Daily Archives: May 3, 2012

Business

CertaPro Painters Receives Houzz’s 2012 ‘Best Of Remodeling’ Award

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First-Ever Survey & Analysis of More than 1.2 Million Members Reveals Top-Rated Professionals and Current Design Trends from Across the Country.

Oaks, PA (USA), Thursday – May 03, 2012 — CertaPro Painters ( http://www.certapro.com ) has been awarded “Best Of Remodeling” 2012 by Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design. The nation’s largest franchised residential and commercial painting company was chosen by the more than 1.2 million registered members of the Houzz community.

“We’re thrilled that our work has been recognized in the ‘Customer Satisfaction’ category,” said Kathi Mello, creative art director for CertaPro Painters ( http://www.certapro.com ). “As we continue to build our brand and work to increase awareness across every platform, it means a lot that we’re acknowledged by a prominent name in the residential remodeling and design industry.”

The Houzz Best Of Remodeling” award for 2012 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the 1.2 million members, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 16.5 million professional images to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site and iPad/iPhone app.

“With 3.5 million monthly unique users and 80 million monthly page views, Houzz has rapidly become the largest community of active remodelers, providing homeowners and design enthusiasts with first-hand advice from Houzzers who have been through the renovating and decorating process,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz. “This is a real stamp of approval for CertaPro Painters from the Houzz community and we’re thrilled to welcome them to this elite group of ‘Best Of’ winners.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like CertaPro Painters but also those whose work visually aligns with their own design goals. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and evaluating their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

About CertaPro:
Founded in 1991, Oaks, Pennsylvania-based CertaPro Painters is the largest painting company in North America and provides a customer-driven painting experience that is unparalleled in the industry (both commercial and residential). The company expects to add 50 new franchises in 2012, working toward its goal of having more than 400 locations by mid 2013. CertaPro franchisees establish large-scale, regional painting companies backed by CertaPro’s proven business system that has made them North America’s most referred painting company. CertaPro currently has more than 350 locations worldwide including the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.certapro.com. @CertaPro

About Houzz:
Houzz ( http://www.houzz.com ) is the leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.2 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality. @houzz_inc

CERTAPRO PAINTERS
150 Green Tree Road, Unit 1003
Oaks, PA 19456
Contact: Kathi Mello
Phone: 484-293-1027
Email: kmello@certapro.com
Website: http://www.certapro.com

Press & Media Contact:
Nicole Benzer
Sanderson & Associates, Ltd
150 Green Tree Road, Unit 1003
Oaks, PA 19456 – USA
312-829-4350
nicole@sandersonpr.com
http://www.certapro.com

Entertainment

The Prestige Group Celebrates its Silver Jubilee Anniversary with a Vintage & Classic Car Rally

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The Prestige Group celebrated its Silver Jubilee anniversary by partnering with Taj West End to present a Vintage & Classic car rally to the city on Sunday – 29 April 2012.

Bangalore, India, Thursday – May 03, 2012 — The Prestige Group celebrated its Silver Jubilee anniversary by partnering with Taj West End to present a Vintage & Classic car rally to the city on Sunday – 29 April 2012. UB City, which is today Bangalore’s most happening hotspot for all events related to luxury, culture and art, played host to the event by displaying the classics there from 12 noon to 1pm.

Ms. Uzma Irfan – Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Prestige Group, “Prestige is synonymous with fine living and classic designs which is the trademark of our brand. Over the years, we have created landmark developments which reflect our ethos and understanding of artistic creations, similar to what these vintage classics stand for. On the momentous occasion of our Silver Jubilee, we celebrated this milestone of ours alongside the Taj West End with this vintage car and motorcycle rally; which epitomized the appreciation for the classics of the yester years and connected with our quest for world-class aesthetics, designs and time-tested quality. We were happy that the citizens of Bangalore were able to partake of this opportunity and walk down memory lane and explore the times of the maharajas and nobility with us.”

About the event:
The event began with an elaborate breakfast spread at the Taj West End followed by the rally at 10.30am. The classics were then on display between 12-1pm at UB City.

The rally was flagged off by the Chief Guest for the event – Chief Minister, Shri DV Sadananda Gowda from Taj West End. The vehicles moved towards Cubbon Park, Kasturbha Road, MG Road, Trinity Circle – halting by Vivanta by Taj MG Road, proceeding towards Ulsoor Lake heading to Dickenson Road, Commercial Street, Brigade Road, moving to UB City, back to Tiffany’s Circle, Kasturba Road, Cricket Stadium, Raj Bhavan, Chalukya Circle, Bangalore Golf Club, Windsor Circle, Shivananda Circle, Race Course Road and finally entering back into Taj West End.

Nearly a hundred vintage cars and motorcycles participated in this rally. There were 57 classic four-wheelers and 17 conventional motorcycles in the parade.

Some classic vintages that were a part of this event were:
* 1909 Wolseley that belonged to the Maharaja of Cooch Behar
* 1961 Jaguar E-Type, which in March 2008, was ranked first in the Daily Telegraph’s list of the “100 most beautiful cars” of all times
* Jaguar Mk which also belonged to the Maharaja of Udaipur
* Other eye-catchers included the Mercedes, Austins, MGS, Ford Jeeps, Plymouth, Daimlers, Buick, Dodge, etc. which used to be the trademarks of maharajas and nobilities of yester years.

About Prestige Group:
Synonymous with innovation, the Prestige Group ( http://www.prestigeconstructions.com ) has in recent years expanded its presence across several cities in South India including Chennai, Kochi, Mangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad and Goa apart from Bangalore.

The company already has several successful completed and ongoing projects in Chennai to its credit, spanning the commercial and retail segments. Prestige Cyber Towers and Prestige Palladium are two recently completed commercial developments, which have received an overwhelming response. Among other projects, Prestige Polygon, another commercial development, is currently under construction while the Forum Vijaya Mall, slated to be Chennai’s largest mall, is also scheduled to be unveiled later this year.

Over the last decade, the Prestige Group has firmly established itself as one of the leading and most successful developers of real estate in South India by imprinting its indelible mark across all asset classes. Founded in 1986, the group’s turnover has today crossed Rs.1600 crores. A leap that has been Inspired by CMD Irfan Razack and marshaled by his brothers Rezwan Razack and Noaman Razack. Having completed more than 161 projects covering over 45.82 million sq ft, the group has over 61.33 million sqft of under development & planned projects. In October 2010, the Prestige Group also successfully entered the Capital Market with an Initial Public Offering of Rs 1200cr.

Aggressive growth plans in the residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality domains will be visible in the skylines of Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mangalore, Mysore and Goa in the coming years. Giving each city an unparalleled experience with landmark malls on the lines of The Forum, large townships, tech parks, hotels, luxury villas and SEZs.

The Prestige Group is the only developer from Bangalore to receive the reputed FIABCI award for their software and residential facilities. The Prestige Group has been on a winning spree for the last two years and has received several international and national awards for their various developments. The latest in their kitty are the prestigious CNBC AWAAZ Crisil Credai Real Estate Awards for Prestige Wellington Park and the Asia Pacific International Property Awards for a record 11 projects including Prestige White Meadows, Prestige Golfshire, Prestige Shantiniketan and the Forum Value Mall among others.

For more information, please visit http://www.prestigeconstructions.com

Press & Media Contact:
Neha Verma
Prestige Estates Projects Ltd
Bangalore – 560 001 (India)
7760979451/9916142880
neha@prestigeconstructions.com
http://www.prestigeconstructions.com

Automotive

SmartTV: Video in Motion Enabler by Mods4cars for Skoda Models

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Aftermarket electronics specialist Mods4cars now offers a SmartTV video in motion unlocker module for many current Skoda models. The module allows use of the multimedia equipment by the passenger while the car is moving. A simple key combination enables or disables the unlock.

Las Vegas, NV (USA), Thursday – May 03, 2012 — Effective immediately, passengers in many current Skoda models will be able to use the TV tuner, DVD player or other multimedia equipment on long road trips while the car is moving. The custom designed bypass module offered by Mods4cars ( http://www.mods4cars.com ) removes the warning message and brings full multimedia entertainment to the navigation monitor for passengers to enjoy.

“We can now offer a well thought out, custom designed and hardware based multimedia unlock solution to Skoda owners.” says PR manager Sven Tornow. “Our product can quickly be enabled or disabled with a key combination. Additionally all functionality stays in place after firmware updates to the system regularly done by dealers during routine inspections since this is a hardware module, not a software unlock”, he concludes.

Manufacturer of this new SmartTV module is Las Vegas based Mods4cars. Having been in the automotive aftermarket business for 10 years, the main product line is SmartTOP convertible top control modules which allow opening and closing of the convertible top while driving as well as top operation from the factory remote fob. Each of the modules also comes with an array of bonus features and can be temporarily deactivated completely.

All recent products designed by Mods4cars come with a standard USB port for quick and easy firmware updates and user settings. Support software, manuals and update files are available free of charge online on the company’s website.

The video in motion unlocker SmartTV for Skoda is compatible with all “Columbus navigation and entertainment systems.

SmartTV modules are also available for Bentley, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

SmartTOP Convertible Top modules are available for: Alfa, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes, Mini, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Volkswagen and Volvo.

The complete SmartTV kit is available for 149 Euros + tax.

A demonstration can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAy7teCvy9E

Further details and purchasing information: http://www.mods4cars.com

About Mods4cars:
Mods4cars was founded in 2002 with the idea to add a highly demanded feature to the otherwise almost perfect Porsche Boxster: Comfort One-Touch roof operation while driving at slow speeds. The resulting product offered not only that, but also allowed quick and easy installation by just swapping out a relay box, thus leaving no traces and no permanent changes on the vehicle. The first SmartTOP roof controller was born.

The success of their first products in Germany and Europe prompted them in late 2004 to move operations to the USA, to be able to serve the American market as well as all other English speaking countries such as Australia, UK and South Africa from one central location. Their business has grown to a full-fledged international corporation with an office in Las Vegas and a full line of innovative products as well as distributors and installation partners all over the globe.

Being highly specialized in the development and distribution of aftermarket roof- and comfort controllers since 2002 allows them to offer an unsurpassed level of competence and product quality. Their main goal is optimization of each individual product to a maximum in compatibility, usability and intuitive operation. They put greatest effort into development and quality checks of all their products to achieve this goal and meet all expectations of their customers.

The extraordinary success of their products is also based on the great communication with their customers, which usually already starts for each new product during the development and prototyping phase.

Press & Media Contact:
Anja Lehmann
Mods4cars LLC
1350 E. Flamingo Rd #3100
Las Vegas, NV 89119 – USA
+1-310-9109055
lehmann@mods4cars.com
http://www.mods4cars.com

Travel

Ludus Tours Celebrates 50 Days Till the London Summer Games

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Ludus Tours, is pleased to announce that it will be marking 50 days to the Summer Games in London, United Kingdom, with an event at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

San Diego, CA (USA), Thursday – May 03, 2012 — Ludus Tours ( http://www.ludustours.com ), a travel company that focuses on premiere global sporting and cultural events,is pleased to announce that it will be marking 50 days to the Summer Games in London, United Kingdom, with an event at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

“We have an enthusiastic staff already on the ground in London who are excited to offer turn-key hospitality solutions to the athletes’ families, friends and fans,”

said Adam Dailey, CEO of Ludus Tours. “We are excited about taking people to London and we’re hoping to get the San Diego community in the Olympic spirit, as well.”

The free event, which will be open to the public, will feature meet and greet opportunities with Olympic athletes, giveaways, networking opportunities, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

What: Ludus Tours 50 Days to the Summer Games Party
Where: San Diego Hall of Champions, Balboa Park
When: June 7, 2012 from 6pm to 8pm
Who: San Diego sports professionals and enthusiasts

About Ludus Tours:
Ludus Tours provides complete travel, tour and hospitality packages to the world’s premiere sporting and cultural events, including the 2012 Summer Games in London, the 2012 U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, among others. In addition to their travel services, Ludus Sports offers corporate branding, marketing and retail opportunities within each of their events. Since 2003, Ludus has helped thousands of individuals, families and organizations with their accommodation and hospitality needs. Ludus is the Official Hospitality Provider for over 15 National Governing Bodies including USA Swimming, USA Volleyball, USRowing and others. Ludus Tours is based in San Diego, CA with offices in London, UK. For more information, please visit http://www.summergames.travel and http://www.ludustours.com.

Press & Media Contact:
Ashley Hernandez
Executive Assistant
Ludus Tours
1501 Front Street #107
San Diego, CA 92101 – USA
951-296-7029
ashley@ludustours.com
http://www.summergames.travel
http://www.ludustours.com

Automotive

Shepherd Controls becomes latest Dunkermotor Motion control channel partner

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Established industrial automation distributor augments Dunkermotor linear motors with complete line of intelligent servo motors, brushed DC motors and gearmotor solutions for southwestern U.S. machinery OEMs.

Elgin, IL, May 03, 2012 – Texas-based automation and motion controls distributor, Shepherd Controls & Associates has expanded beyond the Dunkermotor linear motor line to become a full line authorized channel partner for the Dunkermotor fractional horsepower brushed and brushless DC motors and intelligent servo motors. With offices located in the Dallas – Ft. Worth, Houston and El Paso areas Shepherd Controls covers Texas, including the maquiladoras, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

“Shepherd Controls is very excited about joining forces with Dunkermotor to provide quality automation solutions to our marketing area” said Bill Benko, partner in Shepherd Controls. “As a value-added distributor, Shepherd Controls is dedicated to providing not only high-quality service, but also the finest products in the automation industry to our customers.”

Founded in 1985, Shepherd Controls & Associates covers the southwestern market with nine strategically located sales engineers.

“Shepherd’s sales engineers undergo rigorous training on all products they represent, and they are qualified to assist customers in choosing cost-effective solutions that meet their application needs,” said Don Gallaway, Dunkermotor central regional sales manager. “In addition, our Dunkermotor TechCenter stands ready to work with the Shepherd team on particularly challenging applications.”

About Dunkermotor:
Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, Dunkermotor is the North American sales, technical support and logistics subsidiary of Dunkermotoren GmbH, for 60 years the global quality and value leader in customized, configurable sole-source fractional horsepower motion control solutions composed of BLDC, PMDC and AC electric motors, gearmotors, controls, encoders and brakes, as well as linear motion solutions. With headquarters in the Black Forest in Bonndorf, Germany and production and/or logistics facilities in Europe, Asia and the U.S., Dunkermotoren employs 1000 globally and produced over 3.4 million motors in 2011 for the factory and commercial automation, specialty machinery, medical, solar power, packaging, semiconductor, and mass transportation industries.

Contact:
John Morehead
Dunkermotoren USA, Inc.
2511 Technology Drive, Suite 105
Elgin, IL 60124
224-293-1300
john.morehead@dunkermotoren.com
http://www.dunkermotoren.com

Business

Kasasa Changes The Face of Local Banking in Fairmont

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Profinium Financial Introduces Kasasa, a Striking Alternative to the Megabank Rollercoaster

Fairmont, MN, May 03, 2012 – Profinium Financial asks consumers, “Do you Kasasa?” as it becomes the next financial institution in Minnesota to launch the country’s most innovative financial products.

Kasasa® is a new brand of free checking and savings accounts that pays consumers to use their account with what interests them most—high interest or automatic savings. These accounts, combined with the personal service that only community financial institutions can deliver, are offering residents a better checking account option than the megabank experience.

“Consumers deserve to wake up to happier days of banking and leave behind the nightmare of megabank fees and mistreatment. We are pleased to be the first in Truman to offer these unique products,” said Marques Doppler, CEO at Profinium Financial “Kasasa delivers what research shows people really want but believe they can’t have—great financial products with the personal service of a community based financial institution.”

Profinium Financial is offering two Kasasa financial products, Kasasa Cash? and Kasasa Saver?. All Kasasa products are free, reward-based accounts, with no minimum balance to earn the rewards, no monthly service fee, free online banking and nationwide ATM fee refunds.

Kasasa Cash – A free checking account that rewards consumers with high interest for every month they qualify.

Kasasa Saver – A free, high interest saver account linked to a Kasasa Cash checking account. The interest and ATM fee refunds earned in the Kasasa Cash are automatically deposited into the Kasasa Saver account when the account holder qualifies. The balance in the Kasasa Saver account also earns a high rate of interest.

To receive the Kasasa account benefits, each monthly qualification cycle account holders are asked to do a few simple things like, receive an eStatement, use a debit card a minimum number of times, and have an electronic transaction (such as direct deposit) post to and clear their account. If an account holder does not meet the qualifications in a given month, Profinium Financial will alert the individual, who will be eligible the following month for the benefits.

“Extensive research has shown us that consumers would prefer to do business with community financial institutions, but feel they would lose access to products,” continued Doppler “Kasasa is opening people’s eyes to a new banking model where no sacrifices are necessary. It’s a win-win because account holders get innovative products and personalized service.”

In 2009, Kasasa was piloted in six other markets across the U.S. In just the first two months of offering Kasasa, participating community financial institutions reported growth rates upwards of 150% on new account openings and 372% in deposits at institutions focused on deposit growth.

Kasasa is being introduced with an aggressive, highly engaging marketing campaign. It comes to life through a fresh mix of eye-popping advertising, the likes of which exceed the typical megabank’s high-budget programs. The ads feature America’s top slam poets www.kasasa.com/news-and-media/advertising riffing lyrical threads around the theme of “Do you Kasasa?”

Kasasa is distributed to Profinium Financial from BancVue, the leading provider of innovative products, dynamic marketing, and data-driven consulting solutions to community financial institutions nationwide to help them win the war against the megabanks.

For more information on Kasasa accounts, consumers can visit www.profinium.com or www.kasasa.com/profiniumfinancial.

Do you Kasasa?
Kasasa® is the first national brand of the most innovative checking accounts available today. The accounts, offered exclusively by the finest community financial institutions, are designed to be the first and only accounts that actually take an interest in their account holders by rewarding them to use their account with what interests them most—high interest, cash back, automatic savings, money to donate to charity or iTunes® or Amazon.com downloads. Kasasa, developed and distributed by BancVue, marries innovative banking products with the personal touch of community financial institutions. For more information, visit www.kasasa.com.

Contact:
Katie Weathers
CSG PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(404) 791-8245
kweathers@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Business, Financial

Two Years After the Flash Crash, High Frequency Firms on the Move: The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw

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Edgar Perez, Presenting The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw, Poland, “How Algorithmic and High Frequency Traders Leverage Profitable Strategies to Find Alpha in Equities, Options, Futures and FX”, May 11, 2012.

(May 3, 2012, New York) — It was reported by Reuters that increased scrutiny by U.S. regulators and politicians of high-frequency traders is creating an incentive for them to move to less regulated markets inside and outside the United States, Duncan Niederauer, chief executive of NYSE Euronext. High-frequency trading had come under increased scrutiny since the May 6, 2010 “flash crash,” when the Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 800 points in minutes, before rebounding. Some critics said high frequency trading exacerbated the speed and severity of the fall.

Niederauer said that another result of the increased scrutiny in the United States was that high-frequency firms were accelerating shifts to non-U.S. markets. “I don’t think the high frequency guys have left the U.S. market entirely, but I do think that they have shifted some of their volume to the less regulated market, which you have to say is a rational decision on their part.”

This rational decision by high frequency traders to move to other markets includes Poland. That’s why Edgar Perez is bringing The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw, “How Algorithmic and High Frequency Traders Leverage Profitable Strategies to Find Alpha in Equities, Options, Futures and FX” (http://www.TheSpeedTradersWorkshop.com) on May 11 to the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Perez is widely regarded as the preeminent expert in the specialized area of high-frequency trading; he is the author of The Speed Traders, An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World (http://www.TheSpeedTraders.com), published by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011).

The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw reveals how high-frequency trading players are succeeding in the global markets and driving the development of algorithmic trading at breakneck speeds from the U.S. and Europe to India, Singapore and Brazil.

Perez has been featured on CNBC Cash Flow (with Oriel Morrison), CNBC Squawk Box (with Geoff Cutmore), BNN Business Day (with Kim Parlee), TheStreet.com (with Gregg Greenberg), Channel NewsAsia Business Tonight and Cents & Sensibilities (with Lin Xue Ling), NHK World, iMoney Hong Kong, Hedge Fund Brief, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Valor Econômico, The Korea Herald, FIXGlobal Trading, The Korea Times, TODAY Online, Oriental Daily News and Business Times.

Perez has been engaged to present to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, CFA Singapore, Hong Kong Securities Institute, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University and Pace University, among other public and private institutions. In addition, Perez has spoken at a number of global conferences, including Harvard Business School’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference (Boston), High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum (New York, Chicago, London), MIT Sloan Investment Management Conference (Cambridge), Institutional Investor’s Global Growth Markets Forum (London), Technical Analysis Society (Singapore), TradeTech Asia (Singapore), FIXGlobal Face2Face (Seoul) and Private Equity Convention Russia, CIS & Eurasia (London).

Perez was a vice president at Citigroup, a senior consultant at IBM, and a consultant at McKinsey & Co. in New York City. Perez has an undergraduate degree from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru (1994), a Master of Administration from Universidad ESAN, Lima, Peru (1997) and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, New York, with a dual major in Finance and Management (2002). He belongs to the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Perez resides in the New York City area and is an accomplished salsa and hustle dancer.

Contact:
Julia Petrova
Media Relations Coordinator
The Speed Traders
516-761-4712
jpetrova@thespeedtraders.com
http://www.thespeedtraders.com

Business

FRA supports Re-Emergence of Finnish Forestry

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The Finnish forestry industry is on the up once more, according to FRA, whose outlook is backed by a new study.

Seattle, United States, May 3, 2012 — The Finnish forestry industry is on the up once more, according to Forestry Research Associates (FRA), whose outlook is backed by a new study.

FRA is a research and analysis consultancy, specialising in forestry and timberland investments. It claims that, after a period of downturn, the forestry industry in Finland is ripe for investment once more.

FRA’s view on the state of the industry in the Scandinavian country reflects the general outlook within Finland itself, according to a research report commissioned the Finnish Forest Association. The report found that the general confidence in the industry is returning after a tough few years.

Some 76 per cent of those questioned said they felt confident in Finland’s forestry industry’s international competitiveness. This was up from just 61 per cent who said the same back in 2007.

There was also a discovery that three quarters of the people questioned agreed that forestry by-products should be increasingly used in biomass power stations to generate energy.

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, “We very much welcome the news that the outlook among Finland’s forestry industry is more positive than it has been in recent years.

“We hope that this signifies the start of a new period of prosperity for the industry and that investors will be drawn to the asset class as an alternative to stocks and shares.”

FRA supports investment in forestry as an asset class and claims that it has regularly outperformed equities over the past ten years or so. Collins added, “With the increasingly volatile nature of traditional investments, it’s no wonder that wise investors are looking for new places to invest their cash.”

FRA supports timber investments through sustainable plantations that provide the chance for investors to buy up areas of forest and support the forestry industry and the communities that rely on it.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

Investing in whisky can pay off claims AAA

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Although the wine investment market is going through a tough spell at the moment, investing in whisky could still be worth considering for those who want to turn a hobby into a money-spinner, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, May 3, 2012 — Although the wine investment market is going through a tough spell at the moment, investing in whisky could still be worth considering for those who want to turn a hobby into a money-spinner, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group claims that there is money to be made from investing in rare Scotch and other whiskies, that could grow in value over the coming years. AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained: “many of us are looking for a true alternative investment strategy, which will leave us clear to avoid dealing with stocks, shares banks and bonds. Whisky could be the answer.”

One of the major draws for whisky investors is rare one-off releases, such as John Walker and Sons Diamond Jubilee Whisky, which is priced at £100,000. Although this does come at a high price, the exclusivity of this asset could prove its winning characteristic in a few years time, claims Mr Johnson.

This is not based on rumour, but on fact. “The top-performing ten whiskies gained 400 per cent of their value between 2008 and 2011,” claimed Mr Johnson. Gains of 245 per cent were recorded for the top 100.

Some less expensive whiskies can also prove profitable and a little less risky, claimed AAA, which advocates a wide range of alternative investments. It added that single malts from producers like Macallan and Glenlivet can turn a good profit – particularly if you buy up some rare or older varieties, according to AAA.

As well as interest-based alternatives, like investing in art, wine, whisky, collectibles and real estate, AAA also promotes investing in forestry and timber. “Fast growing timber species, like teak and eucalyptus, can be grown rapidly and sold for a huge profit once the trees reach maturity,”explained Mr Johnson. Those interested in investing in such plantations can contact Greenwood Management about their sustainable projects in Brazil.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

Sustainability receiving Boost from Investors, claims FRA

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Forestry investors are helping to boost sustainability, claims FRA.

Seattle, United States, May 3, 2012 — Forestry investors are helping to boost sustainability, claims Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

FRA, along with a host of other experts, are claiming that the increased interest in alternative investments, and particularly ethical investments, is helping to boost the importance of sustainability around the globe.

A recent article in the Financial Times also highlighted how investment in sustainable real estate is also helping to boost the demand for green buildings, with more and more investors realising the benefit of putting their cash towards an ethical project.

“There’s no doubt that green investments are proving more popular these days, explained FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins. He added, “Investors are largely disillusioned with the state of economy and the fact that the banks held all the power for so long.”

FRA claims that the tide is changing and that investors are increasingly looking at ways to contribute to a more sustainable way of living and investing.

Forestry investment is one of the areas that has attracted a huge amount of attention in recent years. Investing in sustainable timber plantations offers a lower-risk option for investors who are keen to make an impact with their cash. “Investing in timber is less risky as you don’t have to harvest and sell your timber when your trees reach maturity – you can always hang onto them and watch them continue to grow until the price is right,” explained Collins.

This, teamed with the fact that timber demand is soaring in emerging markets such as India, China and Brazil, means that prices are set to rise in the coming years. “Investing in timber grown in Canada or Brazil through firms like Greenwood Management offers a uniquely profitable and ethical choice that will help investors get a taste of green investments for as little as around $15,000,” concluded Mr Collins.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com