All posts by staronepr

Rosendin Electric Ranks Number One in Electrical on ENR California List of Specialty Contractors

October 25, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Rosendin Electric Earns Top Position Among Electrical Contractors and Third Place for All Specialty Contractors as Ranked by Revenue in the State.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (October 25, 2012) — Rosendin Electric, the nation’s largest private electrical contractor and a 100% employee-owned company, has been named the top electrical contractor, and number three overall among Specialty Contractors, by ENR California with regional revenues of $335 million. Rosendin Electric was also ranked as the number one electrical contractor by ENR California in 2011.

With California offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and La Palma, Rosendin Electric’s operations continue to expand with a number of high-profile projects across the state. Recent Northern California construction projects include completion of the Sacramento International Airport Landside, design and construction of San Francisco General Hospital’s Rebuild, the new BART extension to San Jose, and retrofit and renovation of the California Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley. In Southern California, Rosendin Electric’s continued success includes the construction of various schools throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District, construction of the Newport Beach Civic Center, and solar photovoltaic installations for the Los Angeles Community College District.

“Rosendin Electric consistently ranks as one of the largest and most prosperous specialty contractors because of our commitment to deliver unparalleled service and value to our customers,” said Larry Hollis, Vice President of Business Development for Rosendin Electric. “The company is 100% employee-owned, which means our team brings a level of dedication and innovation that outpaces our competition. It’s that hard work and commitment that continues to build our reputation as a trustworthy leader in the market.”

About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power and communications provider and is the largest privately held electrical contractor in the United States. With over 2,500 employees and experience nationwide, Rosendin Electric has built upon a 90-year reputation for quality design and installations. For additional information, visit http://www.rosendin.com.

Contact:
Shelly Goulart
Marketing Manager
Rosendin Electric, Inc.
880 Mabury Road
San Jose, CA 95133
(408) 534-2819
sgoulart@rosendin.com
http://www.rosendin.com

Business

NanoMarkets Projects Building Integrated Photovoltaics Markets (BIPV) Reaching $7.5 billion in 2015

October 24, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

NanoMarkets today published its latest BIPV projections in a report titled, “Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Markets – 2012.”

Glen Allen, Virginia – October 24, 2012 — Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets today published its latest BIPV projections in a report titled, “Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Markets – 2012.” NanoMarkets estimates that the entire BIPV market already generates around $2.1 billion ($US) today and that this figure will grow to $7.5 billion by 2015. Much of this growth will come at the expense of conventional solar panels as the better economics and aesthetics of BIPV make their impact on end users. NanoMarkets also expects new builds to contribute 63 percent of all BIPV revenues in 2015.

About the Report:

This report provides highly granular eight-year forecast of the worldwide BIPV market with breakouts for PV roofing overlays, BIPV tiles and shingles, wall-attached BIPV, BIPV siding, BIPV curtain walls, BIPV/window hybrids and futuristic monolithically integrated BIPV products. The projections are presented in both value ($ millions) and volume (MW and area covered).

Additional breakouts are provided for types of building in which BIPV is installed (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), whether the BIPV installation is a retrofit or a new build, and the type of absorber material it uses. In addition, we project the nations and regions that will generate the most BIPV revenues; NanoMarkets expects Europe to be the largest market for BIPV throughout the period covered in these forecasts.

Additional details about the report are available at: http://nanomarkets.net/market_reports/report/building_integrated_photovoltaics_markets_2012

Rosendin Electric Named to the NCEO 2012 Employee Ownership 100 List

October 24, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Latest Top 100 List Shows Rosendin Electric as Largest Privately Owned Electrical Contractor in the Nation.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (October 24, 2012) — Rosendin Electric (http://www.rosendin.com) has been named the nation’s largest 100% employee-owned electrical contractor by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO, http://www.nceo.org). In the latest ranking for 2012, the NCEO has included Rosendin Electric as one of the top 100 largest employee-owned companies, and is the largest electrical contractor to make the list.

To qualify for the NCEO Top 100 list, a company must have the majority of its stock owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or some other board-based employee ownership plan. In total, the companies that made the 2012 list employ more than 687,000 people, including Rosendin Electric with more than 2,500 employee-owners. The NCEO estimates there are currently 10,900 ESOPs in the United States, employing more than 10.3 million people, with almost $900 billion in assets. About one-third of the companies named to the NCEO Top 100 are 100% employee-owned.

“Rosendin Electric continues to grow thanks to our dedicated team of employees working in offices across the country and abroad. As members of a team, we look out for the best interest of our teammates to ensure everyone’s work is done safely, with the utmost quality, and with results that exceed our customer’s expectations. Being an employee-owned company gives everyone a stake in our growth and we know that we can count on everyone on the team to contribute to our ongoing success,” said Tom Sorley, Chairman and CEO of Rosendin Electric.

According to research by the NCEO, the National Bureau of Economic Research, Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse of Rutgers, and many others, employee-owned companies tend to grow at a significantly faster rate, have much lower turnover, and are much more financially stable than comparable non-employee-owned companies. Moreover, those working for employee-owned companies accumulate about three times what the typical employee in non-employee ownership companies accumulate in their retirement plan. Details on this research, as well as the full Employee Ownership 100 list, can be found on the NCEO Web site (http://www.nceo.org).

About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power and communications provider and the largest privately held electrical contractor in the United States. With over 2,500 employees and experience nationwide, Rosendin Electric has built upon a 90-year reputation for quality design and installations. For additional information, visit http://www.rosendin.com.

Contact:
Shelly Goulart
Marketing Manager
Rosendin Electric, Inc.
880 Mabury Road
San Jose, CA 95133
(408) 534-2819
sgoulart@rosendin.com
http://www.rosendin.com

Art, Entertainment

2nd Annual Seasons Art Competition Announced by Art Gallery

October 24, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is pleased to announce their 2rd Annual “Seasons” Online Art Competition for the month of November 2012.

Jupiter, Florida, USA – October 24, 2012 — Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is pleased to announce their 2rd Annual “Seasons” Online Art Competition for the month of November 2012. 2D artists from around the world are called upon to make online submissions for inclusion into the Gallery’s December 2012 online group exhibition. The art gallery encourages entries from artists, regardless of where they reside to apply to this online art competition by submitting their best art which depicts the theme “Seasons”. The Seasons theme will include and represent the four distinct times of the year, along with scenes and activities associated with those seasons.

Light Space & Time urges all 2D artists regardless of their experience or education in the art field to submit to this art contest. A group exhibition of the top ten finalists will be held online at the Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery during the month of December 2012. Awards will be for 1st through 5th places. Also, 5 Honorable Mention places will be awarded. In addition, depending on the amount and the quality of the entries, Special Recognition awards will also be given as well. The submission process and the deadline will end on November 26, 2012.

Winners of the “Seasons” Art Exhibition will receive extensive worldwide publicity in the form of email marketing, 70+ press release announcements, 75+ event announcements, and social media marketing and promotion in order to make the art world aware of the artist’s accomplishments. There will also be links back to the artist’s website as part of this achievement.

Interested artists should provide the gallery with your best “Seasons” art now or before the November 26th deadline. For more information and to apply online here http://www.lightspacetime.com.

About Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts monthly art competitions and monthly art exhibitions for new and emerging artists on a worldwide basis. It is Light Space & Time’s intention to showcase this incredible talent in a series of monthly themed art competitions and art exhibitions by marketing and displaying the exceptional abilities of these worldwide artists.

The art gallery website can be viewed here: http://www.lightspacetime.com

Media Contact:
John R. Math
Light Space & Time Online Gallery
118 Poinciana Drive
Jupiter, FL 33458
888-490-3530
info@lightspacetime.com
http://www.lightspacetime.com

Healthcare

IAPAM Adds NEW Vitamin B12 for Weight Loss Content to its Website

October 23, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

The IAPAM has added NEW content to its respected website, on the use of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 for weight loss. As part of the IAPAM’s commitment to best practices, the Aesthetic Resources pages on www.iapam.com provide consumers and physicians with focused content and timely intelligence on medical weight management, hCG for weight loss and hCG training.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – October 22, 2012 — Today, the IAPAM announces the publication of the IAPAM’s NEW Aesthetic Resources Pages on Vitamin B12 for Weight Loss (http://iapam.com/vitamin-b12-for-weight-loss) and Vitamin B6 for Weight Loss (http://iapam.com/vitamin-b-and-weight-loss). This NEW content provides specific information to physicians and consumers on Vitamin B12 and B6: What they Are, How They Work, The Relationship Between Vitamin B12 and Heart Disease, etc.

Providing physicians, their staff and patients with DYNAMIC CONTENT is the mission of the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (The IAPAM at http://www.iapam.com). Comprised of physicians, business experts, researchers and communications specialists, the IAPAM Team is driven to ensure that its website, http://www.iapam.com is the best one-stop ‘window’ for both doctors new to medical weight management, as well as seasoned professionals and patients looking for clinical and consumer content.

The new pages on Vitamin B12 for Weight Loss (http://iapam.com/vitamin-b12-for-weight-loss) and Vitamin B6 for Weight Loss (http://iapam.com/vitamin-b-and-weight-loss) offer comprehensive intelligence on how these vitamins contribute to patient success as part of a medically-supervised weight management program.

Come and use the ever-expanding content on the IAPAM’s Website. Also, follow the IAPAM’s Executive Director, Jeff Russell, as he provides timely advice to physicians and patients, in his weekly blog (http://iapam.com/category/iapam-blog) and follow Jeff on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jeffrussellsays) to receive breaking news about aesthetic medicine advances. If you have any questions regarding aesthetic medical treatments, new technologies or future trends, please contact the IAPAM at 1-800-219-5108 ext 704, or visit http://www.iapam.com.

About the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)

The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine is a voluntary global association of physicians and supporters, which sets standards for the aesthetic medical profession worldwide. The goal of the association is to offer education, ethical standards, credentialing, and member benefits to members around the globe. IAPAM membership is open to all licensed medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), physicians assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). The IAPAM offers aesthetic medicine and hCG medical weight management programs, including: Botox ® training, medical aesthetic training, laser training, physician hCG training, and aesthetic practice business training. Additional information about the association can be accessed through the IAPAM’s website (http://www.iapam.com) or by contacting:

Jeff Russell, Executive-Director
International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
1-800-219-5108 x704

Business

Volatility Arbitrage Expert, Dr. Magrino Bini, at Golden Networking’s High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012 London

October 21, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Golden Networking brings the World’s Most Influential High-Frequency Trading Conference Series, High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012, now in London, December 12 (www.High-Frequency-Trading-Conference.com).

New York City, NY, USA (October 21, 2012) — Dr. Magrino Bini, expert on trading of volatility and statistical arbitrage strategies in equity and listed derivatives, will be joining the most influential high-frequency trading conference in the world, Golden Networking’s High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012 London, December 12. With insightful keynote speeches and highly regarded panels, everybody involved in high-frequency trading will gain inside knowledge at High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012, How Knight Capital’s ‘Knightmare on Wall Street’ Could Transform the Regulatory Landscape and Impact Investors, Speed Traders and Brokers”.

Dr. Bini is a scientist/quant-trader/portfolio manager whose main areas of expertise lie in alpha generation via statistical arbitrage and volatility arbitrage strategies, and in the design of fully automated trading systems and execution algos. He has developed a range of novel predictive quantitative models for mid to high frequency trading of equities globally and listed equity options in the US, he has also collaborated to the design of in-house trading systems built from the ground up.

Dr. Bini has served as quantitative strategist at UBS and IV Capital and more recently as Portfolio Manager at Capstone and Millennium Partners. He holds a PhD from Imperial College London in Turbulence Modelling and a MSc in Aeropace Engineering from University of Pisa (Italy). His academic interests concentrate around portfolio construction, Bayesian statistics and filtering techniques, signal processing and dynamical systems with focus on robust control and system identification theories.

Topics that will be discussed at High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012 include the movement toward emerging markets, every time more attuned to the use of bots, the regulatory environment, how new technologies are changing the game, including FPGA applications, and a look at the upcoming regulatory changes that will definitely impact how speed traders capture alpha.

High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2012 is produced by Golden Networking (http://www.goldennetworking.net), the premier networking community for business executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Panelists, speakers and sponsors are invited to contact Golden Networking by sending an email to info@goldennetworking.net.

Media Contact:
Sangeeta Nandi
Media Relations Coordinator
Golden Networking
516-761-4712
snandi@goldennetworking.net
http://www.goldennetworking.net

Business

AAA claims that Tangible Assets are Appealing to Investors

October 20, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Vintage cars, art and wine are becoming an increasingly attractive type of asset class, according to AAA – who claims the volatile stock markets are driving people towards alternatives.

Boston, MA, USA, October 20, 2012 — Vintage cars, art and wine are becoming an increasingly attractive type of asset class, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) – who claims the volatile stock markets are driving people towards alternatives.

“These assets are starting to become increasingly popular among wealthy people who want to put their cash somewhere less risky and even enjoy their assets a little in the meantime,” explained Anthony Johnson, the analysis partner at the alternative investment advocacy group.

The temptation to buy assets such as these instead of putting cash in a savings account is also increasing, as a result of the falling interest rates being paid on savings. It is difficult for people to rely on the income from their savings these days as interest rates are often below inflation – which actually means their money is losing value over time, added AAA.

Mr Johnson said, “It seems that economists are agreed that low interest rates are set to stick around for a while and that savers will be losing out in the meantime.”

AAA is an advocacy group that promotes alternative investments and claims that more and more people want to see something tangible in return for their investments. This means that assets like art, wine, precious metals and timberland are growing in popularity. “Research shows that these asset classes can offer great returns and often outperform more traditional asset classes like stock, shares and bonds.”

AAA claims that forestry investment in particular can provide healthy returns on investment, especially in light of the current upturn in the US housing market and what that means for timber prices.

AAA endorses a range of timberland investment projects, such as the plantation projects managed by firms like Greenwood Management. These plantations, claims AAA, offer solid investment opportunities as they are located in Brazil, “which is a country very much on the up,” added Mr Johnson.

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

Technology

NextPlane ‘UC Exchange’ Enables Companies to Build Real-Time Collaborative Business Communities Across Unified Communication Platforms

October 18, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

NextPlane Invites Companies to Join the Growing Community of UC Exchange Members with Free Directory Listing and Federation Services.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (October 18, 2012) — NextPlane, Inc., the market leader in cloud-based federation services for unified communications (UC), today announced UC Exchange, the next step in building real-time collaborative business communities for UC platforms. UC Exchange is a UC federation service with a searchable directory of more than 100 (and growing) federation-ready organizations where companies can easily federate with customers and partners using a secure management portal. Since UC Exchange is a cloud-based service there is no additional hardware or software required to participate.

Today, more than ever, companies need to put customers and partners at the heart of their business. With the NextPlane UC Exchange service, enterprises are able to break their organizational boundaries and connect with their business partner ecosystem in real time to increase efficiency, productivity, and gain a competitive advantage. UC Exchange improves real-time collaboration with such features as searchable directories, UC-to-Skype federation, UC-to-social media federation, and a secure management portal.

UC Exchange already serves more than several hundred thousand users from global organizations spanning education, manufacturing, supply chain, pharmaceuticals and health services, telecommunications, transportation, and technology. UC Exchange users currently exchange billions of presence, chat, voice and video messages per month with business colleagues within their ecosystems.

“The benefits of unified and social communications are maximized within those enterprises that extend their solutions across their end users, partners, customers, and suppliers. However, in many organizations, UC and social media platforms remain isolated islands of communication with an inward focus,” said Bill Haskins, Senior Analyst with Wainhouse Research. “NextPlane’s UC Exchange marks a major step in breaking down communication barriers between organizations, and enabling users of UC and social media to participate in secure, federated, and collaborative business communities.”

Key features of UC Exchange include:

– UC Federation Services – enables any organization to seamlessly federate across Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Google, OpenFire, Isode, and eJabberd platforms.

– Secure Management Portal – allows searching the Members Directory for federation-ready partners, managing federation requests, and accessing usage reports.

– Directory Services (Available December 2012) – provides a searchable “phone book” of validated contact information based on employee profiles received from contributing members.

– Microsoft Lync and OCS to Skype Federation – enables end-users to call users on Skype from their Microsoft Lync or OCS client.

– Google to Skype Federation (Available December 2012) – enables end-users to call users on Skype from their Google client.

– Voice Conferencing Federation – enables end-users on Microsoft Lync or OCS, to initiate conference calls and add colleagues on Google or vice versa.

– UC to Social Media Federation – enables end-users of Yammer, Chatter and Twitter to authenticate with their social media accounts and post to social media feeds, send private messages and participate in group discussions, all from their UC client.

– Microsoft Lync and OCS to XMPP Hosted Group Chat Federation – enables Lync and OCS end-users to participate in group chat rooms hosted on XMPP-based UC platforms.

“UC Exchange accelerates building real-time collaborative business communities, irrespective of the underlying UC and social media solution being used,” said Farzin Shahidi, founder and CEO of NextPlane. “UC Exchange does this in two ways: First, we provide a free directory service to allow organizations to easily find and federate with their ‘federation-ready’ partners. Second, we offer subscribing customers access to federation services and a searchable directory where their end-users can search for the contact information of their colleagues in partner organizations, directly from their UC clients.”

NextPlane is offering UC Exchange membership at two levels:

Directory Membership – Free membership that gives member organizations access to the Management Portal, a listing in the Members Directory, the ability to search for Federation-Ready partners, the ability to accept inbound federation requests, free federation with Gmail.com, and basic usage reports.

Community Membership – Fee-based membership, which includes the ability to make directory-driven outbound UC to UC federation requests, user-level Directory Search, plus additional federation services such as federation with Skype, Social Media federation (Yammer, Twitter and Chatter) and XMPP Group Chat Federation. Community Members also receive additional benefits such as policy enforcement, advanced federation analytics and reporting, and 24/7 support with guaranteed service levels. Annual subscription fees for Community Membership are based on the number of users, domains, and federation features required.

For more information, visit http://www.nextplane.net or contact sales at sales@nextplane.net.

About NextPlane
NextPlane Inc., is the provider of ‘UC Exchange,’ a cloud based community focused federation service for unified communications (UC). UC Exchange enables member organizations to find, connect, and collaborate with business partners across a wide range of UC platforms and includes powerful features such as UC Federation Services, centralized Members Directory, Social Media Federation, and Skype Federation. Using a unique federation management portal, organizations can search a member’s directory for federation-ready partners; manage federation requests and access reporting and analytic tools.

UC Exchange Federation Services enable seamless federation across Microsoft Lync, OCS and LCS, Cisco Jabber XCP, Unified Presence Server (CUPS) and WebEx Messenger (formerly Cisco WebEx Connect), IBM Sametime, Google Apps, Jive OpenFire, Isode M-Link and eJabberd. Organizations can connect users from different companies regardless of their underlying UC platform – with enhanced presence, instant messaging, multi-user chat, voice and video – all as if they are on the same UC platform. Moreover, UC Exchange enables its member organizations to federate their UC platforms with social business communities such as Yammer, Salesforce.com’s Chatter, Twitter, Skype, LinkedIn, and XMPP hosted chat rooms.

Contact:
Farzin Shahidi
NextPlane, Inc.
(650) 305-7404
farzin@nextplane.net

Tom Woolf
Woolf Media & Marketing
(415) 259-5638
tomw@woolfmedia.com

Entertainment

Men NOT Allowed to Say NO on Sadie Hawkins Day

October 18, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

Sadie Hawkins Day allows single women to ask for what they want… and get it!

San Rafael, CA, October 18, 2012 — (For Immediate Release) Contact: Tom Andrews, 415/507-9962

Once a year single women can ask for whatever they want…and get it. At this year’s annual Sadie Hawkins Day Dance, Friday, November 9, 2012, 8pm-Midnight, men are not allowed to say no if a woman asks them to dance. The party is at Handle’s at The Pleasanton Hotel, 855 Main Street, Pleasanton CA 94566.. Contrary to popular belief, Sadie Hawkins Day does NOT occur on Leap Day. It happens every November 15.

“Single women have lots of complaints about single men,” says Rich Gosse, Chairman of The Society of Single Professionals, the world’s largest non-profit singles organization. “One of the biggest is men who turn them down when asked to dance. How rude! At our Sadie Hawkins Day Dance, men will NOT have that option. Sadie Hawkins Day is a wonderful opportunity for single women to be assertive and get what they want in life, rather than follow the disastrous strategy of playing hard to get.”

Rich Gosse, author of eight books on dating, is available to the news media to discuss Sadie Hawkins Day in the context of bachelorettes fulfilling their romantic needs, by calling 415/479-3800.

Sadie Hawkins Day, an American folk event, made its debut in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner strip on November 15, 1937. Sadie Hawkins was “the homeliest gal in the hills” who grew tired of waiting for the fellows to come a courtin’. Her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, a prominent resident of Dogpatch, was even more worried about Sadie living at home for the rest of his life, so he decreed the first annual Sadie Hawkins Day, a foot race in which the unmarried gals pursued the town’s bachelors, with matrimony the consequence. By the late 1930s the event had swept the nation and had a life of its own. Life magazine reported over 200 colleges holding Sadie Hawkins Day events in 1939, only two years after its inception. It became a woman-empowering rite at high schools and college campuses, long before the modern feminist movement gained prominence.

Adults of all ages are welcome. $20 at the door includes dancing to current hits and oldies. Coat & tie/dressy attire is recommended. Anyone who wishes more information about this and many more singles parties may visit http://www.ThePartyHotline.com or call 415/507-9962.

Media Contact:
Rich Gosse
Society of Single Professionals
205 Mark Twain Avenue, San Rafael CA 94903
415-507-9962
richgosse@richgosse.com
http://www.ThePartyHotline.com

Business

New Addition to Impact Investment List welcomed by FRA

October 18, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

FRA has backed moves to add Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM) to the open source ImpactAssets 50 2012 (IA 50) database of socially responsible impact investing funds.

Seattle, United States, October 18, 2012 — Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has backed moves to add Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM) to the open source ImpactAssets 50 2012 (IA 50) database of socially responsible impact investing funds.

The list is created each year and gives investors a guide to the top investment products that can deliver good returns, while delivering social and environmental benefits.

The funds listed under the IA 50 have a total of $10.2 billion invested in them and cover a huge range of geographical locations. A spokesperson for EFM, its CEO, Bettina von Hagen, stated, “EFM is honoured to be named among the 50 best impact investment fund managers in the world. We are committed to demonstrating an alternative approach to managing forests in the region – one that can be financially competitive, while at the same time beneficial to the health and resilience of ecosystems and rural communities.”

FRA supports a wide range of forestry investment initiatives, including plantations run by firms like Greenwood Management in countries like Brazil and Canada, which are densely forested. The fact that plantations growing alternative, non-native timbers are managed in these locations, helps to protect the native forests against illegal logging.

In Brazil, Greenwood Management’s plantations produce charcoal that is used by the Brazilian steel industry, which used to use native forests to produce their charcoal. “In this way, plantation projects, if sustainably managed, can help to reduce the impact of deforestation,” stated FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins.

Investing in impact investment funds and ethical investment products has become more popular since the economic crisis as a reaction to the volatility of the stocks and bonds market. Mr Collins added, “Investors want something more tangible in exchange for their investment and forestry funds offer just this. Investors with Ecotrust Forest Management and Greenwood Management are investing in timberland with established and growing trees.”

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