Industries

Madison, Wisconsin – September 30, 2026 -- Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide energy efficiency program, marked its 25th anniversary by recognizing four Energy Efficiency Champions at an award ceremony held at the Wisconsin State Capitol, with honorees crediting sustained operational commitments over one-time projects for their results.

Governor Evers Receives Champion Award for Program Support

Public Service Commission Chairperson Summer Strand presented Gov. Tony Evers with an Energy Efficiency Champion Award for his backing of the Focus on Energy program, including annual Energy Efficiency Day proclamations and a Clean Energy Plan that calls for expanding the program's reach across the state.

Richmond, Va. – September 30, 2026 -- Activation Capital, the operating name of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, has elected Paul Nolde as chair of its Authority Board, succeeding Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, Ph.D., who held the role since 2009. Rao will remain an active board member.

Nolde takes over after serving as vice chair since January 2025

Nolde is President and CEO of 757 Collab and Executive Director of 757 Angels, a venture platform funding high-growth startups in Hampton Roads and across Virginia from post-ideation through seed stage. He previously served as Executive Managing Director of Richmond-based accelerator Lighthouse Labs, Fund Manager and Managing Director of Riverflow Growth Fund, a healthcare-focused seed fund, and as a director at early-stage venture firm NRV.

Lexington, Ky. – September 30, 2026 -- Businesses ordering custom apparel should first define how the garments will be used before selecting materials, sizing, or decoration methods, according to guidance published by HelloNation featuring Printing Expert Adam Norsworthy of Minuteman Press in Lexington, KY.

Intended use determines material and durability requirements for uniforms

Employee uniforms require comfort and durability suited to the work environment, with outdoor roles facing different demands than office or restaurant settings. Temperature exposure, movement, dirt, and washing frequency all factor into material selection among cotton, polyester, blends, and performance fabrics.

Rock Tavern, N.Y. – September 30, 2026 -- Amazon warehouse workers at the SWF1 facility in Rock Tavern, New York, launched an unfair labor practice strike, escalating a monthslong dispute over workplace safety that management has failed to resolve.

Workers cite dangerous conveyor speeds and untrained reassignments

Employees say Amazon's conveyor belt speeds create hazardous conditions, forcing staff to sort items amid aisles cluttered with packages and dodge falling parcels. The company's labor sharing policy reclassifies workers into new departments without adequate training, according to strikers, while unfair productivity write-ups compound the pressure on the floor.

Las Vegas – September 30, 2026 -- IGT has secured a deal to install its IGT ADVANTAGE X casino management system at Soboba Casino Resort in San Jacinto, California, following a competitive bidding process.

Soboba retains Everi FinTech during systems transition

Soboba Casino Resort will continue using Everi FinTech alongside the new IGT platform, pairing the two providers to reduce friction in player transactions and payouts.

Deployment includes Service Window and jackpot automation tools

Beyond the core CMS, Soboba will roll out a Service Window gaming experience powered by IGT's M5 solution, the Lucky Coin Bonus feature, and the Taxable Accrual module, which automates jackpot hand pays.

"An IGT ADVANTAGE X-powered gaming floor enables Soboba Casino Resort to deepen player connections, modernize patron flows, and scale our operations for future opportunities," said Jason Cozart, Soboba Casino Resort General Manager.

St. Louis – September 30, 2026 -- Boeing has been awarded a multi-billion-dollar U.S. Navy contract to design, build and deliver the F/A-XX, the service's first sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

Navy selects Boeing to replace aging F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet

The F/A-XX program will replace the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets, introducing open mission systems architecture, advanced mission systems and expanded operational reach and capacity. Technical and programmatic details remain classified under U.S. national security and export laws.

Indianapolis – September 30, 2026 -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reported that its investigational triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide produced an average weight loss of 49.6 lbs (20.8%) over 80 weeks at the 12 mg dose in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, with more than half of participants no longer meeting BMI criteria for obesity. The Phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 results were presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan and simultaneously published in The Lancet.

Highest dose delivers weight loss up to 23.4% in heavier patients

Across the three tested doses, participants lost an average of 29.8 lbs (12.7%) at 4 mg, 45.4 lbs (19.1%) at 9 mg, and 49.6 lbs (20.8%) at 12 mg. Among patients with a baseline BMI of 35 or higher, the 12 mg dose produced an average loss of 60.8 lbs (23.4%), with 59.5% of all 12 mg participants no longer classified as having obesity by trial end.

New York – September 30, 2026 -- Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) will release third-quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, October 29, 2026, before the New York Stock Exchange opens for trading.

Ares schedules investor call for 11:00 a.m. Eastern on results day

The alternative asset manager will host a webcast and conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on October 29 to discuss the quarter ending September 30, 2026. Domestic participants can dial +1 (800) 267-6316, while international callers should use +1 (203) 518-9783, referencing conference ID ARESQ326. Ares has asked all callers to dial in 10-15 minutes ahead of the session for identification purposes.

Calgary, AB – September 28, 2026 -- High Tide Inc. placed No. 315 out of 375 companies on the 2026 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies, posting a verified three-year revenue growth rate of 66% between 2022 and 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA climbed 161% over the three-year measurement period

The cannabis retailer's Adjusted EBITDA, a non-IFRS financial measure, more than doubled during the period, underscoring a shift toward profitability alongside top-line expansion. Founder and CEO Raj Grover said the company built Canna Cabana into Canada's largest cannabis retail chain through disciplined execution and a focus on customer value.

Sydney – September 29, 2026 -- First Graphene Limited (ASX: FGR) has signed a 36-month Strategic Partner Agreement with UK-based Vector Companies Group Limited, coinciding with Vector's commercial launch of Peltyr, a printed heat flux sensor incorporating First Graphene's PureGRAPH graphene material.

Vector gains access to First Graphene's product range under new commercial framework

The agreement allows Vector to introduce prospective end-users to First Graphene's broader portfolio of graphene products and to place direct purchase orders under separate terms. The deal expands an existing relationship between the two companies, giving First Graphene an additional sales channel through Vector's network in advanced materials, manufacturing and the built environment sector.

Los Angeles – September 29, 2026 -- Stand8 has launched Evoc8, a game and digital experiences co-development studio designed to give development teams elastic access to engineering, art, QA, production, LiveOps, and player support capacity.

Evoc8 targets capacity gaps across the full game production lifecycle

The studio supports teams from pre-production through launch and ongoing LiveOps, combining an in-house development bench with international studio partners and Stand8's existing talent solutions infrastructure. Studios can engage a single specialist, a discipline-specific pod, a production strike team, or a fully integrated team covering both development and post-release operations.

Phnom Penh – September 29, 2026 -- Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand are shipping raw critical minerals abroad while processing and value capture happen elsewhere, according to a new report from Fair Finance Asia (FFA) and research partner Profundo.

Local-benefit clauses are consistently absent from mining agreements

The report, titled Extraction to Equity, examined critical minerals trade agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) across the four ASEAN states using public data through December 2025. It found that local-benefits clauses, sustainability standards, and equitable value-sharing provisions were consistently missing, leaving source countries without leverage to demand better terms.

Seoul – September 29, 2026 -- South Korean automotive electronics firm AP MOBILITY has shipped approximately 1,100 units of its S KEY LITE smart key system to Taiwanese distributors between the second half of 2025 and August 2026, forming the foundation for a broader push into the global automotive aftermarket.

The company is now expanding its overseas product lineup beyond smart keys to include MAX PRO, an AI-based 360-degree around-view solution, and AB LIGHT, a pedal misapplication prevention system.

Bridgeport, W. Va. – September 29, 2026 -- Pressley Ridge convened more than 50 community partners, advocates, and child welfare experts at the Bridgeport Conference Center from September 15 to 18 for the B~Hope Conference and Summit, focused on advancing kinship care and family-centered support across West Virginia.

Conference spotlights two family-support frameworks

Sessions centered on the Family Centered Treatment Foundation® (FCT) model alongside the newly introduced Pressley Ridge B~Hope Embracing Kinship Caregivers curriculum, both aimed at equipping caregivers and families with practical resources to sustain kinship placements.

Newport News, Virginia – September 29, 2026 -- An affiliate of Phoenix Investors has acquired a 378,331-square-foot industrial property at 615 Bland Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia, sitting on approximately 27.4 acres adjacent to Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

Vitesco-linked plant sits in a land-constrained industrial market

The facility was formerly operated by Continental's Vitesco Technologies division and is located roughly one mile from I-64 at the Jefferson Avenue interchange. Phoenix describes Newport News as one of the most land-constrained industrial markets in the country, with limited large-block availability.

Linden, N.J. – – September 29, 2026 -- Members of Teamsters Local 877 at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery voted by a 92 percent margin to authorize a strike, putting the largest oil refinery on the East Coast at risk of a labor disruption as its current contract expires Oct. 1.

385 process and mechanical workers reject proposed safety and probation changes

The bargaining unit covers 385 process and mechanical workers who are pushing for higher wages, stronger benefits and reliable paid time off. Phillips 66 has proposed shortening the current 30-month training period and reducing qualification requirements, according to the union. Management also proposed extending probationary status tied to qualification milestones that could take up to six years to complete, replacing the existing 10-month probationary period.

Akron, Ohio – September 29, 2026 -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) declared a quarterly dividend of 46.5 cents per share of outstanding common stock, payable December 1, 2026.

Board sets record date for shareholder payout

Shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 6, 2026, will be eligible to receive the payment. The declaration was approved by FirstEnergy's Board of Directors.

Utility serves more than 6 million customers across six states

FirstEnergy's electric distribution companies form one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the United States, serving over 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines linking the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Pine Bluff, Ark. – September 29, 2026 -- Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC) will release third quarter 2026 earnings after market close on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Management Sets October 16 Conference Call for Investors

The bank holding company's executives will host a live conference call at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on Friday, October 16, to review quarterly results with analysts and shareholders. Interested parties can join by dialing toll-free 1-844-481-2779 within North America and referencing conference ID 10212015.

The call will also stream live via the Investor Relations section of simmonsbank.com, with a recorded version accessible for at least 60 days following the session.

Pittsburgh – September 29, 2026 -- Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) has secured the #24 spot on Fortune Magazine's AIQ 75, a ranking of the top 75 Fortune 500 companies for their readiness and ability to deploy AI at scale.

Fortune ranks Wesco among top 75 companies for enterprise AI maturity

The AIQ 75 ranking combines measures of enterprise AI maturity with real-world evidence of AI investment and application. Evaluations were conducted by Fortune in partnership with Enterprise Technology Research (ETR), leveraging ServiceNow's Enterprise AI Maturity Index to assess AI investments, outcomes and industry reputation.

Governance and agent control determine competitive positioning on the list

Fortune stated that companies on the AIQ 75 list place governance and visibility at the center of their AI strategy, using context and control of their AI agents to deliver measurable results.

Cincinnati – September 29, 2026 -- Beth and Phillip Dow, franchisees of Home Helpers Home Care in Newnan, Georgia, have been named 2026 Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association, an honor they also received in 2015.

Newnan franchise projects $4.5 million in revenue for 2026

The Dows' operation, now in its 19th year, employs 150 caregivers and 14 operations staff serving 112 clients. The award was presented during the IFA26 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., held Sept. 14-16, with a formal luncheon on Sept. 15.

Franchisees expand into Canton, Georgia market

Last month the Dows opened Home Helpers Home Care of Canton, Georgia, extending their footprint beyond the original Newnan territory ahead of their 20th anniversary with the brand next year.