Garland, Texas – October 14, 2026 -- Massimo Group (NASDAQ: MAMO) is developing a retail program to widen sales of its powersports products across Ace Hardware, a network of more than 5,000 U.S. stores, and has submitted a dedicated 2026 holiday program for Black Friday and Christmas.

The company has historically sold through a number of independently operated Ace locations. It is now building programs that can be offered to Ace retailers on a wider basis.

Massimo submits holiday program for participating Ace stores

The holiday program would supply participating stores with select Massimo products for the Black Friday and Christmas selling periods. It is being structured around inventory availability, retail pricing, merchandising and logistics.

No purchase commitments or minimum store participation levels have been established. Retailer participation remains subject to applicable approvals and ordering decisions.

Minneapolis – October 14, 2026 -- Daikin Applied has raised production capacity for custom-built hydronic and electric systems by approximately 150% with the opening of its expanded 191,000-square-foot Modular Solutions facility in Phoenix, Arizona.

The plant grows the company's modular manufacturing footprint from 58,000 to 191,000 square feet. Daikin Applied says factory-built mechanical systems give customers faster deployment, tighter quality control and simpler onsite installation than traditional stick-built construction. Complete systems are assembled and tested in a controlled factory environment, which the company says reduces schedule risk.

New York – October 14, 2026 -- Only 26% of U.S. employers say they are very confident in their ability to administer leave accurately and in line with compliance standards, even as 76% now offer some form of caregiving leave, up from 71% last year, according to the 2027 NFP U.S. Leave Management Report.

NFP, an Aon company and a property and casualty (P&C) broker and benefits consultant, based the findings on a nationwide benchmarking survey of more than 1,000 employers across U.S. industries.

Employers rate their leave benefits higher than staff would

Nearly two-thirds of employers (63%) describe their leave benefits as generous. Fewer than half (48%) believe their employees would say the same. Maria Trapenasso, national practice leader for Talent Solutions at NFP, said a leave program creates no value unless employees understand, trust and feel comfortable using it.

Woonsocket – October 14, 2026 -- CVS Health's MinuteClinic has earned its seventh consecutive Joint Commission Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation, covering more than 800 locations nationwide and MinuteClinic Virtual Care, and for the first time the survey assessed its primary care sites under Medical Center standards.

Approximately 80 percent of the locations surveyed offer primary care and were evaluated under those standards. More than 65 percent of all MinuteClinic locations now offer primary care to patients 18 and older through health system and payer affiliations.

Rolling Meadows, Ill. – October 14, 2026 -- Only 28% of US employees believe their current retirement savings strategy will meet their goals, even though 85% of employers offer retirement benefits, according to Gallagher's 2026 US Financial Benchmarks Report.

The report draws on responses from 3,717 US organizations that took part in Gallagher's Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey from January through March 2026. It also uses employee findings from the 2026 Financial Health Assessment, which covers 981 participants.

Employers shift retirement focus from plan access to participant outcomes

Among employees aged 55 and older, 30% name retirement planning as their biggest financial stressor. Employers are responding with plan design: 57% use auto-enrollment and 33% use auto-escalation. SECURE 2.0 now makes both features mandatory for most new retirement plans.

Mountain View – – October 14, 2026 -- Level AI has appointed Shane Abeyratne, Senior Vice President of Global Business & Finance Services at Cardinal Health, as the second member of its CX Advisory Board, which launched in August.

Board convenes Fortune 500 leaders to set AI frameworks for contact centers

The CX Advisory Board brings together senior technology and customer experience executives from Fortune 500 companies. Its remit is to develop shared frameworks for how AI is deployed, measured and governed in enterprise customer operations.

Level AI said the Board will add members over the coming months. It is prioritizing executives responsible for large-scale customer contact operations.

Lubbock – – October 14, 2026 -- SIMFLO, the Texas-based pump maker, has been selected to supply high-efficiency vertical turbine pump bowl assemblies across all four key regions of El Salvador for municipal well construction and scheduled water system maintenance.

SIMFLO equipment will serve El Salvador's Western, Central, Eastern and San Salvador Metropolitan regions

The equipment is being distributed across Zona Occidental, the Central region, Zona Oriental and the San Salvador Metropolitan area. It will support municipal water services in various departments. The source does not disclose the contract value or the number of units.

SIMFLO supplied 1800 RPM models with stainless steel impellers for 10- to 14-inch wells

To meet specific well requirements, SIMFLO provided 1800 RPM vertical turbine models fitted with stainless steel impellers and conical strainers. The assemblies are engineered for well diameters of 10 to 14 inches.

Woodbridge – October 14, 2026 -- P2 Science, Inc. has appointed Brian Freedman, a marketer with more than 15 years of experience, as Vice President, Marketing and Communications as the green chemistry company scales commercialization of its sustainable ingredient portfolio.

Freedman takes charge of brand, product marketing and communications across three business lines

Freedman will lead brand strategy, product marketing, go-to-market planning and corporate communications across P2 Science's personal care, flavor and fragrance, and performance materials businesses. The company is also deepening its relationships with customers in the beauty and consumer products industries.

Washington – October 14, 2026 -- The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and America Business Forum (ABF) will convene more than 200 CEOs, investors and top executives in Miami on December 15 for the inaugural CEO Forum of the Americas, an invitation-only event.

The organizers say the forum is meant to link policy priorities with investment opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The agenda covers practical pathways for more investment, integration and growth across the region.

Forum agenda targets supply chains, critical minerals and AI

Talks will center on three areas that the organizers describe as critical to the hemisphere's economic future.

St. Paul – October 14, 2026 -- 3M and Discovery Education named 8th grader Raji Doshi of Farmington, Connecticut, the winner of the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, awarding her a $25,000 cash prize and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Doshi, who attends Stanford Online High School, won with a natural algae-and-aragonite system designed to counter ocean acidification.

Doshi beat nine other finalists in final events at 3M headquarters

Doshi competed through the summer against nine other finalists, ages 11 to 14. She secured the win during final Challenge events at 3M global headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 12 and 13, 2026.