News

Gastonia, N.C. – October 01, 2026 -- Parkdale, Incorporated's subsidiary, Parkdale Advanced Materials, Inc., has acquired full ownership of CiCLO® technology, a patented biodegradable textile ingredient aimed at reducing microplastic fiber persistence in the environment.

Parkdale expands CiCLO beyond apparel into nonwovens, geotextiles and filtration

CiCLO technology has an established presence in apparel, home and hospitality textiles, sold through brands including Target, Walmart, Costco, Black Diamond, Stella McCartney, IHG Hotels, Billabong, Hanes and McDonald's. Parkdale now plans to push adoption into adjacent synthetic-fiber markets, including nonwovens for industrial and hygiene products, geotextiles, filtration, insulation and furnishings.

Concord, N.C. – October 01, 2026 -- Heintz Performance Inc. has acquired Woodward Machine Corporation, the exclusive steering supplier to the NASCAR Cup Series since 1995, in a deal brokered by Viking Mergers & Acquisitions.

Deal caps a 30-year supplier relationship between the two motorsports companies

Heintz Performance, a motorsports and performance retailer based in Concord, North Carolina, had worked with Woodward Machine for three decades before the acquisition. Jeff Edge, a senior advisor in Viking M&A's Charlotte office, represented the seller, Tony Woodward, in the transaction.

Gaithersburg, Md. – October 01, 2026 -- Adventist HealthCare has appointed Opal Howard as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, placing her on the health system's senior leadership team following a national search.

Howard brings 30 years of HR leadership from AdventHealth to the new role

Howard joins after more than three decades of progressive human resources leadership at AdventHealth. Most recently she served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for AdventHealth's East Florida Division, directing workforce strategy for over 12,000 team members and aligning HR initiatives with clinical, operational and financial priorities.

Norcross, Ga. – October 01, 2026 -- Koning Health has become an approved vendor under a new agreement with HealthTrust Performance Group, creating a streamlined purchasing pathway for HealthTrust member healthcare organizations to acquire the Koning Vera Breast CT system.

Agreement launched last month expands Koning's U.S. market access

The deal, which took effect in September 2026, marks a milestone in Koning Health's U.S. expansion strategy, giving the company a direct contracting route into HealthTrust's network of member hospitals, imaging centers and health systems.

Approved vendor status removes procurement barriers for buyers

David Georges, President of Koning Health, said the arrangement gives HealthTrust member organizations "a more direct path to evaluate and adopt Koning Vera," positioning the compression-free breast CT technology for broader deployment across U.S. clinical settings.

Hartland, Wis. – October 01, 2026 -- Batteries Plus signed 19 new franchise agreements and opened 13 new locations across six states in the third quarter of 2026, extending a multi-year expansion run for the specialty battery and power solutions retailer.

New stores cluster across Florida, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Alabama

The Q3 openings mark continued geographic diversification for the chain, which now signs 60 to 70 new stores annually, according to the company. Batteries Plus recorded its strongest signing year in 2021 and has sustained that pace through the pandemic recovery period.

"The continued pace of growth we're seeing clearly reflects power and connectivity, and Batteries Plus is uniquely positioned to deliver both," said Victor Daher, Vice President of Global Franchise Development for Batteries Plus.

Menlo Park, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) reported that 92% of its employees called the company a great place to work, versus 57% at a typical U.S. company, as the talent solutions and business consulting firm earned a spot on Fortune's Best Workplaces in Consulting & Professional Services for 2026.

Robert Half and subsidiary Protiviti both secure Fortune recognition

Protiviti, Robert Half's global consulting subsidiary, was also named to the list, reflecting workplace culture across both entities. The rankings were compiled by Fortune in partnership with Great Place to Work®, drawing on survey responses from more than 125,000 employees at Great Place to Work Certified organizations in the consulting and professional services sector.

Las Vegas – October 01, 2026 -- Bold Penguin, the Digital Broker for commercial insurance, has entered a global strategic partnership with bolttech, an insurtech operating in 39 countries across four continents, to build a joint commercial and personal lines offering for agents, insurers and embedded partners in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Bold Penguin's U.S. customers gain access to bolttech's personal lines tools through one interface

The deal combines Bold Penguin's Digital Exchange, which matches commercial risks to best-fit markets from submission through real-time quote and digital bind, with bolttech's embedded distribution network and AI-enabled workflows spanning personal and commercial lines. Bold Penguin also contributes its DeX ai intelligence layer and integrated commercial carrier network to the arrangement.

West Des Moines, Iowa – October 01, 2026 -- YPO Iowa will award $20,000 in prize funding through its inaugural Innovation Challenge, a statewide pitch competition set for January 27, 2027, at Holmes Murphy's headquarters in West Des Moines.

Eight finalists will compete across two tracks for cash prizes

The one-day event, running from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 7000 Vista Drive, will select eight finalists split between Collegiate Entrepreneurs and Iowa Startup Founders tracks. In the Startup Founders track, first place receives $9,000 and second place $4,000. In the Collegiate Entrepreneurs track, first place receives $5,000 and second place $2,000.

Westminster, Colo. – October 01, 2026 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has granted New Technology Add-On Payment status to Cerapedics Inc.'s PearlMatrix P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft, enabling hospitals to recoup up to 65% of the additional cost tied to the device starting October 1, 2026.

CMS approves alternative NTAP pathway tied to FDA Breakthrough Device status

PearlMatrix, a Class III drug-device combination product for skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine, received NTAP designation under CMS' alternative pathway, which recognizes products holding U.S. FDA Breakthrough Device designation. The reimbursement applies to eligible Medicare beneficiaries treated as inpatients at hospitals paid under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System.

Boston – – October 01, 2026 -- Bank of America is providing a $10 million grant to Boston Children's Hospital to fund a new pediatric behavioral health campus at Franciscan Children's in Brighton, a project expected to generate between 150 and 200 permanent jobs and over 3,320 construction jobs.

Grant funds therapeutic campus combining inpatient and outpatient care

The gift will support development of a new space on the Franciscan Children's campus, which joined the Boston Children's health system in 2023. The facility will combine inpatient, outpatient, and rehabilitation services under one roof, increasing capacity to treat children and adolescents facing mental health needs.