LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, again drew approximately 30,000 attendees this year and continued to break records while helping landscapers, designers, tree care and irrigation professionals, outdoor power equipment manufacturers and dealers continue to grow business amid tricky economic times.

Held October 21-23, Equip's registered attendance grew across key demographic categories, and the show sold out its exhibit space for a fifth straight year, delivering 1.3 million square feet of exhibit space jam-packed with the latest new products, innovations, inspiration and training for the industry.

"In the face of rising fuel prices, interest rates and other extraordinary challenges, our attendees were eager to come to Louisville and connect with friends and colleagues, both on the show floor and at key social events like our opening reception at Churchill Downs and closing party at Paristown Point," says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns and manages Equip Exposition. "It just goes to show that when times are tough, Equip is the place to be to talk to others who are going through the same things."

Earlier this year, Equip was named the third largest trade show in the U.S. in 2025 by Trade Show Executive magazine.

To help attendees seize future business opportunities, Equip expanded its Tree Care Arena, and added educational offerings in snow and ice management, irrigation, outdoor lighting, and women's leadership at this year's show. The show's ever popular Outdoor Demo Yard spanned 30 acres and was packed with landscape professionals and contractors trying the latest outdoor power equipment.

"Next for us is to get your feedback. Attendees and exhibitors, we want to hear from you on how to keep making Equip better, and evolving along with your business and the industry, especially as we head toward our rotation in 2029 and beyond," says Kiser.

The 2027 show will be held October 19-22, in Louisville. Attendees will benefit from planned expansion of the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), with the opening of 300,000 square feet of new exhibit space.

The show again is in the Derby City in 2028. The improvements at the KEC over the next two years, including an anticipated new West Wing in 2029, will give Equip more than 500,000 square feet of new exhibit space, an exciting prospect for a show that has sold out its exhibit space months in advance of opening day for the last five years.

In 2029, Equip will begin a biannual rotation to Orlando, Florida, returning to Louisville every other year.

For more information, visit EquipExposition.com.

Embeddable YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@equipexposition

Media contacts

Debbi Mayster, Four Leaf PR on behalf of OPEI, 240-988-6243, [email protected]

Ami Neiberger, Four Leaf PR on behalf of OPEI, 703-887-4877 [email protected]

About Equip Exposition

Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living, and equipment exposition, is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, and is one of the top three largest trade shows in the United States. The show is a Trade Show Executive Gold 100 Grand Award Winner, including "Greatest Trade Show of 2024," and is co-located with Hardscape North America. Equip publishes "equip" magazine and is owned and managed by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an international trade association representing manufacturers of outdoor power equipment, parts, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars, and their suppliers. For more information visit www.equipexposition.com.

SOURCE Equip Exposition

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NYSE issues a pre-market daily advisory direct from the trading floor.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today's NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins.

Kristen Scholer delivers the pre-market update on October 29th

- Solink says its latest funding will accelerate expansion

- The startup turns existing cameras into real-time sources of business intelligence.

- Co-founder and CEO Mike Matta will join NYSE Live to discuss how vision-language models have reached the point where they can reason similarly to the ways humans do.

- Big3 Co-founder + CEO Ice Cube looks ahead to BIG3's public listing

- His 3-on-3 basketball league is set to go public via a SPAC merger with Graf Global Corp.

- ICE Cube will join NYSE Lead Content Creator Kristen Scholer for an interview that will air in the coming days.

- Investors navigate a flurry of economic data and earnings developments.

- The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at a target range of 3.75% to 4% on Wednesday.

- NYSX Component Microsoft is looking at a higher open after its FY 2027 Q1 earnings beat top and bottom-line estimates.

Opening Bell

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) marks the launch of its Small Business Supplier Accelerator

Closing Bell

SmartBank (NYSE: SMBK) celebrates its listing on the New York Stock Exchange

For market insights, IPO activity, and today's opening bell, download the NYSE TV App and check out the NYSE YouTube: TV.NYSE.com and YouTube.com/@NYSEofficial

SOURCE New York Stock Exchange

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Security teams can now use IANS peer decision data, vendor assessments and Faculty insight in Microsoft Copilot via the IANS Agent

BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IANS today announced the general availability of the IANS Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for Microsoft Copilot. Organizations using Copilot can now bring IANS intelligence into Copilot features, including Chat and Copilot Cowork via the IANS Agent, all using the collective intelligence from thousands of Faculty interactions, client conversations, unbiased vendor intelligence, proprietary data, news and peer community discussions.

An answer on virtually any cybersecurity topic delivered by Copilot using IANS data is deeper, richer, and more actionable than an answer delivered by the same tool alone. IANS added Copilot so security teams at organizations that have standardized on Copilot can use IANS intelligence without switching platforms.

"AI is changing how security teams find answers, but not who they trust with the hard calls," said Paul Henderson, Chief Product Officer at IANS. "Microsoft Copilot puts IANS intelligence into the tools security teams already work in. With Copilot, the whole security team can see not just what an expert would advise, but what organizations like theirs actually did, and with what results. When a decision needs a deeper conversation, our Faculty are still the people they talk to."

In Copilot Chat, users can select IANS as a source for a prompt and get answers grounded in IANS intelligence, with citations that link to the underlying IANS material. In Copilot Cowork, IANS is available as a plugin, so users can hand off multi-step work grounded in the same intelligence. Users can also use the IANS Agent to have a dedicated conversation powered solely by IANS intelligence. A Microsoft 365 administrator enables IANS for the organization in the Microsoft 365 admin center, and each user's access reflects the organization's IANS subscription.

With IANS in Microsoft Copilot, security teams can:

- Benchmark decisions against peers. See how organizations of similar industry and size approached the same question, drawing on more than 4,000 summarized Ask-an-Expert calls, more than 3,500 Faculty polls, and compensation, budget, and staffing benchmarks from more than 600 security leaders

- Track active threats. Draw on intelligence about current vulnerabilities, attack campaigns, and threat activity, each with remediation steps and IANS Faculty analysis of major breaches and industry-wide incidents

- Evaluate vendors. Leverage 300+ IANS vendor assessments, free of vendor influence

- Brief leadership on the news. Turn current security news into executive talking points and action plans

- Prepare board and executive material. Build briefings grounded in peer data and Faculty guidance

- Reach a practitioner. Request an Ask-an-Expert session with one of more than 170 IANS Faculty members, all practicing security practitioners, when a question calls for a direct conversation

"Our mutual customers' security teams make high-stakes decisions every day, and the quality of those decisions depends on the information behind them," said Chantrelle Nielsen, Principal Product Manager, Copilot Platform Microsoft. "With IANS in Microsoft Copilot, those teams can draw on how peer organizations approached the same decisions, directly in Copilot Chat and Copilot Cowork, under the administrative controls they already use for Microsoft 365."

The IANS MCP for Microsoft Copilot is available now to IANS clients whose subscription includes MCP access and whose users hold Microsoft Copilot licenses. It is also available in Claude. To learn more, visit the IANS MCP Server page.

About IANS

IANS is the practitioner-sourced intelligence engine where data, peer experience, and expert insights converge for security teams. Our private knowledge base spans thousands of conversations between client security teams and our Faculty network of 170+ active cybersecurity practitioners, proprietary benchmarking data, and a continuously growing library of practitioner-authored insights and content. Governed by strict anonymization and consent standards, this intelligence is now directly accessible through the AI tools security teams already use.

Media Contact

Angelique Faul

Silver Jacket Communications

513.633.0897

[email protected]

SOURCE IANS

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LogiX now operates independently of the construction audit practice that built it. Owners and their advisers can run it with their own people and their own methods. A full line-by-line review in minutes instead of a sampled review over days.

GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort Hill LogiX, the patent-pending payment application review platform built by Fort Hill Associates, now operates as a separate company and is open to owners of capital projects and the advisory teams that work for them. LogiX was developed from the construction audit programs of Fort Hill Associates and continues to draw on Fort Hill's subject-matter and methodology expertise.

The separation answers the first question other firms asked when they saw the platform: who is looking at our data, and where does it reside? As an independent company, LogiX can serve an owner's internal audit team, a university's construction group, or a rival advisory firm without any of them handing their work to a competitor. Audit and advisory firms can apply their own methodologies and professional judgment.

The common layer is the technology and consistent methodology. The professional responsibilities and decisions stay with the people who already own them.

LogiX operates as a separate entity with separate staff access controls and tenant-level data isolation. Fort Hill Associates has no visibility into or access to other LogiX customers' data.

LogiX was built to solve Fort Hill's own problem: too many pages of payment application backup and not enough hours to check every line. LogiX includes testing procedures informed by Fort Hill's construction audit experience since 2006, while allowing organizations to configure and apply their own methodology. LogiX evaluates payment application information against the owner's contract and submitted supporting records, with each reported observation linked back to its source. AI assists with reading and extracting information, defined procedures perform contractual and computational testing, and professional judgment remains with the reviewer and owner.

"Every time we sat down with another firm, the first question was the same: if we run our pay apps through LogiX, are we handing our documents to a competitor?" said Ruhtab Sahota, a Certified Construction Auditor and Founder of Fort Hill LogiX. "That's why LogiX stands on its own. Any owner or advisory team can now use it alongside their own people and their own judgment, and get a full line-by-line review in minutes instead of a sampled review over days." LogiX can provide that technology layer without replacing the people or professional judgment already in place.

Organizations can use LogiX in two ways. Teams with their own reviewers run the platform themselves and apply their own methodology and professional judgment. Teams without them can have LogiX run the review, and a Certified Construction Auditor signs off each pay app review. Either way, the owner decides what to pay. LogiX never holds a payment, and it does not use owner data to train AI models.

Multiple advisory firms outside Fort Hill have already piloted the platform. LogiX is built for owner-side construction and internal audit teams, and for the firms that advise them.

"The best tools usually start as something a company built for itself," said Curt Plyler, a CFA charterholder, Certified Construction Auditor and Co-Founder of Fort Hill LogiX. "Fort Hill will always be the first customer for LogiX, but it was never meant to be the only one. An owner's own team, or the firm they trust, should be able to check every line of a pay app the way we do."

Earlier this year, LogiX was named a winner in two categories of BUILD Magazine's 2026 Construction and Engineering Awards, including Most Innovative Construction Audit Platform.

Fort Hill built LogiX to scale its own construction audit work. Fort Hill separated the technology so it would not be the only organization able to use it.

About Fort Hill LogiX

Fort Hill LogiX reviews construction payment applications for owners of capital projects and the teams that advise them. It checks every line item against the executed contract and returns each exception with the supporting document attached. LogiX is AI-assisted, with human oversight. When LogiX runs the review, a Certified Construction Auditor signs off each one. Fort Hill Associates built LogiX and is its first customer. fhlogix.com

About Fort Hill Associates

Founded in 2006, Fort Hill Associates is a construction audit and advisory firm in Greenville, South Carolina. It works on capital projects for research universities, academic health systems, and other institutional owners. All four founders of LogiX hold the Certified Construction Auditor credential from the National Association of Construction Auditors. forthillassociates.com

SOURCE Fort Hill Logix Incorporated

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Together with P&G and CVS Pharmacy®, the campaign marks National Family Caregivers Month with expanded resources, promotional offers and a Caregiving Hall of Fame event

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One in four Americans cares1 for a loved one, often while balancing full-time work, raising children and managing complex medical or daily needs. This National Family Caregivers Month, Care Out Loudâthe nationwide caregiving campaign of the One Family Foundationâis kicking off its second year to connect caregivers with practical support and help them navigate their responsibilities with greater confidence.

Born from the personal experiences of families facing illness, disability or aging, Care Out Loud connects caregivers with free tools, practical resources and a supportive community while building a culture that values care.

"Caregiving comes with a lot of questions, and finding answers can feel like a job in itself," said Anneliese Barron, Executive Director of the One Family Foundation. "We created Care Out Loud to help caregivers break things down, figure out what to do next, and find the resources that can help."

More Support and Savings for Caregivers

Returning for a second year as a lead Care Out Loud partner, P&G is extending its support for caregivers through practical resources, trusted products and savings available at CVS Pharmacy.

From November 1 through November 14, 2026, CVS ExtraCare members who spend $30 on eligible P&G brandsâincluding Always Discreet and Tideâwill receive $10 in ExtraBucks Rewards.

"Caregivers balance countless responsibilities, and access to trusted products, savings and health information can make a meaningful difference in their daily routines," said Tim Dolan, Interim Vice President, Consumer Health Care, CVS Health. "We're pleased to welcome caregivers to CVS Pharmacy for an event that recognizes the important role they play in the lives of others."

The Caregiving Hall of Fame: A Celebration of Everyday Caregivers

On November 8, Care Out Loud and P&G will host the Caregiving Hall of Fame at the CVS Pharmacy located at 3300-10 South Broad Street in Philadelphia, near Lincoln Financial Field.

Bringing together P&G's NFL partnership and Care Out Loud's mission to recognize caregivers, the event will transform the CVS Pharmacy parking lot into a Hall of Fame-inspired experience celebrating the often-unseen contributions of everyday caregivers. The experience will feature inspiring caregiver stories, recognition opportunities across the CVS, P&G and Care Out Loud communities, and displays highlighting P&G products that support caregiving routines. Attendees can also connect with CVS pharmacists and access educational resources and general health and wellness information.

"For generations, P&G's trusted brands have supported the daily routines that help people care for those who depend on them," said Allison Tummon Kamphuis, Vice President, Citizenship, P&G. "Together with Care Out Loud, we're bringing greater visibility and useful resources to the millions of people who care for loved ones every day. The Caregiving Hall of Fame celebrates their vital contributions, while meaningful savings at CVS Pharmacy and trusted brands like Crest, Head & Shoulders, Gillette and Pampers are helping make caregiving a little easier."

For free caregiving resources and more information, visit WeCareOutLoud.org.

About One Family Foundation

One Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Bradley Cooper in 2013 in honor of his late father to provide financial and resource support to families facing cancer. Since then, the Foundation's work has expanded to bring greater visibility to caregivers across all caregiving experiences. Its flagship initiative, Care Out Loud, is a national campaign connecting families with free tools, resources, and support to make caregiving easier to navigate and more widely understood. Learn more at WeCareOutLoud.org.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a leading health solutions company simplifying health care one person, one family and one community at a time. As of June 30, 2026, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated 37 million people through a broad range of health insurance products and related services. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.

1 Source: 2025 AARP/National Alliance for Caregiving study

Media Contact: Anneliese Barron [email protected]

SOURCE One Family Foundation

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Register analysis traces 97 US device listings from 20 labelers, and 239 China UDI records resolving to just 32 registrations â concentration that makes documents, not brand names, the basis for bulk sourcing

WEIHAI, China, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- VEMERIX, the international medical device brand of Weihai Medison Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., today released a documentation checklist for buyers sourcing medical cyanoacrylate adhesives in bulk, drawn from its September 2026 cyanoacrylate supplier-landscape report. The report's central finding: one chemistry label covers products with different intended uses, regulatory classes and manufacturers â so identifying a supplier runs through documents, not brand names.

In the US record, 36 FDA 510(k) clearances under product code MPN (topical tissue adhesives, December 2008 to September 2025) belong to just 14 applicant groups, with four companies holding 23 of the 36. The FDA's GUDID device listings show 97 MPN records from 20 labelers, and nine labelers without a clearance of their own account for 44 of those records (45%) â lawful private-label and relabeling arrangements through which much of this category reaches the market. The practical consequence: identifying the manufacturer behind a brand is a routine document exercise. In the EU database, forty-four topical records come from just six manufacturers, led by China (17 records) and the US (15) as registered origin countries.

Classification follows the claim, not the chemistry. China's catalogue places skin adhesives at Class III (code 02-13-09) while liquid dressings for non-chronic wounds sit at Class II (14-10-08) â in indication terms, the line runs between surgical closure and suture replacement (Class III) and superficial, assistive wound care (Class II). Its UDI database resolves 239 adhesive records to only 32 registrations. A skin-closure product cannot inherit another product's vascular or internal-surgical claim simply because both are cyanoacrylates â and "Class II" means a different thing in each market.

The checklist turns those findings into a first-contact document request:

- The exact product name and model of the adhesive to be supplied

- The legal manufacturer identified on the product labeling

- For a relabeled product, the clearance or registration holder standing behind it

- The certificate's approved scope, matched against the claim the buyer intends to make

- Current regulatory documents for the destination market

VEMERIX's own entry in the category is the Cyanoacrylate Medical Skin Adhesive in its Wound & Skin range: a single-use adhesive used to aid the closure of small, non-chronic wounds. Market-specific registration and documentation are addressed product-by-product in each supply discussion â the same test the checklist applies to any supplier. VEMERIX works on both sides of this structure â as a legal manufacturer and as a private-label partner â and supports the same document trail it recommends buyers request. The company makes no claim of a new clearance, a portfolio-wide approval, or equivalence to any other manufacturer's adhesive.

"Private-label supply is how this category reaches clinics, and it works well when the documents travel with the product," said Lily (Lianhua) Nan, Founder of Weihai Medison Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. "The checklist is the paperwork we believe should accompany any adhesive â including ours. A buyer who can trace the legal manufacturer behind a brand is a stronger customer for everyone in the chain."

The full report, "Medical Cyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesives (2026): Who Makes Them, How the US, EU and China Class Them, and Where Bulk Supply Comes From," including its sources and scope, is available at https://www.vemerix.com/blog/medical-cyanoacrylate-tissue-adhesive-supplier-landscape-2026. Distribution and OEM/ODM inquiries: [email protected].

About VEMERIX

VEMERIX is the international brand of Weihai Medison Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., positioned as a Minimally Invasive Surgery Total Solution Platform for urology, vascular surgery and perioperative care. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Yangting, Weihai, Shandong, China, Weihai Medison combines a 2,000-square-meter Class-100K manufacturing base with the Medison Korea Joint Research Institute â a multidisciplinary R&D arm partnered with senior researchers from Seoul National and Yonsei universities and leading Korean research institutes. The VEMERIX portfolio centers on laser energy and surgical consumables, supported by NMPA-registered devices, 50+ patents, ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 quality systems, and senior researchers with 30+ years of cumulative experience in laser, NPWT and biopreparations. VEMERIX products ship to distributors and clinical partners across six continents. More information is available at https://www.vemerix.com.

Company Contact

Ernest Salus Kim

VEMERIX â Public Relations

Weihai Medison Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

Phone: +86 400-811-7709

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.vemerix.com/contact

Media Relations

VEMERIX â Press Inquiries

Phone: +1 415 689 1868

Email: [email protected]

Note to Editors

Lily (Lianhua) Nan is available for interview through the Media Relations contact above. The underlying report was published Sept. 14, 2026 and draws on the FDA 510(k) database (product code MPN, decisions December 2008âSeptember 2025), FDA GUDID device listings, the EU EUDAMED database, China's NMPA UDI database, and UN trade data for HS 3006.10. Counts describe register records as of the report's snapshot, not sales or current market availability; registration is not endorsement, absence from a public snapshot is not evidence of nonconformity, and a labeler without a matched clearance of its own may lawfully relabel under another company's clearance â the 45% figure describes traceability, not compliance.

SOURCE WEIHAI MEDISON (VEMERIX brand)

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Agilyx's arcLABS Achieves ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation

News provided by

Agilyx

Oct 29, 2026, 08:39 ET

OSLO, Norway, 29 October 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Agilyx ASA (Euronext Oslo Børs: AGLX; Börse Frankfurt: 5NQ; USOTCQX: AGYXY) ("Agilyx" or the "Company") announces that its analytical lab, arcLABS, has obtained ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation as attested by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The accreditation to the internationally recognized quality and performance laboratory standard is a significant milestone recognizing arcLABS' excellence in providing accurate, consistent, quality data for its clients.

arcLABS provides quality, performance, compliance, and regulatory testing in the plastics, recycling, and chemical recycling industries, as well as process and technology development services. "Achieving ISO 17025 accreditation is a testament to our commitment to accuracy, consistency and quality in the lab and analytical services we provide for our clients and customers. arcLABS continues its commitment to bring high-quality, tailored solutions to our clients, stakeholders and the industry" â says Chris Faulkner, Agilyx CTO.

ANAB is the largest accreditation body in North America, and its accreditations are recognized internationally through the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement. ISO/IEC 17025 is the global standard for testing and calibration laboratories, covering impartiality, method validation, measurement traceability, and quality management. Customers can now receive accredited results and Certificates of Analysis for in-scope feedstock characterization, material validation, and regulatory compliance testing.

About arcLABS

With over 20 years of experience in the plastic waste and recycling industry, arcLABS is a leader in advanced analytics, testing, and new technologies. We service the industry by providing custom analytical solutions, testing services, and creating tailored support for process and technology development.

About Agilyx

Agilyx ASA is a leading global investment platform supporting the development of plastic waste feedstock supply to the recycling industry. Through its majority holding in GreenDot Global, Europe's largest waste plastic recycling platform, Agilyx has access to large volumes of post-use plastic and advanced sorting and recycling infrastructure in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Through arcLABS, Agilyx provides characterization and identification services for plastic streams that can be converted into feedstock matched to recycling processes. Agilyx also markets Styrenyx, its proprietary chemical recycling technology for polystyrene waste. By enabling the shift from a linear "make-take-waste" model to a circular economy, Agilyx helps solve the plastic waste crisis and supports the global transition to a low-carbon future.

Inquiries: [email protected]

Learn more at: www.agilyx.com and www.agilyx.com/arclabs

For media resources, visit: https://www.agilyx.com/media-room/

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/agilyx/r/agilyx-s-arclabs-achieves-iso-iec-17025-accreditation,c4417328

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two-thirds of industrial professionals surveyed say fewer than one in 20 frontline workers files a hazard, near-miss or safety report each month, or that their site doesn't track it. The Frontline Risk Study 2026, released today by Teamforce AI, also found sites with corrective-action (CAPA) software were as likely as sites without it to name verifying fixes as a top need.

- Most sites can't show they capture risk. 38% report under 5% monthly participation and 25% don't track it (63% combined). Of the 23 under 5%, 19 say participation hasn't moved in a year.

- A digital channel is the start, not the fix. Where reporting is tracked, half with EHS software or an app exceed 15% (15 of 30), versus none without them. Across all 39 sites with these tools, 20 are under 5% or don't track it.

- The biggest sites are least able to state their rate. 53% at sites over 1,000 employees or in corporate roles couldn't give a reporting rate, against 12% at smaller sites.

- Software hasn't closed the loop on fixes. Verifying that fixes worked was a top need for 36% of sites with CAPA software and 30% without, not a statistically significant difference.

- Those closest to the risk know least about its cost. Three of four supervisors and five of 11 specialists were unsure how workers' compensation is financed, against none of seven executives.

"When a safety record gets tested, the two questions are: did anyone see the hazard coming, and was it fixed?" said Vivek Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Teamforce AI. "Most sites lack the reporting to answer the first, and a closed ticket shows someone acted, not that the fix worked."

Sixty professionals completed the voluntary survey between July and September 2026; figures are respondents' own estimates and show associations, not causes. The study was developed in partnership with Jim Lewis, executive director of the University of Iowa's Vaughan Institute of Risk Management & Insurance, with outreach by students at Iowa and the University of North Carolina.

"As an industry, we're very good at studying claims after they happen, but that's reactive," said Lewis. "This study looks at what comes before a claim: whether workers report hazards at all. That's the blind spot. You can't predict and prevent what your workers aren't telling you."

The findings are being shared today at the RISC Summit and Innovation Challenge, hosted by the University of Iowa in Iowa City and online.

Read the full report at teamforce.ai/frontline-risk-study-2026.

About Teamforce AI

Teamforce AI is the System of Proof for frontline risk, built for companies that retain their own risk: group captives, high-deductible programs and self-insured operations. Workers confirm when fixes land and can report hazards anonymously, building a record a captive, carrier or CFO can act on.

Media Contact

Vivek Kumar

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamforce AI

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PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, N.J., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- OLI is making it easier for engineers to move between chemistry modeling and data analysis with the introduction of Microsoft Excel import and export in Version 12.7. The new functionality reduces manual data handling and the potential for transcription errors, while providing greater flexibility to evaluate and share results in Excel.

Much of the chemical data used in engineering analysis originates in spreadsheets, but transferring that data into OLI Studio has traditionally required manual entry. This adds an unnecessary step to the modeling workflow, taking time away from analysing the chemistry and interpreting the results.

With Version 12.7, users can create new analyses in OLI Studio directly from Excel or update existing OLI Studio projects as new sample data becomes available. Calculated results can then be returned to Excel, where teams can compare cases and incorporate their findings into existing reporting workflows.

Initially, the functionality supports selected objects in OLI Studio: Stream Analyzer and OLI Studio: ScaleChem, including water, brine, gas and oil analyses.

"Engineers need the freedom to work with their data in the applications that make sense for each stage of an analysis," said Lisa Williams, Chief Service Officer at OLI. "Our focus with Version 12.7 has been on making that process more straightforward, allowing users to spend less time preparing information and more time interpreting the chemistry and applying the results."

Version 12.7 also introduces Simple Membrane, a new process unit in OLI Flowsheet: ESP that extends modeling support for nanofiltration and other ion-selective membrane separations. The development addresses applications in water treatment and lithium recovery where conventional reverse osmosis models may not adequately represent the separation process.

Engineers can specify rejection rates for individual ions and define water recovery, with OLI calculating the resulting permeate and concentrate streams. The unit maintains electroneutrality and retains OLI's thermodynamic and thermophysical calculations, allowing engineers to assess properties including mineral scaling and osmotic pressure within the wider flowsheet.

Version 12.7 is available to download now.

About OLI

OLI equips industrial teams with simulation software to address complex chemical challenges and guide critical decisions with precision. As a trusted partner in demanding environments, it delivers predictive models, automation solutions and expert consulting that have been proven over decades of industrial use to support efficient operations. OLI technology helps users reduce risk and plan with long-term confidence. www.olisystems.com

SOURCE OLI

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29% of Americans say they plan to do most of their shopping in early to mid-December this holiday season, compared with 17% on Black Friday

Key points

- Bank of America's Holiday Spending Survey finds early to mid-December may surpass Black Friday as the most popular time for holiday shopping.

- Through a nationally representative survey of 2,000+ U.S. adults, 87% expect their holiday spending to hold steady or decline this year, while just 12% say they plan to spend more.

- Fewer consumers say they play to use AI or social media platforms for their holiday shopping needs this year.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Friday traditionally marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, however this year consumers are planning to make their biggest holiday shopping push a little later. According to the Bank of America 2026 Holiday Spending Survey, 29% of consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping in early to mid-December, up from 19% in 2025. Meanwhile, those planning to concentrate most of their shopping around Black Friday fell from 25% to 17%.

Fewer than two out of five (38%) consumers said they have shopped or will shop earlier in 2026, down from 52% in 2025. However, sentiment is running cooler than spending â Bank of America Institute's latest Consumer Checkpoint shows holiday spending is already increasing at a solid rate through September.

"Consumers are being more deliberate this year, from setting their own timelines to staying focused on their budgets," said Mary Hines Droesch, Head of Consumer and Small Business Products and Analytics at Bank of America. "At the same time, our Bank of America spending data shows the season is off to a healthy start."

Budgets hold steady, and shoppers look inward

Nearly half of consumers (48%) expect to spend about the same this holiday season as last year â up from 39% in 2025, with 39% also saying they will spend less on holiday gifts this year â down from 42% in 2025. Meanwhile, only 12% plan to spend more, down from 19% last year. Nearly two-thirds (63%) base holiday spending strictly on their own budget rather than what friends or family spend, rising to 78% of baby boomers.

Consumers' top strategies for avoiding overspending include:

- Shopping during sales events (30%).

- Setting a firm per-person spending limit (27%).

- Using credit card rewards, points, or cash back (21%).

Consumers pull back on AI and social shopping

E-commerce remains the most common way to shop (74%), while 54% still plan to visit brick-and-mortar stores. Overall, consumers are more selective about newer tools:

- Nearly three-quarters of consumers (72%) do not plan to use AI tools for holiday shopping, up from 49% in 2025.

- 14% of consumers plan to buy gifts directly through social media, down from 35% in 2025 â with the sharpest drops among younger generations.

- 62% say viral content has no effect on their shopping decisions.

Scammers are checking their lists, too

37% of consumers say they have encountered at least one holiday shopping scam tactic in recent years. The most common scams they see include:

- Phishing emails posing as retailers (18%)

- Fake shipping or delivery notifications (16%)

- Too good to be true deals on gifts or services (16%)

In addition, Gen X and baby boomers are more than twice as likely as Gen Z to report retailer phishing attempts.

Credit cards become the preferred holiday payment method

Credit cards are the preferred holiday payment method (over debit cards, cash or Buy Now, Pay Later) for 49% of consumers, up from 32% in 2025. The preference is particularly pronounced among higher-income Americans, 67% of whom favor credit cards, compared with 24% of lower-income consumers.

The shift toward credit cards is also strongest among older consumers, while younger shoppers continue to rely more heavily on debit cards for holiday purchases, with 33% of millennials and 38% of Gen Z citing it as their preferred method.

Frequently asked questions â Bank of America tips for the holiday season

Question: How can consumers protect themselves from holiday shopping scams this season?

Answer: A little extra caution can go a long way. Holiday scams often look like messages you've seen before, including emails that appear to be from retailers, fake shipping or delivery notifications and requests for personal information. These messages often create a false sense of urgency, pressuring you to act immediately. If you receive an unexpected message or notification and something doesn't seem right, don't click on any links. Instead, go directly to the retailer's website or shipping carrier's app to verify it. Pause before you click on anything â that extra moment of caution can help protect both your personal information and your holiday budget. You can always check Bank of America Security Center's Scam Prevention resources for additional tips and tools to stay safe.

Question: How can consumers shop smarter this holiday season?

Answer: Start with a realistic budget and a spending limit for each person on your list. Compare prices, take advantage of seasonal sales, and consider using credit card rewards, points, or cash back on purchases you already planned to make. Visit Better Money Habits for additional tips for staying on budget and getting the most value from your holiday spending.

Question: What's the best way to balance holiday spending with financial goals?

Answer: Before shopping, identify your top financial priorities for the season and set spending limits that support those goals. Don't let social pressure or gift expectations drive your spending, and remember that meaningful gifts aren't defined by price. By planning ahead, taking advantage of deals, and practicing a "pause before you pay" mindset before making purchases, you can stay on budget while reducing financial stress after the holidays.

Question: How can shoppers make planned holiday purchases more rewarding?

Answer: Start by checking whether retailers offer loyalty points, member discounts, or seasonal promotions on purchases you already plan to make. Then, layer those benefits with rewards from a credit card that aligns with your needs and rewards your spending, such as the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards card. Cardholders can earn 3% cash back in a category of their choice each month, making it a smart option for holiday shopping needs. Even better, new cardholders can get a 6% cash back bonus offer in their choice category during the first year. Cash rewards can then be redeemed as statement credits or deposited directly into an eligible Bank of America checking or savings account to help offset costs throughout the year.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online from Sept. 10â12, 2026, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This study is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 2,062 adults age 18 or older.

The survey was conducted in English and utilized the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®, the original and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult U.S. population. KnowledgePanel uses address-based sampling to randomly recruit U.S. households, including households without existing internet access.

The margin of sampling error for the total sample is ±2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.02.

The survey data were weighted to match national population benchmarks for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. Benchmarks for these variables were obtained from the 2025 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 69 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact

Don Vecchiarello, Bank of America  

Phone: 1. 980.387.4899

[email protected] 

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

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