According to the 2016 Franchise Business Economic Outlook report, employment growth in the franchise sector will continue to outpace the growth of employment in all businesses economy-wide, as it has in each of the last six years. The franchise industry is set to grow by 1.7 percent in 2016 which added over 13,000 new franchise businesses, generating over $900 billion in economic output and 278,000 new jobs in 2015.
Kumon, the world’s largest education franchise, continues to flourish as it surpassed company milestones in 2015 with nearly 300,000 students enrolled in its math and reading programs nationwide.
“Many of our 1,500 franchise owners opened Kumon centers after experiencing first-hand how Kumon gave their own children an academic advantage that put them ahead of their peers,” says Larry Lambert, vice president of franchise recruitment at Kumon North America. “Kumon is helping thousands of aspiring small business owners transform their lives with a career that rewards them and changes the lives of youth every day.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7720256-kumon-franchise/
In 2011, PetSafe® brand launched its nationwide Bark for Your Park program to help communities build their own off-leash dog parks. In order to help even more communities this year, PetSafe brand is restructuring the contest into a grant-giving program and increasing the number of awards from five to 25.
“In the past five years, we’ve given away over $850,000 to communities to build dog parks of their own, but now we want to help communities during every stage of development,” said Tracy Mulder, marketing manager, PetSafe brand. “Our new Bark for Your Park program is expanding to not only help break ground on new parks, but also help fund maintenance and improvements for existing parks.”
Communities can submit a grant application now through June 30, 2016 on www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark. The applications will be reviewed by an internal committee and PetSafe brand will award five new park grants valuing $25,000 each, 10 park makeover grants valuing $10,000 each, and 10 park maintenance grants valuing $5,000 each. This year’s award recipients will receive a combination of funds and commercial-grade dog park equipment from UltraSite, a PlayCore Company. The winning communities will be announced over a 5-week period during August through September.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7827752-petsafe-dogs-bark-for-your-park/
Elon Musk unveils the Model 3 at the Tesla Design Studio March 31, 2016. I was among the first to take a ride in the new car and was impressed with the design, power, and great looks! The interior just has one 4:3 ratio monitor in a horizontal positon. There are no gauges or dials anywhere! Still a very fast car and I'm sure options will include models that can go 0-60 in the 4.5 second range. Base models will innclude auto pilot and supercharging.
Read about a $3,000,000 mobile home in escrow at http://www.themaliburealestateblog.com
To celebrate 90 years of two much-loved British icons, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday is released today as a brand new illustrated and audio adventure, narrated by Oscar winning actor Jim Broadbent and available for free at www.Disney.co.uk/WinnieRoyalBirthday.
This brand new story has been specially written to celebrate the upcoming official 90th birthday celebrations of Her Majesty The Queen, and also Winnie-the-Pooh’s 90th anniversary, with October 2016 marking 90 years since his first publication and arrival in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Featuring Pooh’s first ever meeting of the Royal Family, the tale beautifully presents the loveable bear and his friends embarking on an unforgettable journey from the Hundred Acre Wood to London with the wish of delivering their own thoughtful 90th birthday presents to The Queen. Illustrations drawn in the classic E.H. Shepard style by Mark Burgess see the nation’s favourite bear and friends travelling through London on an open-top bus, taking in the sights including Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace guards, before a chance meeting with The Queen, which allows Pooh to present their birthday gifts.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7848651-winnie-the-pooh-and-the-royal-birthday/
Meredith Corporation, (NYSE:MDP; www.meredith.com) the leading media and marketing company serving 100 million American women and 72 percent of U.S. millennial women, today announced that Natalie Morales, TODAY show News Anchor and Third-Hour Co-Host; Erica Hill, NBC News’ Anchor and National Correspondent; and Carolyn Manno, NBC Olympics Host, will host and run the 2016 MORE/SHAPE Women’s Half-Marathon and kick off one of the largest women’s-only half-marathons in the country.
The race, held by Meredith’s SHAPE magazine in conjunction with the New York Road Runners (NYRR), will take place on Sunday, April 17, and draw 10,000 female runners and walkers of all ages, from around the world, to New York’s Central Park.
Morales and Hill are returning for the second year, after hosting the 2015 MORE/SHAPE Women’s Half-Marathon and completing the race in an impressive 1:38:59 and 2:06:52, respectively.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7788252-more-shape-womens-half-marathon-hosts/
WE invites Americans to tune in to the second annual US national broadcast of WE Day on August 28, 2016 at 7 pm/6 pm CT.
Charlize Theron, Demi Lovato, Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen, Selena Gomez, Natalie Portman, Common, Big Sean, Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, Jacob Tremblay, Zooey Deschanel, Tyrese Gibson, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Paula Abdul, Hannah Simone, Rico & Raini Rodriguez, Kermit the Frog along with other Muppets and more will come together to lend their voices to WE Day, part of the WE Movement that brings people together and gives them the tools to change the world locally and globally, achieving transformative outcomes for themselves and others.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7903351-we-org-we-day-movement/
From school lunches to family picnics to team practices, America’s iconic sandwich – the peanut butter and jelly - has played an important role in the lives of many Team USA athletes. It’s why Smucker’s®, a proud sponsor of Team USA, is turning America’s passion for a PB&J into a way to support our Team USA athletes. Beginning today, for every tweet using #PBJ4TeamUSA, Smucker’s will donate $1 to the United States Olympic Committee (up to $200,000).
Smucker’s is teaming up with U.S. Olympic gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson, U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Conor Dwyer, and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman to rally America to show their Olympic support.
“Every single donation makes a difference in an athlete’s training and the ability to work toward achieving our dreams, so I’m humbled and excited to partner with Smucker’s on #PBJ4TeamUSA,” said Aly Raisman. "I grew up eating PB&J, so being part of an effort to help fuel Team USA is so exciting for me!”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7815051-smuckers-pbj4teamusa-olympics/
In an agreement announced today at Chicagoland Speedway, Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI) has extended its partnership with Danica Patrick and Stewart Haas Racing (SHR), doubling the number of races in which Aspen Dental serves as primary sponsor. The deal means that Patrick will be behind the wheel of the blue-and-white No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet SS for four races annually beginning with the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, with associate sponsorship status for Patrick in all other Sprint Cup races.
“Working with Aspen Dental dentists has been a real pleasure,” Patrick said. “I love partnering with organizations that care about people, and teaming up with an organization that has such an important mission – breaking down barriers and helping patients get the dental care they need – is very rewarding. Aspen Dental dentists raise awareness about the importance of oral health every day, and I look forward to shining a spotlight on the great work they do.”
Aspen Dental practices are one of the largest and fastest-growing networks of independent dental care providers in the United States, with more than 500 locations across 32 states. In the past two years, Patrick has served as an ambassador for Aspen Dental practices across a multitude of channels, from launching Aspen Dental’s Healthy Mouth Movement, a community-giving initiative to deliver free dental care and oral health education to people in need, to appearing in A Taste of the Future, a hidden camera video designed to raise awareness about the long-term consequences of delaying dental care.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7629351-aspen-dental-shr-partnership/
HMR Weight Management Services (HMR), a subsidiary of Merck, has been named a No. 1 Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diets of 2016 rankings. This is the first year U.S. News has published the Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet category. HMR also held its position as the No. 2 Best Weight-Loss Diet in the annual rankings list for the second year in a row. HMR Programs focus on helping people lose weight quickly while teaching the healthy lifestyle skills needed for long-term weight management.
“HMR programs excel at providing the jump start many people need when beginning a healthier lifestyle program,” said Carol Addy, M.D. MMSc, Chief Medical Officer at HMR. “A common misconception is that losing weight quickly is not healthy, not sustainable, and will just lead to future weight re-gain. To the contrary, numerous clinical studies demonstrate that following a lifestyle change program which promotes fast initial weight loss can result in better long-term success.” Addy added, “On the HMR Program, people can lose weight without feeling hungry. Our programs achieve fast weight loss in a livable way by encouraging people to eat more and stay satisfied, which makes it easier to stick to the program in the short-term, and over the long haul.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7670751-hmr-program-named-best-weight-loss-diet/
Likely 2016 presidential candidates are already visiting battleground states where casino gaming supports more than half-a-million jobs and contributes $75 billion to local communities. The American Gaming Association (AGA) today launched a national initiative, “Gaming Votes,” to ensure presidential candidates understand gaming’s vital role in providing middle class jobs and driving economic growth.
“The 2016 presidential candidates will wage their campaigns in the casino gaming industry's backyards – including at national nominating conventions in the casino cities of Philadelphia and Cleveland next summer,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. “Our ‘Gaming Votes’ initiative will mobilize our workforce, highlight the path to the middle class that our industry provides and emphasize our commitment to strengthening communities across the United States.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7442251-aga-get-to-know-gaming-votes/
Kia Motors America (KMA) today unveiled the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid (HEV) at the Chicago Auto Show. The Optima HEV enjoys the same full redesign – inside and out – as the conventional gas-powered model, the all-new fourth-generation Optima sedan, bringing with it a new hybrid powertrain that targets a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy over the outgoing model. The enhanced HEV blends modern styling and a premium driving experience with an even more intense focus on efficiency and is being introduced under the Kia Motors EcoDynamics environmentally friendly sub-brand.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7731855-kia-2017-optima-hybrid-cas/
Today Barclaycard US, the payments business of Barclays in the United States, announced the launch of the #IHAVEARRIVED Travel Community contest, hosted by Barclaycard Arrival™ MasterCard®. Travel enthusiasts and Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers are invited to join the Barclaycard Travel Community to share their #IHAVEARRIVED travel moment. Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers who enter, have the opportunity to win an exclusive grand prize trip for two to the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards® in February 2016. Community members who are not Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers have an opportunity to choose between two grand prize options: a West Coast VIP trip for two to Napa Valley, California or an East Coast VIP trip for two to New York City.
“Since launching in 2013, Barclaycard Arrival continues to be recognized by industry experts as the go-to travel card,” said Maurice Ragland, vice president of branded cards. “We make it easy for cardmembers to have once-in-a-lifetime adventures by offering the industry’s best travel rewards program. What better way to showcase these moments than through the #IHAVEARRIVED campaign.”
Travel enthusiasts across the country are encouraged to share memorable travel stories from October 28 through November 22 in the Barclaycard Travel Community. Entries must include a short description and photo of the travel experience. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, writing and photography.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7671251-barclaycard-ihavearrived-launch/
