Business Expansion

Hartland, Wis. – October 02, 2026 -- Batteries Plus signed 19 new franchise agreements and opened 13 new locations across six states in the third quarter of 2026, extending a multi-year expansion run for the specialty battery and power solutions retailer.

New stores cluster across Florida, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Alabama

The Q3 openings mark continued geographic diversification for the chain, which now signs 60 to 70 new stores annually, according to the company. Batteries Plus recorded its strongest signing year in 2021 and has sustained that pace through the pandemic recovery period.

"The continued pace of growth we're seeing clearly reflects power and connectivity, and Batteries Plus is uniquely positioned to deliver both," said Victor Daher, Vice President of Global Franchise Development for Batteries Plus.

Post Falls, Idaho – October 01, 2026 -- A StanCraft-led investor group will close the 40-year-old Templin's on the River hotel on October 01, 2026, while it evaluates remodeling or redevelopment options for the Post Falls, Idaho waterfront property.

StanCraft acquired the hotel, bar and marina in 2024 and has since invested in amenities, food and beverage offerings and grounds upgrades.

The hotel closure follows what the company describes as a comprehensive assessment of the property's potential, with the ownership group prioritizing repositioning over continued operation in its current form.

Burbank, Calif. – September 30, 2026 -- CJ 4DPLEX and Cinemark Holdings will add 20 new SCREENX auditoriums across the Americas, with 17 installations in the U.S. and three in South and Central America, the companies announced.

Six U.S. sites open in 2026, lifting Cinemark's domestic SCREENX count to 30

The rollout expands a partnership that began in 2022, with six of the new U.S. auditoriums scheduled to open in 2026. That timing brings Cinemark's total domestic SCREENX footprint to 30 locations ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday, and introduces the panoramic format to new U.S. states for the first time.

Madrid – September 30, 2026 -- SUANNUTRA SA has relocated cultivation of lemon verbena, a key botanical input for its branded ingredients, from South America to farms in Valencia, Spain, aiming to secure a more resilient and traceable supply chain.

SUANNUTRA shifts lemon verbena sourcing from the Andes to Valencia farms

The plant, native to South America and traditionally used by Andean healers as a digestive aid and antispasmodic remedy, now anchors three of SUANNUTRA's branded ingredients: Metabolaid®, RelaxPLX®, and Elissara®. "Growing it locally with full control from planting to final product reinforces our commitment to responsible botanical sourcing," said Jaime Durán Sanz, Chief Business Officer for SUANNUTRA.

Hartland, Wis. – September 29, 2026 -- Batteries Plus has signed a four-store development agreement with franchise owners Clint and Jolene Coates to expand into Lake County, Florida, with the first location opening in The Villages within the next year.

Franchisees plan four stores across Central Florida within six years

The agreement calls for four Batteries Plus locations to open across The Villages and surrounding communities north of Orlando over the next six years, according to the company. The Coates family is structuring the venture as a multi-generational business, with son Cayden Coates and son-in-law Paul Clement taking on day-to-day retail and commercial management while Clint and Jolene Coates focus on sales and development as additional stores launch.

Aachen, Germany – September 28, 2026 -- Grünenthal and DKSH Business Unit Healthcare have signed a new commercialisation agreement to bring four pain medicines, Qutenza, Vimovo, Palexia and Zomig, to eight Asia-Pacific markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

DKSH takes over local regulatory filings and distribution across eight markets

Under the agreement, DKSH will seek local marketing authorisations and handle marketing, medical affairs, market access, sales and distribution for the four medicines in each of the eight markets, pending regulatory approval. Grünenthal will retain manufacturing responsibility through its global production network. Each market could gain access to up to four new medicines depending on approval timelines.

St. Petersburg, Fla. – – September 26, 2026 -- Acron Aviation has extended its Authorized Repair Center agreement with Thales Singapore by five years, establishing in-region repair and overhaul capability for its ACSS surveillance product line across Asia-Pacific.

Thales Singapore becomes sole APAC repair partner for ACSS surveillance systems

Under the renewed agreement, Thales Singapore will continue to perform repair and overhaul work on all ACSS surveillance products, including the T3CAS system. The facility previously served customers who required support from outside the Asia-Pacific region; the extension now anchors that capability locally.

Thomas Mouveaux, General Manager APAC for Aviation Global Services at Thales, said the company is the only Acron Aviation authorized repair partner for surveillance products in Asia-Pacific, citing ACSS's large regional market share in surveillance equipment.

Navi Mumbai – September 24, 2026 -- Fuel Cycle, a US-based AI-powered consumer insights and market research platform, has opened a Global Capability Center (GCC) in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, with an initial planned capacity of 50 employees and room to scale over coming quarters.

New hub targets engineering, AI and product development functions

The Navi Mumbai center will serve as a strategic hub for Engineering, AI and Product Development, working closely with teams across the US and other global markets. Fuel Cycle said it plans to invest in scaling the center, positioning it as a key part of its global product and technology organization.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – – September 21, 2026 -- VIO Med Spa has signed a three-unit development agreement to enter South Carolina for the first time, with the first Charleston-area location targeted to open in 2027. Site selection is currently underway.

Former CVS Health Executive Leads Local Development

Ted Loya, who spent more than 23 years at CVS Health in its pharmacy benefits business working with national employers, will spearhead the brand's build-out across the Charleston area. New to franchising and medical aesthetics, Loya cited VIO's established infrastructure, financial backing, and existing East Coast footprint in North Carolina and Georgia as deciding factors in bringing the brand to South Carolina.

Deal Extends Brand's East Coast Footprint

Ryan Rao, Chief Development Officer at VIO Med Spa, said the Charleston entry strengthens the company's presence in the Southeast and supports further expansion along the East Coast.

Zurich – September 20, 2026 -- ACROBiosystems has established a dedicated office within The HIVE Innovation Center on Campus Grand Parc in Villejuif, deepening its footprint in France's oncology research corridor. The move, facilitated by real estate operator Kadans Science Partner, gives the roughly 1,000-employee biotechnology group direct proximity to biotechs, hospitals, and translational research institutes clustered around Paris-Saclay.

ACROBiosystems joins a biocluster it entered as a member last year

The company became a member of the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster (PSCC) in 2025, and the new HIVE office is positioned to extend those regional ties. Campus Grand Parc concentrates oncology-focused clinical partners and research teams, an environment ACROBiosystems says aligns with its role supplying reagents and services across the drug development chain -- from recombinant proteins and antibodies to GMP-grade custom production.