Latest news with #JamieScott
Channel Post MEA
6 days ago
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Acer and Tarsus Distribution Expand Partnership to Deliver Full Product Range in South Africa
Acer and Tarsus Distribution, one of South Africa's most established IT distributors, have announced an exciting expansion of their long-standing partnership. This new chapter brings Acer's complete consumer and commercial product portfolios under the Tarsus Distribution umbrella, responding to growing market demand and reinforcing their decades-long trusted collaboration. The relationship between Acer and Tarsus dates back to Acer's early days in South Africa. Historically, Tarsus focused on distributing Acer's consumer products, but evolving market needs and customer feedback have paved the way for a unified distribution model covering both commercial and consumer lines. This strategic move aims to provide partners with streamlined access and enhanced service backed by agility, scale, and deep expertise. Jamie Scott, GM for Commercial Product & Print of Tarsus Distribution 'The renewed alignment between Acer and Tarsus Distribution highlights the strength of our long-standing relationship,' said Jamie Scott, GM for Commercial Product & Print of Tarsus Distribution. 'As our partner base grows and diversifies, it has become clear that the time was right to deepen our engagement with Acer across both commercial and consumer segments. This move is about streamlining access for our partners and helping them better serve their customers with world-class technology solutions.' The timing of this renewed partnership coincides with significant innovation from Acer, including the launch of its next-generation TravelMate AI-powered business laptops and the growth of its locally assembled commercial product range. These offerings will now be fully accessible through Tarsus Distribution. Key highlights include Acer's new TravelMate AI PCs, featuring Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI processors that deliver exceptional performance and collaboration tools tailored for modern business environments. Additionally, the partnership supports Acer's expanding local assembly initiatives in South Africa's commercial sector, reinforcing both companies' commitment to skills development and sustainable economic growth. 'Acer's relationship with Tarsus Distribution is founded on history, mutual respect, and a shared vision,' said Glenn Du Toit, Country Manager for Acer Africa. 'This renewed partnership enables us to serve our customers better while expanding the availability of locally assembled products. We believe collaboration is key to driving digital transformation, and Tarsus is the right partner to help take our innovation to every corner of the market.' With this announcement, Acer's partners and customers will benefit from a simplified, unified distribution experience, full portfolio availability, and the trusted support that both Acer and Tarsus have provided over many years.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill entered in Arkansas House would ban placing a slaughterhouse on the same grounds as a food processor
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill entered into the Arkansas House on Friday reflects an ongoing concern for North Little Rock residents. House Bill 1436 restricts placing a slaughterhouse on the same land as a food processing plant in a city with a population of over 2,500. Other restrictions include being unable to put a slaughterhouse in a densely populated residential area or near a school. North Little Rock residents discuss concerns with possible slaughterhouse The bill does allow a city to undertake processes to approve a slaughterhouse in an otherwise prohibited location, according to the bill's language. Rep. Tracy Steele (D-North Little Rock) and Sen. Jamie Scott (D-North Little Rock) sponsored the legislation. On Thursday night, residents of North Little Rock attended a meeting where the majority expressed concern and opposition to a planned slaughterhouse in their community by David Bubbus Jr. of David's Burgers. Residents were concerned about the smell and its impact on property value. David's Burgers owner withdraws application for North Little Rock slaughterhouse Bubbus withdrew his request from the city's planning commission on Monday. The bill is not yet on the House schedule. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Lawmakers show support for curtailing cellphone access, diversity initiatives
Sen. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, presents a resolution to the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 27, 2025. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) The third week of Arkansas' 95th General Assembly saw a slight increase in action as committees considered more bills. New legislation continued to be filed, including one bill touted by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at a mental health event Wednesday that would make good on her promise to ban cellphones in public schools. Supporters of Senate Bill 142 said it would help students better focus on their education and address a root cause of the decline in children's mental health — unrestricted access to social media. The bill would require districts' phone policies to include exemptions for health reasons, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), extracurricular activities and emergencies. Echoing conversations at the federal level, Arkansas lawmakers this week engaged in discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion, beginning with an Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus meeting Monday focused on Walmart rolling back its DEI initiatives. Company officials said they remain committed to creating a culture of 'belonging' for associates, and insisted bullying and harassment would not be tolerated. Black lawmakers questioned if they could again count on the global retailer's support against Senate Bill 3, which mirrors a 2023 bill to 'end state-sponsored discrimination.' Lawmakers noted Walmart's opposition to the 2023 bill, but officials said the company had no position on SB 3. Again sponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, SB 3 targets diversity-related initiatives and would, among other things, amend a scholarship designed to attract qualified minority teachers to the Delta, a rural area with a significant Black population and a known teacher shortage. Despite concerns presented in committee and on the Senate floor, the full Senate approved the bill Wednesday, which will likely be considered by a House committee next week. The Arkansas Senate confirmed more than three dozen governor-nominated members to state boards and commissions Tuesday, with the only opposition directed at a former Republican lawmaker who now works for a Little Rock lobbying firm. Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, requested that the Senate vote separately on Grant Hodges' appointment to the Board of Corrections. King argued the former state representative from Centerton wasn't qualified for the position. Two other Republicans joined King in voting against Hodges' appointment, which passed on a voice vote. Arkansas Senate confirms ex-lawmaker to state prison board over one member's objection King, who's been a vocal opponent of the state's plan to construct a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, announced during a press conference Thursday morning that he filed six pieces of legislation related to public safety. 'We've had a series of soft-on-crime bills, catch-and-release bills, and we've had a consistent pattern of underfunding corrections and public safety,' King said. 'What's happened today is it's created a three-headed monster — we have a high incarceration rate, we have a high crime rate and we have a high prison overcrowding rate.' Senate Bill 143 proposes transfering $100,000 from sales tax collections to Arkansas State Police for crime reduction and prevention programs, and to assist the Division of Community Correction in the provision of probation, parole and post-release supervision services. Senate Bill 145 would require money the state receives from lawsuits concerning funds from the General Improvement Fund or its successor be used for the same purposes. Senate Bill 144 would allow counties to enter into an 'inmate close-to-home partnership' to construct or expand a facility for a shared county jail to house inmates awaiting transfer to the Division of Correction. At least one county must be one of the eight that contribute the most inmates to the Division of Corrections' total population. Senate Joint Resolutions 7 and 8 propose amending the Arkansas Constitution concerning medical marijuana and casino gaming, respectively. SJR 6 would allow proceeds from the sale of medical marijuana and casino gaming to support crime reduction and recidivism initiatives. King's hope is to increase public safety by lowering the number of people going to jail and the recidivism rate, but that will take money, he said. Arkansas lawmakers filed more than 200 new bills and resolutions this week, including: House Bill 1243 from Rep. Kendon Underwood, R-Cave Springs, aims to increase transparency with campaign contributions and expenditures. House Bill 1280 by Rep. Mindy McAlindon, R-Centerton, would prohibit state agencies from using public funds to purchase promotional items made in China. McAlindon's House Bill 1323 would limit the investment of Arkansas' pension and retirement system funds in entities 'closely connected' with China and its governing party. House Bill 1283 by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, would require the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish K-12 digital media standards. House Bill 1297 by Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood, would regulate the use of artificial intelligence, algorithms and other automated technologies by healthcare insurers. An amusing quirk of the Legislature is the duty of Rep. Stephen Meeks, a Greenbrier Republican and most senior House member, to rattle off a procedural list (ala an auctioneer) at the end of each House session before lawmakers can formally adjourn. That tradition came to an end Thursday, when his colleagues approved updated House rules allowing him to declare an abbreviated version from now on. In case you hadn't had the chance to enjoy this in person, you can see his final (at least for now) lengthy proclamation here at the 2:33 p.m. mark. No legislative meetings are scheduled for Friday, but lawmakers will resume their work on Monday. You can find an updated schedule of meetings and agendas on the Arkansas Legislature's website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus voices disappointment in Walmart's DEI rollback
Sen. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, asks a question about Walmart's rollback of its DEI policy during an Arkansas Black Legislative Caucus meeting on Jan. 27, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus members on Monday expressed disappointment and confusion over Walmart's decision to alter its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The Bentonville-based retailer received pushback after announcing in late November it was rolling back its DEI policies, including from 13 attorneys general and 30 shareholders representing $266 billion in investments. Speaking via videoconference with Black lawmakers at the Capitol, Walmart representatives said at Monday's meeting that, internally, nothing will change about the way they treat associates. Pepe Estrada, senior director of constituent relations, said this is the next step in the company's DEI journey. 'We want everyone to feel like they belong and they have a great experience at the company, and in the process we will not tolerate any type of bullying, discrimination or harassment of any type to any individual, so that hasn't changed,' Estrada said. Kevin Thompson, senior director of government relations, said some tangible things that will change is the use of the word 'belonging' instead of DEI, halting participation in some external benchmarking surveys that 'do not add value to our business,' sunsetting the Center of Racial Equity that was created with a five-year plan shortly after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and ceasing the use of the term Latinx. Walmart will maintain its employee affinity groups, but it will rename its Latinx group to Latino, per the recommendation of associates, Estrada said. Referencing a 2023 bill to end state-sponsored affirmative action that died on the House floor following bipartisan opposition, Sen. Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, asked if lawmakers could again count on Walmart's support for a similar bill in the 2025 legislative session. Arkansas lawmaker again proposes legislation to end state minority initiatives Sponsored once more by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, Senate Bill 3 would prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment by state and public agencies. Sullivan told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he plans to present the bill to lawmakers Tuesday. Mike Lindsey, Walmart director of public affairs and governmental relations, told Murdock he doesn't think the company has a position on the new bill and is primarily focused on direct business-impact legislation this session. Both Murdock and caucus Vice Chair Sen. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, noted Walmart opposed the previous bill and challenged Lindsey's explanation. 'Don't roll out policies and stand behind them and say that we're just going to focus on the business when last year the business decision was to not support this bill because it would impact the money,' Scott said. 'So we're talking out both sides of our mouths right now.' Asked by Sen. Fred Love, D-Mablevale, how to respond to constituents who might call for a boycott based on Walmart's DEI policies, Lindsey said the company is a good community partner that gives back through donations and sponsorships. 'We are a tremendous job creator, especially entry level and then throughout a career for persons of color or anybody that wants to work for Walmart,' he said. 'I think it's a great career, provides a lot of economic opportunity for the community.' A global publicly-traded company that generated $648 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024, Walmart employs more than 50,000 people in Arkansas, Lindsey said. Though Walmart officials insisted nothing would change in terms of associates' experiences, Murdock pleaded with them to listen to the 'very grave concerns of lawmakers.' 'Ultimately your support or lack thereof for anything that attacks these communities that we represent and that we serve, we expect you — who we are putting millions and billions of dollars into Walmart — we expect you to stand up for us and be a part of the fight that we fight against those that are trying to continue to hurt us,' Murdock said. 'We need that from you, we expect that from you.' Walmart joins a number of companies like Lowe's and Tractor Supply who pulled back on their DEI initiatives after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023 struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The national conversation around the topic ramped up last week after President Donald Trump ordered an end to all federal DEI policies and programs, which resulted in many federal employees being placed on paid administrative leave. Scott will continue that conversation in Arkansas with a resolution she filed last week to affirm the state's 'commitment to DEI as an essential foundation for achieving the American Dream.' Attacks on DEI are harmful to the bottom line and health of the economy, the resolution states. 'Anti-DEI activists, politicians, and corporate decision makers who attempt to prohibit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and initiatives infringe upon the right of individuals to freely express themselves, diminish the diversity of perspectives that strengthen our society, and conflict with anti-discrimination laws,' the resolution states. The resolution has not yet been scheduled to be presented to lawmakers. 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