News

London – – October 06, 2026 -- Prohibition Partners has appointed Heidi Whitman as Managing Director of PPX, a new advisory and media pillar combining the firm's decade-old cannabis market infrastructure with her independent network of regulators, financiers and formulators across the UK, EU and Latin America.

Prohibition Partners merges a decade of client relationships with Whitman's independent advisory book

Prohibition Partners has worked with some clients since 2017, building intelligence, media and events infrastructure including Cannabis Europa, Cannabis Health, Mind Forward and Business of Cannabis. Whitman's own clientele, built across three independent ventures, a company exit and years of advisory work, now gains access to that full network under the PPX structure.

Lowell – October 06, 2026 -- Draper has broken ground on a 111,000-square-foot microelectronics facility in Lowell, Massachusetts, designed to onshore advanced chip packaging capacity that is currently 97% dependent on foreign production.

Draper's IMPACT Center targets a critical gap in U.S. chip packaging capacity

Colleen Anderson, Electronic Systems program director at Draper, said only 3 percent of chip packaging is performed in the United States today, leaving a domestic void the new Integrated Microelectronics Production & Advanced Chip Technology (IMPACT) Center intends to fill. The facility will house design, production, and packaging operations covering microelectronics through advanced precision navigation and timing systems, supporting high-mix, low-volume manufacturing for Draper's customer base.

Sydney – October 06, 2026 -- First Graphene Limited has secured its first purchase order from US-based Flux Footwear, marking the Australian graphene producer's maiden commercial entry into the global sports shoe market, valued at more than US$150 billion.

Flux Footwear becomes third client to adopt PureGRAPH in growing footwear portfolio

Flux will incorporate First Graphene's PureGRAPH into its athletic and leisure footwear line, targeting strength and durability upgrades for the brand's Graphene XT performance gym shoes. PureGRAPH will progressively replace Flux's existing graphene formulations as production volumes increase, following recent joint development work between the two companies.

Pune, India – October 06, 2026 -- The global feminine hygiene products market was valued at USD 43.04 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 75.41 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 6.43% from 2026 to 2034, according to a new analysis by Maximize Market Research.

Asia Pacific commands over 45% of the global sanitary pads market

Asia Pacific remains the leading regional market, driven by India and China's large female populations, rising disposable incomes, and expanding e-commerce penetration. The region holds more than 45% share of the global sanitary pads segment in 2025, with urbanization and improving retail access in semi-urban areas further strengthening demand. North America and Europe continue to drive premium, organic, fragrance-free, and reusable product categories, while Middle East & Africa and South America are emerging growth markets as retail infrastructure and menstrual-health education improve.

London – October 06, 2026 -- The global cell culture monitoring biosensors market is set to more than double from USD 413.8 million in 2024 to USD 906.56 million by 2032, expanding at a 10.3% compound annual growth rate, according to a new report from Credence Research Inc. Demand is being driven by biologics manufacturers, cell therapy developers and high-throughput research labs shifting away from manual sampling toward continuous, non-invasive monitoring.

Optical biosensors dominate with 39% technology share in 2024

Optical platforms led the market on strength of real-time, label-free cell analysis capabilities. Electrochemical, mechanical and microfluidic biosensors are gaining ground as labs integrate sensing hardware with automated culture platforms to cut manual intervention and flag process deviations earlier.

Hyattsville, Md. – October 06, 2026 -- Home Genius Exteriors has ranked #1 on the Fortune Best Small and Medium Workplaces in ConstructionTM 2026 list, marking its fifth consecutive year on the ranking. The company also placed #2 on the Fortune Best Medium WorkplacesTM 2026 list and #64 on the 2026 PEOPLE® Companies that Care list. Great Place To Work® and Fortune announced the rankings, which were compiled from confidential survey responses collected from 64,000 employees across the U.S. construction industry.

Home Genius Exteriors extends its workplace streak to five straight years

The Hyattsville, Maryland-based home improvement company first appeared on the Best Workplaces in Construction list in 2022 and has repeated the recognition every year since, through 2023, 2024, 2025, and now 2026. Home Genius Exteriors provides roofing, siding, windows, exterior doors, gutters, and attic insulation services to homeowners across multiple states.

Cleveland – October 06, 2026 -- Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.2825 per share, marking the sixteenth consecutive annual increase for the materials solutions company.

Avient lifts annualized dividend to $1.13 per share from $1.10

The new quarterly rate will be paid on January 7, 2027, to stockholders of record as of December 11, 2026. On an annualized basis, the payout rises from $1.10 to $1.13 per share of common stock outstanding.

CEO ties payout growth to cash flow strength and capital discipline

Dr. Ashish Khandpur, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avient, said the company is pleased to extend its dividend growth streak to sixteen years. He attributed the increase to the strength of the business, consistent cash flow generation, and a balanced capital allocation strategy aimed at returning value to shareholders.

Houston – October 06, 2026 -- Harbor Health has signed an agreement to acquire 27 Village Medical clinics in Greater Houston, expanding its combined care-and-coverage model into Texas's largest city weeks before individual and family health plans launch there for the first time.

Harbor expands to a fifth Texas market with no-deductible plans

Houston becomes the fifth Texas market where Harbor both delivers care and sells insurance, joining Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso. Once the deal closes, expected by year-end, Harbor will operate nearly 70 clinics and more than double its number of physicians and advanced practice providers statewide. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Boston – October 06, 2026 -- RaySecur has partnered with DTS Industries, a Jackson County, Kentucky manufacturer, to produce critical mechanical components and calibration standards for its MailSecur concealed-threat detection systems on U.S. soil.

RaySecur shifts supply chain to domestic manufacturer in Appalachian Kentucky

The deal brings precision metal fabrication and system calibration work for MailSecur, a desktop T-ray screening system, into DTS Industries' Jackson County facility. DTS specializes in precision forming, custom machining, laser cutting, assembly and finishing, and holds ISO 9001 certification.

Oklahoma City – October 06, 2026 -- Oklahoma's aerospace and defense industry generated $52.5 billion in annual economic activity and supported more than 250,000 jobs, according to a new study released by the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA).

Study confirms aerospace as Oklahoma's second-largest industry despite pandemic-era aviation downturn

The statewide economic impact study found the sector weathered the COVID-19 disruption to commercial aviation and remains one of the state's fastest-growing industries. Governor Kevin Stitt, members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation, military officials and industry representatives unveiled the findings at the Oklahoma History Center.

"This $52.5 billion impact shows we have the workforce, military assets, and pro-business environment to compete for more jobs, more investment, and more opportunity for Oklahoma families," Stitt said.