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Square Roots teams up with UNFI to expand access to locally-grown leafy greens: ‘We have the shortest supply chain possible’ – FoodNavigator-USA.com

Scheduled to open in 2023, the new 20,000-square-foot Square Roots farm will be able to produce up to three million retail packages of salad mixes, microgreens, and herbs per year, serving retailers and consumers in the Twin Cities metro areas in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The new farm will look similar to Square Roots other indoor farming locations throughout the Midwest, using the company's same ultra-efficient hydroponic system, which uses significantly less water and land than conventional field farms. Inside its farms, Square Roots farmers use the companys proprietary software to manage every aspect of growing, from planning production tasks to monitoring plant health.

"In essence, we'll have grow zones where the plants are growing. Inside there you have controlled climates that are optimized for the plant growth and there'll be additional infrastructure on site that provides all the additional space that you need to run a food-safe and people-safe commercial scale operation (i.e. packing rooms. cold storage, bio-security)," Square Roots CEO Tobias Peggs told FoodNavigator-USA.

"The whole thing soup-to-nuts will be monitored and operated in part with the Square Roots operating systems software that we built. The whole idea really is through a combination of that hardware and software and then workflows through which you train the farmers is that we're able to get almost manufacturing-like levels of predictability and consistency out of this farm."

The agreement with UNFI includes plans for additional farms located on-site at other select UNFI distribution centers.

With the intent of reducing the number of 'food miles' fresh produce travels to reach the end consumer, indoor farms such as Square Roots have the potential to transform the current fresh food supply chain, noted Dorn Wenninger, senior vice president of produce at UNFI.

"Every day from the time you harvest until the consumer gets it in their home you're stealing days of freshness. Our goal at UNFI is how do we give those days of freshness back to the consumer," Wenninger told FoodNavigator-USA.

Square Roots produce harvested at the UNFI distribution center will reach stores within hours from the time that it's harvested creating a shorter, stronger supply chain.

"The last 24 months have taught us that we've seen empty shelves across the grocery store and we continue to today in certain categories. The shorter one's supply chain is the better surety of supply that you have. So you couldn't get any shorter [with the Square Roots and UNFI co-located]."

However, Wenninger noted the importance of strategically locating indoor farms, such as Square Roots, to have a maximum market impact.

"It's a fine line between what is the critical mass to allow the investment vs. the demand. While it's intellectually interesting to think about growing food at your local retail store, the reality is that local retail store is just one store," said Wenninger.

Whereas, Square Roots' co-location in Prescott, Wisc., where UNFI has two large distribution centers, will service hundreds of retail stores within a few-hours drive.

"You're achieving both of the best worlds where you have close proximity but you're also able to leverage the scale in producing 52 weeks, 365 days of the year while having access to a market where you can have efficient economies of scale yet still have the freshness aspect," added Wenninger.

Wenninger also noted the larger looming environmental picture which has impacted the supply of fresh produce.

"Right now, the United States is facing shortages on certain lettuces because of weather conditions and the costs are record high. One thing about CEA is that the farms produce the same amount every day. We're not concerned about the weather, we're not concerned about trucks because we have the shortest supply chain possible," said Wenninger.

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Square Roots teams up with UNFI to expand access to locally-grown leafy greens: 'We have the shortest supply chain possible' - FoodNavigator-USA.com

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Vote! In the States Roundup – AFL-CIO

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Vote! In the States Roundup - AFL-CIO

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DOE to award $12M to support extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines – Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a $12-million Funding Opportunity Announcement (DEFOA0002823) to support the extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines to use in batteries for stationary storage and electric vehicles.

Geothermal brines are a byproduct of geothermal power that contain a host of minerals, including lithium. This funding opportunity will support technologies to extract battery-grade lithium from geothermal brines directlyproviding a cost-effective, domestic source of this critical material.

The funding opportunity will focus on two topic areas:

Field Validation of Lithium Hydroxide Production from Geothermal Brines: pilot or demonstration projects to validate cost-effective, innovative lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide conversion technologies. Lithium hydroxide is used in the manufacture of lithium battery electrodes.

Applied Research & Development for Direct Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines: R&D projects to advance emerging direct lithium extraction process technologies to increase efficiency, reduce waste generation, and/or reduce cost.

Projects for topic one can:

Promote process intensification, such as through the elimination of intermediate lithium carbonate conversion

Validate DLE [direct lithium extraction] in steady-state, continuously at a scale around one-tenth of commercial scale using real-world brines

Produce battery-grade materials to support domestic battery cathode manufacturing

Minimize or eliminate impact to human and environmental health and safety

Easily integrated into existing facilities or allow for co-location of capabilities along the supply chain

Topic two:

Proposed projects within this topic may make use of primarily synthetic brines but must use real brines for final results

During the award performance period, life-cycle considerations should be assessed, including but not limited to, carbon, energy, chemical, and/or water intensity. Life-cycle analyses may be required to validate the assessment

During the award performance period, the cost of proposed technologies and/or processes may be required to be validated by techno-economic analyses

Topic 1 is limited to industry-led partnerships, with small businesses being highly encouraged. Successful teams will include industry-relevant partners with existing or easy access to geothermal brines. Teams are also encouraged to partner with battery cathode producers. Topic 2 is limited to partnerships.

These goals also align with DOEs Energy Storage Grand Roadmap Challenge, the Federal Consortium on Advanced Batteries National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, and the American Battery Materials Initiative.

The estimated period of performance for the award will be three years. This funding opportunity is led by DOEs Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).

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DOE to award $12M to support extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines - Green Car Congress

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GIP and KKR-led Consortium Enters Into Strategic Co-control Partnership With Vodafone to Invest in Vantage Towers AG – Yahoo Finance

Two of the worlds leading infrastructure investors and Vodafone team up to jointly transform Vantage Towers into a leading player in the European telecoms tower sector

The Consortium, as partner to Vodafone, will co-control Vodafones c. 81.7% stake in Vantage Towers and launch a public takeover offer to the minority shareholders of the company for the remaining c. 18.3%

The strategic partners intend to support an ongoing multibillion euro investment program over the next five years in order to improve Vantage Towers existing infrastructure and expand and upgrade its network

The Consortium will support the development of Europes digital infrastructure by driving network expansion and enabling the deployment of next-generation technologies

LONDON & FRANKFURT, November 09, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, a consortium of funds led by Global Infrastructure Partners ("GIP") and KKR (together "the Consortium") entered into a strategic co-control partnership with Vodafone GmbH ("Vodafone") for Vodafones c. 81.7% stake in Vantage Towers AG ("Vantage Towers" or "the company"), a leading telecoms tower company in Europe. Vodafone will transfer its stake in Vantage Towers to a holding company ("Oak BidCo"), which will be indirectly co-controlled by Vodafone and the Consortium. The Consortium will obtain a shareholding of up to 50%. Oak BidCo will launch a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding free float shares of Vantage Towers AG comprising c. 18.3% of the share capital.

GIP and KKR will be investing through their core infrastructure strategies. Tower Bridge Infrastructure Partners1 will be part of the Consortium as a co-investor, with additional funding for the transaction provided by the Public Investment Fund ("PIF").

Story continues

Together, GIP, KKR and Vodafone will provide deep infrastructure expertise to help advance the companys strategic plans. The Consortium and Vodafone share a joint ambition to accelerate the companys growth trajectory through additional investments by Vantage Towers in its network and expansion into fast-growing adjacent markets. The Consortium and Vodafone aim to expand Vantage Towers business to create a leading pan-European telecoms tower business.

Already a leader in its core markets today, Vantage Towers has a large footprint of approximately 83,000 sites in ten countries, long-term agreements with high-quality tenants and a deep and dense network in the markets in which it operates. The company benefits from consistent organic growth, stable margin development and strong cash generation driven by significant revenue visibility and enhanced commercialization of its tower footprint. In 2021, Vantage Towers signed a landmark agreement with 1&1 Mobilfunk GmbH to support the company in the rapid roll-out of its 5G network, covering potentially up to 5,000 existing sites throughout Germany for the next 20 years.

"Were delighted to join forces with Vodafone and KKR to invest in Vantage Towers, a high-quality European tower portfolio with strong upside potential. We are looking forward to capturing the exciting value-creating opportunities in the European telecoms infrastructure sector by advancing Vantage Towers strategy and supporting its capacity to build new sites. As strategic partners with Vodafone and KKR, we will bring our deep infrastructure expertise and resources to help the company deliver the best data connectivity for individuals and businesses and contribute to enabling Europes digital future in the interest of all stakeholders," said Will Brilliant, Partner and Head of Digital Infrastructure at GIP.

"Together with our strategic partners Vodafone and GIP, we believe Vantage Towers high-quality footprint and network across the region ideally position it to meet the ever-growing demand for mobile connectivity in Europe. We have a shared goal of creating a pan-European telecoms champion by continuing to grow and develop the business, leveraging the Consortiums significant telecoms infrastructure investment experience and global resources. At KKR we are long-term conviction investors in Europes digital infrastructure and at Vantage Towers we intend to pursue value-creating investments to capitalise on the growth in this sector and to help drive consolidation in a fragmented market," said Vincent Policard, Partner and Co-Head of European Infrastructure at KKR.

"This is a landmark moment for both Vodafone and Vantage Towers. This transaction successfully delivers on Vodafones stated aims of retaining co-control over a strategically important asset, deconsolidating Vantage Towers from our balance sheet to ensure we can optimise its capital structure and generate substantial upfront cash proceeds for the Group to support our priority of deleveraging. We are excited to partner with GIP and KKR, both world-class investors who bring significant expertise in digital infrastructure and share our long-term vision for Vantage Towers as we collectively take the business to the next stage of its growth," said Nick Read, Vodafone Group Chief Executive.

Investing in the modernization of Europes mobile infrastructureTogether, the strategic partners plan to support Vantage Towers multibillion investment program over the next 5 years in order to improve existing infrastructure and to expand as well as upgrade the network. Through their strategic co-control partnership, the Consortium and Vodafone intend to support Vantage Towers to:

Accelerate the companys ambitious program to build new sites for existing clients ("Build-to-suit", "BTS") that helps them to meet their coverage obligations and densification requirements.

Enhance Vantage Towers commercial capabilities and drive the utilization of existing assets by capturing additional co-location opportunities from new and existing third-party customers.

Expand the companys activities beyond its core business into fast-growing adjacent markets such as 5G private networks, data centers, edge computing, small cells and the internet-of-things ("IoT"), and deploying fiber to the tower ecosystem.

Further drive consolidation in the European tower sector.

This European growth strategy is expected to allow Vantage Towers to further diversify its tenant base, increase the size and depth of its tower portfolio, while also creating further cost efficiencies and improving its profitability.

With further investments into Vantage Towers network, the Consortium and Vodafone are supporting Europes digitalization efforts and ensuring that mobile telecommunications infrastructure can keep up with the rapidly rising demand for data traffic and connectivity. Emerging trends such as autonomous driving, telemedicine, virtual/augmented reality, smart farming and IoT depend on the data services and infrastructure that enable them. Vantage Towers has the DNA of a carrier-neutral infrastructure provider, which will play a key role in empowering a sustainably connected Europe. The Consortium is aware of its responsibility to provide access to communications services for the community. It also recognizes the importance of sustainably stewarding these critical assets and is committed to ensuring that Vantage Towers remains a highly attractive employer in the industry.

GIP and KKR have a long track record of collaboration in the infrastructure sectorBoth GIP and KKR are leading global infrastructure investors. Together, they form a Consortium with unique experience and expertise in global infrastructure investing, particularly in the digital and communications sector. Both companies share a longstanding institutional relationship and have a proven track record of acting together within one consortium. The Consortium is a strong financial partner for Vantage Towers with access to ample liquidity and long-term value creation objectives to support the business and the necessary investments at this pivotal moment for the industry.

Voluntary takeover offerAs part of their strategic co-control partnership, the Consortium and Vodafone will launch a voluntary public takeover offer to the shareholders of Vantage Towers through Oak BidCo. Vantage Towers shareholders will be offered EUR 32.0 per share in cash. Vantage Towers shareholders will benefit from a 19% premium to the 3-month volume-weighted average share price.

The voluntary takeover offer will be subject to various customary offer conditions, including the receipt of regulatory antitrust and FDI approvals, with closing expected in the first half of 2023.

As part of the transaction, Oak BidCo and Vantage Towers have entered into a Business Combination Agreement in which Vantage Towers undertook to support the takeover offer. Subject to their review of the offer document, the management board and supervisory board of Vantage Towers welcome and support the offer and intend to recommend that Vantage Towers' shareholders accept the offer. The current management board members of Vantage Towers will continue to lead the company.

Further, the Consortium and Vodafone intend to implement a domination profit and loss transfer agreement ("DPLTA") if the final shareholding of Oak BidCo in Vantage Towers is below 95%, or a squeeze-out of non-Oak-BidCo minority shareholders if the aggregate shareholding of Oak BidCo in the company is 95% or higher. Post-closing, Vodafone and the Consortium will consider removing Vantage Towers public listing from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Offer document and further informationThe voluntary public takeover offer will be made pursuant to an offer document to be approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). This offer document will be published following receipt of permission from BaFin, at which point the initial acceptance period of the takeover offer will commence. The offer document (in German and a non-binding English translation) and other information pertaining to the public takeover offer will be published on the following website: https://angebot.wpueg.de/oak/.

GIP and KKR are advised by Morgan Stanley as exclusive financial advisor and Latham & Watkins as legal advisor.

###

About Vantage TowersVantage Towers is a leading tower company in Europe with around 83,000 sites in ten countries, connecting people, businesses and devices in cities and rural areas.

The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Dsseldorf. Vantage Towers has been listed on the Deutsche Brses Prime Standard in Frankfurt since 18 March 2021. The shares are included in the MDAX, TecDAX, STOXX Europe 600 and FTSE Global Midcap Indices.

Vantage Towers portfolio includes towers, masts, rooftop sites, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells. By building, operating and leasing this infrastructure to MNOs or other network providers such as IoT companies or utilities, Vantage Towers is making a significant contribution to a better-connected Europe.

While already 100% of the electricity that Vantage Towers uses to operate its infrastructure is obtained from renewable energy sources, green energy is increasingly being generated directly on site with the help of solar panels, micro wind turbines and in future also hydrogen solutions. This fits well into the overall strategy of the company to drive a sustainable digitalisation in Europe and to support partners through technological innovation in decarbonisation and achieving their climate goals.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.vantagetowers.com, follow us on Twitter at @VantageTowers or connect with us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/vantagetowers.

About VodafoneUnique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services.

Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 22 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 47 more. As of 30 June 2022, we had over 300 million mobile customers, more than 28 million fixed broadband customers and 22 million TV customers. Vodafone is a world leader in the Internet of Things ("IoT"), connecting around 160 million devices and platforms.

We have revolutionised fintech in Africa through M-Pesa, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022. It is the regions largest fintech platform, providing access to financial services for more than 50 million people in a secure, affordable and convenient way.

Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, digitalise critical sectors and enable inclusive and sustainable digital societies.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact to reach net zero emissions across our full value chain by 2040, while helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030. We are driving action to reduce device waste and achieve our target to reuse, resell or recycle 100% of our network waste.

We believe in the power of connectivity and digital services to improve society and economies, partnering with governments to digitalise healthcare, education and agriculture and create cleaner, safer cities. Our products and services support the digitalisation of businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Our inclusion for all strategy seeks to ensure no-one is left behind through access to connectivity, digital skills and creating relevant products and services such as access to education, healthcare and finance. We are also committed to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the customers and societies we serve.

For more information, please visit http://www.vodafone.com, follow us on Twitter at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone.

About Global Infrastructure PartnersGIP is a leading independent infrastructure fund manager that makes equity and debt investments in infrastructure assets and businesses. GIP targets investments in the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water/waste sectors in both OECD and select emerging market countries. Headquartered in New York, GIP operates out of 10 offices: New York, London, Stamford (Connecticut), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong. GIP manages c. US $84 billion for its investors. GIPs portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of c. US $68 billion and employ over 100,000 people. For more information, visit http://www.global-infra.com.

About KKRKKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKRs insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries.

KKR established its Global Infrastructure business in 2008 and has since grown to one of the largest infrastructure investors globally with a team of more than 75 dedicated investment professionals. The firm currently oversees approximately US$50 billion in infrastructure assets globally as of 30 September, 2022, and has made over 65 infrastructure investments across a range of sub-sectors and geographies. KKRs infrastructure platform is devised specifically for long term, capital intensive structural investments.

For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKRs website at http://www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

1 Separately Managed Account managed by GIP

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221109005530/en/

Contacts

Media Contact Consortium (on behalf of GIP and KKR)

Germany

Thea BichmannMobile: +49 172 13 99 761Email: thea.bichmann@fgsglobal.com

Christian FalkowskiMobile: +49 171 86 79 950Email: christian.falkowski@fgsglobal.com

UK

Alastair ElwenTelephone: +44 20 7251 3801Email: alastair.elwen@fgsglobal.com

Sophia JohnstonTelephone: +44 20 7251 3801Email: sophia.johnston@fgsglobal.com

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GIP and KKR-led Consortium Enters Into Strategic Co-control Partnership With Vodafone to Invest in Vantage Towers AG - Yahoo Finance

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Great White Expands Los Angeles Footprint to Third Location in West Hollywood – PR Newswire

The latest addition to the brand's growing portfolio, Great White - Melrose offers Angelenos and visitors alike a familiar experience within a fresh and inspiring setting

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Great White Partners announces today the official opening of its third location in Los Angeles. Located on Melrose Avenue in the heart of West Hollywood, Great White - Melrose is the latest in the Los Angeles-based, Australian-owned brand's growing portfolio of all-day cafes and lifestyle destinations offering a unmistakably curated blend of food & beverage, art, architecture, design, music and beyond.

As with the Great White flagship in Venice Beach and second location in Larchmont Village, Great White - Melrose's menu, helmed by Chilean chef Juan Ferreiro (formerly of Per Se), is inspired by a blend of coastal cultures with a focus on fresh, local, seasonal, accessible fare that is simple and allows its ingredients to shine. A mix of old favorites and new additions, the food menu will see classic offerings such as juices and smoothies, bowls, salads, a range of wood-fired pizzas, along with new items (which will soon be available across all Great White locations) including:

CITRUS & BURRATA

pistachios, winter citrus, smoked oil, sourdough

MUSHROOM FRIES

chili aioli, lemon zest, thai basil

CHARRED BROCCOLINI

puffed grains, chili sauce, scallions, cilantro

CRISPY FISH

roasted broccolini, marinated radish, brown butter

WILD ARUGULA PESTO PASTA

whipped goat cheese, tomato chili jam, breadcrumbs

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

wood-fired pita, roasted cauliflower, raisins, labneh

STEAK & MUSHROOM FRIES

bok choy, spicy butter sauce

The brand's celebrated natural wine program, headed up by Andy Miller (formerly of Tabula Rasa) also mimics their approach to food, delivering fun, bright and crushable wines made by small and independent producers, where the stories are as important as the grapes. Guests can expect varietals in the form of a "pet nat" by delinquent winemakers from South Australia, a Glou-Glou style chilled red, made by a mother and son in Lorraine, France or their own skin contact 'The Horse With No Name' in partnership with the duo behind Northern California-based Deux Punx and with artwork by local LA-based artist Randy Perez - all rotating on a weekly basis.

"Great White was born out of what we perceived to be a gap in the market for an all-day, fast-casual cafe that we knew at home in Australia," said Sam Trude, Co-Founder of Great White Partners. "Our West Hollywood location is an extension of what we've found to be a successful formula that considers all of the necessary elements for an unforgettable dining experience - interesting art, design, architecture, music, and a variety of options as it pertains to both food and beverage that feature the best ingredients and an ever growing list of talented makers."

Partnering with Los Angeles-based architect Natalie Kazanjian to set the tone, the new, 5,000-square-foot space (that exists on the site of a former laundromat) embodies the brand's signature European-inspired aesthetic with plastered walls, soft woods, clay wall lights and zellige tiles. The eye-catching pink exterior facade is color-matched directly to one of the co-founder's childhood home in Australia. The interior dining room is anchored by a striking Portuguese limestone bar and large woven pendants from Pakistan. Custom doors open up onto the expansive outdoor patio with twin fireplaces and reclaimed cobblestone flooring from Germany. A large-scale painting - "Forgotten Planet Awakens'' - by Berlin-based artist Danny Gretscher adorns the main wall and acts as a focal point of the dining room.

The latest location also boasts an outdoor private dining room for up to 12 guests, a distinct space to host intimate dinners and events, with the purposeful, laid back hospitality that Great White has become known for.

"I have always enjoyed this part of West Hollywood, which seems to seamlessly connect all of the different worlds within it such as entertainment, nightlife, tourism, etc.," said Sam Cooper, Co-Founder of Great White Partners."What underpins all of it is the community. We look for a strong sense of community in every space we enter. There is a real energy about this space and the surrounding area and we are excited to tap into that with Great White - Melrose".

Further highlighting the brand's dedication to an immersive, all-encompassing experience for its guests, Great White - Melrose will mark the incorporation of high efficiency, low powered speakers Ojas. With a mission to bring realistic, natural sound to the masses, the high-end audio equipment will be featured across all Great White locations in the coming months, streaming the brand's highly sought after playlists, specially curated by Music Director and DJ Max Van Ville.

Great White - Melrose is located at 8917 Melrose Avenue (between Almont and La Peer) and open between the hours of 8am - 10pm starting Friday, November 11th, 2022. Reservations can be made online now via Resy.

About Great White

Great White is a casual, coastal Californian all-day caf located steps from Venice Beach, on the bustling Larchmont Boulevard in Larchmont Village, and now, on the iconic Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. Co-founded by restaurateurs Sam Trude and Sam Cooper in 2017, the concept blends a combination of laid-back Australian Caf culture with the West Coast Californian lifestyle.

http://www.greatwhite.cafe| @greatwhite

For press inquiries, please contact:

[emailprotected]

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Vessel Kitchen’s 6th location is coming to Farmington, Utah – Utah Business – Utah Business

FARMINGTON, UTUtah-based Vessel Kitchen announced it would open its 6threstaurant at325 North Central Avenue, Farmington,Utah. The scheduled opening day isthe second week of January 2023.

In February 2022, Mountain West Commercial Real Estate (MW) helped Vessel Kitchen lease 2,500 sq. ft in Station Park in Farmington,Utah. Vessel Kitchen has five other locations in Park City, Midvale, Salt Lake City, and Sandy.

Thanks to the overwhelming community support we have received and the great partnerships we have fostered along the way, we have been able to make our dream a reality by opening six locations in six years, said Vessel Kitchen Co-founder, Nick Gradinger. With this smaller footprint in Station Park, we decided to make some changes to the floor plan, like opening up the kitchen to create transparency while still paying homage to our flagship location in Park City.

Mountain West Commercial Real Estate agent Scott Brady exclusively represents Vessel Kitchen. Brady has worked with the founders to locate each of its current restaurants.

Vessel Kitchen is a one-of-a-kind dining experience that has much success, and we are excited to help the restaurant expand, said MW Agent, Scott Brady. Farmington has a diverse background with people ready for a Vessel Kitchen.

Vessel Kitchen has a fine dining vibe with fast-casual affordability and convenience. Each location is bright, clean, and authentic, with scratch preparation and flavors from around the world.

###

About MWCRE

Mountain West Commercial Real Estatewas founded in 2009 by a group of regionally dominant brokers. This unique assembly of talent has a simple mission statement then and now: To operate a commercial real estate brokerage not focused on being the biggest but the best. Mountain West Commercial is uniquely adapted to help our clients.

About Vessel Kitchen

From the beginning, Vessel Kitchen has sought to push the envelope of culinary innovation by offering an upscale vibe and quality meals at a fast-casual price and convenience. For the flavor-obsessed and fuel-focused, Vessel is defining a new normal. Coining the phrase healthy and healthy-ish, Vessel has uncovered the perfect balance of offerings for every type of eater. Clean, local, seasonal, and responsible flavors from around the world. Vessel focuses on food-forward sourcing, procuring local ingredients each season whenever possible. Not just because they are local, but because fresh ingredients taste better, and supporting local vendors is a central part of Vessels identity. Since the first location opened in 2022, communities have embraced Vessels unique concept. Today, the locally owned and operated brand has five locations across the state, with the sixth set to open in the winter of 2023. To learn more about this innovative brand, visitwww.vesselkitchen.com.

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Vessel Kitchen's 6th location is coming to Farmington, Utah - Utah Business - Utah Business

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USPS May Be Slowing Down Deliveries With This Major Change – Best Life

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been walking on a tightrope for some time now, and the pandemic only worsened its already shaky balancing act. But the agency is trying to get itself back on solid ground. In March 2021, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy unveiled his Delivering for America initiative, which is a 10-year plan meant to help the USPS achieve financial sustainability and improve mail service. To do this, the agency will be making a number of adjustments to its operations over the next decadebut some have already gotten substantial pushback. Read on to find out what major change has officials worried that the USPS could be slowing down deliveries once more.

READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Planning This Long Dreaded Change to Your Mail, Starting Jan. 22.

The USPS has already hit the ground running with its Delivering for America plan, and customers have faced many changesas a result. If you've noticed higher prices at your local post office, you have a series of price hikes to thank: As part of its 10-year initiative, the Postal Service increased costs for consumers in July and October, and introduced new shipping fees in April.

That's not the only adjustment we've dealt with either. One of the first changes from the USPS took place all the way back in Oct. 2021, when the agency implemented new service standards that slowed down certain mail deliveries for customers. Then the Postal Service extended the delivery timeframe of even more packages in May 2022.

Now, the USPS is making yet another major change that officials are worried could make deliveries even slower.

As part of the Delivering for America plan, the Postal Service is gearing up for another major shakeup. In a notice sent to postal unions, USPS management flagged more than 200 postal facilities where it plans to consolidate delivery operations, the Federal News Network reported on Sept. 6. According to the news outlet, this move will make it so that deliveries for these post offices and other facilities will be processed in one of 21 larger regional Sort and Delivery Centers (S&DCs) instead.

The Postal Service is planning to start consolidating a few facilities this fall but most of the delivery operations will be moved in Feb. 2023. Overall, the agency is looking to consolidate around 21 percent of its delivery units into S&DCs, according to Supply Chain Drive.

"We have 19,000 [units]. I think when we get done with this, we'll have 15,000 delivery units," DeJoy told the news outlet.

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DeJoy's consolidation initiative isn't sitting well with some officials, however. Michigan Representative Fred Upton met with several local leaders in his state on Nov. 7 to urge the USPS to suspend the implementation of this plan, CBS-affiliate WWMT reported. The Postal Service is set to consolidate the delivery operations of numerous post offices throughout Michigan into the Kalamazoo Processing and Distribution Center in February of next year, according to the agency's letter to postal unions.

Upton said this will require hundreds of carriers in Kalamazoo, Allegan, Van Buren, and other surrounding counties to travel to one location just to be able to deliver the maila problem many experts believe could impact the timeliness in which customers are receiving their deliveries.

"We go to every house every day it may not be that way if this happens," Tony Viers, Michigan state president for National Association of Postal Supervisors told MLive, noting that the average time of mail delivery could go from within two to three days to four to six as a result.

Other areas are concerned as well. Current postal workerDavid Staigerand retired USPS employee Peter Blunt both spoke out about the potential issues with this consolidation plan at an October event in Andover, Massachusetts, the Andover Townsman reported. According to Staiger, consolidation will likely make it more difficult for postal workers to do their jobs as well as enhance staffing struggles the agency is already facing.

Blunt added that the Postal Service's current fleet of vehicles are not safe to drive longer distances on highways to get to these S&DCs. And while the agency is planning to introduce a new vehicle fleet better suited for highway travel in the spring of 2023, Blunt is skeptical this will actually happen. "The lives of the carriers are not to be toyed with," he said.

Despite concerns for customers and postal workers, the Postal Service is standing behind plans to consolidate operations. A spokesperson for the agency told the Andover Townsmanthat these changes will actually make the agency's delivery network move efficient and effective, which will help it better serve the public in return.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

"This model will greatly improve our transportation utilization by reducing time and the cost of transportation to facilities, and in cases of co-location, eliminating the need for transportation entirely," USPS communications specialist Amy Gibbstold the Massachusetts newspaper.

Gibbs added, "This initiative will enable us to utilize more battery electric vehicles, since more routes would beat the optimal length to make such vehicles operationally feasible, and since the vehicles would be originating from facilities with enhanced electricity infrastructure to support the necessary charging stations."

DeJoy recently implored workers to consider the potential efficiency of his consolidation plans for the entire USPS. "I do ask you to put the changes that might impact you in perspective since I can assure you that the changes we are proposing are vitally necessary, and will significantly improve the long term prospects for the Postal Service as a great American institution," he said in an October video message to all employees. "For some of you, this might mean you have to travel a little further to get to work. But when you get there, you will have nicer facilities and better equipment, and you will be personally contributing to the transformation of the United States Postal Service."

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USPS May Be Slowing Down Deliveries With This Major Change - Best Life

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Inside Liberland, the Balkan micronation becoming the first country to be built in the metaverse – Euronews

What does a strip of abandoned land, a former Czech politician and virtual reality (VR) have in common? The answer is the self-declared Balkan micronation of Liberland.

First founded in 2015, its poised to further its ambitions of statehood with the development of a brand new metaverse.

Liberland will be the first country to be built and inhabited in the virtual world first in anticipation of its realisation in real life.

Whats more, world-renowned architectural firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, have been working on a vision for a virtual city that will provide a home for the swelling ranks of the countrys citizens.

Although it isnt a formally recognised country, Liberland has 7,000 approved residents with 700,000 more applications for citizenship being processed.

Wedged between Serbia and Croatia, the 7 km2 territory - which is larger than Vatican City or Monaco - is disputed land and claimed by neither country.

Liberland has been steadily growing its international reputation since its foundation by former Czech MP - and the micronations current president - Vit Jedlika and his partner Jana Markovicova.

Prior to 2015, libertarian Jedlika had worked in his home country to create what he envisioned as a new society that was not hampered with the trappings of the old. Despite huge efforts, he encountered too many barriers.

"At that point, I realised it might be easier to start a new country than change an existing one," he told Euronews Next.

Once, this radical and inspiring thought took hold, the couple literally turned to Google to search for land that might serve their purpose.

The result was a sliver of forgotten land on the west bank of the Danube and so a new nation, the Free Republic of Liberland, was born.

Since the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a border dispute has existed between Croatia and Serbia, with both sides presenting conflicting claims to various territories along the the Danube.

However, the area Jedlika found along the west bank of the river had not been claimed by either Croatia, Serbia or any other country and was therefore in a state of terra nullius, in other words a no mans land.

That is until Jedlika - the current president of the provisional government - and the other founders of Liberland laid claim to the territory on April 13, 2015.

"We are building a country that can serve as a good example for other countries. The biggest improvement is that, in Liberland, taxes are voluntary, and people are rewarded when they pay them," Jedlika said.

"We founded Liberland on April 13, 2015, to celebrate the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. We wanted to invoke the spirit of the American Revolution. We also want to combine the best elements of the American republic, Swiss democracy, and the meritocracy of Singapore. We want to put our system on the blockchain so that the government will work in a modern and transparent way".

Liberland bases its right to nationhood on the international legal rules which outline four key attributes.

The first is a population, the second a defined territory, the third a government and finally the capacity to enter into international relations with other states.

Its on this first point that the president of the nascent country really sees the strength of support for Liberlands claim for statehood.

"The first day we had 2,000 applications for citizenship, the second 10,000 and by the third we had 200,000. This alone shows that there is a demand for what we are doing," Jedlika said.

By partnering with Zaha Hadid Architects to create a metaverse, Liberland is creating a space for its thousands of citizens to meet without having to travel to that tiny, and as yet, uninhabited piece of land.

Indeed, it might be a much safer option for its would-be citizens as visitors are not then exposed to the threat of possible arrest by Croatian Police.

Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadids principal architect, is a long term supporter of Liberland and has presided over previous architectural competitions to create a vision for a physical Liberland.

By looking at a metaverse, he is providing an alternative and immediate way of allowing Liberland citizens to enter the micronation.

Schumacher - the brains behind parametricism, a concept first coined back in 2008 which basically reinvented architecures relationship with computer technology and algorithms - is a legend in the industry.

He recently published his '12 Theses on the Advent of the Metaverse,' his vision of what the virtual world will be like.

Schumacher's primary thesis is that the metaverse will deliver vivid tele-presence, co-location synergies, explorative browsing, immersiveness, collective experiences, and so on.

The uptake of this opportunity will be universal as all websites will spatialise, all organisations will move into the metaverse, and all physical venues will be augmented or substituted by functionally equivalent virtual venues.

His second thesis is that the metaverse is a single reality.

"The metaverse is neither a game, nor fiction. Virtual reality in the metaverse will be no less real than the physical reality in our cities," Schumacher wrote.

"Physically and virtually mediated social communicative interactions are equally significant and together form an undivided continuous social reality. There will be both competition and cooperation within and across these realms".

But he really kicks into gear with his seventh and eight theses which he calls the "Architects Take Over" and "Architectures Essence Distilled".

"In the coming age of VR empowered cyberspace, it will be architects and no longer graphic designers who will design the coming 3D immersive internet: the metaverse," Schumacher wrote.

"This expansion of architectures remit will further distill the disciplines essence and core competency, namely the spatio-visual ordering of communicative interaction, upgraded via investment into the subdisciplines of spatiology, phenomenology, semiology and dramaturgy".

In many ways it makes sense to finally bring architects into the metaverse if we are to create cities that make sense rather than just look pretty.

And it would appear it takes a new country, built on an absence of bloodshed, to seriously engage with trad-architecture and to bring it into de-architecture.

"Architecture is UI/UX for the built environment, a field that is deeply engaged in systems thinking, and that has many commonalities with communication and web design. Architects are strategists of spatial social functionality and communication," Daniela Ghertovici, founder of ArchAgenda, explained.

Architects are best positioned to strategise and design urban environments in the metaverse, she addded.

"Architects are digital natives, designing computationally, creating 3D digital environments and using game engines for VR presentations of spatial designs," Ghertovici said.

"We focus much energy on creating physical environments for social interaction and productivity, and we are now entering the realm of UX design for complex real-time multi-user interaction in Virtual Reality platforms. Architects understand how to connect 3D space with social networking".

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Inside Liberland, the Balkan micronation becoming the first country to be built in the metaverse - Euronews

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Podcast Town founder looking to expand business through new academy – Greater Milwaukee Today | GMToday.com

BROOKFIELD Elzie Flenard, founder of Podcast Town, a podcast agency that started in 2016, has opened a podcasting academy as the newest expansion of the business.

Flenard started Podcast Town to help people find their voices, and the academy will do just that through training courses and workshops.

The Brookfield location, 15850 W. Bluemound Road, is the second location. The first studio opened in 2019 in Wauwatosa, 11220 W. Burleigh St.

Flenard said he had a desire to learn business but didnt have an outlet to do so. The podcast started as a way for him to learn from other business entrepreneurs and pick their brains. Originally the podcast was called Enterprise Now and rebranded to Podcast Town about three years ago.

After exploring a number of different business ideas over the years, Flenard started looking for ways to make the transition from part-time to fulltime entrepreneur.

I just couldnt get anything to work, and so the podcast was my way to bridge the gap between what I was doing and some of the business knowledge I needed to make that transition, said Flenard.

The academy will train people on the different aspects of podcasting.

Its really our way of extending the brand so that we can help other people get into podcasting, said Flenard.

Flenard immediately fell in love with the Brookfield location. The space was laid out just the way he envisioned it. He added that Brookfield is a great location for after-school programs for youths and kids, to whom he can help teach important life lessons through podcasting.

Some of those lessons Flenard hopes to teach include how to be on time, how to be prepared, how to have a conversation, how to listen, how to gain insight from having those conversations, how to work together as a team and how to understand different roles within that team. Overall, he hopes to teach them to kids in a cool, fun and interesting way.

I recognize that there are challenges with young people and in our community, said Flenard. I think part of what I can do about it is taking some of those lessons that Ive learned and pay it forward.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3EfO7QX.

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Podcast Town founder looking to expand business through new academy - Greater Milwaukee Today | GMToday.com

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Weavers Way food coop is receiving $1 million in state aid for its Germantown expansion – The Philadelphia Inquirer

The popular Northwest Philadelphia Weavers Way food cooperative announced this week that it received a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant for the construction of a new location in Germantown.

The grant would cover about a sixth of the construction costs, which remain subject to unpredictable material and labor costs at this point in the pandemic.

We knew going into this that we would need extraordinary funding because its a really tough time to be doing this kind of work, said Kathleen Casey, head of development with Weavers Way.

The RACP funds come on top of $500,000 secured from the Neighborhood Economic Development Grant Program, which is distributed by the municipal Commerce Department and funded by City Council President Darrell L. Clarkes Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI).

Weavers Way also received $200,000 from the nonprofit Reinvestment Fund, and $50,000 from another state grant that is administered by the Food Trust, also a nonprofit. The rest of the funds are largely coming from micro-loans and gifts from co-op members.

State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Phila.) was instrumental in securing the RACP money for the cooperatives expansion. Although the new location is not in his district, the Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy Weavers Way locations are.

Weavers Way is one of the oldest co-ops in the nation [and] I believe their footprint should be expanded wherever there is need, Rabb said.

Weavers Way was founded in 1973 in Mount Airy and since expanded to Chestnut Hill and a suburban location in Ambler. Casey says that Germantown is home to their fourth largest cluster of members, after the neighborhoods where stores are physically located. It will also be well placed to serve residents of East Falls.

These [customers] are people who are shopping in Mount Airy, which is at capacity. Its bursting at the seams, Casey said. The Mount Airy location is also not a very accessible store. So a lot of members might go as far as Ambler or Chestnut Hill because of access issues if they cant use the stairs.

The Germantown store will be about 6,000 square feet, larger than the two other Philadelphia locations. It will provide 45 high-quality jobs, according to a Commerce Department document explaining the $500,000 NPI grant.

Casey said Germantown is also a strong expansion opportunity because of the unusual level of residential construction in the neighborhood, which saw a surge of real estate interest during the pandemic.

Theres a lot of developers that have been coming in, and theres going to be an influx of new residents in what is already a relatively high populated area of Germantown, Casey said. We believe theres going to be a pretty sizable population base to serve.

Construction is expected to begin early next year. The building, at 328-32 W. Chelten Ave., formerly housed an Acme grocery store but was repurposed for a social services agency. Renovations are expected to be completed next autumn.

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Weavers Way food coop is receiving $1 million in state aid for its Germantown expansion - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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