In an era defined by online shopping and falling real incomes, the high street can seem like a morass of zombie companies, hauling their carcasses from one sales season to the next until someone puts them out of their misery. One honourable exception is Games Workshop, a company that makes its money by selling zombies instead, alongside wizards, space orcs and all other accessories for the dedicated fantasy gamer.

Had you invested 1,000 in the firms shares at the end of 2009, you would now be sitting on a pot of more than 25,000. The company is the best performing FTSE250 retailer of the past decade and second best performer overall. So whats going on in those dungeons? What lessons can this impressive operator teach the rest of the high street?

Founded in London in the mid-1970s by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson who would later became famous for co-authoring the Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure books Games Workshop evolved quickly in its first few years of existence. It went from manufacturing and distributing traditional board games to focusing on fantasy fare, above all Dungeons & Dragons, the cult role-playing game from America that would define the whole genre.

The company soon launched the White Dwarf magazine, which became a bible for fantasy gamers, and moved into manufacturing miniatures for wargaming under its Citadel Miniatures brand. It soon began to build its business around these miniatures and, to a lesser extent, the Warhammer tabletop fantasy game, which launched in 1983. By the mid-1980s, White Dwarf had stopped covering Dungeons & Dragons and other peoples games to solely concentrate on the Games Workshop universe.

This narrow focus has essentially continued up to the present day. It is key to understanding the business. To investors and retail staff alike, the company has long referred to its strategy as total global domination. It barely acknowledges the existence of competing games or miniatures, perhaps with good reason; it has no real competitors who can match its vertical integration in the marketplace.

Most other wargames manufactures are just cottage industries with no presence on the high street: the next most successful achieves less than 2% of Games Workshops 257 million turnover. The companys stores stock only its own products, though it is more than happy to sell them elsewhere: 47% of sales come from third-party retailers, while a further 19% are online.

Games Workshops share price

Staff have regularly described the company as making the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Where most big Western retailers outsource manufacturing to contractors on the other side of the world, the firm makes almost everything at its own factory in Nottingham in the English Midlands, also the place of the company headquarters.

Games Workshop now has 500 stores worldwide a fifth of them major outlets, while the rest are one-vendor operations like the one pictured below. Most of the bigger stores are in the UK, Europe and Australia, and total global domination has no room for passengers: loss-making stores are quickly reorganised to make a profit, or closed. There are also a smattering of stores in North America and Asia, though the company has never achieved critical mass in those markets like it has in the UK.

It is clear from my own research that stores function at least as much as clubhouses devoted to the hobby: collecting, painting and occasionally even gaming with the miniatures. Fans and customers obsess over both these figures and the complex fictional worlds in which the games are set.

Everything is built around two settings one fantasy and one science fiction. You could legitimately accuse them of being derivative of the pop culture over the past half-century or so. But they function as fully realised, complex worlds complete with spin-off novels, comics, card games, computer games, and even a film though Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was hardly a classic. The logic is to give the dedicated fan so much to consume that there is no need, or indeed very much time, to bother with anything else.

One potential threat to this close relationship with customers in the past was the companys approach to defending its intellectual property. Its legal department long had a reputation for zero tolerance, attracting heavy criticism, for example, for taking action to prevent an author from selling a book about space marines. My sense is that the company has become much less litigious since Kevin Rountree took over as CEO in 2015.

Buying into the Games Workshop hobby is not cheap, it should be said. You can easily pay over 50 for just a dozen plastic figures, for instance, plus another 25 for paints and brushes. This attracts regular gripes from both fans and the press, and is presumably integral to the companys surging share price and mainly strong financial results.

Yet steep prices are only viable if the product is good enough. The company has regularly rebooted and reinvented its own games and worlds over the years, though arguably they can never be well enough tested to satisfy competitive gamers. The complexity of each game system and the need to bring out new versions to sell more models tends to mean that one strategy becomes too dominant.

The company has also innovated in other ways recently, for example, formulating revolutionary new paints and painting techniques to make it easier for the customers to get great results with their figures.

Can the success story continue? There seems every reason to assume that it can. It might even benefit from the mounting concerns around the carbon emissions from video gaming, and the need to transition to low-carbon computing.

Though Games Workshop certainly makes money from branded video games, being anchored in physical products and stores that offer a communal experience could be a good place to be in years to come. So long as you can save your prized miniature collection from extreme weather events, Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar will continue to be playable in a post-carbon economy. For a company that has done so well out of dystopian fiction, that would arguably be a fitting turn of events.

Read more:
The secret of Games Workshop's success? A little strategy they call total global domination - The Conversation UK

Families in need get free furniture from Big Sandy

Christmas came early this year for the Ewing family of Pickerington. It wasnt a sleigh, but a truck full of new furniture and appliances that pulled up to their home a few days before the holiday.

The family Masaaki and Alex Ewing, both 41, and their children Ajani, 14; Swazy, 9; Blaize, 6; and Aaliyah, 5 didnt have much in the way of old furniture that needed to be moved to make way for the new. The family had little more than a couple of chairs and a broken couch and had been sleeping on mattresses on their floor.

We would never be able to buy any of these things, said Masaaki Ewing, watching the movers bring in the goodies. We cant do much outside of keeping the lights on and the kids fed.

Santa Claus, in this case, was furniture retailer Big Sandy Superstore, which gave away a house full of furniture and appliances to 20 families in need in Kentucky, West Virginia and central and southern Ohio.

The two younger Ewing children have been diagnosed with autism, and Masaaki Ewing has stayed home to care for them since Blaize, who doesnt speak, was born, he said.

Alex Ewing works in a customer call center for a state agency, although she has recently been on health-related disability leave.

Weve been struggling just to pay bills, Masaaki Ewing said.

The children have been hard on what furniture the family had, Alex Ewing said.

We wondered what we were going to do, she said. The old couch that someone had given us had just broke.

The Ewings were nominated for the giveaway by Rhonda Howard, who had met the family as an independent care provider for the younger children through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

I saw a TV commercial for Big Sandys House of Hope, Howard recalled. You get this spark of an idea: They could be the perfect family to be helped.

I was so thankful just for the thought and for being nominated, Alex Ewing said.

When she learned the family was chosen for the giveaway, I was in disbelief, in shock, she said.

Our older kids are so excited, too. Their friends would come over and be like, Wheres your furniture?

For Rhonda and Big Sandy to think about our family like this, this is a true holiday gift.

Howard, who is also a realtor, said she has also been soliciting other real-estate agents and contractors to help the family with basic home repairs and painting.

I think weve got a lot of people in the community willing to help them out, Howard said. I hope it doesnt end here with the furniture delivery.

This is the first year for the holiday giveaway, said Jacob Sizemore, a spokesman for Big Sandy.

Were an employee-owned company, and this is something that our employees and our company are grateful to be in a position to do, Sizemore said.

Big Sandy accepted nominations from the public for families to be helped through the program. More than 1,700 nominations were received in the tri-state area, Sizemore said.

Big Sandy officials narrowed the nominations, then independent committees made up of representatives from businesses and charitable organizations in each community made the final decision, he said.

Were helping people who are single parents trying to raise children, people whove lost everything in house fires, and people who are just plain down on their luck, Sizemore said.

Were grateful we can give them some help and maybe provide a little hope.

Most families received living room and dining room furniture, a washer and dryer, a bedroom set for the adults and a bed and mattress for every child. In a few cases such as the Ewings, the gift included kitchen appliances.

Even after the family learned theyd be getting new furniture, until the truck pulled up to their house, they didnt realize that the package also included a stove and a refrigerator to replace their old, failing kitchen appliances, Alex Ewing said.

She said: Thats the biggest bonus stocking-stuffer ever!

sstephens@dispatch.com

@stevestephens

Read more:
Season of giving | Pickerington family among recipients of Big Sandy program to help the needy - The Columbus Dispatch

By Katie Mauch, Staff Writer kmauch@nevadaiowajournal.com

WednesdayDec25,2019at12:01AMDec25,2019at6:32AM

The new Scooters Coffee location at the intersection of Duff Avenue and Lincoln Way in Ames will be open just in time for the new year, according to owner Randy Mumm.

A soft opening of the coffee shop is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 31. Mumm said a grand opening event will be planned later, and will take place in late January or early February.

According to Mumm, the grand opening will likely include a number of incentives and rewards available on the Scooters phone app.

The new location broke ground in August. Mumm said the late December opening is about a month past the usual 90 day building plan for the contractors, but the schedule is now down to an hour by hour timeline.

Baristas for the location have already been trained, Mumm said, and most of the equipment for the inside of the shop has already been delivered and set up.

Only a few tasks are left to complete before the opening, Mumm said. While some of the exterior details like painting may have to wait for warmer weather in the spring, he said landscaping and other outdoor finishing touches will be completed this week thanks to the mild weather.

Fortunately we have this beautiful weather helping us out as much as it can, Mumm said.

The coffee shop offers a drive-thru window for quick and easy coffee runs, which is a staple of Scooters stores. When asked what benefits a Scooters Coffee can offer to the Ames community, Mumm had a simple answer.

Amazing drinks, amazing people, amazingly fast, he said.

Continue reading here:
Scooters Coffee to open New Years Eve - Ames Tribune

The Guthrie County Historical Village and Museum is closed for the winter, but that doesnt mean there isnt work to do for its Foundation, staff, and volunteers.

Village Curator Kristine Jorgensen says they are in the midst of two major renovation projects on the 1915 Pullman Observation and Cafe Car, and the 1900 Marchant House. The Village Foundation has received a couple of grants in the last year for the train car, but besides acquiring funds, Jorgensen says a difficult part of the process is finding the right contractors to do the work. Jorgensen thanks the public for their patience and support, Weve always got projects going on down here, and along with the projects we have to maintain. And so we have 10 buildings, beautiful buildings down here and they require constant upkeep, painting, a new roof, windows, a new door so any funds that we receive, even if theyre not for a specific item they go to the foundation and we use them so that we can preserve what we have too.

Jorgensen hopes to get the Pullman car renovation completed sometime in the next couple years so that it can be used as a community center for the public to rent. To hear more from Jorgensen, listen to today and tomorrows two-part Lets Talk Guthrie County program on air and at raccoonvalleyradio.com.

See the original post here:
Multiple Projects on the Guthrie County Historical Village's Docket this Winter - raccoonvalleyradio.com

RFL Pipe & Fittings (a brand of RFL Group) in association with The Daily Star organised a roundtable titled Construction Hazard:

Creating awareness and the role of stakeholders on December 12, 2019. Here we publish a summary of the discussion.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd), Associate Editor, The Daily Star

We are here today to discuss a subject that remains topical on a constant basis: the hazards of construction. Unfortunately, although the volume of construction-related work in the country has increased, safety measures have not been able to keep up with the growth in construction work.

R N Paul, Managing Director, RFL Group

RFL now manufactures all goods locally instead of importing finished products. RFL is involved in direct construction business under Property Development Limited (PDL), which is one of the pioneers in real estate in the country. RFL manufactures building materials such as pipes, doors, etc.

We have found that the workers in construction or the irresponsible contractors are causing public nuisance. The major reason why this is happening is because the people in construction are mainly non-corporate people who are lacking in accountability and responsibility. They are unaware of personal protective equipment (PPE) and have minimal knowledge on ensuring public safety during construction. Corporate people from RFL or PDL at least have knowledge on public hazards. We do not create construction hazards since we use modern technology such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) machines. To avoid high levels of noise pollution caused by welding aluminium window frames, RFL has introduced PVC window frames which are ready to be directly fitted.

Engr F R Khan, Managing Director, bti (Building Technology & Ideas Ltd.)

One issue is that data on deaths during construction projects is missing. Safety has now become a part of branding; constructors do not actually care about it. The idea of safety on construction sites must be implemented not only by creating awareness among construction workers, but also through enforcing safety regulations.

Recently, the labour department has started inspecting construction sites, and we hope their drive continues. We can learn from the example of Japan when trying to figure out how to impose construction safety measures on the workers. In Japan, construction workers must have a certified ID from the labour department or any other related department. This ID certifies that the worker must follow construction safety rules, and they must present this to work on any new project. This increases accountability of both the workers and their employers.

A F M Saiful Amin, Professor, BUET

There needs to be more awareness about construction-related deaths and injuries; there is a need for information on the number of people injured or killed due to construction hazards, since that will make people more vigilant. Construction workers and the general public must also be made aware of the consequences of being exposed to these hazards.

Licensed engineers, technicians, and builders are required to create a three-layer structured licensing authority. Contractors try to minimise cost of construction and so invest less in hazard mitigation. If on-site construction can be shifted off-site, then hazard sources can be minimised. Prefabricated construction uses heavy machinery to streamline the construction process and causes less hazards to the general public.

We only allow professional engineers who have gotten the certification of work experience, to work on site, while graduates work under the supervision of a professional engineer. But this practice is yet to be implemented among technicians.

R N Paul

There has been a paradigm shift from conventional construction practices to more structured methods. People following safe construction methods should be rewarded, while the ones causing public nuisance should be punished. This will create incentive for constructors to not cut costs in maintaining safety.

Engr Kazi Khairul Bashar, Honorary Assistant General Secretary (A&I), IEB

There is an occupational safety board in Bangladesh which needs to be activated and empowered to look after hazards related to construction.

I am against the idea of monopolisation of construction works by a few big contractors. In reality, big construction companies delegate projects to small contractors or sub-contractors. Unless and until we can create awareness among these small contractors about safe construction practices, we will not be able to bring any meaningful change.

Engineers and related professional bodies need to be given more responsibility so that they can ensure professionalism and maintain standards of those involved in the construction sector.

Md Abu Sadeque PEng, Executive Director, HBRC

Construction hazards must firstly be defined from the perspective of Bangladesh, in order to clearly outline the dimensions for mitigation recommendations.

Technological advancement is required, not only within developers or contractors, but also in the planning and designing phases. Scrapping plaster and painting on high-rise buildings will reduce hazards without cost. Reducing the weight of materials used to construct buildings will also decrease hazards.

The aspect of safety precautions should be brought up when registering real estate developers.

Engr F R Khan

Construction hazard and construction safety are completely different things and they must be considered separately. Construction safety entails safety measures taken by the workers for themselves and also the passers-by, while construction hazard is indirect harmful effects on the people around the construction site.

Currently, we are implementing hundred percent use of concrete blocks as an alternative to bricks because the material itself is advantageous. In addition, it also helps reduce environmental pollution.

Md Abu Sadeque

Buildings which are plastered and painted require maintenance every two to four years. It has environmental impacts.

R N Paul

Regulatory bodies have a big role to play in ensuring use of green construction materials. Many companies are importing modern building technologies that can significantly reduce construction related hazards. The government should support these initiatives.

Md Abu Sadeque

Government policies are now pro-people regarding bricks. The government has already stated that after June 2025 no bricks will be used in any government project. Thus, the government is looking to let go of conventional bricks for good. Concrete blocks are deemed to be double the price of bricks, but I do not agree with this thought process. One concrete block is equivalent to about five bricks. Good quality bricks are priced at thirteen taka per piece. Keeping that in mind, one concrete block is priced at forty taka per piece. This proves that concrete blocks are actually cheaper. The use of bricks also requires the utilisation of mortar and labour. The lesser weight of concrete blocks implies that less money would be spent on beams, columns and overall foundation. The use of concrete blocks decreases the overall construction cost by about thirty percent.

A F M Saiful Amin

The extent of hazard will determine the boundaries of our safety limits. If hazard increases, then safety measures will have to be increased proportionally.

Engineer S M Khorshed Alam, President, Bangladesh Association of Construction Industry (BACI)

With the advancement of the construction industry, people now also require answers and explanations as to where the industry is headed. The National Disaster Management Policy, 2015 includes ten different types of hazards. Tsunami, cyclone, earthquake are all a part of it. However, construction hazard itself is not mentioned in it. This led me to believe that hazard may be the outcome of construction.

The mitigation process regarding construction hazards usually involves the structural and non- structural approach. The structural approach includes construction as a mitigating factor. The non-structural approach consists of awareness-building, training and so on.

Occupational health and safety issues and environmental issues are the two main components of overall hazards. Road construction generally creates dust. The dust emission leads to breathing problems, skin abnormalities, and related issues. Should these kinds of problems also be included when we talk about construction related hazards?

A road accident might be caused by faults in the geometrical design. A collision of trains might occur due to faulty rail tracks. Everything, in this way, directly or indirectly, can be linked to construction. This is why we need to define the limits of construction hazard.

We must emphasise on coming out of the monopolising nature of the construction industry. We should train small contractors and make them aware of safe construction practices.

A construction process actually begins with the planning and designing of the project. If a faulty construction project is the result of a mistake in the geometrical design, and it was built by the contractor following the design, who would be held as the guilty party? The planners, designers, architects, builders, users and drivers all form a sort of chain. All parties must be brought together to identify where exactly things go wrong.

The Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) 2006 includes all the topics related to construction induced hazards. The Bangladesh Labour Act (2006) also defines safety issues of the construction workers. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (1995) covers environmental issues. These kinds of policies are there, available in our legal system. However, awareness of such regulations is lacking. Therefore, we need to provide training to construction related professionals.

The government has taken an initiative to provide skills training to about five lakh people. Under this project, we are working closely with the government to train a large number of construction related professionals in the country.

Abu Salem Md Nuruzzaman, Additional Chief Engineer, Roads and Highways Department, KMG Project

Our tender documents are flawed in some ways. Conditions are mentioned in them, but no other information is provided. However, the implementation processes should be mentioned, where the required equipment should also be included. The ways to mitigate pollution should also be mentioned. A contractor must be compelled to follow instructions, and their payment should be halted in case they do not. This could be a way of ensuring efficient construction practice.

Hazard is two-fold. One is during construction and the other is post-construction. When I was working in design processes, a foot over-bridge, made of steel, was one of the projects I was involved in. It was suggested, at that time, that a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) be put into place. I was against this idea because I believed that it would cause traffic jams at the Dhaka Airport Road. I then designed a steel structure, and a small foot over-bridge was thus established there. Therefore, in order to decrease hazards in construction, we must emphasise on improving our designs. We, in Bangladesh, import stones and clinkers. We grind cement, but we do not manufacture it from scratch. Why dont we use steel structures? It would decrease costs right from the foundation, decrease overall hazard and it would be easier to set up.

We, in Bangladesh, are selling topsoil to India in the form of brick export and importing stones from them. This does not bode well for the future as we will be eventually left with no clay. Hollow bricks should be used wherever possible. These types of bricks are also highly insulated. During winter, this keeps the building warm and during warm weather it would generally require less use of air conditioners.

Tender documents need to be made in a way which covers all safety measures and which binds contractors to follow the correct procedures.

Dr Rawshan Ara Khanam, Consultant, Respiratory Medicine, United Hospital Ltd

Unsafe construction poses huge health risks. According to WHO, nine out of ten people in Bangladesh inhale polluted air. Dhaka is also one of the most polluted cities in the world. Presently, nobody seems to be safe from the consequences of construction hazards. Even the participants of this roundtable are victims of air pollution.

PM 10 and PM 2.5 come mainly from construction. These affect the lungs and the total body. WHO, in 2013, detected the particle matter of PM as the main cause of lung cancer. Polluted air has increased the overall number of strokes, cardiac diseases and premature deliveries. Dhaka, being a congested area, does not have many planned areas or playgrounds for children. Childhood obesity is also an issue, as children are not able to run and play freely. It could even be a source for further diseases as the child grows up. This is somewhere we need to focus on. Construction workers may develop fibrosis from inhaling polluted air at construction sites. They develop such diseases at an early age, usually. We must be careful about these health hazards caused by unsafe construction.

Dr Md Tarek Uddin, Professor, Islamic University of Technology (IUT)

Globally, about 40 billion tonnes of CO2 are emitted annually. The cement industry itself emits around four billion tonnes of CO2 annually, which constitute ten percent of total global emissions. Even if Bangladesh does not produce cement from scratch, we still use the raw material and thus CO2 is emitted because of it. Alternative methods are being thought of at this moment. Alternative cement and durable concrete are examples of substitutes which are being used currently.

A hundred years from now, there might be a need to demolish many old buildings and structures in our country. This would also be a huge hazard which we are leaving behind for our future generations. We should seriously consider recycling of construction materials to preserve natural resources for the future.

Our curriculum needs to be modified in line with our future development goals. We work in the field of accreditation and there are three main features: (1) students must be made aware of the environmental issues; (2) students must be made aware of the sustainability factor; and (3) students must be made aware of the needs of the society. When a student graduates, it does not mean that that individual has come to the end of his or her education life. When a graduate joins a corporate job in Bangladesh, does that organisation provide that graduate with the needed line of action? Is the graduate then receiving competent training? Companies in Bangladesh also need to work in this area to help graduates understand the value of environmental and social issues.

In some parts of Bangladesh, the air quality index (AQI) is close to 300. If it crosses 300, our country will be considered as a severely polluted area. Bangladeshis do not seem to be concerned with such data, but it is high time that we took the needed action to counter overall pollution. Foreign contractors, and our authorities, are well aware of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) of all the construction projects. Then, why is nothing being done? Why are we still facing such dire circumstances in regards to air pollution?

Millions of Bangladeshis are being affected because of pollution due to construction projects. We have accepted our situation in the country, and the government needs to play its part in addressing the issues at hand as 2030 is fast approaching (SDGs). The government can set targets for major Bangladeshi corporations to achieve. The goals of Vision-2041 will also become tough to achieve if action is not taken. I believe that the three main stakeholders who can help us make the needed transitions are the education sector, the government and the major industries.

A F M Saiful Amin

The Industrial Revolution was mainly driven by coal. Our economic development, in civil infrastructure, is highly vital to our overall future development. The past three revolutions have resulted in the constant use of coal, with it being a common factor to all three phases. Today, some governments, which were the driving forces of these revolutions, are providing compensation to those who have been affected by pollution due to the consequences they faced because of these advancements. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and fibrosis are diseases for which these administrations are providing compensation by doing a cost-benefit analysis. This sort of a calculation is far from being established in Bangladesh, even though costs are being borne by the people.

Rapid construction implies a reduction in the duration of exposure. The precast concrete method was utilised to construct the Berlin Wall, which was completed in a relatively short amount of time. The Great Wall of China was an onsite construction. It took many years to be completed and caused various types of hazards. We, in Bangladesh, have still not been able to introduce the precast method of construction, proving that we are still at the Great Wall stage in terms of technology.

Md Abu Sadeque

Our construction industry is still not recognised as an independent industry. All industries should be monitored so pollution caused by them can be controlled. The construction industry is not exempted from it.

All construction projects should be accompanied with data which depicts the amount of pollution and hazards. This is the only way that we can bring the construction industry under the ambit of a controlled environment. The Metro Rail project, for example, needs to be examined thoroughly. Are conditions being given to project managers, or project heads, to limit the amount of pollution being emitted?

R N Paul

Thank you all for attending this programme. The discussions have been positive and fruitful. I believe that the major stakeholders of the construction industry will be made aware of the existing issues with the publication of todays discussion.

If all the involved parties play their parts, lawfully and efficiently, it would help us in achieving all the goals we have set for ourselves.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)

We should be really careful about the hazards caused by the construction sector. Once we have determined the hazards, we need to find ways to mitigate them. The laws and regulations are present in our legal system, but the implementation stage is where we are lacking.

Link:
Construction Hazard: Creating awareness and the role of stakeholders - The Daily Star

Tis the season to be jolly on Daniel Island! This weekend, the Annual Daniel Island Holiday Festival comes to town with plenty of merry-making opportunities for the whole family. On Saturday, December 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Volvo Car Stadium will be transformed into a festive, lively holiday showcase of shopping, entertainment and tons of holiday kids' activities to enjoy!

Bring the whole family out for this feel good holiday community event! The day will include fabulous holiday shopping, featuring over 100 of Charlestons finest vendors as well as musical entertainment on stage and plenty of kids activities on the ground level. Headlining the entertainment portion of the program will be a holiday extravaganza performance led by the 70 piece Charleston Community Band. The festival is the perfect way to kick off your holiday season. Once inside the gates, youll find an entire holiday shopping village conveniently located along the Volvo Car Stadium concourse. Enjoy festive drinks and food while you shop for just the right gifts for those on your list - including you!

$5 Admission/Kids 3 & under are admitted FREE!

Parking is available along Seven Farms Drive and Island Park Drive. Should the event need to be rescheduled due to severe weather conditions, the event will take place on Sunday, December 8 from 1 to 6 p.m. (note different time). Visit http://www.dicommunity.org and the Daniel Island Property Owners Association Facebook page for Holiday Festival event updates.

KIDS' ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: Candy Cane Stilt Walkers Photos with Santa Claus KidsFerris Wheel KidsChallenge Inflatable Juggling Elves KidsHelicopter Ride Wacky World Inflatable Elf Band Holiday Glam Station Holiday Craft Station Holiday Games(Snowman Toss,Ring the Tree,Photo Props Station) Costumed Holiday Characters Face Painting Glitter Tattoos Balloon Twisting Little White Box Photo Booth Holiday Cookie Decorating Station Holiday Ornament Decorating Station

STAGE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE11:00Holiday Music11:30The Charleston Caroling Company12:00Charleston Community Band Jazz Ensemble1:00Daniel Island Peace Love Hip Hop2:00Charleston Community Band3:00Hannah Burton3:30 Holiday Music

*Please note that entertainment is subject to change.

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORSCrews Subaru of CharlestonDockerysHOME TelecomJohnston SignsLoan MantraMead Land ServicesO.L. Thompson Construction CompanyOverture Daniel IslandPalmetto Custom CartsThe Daniel Island NewsVolvo Car Open

SILVER SPONSORSLASIK Vision InstituteLife Essentials Health CenterMichaels BarkeryRiver Landing DentistryRya Kaplan, MD East Cooper GISouth State BankThomas & HuttonUltimate Gutter Guard by SouthernWellmore of Daniel Island

BRONZE SPONSORSCape Romain ContractorsCarolina Landscape LightingDaniel Island Family Medicine Dr. Edward GioveDaniel Island FerryMoonlighting Landscape Lighting Systems

See original here:
Ring in the season at the Daniel Island Holiday Festival! - Daniel Island News

Posted By: Larry Felton JohnsonDecember 2, 2019

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced in a press release that contractors will implement a traffic shift Wednesday for the rehabilitation of the I-75 southbound bridge over Barrett Parkway.

The GDOT describes the Wednesday traffic shift as follows:

Weather permitting, on Wednesday, December 4, crews will shift three through lanes on I-75 southbound to the right for temporary striping. The temporary striping will remain until the completion of the project in March 2020. Message boards and signage will alert drivers of the traffic shift.This project will provide rehabilitation of the I-75 northbound and southbound bridges over Barrett Parkway, including bridge joint replacement, deck overhang repairs, replacement of anchor bolts, and painting of the superstructures.

Message boards will give drivers advance notice of the upcoming lane closures. Motorists are advised to expect delays and use signed detours, exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones.Before heading out, get real-time information on work status and traffic conditions. Call 511, visit511ga.org, or download the Georgia 511 app.

This is an ongoing project.

See the original post here:
Overnight traffic shift on I-75 Wednesday - Cobb County Courier

December 03, 2019

SCRANTON Sparked with creativity and plenty of holiday cheer, Downtown Scranton business and property owners are preparing for the annual Holiday Window Decorating Showcase on display Dec. 6 through Jan. 3, 2020. More than 50 storefronts will be featured in this years competition.

A secret panel of judges will award prizes in the following categories, many of which are new to this years contest: Unique, Traditional/Old-Fashioned, Most Retro, Most Whimsical, Most Festive, Best Use of Greens, Best Use of Recycled Materials, Most Childlike, Most Innovative, Most Glamorous/Bling, Best Use of Lights, Most Modern, Best Display of the Spirit of Christmas, Winter Wonderland and Most Scrantastic.

Where to Find Holiday Windows

Linden Street

Duffys Accessories, 218 Linden St.

Electric City Escape, 507 Linden St.

Caf West, 535 Linden St.

Lavish Body & Home, 600 Linden St.

North Washington Avenue

The Garden, 116 N. Washington Ave.

Raintree, 116 N. Washington Ave.

Steamtown Hot Yoga, 121 N. Washington Ave.

Over The Moon, 123 N. Washington Ave.

Sew Smart Fabrics, Inc., 126 N. Washington Ave.

New Laundry, 127 N. Washington Ave.

Peoples Security Bank, 150 N. Washington Ave.

Terra Preta Prime, 301 N. Washington Ave.

Pizza by Pappas, 303 N Washington Ave.

Comics on the Green, 307 N. Washington Ave.

Abes Deli, 326 N. Washington Ave.

Posh @ The Scranton Club, 404 N. Washington Ave.

Adams Avenue

Yoga West, 311 Adams Ave.

Tammys Stained Glass Treasures, 348 Adams Ave.

Spruce Street

NOTE Fragrances, 401 Spruce St.

Amendolaro, 410 Spruce St.

Tom Grudis Optical and The Bare Accessories, 424 Spruce St.

Burlap and Bourbon, 530 Spruce St.

Freedlove, 532 Spruce St.

Northern Light Espresso Bar, 536 Spruce St.

Salon A Go Go, 544 Spruce St.

The Beauty Mark Boutique, 546 Spruce S.

Wyoming Avenue

The Pink Pedal, 222 Wyoming Av.

CaPAA (Creative and Performing Arts Academy), 222 Wyoming Ave.

Franklin Avenue

Veloce Scranton, 120 Franklin Ave.

The Color Bar, 134 Franklin Ave.

Penn Avenue

The Wandering Hen Cafe and Market, 305 Penn Ave.

Peculiar Slurp, 307 Penn Ave.

The Giving Tree Wellness Center, 311 Penn Ave.

Electric City Bakehouse, 314 Penn Ave.

AV Restaurant, 320 Penn Ave.

RD Blow Dry Bar, 324 Penn Ave.

The Daisy Collective, 328 Penn Ave.

Mifflin Avenue

Duffy Jewelers, 250 Mifflin Ave.

Bogart Court

Trinity Studio & Gallery, 511 Bogart Court

Lackawanna Avenue

The Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Av.

Alexanders Salon and Spa, 431 Lackawanna Ave.

Coney Island Lunch, 515 Lackawanna Ave.

8 Count Dancewear, 534 Lackawanna Ave.

Originally posted here:
Start your engines! - The Abington Journal

December 03, 2019

SCRANTON Sparked with creativity and plenty of holiday cheer, Downtown Scranton business and property owners are preparing for the annual Holiday Window Decorating Showcase on display Dec. 6 through Jan. 3, 2020. More than 50 storefronts will be featured in this years competition.

A secret panel of judges will award prizes in the following categories, many of which are new to this years contest: Unique, Traditional/Old-Fashioned, Most Retro, Most Whimsical, Most Festive, Best Use of Greens, Best Use of Recycled Materials, Most Childlike, Most Innovative, Most Glamorous/Bling, Best Use of Lights, Most Modern, Best Display of the Spirit of Christmas, Winter Wonderland and Most Scrantastic.

Where to Find Holiday Windows

Linden Street

Duffys Accessories, 218 Linden St.

Electric City Escape, 507 Linden St.

Caf West, 535 Linden St.

Lavish Body & Home, 600 Linden St.

North Washington Avenue

The Garden, 116 N. Washington Ave.

Raintree, 116 N. Washington Ave.

Steamtown Hot Yoga, 121 N. Washington Ave.

Over The Moon, 123 N. Washington Ave.

Sew Smart Fabrics, Inc., 126 N. Washington Ave.

New Laundry, 127 N. Washington Ave.

Peoples Security Bank, 150 N. Washington Ave.

Terra Preta Prime, 301 N. Washington Ave.

Pizza by Pappas, 303 N Washington Ave.

Comics on the Green, 307 N. Washington Ave.

Abes Deli, 326 N. Washington Ave.

Posh @ The Scranton Club, 404 N. Washington Ave.

Adams Avenue

Yoga West, 311 Adams Ave.

Tammys Stained Glass Treasures, 348 Adams Ave.

Spruce Street

NOTE Fragrances, 401 Spruce St.

Amendolaro, 410 Spruce St.

Tom Grudis Optical and The Bare Accessories, 424 Spruce St.

Burlap and Bourbon, 530 Spruce St.

Freedlove, 532 Spruce St.

Northern Light Espresso Bar, 536 Spruce St.

Salon A Go Go, 544 Spruce St.

The Beauty Mark Boutique, 546 Spruce S.

Wyoming Avenue

The Pink Pedal, 222 Wyoming Av.

CaPAA (Creative and Performing Arts Academy), 222 Wyoming Ave.

Franklin Avenue

Veloce Scranton, 120 Franklin Ave.

The Color Bar, 134 Franklin Ave.

Penn Avenue

The Wandering Hen Cafe and Market, 305 Penn Ave.

Peculiar Slurp, 307 Penn Ave.

The Giving Tree Wellness Center, 311 Penn Ave.

Electric City Bakehouse, 314 Penn Ave.

AV Restaurant, 320 Penn Ave.

RD Blow Dry Bar, 324 Penn Ave.

The Daisy Collective, 328 Penn Ave.

Mifflin Avenue

Duffy Jewelers, 250 Mifflin Ave.

Bogart Court

Trinity Studio & Gallery, 511 Bogart Court

Lackawanna Avenue

The Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Av.

Alexanders Salon and Spa, 431 Lackawanna Ave.

Coney Island Lunch, 515 Lackawanna Ave.

8 Count Dancewear, 534 Lackawanna Ave.

See the rest here:
Abington Journal arts and entertainment calendar for week of Dec. 4, 2019 - The Abington Journal

Since Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. (NASDAQ:GIFI) and Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB) are part of the Oil & Gas Equipment & Services industry, they are influenced by contrast. The influences particularly affect the profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, earnings and valuation of both companies.

Earnings & Valuation

Table 1 demonstrates Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. and Core Laboratories N.V.s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Profitability

Table 2 shows us Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. and Core Laboratories N.V.s return on equity, net margins and return on assets.

Volatility & Risk

Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. has a 1.03 beta, while its volatility is 3.00%, thus making it more volatile than S&P 500. Competitively, Core Laboratories N.V.s beta is 1.89 which is 89.00% more volatile than S&P 500.

Liquidity

2.8 and 2.7 are the respective Current Ratio and a Quick Ratio of Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. Its rival Core Laboratories N.V.s Current and Quick Ratios are 1.8 and 1.4 respectively. Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. has a better chance of clearing its pay short and long-term debts than Core Laboratories N.V.

Analyst Ratings

The Ratings and Recommendations for Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. and Core Laboratories N.V. are featured in the next table.

Competitively Core Laboratories N.V. has an average price target of $47.33, with potential upside of 5.72%.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Roughly 69.3% of Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors while 0% of Core Laboratories N.V. are owned by institutional investors. Gulf Island Fabrication Inc.s share owned by insiders are 4.2%. Competitively, 0.1% are Core Laboratories N.V.s share owned by insiders.

Performance

Here are the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Yearly and YTD Performance of both pretenders.

For the past year Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. was less bearish than Core Laboratories N.V.

Summary

On 8 of the 12 factors Core Laboratories N.V. beats Gulf Island Fabrication Inc.

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a fabricator of offshore drilling and production platforms, and other steel structures for customers in the oil and gas, and marine industries in the United States. The company fabricates jackets and deck sections of fixed production platforms; hull, tendon, and/or deck sections of floating production platforms, such as tension leg platforms, single point anchor reservoirs, floating production storage and offloading vessels, and minimum deepwater operating concepts; piles, wellhead protectors, and subsea templates, as well as various production, compressor, and utility modules; produces and repairs pressure vessels used in the oil and gas industry; fabricates various other types of steel structures; and provides onshore and offshore scaffolding and piping insulation services. It also fabricates and repairs offshore supply vessels, anchor handling vessels, lift boats, tugboats, towboats, barges, and other marine vessels; constructs dry docks to lift marine vessels; and offers steel repair, blasting and painting, electrical systems repair, and machinery and piping system repairs, as well as propeller, shaft, and rudder reconditioning. In addition, the company provides interconnect piping services on offshore platforms and inshore structures; fabricates pressure vessels and packaged skid units; and on-site construction and maintenance services, as well as offers conversion projects. It serves oil and gas companies and their contractors, petrochemical, marine, offshore support, offshore and inland barge, support vessel operators, offshore construction contractors, alternative energy, and diving companies, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, and state and local governmental agencies and their contractors. Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Core Laboratories N.V. provides reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Reservoir Description, Production Enhancement, and Reservoir Management. The Reservoir Description segment comprises the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples. This segment offers analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products to the oil and gas industry. The Production Enhancement segment includes services and products relating to reservoir well completions, perforations, stimulations, and production. This segment offers integrated services to evaluate the effectiveness of well completions and to develop solutions to enhance the effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery projects. The Reservoir Management segment combines and integrates information from reservoir description, as well as provides production enhancement services to increase the production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients reservoirs. The company markets and sells its products through a combination of sales representatives, technical seminars, trade shows, and print advertising, as well as through distributors. Core Laboratories N.V. was founded in 1936 and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. (GIFI) and Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB) Contrasting side by side - The Broch Herald