Latest news with #Goodfellow
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Could robotics and timber tackle Britain's housing challenges?
LONDON (Reuters) -Gigantic robot arms controlled by artificial intelligence glide around a vast factory in Oxfordshire, England, making building frames from timber, one of the world's oldest construction materials. With the British government committed to building 300,000 new homes a year, some housebuilders say that the combination of technology and green materials could help them to overcome challenges from skills shortages to environmental targets. England lags many similar economies in terms of the share of housing accounted for by timber-framed homes. Britain as a whole, meanwhile, is among the slowest adopters of robotics, especially in construction, according to the National Robotarium research institute at Heriot-Watt University. "We're seeing more major housebuilders and small and medium-sized builders embracing timber as a way to ... overcome the skills and carbon challenge," said Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS). His business makes timber-frame structures for homes and commercial buildings, including walls, floors and roofs, then sends them to housebuilders for assembly. Its automated production makes for less labour-intensive housebuilding and provides a faster, cheaper and more sustainable alternative to bricks, stone or concrete blocks, the company says. A study by construction surveyors and consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall showed that building with timber is 2.8% cheaper than with masonry. FASTER CONSTRUCTION The DTS factory in Witney, near Oxford in southeast England, makes timber panelling for about 100 homes a week with designs entered digitally using artificial intelligence, reducing the need for paper drawings. DTS says its robotics and lasers enable it to produce pre-assembled sections builders can put together quickly on site. The technology reduces the time needed to build a home by about 10 weeks compared with traditional materials, Goodfellow says. Yet barriers remain to any significant increase in timber homes in England. Amit Patel at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the material is not commonly used in England because of difficulties in securing warranties for timber buildings owing to durability concerns. Barratt Homes tried to revive timber usage in the 1980s, but sales were undermined by potential rot and fire vulnerabilities. Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association says that such concerns have been addressed by current building regulation and the STA's fire safety guide. He says that the off-site timber construction sector could help to deliver about a third of the government's target of 300,000 new homes per year - a level not achieved in England since the 1970s. Official government figures show that almost 200,000 new homes were built in England in 2023/24 and the Structural Timber Association said that approximately 40,500 of those were timber-frame homes. Builders including Vistry and Taylor Wimpey have opened or plan to open their own timber-frame manufacturing factory while Bellway plans to use timber in a third of its housing projects by 2030. Reduced environmental impact is another benefit touted by companies. GREENER AND LEANER? Simon Park, head of sustainability at Bellway, said timber absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits and that Bellway's analysis shows breeze blocks - made from concrete and known as cinder blocks in the U.S. - are the biggest carbon emitters among common building materials. Countering that, however, is the origin of the raw materials. About 80% of timber used in the UK is imported, mainly from European countries, while roughly 20% of its brick supply is imported. Concerns also remain over mortgage availability for timber homes, which is likely to improve if the government signals a move towards timber construction, said Riz Malik, mortgage broker at independent financial adviser R3 Wealth. An ageing workforce, meanwhile, highlights the need for more robotics. About a fifth of construction workers in the UK are over 50, according to the Home Builders Federation, with 25% of those set to retire in the coming decade. The government pledged 40 million pounds ($54 million) in June for robotics adoption hubs across various sectors, but Maurice van Sante, senior economist for construction at bank ING, says Britain's construction industry is far behind other countries in robotics use. ING estimates that there were 1.5 robots for every 10,000 construction workers in Europe in 2023, against 0.6 in the U.S. and 0.5 in the UK. As well as filling labour shortages directly, robotics opens up other employment opportunities, says DTS manufacturing director Frank O'Reilly, adding that the company has attracted more interest from tech-savvy younger workers since the factory's introduction of automation and robotics. "It (the technology) encourages young people to consider this as a career," he said. ($1 = 0.7433 pounds) (Reporting by Suban AbdullaEditing by David Goodman)
American Military News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Democrat lawmaker arrested for shoplifting again
A Democrat lawmaker recently turned himself in after being caught shoplifting for a second time at a Target store in Bethel, Connecticut. The New York Post reported that Connecticut state Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat, is currently facing charges after turning himself in to police officials on July 28. The outlet noted that an arrest warrant for the 33-year-old Democrat lawmaker had been issued following the second shoplifting incident. In an arrest affidavit obtained by The New York Post, a Target security guard said they observed Allie-Brennan 'concealing items into the Goodfellow bag that he had selected.' The affidavit accused the Democrat lawmaker of attempting to steal $54.55 in unpaid goods. Allie-Brennan was previously arrested in June after police officials reviewed security footage that showed the Connecticut lawmaker trying to leave the Bethel Target location with $26.69 in unpaid items. The Democrat lawmaker admitted to the June incident; however, he blamed the shoplifting incident on being in a 'rush' to bring items to his hospitalized grandmother. In a July statement on Facebook, Allie-Brennan said, 'This week, I appeared in court and applied for Accelerated Rehabilitation, a program for first-time offenders that, if granted, can lead to dismissal of the charge after meeting court conditions. 'I am taking responsibility for all of my actions and participating in a program to address my behavior seriously and constructively,' the Democrat lawmaker added. 'I know I've let people down, and I'm not proud of that. But I also believe in owning mistakes and doing the work to make them right. I remain committed to accountability, growth, and continuing to serve my community with integrity.' According to The New York Post, Allie-Brennan told the outlet that both shoplifting charges are being addressed under the Accelerated Rehabilitation program. READ MORE: Pic: Democrat lawmaker arrested for shoplifting 'Recently, State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan (D-2nd District – Bethel) was arrested for shoplifting at a local Target store,' Connecticut Republican State Chairman Ben Proto said in a recent press release. 'While we fully support Representative Allie-Brennan's due process and the presumption of innocence that all of us enjoy under our Constitutions, it is regrettable that, once again, a Democrat member of the Connecticut General Assembly has found themselves in handcuffs and subject to criminal prosecution.' Proto added, 'In light of these allegations, Representative Allie-Brennan should step down from his position.' Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat, also issued a statement regarding the Connecticut lawmaker's legal issues. Ritter explained that he had talked with Allie-Brennan about the shoplifting charges and expressed his concerns to the Democrat lawmaker. 'Raghib will take some personal time away from the legislature over the next month to deal with the legal, political and personal ramifications,' Ritter stated.
NZ Herald
03-08-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Ex-National Party president Peter Goodfellow on what threatens 2026 re-election
'Desley, I love you very much,' Goodfellow said, his voice catching in his throat. His final message to the party faithful was his best wishes in the 'fight to win the party vote in 2026'. Former National Party board member Peter Goodfellow (right) speaks at the party's annual conference in Christchurch alongside current party president Sylvia Wood. Photo / Adam Pearse Despite a party vote target in the mid-40s, National hadn't registered above 40% since January last year and hadn't breached 35% since April across several opinion pollsters. It received 38% in the 2023 election. Speaking to the Herald on Sunday, Goodfellow praised National's work while in Government but said the party's chief threat to re-election was the economy. 'I think people have responded really well on education with Erica [Stanford], I think Simeon [Brown] is doing a fantastic job in health, but it's the economy. 'If the economy suffers another shock then I think that the public can get tired of it and want change. 'I'm not seeing that at the moment, but there's a potential for that to happen if there were another series of shocks or a trade war.' Just hours before Goodfellow's farewell, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed Trade Minister Todd McClay would shortly travel to the United States to discuss President Donald Trump's announcement of 15% tariffs on New Zealand goods, an action Luxon described as 'blunt'. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (front) speaks to media in Christchurch alongside Conservation Minister Tama Potaka (left) and Tourism Minister Louise Upston at the National conference. Photo / Adam Pearse The news was an unwelcome development for the Government, given the potential for further pain for exporters, which would slow any economic recovery. Recent polls affirmed the cost of living as the primary issue for voters, with the latest Ipsos Issues Monitor finding people trusted Labour more than National to lower prices. Goodfellow acknowledged New Zealanders were 'tired' of not seeing meaningful cost-of-living relief. 'My understanding is there'll continue to be relief for that middle New Zealand, but it's almost like they're saying it's not enough, it's almost never going to be enough.' A self-professed early adopter of the 'survive til 25' slogan used in 2024, Goodfellow argued economic growth hadn't been overestimated, but Trump's approach to trade had eroded confidence. 'The issue is, how do you get a bit of momentum and that confidence again?' Former Prime Minister Sir John Key (right) and Peter Goodfellow speak after the latter's selection as party president in 2009. Photo / NZPA Goodfellow stepped down as National president in 2022, but had previously voiced his original intention to resign in 2016. 'John Key and I did discuss at the beginning that we shouldn't leave together,' he said. 'I just thought, 'Well, I don't want to do this role for a huge, long time', but then we lost the election and then we had a period of some stability and coming into the 2020 election, the board wanted me to continue on as the president. 'Then we had a couple of leadership changes which just again meant they wanted that stability and continuity at the party and at the board level and I think that actually worked out pretty well.' Amid a disastrous result in the 2020 election, Goodfellow faced pressure over the party's candidate selection processes when the actions of several standing in 2020 hurt National's chances. He also endured a challenge for the party presidency from former Speaker of the House Sir David Carter, who in 2021 said he had 'zero confidence' in Goodfellow's ability to right the ship. Goodfellow described that period as a 'very unstable time for the party'. 'I never thought I would ever develop such a thick hide,' he said. 'There's a lot of criticism in the world and in politics, but not all of it is justified. 'I knew I was supported by the board and the decisions that we were making and that's why ultimately [Carter's] challenge didn't succeed.' However, Goodfellow acknowledged changes to the party's vetting proved some of the criticism was warranted. 'The vetting was very casual 20 years ago, maybe because people knew who the candidates were, but suddenly, more recently, we have people not known to the party coming in from the outside and we clearly did what we thought was good vetting, but there are some instances of behaviour that you can't pick up, no matter how good you're vetting. 'Many [candidates] are suitable ... but they don't necessarily understand what's going to be involved and what's going to be required. 'The challenge then is, are they telling you everything that's going on and increasingly, we have to be more diligent to make sure that our members are respected by not having candidates put up in front of them that aren't suitable.' Asked to describe his lasting legacy with National, Goodfellow pointed to the various special interest groups within the party and his mission to make the party more inclusive. Those groups included the party's younger and older members' wings, as well as collectives of members from Chinese, Indian, Filipino, rural, Māori and Pasifika communities. 'I know that there was no such inclusion before it, it was very much a traditional-looking party,' Goodfellow said. 'Within the party, it's good for us to have groups that represent that culture, but also share the values and the philosophy of the National Party and want to be engaged in it.' Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald's Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Talos Energy Announces Enhanced Corporate Strategy
HOUSTON, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Talos Energy Inc. ("Talos" or the "Company") (NYSE: TALO) today announced its enhanced corporate strategy designed to position the Company as a leading pure-play offshore exploration and production company. Mr. Paul Goodfellow, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, will provide additional details about the Company's strategy during a conference call scheduled today, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM Eastern Time (4:30 PM Central Time). Further details are provided below. A strategy presentation is available under "Presentations and Webcasts" on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at Mr. Goodfellow remarked, "Upon joining the Company at the beginning of March, the team and I embarked on an extensive review of the Company's business, potential growth prospects, and anticipated market trends to identify opportunities aligned with our core strengths, unique capabilities and industry position. We anticipate a shift in the global exploration and production market, with offshore basins expected to play an increasing role in global oil production. We view this anticipated shift as a unique opportunity to increase our scale through disciplined execution and selective accretive growth opportunities that will enhance returns for our shareholders." Mr. Goodfellow continued, "At its core, the goal of our strategy is to leverage our entrepreneurial culture, history, and strengths in order to become a leading pure-play offshore exploration and production company. While I believe we have an incredibly strong and efficient operational organization at Talos, our goal is to take a very good company and make it great through continuous improvement. The three pillars of Talos's new strategy are: Improve the business every day. Talos is targeting approximately $100 million in increased annualized cash flow in 2026 by improving its existing operations through capital efficiency, margin enhancement, commercial opportunities, and general organizational improvements. Grow production and profitability. Talos will invest in high-margin organic projects, complemented by disciplined, accretive bolt-on acquisitions in deepwater basins, which will enhance production and profitability. Build a long-lived, scaled portfolio. Talos will take a strategic and measured approach in assessing opportunities within the Gulf of America and other conventional offshore basins. A scaled portfolio will provide Talos with significant production growth potential, and ultimately the ability to generate long-term consistent free cash flow. Underpinning this overall strategy is Talos's approach to capital allocation. Talos is committed to being responsible stewards of shareholders' capital by applying a disciplined capital allocation framework, prioritizing investments in projects that generate robust returns through commodity cycles, returning up to 50% of annual free cash flow to shareholders, maintaining a strong balance sheet with a long-term leverage target of 1.0x or lower, and growing via selective accretive growth opportunities. PRESENTATION, CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST INFORMATION The Company will host a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the internet, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM Eastern Time (4:30 PM Central Time). Listeners can access the conference call through a webcast link on the Company's website at: Alternatively, the conference call can be accessed by dialing (800) 836-8184 (North American toll-free) or (646) 357-8785 (international). Please dial in approximately 15 minutes before the teleconference is scheduled to begin and ask to be joined into the Talos Energy call. A replay of the call will be available one hour after the conclusion of the conference until June 24, 2025 and can be accessed by dialing (888) 660-6345 and using access code 43074#. For more information, please refer to the Strategy Presentation available under Presentations and Webcasts on the Investor Relations section of Talos's website. ABOUT TALOS ENERGY Talos Energy (NYSE: TALO) is a technically driven, innovative, independent energy company focused on maximizing long-term value through its Exploration & Production business in the United States Gulf of America and offshore Mexico. We leverage decades of technical and offshore operational expertise to acquire, explore, and produce assets in key geological trends while maintaining a focus on safe and efficient operations, environmental responsibility, and community impact. For more information, visit INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Clay CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this communication, regarding our strategy; development plans; future financial performance, including anticipated cash flows; projected costs, cost savings and operational efficiencies; estimated revenues and losses; future operations and operating results; production and reserves; market trends and conditions; commodity price assumptions; acquisition and divestiture opportunities and prospects; liquidity position; capital allocation decisions; shareholder returns and plans and objectives of the Board and management are forward-looking statements. When used in this communication, the words "will," "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," "forecast," "may," "objective," "plan" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described herein occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this communication are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Talos Energy 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
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goodfellow Reports the Results of its Annual Meeting of Shareholders
DELSON, Quebec, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodfellow Inc. (TSX: GDL) (the 'Company' or 'Goodfellow') announces that all resolutions presented to the shareholders at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the 'Meeting') held today were passed. The total number of shares represented by shareholders in person and by proxy at the Meeting was 5,926,983 representing 70.38% of the Company's outstanding shares. 1. Election of Directors The six (6) nominees for directors proposed by management of the Company were elected pursuant to a vote by ballot. Final voting results on the election of the directors are as follows: Nominee Votes For % For Votes Against % Against Alain Côté 4,929,525 83.32% 986,988 16.68% David A. Goodfellow 3,787,060 64.01% 2,129,453 35.99% G. Douglas Goodfellow 3,787,060 64.01% 2,129,453 35.99% Robert Hall 4,928,800 83.31% 987,713 16.69% Marie-Hélène Nolet 5,895,584 99.65% 20,929 0.35% Sarah Prichard 3,879,637 65.57% 2,036,876 34.43% 2. Appointment of Auditor KPMG LLP was reappointed as the Company's auditor pursuant to a vote by ballot. In all, 5,912,734 votes representing 99.76% of the votes cast were in favour of KPMG LLP and 14,249 votes representing 0.24% of the votes cast have withheld from voting. The Company has filed a report of voting results on all resolutions voted on at the Meeting on SEDAR ( About Goodfellow Goodfellow is a diversified manufacturer of value-added lumber products, as well as a wholesale distributor of building materials and floor coverings. With a distribution footprint from coast-to-coast in Canada and in the Northeastern U.S., Goodfellow effectively serves commercial and residential sectors through lumber yard retailer networks, manufacturers, industrial and infrastructure project partners, and floor covering specialists. Goodfellow also leverages its value-added product capabilities to serve lumber markets internationally. Goodfellow Inc. is a publicly traded company, and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'GDL'. From: Goodfellow Inc. Patrick Goodfellow President and CEO T: 450 635-6511 F: 450 635-3730 info@
