Thursday, 2 November 2017

HITACHI KOKI ANNOUNCES BRAND NAME CHANGE TO "HIKOKI"

TOKYO, Nov 1 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --
 
-Rebranding Reflects Company's Commitment to Further Expansion as Global Brand-

Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (http://www.hitachi-koki.com/), a leading manufacturer of power tools and life-science equipment, announced on November 1 that the company will change its corporate name to Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., effective June 1, 2018, and will rebrand its full line of power tools known as HITACHI and/or Hitachi Koki under the new HiKOKI (*) (pronounced "hai-koh-key") name, effective October 1, 2018. The name changes are in line with the company's ambitious international growth strategy, aimed at ensuring sustainable growth while expanding business in the nearly 100 countries in Hitachi Koki's global network.

Hitachi Koki's world-class advanced technologies have produced reliable and innovative products throughout its celebrated 70-year history, which serve as the basis for its new partnership with KKR, one of the world's preeminent private equity groups. Through the new partnership, Koki Holdings is streamlining operations and accelerating investment in organic development and acquisitions to enhance its global businesses as a worldwide leading manufacturer.

Simultaneous to the rebranding efforts, the company is establishing a subsidiary as its European headquarters called Koki Holdings Europe GmbH in the suburbs of Dusseldorf, Germany, to reflect the strategic importance of the European market. The subsidiary will commence operations in November 2017, and will serve to carry out the parent company's activities in Europe, aiming to be closer to its customers to facilitate faster decision-making in managing their needs.

"We have delivered award-winning innovation in manufacturing with solid business performance for over 70 years, and now is the time for us to focus on expansion as a truly global company while remaining rooted to our Japanese tradition," said Osami Maehara, President, Hitachi Koki. "We have fully committed to accelerate growth alongside a dynamic new partner in KKR as we pursue our goal to become a global leader in power tools and life-science instruments. We have set an aggressive sales target of US$2.7 billion in fiscal year 2020. We are confident we can take our business to the next level with the support of all our employees and partners worldwide, and the revamping of the brand name is the first step to making this possible. We look forward to continuing to build a brand that exceeds the expectations of discerning customers around the world."

The HiKOKI brand was created to embody the three core competencies of the company, including its innovative technologies that give rise to products with superior performance, the reliability of its products and services backed by a 70-year company history, and the potential for new business growth represented through the new partnership with KKR. For ease of pronunciation, the new brand name uses a lowercase "i" in its first syllable, and includes the implicit numeral "1" to express the company's commitment to providing customers with the "No. 1" products on the market, and its aim to achieve "No. 1" global status.

The new corporate name, Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., is designed to maintain continuity with its current name, while also reflecting the multiple brands it encompasses around the world, and accelerate investment in acquisitions to expand its global business.

(*) No changes will be made to the following brands in their respective markets: metabo, SANKYO, Tanaka, CARAT, HIT-MIN, himac.

Click the below link to view an at-a-glance chart of the name and logo changes.
https://hkstrategies.egnyte.com/dl/7NLEe6UEfU

SOURCE: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA

P&G'S CITIZENSHIP EFFORTS - A FORCE FOR GOOD AND A FORCE FOR GROWTH

P&G Highlights Contributions to Society, the Community and the Environment in the 2017 Citizenship Report
 
CINCINNATI, Nov 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today released its 2017 Citizenship Report, detailing progress in improving social conditions for those in need, advancing Diversity & Inclusion, building a world free from gender bias inside and outside the Company and reducing its environmental footprint. As P&G operates in about 70 countries and serves nearly 5 billion people, the Company leverages its brands and people to make the world a better place through its Citizenship efforts.

“Our Citizenship efforts are a win-win opportunity for our business, for our communities, and, more broadly, for our society,” said David Taylor, P&G’s Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Consumers care about the company behind the brands they purchase and use. They want to know that the products they are buying come from a trusted source, and we’re working to build on that trust every single day.”

P&G published a sustainability report annually since 1999 but expanded it beginning in 2016 to include a more comprehensive overview of the Company’s citizenship priorities. From supporting more than 20 disasters with product donations and services, to sparking conversations about gender and racial bias, to pioneering the world’s first recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic, the stories and examples in P&G’s 2017 Citizenship report demonstrate that innovative citizenship can have significant positive impact on the world and on its business.

Highlights of the P&G 2017 Citizenship Report include:
  • Community Impact: P&G delivered its 12 billionth liter of clean drinking water in 2017 through the P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, and aims to deliver 15 billion by 2020. P&G’s Pampers brand partnered with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses to design and introduce the first diaper for preemies – the Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diaper. In addition, P&G provided support in response to more than 20 natural disasters around the world.
  • Diversity & Inclusion: P&G joined the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. P&G also sponsored the 37th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in its hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, to empower more than 550 veterans to live more active and healthy lives.
  • Gender Equality: In conjunction with International Women’s Day 2017, P&G launched the #WeSeeEqual video, which has been viewed millions of times in 180 countries. P&G joined the ANA #SeeHer movement and the UN Women Unstereotype Alliance to focus on eliminating stereotypes and accurately portraying women and girls in advertising. Over the last fiscal year, P&G spent more than $1 billion with women-owned businesses in the United States through its Supplier Diversity program, expanding the program into all five global regions.
  • Environmental Responsibility: P&G opened a biomass facility in Albany, Ga., that produces 100 percent of the steam and a significant portion of the total energy used to make Bounty and Charmin products at that manufacturing plant, an achievement that will help reach the Company’s goal of using 30 percent renewable energy by 2020. P&G scientists invented a technology that has the potential to revolutionize the plastics recycling industry allowing polypropylene plastics to be recycled into nearly new condition. As part of P&G’s commitment to send zero manufacturing waste to landfill from all its global manufacturing sites by 2020, more than 70 percent of its sites in 23 countries have now achieved this status.
The Executive Summary of the report, as well as a detailed version, can be viewed here.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://ww.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

Contacts
Procter & Gamble
Damon Jones – 513-983-0190
Jones.dd@pg.com
Or
Julie deSylva – 513-780-0006
Desylva.j@pg.com
 
Source: The Procter & Gamble Company
 
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031005437/en

--BERNAMA

PETRONAS ICT NURTURES BRILLIANT YOUNG MINDS


Team Honesty fielding a query from one of the judges at the Brilliant Young Minds Programme Showcase, PETRONAS ICT Business Chief Information Officer of Corporate Functions Johan Affendi (far right)


Developing the Next Generation of Professionals for the Digital Economy
 
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS ICT Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of PETRONAS recently concluded its inaugural CSI programme named ‘The Brilliant Young Minds”, when participants at the programme showcase pitched to a panel of judges real-world solutions they had developed for the oil and gas industry.
 
The Brilliant Young Minds is an eight-month long programme that aims to nurture secondary school students with an interest in science and technology, as well as to equip them with higher order thinking skills such as analysis, creation, logical reasoning, problem solving which are among essential competencies to thrive in the future Digital Economy.
 
“The Brilliant Young Minds programme leverages on PETRONAS ICT’s core competencies in digital innovation, ICT knowledge and skills to help the young participants learn robotics and embedded programming,” said PETRONAS ICT Sdn. Bhd. Chief Executive Officer Redza Goh.
 
“The programme promotes critical and creative thinking to help our youth consider opportunities that solve real-world issues, as well as improve their communication skills and build confidence when pitching ideas,” Goh added.
 
A total of thirty Form One and Two students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Damansara Jaya (SMK DJ) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seksyen 7 Shah Alam (SMK S7) were selected to be part of the programme. 
 
During the programme the students were introduced to various digital literacy tools such as Arduino robotics and programming, and learned to project manage and problem solve by developing prototypes.  Throughout the programme duration they were guided by PETRONAS ICT staff and subject matter experts from across PETRONAS’ various business units who volunteered as mentors.

The programme which is in support of the National Education Philosophy has been endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s (MDEC) #mydigitalmaker movement.
 
One of the judges at the showcase, Vice-President, Talent Development and Digital Entrepreneurship for MDEC Sumitra Nair was impressed with the progress of the students said, “I think the quality of ideas, as well as the students’ presentations were really outstanding, considering the fact that they are only in Form One and Two and for many of them, this is their first exposure to Arduino and programming.
 
“They have been able to apply their ideas and problem-solve using new technologies they learnt from the programme. It’s really a lot that they have been able to do in just a very short time.”
 
A teacher from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seksyen 7, Noor Liza Binti Ishak shared, “I really consider this programme a success. We feel honoured to be chosen to be part of this programme. I think it is a brilliant programme when you introduce science and technology to the youngsters. It is new to our school and the students are so excited.”
 
The winning team at the showcase, Team Honesty from SMK S7, felt that their journey has been challenging, yet fun, and an amazing experience for them.
 
“I think it’s amazing because we get to learn so many things and try out new things,” said Honesty team member Eqhwan Tirmidzi Mohd Rashidee.
 
The exposure has encouraged some of the students to participate and win prizes in other innovator-related competitions at the state level, with others expressing an interest to enter future state and district-level science fairs and competitions.
  
About PETRONAS ICT
PETRONAS ICT Sdn Bhd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), Malaysia’s fully-integrated petroleum company. Our multinational workforce of more than 1,600 people deliver digital solutions and ICT services within PETRONAS in 65 countries, servicing more than 51,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.petronasict.com.

Issued by
 
Media Relations Department
Group Strategic Communications
PETRONAS

Source : PETRONAS

FORE MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Michele Lum
Tel : 012 321 2717
Email : michele.lum@petronas.com


--BERNAMA

Wednesday, 1 November 2017

GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS CLOSES MEDALLION GATHERING & PROCESSING ACQUISITION

NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) announced today that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of Medallion Gathering & Processing, LLC (Medallion). GIP purchased Medallion from an affiliate of The Energy & Minerals Group (EMG), 51% owner, and an affiliate of Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (Laredo), 49% owner, for a cash purchase price of $1.825 billion (the Base Consideration), plus additional cash consideration that is linked to GIP’s realized profits at exit (the Additional Consideration).

All proceeds from the sale of Medallion, including the Base Consideration, subject to customary post-closing adjustments, and the Additional Consideration, if any, will be distributed 51% to EMG and 49% to Laredo. There can be no assurance as to when and whether the Additional Consideration will be funded.

Medallion will retain its name and operate as a GIP portfolio company headquartered in Irving, Texas.  The leadership team will remain in their current roles and are investing alongside GIP in this transaction.  Medallion Midstream 2, LLC, which includes crude oil and natural gas assets in the Delaware Basin, will continue to operate as a portfolio company of EMG.
 
Global Infrastructure Partners

GIP is an independent infrastructure fund manager that combines deep industry expertise with industrial best practice operational management.  GIP’s current equity fund, Global Infrastructure Partners III, makes equity investments in high quality infrastructure assets in the energy, transport and water/waste sectors where GIP possesses deep experience and strong relationships.

The Energy & Minerals Group

EMG is the management company for a series of specialized private equity funds.  The firm was founded by John Raymond (majority owner and CEO) and John Calvert in 2006.  EMG focuses on investing across various facets of the global natural resource industry including the upstream and midstream segments of the energy complex.  EMG has approximately $15.8 billion of regulatory assets under management and approximately $10.4 billion in commitments have been allocated across the energy sector since inception. 

Laredo Petroleum, Inc.

Laredo is an independent energy company with headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Laredo’s business strategy is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties and the gathering of oil and liquids-rich natural gas from such properties, primarily in the Permian Basin of West Texas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any oral statements made regarding the subject of this release contain forward-looking statements as defined under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities that Laredo assumes, plans, expects, believes, intends, projects, estimates or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking statements are based on Laredo management’s current belief, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events.

General risks relating to Laredo include, but are not limited to, the decline in prices of oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas and the related impact to financial statements as a result of asset impairments and revisions to reserve estimates, and other factors, including those and other risks described in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and those set forth from time to time in other filings with the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  These documents are available through Laredo’s website at www.laredopetro.com under the tab “Investor Relations” or through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System at www.sec.gov.  Any of these factors could cause Laredo’s actual results and plans to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.  Therefore, Laredo can give no assurance that its future results will be as estimated.  Laredo does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statement.  

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d022f944-3aca-41d1-9c45-9ee06f3cbe7a

Jack Cowell
Global Infrastructure Partners.
212 315 8133
Jack.Cowell@global-infra.com

Meredith Hargrove Howard
Medallion Midstream
210-737-4478
meredith@m2hpr.com

Ron Hagood
Laredo Petroleum
918-858-5504
rhagood@laredopetro.com

Source : Global Infrastructure Partners.

--BERNAMA

HITACHI KOKI ANNOUNCES BRAND NAME CHANGE TO "HIKOKI"

TOKYO, Nov 1 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --
 
-Rebranding Reflects Company's Commitment to Further Expansion as Global Brand-

Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (http://www.hitachi-koki.com/), a leading manufacturer of power tools and life-science equipment, announced on November 1 that the company will change its corporate name to Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., effective June 1, 2018, and will rebrand its full line of power tools known as HITACHI and/or Hitachi Koki under the new HiKOKI (*) (pronounced "hai-koh-key") name, effective October 1, 2018. The name changes are in line with the company's ambitious international growth strategy, aimed at ensuring sustainable growth while expanding business in the nearly 100 countries in Hitachi Koki's global network.

Hitachi Koki's world-class advanced technologies have produced reliable and innovative products throughout its celebrated 70-year history, which serve as the basis for its new partnership with KKR, one of the world's preeminent private equity groups. Through the new partnership, Koki Holdings is streamlining operations and accelerating investment in organic development and acquisitions to enhance its global businesses as a worldwide leading manufacturer.

Simultaneous to the rebranding efforts, the company is establishing a subsidiary as its European headquarters called Koki Holdings Europe GmbH in the suburbs of Dusseldorf, Germany, to reflect the strategic importance of the European market. The subsidiary will commence operations in November 2017, and will serve to carry out the parent company's activities in Europe, aiming to be closer to its customers to facilitate faster decision-making in managing their needs.

"We have delivered award-winning innovation in manufacturing with solid business performance for over 70 years, and now is the time for us to focus on expansion as a truly global company while remaining rooted to our Japanese tradition," said Osami Maehara, President, Hitachi Koki. "We have fully committed to accelerate growth alongside a dynamic new partner in KKR as we pursue our goal to become a global leader in power tools and life-science instruments. We have set an aggressive sales target of US$2.7 billion in fiscal year 2020. We are confident we can take our business to the next level with the support of all our employees and partners worldwide, and the revamping of the brand name is the first step to making this possible. We look forward to continuing to build a brand that exceeds the expectations of discerning customers around the world."

The HiKOKI brand was created to embody the three core competencies of the company, including its innovative technologies that give rise to products with superior performance, the reliability of its products and services backed by a 70-year company history, and the potential for new business growth represented through the new partnership with KKR. For ease of pronunciation, the new brand name uses a lowercase "i" in its first syllable, and includes the implicit numeral "1" to express the company's commitment to providing customers with the "No. 1" products on the market, and its aim to achieve "No. 1" global status.

The new corporate name, Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., is designed to maintain continuity with its current name, while also reflecting the multiple brands it encompasses around the world, and accelerate investment in acquisitions to expand its global business.

(*) No changes will be made to the following brands in their respective markets: metabo, SANKYO, Tanaka, CARAT, HIT-MIN, himac.

Click the below link to view an at-a-glance chart of the name and logo changes.
https://hkstrategies.egnyte.com/dl/7NLEe6UEfU

SOURCE: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA

GLOBAL SD-WAN PROVIDED TO ENTERPRISES IN AUSTRALIA AND SINGAPORE AS NEXION NETWORKS PARTNERS WITH ARYAKA

New partnership delivers superior global connectivity and application acceleration benefits to businesses in the Asia-Pacific region

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov 1 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aryaka®, the leading global SD-WAN provider, today announced that NEXION Networks will employ Aryaka’s global SD-WAN solution to enhance global connectivity and application performance for enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30455

JTB GROUP LAUNCHES SALES OF NEW HOKKAIDO TOUR FEATURING ACCOMMODATION AT RENOWNED NOBORIBETSU HOT SPRINGS, NINJA SHOW, AND VISIT TO A SWORDSMITH FORGE

- Enjoy the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido
- A new experience-based tour plan that delivers an engaging trip to Japan, even for returning visitors

TOKYO, Nov 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- JTB Group, Japan's largest travel agency, through JTB Sunrise Tours, its tour brand dedicated to bringing foreign tourists to Japan, has launched sales of a brand-new bus tour plan that invites foreign visitors to experience the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido, a favorite destination of tourists to Japan.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30453