As open enrollment gets underway, a new LIMRA Retirement Income Institute paper shows that coordinating healthcare and income decisions can be worth thousands of dollars a year in retirement

WINDSOR, Conn., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One in eight workers whose health insurance premiums rose this year responded by putting less into their retirement savings, according to new LIMRA research. As Americans make coverage and benefit choices during their employer's open enrollment period, the findings show how healthcare decisions made today can shape financial security in retirement.

These findings reinforce a key conclusion from a new LIMRA Retirement Income Institute paper, Redefining Advice: Integrating Healthcare Into Retirement Planning, which argues that healthcare planning should be a core component of retirement planning rather than a separate financial consideration.

LIMRA's 2026 Benefits and Employee Attitude Tracker (BEAT) Study found that more than three-quarters (77%) of employees enrolled in workplace medical coverage saw their premiums increase in 2026, including 17% whose premiums rose by more than 10%. About half of those facing higher premiums changed their spending or benefits decisions in response:

- 20% cut back on everyday spending.

- 12% reduced retirement savings contributions.

- 16% reduced spending on other employee benefits.

- 16% switched to a less expensive medical plan.

- 9% chose not to enroll in other benefits.

Younger workers were the quickest to react. Nearly three in four Gen Z employees whose premiums increased took some action, and 21% cut their retirement contributions â the workers with the most time to benefit from long-term savings growth.

"As consumers evaluate their healthcare options during open enrollment, it's important to recognize the connection between healthcare decisions and retirement readiness. Increasing healthcare costs can put pressure on household budgets today while making it more challenging to save for the retirement people envision tomorrow," said Kimberly Landry, Research Director, Workplace Benefits Research at LIMRA and LOMA.

High-stakes choices, made quickly

Open enrollment decisions can affect household finances for years, yet LIMRA found that 63% of workers spend less than an hour reviewing their options and enrolling, and more than a quarter spend less than 30 minutes.

Those decisions are being made under financial strain. Nearly half of workers (49%) are very or extremely concerned about healthcare and health insurance costs, and 57% are more worried about those costs than they were a year ago. Forty-two percent are concerned about their ability to save enough for retirement. And 55% would need to borrow or finance an unexpected $2,000 medical bill not covered by insurance â or could not pay it at all.

Budgets for benefits are tight. Workers are willing to spend a median of $150 a month on workplace benefits, excluding retirement savings. That is roughly a quarter of the $571 average monthly worker contribution for family medical coverage, according to KFF. As medical premiums consume more of that budget, less is left over for other priorities and for protection such as life and disability insurance.

Why healthcare belongs in the retirement plan

Jae W. Oh, M.B.A., CFP®, author of the paper and a fellow of the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute, examines how healthcare costs, taxes, and retirement income decisions interact and ultimately influences how much money retirees have available to spend.

"Successful retirement planning should focus not simply on how much income someone generates, but how much remains after taxes and healthcare expenses," said Oh. "That's why healthcare needs to be part of the plan from the beginning."

The connection matters more this year. Healthcare costs are tied to income: premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage shrinks as income rises. With the enhanced ACA subsidies expired at the end of 2025, households with income above 400% of the federal poverty level no longer qualify for any premium tax credit â a "subsidy cliff" that can make a single retirement account withdrawal or Roth conversion very expensive.

Five things consumers can do this open enrollment

- Look beyond the premium. Compare deductibles, prescription coverage, provider networks and total potential out-of-pocket costs, not just the monthly price.

- Protect retirement savings if you can. Cutting contributions eases pressure today but can leave a bigger gap later, especially for younger workers, who have the most time for savings to grow. If you must cut back, try to keep contributing enough to receive any employer match.

- Retiring before 65? Watch your income. For marketplace coverage, an IRA withdrawal or Roth conversion that pushes household income above 400% of the federal poverty level can eliminate premium subsidies entirely.

- Approaching Medicare? Think two years ahead. Medicare uses income from two years earlier to decide whether higher Part B and D premiums apply, so a large withdrawal or conversion at 63 can raise premiums at 65.

- Make the Medigap decision at 65 carefully. In most states, the guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy without medical underwriting comes only once, so switching later may not be possible.

With Medicare open enrollment underway, ACA marketplace enrollment opening November 1, and many employer-sponsored benefits enrollment periods taking place before year-end, LIMRA's research highlights an important consideration for consumers: Healthcare decisions affect more than what people pay today. They also influence how much money is available to save now and to spend in retirement.

Read the research:

Redefining Advice: Integrating Healthcare Into Retirement Planning, linked here.

2026 BEAT Study, linked here.

About the BEAT Study: In January 2026, LIMRA conducted an online survey of 4,052 full- and part-time U.S. workers aged 18 to 64. The sample was weighted to be representative of U.S. employees based on Census Bureau data.

About the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute

Advancing retirement income security through research and collaboration, the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute provides insights and solutions â guided by leading retirement scholars and institute fellows â to help Americans retire with less risk and greater confidence. Visit www.limraconsumer.com/retirement-income-institute.

About LIMRA

Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help more than 600 financial services member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

SOURCE LIMRA

Share this article

CET Energy Solutions Accelerates Growth with Four Acquisitions Across Three States

â Platform grows into the Mid-Atlantic and deepens its integrated energy and electrical offering with additions of Direct Electric Services, JDL Electric Company, New Horizons Technologies, and Vanguard Building Solutions â

WORCESTER, Mass., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CET Energy Solutions, a provider of energy and electrical infrastructure services that help modern buildings and critical facilities control costs, operate efficiently, and keep running when it matters most, today announced four acquisitions across electrical construction, solar, and energy solutions.

The acquisitions are as follows:

Electrical Contracting

- Direct Electric Services: Mount Airy, Maryland

- JDL Electric Company: Halethorpe, Maryland

- New Horizons Technologies: Sterling, Massachusetts

Energy Solutions

- Vanguard Building Solutions: Cherry Hill, New Jersey

This announcement follows the introduction of the CET Energy Solutions platform, which includes the acquisitions of NuWave Energy Solutions and Horton Electrical Services. The company has now completed six acquisitions. With more than 400 employees, CET Energy Solutions is deepening its electrical contracting presence across the Mid-Atlantic and New England, while expanding its energy efficiency solutions services nationally with the addition of Vanguard.

"Each of these companies brings something distinct to CET Energy Solutions: new geographies, new customer relationships, and skilled people who share our commitment to delivering high-quality work," said John J. Duquette, Chief Executive Officer of CET Energy Solutions. "CET Energy Solutions now brings together energy services firms that identify, engineer, and finance efficiency projects with a network of self-performing electrical contractors that can execute them, a combination few in the industry can offer."

About the Acquisitions

Direct Electric Services, founded in 2003, is a full-service electrical contractor licensed in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., specializing in commercial interiors, institutional projects, and service contracts. The company has long-standing relationships with major general contractors in the region. Direct Electric Services will retain its name and operate as a CET Energy Solutions Company.

JDL Electric Company, founded in 1993, focuses on new construction and property management services and is known for large tenant fit-out work. The company is licensed in Maryland and Delaware. JDL will retain its name and operate as a CET Energy Solutions Company.

New Horizons Technologies (NHT), founded in the early 2000s, delivers integrated technology solutions, electrical construction services, and on-call field service to commercial customers across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. New Horizons will begin operating as Commonwealth Electrical Technologies, a CET Energy Solutions Company.

Vanguard Building Solutions, founded in 2013, provides turnkey energy efficiency solutions to facility owners and operators across healthcare, industrial and warehouse, commercial real estate, hospitality, senior living, higher education, religious institutions, and multifamily markets. Acting as a single point of accountability, Vanguard guides customers from energy audits through implementation of upgrades, including HVAC, LED lighting, indoor air quality, building controls, and solar, and offers financing solutions. Vanguard will transition to the CET Energy Solutions brand name.

The trends behind our investment in CET Energy Solutions, from aging infrastructure to rising power demand and electrification, have only accelerated, and CET Energy Solutions is moving quickly to address these needs," said RJ David, Managing Director at Broad Sky Partners. "This disciplined approach brings deep technical expertise and talented teams together to expand the platform's ability to serve customers."

About CET Energy Solutions

CET Energy Solutions is an integrated electrical and energy platform for modern buildings and critical facilities. Serving a diverse commercial and industrial customer base, CET Energy Solutions delivers energy efficiency, electrical construction, solar, and EV charging solutions from design and installation through ongoing service. Licensed in 10 states across New England and the Mid-Atlantic, CET Energy Solutions offers full electrical construction, solar, and BESS EPC capabilities, along with nationwide energy efficiency project coverage. CET Energy Solutions is backed by Broad Sky Partners.

SOURCE CET Energy Solutions

Share this article

â Beginning with the development of the fermented seasoning Miwon in 1956, Daesang has driven the growth of Korea's food industry for seven decades

â Drives the global expansion of K-Food through Jongga and Ofood while strengthening its U.S. production and distribution infrastructure

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking its 70th anniversary this year, Daesang Corporation, a South Korean food and bio company, is reinforcing its position as a global food and ingredients company. Since developing Miwon, South Korea's first fermented seasoning, in 1956, Daesang has helped drive the development of Korea's food industry while expanding its business around two main pillars: its food business and its ingredients business, which includes biotechnology products as well as starches and sweeteners. More recently, the company has been at the forefront of bringing K-Food to consumers worldwide through its global brands Jongga and Ofood, while accelerating efforts to develop new growth drivers by leveraging its fermentation technology.

Daesang began operations in 1956 with the development of Miwon, a fermented seasoning created using proprietary technology. In 1973, Daesang entered the global market by becoming the first South Korean company to export a production plant to Indonesia. It subsequently diversified its operations into food, biotechnology, and starch and sweetener businesses. Today, with production facilities and business hubs across the United States, Europe and Asia, Daesang has grown into a global food and ingredients company.

Daesang's global food business focuses on four priority product categories: kimchi, sauces, gim (Korean seaweed), and convenience foods. Its flagship kimchi brand, Jongga, is available in around 90 countries and is leading the global expansion of kimchi. Notably, in the first three quarters of this year, Jongga accounted for approximately 56% of South Korea's total kimchi exports by value, demonstrating its competitiveness in global markets. Daesang's global food brand Ofood also offers a wide range of sauces and convenience foods, including gochujang and other traditional Korean fermented pastes, bringing Korean flavors into food cultures around the world.

The United States, in particular, is one of Daesang's key global markets. In 2022, Daesang established a kimchi production facility near Los Angeles with an annual capacity of 2,000 metric tons. The facility produces a variety of products tailored to local consumer preferences, from original kimchi to vegan kimchi, white kimchi, and cucumber kimchi. In 2023, Daesang acquired Lucky Foods, a U.S. based food company, further strengthening its local production and distribution network. Building on this foundation, Daesang is expanding its presence across major U.S. retail channels while promoting wider adoption of kimchi through collaborations with local restaurants and other initiatives.

Alongside its food business, Daesang's ingredients business, built on its fermentation technology, serves as another key driver of growth. The company supplies a broad range of ingredients used in the food and feed industries to global markets, including MSG and various amino acids. More recently, it has been expanding its allulose business to meet rising demand for low-sugar, low-calorie foods. Leveraging its proprietary high-efficiency production technology and a dedicated production facility in South Korea, Daesang launched Sweevero, its global alternative sweetener brand. The company has also recorded strong growth in the U.S. market, with North American allulose sales up 450% year on year in 2025.

Jung-bae Lim, CEO of Daesang Corporation, said, "Over the past 70 years, Daesang has grown from its Korean roots into global markets by building on its fermentation technology and capabilities in the food business. We will continue to develop innovative products that meet diverse consumer needs and expand our local production and distribution infrastructure, building Daesang into a company that delivers Korean flavors and differentiated food solutions worldwide."

About Daesang Corporation

Founded in 1956, Daesang Corporation is one of the world's largest producers of fermented food products, with decades of expertise in food manufacturing. The company has grown into a premier global enterprise through internationally recognized brands such as Jongga and Ofood, offering a broad product portfolio that includes kimchi, specialty sauces, convenient home meal replacements (HMR), and more. Headquartered inâ¯South Korea, Daesang operates manufacturing subsidiaries in the United States, Poland, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. For more information, visit www.daesang.com/en.

SOURCE Daesang Corporation

Share this article

High fuel prices linked to increased pressure on operating costs over the past 12 months

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than four out of five respondents (82%) said their organization's operating costs have increased over the past 12 months, according to research conducted by Endeavor Business Intelligence on behalf of Geotab, a global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights. When asked about the cause of the increase, fuel costs were the most frequently cited theme, named in 31% of responses.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. on-highway diesel averaged $6.35 per gallon for the week of October 26, 71% higher than a year earlier. Higher per gallon costs are placing pressure on fleets to optimize fuel use and to prevent fraudulent purchases in order to maximize spend and reduce preventable losses. Fuel optimization and fraud prevention require visibility into both vehicle data and transaction data. That information can help them decide where to investigate and what changes fit their operations.

"High fuel prices put pressure on operating budgets, so fleet managers need a clear view of where and how fuel is being used, along with safeguards to help prevent fraudulent purchases," said Steven Berube, Vice President at Geotab. "In the Geotab platform, managers can review fuel consumption, fuel economy and idling, while the Geotab Fleet Card checks transactions against live vehicle data, including location and tank capacity, before they clear. Bringing these capabilities together in one platform gives managers more visibility and control over fuel use and spending."

Fuel and efficiency capabilities

At fleet scale, idling can be a source of fuel use that is difficult to isolate without vehicle data. A Geotab analysis of connected commercial vehicles across North America found that vehicles idled for an average of 1 hour 25 minutes per driving day, using 0.95 gallons of fuel while idling. The highest-idling 10% of vehicles idled for more than three hours and used more than 2 gallons per driving day.

Geotab's Fleet Fuel Management tools show fuel consumption, fuel economy and idling in the Geotab platform, giving managers data to identify patterns and assess where efficiency steps may be appropriate. In-vehicle verbal feedback and buzzer alerts can help drivers address fuel-wasting habits such as idling, speeding and harsh acceleration. Maintenance reminders and inspection checklists can support tire-pressure checks and other routines that affect fuel economy.

On the purchasing side, the Geotab Fleet Card checks transactions against live vehicle data before they clear, including location and tank capacity. This verification can help prevent fraudulent purchases before they clear. Fleet administrators can also set controls by amount, time frame, category, merchant or location. The card also gives fleets access to wholesale discounts at more than 34,000 fueling stations across the United States and through the Geotab Drive app, drivers can see nearby lower-cost fueling locations and compare prices.

Together, fuel data and Geotab Fleet Card give managers a clearer view of fuel use and spending in the Geotab platform, with tools to monitor consumption and verify purchases against vehicle data.

Learn more about Fleet Fuel Management and the Geotab Fleet Card.

Research notes: Endeavor Business Intelligence collected 497 qualified responses from August 20 to October 6, 2026, on behalf of Geotab. Respondents were trucking professionals across multiple markets; the overall margin of error was ±4.4%; subsection results have higher margins of error. The open-ended question about cost increases received 407 responses. Copilot assisted with identifying and quantifying response themes, and percentages are approximate.

About Geotab

Geotab is a global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights. Trusted by more than 100,000 customers â from small and mid-size fleets to Fortune 500 enterprises and public-sector organizations, including the U.S. federal government â Geotab connects approximately 6 million vehicles and assets and processes 100 billion data points daily. With ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC2, FIPS 140-3 and FedRAMP authorizations, Geotab's open platform and partner ecosystem unify safety, compliance and operations in a unified system. Our mission: a safer, more efficient and more sustainable world in motion. Learn more at www.geotab.com and follow us on LinkedIn or visit Geotab News and Views.

GEOTAB and GEOTAB DRIVE are registered trademarks of Geotab Inc. in the United States and other countries.

SOURCE Geotab Inc.

Share this article

CodeSignal's New Agentic Skills Intelligence Validates Employee Skills From the Work They Actually Do

As six in 10 managers say they make critical talent decisions based on guesswork, new capabilities validate skills from the work employees already do, not inferred data, then help close gaps with personalized practice and coaching

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CodeSignal, the leading agentic skills intelligence platform built on more than a decade of assessment science, today announced the general availability of Agentic Skills Intelligence, giving organizations a validated view of skill proficiency across their workforce, and the ability to close skills gaps with contextualized learning practices.

Rather than inferring what employees can do from keyword scraping or self-rating, CodeSignal's specialized agents evaluate work from systems employees use every day, such as Gong, Salesforce, GitHub, Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Workday, Greenhouse, and Google Workspace. They score that work against structured rubrics grounded in industrial-organizational psychology, the same scientific rigor behind the more than 21 million skill evaluations completed on CodeSignal. The result is a living, validated skills profile for every employee.

CodeSignal's Agentic Skills Intelligence gives leaders:

- A validated skills profile for every employee, continuously updated from real work rather than performance reviews, self-ratings, or course completions

- A clear view of skills gaps in the organization that could impact critical projects and company initiatives

- Development that closes those gaps, with contextualized learning practices from Cosmo, CodeSignal's agentic tutor, instead of generic video courses

- Real-time insights on how jobs are changing, based on the skills and competencies top performers actually demonstrate in their work, not job descriptions

- Defensible ROI and proof of progress, tracking whether skills actually improve so leaders can show the impact of AI and learning investments

- Market intelligence on real-time hiring trends, including in-demand skills, top roles, pay bands, and where demand is growing

Agentic Skills Intelligence is built to connect with the systems organizations already run, from talent and HR platforms to productivity and learning tools. With CodeSignal's MCP server, teams can also ask questions of their skills and jobs data from the AI assistant of their choice, getting answers without leaving the tools they work in every day.

"In the AI era, leaders need to understand not just what skills they can infer their people have, but what people can demonstrate," said Josh Bersin, global industry analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company. "CodeSignal adds evidence of proficiency, how well people apply skills in their work, and connects it to personalized development. That helps leaders make better decisions while giving employees a clear path to grow."

Investment without visibility

New CodeSignal research shows how wide the gap is between investment and visibility:

- Six in 10 managers say they make critical talent decisions based on guesswork

- 84% of organizations expanded AI software investments and 79% increased AI training over the past year, yet 79% cannot measure the ROI of that spending

- Two-thirds (66%) of employees say their skills have never been formally assessed

"Every leader is being asked hard questions about their business right now. Is our AI investment paying off? Do we have the skills to hit our goals? Who's ready to lead the next big project? Too often the answer is a guess based on weak data signals," said Tigran Sloyan, CEO and co-founder of CodeSignal. "We built Agentic Skills Intelligence because the people decisions that matter most deserve real data. Now leaders can practice what I call skillspotting at scale: seeing what their people can actually do, based on the work they're already doing, and giving every employee a clear path to build the skills they need next."

Common use cases

- AI transformation: Measure whether AI investments are turning into better work. A CEO spending heavily on AI can see not just who is using it, but who is using it well and who needs help getting there.

- Upskilling: Scale coaching to every individual to build a higher-performing team. A sales leader can see who has mastered the pitch for a new product, while tailored practice reaches the reps who need it.

- Critical initiative resourcing: Find the talent you need to staff business initiatives. An engineering leader can find people with the right skills for an urgent project and pull together a strong group in days instead of weeks.

- Strategic planning: Make confident workforce decisions with skills data leaders can trust. A leadership team planning for next year can see where to develop current employees, where to hire, and where AI tools can help teams get more done.

Organizations can see Agentic Skills Intelligence in action at codesignal.com/skills-intelligence.

About CodeSignal

CodeSignal helps companies build the skills to succeed now, and adapt as the future of work changes. It's the agentic skills intelligence platform, built on a simple belief: the biggest decisions about people should rely on proof, not proxies. For years, talent has been judged by resumes, titles, self-ratings, and inferred data, sources that only hint at what someone can really do. CodeSignal measures real skills through rigorous simulation-based assessments and in-depth evaluation of people's actual work.

CodeSignal spans the full talent journey, from hiring assessments and AI interviews to hands-on skills development and workforce planning. With skills intelligence that measures work as it happens, leaders see where their teams stand, what to coach next, and where to plan ahead. It's why companies like Capital One, Meta, and Dropbox, along with millions of people building their own skills, have made CodeSignal the standard for measuring what's real.

To learn more, visit www.codesignal.com or connect with CodeSignal on LinkedIn.

SOURCE CodeSignal

Share this article

G-P named a 2026 Inc. Power Partner Award Winner in HR & People Operations

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- G-P (Globalization Partners), the leader in AI-driven global employment, ranked No. 1 by industry analysts, today announced it has been named a 2026 Inc. Power Partner Awards winner, recognizing the company among the leading B2B partners supporting entrepreneurs and businesses across the country.

"At G-P, we're committed to breaking down barriers so businesses can build incredible teams and people can access life-changing career opportunities, regardless of geography," said Nicole Sahin, CEO, G-P. "Being named an Inc. Power Partner validates the real-world impact of our work. The true value of innovation isn't just in the technology we create, but in what it makes possible - giving businesses the confidence to grow without limits, and empowering teams everywhere to connect, collaborate and do their best work."

The annual Inc. Power Partner Awards honor B2B companies that have demonstrated a track record of helping entrepreneurs and businesses navigate the challenges of building and growing a company. From hiring and compliance to technology, infrastructure, fundraising, marketing, and more, these partners provide expertise and services that enable businesses to operate, scale, and pursue their ambitions.

"Business owners have no shortage of tools at their disposal, and B2B companies need to make clear why their products and services are worth the investment," says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. "The companies on this year's Power Partners list have done just that. They don't just have customers â they have superfans and evangelists. Across industries like marketing, financial services, and technology, they've proved their dedication to helping fellow business owners grow and succeed."

G-P continues to earn recognition across the HR technology industry for innovations that help businesses simplify global employment, navigate compliance and expand with confidence. G-P Gia⢠was selected as winner of the "AI-Powered HR Solution of the Year" award in the inaugural HR Tech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership. G-P Gia was also named a finalist in the 2026 AI Awards for both Best Agentic AI Solution and Best Use of AI in Human Resources (HR).

Learn more about G-P's award-winning innovation, here.

About G-P

G-P (Globalization Partners) is the leader in global employment, ranked No. 1 in every industry analyst report. As the world's first agentic AI-driven Global Employment Platform, G-P codes global labor laws and compliance directly into existing corporate workflows, helping companies of all sizes manage the full employee lifecycle. G-P supports teams in 180+ countries backed by more than a decade of global operational data and the largest team of in-country HR, legal, and compliance experts. This unmatched proprietary knowledge powers its Employer of Record (EOR), Contractor, and Global HR Agent, G-P Giaâ¢, products.

G-P: Global Made Possibleâ¢

To learn more, please visit: g-p.com or connect with us via LinkedIn, X, Facebook or check out our Blog.

SOURCE G-P

Share this article

Findings point to a missing layer in the agentic AI stack: durable knowledge of the environment, built once and kept for every model and agent to use.

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowledge Grid, the company defining the Cognitive Data Layer for AI, today announced a study showing an AI model's verdict can flip from wrong to right without changing the model.

Enterprises are handing AI agents decisions people once made. Most reason over data with no memory of what is normal, so the agent or model fills the gap with confident but unverified assumptions.

In one example, the study gave the same AI models the same incident and data twice: through a conventional cyber analysis pipeline (SIEM stack) and through the Knowledge Grid Cognitive Data Platform, which contains knowledge of each user's normal behavior.

On the conventional pipeline, the models misinterpreted a user's routine work as suspicious; and another model confidently called it potential insider threat activity. In the Knowledge Grid stack, the same models correctly interpreted the user behavior and did not flag it as suspicious. Results held for both frontier and smaller open-weight models.

This knowledge is too valuable to rebuild for every investigation or question. Agents rebuilding it from raw data start from zero. Using Knowledge Grid's Durable Knowledge Layer, it keeps that knowledge current, so every model and agent starts from what is already known.

"The most dangerous AI answer is the one that sounds right, but isn't," said Peter Bybee, founder and CEO of Knowledge Grid. "The same model got the same incident wrong, then right. The difference was the knowledge underneath it, and that knowledge should outlast any one question."

Knowledge Grid is sharing the methodology and results with analysts and customers and will demonstrate it at VentureBeat's Agentic Infrastructure Stack Summit on Oct. 28.

About Knowledge Grid

Knowledge Grid builds the Cognitive Data Layer: knowledge infrastructure that turns high-volume temporal data into Persistent Environmental Knowledge that AI, analytics and automation can reason over without reconstructing the environment each time. The KG Cognitive Data Platform is built on Rough Set mathematics developed by the company's research team in Warsaw, Poland, and is protected by seven issued U.S. patents, with two pending. Knowledge Grid is headquartered in Salt Lake City. Learn more at knowledgegrid.com.

SOURCE Knowledge Grid

Share this article

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition (ATMC) today celebrated the U.S. Department of Commerce's issuance of antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders on imports of van-type trailers and subassemblies from China. In issuing these orders, the U.S. government recognized Chinese importers' market manipulation and how it has materially injured the U.S. industry and its workers.

"Today's AD/CVD orders confirm that Chinese cheating cost American companies and their workers economic opportunities," said Robert E. DeFrancesco, III, counsel to the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition. "American trailer manufacturers have been forced to compete with foreign importers who have leveraged illegal subsidies from the Chinese government that have manipulated markets. The downstream impact of these bad actors has resulted in layoffs and declines in American production. The relief provided today will create the conditions American companies need to invest and grow their business, which will create new trailer manufacturing jobs."

In response to dumped and subsidized Canadian, Chinese, and Mexican trailer products undercutting the domestic trailer industry, the ATMC filed AD/CVD petitions with the Department of Commerce and U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Nov. 20, 2025.

The Department of Commerce's issuance of AD/CVD orders follows the ITC's affirmative final injury determination on Mexico, Canada, and China announced on Sept. 25, 2026, and the Department of Commerce's final affirmative determinations on dumping and subsidies by imports from China.

ATMC awaits the ITC's final affirmative determinations for Canada and Mexico in early 2027. Before the ITC can formalize final determinations for these countries, the Department of Commerce must issue its own final affirmative AD/CVD determinations for Mexico and a final affirmative AD determination for Canada, which are proceeding on an extended timeline. Once the ITC issues its second final determination for Canada and Mexico, the Department of Commerce will also impose AD/CVD orders on imports from these countries.

The AD/CVD orders will remain in effect for a minimum of five years, and there is an opportunity each year for duty rates to increase through the annual administrative review process. Duty evasion, absorption, and circumvention are strictly illegal, and the ATMC will continue monitoring industry data and market intelligence for evidence of these practices.

The ATMC is a coalition of leading U.S. trailer producers Great Dane LLC, Stoughton Trailers LLC, and Wabash Corporation. The American trailer industry directly supports almost 10,000 U.S. jobs and indirectly supports approximately 50,000 across America.

About the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition

The American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition represents the majority of U.S. van trailer production. Coalition members employ thousands of hardworking Americans throughout Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The coalition is fighting to address the unfair foreign trade practices harming the U.S. van-type trailer industry. Learn more at: www.americantrailercoalition.com.

SOURCE American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition

Share this article

Genefluence's rapid, near-patient PCR test for urinary tract infections in first use at the Royal Hospital Chelsea

Test identifies UTI-causing bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes at the point of decision â helping clinicians choose the right antibiotic first time

LONDON, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical and consumer genetics innovator Genefluence today announces the first use of its rapid, near-patient diagnostic platform to screen for urinary tract infections (UTIs), at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The lab-free test is being used to identify, confirm and guide the treatment of UTIs on the spot, helping clinicians choose the most effective medication immediately rather than relying on trial-and-error broad-spectrum antibiotics â and helping to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Genefluence â the new company founded by world-renowned biomedical pioneer Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS FREng FMedSci â is delivering fast, lab-quality PCR testing to detect specific antibiotic resistance genes as well as UTI-causing bacteria. This allows clinicians to prescribe a targeted antibiotic straight away â helping to prevent the deterioration that can lead to sepsis and further hospital admission. The test delivers accurate results in around an hour, compared with the days typically needed for laboratory urine culture, enabling more effective treatment of UTIs in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance.

Genefluence's point-of-care PCR diagnostic platform builds on testing technology developed by Professor Toumazou and his group at Imperial College London and Genefluence. Originally created for consumer DNA testing, it was rapidly adapted in 2020 to deliver a lab-free COVID-19 test, which was deployed in NHS hospitals and clinically validated in a study led by Imperial College London and published in The Lancet Microbe. Now the technology has been adapted to meet another urgent need: diagnosing UTIs and detecting antibiotic resistance genes at the point of care.

The Lab-in-Cartridge system works by placing a sample into a disposable cartridge that extracts the genetic material. The cartridge is inserted into a portable analyser, which runs the full test from sample to result. Because no laboratory is needed, the test is ideal for use by healthcare professionals directly at the point of decision â from care homes and GP surgeries to hospital wards.

According to a 2025 review in BMJ Quality & Safety, UTIs account for the most antibiotic prescriptions in older people living in care homes in the UK, and are a frequent cause of admission to hospital.1 Yet diagnosing UTIs in older residents can be notoriously difficult. Elderly individuals, especially those living with dementia or cognitive decline, often do not present with classic symptoms such as pain or burning during urination. Instead, they may show "soft signs" such as sudden confusion, agitation or lethargy, which can lead to delayed treatment or to antibiotics being prescribed on suspicion alone.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is both a registered charity and historic retirement home for veterans of the British Army, famously known as the Chelsea Pensioners. In 2020, the Royal Hospital Chelsea was among the original sites to use the rapid, lab-free COVID-19 test based on technology developed by Professor Toumazou and his Genefluence team and Imperial College London, making it a fitting place for the technology to begin its next chapter in UTI testing.

Dr Fergus Keating, Principal General Practitioner, Physician and Surgeon at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, commented: "Diagnosing a urinary tract infection in an older person can be challenging, and antimicrobial stewardship means we must avoid inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Waiting days for a culture result, or pre-emptively starting an antibiotic in the hope that it works, is not optimal. Genefluence's technology gives us a reliable answer in around an hour â including whether key resistance genes are present â so we can begin effective treatment immediately and avoid unnecessary prescribing. For all elderly and vulnerable patients, fast and accurate results mean getting better sooner, fewer side effects and, crucially, being able to stay well at home rather than going into hospital."

Professor Chris Toumazou, Founder of Genefluence and Regius Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, said: "During the COVID-19 pandemic, this technology was transformative â proving that lab-quality, rapid PCR testing could be taken out of the laboratory and deployed directly at the point of decision. We are now bringing that same capability into the day-to-day treatment of infections that are so often hard to spot, and to treat, in older people. To see this new test used for the first time at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, caring for the veterans who have given so much to this country, is a real honour. Fast genetic answers mean precise treatment from day one â which is better for the patient, better for healthcare providers and vital in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance."

Genefluence's UKCA-marked diagnostic portfolio includes testing for UTIs, CYP2C19 to support decisions around clopidogrel treatment for stroke, and DPYD to flag patients at increased risk of severe toxicity from fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. The company is also developing its next-generation platform to deliver full PCR testing in under 15 minutes, with the ambition of bringing lab-quality genetic answers within the timescale of a clinical consultation. Genefluence is exploring how the same technology can ultimately contribute to areas including the earlier detection of cancer from home.

About Genefluence (https://health.genefluence.com)

Genefluence is a medical and consumer genetics company pioneering a new era of DNA-powered personalised health â taking rapid genetic insight out of the laboratory and into everyday life, from the clinic to the consumer. Founded by Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS FREng FMedSci, the company builds on ground-breaking work in genetics, diagnostics and DNA-personalised consumer health originating from Imperial College London. Genefluence's portable, near-patient PCR platform provides accurate results in around an hour, with a UKCA-marked diagnostic portfolio spanning infectious diseases and pharmacogenomics â including urinary tract infection (UTI), CYP2C19 testing to support clopidogrel treatment decisions in stroke, and DPYD testing to identify patients at risk of severe toxicity from fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. A next-generation platform with results in under 15 minutes is in development. In consumer health, Genefluence's MIA+ system uses an at-home cheek swab DNA test to create a unique Drops Code for five targeted serums â the world's first personalised skincare system with AI-powered DNA matching to connect people.

1 Prieto J, Wilson J, Tingle A, et al. Preventing urinary tract infection in older people living in care homes: the 'StOP UTI' realist synthesis. BMJ Quality & Safety 2025;34(3):178. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2023-016967. https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/34/3/178

SOURCE Genefluence

Share this article

New collaboration pairs McKinsey's deep operations expertise and advanced agentic AI capabilities with Parloa's AI Agent Management Platform to help enterprises deliver customer service with the help of AI agents.

NEW YORK and BERLIN, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Agentic CX leader Parloa today announced an alliance with McKinsey & Company aimed at closing the readiness gap keeping most enterprises from successfully managing AI agents in customer conversations. McKinsey teams, including QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, bring expertise to assess organizational readiness, design and engineer agentic solutions, and shape the technology, governance, and talent frameworks needed for sustainable adoption. Parloa enables customers to build, optimize and manage AI agents across the full customer lifecycle and all channels, with built-in controls to improve every conversation.

McKinsey research has found that roughly one-third of enterprises currently do not have the operational governance in place to sustain deployed AI agents. Similarly, when Parloa surveyed CX operators about their confidence in managing AI agents, less than 25% of all respondents said they felt confident in their ability to design and evaluate AI agents.

Through this collaboration teams can more effectively tailor AI agents across an enterprise's existing systems, processes, and customer needs, and ensure customer issues are resolved quickly and to a greater degree of satisfaction.

"We built this collaboration to cross the divide between strategy and execution in customer operations," said Chris Silver, Chief Revenue Officer at Parloa. "McKinsey brings the deep readiness diagnostics and operational expertise, and Parloa brings its agent management platform to support personalized, proactive customer interactions across service channels. We are already jointly advising several large-scale clients in this way, and this formal alliance now positions us to deliver our proven approach to innovative enterprises across the US, Europe and the rest of the globe."

"Most organizations know they need to move on AI, but few have been able to execute the change management successfully," said Brian Blackader, Partner at McKinsey. "Our research points to this gap and highlights that many AI projects fail to realize their targeted value. By pairing our operations expertise and QuantumBlack's AI capabilities with leading frontier AI companies like Parloa, we can help clients realize improved service quality, customer loyalty, and revenue."

Parloa's platform is built with the depth and maturity enterprises need to run agentic CX at scale. It already serves a global roster of Fortune 100 customers and meets the operational rigor required when advising clients on agentic CX solutions. McKinsey Partner, Becca Kleinstein, will speak at Parloa's WAVE Summit US, November 4-5.

About Parloa

Parloa empowers global enterprises to build, train and manage AI agents for premier customer experiences. Founded by Malte Kosub and Stefan Ostwald, Parloa began with the belief that every great conversation is the start of a relationship, a principle that still guides how the company builds technology today. Leading global brands use Parloa's advanced AI agents to improve service at scale, increase customer loyalty, and unlock new revenue. Parloa employs more than 600 people across eight offices throughout the US and Europe.

About McKinsey & Company

McKinsey is a global management consulting firm committed to helping organizations accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth. We work with clients across the private, public, and social sectors to solve complex problems and create positive change for all their stakeholders. McKinsey helps organizations transform and optimize their operations, combining deep functional expertise, advanced technologies, and AI-enabled solutions to drive productivity, elevate customer and employee experiences, and deliver sustainable performance improvements.

Parloa Media Team

[email protected] 

SOURCE Parloa

Share this article