Nominations Open for 2020 New Good Neighbor Awards

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association and

New Jersey Business

magazine are seeking nominations for the 60

Annual New Good Neighbor Awards that honor outstanding economic development projects in New Jersey.

\”New Good Neighbor Awards recognize the visionary architects, builders and financing professionals who turn exciting ideas into reality and make New Jersey a better place to live and do business,\” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. \”This competition showcases the best of the best who invest in communities, create jobs, and improve lives.\”

Projects can be nominated in any of these three categories: New Construction, Community Enhancement (parks/streetscapes), and Renovation/Expansion. Eligible projects must have been completed (construction or capital expenditures) within the past two years (Jan. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2019) and can be nominated using the

online form

on NJBIA\’s website.

The deadline for submitting nominations is

Feb. 14

NJBIA will contact eligible nominees and ask them to provide details about their projects. Judging will be based on projects\’ economic benefits, job creation, architectural merit and community involvement. Winners will be profiled in

New Jersey Business

magazine\’s July issue, as well as on NJBIA\’s website.

The 2020 New Good Neighbor Awards will be presented on July 14.

Last year, New Good Neighbor Awards were given to

13 winning development projects

that collectively represented $488 million in capital investments and provided 5,124 construction and 2,900 permanent jobs. Press releases and short videos about the winners produced by NJBIA yielded reports from media outlets throughout the state.

For further information about the New Good Neighbor Awards program, contact

events@njbia.org

. Information about last year\’s winners can be found

here

and short NJBIA videos about their projects can be viewed

here

The Cleanup of Gloucester City\’s Superfund Sites Continues; $384 Million Spent So Far

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 26, 2020)–The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing the cleanup of contaminants in Gloucester City that came from the defunct Welsbach Factory located at King and Essex Streets and the Delaware River. Presently the property is the home of the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property.

The same area was also the home of Armstrong Cork for many years.

The EPA is preparing the plans to remove contaminants from the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property at King And Essex Streets (gloucestercitynews.net photo)

The Welsbach factory manufactured gas mantles in Gloucester City from the 1890s to the 1940s. Using state-of-the-art technology at the time, the wicks for the gas lamps were dipped into radioactive thorium so they would “glow in the dark.”

The company, not knowing the thorium was radioactive, discarded the wicks throughout Gloucester City. A similar manufacturing company, General Gas Mantle, located in Camden City did the same with the waste coming from their plant.

Since 1999 the EPA has been removing the thorium at various sites such as the baseball and football fields on Johnson Blvd. The same cleanup process has been ongoing in Camden.

In 1980, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sponsored a flyover radiological survey in Gloucester City and Camden City. Based on the survey, the EPA investigated more than 1,000 properties surrounding the two former gas mantle facilities – Welsbach in Gloucester City and General Gas Mantle (GGM) in Camden City.

As for the upcoming work at the Gloucester Marine Terminal, a source told us that an above ground tank 42 feet in diameter and 16 foot tall was going to be erected at the site.

Elias Rodríguez,

Public Information Officer, Region 2, New York, was asked to explain the purpose of such a large structure.

A similar tank like this one will be erected on Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property (Gloucestercitynews.net files)

\”

You are likely referring to the tank for the groundwater treatment system. Groundwater treatment will be conducted using physical and chemical treatment processes. The final design of the groundwater treatment facility including the treatment equipment/tanks has not been completed. However, one of the tanks to be designed/constructed is expected to be an open tank and would be used as an emergency back-up storage tank. So, it would not regularly contain impacted groundwater. In addition, the contaminants of concern are not ones where movement from the water to air is a concern,\” said Rodriquez.

\”

Construction of a groundwater treatment facility has been initiated and is part of existing work addressing excavation of radiologically contaminated soil at the port facility. Water encountered during the soil excavations will require treatment/disposal and that necessitates the design/construction of the groundwater treatment facility,\” he said.

\”

The Holt Cargo/Gloucester Marine Terminal parking lot is the location of the groundwater treatment facility. The port is the location of the former Welsbach facility. The former Welsbach facility operated from the turn of the century to roughly the 1940s and a waste by-product from their manufacture of gas lanterns contained low levels of radioactive material that was used as fill material in areas of Gloucester City and Camden City. One of the remaining buildings on-site at the port facility is the Armstrong Building.\”

Rodriquez said

the Welsbach Company (Gloucester City) and GGM (Camden City) produced gas mantles from the late 1890s to 1941. The companies used radioactive elements in the production of the mantles to help them glow brighter when heated. In the early 1990s, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found elevated levels of radiation at the site and in many residential areas. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in June 1996.

Cleanup activities completed to date include:

¨ Excavation/disposal of contaminated soil and waste materials from numerous properties in Gloucester City and Camden;

¨ The demolition/off-site disposal of the former GGM building in Camden;

¨ Cleanup of radiologically contaminated building surfaces in the Armstrong Building, the last standing building associated with the former Welsbach Company at the port in Gloucester City;

¨ Cleanup/restoration of the William Flynn Veterans Complex, which included rebuilding three baseball fields, a football practice field, and a parking area; and

¨ Cleanup/restoration of the Nicholson Road Sports Complex, which included restoration of three softball fields, a Little League baseball field, bathroom facilities, and a concession stand. Current cleanup activities include:

¨ Excavation/disposal of radiologically contaminated soil at fifteen locations at the port facility; and

¨ Relocation of utilities (e.g. electrical, gas, telecommunication) within the port facility to facilitate subsequent large excavation of radiologically contaminated soil.

The prime contractor for the groundwater treatment facility is APTIM Corp.

APTIM specializes in engineering, program management, environmental services, disaster recovery, complex facility maintenance, and construction services. They have offices in Philadelphia and New York City and throughout the United States and Canada.

https://www.aptim.com

The value of the groundwater treatment facility project being built at the marine terminal is estimated to be $7 million Rodriquez said.

According to Rodriquez a

n estimated $384 million has been spent for investigations and clean-up and that includes work in Camden and Gloucester City.

When asked how much longer will it take to finish the projects in Camden and Gloucester Cities Rodriquez said, \”The current projection for the complete cleanup of these two communities is 10 years.\”

From the EPA\’s

WELSBACH & GENERAL GAS MANTLE Superfund website;

To address long-term site risks, EPA has investigated close to 950 properties in Camden and Gloucester City and has completed the cleanup on 163 of the nearly 175 properties identified as contaminated. To date, EPA has excavated and disposed of more than 350,000 tons of radiologically contaminated soils and waste materials. These cleanups included removing about 105,000 tons of contaminated soil from Gloucester City Swim Club and adjacent residential properties; about 23,000 tons from the site of a Gloucester City middle school; 35,000 tons from residential properties along Highland Avenue and Klemm Boulevard in Gloucester City; more than 55,000 tons from the General Gas Mantle area in Camden, more than 16,000 tons from residential properties and wetlands areas along Temple Avenue in Gloucester City, and about 130,000 tons from the recreational properties along Johnson Boulevard in Gloucester City.

(See More)

Video (s): $25 Million Spent on EPA Cleanup of Johnson Blvd. Sports Complex

www.gloucestercitynews.net › clearysnotebook › 2009/08 › epa-to-ho…

GLOUCESTER CITY: EPA to Hold Meeting On Welsbach …

Aug 18, 2009 –

Road

. To better understand how the community uses these ball

fields

, EPA … EPA plans to begin the

cleanup

at the

Gloucester City

Land Preserve by early fall 2009. … be working on, plug in

Johnson

Boulevard,

Gloucester City

, NJ 08030. … and Common Council of

Gloucester City

(

gloucestercitynews

net

) …

source of graphics EPA

Ocean County Attorney George Gilmore Sentenced, Failed to Pay Taxes/Lied on Loan App

TRENTON, N.J. – George Gilmore, a partner at an Ocean County law firm, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for his conviction on two counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes withheld from employees to the IRS and one count of making false statements on a bank loan application submitted to Ocean First Bank N.A., First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

On April 17, 2019, Gilmore, 70, of Toms River, New Jersey, was acquitted of two counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013 and 2014; the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on one count of income tax evasion for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015. The verdicts were returned following a trial that began April 1, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

Gilmore worked as an equity partner and shareholder at Gilmore & Monahan P.A., a law firm in Toms River, where he exercised primary control over the firm’s financial affairs. Because he exercised significant control over the law firm’s financial affairs, Gilmore was responsible for withholding payroll taxes from the gross salary and wages of the law firm’s employees to cover individual income, Social Security and Medicare tax obligations. For the tax quarters ending March 31, 2016, and June 30, 2016, the law firm withheld tax payments from its employees’ checks, but Gilmore failed to pay over in full the payroll taxes due to the IRS.

Gilmore also submitted a loan application to Ocean First Bank containing false statements. On Nov. 21, 2014, Gilmore reviewed, signed, and submitted to Ocean First Bank a Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to obtain refinancing of a mortgage loan for $1.5 million with a “cash out” provision that provided Gilmore would obtain cash from the loan. On Jan. 22, 2015, Gilmore submitted another URLA updating the initial application. Gilmore failed to disclose his outstanding 2013 tax liabilities and personal loans that he had obtained from others on the URLAs. Gilmore received $572,000 from the cash out portion of the loan.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Gilmore to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, special agents with U.S. Attorney’s Office under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the FBI Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division; and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the U.S. Department of Justice – Tax Division.

Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino Esq., Chatham, New Jersey

Pennsylvania ranks 37th best in new economic outlook analysis

The Center Square

Pennsylvania finished 37th

in a study

by the website Rich States, Poor States that examined the 50 states’ economic outlooks based on 15 weighted policy measures.

The economic outlook ranking for Pennsylvania examined such variables as top marginal personal income tax rate (6.95) and top marginal corporate income tax rate (16.88). Other measures examined include property and sales tax burdens, existence of estate or inheritance taxes, debt service as a percentage of tax revenue, and the number of public employees per 10,000 people.

RichStatesPoorStates.org

also ranked states based on their economic performances from 2007 to 2017. In that assessment, Pennsylvania ranked 33rd.

The state’s cumulative gross domestic product from 2007 to 2017, its overall loss of population to other states between 2008 and 2017, and nonagricultural job growth from 2007 to 2017 determined how it fared in the economic performance ranking.

—

State Rankings on Economic Outlook and Performance

State

2019 Economic Performance Ranking

2019 Economic Outlook Ranking

Top Marginal Personal Income Tax Rate

Top Marginal Corporate Tax Rate

Utah

4.95%

Idaho

6.93%

North Dakota

2.9%

4.31%

Nevada

4.95%

Indiana

5.25%

5.75%

North Carolina

5.25%

2.5%

Tennessee

6.5%

Florida

5.5%

South Dakota

Arizona

4.54%

4.9%

Wyoming

Michigan

6.65%

Oklahoma

Virginia

5.75%

7.62%

Texas

2.62%

New Hampshire

7.7%

Colorado

4.63%

Georgia

5.75%

6.38%

Mississippi

Wisconsin

7.65%

7.9%

Alabama

4.15%

6.03%

Missouri

6.4%

6.59%

Arkansas

6.9%

6.5%

Ohio

7.5%

3.67%

Iowa

5.37%

11.64%

Louisiana

3.78%

6.32%

Kansas

5.7%

Massachusetts

5.05%

South Carolina

New Mexico

4.9%

5.9%

Alaska

9.4%

Kentucky

6.5%

Nebraska

6.84%

7.81%

Maryland

8.95%

8.25%

West Virginia

6.5%

Delaware

7.85%

11.74%

Pennsylvania

6.95%

16.88%

Montana

6.9%

6.75%

Washington

6.75%

Minnesota

9.85%

9.8%

Connecticut

6.99%

7.5%

Rhode Island

5.99%

Maine

7.15%

8.93%

Oregon

10.66%

11.65%

Hawaii

11%

6.4%

New Jersey

11.75%

11.5%

California

13.3%

8.84%

Illinois

4.95%

9.5%

Vermont

8.75%

8.5%

New York

12.7%

17.23%

Source:

RichStatesPoorStates.org

/ American Legislative Exchange Council

published here with permission of The Center Square

Mind, Body, and Bubbly Wellness Event Returns with Double the Attendees and Vendors

Unwind and Shop Local at Philly PR Girl’s Third Annual Wellness and Beauty Fair

PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 2020)

– Returning for the third year in a row,

Philly PR Girl

is hosting their annual

Mind, Body, and Bubbly

wellness fair, a special day of connection and self-care! Attendees can experience the best of Philadelphia’s beauty and wellness communities on

April 19, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

, with an additional

VIP hour from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

, at

Location 215

, this year’s stunning location once again. With our exclusive VIP hour, more interactive vendors, a wellness speaker, and so much more, Mind, Body, and Bubbly 2020 will give attendees a day of rejuvenation they won’t forget.

Mind, Body, and Bubbly’s marketplace

will show attendees Philly’s

top wellness and beauty brands

in a fun and relaxed setting in Location 215, a state-of-the–art studio that opened in Spring 2020. This large, bright, airy, and centrally located studio and event space in the Spring Arts district hosted MBB 2019. Sample treats, try interactive services, and get to know the movers and shakers turning Philadelphia into a full-blown wellness destination. Guests will receive a

complimentary bubbly libation

before both attendees and vendors get to know each other in the intimate space.

A vendor table at MBB 2019.

Each year, MBB honors a charity that supports women in the Philadelphia area. For 2020, we are proud to be collecting purses and women\’s toiletries and beauty products for

Purses Full of Hope

. The purses go to women in shelters that may have been affected by domestic abuse, homelessness, substance abuse and other traumatic situations. These women often flee their homes with no belongings and are not only in need of various personal hygiene products but of something that can empower them and remind them of their resilience when they arrive at a shelter. These purses are often handed to these women upon their arrival to offer them the basic tools they need.

Returning this year is the

special VIP hour

for attendees who want to turn MBB 2020 into a mini-retreat. A light yoga and meditation class titled

Breathe in Before the Bubbly

will be held from

9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The yoga class and meditation will set a positive vibe for the rest of the day with breathing and setting intentions. Afterwards, VIP guests will have an exclusive half hour to explore the marketplace and get first dibs on the incredible local businesses and interactive services it will feature. VIP guests will also receive a goody bag filled with amazing items hand-picked by the MBB team.

Guests enjoying the Bootcamp and Marketplace at MBB 2019.

To add to the marketplace, Mind, Body, and Bubbly is seeking vendors in the health, wellness, and beauty industries who can provide an uplifting and positive experience to participants. This is a great opportunity to showcase your brand while mingling with attendees and expanding your audience. This year, MBB is doubling the space in Location215 from one to two rooms for the marketplace. This will be perfect to accommodate the increasing number of attendees of the event with an expected attendance of 200 guests. In order to become a vendor at MBB 2020, please complete and submit the Vendor Form

here

. The cost to reserve a table is $160 through March 1.

“Philly PR Girl is beyond excited for the third installment of Mind, Body, and Bubbly,”

says Kate Marlys

, owner of Philly PR Girl. “We wanted to bring back the inclusive, good-vibes experience for this annual event and make it the best one yet! We’re especially looking forward to partnering with Location 215 once again, because they believe in our vision for the growth of MBB.”

Does your business align with the values of this event? Do you believe wellness should be approachable and accessible for people of all backgrounds? Consider supporting this event as a sponsor. This wellness fair is the perfect chance to showcase your products to the event attendees, including social media influencers, lifestyle bloggers, and health, wellness, and beauty enthusiasts, as well as residents from in and around the Philadelphia area! In order to become a sponsor for MBB, please complete and submit the Sponsorship Form

here

by March 31.

Tickets to Mind, Body, and Bubbly are

available for purchase here

. Limited VIP tickets are available for $45 per person. Early Bird tickets are $20 per person, and the ticket price increases to $30 per person on March 2. Don’t wait to get your tickets to engage with the top wellness and beauty brands in Philadelphia!

Follow Mind, Body, and Bubbly on

Instagram

and

Facebook

to stay in the loop and be the first to know of updates! Follow Location 215 on

Instagram

Facebook

, and

For media inquiries and/or interview requests, please contact

molly@phillyprgirl.com

About Philly PR Girl:

Philly PR Girl is a full-time public relations firm for event planning, social media management, marketing, and promotions. Our company was built on the foundation of networking and relationship-building. Owner Kate Marlys has planned, facilitated and attended hundreds of networking events, resulting in a strong and dynamic network of contacts in digital, print, TV, and radio throughout the United States.

###

The Philly PR Girl team that made the event happen!

HRC Scores New Jersey Companies’ LGBTQ-Inclusive Workplace Policies

WASHINGTON DC (January, 2020)—

America’s leading companies and law firms are stepping up in record numbers to adopt increasingly forward-looking policies and practices to meet the needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workers in the U.S. and abroad, according to the

2020

Corporate Equality Index

(CEI) released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.

In the most rigorous assessment of LGBTQ-inclusive workplace policies and practices to date, a record of more than 680 companies have been designated a

Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

by the HRC Foundation for their efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results, earning them a 100 percent rating.

Top-scoring companies include 23 in New Jersey.

In total, 1059 companies and law firms were officially rated in the new CEI, up from 1028 in last year’s survey. The report also unofficially rated 122 Fortune 500 companies, which have yet to respond to an invitation to participate in the CEI survey assessing their LGBTQ policies and practices.

The average score for companies and law firms based in New Jersey is 86 percent. Of the 46 companies ranked, 23 earned 100 points, 31 earned 90 points and above, and 38 earned 80 points and above.

For the first time, HRC this year is giving special recognition to the 11 companies that earned top marks on all three of HRC’s workplace equality assessments: the CEI, as well as

Equidad MX

and

Equidad CL

. HRC’s groundbreaking Equidad program recognizes Latin American companies and U.S. multinational companies for their work in Mexico and Chile.

“These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — it is also the best business decision. In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public square,” said

HRC President Alphonso David

. “From supporting LGBTQ civil rights protections in the U.S. through HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, to featuring transgender and non-binary people in an ad in Argentina, to advocating for marriage equality in Taiwan — businesses understand their LGBTQ employees and customers deserve to be seen, valued and respected not only at work, but in every aspect of daily life.”

Employer

Headquarters Location

State

2020 CEI Rating

ADP

Roseland

100

American Express Global Business Travel

Jersey City

100

BASF Corp.

Florham Park

100

Bayer U.S. LLC

Whippany

100

Becton, Dickinson and Co.

Franklin Lakes

100

Celgene Corp.

Summit

100

Day Pitney LLP

Parsippany

100

Dun & Bradstreet Corp., The

Short Hills

100

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Newark

100

Johnson & Johnson

New Brunswick

100

Mathematica Policy Research

Princeton

100

Merck

Kenilworth

100

Nestle Health Science

Bridgewater

100

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

East Hanover

100

Pearson Inc.

Hoboken

100

Prudential Financial Inc.

Newark

100

Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Secaucus

100

Samsung Electronics America Inc.

Ridgefield Park

100

Sanofi

Bridgewater

100

Subaru of America Inc.

Cherry Hill

100

TD Bank, N.A.

Cherry Hill

100

Unilever

Englewood Cliffs

100

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Parsippany

100

Avis Budget Group Inc.

Parsippany

Novo Nordisk Inc.

Plainsboro

Aero OpCo LLC

Lyndhurst

Ascena Retail Group Inc.

Mahwah

Mars Inc.

Mt. Olive

Realogy Holdings Corp.

Madison

Wipro Ltd.

East Brunswick

Campbell Soup Co.

Camden

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Hoboken

Public Service Enterprise Group

Newark

Burlington Stores Inc.

Burlington

Conduent Inc.

Florham Park

Firmenich Inc.

Plainsboro

Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC

Jersey City

McCarter & English LLP

Newark

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

Teaneck

NRG Energy Inc.

Princeton

Honeywell International Inc.

Morris Plains

Newell Brands Inc.

Hoboken

Selective Insurance Group

Branchville

Software House International

Somerset

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

Union

PBF Energy

Parsippany

More than 260 top businesses — including 191 that earned top scores on the CEI — are also

corporate supporters on the Equality Act

, critically important bipartisan legislation that would finally add clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation\’s civil rights laws. While the Supreme Court decides whether LGBTQ people are protected by federal employment non-discrimination law, these companies are holding the line for their employees and their families.

Other key findings revealed in the 2020 CEI:

The more than 680 companies who earned a 100 on the CEI represent 12.4 million employees nationally, 11.9 million globally and earn a combined estimate of $12.9 trillion in revenue.

Eighty-three companies participated in the CEI for the first time in 2020 with 36 debuting at a score of 100 — including Etsy Inc., Peloton Interactive Inc. and Stop & Shop, and Warner Music Group.

Of all Fortune 500 companies, 93% have sexual orientaiton in their U.S. non-discrimination policy, and 91% have gender identity.

The average CEI score for all Fortune 500 companies increased from 67 to 71 in the past year — with actively participating Fortune 500 companies having an average score of 90, up from 88 last year.

Over the last several years, CEI-rated companies have dramatically expanded their support for transgender workers. This year 89% percent of companies participating in the CEI offer at least one health care policy that is inclusive of their transgender workers, and 85% percent met stringent criteria that requires all blanket exclusions of medically-necessary care for transgender workers be removed from all health policies the company offers — up from 73% last year.

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria in four broad categories:

Non-discrimination policies

Employment benefits

Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality

Responsible citizenship

The full report is available online at

www.hrc.org/cei.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America\’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Go visual with a new outdoor LED sign for your business

It’s all about being visual

Gloucestercitynews.net(January 20, 2020)–It is usually said that an image is worth more than a thousand words and nowhere is this truer than when it comes to advertisement. Then it is all about the visual!

If you hope to grow your business, regardless of what that business is, you need a good marketing strategy to make sure you are being noticed by potential customers. There is currently a multitude of options when it comes to marketing platforms as well as strategies and that’s why you need to conduct some marketing research before you get going.

One such platform, that usually is a sure-fire way of drawing attention to whatever marketing message you are trying to convey, are

outdoor led signs for busines

. Opting for an outdoor LED sign as a part of your digital marketing strategy will increase your chances of reaching new potential customers.

By choosing a strategic placement of your LED sign or banner you have the opportunity to really engage with the public. Perhaps your business is located inside a mall or you are targeting commuters on their way to work. Revert back to your marketing strategy and then let your ambitions for the future lead the way.

Don’t get distracted when creating a distraction

A good marketing plan should contain different elements, all with the same goal, i.e. increase your ROI as well as creating a strong brand for your business. A strong brand, often also including a catchphrase which embodies the core of your business is key to being successful.

Unless you have this competence yourself you are wise to bring in the services of professionals. Creating a marketing strategy that will promote your brand and business in the most favorable way is not as easy as it sounds and often you need the input from someone with experience.

Of course, you should be heavily involved in the process but one of the hardest things to do is to “kill your darlings” and that is where someone with less of an emotional attachment serves a purpose. It’s also easy to get distracted in these processes, ultimately focusing on things that are not relevant. Enlisting the help of a marketing professional will be one of the soundest business decisions you will ever make.

Once you have the outline of a marketing strategy in place it’s time to start looking more closely at some of the different elements it should entail.

Go digital or go home

This might sound like a harsh statement to make but it is in fact truer than not. All contemporary marketing strategies need to entail a section covering digital marketing efforts and platforms.

Today almost everyone has access to and uses some sort of social media for instance and that is why it is critical that your marketing strategy contains targeted efforts in this arena. By knowing where your potential costumers go to find information, you are one step ahead in the game of advertisement.

However, a digital marketing strategy can also include for instance LED signs and banners. Online sites such as

VisualLED

as an example provides easy to use LED signs and banners perfect for getting noticed. By opting for the usage of such high technological alternatives you stay relevant and in touch with potential customers.

Investing in an LED sign or banner is not complicated and thanks to advancements made in this field there are options available that allow you to effectively assemble and operate as well as carry out smaller maintenance services on your own. This might sound like a tall order but it really isn’t and you have several alternatives available as well in terms of sizes and features.

It all really depends on what your needs are and how you envision your business conveying its message. Once you have created your brand as well as your catchphrase it’s all about making sure it reaches the public in the best way possible. You want to make an impact and you want to make sure your potential costumers feel that there is value in your message. Outdoor LED signs and banners can be placed strategically depending upon your needs and thanks to features such as being weather resilient there really are no end to the possibilities.

Stay relevant by staying visual

LED signs and a digital signage software from

Rise Vision

really are the perfect way for you to display your marketing message for your business. Make digital advertisement part of your overall marketing strategy and you will be amazed at the difference it makes for your ROI.

Use the knowledge of professionals and let them guide you when you are creating your brand. By staying visual you stay relevant, effectively encouraging potential customers to engage with your business.

The LED signs and banners that are available today will make your next marketing campaign a breeze and since you are able to update them easily yourself, you also have the possibility of being flexible when it comes to promoting new and exciting messages.

Rutgers‒Camden Scholar Aims to Prevent Harm to Agriculture

TO THE POINT

by Studying How Plants Cope With Stress

CAMDEN CITY NJ – Research led by

Rutgers University‒Camden

biology professor Xingyun Qi on salinity stress to crops could help other scientists and farmers uncover ways

to protect crops from destruction.

High salt conditions, one of the biggest threats to agriculture, impair crop development.

In Qi’s Rutgers–Camden research lab, she is studying how plants respond to environmental stress, such as drought, high salt, or extreme cold conditions, which could cause severe damage to crops.

“The sensitivity of crops to harsh climates and soil conditions is a major limitation for food production,” says Qi, an assistant professor, who recently joined

Rutgers‒Camden’s biology department

High salt conditions can kill plants and significantly impair crop yield on at least 20 percent of irrigated land worldwide, Qi explains.

Corn crops are particularly vulnerable to damage by high salt conditions. The effects of crop damage can have wide-ranging implications for access to food supplies.

As one of the most important food crops on the planet, corn has a variety of uses as a food source and as an additive to products such as ethanol in gasoline.

Damage caused by increased salinity in the soil of corn crops could affect humans as well as livestock around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn is the most widely produced feed grain in the nation. Farmers feed corn to cattle, pigs, and chickens.

Qi says studies show that corn crop yields can decline by 50 percent under high salt conditions.

The popular vegetable is integral to the U.S. economy, so any damage to crops could have a bearing on the economy. In the 2018-19 crop marketing year, the United States exported more than $11 billion in corn to more than 70 countries.

In plant tissue, small pores known as stomata allow a plant to take in carbon dioxide, which is necessary for photosynthesis. The stomata, which look like tiny mouths, also help with transpiration, the exhalation of water vapor through the stomata. They also help to reduce water loss by closing when conditions are hot or dry.

While research has revealed the core molecular pathway of stomatal development and environmental factors including light and carbon dioxide to regulate stomatal formation, Qi is studying the regulation of salinity stress on stomatal development, an area that has not been explored extensively.

Understanding how plants withstand dangerous environmental conditions would minimize damage to crops and save farmers from losing crops and thousands of dollars in revenues.

“With my experience in plant biology, I hope my research can expand our knowledge a bit on plant tolerance mechanism, so that we can genetically engineer stress-tolerant plants.”

The Rutgers–Camden researcher is studying the model plant Arabidopsis, which has mild tolerance to environmental stresses. It is the organism of choice for a wide range of studies in plant sciences. The other plant Qi is studying is Thellungiella, which can tolerate high salt, drought, and cold conditions.

By comparing the effects of stresses on the two plants, Qi hopes to gain insight into the mechanism of plant stress tolerance.

Qi joins Rutgers‒Camden from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Washington, where she was a postdoctoral fellow studying the development of stomata.

In Qi’s lab at Rutgers‒Camden, she will expand on the plant biology work she has been doing for the past 10 years. “I can now pursue scientific questions using the unique combination of my knowledge and expertise, and make some contribution to our understanding of plant biology,” says Qi.

As an undergraduate student in China, Qi became interested in plant biology through her love of peonies, orchids, and lotus flowers. The structure, properties, and biochemical processes of growing flowers fascinated her.

What are the tips to get latest luxury watches?

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 17, 2020)–If are looking for luxury watches and designer watches or tired of seeing the high price tags for these items, If you are serious and want to buy luxury watches and designer watches for yourself or your loved ones, you should not be disappointed at all.

It is possible to buy discount watches and designer watches, there are several ways to do this. So now

omega seamaster

watches will help you find the best watches that you will enjoy. Now, if you are looking for discount luxury and designer watches, this may be difficult but it is not impossible.

image courtesy of unsplash

Before we get started, it will be helpful to know why products like watches carry a heavy price tag. For designer watches, they usually have the same aesthetic design and procedure as the luxury watches. Although these watches are generally a little cheaper than luxury watches, they still cost more than popular brands.

How to Find Discount Luxury and Designer Watches

First of all, find online discount luxury watches and designer watches. You will find that the prices of these products are usually cheaper than brick and mortar stores. The advent of e-commerce allows online stores to buy products like watches from manufacturers. Online websites do not need to have inventory and hire workforce. In this way, the overhead of online stores is usually less. If the overhead is low, they may offer products that they sell low. Generally, products like watches are 20% to 30% cheaper online than brick and mortar stores.

Discounted watches preferences

Another way to find discount watches is to look for discount websites. Discount websites usually feature several luxury watches and designer watch vendors on their website. Because many vendors on this website are trying to sell, they usually make different offers and promotions. Discounts can vary and so you have to find the best price.

Another way to find discount luxury watches and designer watches is to research the current inventory. Some manufacturers usually change designs and offerings to get past their competitors. Then some older designs will be offered at a discount.

Trust on the online watches?

While it is possible to find these watches online, you must be careful and check the offer before making a purchase. Always keep in mind that luxury watches and designer watches are a bit expensive, if you find an offer that looks very familiar, cut it off. Remember that if the offer is not correct then it is. Similarly, you need to research the online vendor before making a purchase.

Find the maximum number of impressions to make sure you trust your money only at popular online stores. If you have the best defense against online fraudsters, you need to spend your hard earned money wisely and do your research. It is way to show your style to people and to make their attraction fantastic so trust on the watches are now available and with the discounted rates and prices.

7 Facts About Famous Sporting Trophies You Probably Do Not Know

Gloucestercitynews.net(January 17, 2020)–We all know about trophies presented to a winning team or an individual in different

sports

. However, what we do not know is the fun or interesting facts related to the trophies. There is less information regarding this, and most of the people are unaware of the facts.

Most of the trophies that winners receive today for their excellent performance carry the name of the person who was the president of the sports club. Nonetheless, all

popular trophies

have stories to tell and share interesting facts. The information provided below gives complete details about seven exciting facts related to famous sporting trophies.

The Claret Jug

The

Claret Jug

is a fancy silver cup awarded to the winner of the British Open. Tom Morris Junior won the open continuously for three years (1868-70). The trophy required £30. Although Tom won the next open in 1871, he could not get the award because it was not ready.

Walker Cup

The name “Walker Cup” is after the president of the United States Golf Association. The winner of amateur golf competition between the British Isles and the United States receive the trophy. Matches became regular for every second year from 1922.

Venus Rosewater Dish

The Venus Rosewater Dish is the Wimbledon single’s trophy awarded to ladies at the championship. The dish became part of the tennis family since 1886 and has become a pride in the sport. Rosewater dishes were popular in England, as it helped them to collect rosewater poured on the hands to wash. It is a copy of the pewter located in the Louvre.

Ryder Cup

What makes Ryder Cup interesting is the fact that the winner does not receive any prize money for the competition even when the sport is a high-profile event. Usually conducted between the United States and Great Britain, the Ryder Cup is a men’s golf competition. Both the countries participate in it, which is biennial with changing venues. The cup remains exceptional and profound in the field of professional sports, given that the players receive no winning money.

Gordon Bennett Cup

James Gordon Bennett junior was a publisher for the New York Herald. He was a prominent individual and acquired the knack for sponsoring several sporting and exploration events held across the United States. He was the first person to sponsor the first-ever tennis match conducted in the United States and sponsored the trip of Henry Morton Stanley to find David Livingston in Africa. With the recognition that he possessed, he went on to establish Gordon Bennett cups for international yachting, for automobile racing, and for ballooning. Although the latter two no longer exist, the cup for ballooning continues even till today.

Borg-Warner Trophy

The winner of the Indianapolis 500 motorsport competition receives the Borg-Warner trophy. The unique design and construction of the trophy have an exciting story. The cup stands 5 feet tall and weighs 45 kg. The surface of the trophy has the faces of the winners of the Indianapolis 500 competition from its start in 1911. While the original trophy sits in the hall of fame museum of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the winner of the competition receives a replica of the original that is 18-inches and termed as “Baby Borg.”

FIFA World Cup

FIFA world cup attained recognition across the world within a short time. From 1930 to 1970, winners of the FIFA world cup

received the Jules Rimet Trophy

. The president initiated conducting the tournament after voting in the year 1929. The trophy carries the name of the president, Jules Rimet. Furthermore, according to the president, Rimet, stated that any nation that continues to win the trophy three times gets the chance to keep the award permanently. Brazil won the third world cup in 1970 and thus allowed to keep the trophy forever.