Latest news with #Lancaster-based
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Kebabs made of wrong meat land firms in court
Kebabs made of the wrong meat have landed two businesses in court. Takeaway Naafiah Grill in Burnley was serving unsuspecting customers lamb and chicken kebabs that contained mostly beef. In a separate case, Lancaster-based Eat Indian supplied a farm shop in Preston with lamb and chicken kebabs that were found to contain beef. Both firms' bosses blamed suppliers for the errors, but the companies were fined under the Food Safety Act at magistrates courts in Lancashire. Joshua Roberts, from Lancashire County Council, said the firms had a "blatant disregard for public safety". 'Shocking' Waleed Raza, 34, and 39-year-old Fazila Wadia, from Naafiah Burnley Ltd, admitted the offences at Blackburn Magistrates' Court and were fined £4,500 and ordered to pay £953 each in costs. Fuzail Patel, 35, of Eat Indian, admitted the offences at Lancaster Crown Court and was fined more than £4,500. The offences were brought under section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990 which states that selling food that is not what the customer expected in terms of its type, ingredients, or quality is illegal. Patel had previously been told to meet food labelling requirements but failed to address the issues. In court, he said he had received the pre-made kebabs from a food producer, then added his own branded labels. But he failed to make his own checks on the content of the products. Raza and Wadia had been advised by Trading Standards following a failed sample from their now-dissolved company. They too blamed their meat supplier for a mix up over the meat they supplied, but were unable to provide any records or checks. Lancashire County Council environment cabinet member Roberts said: "Inaccurate meat kebab products have become a national issue for Trading Standards, which has conducted extensive sampling in recent years to address the problem. "Consumers often do not know what meat they are eating and, shockingly, those making these products often don't know either." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Related internet links Lancashire County Council
Technical.ly
5 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
Robots that work with humans, rather than replacing them? Young people are lining up to join PA's Precision Cobotics
This story was reported with support from Pennsylvania Gets It Done and the BusinessPA team at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Their work connecting businesses to financial resources, strategic partnerships and tailored guidance aims to build a stronger, more successful Pennsylvania economy. Startup profile: Precision Cobotics Founded by: Alex Corckran, Josh Horvath, John Bridgen Year founded: 2022 Headquarters: Lititz, PA Sector: Robotics Funding and valuation: Private equity, undisclosed by the company Key ecosystem partners: Millersville University, Lancaster County STEM Alliance, Lancaster County Workforce Development Board, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Career Ready Lancaster!, Bright Side Opportunities Center, Church World Service Lancaster and others. After seeing over a thousand young people engage with his company's workforce development program, John Bridgen can't agree with a phrase he hears all the time: 'No one wants to work anymore.' As president of Lancaster-based robotics company Precision Cobotics, Bridgen says he sees proof of the opposite almost every day. His inbox is filled with inquiries from young people eager to join the company, drawn in by Robotics Worx, a program created to cultivate local talent. 'When you value people and it aligns with some of their interests, they're more than happy to be part of your workforce,' Bridgen told '[Companies] need to look inward as to why they're not somewhere people want to work.' Located next to the Lancaster airport, Precision is helping shape the county's emerging tech ecosystem. Once known primarily for its quiet farms and Amish communities, the region has recently seen a series of business wins. Bridgen gives a lot of credit to the Steinman Foundation and its spinout the Lancaster County STEM Alliance, which awarded Robotics Worx $50,000 in launch funding. 'We have all these cool companies here,' Bridgen said. 'How do we get the upcoming talent in the area to be aware of it so they don't leave?' Founded in 2022, Precision Cobotics helps manufacturers integrate robotics into their operations. The company started with a mission to be a 'lean integrator,' according to Bridgen, specializing in quick deployments for smaller manufacturing firms. Today, it works with Fortune 500 clients, including what Bridgen described as a top-three global automotive company, a major aerospace firm and a leading confectionery brand. He declined to name them due to non-disclosure agreements. While the company builds relationships with global corporations, it's gaining local recognition. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce recognized Precision Cobotics with the 2025 Thomas T. Baldridge Catalyst Award for its efforts to enhance the region's economic vitality and community well-being — and to rebrand manufacturing for the next generation. 'You need people to deploy robots' to build out American manufacturing In collaboration with Millersville University, Robotics Worx integrates with several Lancaster school districts and technical colleges to offer students internships, apprenticeships and other educational opportunities that can help them break into advanced manufacturing. Traditionally, manufacturing has been seen as a dirty and potentially dangerous career path, Bridgen said, but with the rise of robotics, it's increasingly viewed as a tech-driven field. This reframe is also happening in other parts of the state, driven by government pushes like Southwestern PA's New Economy Collaborative and the state-led Manufacturing PA Initiative. 'It's ironic because people would say robots take jobs, but what we're finding is you need people to deploy robots,' Bridgen said. 'These young students get it, and it's kind of a great, timely solution to the needs of building out manufacturing in America.' Almost half of the participants in the Robotics Worx program are from demographics traditionally underrepresented in the workforce, according to Bridgen. The US manufacturing sector in 2020 was more than 70% male and nearly 80% white, according to the National Academy of Sciences. During this past year, more than 1,500 students participated in the program, with over 60 students landing internships and three students securing full-time positions in the industry, according to Precision Cobotics' most recent community impact report. Robotics as a 'sport' that captures student interest The company's mission to train the next generation of advanced manufacturing workers links to its roots as an intern-led endeavor at its inception. Back in 2018, a group of manufacturing companies that had been operating in the region for over 100 years started to notice trends in automation and manufacturing labor shortages and became interested in cobotics – a field of robotics focused on designing robots that work alongside humans rather than replacing them. So they put interns to work crafting cobotics solutions. 'They started using interns to test out solving problems within their own manufacturing businesses, relatively successfully,' Bridgen said. 'It's been really beneficial for me to get hands-on experience outside of the classroom.' Chris Shenberger, Student and Robotics Worx mentor When the company was founded and Bridgen joined in 2022, he brought experience as a coach for the FIRST Robotics program, a national nonprofit founded by inventor Dean Kamen. Bridgen saw how much grade-school students enjoyed solving problems and building things, and realized it could be a model. '[Kamen's] philosophy was all these kids are into basketball and other sports that don't really have much of a likely professional career path,' Bridgen said, 'so how do we make robotics, automation, programming, mechanical engineering — all these skills that the world has jobs for — a sport to capture people?' Those ideas, that interns can do great work and young people love solving problems, are still at the heart of the company. 'It's been really beneficial for me to get hands-on experience outside of the classroom,' said Chris Shenberger, a Millersville University student and former Robotics Worx participant who now mentors others in the program. 'And it's really meaningful to see how it helps other students, especially the high schoolers.' Looking ahead, Precision Cobotics is eyeing opportunities to expand with new automation centers, but all potential growth would need to be aligned with the company's team-first culture, according to Bridgen. 'We want to be purposeful and very intentional about how we grow, because our culture is such an important part of that, and we don't want to lose it,' Bridgen said. 'We need to make sure, as we experience success, we don't lose what really matters.'
Black America Web
6 days ago
- Business
- Black America Web
Whiskey Industry Shifts In Kentucky, With Some Distillers Declaring Bankruptcy
Kentucky has long hedged its bets on its revered whiskey industry, which, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association, brings in around $9 million a year. With the whiskey industry shifting along with changing habits of imbibers, some Kentucky distillers have declared bankruptcy, while others are reporting slowed sales. A new report from Newsweek highlighted some of the struggles the whiskey industry in Kentucky is facing of late, emphasizing the financial woes of Luca Mariano Distillery, which just filed for Chapter 11 under its LMD Holdings business name. The outlet, speaking with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, obtained a statement from the association, which reads in part that the 'hardships facing distilleries are not unique to those just in Kentucky.' The statement rings true as there has been a trend among the younger generations of abstaining from drinking and preferring a 'dry' lifestyle by ditching booze, sometimes in favor of going 'California Sober,' which points to the ingestion of THC-based drinks. The non-alcoholic drink trend, also widely stylized as NA drinks, has exploded as a category over the past few years. We care about your data. See our privacy policy. According to the publication, Luca Mariano Distillery launched its operation just this past June and is housed on a 553-acre estate in the town of Danville. Francesco Viola, the brand's owner, told a local outlet, the Lexington Herald-Leader , that the filing is a strategy to solidify long-term success for the distillery. Other companies, such as Garrard County Distilling, are struggling as well after it was reported that the Lancaster-based brand was put under receivership and shuttered its operations in 2024. A Google search shows that the distillery is temporarily closed, but little else has been revealed about its future. Stoli Group USA, which produced the award-winning Kentucky Owl whiskey brand, filed for bankruptcy last year, as reported in great detail by Whiskey Advocate here. In a statement to Newsweek , the Distilled Spirits Council shared that the shakeup occuring right now for the Kentucky whiskey business has hit spirits producers of all sorts, hampered by rising costs for materials to produce the priduct, a drop in sales since the boom of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the looming threat of President Donald Trump's tariff policies that have halted trade and export between Canada and other nations that often purchase American spirits in bulk. — Photo: SEE ALSO Whiskey Industry Shifts In Kentucky, With Some Distillers Declaring Bankruptcy was originally published on
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lancaster County retirement community soon under new ownership
MOUNT JOY, Pa. (WHTM) — A Mechanicsburg-based retirement organization announced plans to transfer ownership of its retirement community situated in Lancaster County. The Cumberland County-based Messiah Lifeways just announced that it plans on transferring ownership of its Mount Joy Country Homes community to the Lancaster-based Pleasant View Communities. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now According to Messiah Lifeways, the final transfer of ownership and timing are subject to regulatory approvals. Messiah Lifeways says that residents of Mount Joy Country Homes have increasingly chosen to access healthcare and other supportive services closer to home rather than relocate to the Messiah Village campus in Mechanicsburg. In response, the Messiah Lifeways Executive Team and Board of Directors explored long-term solutions to better meet the needs of this community, which is why they are looking to transfer ownership of the community to Pleasant View Communities. 'At Pleasant View, we are excited about the opportunity to expand our mission and welcome the Mount Joy community into our family,' Jonathan Hollinger, President & CEO of Pleasant View Communities said. 'Many Mount Joy Country Homes residents have already engaged with our services, and we look forward to deepening those relationships and offering even more resources close to home.' 'This partnership strengthens both our missions,' Karl Brummer, President & CEO of Messiah Lifeways added. 'We believe Pleasant View will be a trusted steward of the Mount Joy community, helping the community thrive long into the future.' Pleasant View Communities, which is located just 10 miles from the Mount Joy Country Homes campus, provides Personal Care, Skilled Nursing, Rehabilitation, and Memory Support, inaddition to an array of amenities. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Express Tribune
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Taylor Swift wears Travis Kelce's custom gift on girls night out with Selena Gomez
Taylor Swift honored her boyfriend Travis Kelce by wearing a custom gift from him during a recent girls night out with best friend Selena Gomez in New York City. The pop superstar and Gomez were seen at Manhattan's Monkey Bar on Saturday, while Kelce was attending the Big Slick charity event in Kansas City. Swift wore a custom Wove x Michelle Wie West gold and diamond tennis friendship bracelet featuring the letters 'TNT,' a thoughtful gift from Kelce. The bracelet, handcrafted from 14K yellow gold and adorned with 4.62 carats of lab-grown diamonds, is valued at approximately $6,360. Kelce's version of the bracelet is larger but identical in design, with 10.12 carats of diamonds. Wove Made Inc., a Lancaster-based jeweler known for custom engagement rings, crafted the bracelets in just three days—a faster turnaround than their usual three-week process. The company was thrilled when Swift was spotted wearing the bracelet publicly, marking a moment of 'Taylor fever' for the team. Taylor Swift's appearance came shortly after her high-profile purchase of her own music catalog, a deal valued between $360 million and $1 billion. At the outing, Swift wore a black minidress paired with silver platform heels and diamond earrings, while Gomez sported a coordinated brown outfit. 📽️| Taylor out for dinner last night In NYC with Selena Gomez — Taylor Swift Updates 🩶 (@swifferupdates) June 1, 2025 The bracelet gift highlights the couple's growing public affection and Kelce's thoughtful nature. Fans and jewelry enthusiasts alike have celebrated the stylish tribute, which merges celebrity culture with exquisite craftsmanship.
