his 'Guatemalan wetback,' while making him apply pesticides in chicken houses without the necessary protective equipment. In response to the lawsuit, Centrum Valley Farms has denied any wrongdoing and claimed more than a dozen affirmative defenses. For example, the company alleges the plaintiffs failed to take advantage of corrective or preventative opportunities to avoid any harm, and that the Guatemalans' claims of harassment are barred because the workers cannot show that any such conduct was so severe or pervasive that it affected their employment. To the extent that any discriminatory or retaliatory conduct was committed by an employee of Centrum Valley Farms, the company states, the conduct fell outside the scope of the employee's authority and was contrary to Centrum Valley Farm's 'good-faith efforts to comply with state and federal law.' A trial date has yet to be scheduled. Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions:kobradovich@ This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Centrum Valley Farms in Iowa denies allegations of human trafficking
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Iowa egg supplier denies allegations of human trafficking
Six Guatemalans filed a lawsuit alleging a Centrum Valley Farms supervisor kept this gun displayed in his office and threatened them with deportation as part of a human trafficking operation at the Clarion egg farm. (Main photo courtesy Wright County Assessor's Office; inset photo from federal court filings) An Iowa industrial egg supplier is denying allegations that it engaged in human trafficking or threatened immigrant workers with deportation in retaliation for their complaints. In March, attorneys for six Guatemalan citizens sued Iowa's Centrum Valley Farms and company manager Jose Cornejo in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. The plaintiffs, all of whom lived in Belmond, Eagle Grove, Clarion or Webster City while working for Centrum Valley Farms, seeks unspecified damages for harassment, discrimination and retaliation; wrongful discharge; human trafficking related to forced labor; violations of wage-and-hour laws related to overtime pay, and violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The plaintiffs — Kenny Augusto Tetzaguic Lux, Gerver Noel Marroquin Argueta, Isaias Tevalan Lopez, Consuelo Esperanza Lux Tepaz, Cecilia Angelica Bernal Cobo and Juan Carlos Tetzaguic Lux – claim Centrum Valley Farms recruited them to work at the company's Clarion egg farm and packaging facility and helped them obtain work-authorization documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with Cornejo acting as their supervisor. On a daily basis, Cornejo, who is Mexican, made 'repeated unwelcome comments disparaging the plaintiffs for their Guatemalan national origin,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo is accused of telling the plaintiffs all Guatemalans were lazy and that he wanted to replace them with Mexicans or Americans. When the Guatemalans complained about Cornejo to other managers, the lawsuit claims, the harassment allegedly grew worse with Cornejo threatening to have them deported. 'Cornejo even brought a firearm to work, showed it to the plaintiffs, and displayed it in his office to intimidate the plaintiffs and silence their complaints,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo also is accused of threatening to turn the Guatemalans in to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they tried to voluntarily leave their positions at the company. The company eventually terminated the Guatemalans' employment 'in retaliation for their complaints,' the lawsuit adds. On Jan. 25, 2023, Cornejo allegedly brought a firearm to his office and displayed it on his desk to intimidate Lux and the other Guatemalans, according to the lawsuit. One of the other plaintiffs alleges Cornejo referred to him as his 'faithful dog,' his 'slave' and as his 'Guatemalan wetback,' while making him apply pesticides in chicken houses without the necessary protective equipment. In response to the lawsuit, Centrum Valley Farms has denied any wrongdoing and claimed more than a dozen affirmative defenses. For example, the company alleges the plaintiffs failed to take advantage of corrective or preventative opportunities to avoid any harm, and that the Guatemalans' claims of harassment are barred because the workers cannot show that any such conduct was so severe or pervasive that it affected their employment. To the extent that any discriminatory or retaliatory conduct was committed by an employee of Centrum Valley Farms, the company states, the conduct fell outside the scope of the employee's authority and was contrary to Centrum Valley Farm's 'good-faith efforts to comply with state and federal law.' A trial date has yet to be scheduled. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Equity Arc teens join Civic Orchestra members to kick off Chicago Youth and Music Festival
A group of teens played in harmony despite the president's DEI executive order. They played alongside Civic Orchestra members to kick off the Chicago Youth and Music Festival, where a packed crowd praised them before they even performed. Music is a universal language. It's not defined by the color of your skin, which is what Equity Arc wants listeners to take away from Sunday's performance. Jacob Cornejo, 18, has been playing the flute since he was in the fifth grade. "I feel, through the flute, I'm able to express what I'm feeling, and I can share my music and the music that's written on the paper with the audience," he said. Cornejo is one of 60 students in the Equity Arc program, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and support for young musicians of color. Inside the symphony center, they performed next to Civic Orchestra members, giving a free concert. "We're very excited to have some of the most talented students from across the country, many of them that are representing Chicago, with us, that really represents the extraordinary talent that we have for those that are seeking a professional career in classical music," Equity Arc Executive Director Stanford Thompson said. The teens were supposed to perform "The President's Own," a concert with the United States Marine Band in May, but that opportunity was taken away. An executive order signed by President Trump banned programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the federal government and military. In March, 60 Minutes brought the teens to Washington, D.C. , to ask about the canceled concert. They answered in song. "The color of your skin doesn't matter, you know. You're White, you're Black, you're Brown; you should be able to share the music or do what you love," Cornejo said. This performance kicks off the Chicago Youth and Music Festival. Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a Connect program, in which it works with CPS schools and community youth orchestras to rehearse with Civic Orchestra members. Equity Arc helps student musicians connect with mentors from across the country and provides professional development opportunities, including internships and mock auditions.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Today is the first day of spring: Warm temps, showers usher in season in DC region
The Brief Warm 70s and spring showers mark Thursday's start to the season in D.C. Rain expected around 2 p.m., with evening showers and gusts around 30 mph. Clear Friday with highs in the 50s; mild Saturday, cooler Sunday. What we know WASHINGTON - Warm weather and spring showers usher in the season across the D.C. region on Thursday, with temperatures in the low 70s expected by the afternoon. A cold front will approach by the afternoon hours, knocking temperatures back down into the 60s. Rain is expected to push in around 2 p.m. from the west with showers likely lingering in the area through the evening. Wind gusts in the low 30s are possible tonight. READ MORE: Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off Thursday, welcoming first day of Spring What's next Looking ahead, skies are expected to clear by Friday, with cooler highs in the mid-50s. The weekend will bring mild conditions, with Saturday seeing sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, while Sunday cools slightly with highs in the 50s. Dig deeper "The last five years have shown that temperatures are not consistent at all on the first day of spring (shocker...), but we have seen that most years have been dry," says FOX 5 meteorologist Cesar Cornejo. Over the last five years, Cornejo said the first day of spring has only seen one day of measurable rainfall. That was back in 2020. "A total of 0.02" was recorded at DCA for the day. The only other year that saw rain on this day was 2022, where the airport recorded only a trace of rain (this does not count as measurable rainfall)," he added. "As for temperatures, the range jumps from warm days in the 70s and 80s to brisk days in the 50s and 60s," Cornejo said. "The warmest day of the last five years has to go to 2020 where a temperature of 83° was recorded as the high. Our coldest morning was in 2023, the low for the day was 30°. That's a whopping 53° difference between our warmest high and coldest low over the last five years." The Source FOX 5 Weather Team & National Weather Service
