Monthly Archives: August 2012

Society

PGA TOUR Extends Health Initiative with Sponsorship of Living at Your Peak

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Inaugural Health and Wellness Event in Vail Strongly Aligns with Mission of PGA TOUR’s Humana Challenge to Help People Live Healthier Lives

Vail, CO, July 31, 2012 – The PGA TOUR, whose Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation golf tournament launched earlier this year with a special focus on helping Americans live healthier lives, will extend its commitment to health this fall by supporting Living at Your Peak in Vail. Scheduled for September 13-15, Living at Your Peak is the nation’s only gathering designed to help health-conscious individuals and influencers discover how to live longer, better and impact the well-being of their world.

“When the PGA TOUR launched the Humana Challenge, we were thrilled to see such a prominent organization use its platform to help Americans live healthier lives,” said Jamie Stone, Living at Your Peak event champion and a board member of the Vail Symposium, a non-profit organization responsible for Living at Your Peak. “We are proud to partner with this organization to extend its commitment to health to the Vail valley.”

The Humana Challenge, a collaboration among the PGA TOUR, Clinton Foundation and Humana, uses its stature and visibility as a PGA TOUR tournament to challenge individuals to better understand their role in their own well-being and to take steps to improve and maintain their health. In addition to public education initiatives throughout the week, the tournament features healthy concession options and on-course well-being activities for tournament spectators. The second annual Humana Challenge will be held January 14-20, 2013.

“As a strong adjunct to our own health initiatives, Living at Your Peak closely aligns with the Humana Challenge’s mission and will help us achieve our goal to motivate people to live healthier lives,” said Tim Finchem, commissioner of the PGA TOUR. “The PGA TOUR is strongly committed to supporting initiatives that promote health and well-being, which is why we are proud to sponsor this event.”

Living at Your Peak is organized by the Vail Symposium, a grassroots, non-profit organization providing thought-provoking, diverse and affordable educational programs to the Vail Valley community. Event sponsors include Vail Valley Medical Center, HealthONE, the Town of Vail, The Steadman Clinic, Vail Summit Orthopaedics, Vail Resorts, PGA TOUR, Triumph Development, the Vail Daily, Vail Beaver Creek Magazine, Antlers at Vail, Vitality Center, Opedix, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, The Biegler Foundation, Colorado Access, Wendy and Paul Raether, the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, Vail Luxury Magazine, The Denver Athletic Club and the Steadman Philippon Research Institute.

For more information about Living at Your Peak, please visit http://www.livingatyourpeak.org. To learn more about the Humana Challenge, please visit http://www.humanachallenge.com.

About Living at Your Peak
Living at Your Peak is a two-and-a-half day summit designed to help individuals learn how to live longer, better and influence positive change in the wellbeing of the world around them. The event is designed to promote lifelong health and fitness through customized experiences in an intimate setting. Program presenters are proven experts and peak performers in the fields of fitness, nutrition, cognitive and emotional wellbeing, preventive medicine and cutting-edge research. Living at Your Peak is organized by the Vail Symposium. For more information, please visit http://www.livingatyourpeak.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/LivingatYourPeak, follow us on twitter at @LivingaturPeak or follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/living-at-your-peak.

About the Vail Symposium
The Vail Symposium is a grassroots, non-profit organization that has been part of the life and history of Vail since 1971. Its mission is to provide educational programs for the Vail Valley community that are thought-provoking, diverse and affordable. A (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Symposium is almost entirely donor-funded. For more information, please visit http://www.vailsymposium.org or call 970-343-9918.

Contact:
Shannon Fern
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
sfern@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Business

Welcomemat Services Expands to Florida with Signing of New Franchise Agreements

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Welcomemat Services, has announced their expansion into the South Florida market with the signing of two new franchisees.

Atlanta, GA (USA), Tuesday – July 31st, 2012 — Welcomemat Services, a franchised marketing strategies and technology company that provides monthly gift-check packages to new movers, has announced their expansion into the South Florida market with the signing of two new franchisees. David Tabb purchased the Fort Lauderdale territory and Mark Sullivan purchased Boca Raton and Pompano Beach territories, fueling the companys growth in a largely undeveloped market.

With a steady stream of new residents every year, Florida offers significant growth opportunities for the Welcomemat Services concept, said Brian Mattingly, CEO. Were excited to have a presence here and welcome David and Mark to our growing team. Like so many of the franchisees in our system, David and Mark both bring years of sales and marketing experience to their new businesses; we look forward to their positive contributions to the system. Other potential markets weve identified for expansion include Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Orlando, North Palm Beach and Pensacola.

The Welcomemat program is designed to target new residents when they move into an area by presenting them with invitations to try various businesses and organizations, helping them to get acclimated to their new surroundings. Unique in the estimated 133 billion local advertising market, Welcomemat not only provides local businesses access to new loyal customers, but its specialized patented technology stores and logs customer demographics for use by the local businesses it supports. Its the first and only cooperative mail service to employ proprietary technology that enables new resident information to be barcoded onto every gift check, allowing clients to receive free customized tracking and information reports regarding responses to their offers.

One thing that has had a positive impact on our growth is that as the franchise matures, our current franchisees are able to validate the system with their results, said Brian Mattingly, CEO. Utilizing their success from these franchise opportunities with Welcomemat has been extremely helpful in the recruitment process.

Additionally, Welcomemat has propelled the brand into the digital marketplace with the recent launch of a new mobile loyalty program that rewards customers for visiting local businesses regularly. The Punchpoints smart phone app helps new residents explore their new neighborhood restaurants, shops and other local service providers. The customer collects Punchpoints by scanning a QR code at each business they visit, and the points are later redeemed for exclusive rewards. With over 30 small businesses in Atlanta currently signed up for the app and over 200 users in the consumer marketplace, Welcomemat plans a nationwide rollout in August.

With its proven business model, large client base and unmatched innovation and sophistication, Welcomemat is well positioned as an up-and-coming franchise brand. Welcomemat franchise owners are not required to have industry experience, but solid sales and networking skills are required to effectively build relationships with advertiser clients. Many franchisees have experience in real estate, sales, marketing or business.

Since franchising began in early 2011, Welcomemat has expanded to 13 franchised units and maintains eight corporate-operated locations. Projections call for the opening of 5 additional franchise locations in 2012 toward a goal of opening 200 locations during the next five years in high-profile, transient markets across the country.

WELCOMEMAT SERVICES:
3348 Peachtree Road, Suite 1095
Atlanta, GA 30326
Contact: Brian Mattingly
Phone: 404-841-2226
Website: http://www.welcomematservices.com

Press & Media Contact:
Courtney Thomas / Nicole Benzer
Sanderson Associates, Ltd
3348 Peachtree Road, Suite 1095
Atlanta, GA 30326 – USA
312-829-4350
courtney@sandersonpr.com / nicole@sandersonpr.com
http://www.welcomematservices.com

Automotive

SmartTop Convertible Top Controller for BMW Z4 Available Effective Immediately

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The retrofit SmartTOP roof controller offered by Mods4cars is now available for the BMW Z4 roadster type E85. It allows opening and closing of the convertible top while driving at slow speeds via short key presses. Furthermore the roof can be opened from a distance with the original key fob. Now the convertible top controllers made by Mods4cars are available for both BMW Z4 types E85 and E89.

Las Vegas, NV (USA), Tuesday – July 31st, 2012 — Effective immediately, the SmartTOP convertible top controller made by Mods4cars is available for the BMW Z4 roadster E85. It makes driving the convertible more fun this summer by offering additional functions: Amongst other things the retrofit module allows opening and closing the convertible top from a distance with the original remote control. A modification of the car key is not necessary. You can just save time by opening the roof while approaching the car.

Furthermore, owners of a BMW Z4 roadster type E85 can open and close the convertible top while driving up to 40 km/h (25 mph). This is possible, thanks to the one-touch-function, without having to keep the convertible top button pressed. Just a short touch is enough. The awkwardness of having to stop and pull over to open or close the roof is history. Therefore it is convenient to drive even short distances with the roof open.

We are glad to be able to offer our well-thought-out module to all BMW Z4 roadster types from this summer on. says Sven Tornow, spokesperson of Mods4cars. Due to additional functions our customers could enjoy the convertible car season much more. The latest product created by Mods4cars is also able to open the windows separately by using the remote control. Due to this the windows can be opened from a distance to air out the car, especially on hot days.

Individual programming of user configurable settings is also possible for this SmartTOP comfort controller. All functions and settings are shown in clear text in the radio display. With the use of a simple USB-connection, the convertible top controller can be configured and free of charge software-updates can be used. The module can be completely deactivated if needed. An ongoing movement of the convertible top will not be interrupted by switching on or off the engine.

SmartTOP roof modules are available for the following roadster and convertible cars: Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Volkswagen and Volvo.

The comfort extension for the BMW Z4 roadster E85 is available for 209 + tax.

BMW Z4 owners can find a demonstration here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LrUb1JwaFU

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

Food & Beverage

Juice It Up! Announces Brand Ambassador To Be New Face Of Company

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Brand Ambassador Aligns with the Company’s Brand Transition and Genuine Passion for Health and Wellbeing.

Irvine, CA (USA), Tuesday – July 31st, 2012 — Juice It Up! ( http://www.juiceitup.com ) has recently announced the addition of a brand ambassador to bring a face to the company for the first time in the juice and smoothie chains history. After a careful selection process, Orange resident Katie Gladding was chosen to represent the brand. The decision to adopt a brand spokesperson aligns with the companys efforts to revamp their look and messaging as they continue to position themselves as advocates of healthy choices and healthy lifestyles for their consumers.

As we work to remain a leader in the juice marketplace, we wanted to find someone who was genuine, healthy and passionate about a juicing lifestyle and had a story that resonates with others in the community, said Frank Easterbrook, president and CEO at Juice It Up! Katie met and exceeded these criteria and her commitment to health and wellbeing and inspiring others to do the same meshes perfectly with the core vision of our company.

On the hunt for the perfect candidate, Easterbrook knew the brand ambassador should relate to Juice It Up!s products, believe and validate the brand through various threads of communication, provide a genuine face to connect emotionally with target consumers to drive brand engagement, have long-term potential to speak to the campaign, and truly be an ambassador to the companys history and unique story.

Gladding will be supporting the brand in several important ways. She will be the face in various NBC television advertisements, featured in Juice It Up!s in-store advertisements, on the companys website, Facebook fan page and Pinterest boards. Gladding will be creating and sharing healthy posts, photos and videos online. She will also be participating in several Juice It Up! events throughout the year. Her Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/juiceitupkatiegladding and you can follow her on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/juiceitup.

Being the brand ambassador for Juice It Up! is an amazing opportunity for me to encourage others to adopt a healthy lifestyle, said Gladding. Living a healthy and active lifestyle is so incredibly rewarding and its not as difficult as it might seem! Im looking forward to sharing my passion with others and helping them look and feel better than they ever have and empower them to make proactive choices they believe in.

For more than 17 years Irvine, Calif.-based Juice It Up! has been bringing fresh squeezed juices and handcrafted smoothies to communities everywhere. From the companys early beginnings in 1995 and throughout their continued expansion into the marketplace, they continually strive to deliver healthy and meaningful products for every customer. Juice It Up!s mission is to provide the freshest and most delicious juice offerings available and serve as advocates of healthy choices and a healthy lifestyle. Dedicated to helping create a healthier world, Juice It Up! will remain a leader in the juice marketplace by staying true to their roots and never losing sight of what customers expect from the organization. Through healthy choices and healthy living, they encourage and promote all individuals to Live. Life. Juiced. Juice It Up! is on track to increase same store sales 15 to 18 percent in 2012, despite the recent economic downturn. For more information, visit http://www.juiceitup.com

BALBOA BRANDS, INC.:
17915 Sky Park Circle, Suite J
Irvine, CA 92614
Contact: Carol Skinner
Phone: 949.475.0146
Website: http://www.juiceitup.com

Press & Media Contact:
Nicole Benzer
Sanderson Associates, Ltd
17915 Sky Park Circle, Suite J
Irvine, CA 92614 – USA
312-829-4350
nicole@sandersonpr.com

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Business

FRA Endorses Harvard’s support for Forestry Investment

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Harvard University’s investment manager has spoken out in favor of timberland investment as a way to make cash while investing in an ethical cause, in a move endorsed by FRA.

Bainbridge Island, WA, July 31, 2012 – Harvard University’s investment manager has spoken out in favor of timberland investment as a way to make cash while investing in an ethical cause, in a move endorsed by Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

Harvard Management Company’s chief executive, Jane Mendillo, spoke at the CNBC Delivering Alpha Conference in order to voice her support for investing in natural resources. This is according to a report in The Australian.

The Antipodean newspaper was particularly interested in the endorsement from Harvard as the timber the legendary university has invested in is growing in New Zealand.

FRA, is a research and analysis consultancy specializing in forestry investment. FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, “We rarely hear from Harvard Management Company, but when we do, they often speak about their investment in natural resources and the gains they have made from this investment strategy,”

The company manages the not insignificant $32 billion Harvard endowment and purchased forested land measuring 170,000 hectares in central North Island in 2003. At the time, the forestry investment industry in New Zealand wasn’t looking good thanks to high export costs and a huge preference for Russian softwood in China. Ms Mendillo said that Harvard’s investment came at a good time, when forestry investment were less fashionable than they are now. “Natural resources is our favourite area and it happens to be a favourite area where we feel that we may have an advantage as an early entrant into the asset class, “ she explained.

Mr Collins added, “Harvard got a good price for their timberland as the investment was made before people learned what a great hedge against inflation and the strong returns timberland can generate over time.”

FRA supports a number of forestry investment projects and particularly investment in non-native plantations in Brazil through firms like Greenwood Management. “Investing in trees provides a great mid- to long-term option for risk-averse investors,” added Mr Collins.

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

AAA Claims the Wealthy are Turning to Tangible Assets

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AAA claims that a growing number of wealthy investors are buying things like art, antiques and jewellery instead of stocks and bonds.

Boston, MA, July 31, 2012 – Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) claims that a growing number of wealthy investors are buying things like art, antiques and jewellery instead of stocks and bonds.

The alternative investment market has become even more ‘alternative’ according to AAA, an alternative investment advocacy group. Its analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, is backing a new report from Barclays Wealth Insights in the UK, which found that millionaires in Ireland now have 10 per cent of their wealth tied up in investments including antique furniture and fine art and jewellery.

The research found that a large percentage (73 per cent) of the wealthy people questioned in the report said they were finding it increasingly difficult to source secure investments. As a result, they are looking towards tangible items that have intrinsic value, as well as a value that can grow due to variable such as rarity, craftmanship, fashion and age.

Pat McCormack, the head of wealth management at Barclays, said, “Treasure may, if you’re lucky or very knowledgeable, give you a financial return, but buy something you enjoy and it will always give you an emotional return.”

“This report just goes to show how investors don’t need to just rely on stocks and shares to make money – in fact, there is a growing number of viable alternative investments to consider, such as art, antiques, precious metals, timberland and wine,” stated Mr Johnson.

AAA advocates the decision to invest in alternatives at a time when the equity markets are extremely volatile, thanks to the ongoing global economic slump. The group is particularly keen to promote ethical choices, such as impact investing and investing in sustainable forestry and timberland through firms like Greenwood Management, which operate sustainable plantations on non-native tree species in Brazil and Canada.

“Timberland offers investors a great diversifier for their investment portfolios,” added Mr Johnson.

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

Business

Florida and Turkey set to be Next Real Estate Hot Spots – AAA

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Investors looking to buy properties abroad as an investment should consider Florida and Turkey as they are likely to be among the next places to experience a boom and retain value, according to AAA’s Anthony Johnson.

Boston, MA, USA, July 31, 2012 — Investors looking to buy properties abroad as an investment should consider Florida and Turkey as they are likely to be among the next places to experience a boom and retain value, according to Alternative Asset Analysis’ Anthony Johnson.

These two countries will offer good value for money for investors, claims the advocacy group’s analysis partner. He said, “As far as grabbing a bargain in an up-and-coming region goes, investor could do worse than investing in Florida and Turkey real estate.”

AAA claims that a growing number of people are looking to buy up real estate as a form of alternative investment. This follows a period of economic slowdown, when investors lost huge amounts of money on the equity markets and are now looking for something tangible in return for their cash.”

Part of the reason that Turkey and Florida are proving to be real estate hot spots is the fact that investors are steering clear of the Eurozone at the moment. The US real estate market in general is improving and Florida has always been popular with people looking for second homes in the sun.

Alternative investment in general is proving increasingly popular, according to AAA, which supports a wide range of alternative investment options. Investing in real estate can be a great option for those who want to avoid tying money up in the volatile stocks and bonds markets.

Turkey and Florida, being popular tourist destinations, will often see their property process maintaining value when spots in similar destinations are seeing house process fall. “Investing in holiday spots can prove an intelligent choice as people will always want to buy property there,” added My Johnson.

AAA also advocates investing in forestry that is sustainably managed through projects run by firms like Greenwood Management, which operates sustainable plantations in Canada and 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