Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When Jeff Hargrave started his commercial construction company, Mahogany Inc., 32 years ago, he says the hardest part was finding work. Now, the hardest thing is finding people.

"Salaries are up," he said during the Baltimore Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. "If you've got a company where you've had people in your company for a long period of time, they're getting incremental raises. When you're bring other people in it's, Hey, I need $130, I need $150, I need $160, and you may have a senior PL making $120. So, that's a dilemma in construction. It's a real problem. But this is the market we're in and if you want to play you got to play. Sometimes you got to bite the bullet and hire those people at those salaries, then, of course, now you got to look at your people within and they need to be increased."

There's also the threat of training somebody up just to have them go to a competitor.

"That's the worst," Hargrave says. "Mahogany's taken young project engineers, young people who have no experience, and basically we groom them, we train them, we bring them up to the point where they're project managers. And of course, then someone comes at him and says, I'm gonna give you $115. And you've got three years experience in the industry. Do you make the decision to match that $115? Or do you let that individual walk? Those are decisions I have to make every day?"

Acme Paper & Supply Co. Vice President Andy Attman says as they put ads out on various platforms to hire for the many positions within the company, the quality of the people they're seeing apply just isn't what it used to be.

"We try to hire new, but then trying to get them to stay with us and not take the next higher paying job because we've trained them and they see they don't understand the investment that we may put into that aspect of it," Attman says. "We've got a couple openings that we just can't find the right people. We do collections and we get people who say, Hey, we do collections, I've worked as a cashier at Walmart. And that's what we'll get so people are not necessarily reading the job descriptions that we'll get a lot of the times."

From the senior leadership side, he says they're trying to find innovative thinkers.

"We don't want to be the same as everybody else," he says. "We try to promote innovation. So, we'll try to find people outside of our industry. But again, it's the education aspect of it for them to understand what we do and how we're a little bit different than most."

Looking at the real estate landscape, Owen Rouse, Jr., Senior Vice President at MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, says in an environment in which remote work has become more prominent, there are a couple trends underway.

"Downsize to quality go from 30,000 to 15,000 (square feet), but I'm going up in rent," Rouse says. "Annually, my budget might be less, but I'm going to use nicer spaces as a recruitment and retention tool. There's a downside to the bottom line. I'm shedding 50 percent of my space. I'm saving the money. It's going into the company. Maybe I'll spend it on something else."

Some companies are closing large offices and popping up smaller offices in other markets while spending the same amount. Occasionally, a company will want two kitchens instead of one, they need some touchdown space, huddle rooms and they dump the big conference room and they'll upsize slightly. Overall, it's a fluid dynamic.

"There's blue chip renewals happening and there's companies shedding space," he says. "So, there's more to be revealed and it's not clear where it's going to end up."

While there are challenges in the market that can be attributed to the climbing interest rates, when Hargrave looks at the market, private and public, he says it's a great market right now.

"I just don't know who to believe," Hargrave says. "You hear the news, you watch the news, they talk about a recession, and all this other stuff, but I don't see it. Our backlog is as high as it's ever been in the 32 years we've been in business. There's more work out there than we can bid, so I just don't know where the slowdown is. And maybe it's coming. But I talk to the architectural firms because in construction, we try to get close to the architects because when they get slow, that means they're not designing, and that means we're going to not have anything to bid. But these guys are busy as well. So, I mean, private sector, public sector, it's booming right now."

Read the rest here:
Baltimore Business Leaders See An Economy of Both Ups And Downs - Smart Business Dealmakers

This spring, the design industry is abuzz with fresh hires, new team structures and leadership changes. Read on for Business of Homes monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.

To the Trade Kravet welcomed Suzanne Cohen as chief marketing officer. She brings two decades of experience in the hospitality sector, previously serving as a vice president of marketing at Starwood Hotels and then Marriott International, leading brand strategies for luxury hotels including the St. Regis and The Ritz-Carlton, and most recently as the CMO for The Ironman Group. In her new role, Cohen will lead Kravets marketing team in brand strategy, digital performance, customer engagement and licensing initiatives.

Custom carpet brand Patterson Flynnowned by F. Schumacher & Co.announced Peter Touma as president. Touma comes to Patterson Flynn from management consulting company Bain & Company, where he worked primarily with clients in the consumer product and retail sectors in New York. In his new role, Touma will be partnering with Patterson Flynns creative director Pamela Marshall to focus on company growth.

Furniture manufacturer Artisant Lane, formerly called American Leather Holdings, announced Dan Campbell as executive vice president of business development and president of BenchMade Modern, a branch of the company. Campbell brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his new role, most recently serving as the vice president of sales and business development for Holly Hunt, a division of MillerKnoll. Prior to joining Holly Hunt in 2005, Campbell was managing director of Swiss textile mill Cration Baumann.

Hardware company Belwith Keeler announced promotions and new hires to its expanding creative team. After eight years at the company, Knikki Grantham has been promoted to creative director to guide the design team in expanding product lines. David Warmenhoven, who has been designing legacy products with the company since 2006, is now director of product innovation. Nick Clark has joined the team as marketing manager, bringing eight years of experience in the home improvement space, most recently as marketing manager for retail channel and digital at Novo Building Products. Belwith Keeler has also welcomed new e-commerce manager Jon Reibel, who brings over 15 years of experience growing and managing e-commerce startups and Fortune 500 brands including Home Depot, Lowes and Wayfair, and who will be responsible for formulating the companys online retail strategy and customer experience.

New Jerseybased tile and stone producer Artistic Tile appointed Robert Rivera as vice president of slab operations, a newly created position designed to oversee the growing division. With more than 20 years of experience in operations, management, sales and logistics in the natural stone industry, Rivera most recently managed the slab department at Walker Zanger in Port Chester, New York. In his new role, Rivera will lead the sales and warehouse staff, enforcing safety protocols and overseeing team training.

Furniture and lighting manufacturer Iatesta Studio welcomed Sarah Gately as U.S. director of sales and showrooms. Gately has more than 30 years of industry experience and 23 years in managing multiline showrooms, previously working in retail with Crate & Barrel and then transitioning to trade jobs with showroom sales and management roles at Chicagos design center The Mart and most recently at John Rosselli & Associates.

Flooring supplier Summit International Flooring celebrated its 20th anniversary with new promotions. Long-term flooring veteran Marc Becker has been with the company for 11 years and was promoted to vice president of sales, having most recently served as national sales director. Rick Taylor was named hospitality and residential market manager, bringing years of experience in high-end residential hospitality furniture and architectural products at companies such as Treo Textiles International and Modern Design Ventures. Newly appointed creative director Melissa McLaughlin brings 11 years of creative marketing experience, seven years in social media management and 15 years of customer service to her new position, in which she will manage Summits social media, advertising, marketing, design materials and new website. Jennifer Powers, who has a background in interior design and outside flooring sales, was hired as an architectural and design representative, and Thauane Danza was promoted to senior manager of supply chain logistics.

Home furnishings brand John-Richard named industry veteran Scott Smith as its chief merchandising officer and promoted Andrea Kimbrell to chief operating officer, a new position at the company. Smith held various leadership roles with major home furnishings companies, including Vanguard Furniture, Caracole, Legacy Classic, Drexel Heritage and Lexington Home Brands, and he most recently served as the president of Samuel Lawrence Furniture. In his new role, Smith will lead the merchandising and marketing divisions, overseeing product design, brand development, marketing and sales. Kimbrells experience is in outdoor consumer products and public accounting, having joined John-Richard in 2019 and most recently serving as the vice president of finance and administration. Kimbrell will now be handling day-to-day manufacturing operations, adding to her responsibilities overseeing finance, information technology, customer service and human resources.

Commercial flooring company Matter Surfaces appointed Rachel Pettit to vice president of brand development and Christine Gorman to director of brand and collection marketing. Previously the vice president of sales for the companys Parador Modular One line, Pettit will expand her role to oversee marketing strategy for Matter Surfacess other brands, including Bolon and Purline. Gorman transitions to her new role after serving as the director of marketing and will help expand categories, grow revenue and oversee marketing strategy.

Design & Architecture Minneapolis-based architecture and design firm Nelson Worldwide appointed Jeff Cumpson to director of sales marketing, Adam Zingrone as mixed-use studio leader and Tyler Rice as director of environmental graphic design. Cumpson brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to his directorship, most recently serving as the marketing manager of strategy at Nelson. In his new role, he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the sales marketing group and support departmental and organizational projects. Zingrone has more than 15 years of experience in health care, civic and mixed-use projects, having built his portfolio at architecture companies including CallisonRTKL, Anderson Mikos Architects and, most recently, Path Construction. Zingrone will now lead the multifamily and mixed-use studio in the Chicago office, overseeing business development throughout the Midwest market. Rice brings more than 10 years of industry experience to his new position, including as a designer for a creative agency that produced environmental graphics for major sporting events and facilities across the U.S., and will continue to provide creative guidance on the firms projects.

Multidisciplinary Washington, D.C.based design firm //3877 hired interior designer Alexandria Seimetz, who brings residential design experience at architecture firm Chambers. As the newest interior designer at //3877, Seimetz will support projects across the brands hospitality portfolio, utilizing her niche experience in club amenity spaces.

Washington, D.C.based GrizForm Design Architects welcomed Tamara Dennis-Gamage as an architectural designer. Dennis-Gamage brings experience in commercial, residential and religious projects to her new role, most recently working with architect Errol McIntosh as a junior designer. In her new position at GrizForm, she will assist with design efforts, architectural detailing and construction documentation.

Ohio-based architecture firm Moody Nolan appointed Dawne David-Pierre as director of operations for the New York office, Kathryn T. Prigmore as director of operations for the Washington, D.C., office, and Louis Chang as associate principal and director of operations for the Philadelphia office. David-Pierre has 25 years of industry experience and has facilitated team growth since joining the firm in 2020 as the interim director of operations. In her new role, she will expand the New York offices scope of work and community impact. Prigmore brings more than 40 years of firm leadership, project management and academic experience to her new position, where she will grow the firms presence. Prior to Moody Nolan, Prigmore worked at architecture firms including nSpire Design and Consulting, as well as Shalom Baranes Associates. Chang has over 20 years of industry experience, working at Daroff Design and, most recently, at Nelson Worldwide. He will now oversee all aspects of Moody Nolans business to amplify the firms regional presence.

Paris-based architecture and planning firm Liaigre announced Rock Axtman as general manager of the Miami and Latin America branches. A sales executive and interior designer, Axtman previously served as the architecture and design key accounts manager at furniture manufacturer Desiron, the national sales director of North America at Italian furniture company Promemoria and as a design associate for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams in Boston.

Media & PR New Yorkbased communications and digital marketing agency UpSpring promoted three team members to leadership roles: Caroline Saba as vice president and chief of staff, Ashley Bond as vice president of residential interiors and product, and Adelaide Godwin as associate vice president. Saba started as an account coordinator in 2014 and most recently served as associate vice president; in her new role, she will work with senior leadership to develop initiatives for architecture, interior design, construction and engineering clients. Bond joined UpSpring in 2017, overseeing residential interior design and architecture firms and B2C product clients; as vice president, she will serve as a senior contact for clients, cultivate company talent and mentor senior staff. Godwin has been with UpSpring since 2017, overseeing clients in architecture, construction, design and engineering, and most recently serving as senior communications director.

Lifestyle and interior design media company Apartment Therapy appointed Lindsay Funston as editor in chief of The Kitchn. Funston brings 15 years of experience in content direction for digital and print media, most recently serving as executive editor of Delish, where she spent six years helping build the brand. Previously, she led social media and content strategy for several national brands, including editor roles at O, The Oprah Magazine; Martha Stewarts Whole Living; and Real Simple. Funston succeeds Faith Durand, who was promoted to senior vice president of content at The Kitchn in 2022.

Retail & Manufacturing Home furniture company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams appointed Chris Moye as interim CEO and board member, replacing Allison OConnor. Moye has held CEO and interim CEO roles outside the home sector, including a year-long interim stint at nutrition brand GA Foods and two years at the helm of business consulting company Crossmark.

Family-owned French furniture brand Ligne Roset announced that cousins Antoine Roset and Olivier Roset will jointly serve as chief executive officers. Over the past 16 years, the duo worked across various business departments to gain a broad array of experiences at the company. During their tenure, Olivier was responsible for finance and production, serving as the director of finance and general director, while Antoine oversaw marketing and the commercial business as the global marketing director and executive vice president of Roset USA. Their fathers, Michel Roset and Pierre Roset, remain president and CEO, respectively, of Ligne Roset parent company Groupe Roset SAS.

Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen announced Carly Conelli as CEO for the United States and Canada, and Austin Durling as the PR and marketing manager for North America. Conelli has experience in design brands including Roll & Hill, Aerin, Ralph Lauren and Caro Home, where she most recently served as their senior vice president of sales and merchandising. She will be responsible for wholesale partners and work closely with the Louis Poulsen sales team in North America and Denmark on a growth plan for the United States and Canada. Durling brings experience in media relations, partnerships and influencer marketing, previously working for PR company Sharp Think and most recently as the U.S. PR manager at computers and electronics manufacturing company VanMoof.

Michigan-based furniture manufacturer Gormans Home Furnishings announced the retirement of CEO Tom Lias. Over the course of his 53-year career, Lias served as vice president and general manager of Ethan Allen stores in Michigan and Ohio before becoming co-owner and president of eight La-Z-Boy stores in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Lias joined Gormans in 1983 and was elevated to the position of CEO in 2017, and he was recently honored as Michiganian of the Year by The Detroit News for his legacy of philanthropic work with local nonprofit The Arc of Oakland County, which serves people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Furniture and accessories brand Fritz Hansen appointed Chris Paulsen as vice president of the Americas. With more than a decade of retail and contract management experience, Paulsen most recently served as the managing director of the Americas for furniture manufacturer Gubi and formerly as the general manager at Design Within Reach. In his new role, Paulsen will help promote growth and empower the local markets in America.

New Yorkbased modern home furnishings company Maiden Home hired Nadia Dobel as senior product development manager. Dobel has experience in product management and development, previously holding managerial roles at business consulting service Fabric to Finish, Kohls and Stitch Fix.

Design company and material manufacturer Designtex welcomed Oriana Reich as vice president of marketing. Reich brings experience in creative marketing strategy, previously co-founding her own consultancy firm The Joinery Limited and working as the brand director of wholesale building materials company Shaw Contract. After collaborating with Designtex on creative direction over the past year and a half, Reich will manage and direct the brands creative, marketing and go-to market strategies.

Home accessories store Sid & Co appointed Charles Comeau as senior designer and director of new business development. With more than 30 years of experience, Comeau returns to the design industry after his company Dessin Fournir filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019.

Window treatment brand Hunter Douglas appointed Christin Tang as the director of advertising. Tang most recently worked at kitchen and bath manufacturer Kohler Co. for seven years as the channel manager for digital marketing. In her new role, she will lead full-funnel marketing strategies and campaigns across traditional and digital paid media channels.

Perigold, Wayfairs high-end division, announced Meghan Moreland as head of copy. Morelands previous roles include senior editor of product copy for RH, as well as content creation positions at home services publication The Franklin Report and West Elm.

Decorative lighting company Crystorama welcomed Ben Tuminello as national sales director. Tuminello has 20 years of sales management and business development experience, including at The Home Depot and most recently as the director of e-commerce at electrical manufacturing company Satco Products Inc. In his new role, Tuminello will provide leadership, market strategy, customer management and product development insight for the companys team.

Furniture wholesaler Sagebrook Home appointed Kendra Wilkins as director of merchandising. Wilkins has 16 years of product development and merchandise experience, previously working at IMAX Worldwide Imports for 13 years as senior buyer, and most recently as director of product development at Kavana Decor by The Import Collection. In her new role, Wilkins will create a new higher-end lifestyle brand launching in fall of 2023 that aims to target furniture stores, interior designers and small retailers.

Mattress producer Serta Simmons Bedding named Guy Longworth as chief marketing officer and Brian Dengler as chief innovation officer. With more than 30 years of global marketing experience, Longworth held leadership roles at brands including Intuit and Sony Interactive Entertainment America, as well as technology startups like agriculture-tech company Farmers Business Network. In his new role, Longworth will be responsible for leading the SSB portfolio of brands and oversee the companys strategy and licensing business. Dengler brings more than 30 years of product development experience to SSB, previously holding senior leadership roles at Yeti, Newell Brands and most recently Instant Brands, a global manufacturer of kitchen and homeware appliances. Dengler will be responsible for SSBs innovation strategy, R&D and product development, aesthetics and advanced engineering.

Mattress company Saatva promoted Shari Ajayi to public relations director, Christina Heiser to content director and Kristen Jefferson to senior social media manager. A nine-year veteran of the home furnishings industry, Ajayi previously managed U.S. public relations and marketing for The Rug Company, and marketing and communications for the Americas at B&B Italia; in her new role, she will continue to lead public relations strategy as the brands first in-house publicist. Heiser has been with the company since 2018 and is an experienced writer, editor and content strategist with more than a decade of experience, previously holding roles at Womens Health and working with a variety of editorial and content marketing clients including The Vitamin Shoppe and LOral. Heiser will lead content strategy for Saatvas Sleep Enlightened blog. Jefferson joined Saatva as social media manager in 2020, having previously managed social media and corporate gifting for New Jerseybased gourmet food purveyor DArtagnan. Jefferson will continue leading social media strategy and influencer partnerships for the companys growing social media channels.

Industry Organizations The Chicago Architecture Center appointed Lisa Pickell, president of local design and architecture firm Orren Pickell Building Group, to its board of trustees. Pickell has led OPBG since 2017, expanding the firms footprint with custom home projects in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The University of Pennsylvania announced that Rossana Ju-shan Hu will lead the schools architecture department starting in January 2024. Co-founder of Shanghai-based design practice Neri&Hu, Hu will bring her multidisciplinary mindset and global view to the role. Her approach to urban renewal is exemplified in projects such as the Waterhouse at South Bund in Shanghai, and her firms designs have received international awards.

Science in Design, a program focused on educating interior designers about how their work can serve as a health resource, appointed Angela Harris to the certification advisory board. A product designer herself, Harris has worked with builders, developers and product manufacturers for the past 22 years and is the CEO, principal and founder of design companies Trio, Bode & Well and By Angela Harris.

Homepage image: Josefmicic/Adobe Stock

More:
Ligne Roset's new CEOs, Kravet appoints a new CMO and more - Business of Home

Olivier Le Moal

Author's Note: This is our monthly series on Dividend Stocks, usually published in the first week of every month. We scan the entire universe of roughly 7,500 stocks that are listed and traded on U.S. exchanges and use our proprietary filtering criteria to select five stocks that are relatively safe and maybe trading cheaper compared to their historical valuations. Some of the sections in the article, like 'Selection Process/Methodology,' are repeated each month with few changes. This is intentional as well as unavoidable, as this is necessary for the new readers to be able to conceptualize the process. Regular readers of this series could skip such sections to avoid repetitiveness.

************

A lot can happen in a month. The market recovered quite a bit during the last month before falling back somewhat in the last couple of days. During this time, another regional bank - First Republic Bank (OTCPK:FRCB) - in the U.S. failed and was quickly taken over by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) in a deal arranged by the Federal regulators.

The Fed is meeting right now as we write this and going to announce if they decide to raise the short-term interest rate by another 25-basis point or take a pause. The market is fully expecting another 25-basis point raise; however, there is not much consensus after that. We should get some clarity tomorrow, May 3rd.

By looking at the S&P 500 (SP500), we do not get the impression of a crisis or impending recession. Sure, the S&P500 is still down roughly 13% from its peak, but that is quite normal. However, there are two ominous signs that should cause some worry. First, almost all of the gains so far in 2023 are heavily concentrated in just the top seven technology stocks. Secondly, most of the U.S. yield curves are inverted and have been so for the last six months. If history is any guide, these are signs of a coming recession. But then, history does not always repeat. It could still turn out to be a soft landing or a minor recession if the Federal Reserve decides to pivot now.

All that said, a lot of uncertainties and stress points remain on the horizon. Against this backdrop, it is important to keep some cash reserves and dry powder ready to be able to deal with any scenario. At the same time, we believe it is not possible to catch the exact bottom (or the peak), so it is best to invest regularly and consistently in good, solid dividend-paying stocks when their valuations are attractive.

Data by YCharts

The main goal of this series of articles is to shortlist and highlight companies that have a solid history of paying and raising dividends. In addition, we demand that these companies support strong fundamentals, carry low debt, and are offered at a relatively cheaper valuation. These DGI stocks are not going to make anyone rich overnight, but if your goal is to attain financial freedom by owning stocks that would grow dividends over time, meaningfully and sustainably, then you are at the right place. These lists are not necessarily recommendations to buy but a shortlist of probable candidates for further research. The purpose is to keep our buy list handy and dry powder ready so that we can use the opportunity when the time is right. Besides, every month, this analysis is able to highlight a few companies that otherwise would not be on our radar.

Every month, we start with roughly 7,500 stocks that are listed and traded on U.S. exchanges, including over-the-counter (OTC) networks. By using our filtering criteria, the initial list is quickly narrowed down to roughly 700 stocks, which are mostly dividend-paying and dividend-growing stocks. From thereon, by using various data elements, including dividend history, payout ratios, revenue growth, debt ratios, EPS growth, etc., we calculate a 'Dividend Quality Score' for each stock that measures the relative safety and sustainability of the dividend. In addition to dividend safety, we also seek cheaper valuations. We also demand that the selected companies have an established business model, solid dividend history, manageable debt, and investment-grade credit rating.

This month, we highlight three groups with five stocks each that have an average dividend yield (as a group) of 2.68%, 5.14%, and 7.21%, respectively. The first list is for conservative and risk-averse investors, while the second one is for investors who seek higher yields but still want relatively safe dividends. The third group is for yield-hungry investors but comes with an elevated risk, and we urge investors to exercise caution.

Notes: 1) Please note that when we use the term "safe" in relation to stocks and investments, it should be interpreted as "relatively safe" because nothing is absolutely safe in investing. Even though we present only 5 to 10 stocks in our final list, one should have 15-20 stocks at a minimum in a well-diversified portfolio.

2) All tables in this article are created by the author unless explicitly specified. The stock data have been sourced from various sources such as Seeking Alpha, Yahoo Finance, GuruFocus, and CCC-List (drip investing).

Note: Regular readers of this series could skip this section to avoid repetitiveness. However, we include this section for new readers to provide the necessary background and perspective.

Goals:

We start with a fairly simple goal. We want to shortlist five companies that are large-cap, relatively safe, dividend-paying, and trading at relatively cheaper valuations in comparison to the broader market. The objective is to highlight some of the dividend-paying and dividend-growing companies that may be offering juicy dividends due to a temporary decline in their share prices. The excess decline may be due to an industry-wide decline or some kind of one-time setbacks like some negative news coverage or missing quarterly earnings expectations. We adopt a methodical approach to filter down the 7,500-plus companies into a small subset.

Our primary goal is income that should increase over time at a rate that at least beats inflation. Our secondary goal is to grow the capital and provide a cumulative growth rate of 9%-10% at a minimum. These goals are, by and large, in alignment with most retirees and income investors, as well as DGI investors. A balanced DGI portfolio should keep a mix of high-yield, low-growth stocks along with some high-growth but low-yield stocks. That said, how you mix the two will depend upon your personal situation, including income needs, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

A well-diversified portfolio would normally consist of more than just five stocks and preferably a few stocks from each sector of the economy. However, in this periodic series, we try to shortlist and highlight just five stocks that may fit the goals of most income and DGI investors. But at the same time, we try to ensure that such companies are trading at attractive or reasonable valuations. However, as always, we recommend you do your due diligence before making any decision on them.

Selection Criteria:

The S&P 500 currently yields less than 1.60%. Since our goal is to find companies for a dividend income portfolio, we should logically look for companies that pay yields that are at least similar to or better than the S&P 500. Of course, the higher, the better, but at the same time, we should not try to chase very high yields. If we try to filter for dividend stocks paying at least 1.50% or above, nearly 2,000 such companies are trading on U.S. exchanges, including OTC networks. We will limit our choices to companies that have a market cap of at least $10 billion and a daily trading volume of more than 100,000 shares. We also will check that dividend growth over the last five years is positive, but there can be some exceptions.

We also want stocks that are trading at relatively cheaper valuations. But at this stage, we want to keep our criteria broad enough to keep all the good candidates on the list. So, we will measure the distance from the 52-week high but save it to use at a later stage. Also, at this initial stage, we include all companies that yield 1% or higher. In addition, we also include other lower-yielding but high-quality companies at this stage.

Criteria to Shortlist:

By applying the above criteria, we got around 600 companies.

As a first step, we would like to eliminate stocks that have less than five years of dividend growth history. We cross-check our current list of over 600 stocks against the list of so-called Dividend Champions, Contenders, and Challengers originally defined and created by David Fish. Generally, the stocks with more than 25 years of dividend increases are called dividend Champions, while stocks with more than ten but less than 25 years of dividend increases are termed, Contenders. Further, stocks with more than five but less than ten years of dividend increases are called Challengers. Also, since we want a lot of flexibility and wider choice at this initial stage, we include some companies that pay dividends lower than 1.50% but otherwise have a stellar dividend record and growing dividends at a fast pace.

After we apply all the above criteria, we're left with roughly 312 companies on our list. However, so far in this list, we have demanded five or more years of consistent dividend growth. But what if a company had a very stable record of dividend payments but did not increase the dividends from one year to another? At times, some of these companies are foreign-based companies, and due to currency fluctuations, their dividends may appear to have been cut in US dollars, but in reality, that may not be true at all when looked at in the actual currency of reporting. At times, we may provide some exceptions when a company may have cut the dividend in the past but otherwise looks compelling. So, by relaxing some of the conditions, a total of 74 additional companies were considered to be on our list. We call them category 'B' companies. After including them, we had a total of 386 (312 + 74) companies that made our first list.

We then imported the various data elements from many sources, including CCC-list, GuruFocus, Fidelity, Morningstar, and Seeking Alpha, among others, and assigned weights based on different criteria as listed below:

Below we provide a link to the table with relevant data on 360 stocks. This table can be downloaded by readers for further analysis. Please note that the table is sorted on the "Total Weight" or the "Initial Quality Score."

File-for-export_-_5_Safe_DGI_-_May_2023.xlsx

We will first bring down the list to roughly 60 names by automated criteria, as listed below. In the second step, which is mostly manual, we will bring the list down to about 30.

From the above steps, we now have a total of 63 names (some categories had more than 10) in our final consideration. However, the following stocks appeared more than once:

Stocks that appeared two times:

AAP, ADP, BXP, CI, CVX, KEY, OVV, TFC (8 duplicates)

After removing nine duplicates, we are left with 55 (63-8) names.

Since there are multiple names in each industry segment, we will keep a maximum of two or three names (from the top) from any one segment. We keep the following:

Financial Services, Banking, and Insurance:

Banking: (RF), (TFC)

Financial Services - Others:

Insurance: (CINF), (BEN)

Business Services/ Consulting:

(ADP), (V), (ACN)

Conglomerates:

(CSL)

Industrials:

(CTAS), (DE), (GWW), (BALL)

Transportation/ Logistics:

Chemicals:

Materials/Mining/Gold:

Materials:

Mining (other than Gold): (CF), (SCCO), (RIO)

Gold: (OTCQX:NGLOY)

Defense:

None

Consumer/Retail/Others:

Cons-Staples: (ADM)

Cons-discretionary: (NKE)

Cons-Retail: (LOW), (AAP), (TGT)

Communications/Media

(VZ)

Healthcare:

Pharma: (PFE), (JNJ), (MRK)

Healthcare Ins: (UNH), (CI)

Technology:

(MSFT)

Energy:

Pipelines/ Midstream: (EPD), (MPLX), (ENB)

Oil & Gas (prod. & exploration): (CTRA), (EOG), (CVX)

Utilities:

(NRG)

Housing/ Construction:

(LEN)

REIT:

(VICI), (BXP)

In this step, we construct three separate lists of five stocks each, with different sets of goals, dividend income, and risk levels.

The lists are:

1) Conservative Dividend list,

2) Moderately High Dividend List,

3) Ultra High Dividend List, and

4) A combined list of the above three (duplicates removed).

Out of the top 50 (55, to be precise), we make our judgment calls to make these three lists, so basically, the selections are based on our research and perceptions. So, while most of the filtering was based on automated criteria, the last step is a subjective one. We try to make each of the three lists highly diversified among various sectors and industry segments and try to ensure that the safety of dividends matches the overall risk profile of the group. We certainly encourage readers to do further research on the highlighted names.

Nonetheless, here are our three final lists for this month:

Final A-List (Conservative Safe Income):

Average yield: 2.68%

Table-1A: A-LIST (Conservative Income)

Author

**EOG - Dividend yield has been calculated based on the most recent quarterly dividend amount of $0.825 per share, plus some rough estimates for the variable amount. In the most recent quarter, $1.00 was paid as a variable amount, but it has come down from a level of $1.50 from the previous quarter. It is important to know the variable amount is variable and is subject to change every quarter. The dividend yield shown in the table above (for EOG) is simply our estimate for 2023 for the purpose of our rating calculations and may not reflect the actual yield. Please note that most financial websites show yield without including the variable amount.

We think this set of five companies (in the A-List) would form a solid diversified group of dividend companies that would be appealing to income-seeking and conservative investors, including retirees and near-retirees. The average yield of 2.68% is a bit low but still a lot more than that of the S&P500. The average dividend growth history is nearly 20 years, and the average discount from a 52-week high is very attractive for these stocks at -16%. Also, four of the five companies have an excellent credit rating of A- or higher. If you must need even higher dividends, consider B-List or C-List, presented later.

EOG (EOG Resources, Inc):

This month, from the energy sector, we have selected EOG (previously Coterra - CTRA); however, both companies can be treated at par. We may or may not have seen the peak price of oil in the year 2022; we do not know. Nonetheless, the investment thesis for most energy companies has changed quite a bit for 2023, and companies like EOG (or CTRA) are no exception. In the year 2023, the average oil prices are likely to be much lower than 2022 levels but still remain elevated. More recently, the outlook has soured further due to weakening demand.

In a nutshell, EOG is a solid energy company and is likely to do well as the world will keep using these products for a long time in spite of the push for green energy. EOG has many strong positives, including a solid balance sheet and a highly efficient but large footprint in U.S. operations. Moreover, the company is very shareholder friendly and has been distributing nearly 60% of cash flow to shareholders. Including the variable quarterly dividend of $1 a share and a regular dividend of $0.8250, the yield is roughly 6.1% at current prices. However, it should be noted that its variable payout that has come down from 2022 levels and is likely to moderate further in 2023 or 2024. The stock price appears to be undervalued and nearly 20% down from its 52-week high.

PFE (Pfizer):

We include Pfizer in all our lists this month for several reasons. The most important factors are a relatively cheaper valuation and its high dividend yield at 4.2% for a major pharma company. In its Q1'23 earnings (reported May 2nd), the company outperformed analysts' estimates in terms of both revenue (at $18.3bn) and EPS (at $1.23 on an adjusted basis). However, the stock price remained mostly flat because it is all about the future and not the past. In fact, the stock price has seen some weakness in recent months due to the Covid reset and the expected decline in Covid-related revenue going forward. Most of the Covid vaccine mandates are over now, and people are less likely to get those vaccines. All that said, the stock appears to be undervalued, as it is down nearly 28% from its peak in 2022. In its future plans, the company has committed to much higher R&D spending. Back in March this year, Pfizer also announced that it would acquire the biotech company Seagen Inc. (SGEN) for $43 billion. The deal appears to be expensive, but it should add long-term value to Pfizer. When the deal goes through, it is possible that the company may look at cutting some expenses, including reducing the dividend payout to some extent. So, the current high yield should be taken with a grain of salt. Also, investors should not expect very high growth from Pfizer, just a high and stable dividend from a large pharma company.

MSFT (Microsoft):

MSFT needs no introduction here. It is one of the seven top companies in the S&P500 index. It is by no means cheap and fully valued right now, especially after the excitement around its investment in ChatGPT and the strength it displayed in its most recent quarterly report. However, we believe the company is a long-term winner, and its fully valued price would not matter much if you were to hold it for the next ten or more years. The current dividend is low but as safe as it can get.

CSL (Carlisle Companies):

CSL is a global company that manufactures a diverse range of products, including highly engineered products. Its manufactures products for commercial roofing, architectural metal, and specialty polyurethane. It caters to customers in diverse sectors, such as aerospace, medical, defense, transportation, and industrials. It has paid and raised the dividend for the past 47 years and is just shy of 3 years of being a dividend king. The company's stock is trading at an attractive valuation and is nearly 30% below its 52-week high. Although the dividend yield is still too low at 1.33%, this is one of the safest, low-risk dividend aristocrats out there. We include this in our A-List for the reasons of safety, dividend reliability, and relatively cheaper valuation.

Final B-List (High Yield, Moderately Safe):

Average yield: 5.14%

Note 1: Very often, we include a few low-risk stocks in B-List and C-list. Also, oftentimes, a stock can appear in multiple lists. This is done on purpose. We try to make each of our lists fairly diversified among different sectors/industry segments of the economy. We try to include a few of the highly conservative names in the high-yield list to make the overall group much safer.

Original post:
5 Conservative And Cheap Dividend Stocks To Invest In - May 2023 - Seeking Alpha

A brand-new life sciences hub is born at the heart of downtown Montreal

MONTREAL, May 4, 2023 /CNW/ - On the occasion of the Effervescence conference organized by Montral InVivo, Normand Rivard, Managing Partner, Life Sciences and Innovation at Jadco Group, and Martin Leblanc, Cofounder and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of CellCarta, unveiled Inspire Bio Innovations Montreal, a brand new life sciences and precision medicine hub that will be home to CellCarta's head office, among other things.

IMAGES, VIDEOS AND LOGOS: CLICK HERE

Situated in the heart of the university district, opposite the IRCM (Montreal Clinical Research Institute) and at the centre of the city's health corridor, Inspire bio innovations revives the site of the former Montreal Chest Institute, which was a key medical centre in the history of Montreal and Quebec.

Ultimately, this large-scale project, with $350 million in private investment, will offer 450,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories, offices and collaborative spaces. Inspire bio innovations will become the focal point of the life sciences ecosystem. Major pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, research institutes, students, university researchers and innovative startups will work together to accelerate the development of scientific discoveries and make them accessible worldwide.

The Montreal area and indeed all of Quebec will be able to count on this key hub to foster synergy and strategic meetings between relevant players in the life sciences and artificial intelligence ecosystems in health, accelerate innovation and discoveries, develop and recruit world-class talent, and retain and attract head offices in cutting-edge sectors. Some of the project's key features include a glass atrium, a conference and training centre, a rooftop terrace, and an exceptional architectural signature(NEUF architect(e)s, Fahey).

In addition, collaborative spaces, including state-of-the-art laboratories, along with top-notch professional services and a scientific entrepreneurial startup accelerator, will facilitate the creation, growth and success of the next generation of life sciences companies.

Story continues

Inspire bio innovations will be able to host, for example, early-stage drug development projects and accompany startups through the various clinical phases, allowing them to benefit from the proximity of all major clinical sites and CellCarta's expertise in clinical trial design and regulatory expertise.

Quotations

"For many years, researchers, startups and investment firms have decried the glaring lack of state-of-the-art laboratories in downtown Montreal, at the heart of the life sciences research and training ecosystem, near universities, hospitals, research centres and the business community. In addition, one of the greatest challenges faced by life sciences companies remains recruitment and retention of the skilled personnel they require for their development, in a context of shortage of qualified workers. Montreal is therefore facing strong competition, at a time when several major North American and European cities already have well-established life sciences hubs in the heart of their downtown areas that serve as major growth drivers. However, Montreal has all the assets to become one of the most dynamic and promising international life sciences hubs. This project is a perfect response to the needs expressed by the ecosystem and will allow Montreal and Quebec to maintain their position as leaders on the international scene." - Normand Rivard, Managing Partner, Life Sciences and Innovation, Jadco Group.

"We are very proud to be associated with this highly structuring and promising project for the future of the life sciences sector and of downtown Montreal. Having chosen to establish our laboratory operations and headquarters in downtown Montreal over 12 years ago, CellCarta is delighted to have found a site and a project that fully meets our strategic ambitions of reuniting all our Montreal employees under one roof and of securing the longer-term growth and sustainability of our operations in Montreal." - Martin Leblanc, co-founder and vice chair of the board of directors, CellCarta.

"As Mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough and as the Executive Committee member responsible for economic development, knowledge and innovation, I am delighted to see this new life sciences innovation cluster being established in the heart of an area that has remained mostly unoccupied since the Montreal Chest Institute moved in 2015. The imminent arrival of Inspire bio innovations on this prime site is a testament to the fact that the downtown area continues to attract world-class projects, thanks to its proximity to world-class universities and teaching hospitals. These new laboratories will contribute to the emergence of a synergy between medicine, research and artificial intelligence, positioning Montreal among the most dynamic and promising international life sciences centres. This project and the many jobs it will create will also help revitalize this important employment hub and attract talent from all over to a highquality environment"- Luc Rabouin, mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, member of the executive committee of the City of Montreal and member responsible for economic and commercial development, knowledge, innovation and design.

About Jadco Group

Founded in 1987, Jadco Group designs, develops and builds signature residential and industrial projects, particularly those geared to the life sciences ecosystem. Recognized for the high quality of its projects that meet the most important ESG standards, Jadco Group, in collaboration with its institutional partners, has accumulated over $1.2 billion in investments in Quebec. The company acts as a property manager and prides itself on being a landlord of choice. For more information, see http://www.jadcocorporation.com.

About CellCartaCellCarta is a leading provider of specialized precision medicine laboratory services to the biopharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated analytical platforms in immunology, histopathology, proteomics and genomics, as well as related ML/AI data analytics andsample logistics services, CellCarta supports the entire drug development cycle, from discovery to late-stage clinical trials. The company operates globally with 11 facilities located in Canada, USA, Belgium, Australia, and China, with more than 1,050 employees, a third of which are located at its laboratories and corporate headquarters in Montreal.www.cellcarta.com

SOURCE Jadco Group

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2023/05/c6103.html

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/R E P E A T -- REDEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER MONTREAL CHEST INSTITUTE SITE:/ - Yahoo Finance

New York, May 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The report published by Reports Insights reveals that theoxo alcoholmarket was worth USD 18.38 Billion in 2022and is projected to reach USD 28.27 Billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 4.9%. Oxo alcohols are widely used in various end-use industries, including paints and coatings, adhesives, and chemical intermediates. The rising construction activities and increasing automotive production are also contributing to the market growth.

Global Oxo Alcohol Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis, By IP Type By Type (Iso-Butanol, 2-Ethyl-Hexanol, n- Butanol, Octyl Alcohol F, and Others), Application (Plasticizers, Solvents, Acrylates, Acetates, Fuel Additives, Lubes, and Others), End-Use Industry (Paints and Varnishes, Plastic Industry, Automotive, and Others), and By Region, Forecast Period 2023 2030.

RequestSample Report@https://www.reportsinsights.com/sample/673874

Oxo alcohol is a type of chemical that is produced through the oxo process, oxo process is a chemical reaction between an olefin (a type of hydrocarbon), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen (H2) in the presence of a catalyst. The result of the reaction is an alcohol with a specific molecular structure that is modified to produce various types of alcohol and other derivatives. Oxo alcohol chemical is a compound of n-butanol, isobutyraledehyde and iso-Butanol. It is used in a wide range of applications as a adhesives, solvent, and paint & coating in numerous end-use industries. Furthermore, oxo alcohols are deployed as a solvent for numerous applications such as extractants in the production of drugs, printing inks, and as a solubilizer in the textile industry.

Additionally, the growing construction industry contributed to the growth of the oxo alcohols market. Oxo alcohols are utilized in the production of paints and coatings owing to their various high-performance characteristics such as good adhesion, flexibility, and lower emissions. For instance, according to Statista, in 2021, the global paint and coatings industry accounted for approximately USD 160 billion and is projected to reach around USD 235 billion by 2029. Therefore, the rising demand for paints and coatings in commercial and residential buildings, transportation, and other infrastructure has boosted the construction industry, in turn, surging the growth of the oxo alcohols market. However, the volatility in the prices of raw materials such as propylene and n-butene is likely to hinder market growth.

Furthermore, the increasing concern regarding sustainability is surging the demand for green chemicals. Various manufacturers are focusing in the production of environment-friendly chemicals. For instance, Perstorp Group is evolving the oxo-market by introducing a portfolio that includes oxo aldehydes and alcohols made from renewable materials including biogas. Therefore, the development of bio-based oxo alcohols from renewable feedstock waste biomass and vegetable oils is expected to offer significant opportunity to the oxo alcohol market.

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Key Market Highlights

Global Oxo Alcohol MarketSegmentationDetails:

Based on Type,the octyl alcohol segment F is projected to offer a substantial share to the oxo alcohols market over the forecast period. Octyl alcohol F finds wide range of applications in various end-use industries such as the textile industry and automotive. These oxo alcohols are also used as raw materials for production inhibitors to improve the process of solid fuel combustion. For instance, Grupa Azoty, offers octyl alcohol F that is used as auxiliary agent and release agent in the textile industry. Therefore, the rising textile industry is expected to contribute to the growth of the segment.

Based on Application,the acrylates segment is anticipated to register the fastest-growing CAGR over the forecast period. Acrylates are used as a solvent for various applications such as automotive coating architectural coating and leather finishes owing to their excellent absorbency, flexibility, and toughness. For instance, according to a report published by Statista, the global architectural coating market is projected to account for around USD 109 billion by 2030. Hence, the growing demand of acrylates from different coating industries is expected to surge the growth of the oxo alcohols market.

Based on End Use Industry,the plastic industry accounted for the largest market share of the oxo alcohol market. In the plastic industry oxo alcohols are extensively used for the production plasticizer to enhance the quality of plastics and make them more durable and flexible. These plastics are then deployed in numerous end use industries such as automotive, construction, and packaging. As a result, the increasing consumption of plastics by various end-use industries is driving the oxo alcohols market growth.

Based on Region, Asia Pacific held the highest market share of the oxo alcohols market in 2022. The growing construction industry owing to rapid industrialization is boosting the oxo alcohols market. For instance, according to Invest India, the construction industry in India is projected to reach USD 1.4 trillion by 2025. Therefore, the abovementioned factors are expected to derive the growth of the oxo alcohols market.

Find What You Need With Our Detailed Table Of Contents (TOC) & Summary Of Oxo Alcohol Market Report @https://www.reportsinsights.com/industry-forecast/global-oxo-alcohol-market-statistical-analysis-673874

Recent Developments

List of Major Global Oxo Alcohol Market Players

The market research report examines various market factors to determine the key drivers, limitations, and opportunities affecting market players. The report includes a SWOT analysis, regional analysis, and segment analysis to give a complete view of the market situation. This evaluation helps to identify possible growth opportunities through the implementation of technology, product utilization, business strategies, and the launch of new products. The following are major market players operating in the market environment

Global Oxo Alcohol Market Segmentation:

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Oxo Alcohol Market Competitive Landscape, Emerging Trends and ... - GlobeNewswire

Hawthorn, May 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hawthorn, Victoria -

Zebra Plumbing, a Melbourne-based domestic plumbing company offering comprehensive, top-quality plumbing services, is receiving stellar 5-star reviews from homeowners throughout the region. Readers can find out more about the company by visiting https://zebraplumbing.com.au/.

As one of the newest names in domestic plumbing in Melbourne, Zebra Plumbing has struck a chord with local homeowners and business owners who have already come to rely on the wide range of plumbing services it offers. With a passion for quality workmanship and a commitment to outstanding customer service, Melbourne property owners trust the fully licensed and insured company to fix all their plumbing issues without any predatory upselling.

"We believe in clear client communication to help Victoria residents make the right decisions about their property's plumbing," says Byron Slabbert, the founder of Zebra Plumbing. "We offer honest and upfront no-obligation quotes that hide nothing, ensuring that you don't have to deal with sticker shock when we are done solving all your plumbing problems. For a nominal call-out fee of just $49, you get a thorough expert analysis of all the repairs you need to fully restore your home's plumbing. Quotes are valid for 30 days and if you book online, you get a $50 discount that can be applied to any of the services that you hire us for. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ZebraPlumbingAus to find out more."

Zebra Plumbing's dedication to putting the customer experience first has earned it the trust of Melbourne's property owners. This confidence is also reflected in the perfect 5.0 out of 5.0 overall rating on its Google Business Profile from over 50 local reviews with customers praising the company's affordable pricing, responsive customer service, and exceptional workmanship.

One of the latest 5-star customer reviews gives the company a thumbs up on professionalism, punctuality, quality, and responsiveness, and says, "Zebra Plumbing is fantastic. They fitted my new sinks, taps, and shower heads. Speaking from past experiences, I always get nervous about plumbers damaging the taps or tiles, but this time the plumber was diligent in delivering the perfect fit-out. He arrived on time and delivered top service. I plan to use Zebra plumbing again."

Another happy Melbourne homeowner writes, "We have had ongoing issues with our shower pressure and heating for many weeks until the shower pressure completely went. Zebra plumbing came out in a heartbeat to fix this. They were quick and efficient and very professional. Van came out fully stocked to deal with any issues at hand so there was no running back and forth to get equipment to fix it. Highly recommend!"

The Melbourne plumbing company's range of services includes the installation, maintenance, and repair of instant hot water systems and gas hot water systems, fixing drainage issues such as smelly or blocked drains, and a host of other services such as tap leak repair, tap replacement, burst pipes, toilet plumbing, CCTV camera inspections, pipe relining, gas line pressure testing, gas line replacement, gas leaks, gas fitting, carbon monoxide testing, and more.

Zebra Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency plumbing services for local homeowners in a bind who need urgent help. The company also offers interest-free payment plans for customers who need additional help to ensure that all their plumbing needs can be taken care of. Melbourne homeowners also enjoy a lifetime labor warranty, a testament to the confidence that Byron has in his highly vetted team of experienced plumbers.

When asked about how Zebra Plumbing has managed to scale the heights that it has in such a short time, Byron says, "As a locally owned and operated business, we understand the unique plumbing challenges faced by Melbourne residents. So, to live up to the expectations that our customers have, we utilize the industry's latest tools, techniques, and technologies that ensure that we deliver outstanding plumbing results on every job, large or small, that we take on. It is no wonder then that we have already become the go-to choice for homeowners seeking prompt, professional, and reliable plumbing solutions in Melbourne and surrounding areas. Find out more about the core values that drive us by visiting https://zebraplumbing.com.au/about/."

Readers can contact Zebra Plumbing at 1300 033 468 to schedule an appointment or write in their queries to contact@zebraplumbing.com.au.

###

For more information about Zebra Plumbing, contact the company here:

Zebra PlumbingByron Slabbert +61424199013contact@zebraplumbing.com.au201/1 Morang Road Hawthorn 3122

Ideally though would want my exact address published, just Morang Road Hawthorn 3122

Read the rest here:
Melbourne-Based Zebra Plumbing Is the Go-To Plumber for ... - Benzinga

Folks, let me tell you something: if being a plumber and union business manager taught me anything, it taught me about being responsible for the finances of others. It taught me to invest in yourself, your trade, your people, and your community. Every year, Pennsylvanias budget is a statement of who we are and what we want to be. Governor Shapiros budget proposal is exactly what our 9th Senate District needs to keep moving forward.

Our Governor wants to look forward and plan for our future. Investing in public education, including basic and special education, is crucial for giving our students the opportunities they need to learn and grow. As the husband of a teacher with a daughter also in the profession, I understand the importance of this issue.

Unfortunately, many students are falling through the cracks despite the best of intentions from educators. Thats why its so important to not only invest in bettering our classrooms but to also invest in career/technical education and workforce training programs. This ensures that residents of District 9 and our Commonwealth have the skills they need to succeed in todays world.

As someone who was able to take up a trade that changed my life, I know firsthand the opportunities trade schools can provide. In fact, investing in trade schools and technical education may be more important now than ever.

According to the Federal Reserve, the national student loan debt has reached a staggering $1.7 trillion. Meanwhile, many trade school graduates are earning incomes comparable to or even higher than those of their counterparts with bachelors degrees. For example, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the median income for someone who attended a trade school is $35,000, which is on par with the median income for all bachelors degree recipients.

READ MORE Summary of key evidence presented at Central Bucks investigation into bias accusations

On the heels of the pandemic, weve all seen the importance of supporting our childrens mental health. Thats why Im thrilled that Pennsylvanias budget includes new funding for mental health support for students and staff. With a child mental health crisis on the rise, its crucial that we invest in resources to provide the care and assistance that our children need to thrive.

Additionally, the proposal includes funding for subsidized childcare, which can help working parents access the care and support their children need to grow and succeed. This is a direct investment in the well-being and futures of our children. We are also helping adults with mental health issues, with $29 million in new targeted funding including $5 million in funding to help build out the 988 Mental Health Assistance program.

Pennsylvanias budget proposal goes beyond expectations by investing in historically disadvantaged businesses and providing financial assistance for workforce training. This investment is crucial for the economic growth of the region, especially in the City of Chester, located in District 9, which has a history of economic struggles.

My District office is situated at the heart of the City of Chester, and I am fully committed to its revitalization and encouragement of future economic development. Investing in cities during economic downturns is essential for the well-being of Pennsylvanians. By investing in our communities, we can create new opportunities for businesses and workers, helping to strengthen our local economies and ensure a brighter future for all.

Lets talk farmland investments and let me tell you, farming is huge in the 9th district! And with over 25 percent of Pennsylvania consisting of farmland, farmland investments are crucial for maintaining our agricultural heritage. This includes our land in Chester County, and ensuring it continues to be the economic pillar of opportunity for its residents.

The mushroom industry is a major contributor to our regions economy. Kennett Square and Chester County are known as the Mushroom Capital of the World, providing over 68 percent of the worlds mushrooms. Here in the 9th, we have more than 50 family-owned commercial mushroom farms that operate within 25 miles of Kennett Square.

Farmland preservation is essential for Chester County and our Commonwealth to continue providing jobs and economic growth. Without it, the mushroom industry would suffer. As someone who has come to enjoy mushroom soup as much as the next person, I know the stakes were up against.

Pennsylvanias budget proposal includes funding for emergency services, which is crucial for the safety and well-being of all constituents, residents and visitors. In my time as a Senator, I have sat and met with countless Fire Stations, Emergency Responders, Police Forces and so many more who are in dire need of necessary funds to provide their community with the protections from disasters that can strike at any moment. We all want to feel safe in our communities, and to do that, these services need to be a priority.

Governor Shapiros budget is the real deal, like a plunger for all problems Pennsylvanians face. With this budget, we can flush away the old and embrace the new, ensuring our Commonwealth thrives without getting in the way of progress.

Senator John Kane represents the 9th senatorial district, including parts of Chester and Delaware Counties.

Read more:
Sen. Kane: The plumber's perspective on Pennsylvania's budget - Broad + Liberty

What happens when the plumbing of the financial system breaks down? Well, we are looking at it. Who is the plumber of last resort for the financial system? Well it would have to be the lender of last resort, which is, by definition, the Federal Reserve.

Every business everywhere, from a lemonade stand to JPMorgan (JPM) is based on constantly running transactions through a system. It's how fixed costs are amortized and how bankers make their bonuses. So, if that stops, then there is trouble for the U.S economy. Call it a credit crunch, call it fiscal tightening, call it what you will, but, make no mistake, it is visible everywhere.

Especially in the U.S. financial system, and specifically at regional banks. The Fed's disastrous decision to flood the economy with money in the depths of the Covid crash created inevitably a wave of inflation, which is still wracking the economy. As Powell and his clueless cronies at theFed only know one way to flood the economy with money -- dam-burst style -- similarly they are removing it with equal force.

Look at this chart from the St Louis Fed's FRED database:fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2SL.

After rising steadily for the more than 80 years of data in the St. Louis Fed's data series, "M2 money supply" -- cash, checking accounts, CDs, and the like -- peaked in March 22 and has been trending downward since. So the U.S. economy is in its 14th month of monetary contraction and the casualties are forming. PacWest (PACW) looks likely to join First Republic, Signature, Silicon Valley Bank in the dustbin of history.

But why? I have never heard so many different answers to such a simple question from my friends that are Wall Street professionals. The answer to this medical condition is easy, though. The patient became addicted to a steady morphine-like drip of liquidity, and then the Federal Reserve -- to fixits own mistake -- removed that drip. Then things started to fall apart.

The classic bank business model is to borrow short (deposits are classified as liabilities for a bank) and to lend long. But what if it costs more to have funds available in the short-term than (deposit rate) than an institution can earn on a long-term loan (like a 10-year construction loan, for instance)?

The economics of your simple shoebox-style bank have just been totally upended. The yield curve has been inverted for 11 consecutive months now, a phenomenon that last occurred from 1980-1982. I just have no words for incompetently run this Fed and its ultimate backer, the Treasury Department -- run by Janet Yellen, a former Federal Open Market Committee Chair herself -- has been for the past three years.

So, I believe this credit crunch will eventually be resolved by having long rates gradually rise back through 4% -- making new loans profitable) not by the FOMC cutting the Fed Funds rate back to near-zero from the current 5.25% which would simply resuscitate the inflation monster. A yield curve re-steepening simply has to happen, and that was the genesis of my WYLD portfolio of currently-floating--rate preferreds. But, because preferred stock is counted as Tier 1 capital, the institutions that have the most incentive to issue them are ... you guessed it ... banks.

So, WYLD has paper issued by investment banks, insurance companies, NuStar Energy (NS-A) , which has been a terrific relative performer. Two WYLD names I have noted previously are Zions Bank's preferred (ZIONP) and Valley National Bank's (VLYPO) , and I am buying them both in size this week for Excelsior Capital, as we take advantage of their ridiculous yields. Those yields are based on three-monthLondon Inter-Bank Offered Rate plus an issuer-specific spread. Doing the simple math shows that VLYPO is yielding 14.69% currently, while ZIONP is "only" yielding 10.43% at today's price.

Those yields are crazy, and not reflective of the fundamentals at those banks. So, while I fully expect ZIONP and VLYPO will be just as volatile as their respective common stocks (VLYPO has had a particularly wild ride this week) I am committed to locking in those yields and then ... waiting. I don't think "this will all blow over" or any other such hoary cliche, but I believe the rewards we are reaping from these double-digit yields outweigh the risks. So, we wait.

At this point that is all we can do. I am not sure which is crazier, selling a security that one already owns that sports a nearly 15% yield that I judge to be safe, or buying that security in the first place. That ship has sailed. We are in these positions for the long haul.

When the plumbing is bad, I want to take advantage. That said, I don't like roulette, and I will not be looking to add any new names to my or my clients' portfolios for the foreseeable future. But the ones we have have gotten too cheap, and I am in there with bloody fingers from catching the falling knives and averaging down.

The famously conservative bankers at Zions navigated through 2008 (though ZIONP traded as low as 24 cents on the dollar then, which makes today's 56 cents on the dollar seem like a minimal reaction) and Valley National (VLY) has an ace in the hole, in the 14% ownership stake in VLY held by Israel's Bank Leumi. Valley bought Leumi's U.S. business last year, and, if thingsgo further, I would expect Leumi to consider returning the favor by buying the rest of Valley National.

The plumbing is broken now. Stick with names you own, andbe patient while collecting in love from those names, especially bonds and preferreds, and you will make it through this crisis without needing a bailout of your own.

(Please note that due to factors including low market capitalization and/or insufficient public float, we consider some of these stocks to be small-cap stocks. You should be aware that such stocks are subject to more risk than stocks of larger companies, including greater volatility, lower liquidity and less publicly available information, and that postings such as this one can have an effect on their stock prices.)

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The actors Justin Theroux (left) and Woody Harrelson play G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt in the new HBO miniseries White House Plumbers. The show premieres on May 1. Phillip V. Caruso/HBO hide caption

The actors Justin Theroux (left) and Woody Harrelson play G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt in the new HBO miniseries White House Plumbers. The show premieres on May 1.

The new five-part HBO series White House Plumbers, about the men behind the Watergate break-in, begins just like the movie All the President's Men: The time is the early 1970s. The place is the Watergate Hotel and office complex in Washington, D.C., where some mysterious men are trying to gain illegal entry to the Democratic election headquarters there.

But all of a sudden, as in some alternate dimensional timeline, the familiar details stop being familiar. The would-be burglars can't even pick the door lock and a superimposed message explains the confusing difference to viewers. It reads: "There were four Watergate break-in attempts. This was attempt number two."

Right away, you know this new White House Plumbers series is in great hands. Specifically, it's in the hands of writers and creators Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, both of whom worked on HBO's Veep and The Larry Sanders Show. The director of multiple episodes is David Mandel, who directed episodes of Veep and Curb Your Enthusiasm. And the many executive producers include Frank Rich, who's also an executive producer on Succession. So this group knows how to tell a story in unexpected ways, and to find the humor even in the more serious situations.

After starting with that less familiar Watergate break-in, White House Plumbers flashes back even further, to the moment when the Plumbers were formed, and then takes it forward from there, through the various break-ins, and to the Watergate hearings and a bit beyond.

The principals in this particular telling of the story are E. Howard Hunt, played by Woody Harrelson, and G. Gordon Liddy, played by Justin Theroux. These two larger-than-life schemers were at the heart of the Plumbers, a clandestine group created by the White House to investigate such press leaks as the Pentagon Papers, government documents that had been slipped to The New York Times and other papers by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg. They were called the Plumbers because, well, plumbers locate and stop leaks.

Hunt and Liddy partner and set out to, among other things, bug the Democratic National Committee headquarters. It's not quite a Mission: Impossible, but in the hands of this crew, it takes several tries, and even then, after listening devices are planted, there are problems.

The dialogue is rich throughout White House Plumbers, and so are the performances and characters. Harrelson is wonderful exploding like Ralph Kramden one minute, simmering like Macbeth the next and the supporting cast is a very deep bench, serving up unexpected treasures every episode. There's Kathleen Turner as lobbyist Dita Beard! And Lena Headey from Game of Thrones as Hunt's wife, Dorothy! And Gary Cole as FBI executive Mark Felt who, though he's not identified as such here, in real life was the infamous Deep Throat of All the President's Men. And lots, lots more.

Parts of White House Plumbers are laugh-out-loud outrageous but other parts do make you feel for some of these people, and, of course, compare that scandal to more contemporary ones. It's definitely worth seeing, and savoring. All the President's Men is one of my favorite movies of all time and White House Plumbers is good enough to be shown as a very long, all-Watergate double feature.

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'White House Plumbers' puts a laugh-out-loud spin on the Watergate ... - NPR

The Super Mario Bros. Movie keeps breaking records. Nintendos mascot has surprised everyone, as not even Shigeru Miyamoto, the plumbers creator, expected such box office numbers. The video game character has come a long way, jumping to the number-one spot in the movie business, showing that a beloved IP such as Mario can go far beyond its original media.

Among the many landmarks the Mario movie has achieved, the film competes with Frozen 2 regarding opening weekend box office records. Aside from the economic significance, one thing is clear: Nintendo is telling Disney they can give them a run for their money. Needless to say, this is just the first Illumination/Nintendo movie, and one isolated hit has a long way to go. Yet, Nintendo is working on a series of actions to make Mario the next big-time mascot, exceeding its already unrivaled video game reputation.

Furthermore, despite Disneys undeniable preponderance in the entertainment industry, the company has seen better days in terms of box office, and the recent sudden CEO change suggests some leadership issues. Be that as it may, this might be the start of Mickey Mouses dethroning as the biggest entertainment mascot. Of course, that is if Nintendo continues to play its cards right.

Marios movie and TV history is well known. Despite multiple attempts in the US and Japan to make a relevant cartoon or live-action film that properly depicts the plumbers heroic story, none had the same impact as the recent movie. This led to Nintendo being extremely careful with the Mario media rights for so long.

However, a different approach of the Japanese company can be traced to the last decade. The first significant breakthrough came with the announcement of the Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan. Announced in 2015 and opened in March 2021, this new theme park area was founded under two distinctive decisions. The first one would be bringing the plumbers universe to a real-life set, an interaction that is only reserved for very popular IPs such as Star Wars, Marvel, DreamWorks, and other selected franchises.

This meant Mario not being exclusively a videogame character, as this grants visibility beyond gamers. Plus, it is a sophisticated way of advertising in which anyone who ignored Mario games until now might use a theme park visit as an excuse to join the party.

Related: Super Mario Bros.: Characters We Want to See in Future Movies

The second decision that stood Mario in the mascot wars arena was that Nintendo chose Universal instead of Disney for its theme park development. Again, there may have been some negotiations at some point in the past, but the story goes that Nintendo went with Universal, Disneys long-time theme park rival.

With a life-sized Mario running around a themed land, he and his crew are now in Mickey Mouses territory, greeting guests for photo-ops and creating family memories. The expansion plans have already hit America, with a recently opened Nintendo World on the west coast and an upcoming Floridian counterpart in 2025.

The truth is Mario triumphs in an industry to which Disney contributes but doesnt master. Sure, Mickey is a playable character, and Disney has created its fair share of popular video games that made an impact on the industry. But this doesnt mean that they have the same weight as Nintendo, or its competitors, Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox for that matter.

Disney doesnt own a console nor pays more interest in video games than producing some based on their popular IPs. Ultimately, Disney has used Nintendo (and Sony and Microsoft) as a platform to showcase its franchises, so it cannot compete with Marios popularity.

As Mario slowly invades Mickeys territory, which is movies and TV, the mouse seems uninterested in competing side-by-side with the plumber in the video game terrain. Of course, there are many reasons not to do it, and probably commercial ones are the ones to keep them from creating their own console, but if Mario continues to grow, it might be a decision worth double-checking in the not-so-distant future.

Disneys paramount role in entertainment makes the company pursue leadership in every possible market. If Nintendo becomes a threat to its popularity, it might have to step up in ways it never thought viable before.

Related: The Best Nintendo Adaptations Like Super Mario Bros, Ranked

Its not that simple to dethrone the most famous mouse in the world. A century in the entertainment business has Walts favorite creation alive and well, with many promising new adventures to come and innumerable resources to keep ahead of the competition in mascot popularity.

Still, the future looks bright for Mario. His cinematic and theme-park popularity is on the rise, and his video game reputation is simply second-to-none. Now its a pivotal point for its roster of characters to jump in as well. Disneys domain relies on its rich set of lovable characters and stories that set them apart in the business.

But Nintendo is no stranger to this and has created its own roster of familiar faces and enticing playable adventures that could easily make great films and TV shows.

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Mario: Is Our Favorite Italian Plumber the Next Big Time Movie ... - MovieWeb