Call it a homecoming.
When Toyota introduced Lexus to the U.S. market in 1989, the Georgetown, Ky., plant – its first stand-alone vehicle manufacturing facility in America – was just in its second year of producing the Camry.
Fast forward 26 years and that same plant is celebrating the start of U.S. Lexus production. Today at a ceremony fit for a luxury brand king, the first-ever U.S.-produced ES 350 was unveiled before several thousand proud team members in Georgetown. And, just like a newborn foal at the nearby horse farms in Central Kentucky, the newcomer was brought into the world with plenty of TLC and hope for a bright future.
“This is really a proud moment for us and brings us full circle,” said Wil James, president, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. “To be the first wholly owned plant, building the number one best-selling car in America, the Camry, for 13 years in a row, and then to be selected to build the first Lexus is truly a tribute to our team members.”
For the past two and a half years, the Kentucky plant – Toyota’s largest in North America – has been gearing up to make the ES 350, Lexus’ best-selling sedan in the U.S. In all, $360 million was invested toward a new dedicated assembly line, adding 750 new jobs. Total capacity for the new line will be 50,000 vehicles.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7655351-lexus-kentucky-plant-es-350/
Long before it's time for hospice care, many people with serious illness can benefit from palliative care but don’t realize it. Sometimes referred to as “comfort care,” palliative care is a specialized approach to the treatment of patients with a serious or life-threatening illness. Palliative care has helped Deadra Gladden get her life back through symptom management and support from Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, Marlton, N.J.
In May of 2014 Deadra, age 28, was in the hospital, feeling hopeless and in excruciating pain due to lupus, a disease she has been battling for over half her young life. Deadra's doctors told her family it was time to call hospice. But after consulting with a nurse from Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice, a palliative care team was brought in instead.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council announced today their first national public service campaign designed to prevent underage drinking and driving. Following the success of iconic campaigns including “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” the new public service ads (PSAs) were unveiled this morning by Mark Rosekind, Administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) Teen Safe Driving Summit in Washington, DC.
“One teenage death from drinking and driving is too many,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “Our goal with this campaign is to raise awareness among teenagers that drinking and driving is one of the worst mistakes they can ever make, with deadly consequences that can’t be undone.”
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in America, and almost half of teens killed in crashes are the drivers themselves. Despite a minimum legal drinking age of 21 in all 50 states, almost one-quarter of young drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes had alcohol in their systems according to data from NHTSA.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7662551-ad-council-ultimate-party-foul/
The average price of a hotel room around the world rose by 3% during 2012, compared with the previous year, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI). The rate of increase has moderated when judged against the 4% rise in 2011 as the Eurozone’s problems pulled down the global average and slowed growth in the second half of the year.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58707-eurozone-crisis-slows-hotel-price-growth
Most Americans appear hopeful and optimistic about aging according to a new, national study from Parker, one of America’s leading aging services organizations that this year celebrates its 110th anniversary. Key findings from Parker’s “Aging in America Survey”—which examines the nation’s changing attitudes and opinions around growing older in the U.S.—include:
• A vast majority of Americans (71%) do not fear or worry about aging very much or at all.
• More than half of those surveyed (62%) believe that 80 is not too old to serve in government, run a marathon, be CEO of a Fortune 500 company, teach a class, or practice yoga.
• Those surveyed were evenly split (49% each) in describing the experience of growing older in America today with positive words (e.g., “hopeful,” “relevant,” “vibrant”) vs. negative words (e.g., “scary,” “depressing,” “lonely”).
• Nearly two-thirds (59%) of Americans feel that not enough technology innovation focuses on the lifestyles of older people.
• While 38% of Americans feel the most positive thing about getting older is gaining more experience and wisdom, only 1% believes it is acquiring greater wealth and material goods.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8100251-parker-aging-in-america-survey-anniversary/
Jacks-of-all-trades, masters-of-none, beware: Companies increasingly require specialized talent, and professionals with niche skills in fast-growing fields are often receiving multiple job offers.
A just-released downloadable white paper from Robert Half, The Specialist Economy: How Businesses and Professionals Can Prepare for the Trend Toward Specialization, highlights the increasing demand for workers in professions requiring both a college education and specialization in areas such as healthcare, accounting and finance, information technology, marketing, and law.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55077-robert-half-the-specialist-economy-white-paper
Quadriplegic former IndyCar driver and current team owner Sam Schmidt completed the bottom half of the challenging, high-altitude Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb yesterday in the Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM car).
Schmidt, who was paralyzed from the neck down in a crash during an IndyCar practice lap in 2000, is able to steer, accelerate and brake the modified 2016 Corvette Z06 SAM car using only his head. Sensors mounted on an Arrow-designed high-tech headset that Schmidt wears connect to infrared cameras mounted on the dashboard and detect his head-tilt motions to steer. A sip-and-puff device that Smith breathes into enables him to accelerate and brake.
Mouse was found hiding in the shadows. From the looks of him it was clear most of his 10 years had been very hard, but under the dirt and matted fur was a huge heart ready to give love. Thankfully, after a grooming Mouse quickly found his forever family, and was named America’s top shelter dog makeover in the 2016 Dirty Dogs Contest. His story stands as proof that a good bath can transform a dog’s life in more ways than one. The sad truth, however, is that less than half of the three million dogs entering shelters each year are getting the necessary grooming they need. That’s why Wahl has teamed up with GreaterGood.org to donate funds and grooming supplies to shelters nationwide. The goal: Transform more than 20,000 dogs this year to get them ready for adoption.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8008351-wahl-dirty-dogs-contest/
Hyundai launched its first plug–in hybrid vehicle today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug–in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is expected to travel up to 22 miles on electric power and can recharge in as little as two and a half hours with a Level 2 charger. Sonata Plug–in Hybrid will be built at the Asan, South Korea plant and will go on sale in select markets later this year.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7417751-hyundai-sonata-naias-2015/
The highly anticipated Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino, the first in Las Vegas to offer an authentic Asian gaming, dining and lifestyle experience, is now open to the public. The property commemorated the milestone with a Grand Opening Celebration held on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The celebration began at 2:30 p.m. PT as the booming sound of taiko drummers called Lucky Dragon guests out to the porte-cochere where the festivities took place. After a half-hour demonstration, the executive team from Lucky Dragon joined the celebration for the traditional dragon and lion eye-opening ceremony and dragon and lion dances. President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Fonfa, Managing Principal James Weidner, Chief Operating Officer Dave Jacoby, General Manager Matt Harkness, Vice President of Marketing Jordan Seager and Executive Chef Phuoc Luu were all present to make traditional red envelope offerings to the Lions, symbolizing good fortune to come. After an official ribbon cutting, an explosive Chinese firecracker display followed and wowed the packed crowd of onlookers.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7983351-lucky-dragon-hotel-casino-las-vegas-grand-opening/
Today, VSP Vision Care, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits provider in the United States, and market research agency YouGov released new findings showing that half of people in the U.S. are neglecting their eyes despite 84 percent of people rating vision as their most important sense. This disconnect occurs because people don’t understand the importance of annual eye exams and its connection to overall health.
In fact, only 1 percent of people know that signs of serious conditions like thyroid disease, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders and certain types of cancer can be detected through annual eye exams. This is concerning because even if you have naturally good vision and don’t need prescription glasses, you still need an annual eye exam to protect your overall health.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8363551-vsp-vision-care/
Blue Plate® Mayonnaise, one of the country’s oldest and most beloved condiment brands, is shaking up the mayonnaise aisle with the industry’s first mayonnaise made with Greek yogurt. Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt (Blue Plate Light Greek) features creamy, tangy Greek yogurt for a full-flavored light mayonnaise with half the fat and calories of traditional mayonnaise, plus one gram of protein per serving. The new Blue Plate Light Greek is in stores now, available in a 30-ounce jar and a 12-ounce squeeze bottle.
This is the first major product innovation in real mayonnaise since the introduction of olive oil more than five years ago. Consumer research shows that Greek yogurt has come into its own as a food super trend, and U.S. consumption is expected to reach $4 billion by 2019. Blue Plate Light Greek features a flavor that is perfectly proportioned to pair with sandwiches, salads and more. The added protein is yet another nutritious benefit not found in any other mayonnaise.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7740951-blue-plate-greek-mayo/