News

San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 21, 2026 -- Crowley has committed a $40,000 sponsorship to expand a workforce-readiness partnership with Junior Achievement Americas (JAA) that will reach more than 350 students in Puerto Rico, introducing them to maritime, logistics and supply chain careers.

Puerto Rico imports roughly 80% of goods through its ports, driving demand for skilled labor

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority estimates that approximately 80% of the island's imports arrive via its ports, a figure that underscores the economic weight of maritime and logistics employment on the island. The new initiative targets students ages 15 to 19 enrolled in career and technical education programs at public high schools.

Atlanta – September 21, 2026 -- Georgia Power is donating $10,000 to launch "Georgia in Color," a fundraising initiative by Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites to place free EnChroma color-accessibility glasses across all Georgia State Parks.

Georgia Power builds on prior $25,000 commitment to accessibility program

The new donation follows a $25,000 gift the utility made at the end of 2025 to help Friends develop the color-accessibility program. EnChroma glasses use specialized optical filters to enhance color contrast for visitors with red-green color vision deficiency, a condition that can make fall foliage, spring wildflowers and scenic landscapes appear less distinct. Georgia Power has also previously partnered with the Aimee Copeland Foundation to place all-terrain Trackchairs in state parks for visitor use.

Delray Beach, Fla. – September 21, 2026 -- Gateway Commercial Finance, LLC has provided a $1.25 million invoice factoring facility to AGV America, a Texas-based provider of autonomous robotics and warehouse automation solutions, to close a working-capital gap created by extended customer payment terms.

New facility replaces a bank credit line that limited borrowing against 90-day invoices

The factoring facility replaced a traditional bank line of credit that offered limited borrowing availability against invoices carrying payment terms of up to 90 days. AGV America, founded in 2020, serves several Fortune 500 manufacturers and distributors, but the creditworthiness of those customers did not translate into greater availability under its prior bank line.

Manama – September 21, 2026 -- Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha will join the speaker lineup of Fintech Forward 2026, set for October 7-8 at Exhibition World Bahrain under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure."

Saha brings athlete-to-entrepreneur pedigree to Bahrain's flagship fintech forum

The former France international, who won the Champions League and two Premier League titles during a career spanning Manchester United, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, also holds a World Cup silver medal. Saha founded KiiMasters, a venture converting athlete influence into measurable social impact, and AxisStars, a private networking platform for professional athletes now valued at £4.3 billion.

Hyderabad – September 21, 2026 -- The global soybean oil market is set to expand from $43.87 billion in 2026 to $57.66 billion by 2031, a 5.62% compound annual growth rate, according to Mordor Intelligence. Renewable diesel mandates and the EU Deforestation Regulation are reshaping demand and sourcing patterns across the value chain, while new crushing capacity in Brazil and Argentina offsets slower North American expansion.

US biofuel mandates lock in record demand floor for soybean oil

The EPA finalized record-high Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and 2027 in March 2026, with biodiesel and renewable diesel production projected to grow more than 60% versus 2025 levels. The rule strengthens crush margins for domestic processors and guarantees a structural demand base that buffers the market against swings in food consumption, according to the report.

Florence – September 21, 2026 -- The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Ubeslo (obicetrapib 10 mg monotherapy) and Evlarco (obicetrapib 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg fixed-dose combination), marking the first global regulatory approval of obicetrapib for NewAmsterdam Pharma (Nasdaq: NAMS) and partner Menarini Group.

EU regulators authorize first CETP inhibitor for elevated LDL-C

The approval covers primary hypercholesterolaemia, including both heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and non-familial or mixed dyslipidaemia. It follows a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and stands as the first regulatory clearance of obicetrapib anywhere in the world.

Folsom, Calif. – September 21, 2026 -- Silverback Capital Inc. has launched a Second-Look Fix-and-Flip Pricing Program offering qualified California investors a 7.99% APR with a 12-month term through October 31, 2026.

Program targets investors comparing existing lender term sheets

The limited-time offer applies exclusively to business-purpose, non-owner-occupied fix-and-flip transactions in California. Investors can submit an existing term sheet to Silverback Capital for a confidential, like-for-like review covering interest rate, lender points, fees, initial loan proceeds, rehabilitation holdback, leverage and total estimated financing cost.

Valencia, Calif. – September 21, 2026 -- Bioness Medical, Inc. has commercially launched HaloPlex, an FDA-registered ceiling-mounted body weight support and fall protection system aimed at rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehab centers treating patients with severe gait and balance impairments.

HaloPlex extends the Vector Gait & Safety System with multidirectional movement support

The system unloads a programmed amount of a patient's body weight while providing continuous postural support and overhead fall protection, allowing patients to practice walking, balance activities, transfers, and functional mobility tasks across a larger therapy space.

New York – September 21, 2026 -- Hartree Partners has agreed to purchase and market approximately 10,000 metric tons per year of lithium carbonate from Bridge Green Upcycle under an eight-year commercial agreement valued at an estimated $500 million to $1 billion at current market conditions.

Hartree secures exclusive marketing rights across all lithium carbonate grades produced at Bridge Green facilities

The agreement grants Hartree exclusive marketing rights for lithium carbonate produced by Bridge Green during the initial term, with an option to renew for an additional seven years. Hartree also made an equity investment in Bridge Green's bridge financing round, funding the company's planned expansion of battery recycling and critical-mineral refining. First lithium carbonate volumes under the agreement are projected for 2028.

Jiangmen, China – September 21, 2026 -- Jiangmen Meixin Comb Brush Machinery Co., Ltd. is marking its 38th year of operation, having built a client base spanning Germany, the UK, Turkey, Brazil, Peru and Kenya, alongside broader market share across Asia, the Middle East and South America.

Founded in 1988, the company has grown into one of China's established brush-making machinery manufacturers, holding multiple invention, utility and design patents. One-third of its engineering staff carries more than two decades of factory-floor experience, feeding directly into equipment design.