Latest news with #SamanthaGray
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Natural Health Sector Says Export Label Fix Can't Wait For Review
The $2.3 billion natural health products sector says the Regulation Ministry's review of labelling requirements is welcome, but a fix for the country's broken rules for exporters is urgent and must happen immediately. Currently, manufacturers of dietary supplements are held back by arcane labelling requirements that make it costly and in some cases impossible to export these products to many overseas markets. Natural Health Products NZ has long advocated for a simple exemption for dietary supplement exports, as is common around the world. 'This government has committed to kickstarting the economy and growing exports,' Natural Health Products NZ director of government relations Samantha Gray said. 'As a high-value export industry, the natural health products sector desperately wants to do exactly that. But we're being held back by outdated regulations. 'It has never been more urgent to fix this internal barrier to trade than now. New Zealand exporters have just been slapped with a 15% tariff into the US. Our Aussie neighbours only have a 10% tariff and they already have export exemptions for their dietary supplements. 'If we don't act now, our sector risks falling behind and that risks impacting jobs across high tech manufacturing, growers and producers and the research ecosystem. 'Our message to the Government is by all means do this review, but our sector can't wait months or years, we just need the solution now. We all know what the solution is, we just need to get this fixed." 'With a few simple amendments to regulations to create an export-only exemption, our sector will be able to access, and grow in, large and emerging markets like South East Asia and the Middle East. This will unlock more than half a billion dollars in export growth each year for wellness products. 'We call upon the government to move forward with urgent amendments to permit exported supplements to comply with overseas market access requirements for labelling, composition and health claims.' Natural Health Products NZ is the peak industry body whose members range from small businesses to companies employing thousands of New Zealanders, across manufacturing, distribution, research and retail. Our members include New Zealand's most trusted natural health products suppliers and brands. The industry contributes over $2.3 billion to the economy with more than $650 million coming from global exports.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Cape Cod Canal is both vital waterway and playland
'The Cape Cod Canal is also a highway for fish,' notes Samantha Gray, a park ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers that oversees the canal and surrounding federal land. 'The great tidal flow brings in all the nutrients and all the plankton, allowing the food web to grow from there. So you have a lot of marine life following their stomachs.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The canal's curving land cut is about 8 miles long, but the navigation channel is considered 17.4 miles long, Gray says, because of how far it needs to be extended for commercial traffic: about 9 miles out to Cleveland Ledge Light for the approach in Buzzards Bay, and another half-mile into Cape Cod Bay in Sandwich. Depth is important: 'We want the canal to be at least 32 feet deep by 480 feet wide at mean low tide,' she says. Advertisement Navigation for private or commercial traffic can be tricky because of tides, related water depth, up to 5-mile-per-hour currents, and wind, wave, and weather conditions. Marine traffic is controlled 24/7 via a Buzzards Bay center, with cameras and radar along the route, and any vessel longer than 65 feet needs to get permission to transit. Tides change every six hours or so, with the resulting depth in the surrounding bays determining which direction the canal flows. There's about 20 minutes of calm 'slack tide' in between, Gray says, so patient onlookers can actually watch the canal change direction. Because of various factors, high tide at either end of the canal can vary by a couple of hours, she says, with Buzzards Bay changing depth by an average of less than 4 feet, while Cape Cod Bay changes by an average of about 9 feet. Hard-to-predict currents and depths were a main reason for challenges that caused the first, private canal's failure. The canal idea prompted surveys since the Revolutionary War, especially because treacherous Outer Cape waters caused so many shipwrecks — two per week in the late 1800s, according to US Army Corps history. Financier August Belmont II put together a massive effort, and opened the first canal and bridges in 1914, its history says, but that venture failed by the 1920s. The federal government opened the current, higher bridges in 1935, then widened, deepened, and slightly rerouted the canal, completing the work in 1940. Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
HBS Named Best Residential Construction Project Management Software by the 2025 BUILD Design & Build Awards
Santa Claus, Indiana-based software developer awarded 'Best Residential Construction Project Management Software' 'We're thrilled to be recognized for our impact on the industry and will continue to enhance our platform to support residential builders in delivering quality projects on time and within budget.' — Mark Bulleit, Owner and Director of Technology SANTA CLAUS, IN, UNITED STATES, March 28, 2025 / / -- HBS (Home Builder Solution) is proud to announce that it has been recognized as the 'Best Residential Construction Project Management Software ' by the prestigious 2025 BUILD Design & Build Awards. Each year, the BUILD Design & Build Awards celebrate industry leaders who demonstrate innovation, efficiency, and excellence in construction and design. HBS has been honored for its cutting-edge approach to project management, financial oversight, and workflow optimization – helping residential contractors streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance client satisfaction. 'This award is a testament to our commitment to delivering powerful, user-friendly software tailored to the needs of residential builders,' said Mark Bulleit, Owner and Director of Technology at HBS. 'We're thrilled to be recognized for our impact on the industry and will continue to enhance our platform to support residential builders in delivering quality projects on time and within budget.' HBS's award-winning cloud-based platform features advanced Business Heartbeat™ monitoring, a next-level CRM and customer portal, and an industry-leading takeoff tool, all designed to simplify complex workflows and improve project visibility from start to finish. For more information about HBS and its award-winning solutions, visit or explore the full list of winners at BUILD Design & Build Awards. About Home Builder Solution Home Builder Solution (HBS) is a leading software platform tailored for residential contractors, offering tools for efficient project management, sales tracking, and client engagement. Key features include real-time Business Heartbeat™ monitoring, an advanced CRM with a customer portal, automated daily checklists, and an accurate takeoff tool. HBS empowers contractors to optimize operations, win bids, and boost profitability. Samantha Gray Home Builder Solution +1 812-937-6862 X
