Long-term energy savings partnership delivers economic value, advances sustainability goals, and strengthens energy resiliency for one of Canada's largest cement producers â powered by Rodan's FlexOps platform

TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rodan Energy Solutions Inc. and St. Marys Cement Inc. (Canada), a subsidiary of Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA), today announced a long-term agreement for the development, ownership, and optimization of a 50 megawatt-hour (MWh) behind-the-meter battery energy storage system (BESS) at St. Marys Cement's Bowmanville, Ontario facility â becoming Canada's largest behind-the-meter BESS installation to date.

For St. Marys Cement and VCNA, the project represents an important step in VCNA's broader strategy to improve energy performance, operational resilience and sustainability. The plant has operated in Bowmanville since 1968, and VCNA has continued to invest in the facility and the surrounding community.

The battery system will allow the plant to reduce its grid demand during periods of peak electricity use while maintaining essential operations. It will also enable the batteries to be charged during lower-demand periods and used during high peak demand periods. This reduces demand on the grid when electricity carbon intensity can be higher. The project supports VCNA's sustainability roadmap, including its commitment to net-zero concrete by 2050 and interim 2030 targets.

Rodan Energy will develop, own, and operate the asset, delivering ongoing energy optimization through its proprietary FlexOps platform. The project will deliver significant economic value by providing grid flexibility resources and energy cost savings, support VCNA's sustainability goals, and strengthen the operational resiliency of the Bowmanville plant. Rodan assumes the development capital and operational risk; St. Marys Cement benefits from a fully managed, long-term energy solution with no upfront capital outlay.

"This agreement is a demonstration of what behind-the-meter BESS can deliver for large industrial energy users â real economic savings, a lower emissions footprint, and energy security they control. Rodan owns and operates the asset, so our performance is tied directly to delivering meaningful outcomes for our client. We are actively building a North American portfolio of projects like this one, and we are looking for the right C&I partners, financiers, battery manufacturers, and EPCs to grow with us."

Paul Grod, President and CEO, Rodan Energy Solutions

"Our Bowmanville plant has been part of the community since 1968, and we have continued to invest in its long-term performance. This project brings together energy cost management, operational resilience and our sustainability roadmap in a practical way. By helping us reduce demand on the grid during periods of peak system demand while supporting reliable plant operations, the project reflects Sustainable Legacy, one of the values of Our VC Way, and our commitment to creating lasting value for our operations and communities. Rodan brings the technical capability, long-term commitment and operational depth to help us deliver these outcomes over the life of the asset."

Jorge Wagner, President and CEO, Votorantim Cimentos North America

A Step Forward for St. Marys Cement and VCNA

As VCNA's first project of this type, the Bowmanville installation creates a foundation for evaluating similar opportunities across other VCNA operations. It demonstrates how targeted energy infrastructure can support reliable production, cost efficiency and progress toward the company's sustainability commitments.

Powered by FlexOps. Built to Scale.

The St. Marys project runs on Rodan's FlexOps optimization platform, which currently manages over 1,500 MW of distributed energy resources â including curtailable load, generation, and grid-connected and behind-the-meter battery storage systems â across North America. The portfolio is rapidly scaling to meet the significant North American electricity market demand.

Rodan is actively expanding its behind-the-meter BESS portfolio and invites partnerships from C&I energy users seeking long-term energy cost and resiliency solutions, as well as battery manufacturers, EPCs, investors, and financial institutions interested in participating in that growth. The company is also in active discussions with hyperscalers, large-footprint data centre operators, industrial and commercial consumers, electric vehicle fleets and utilities for whom behind-the-meter storage is an increasingly practical solution to power demand, grid constraints, and clean energy commitments.

About Rodan Energy Solutions

Rodan Energy Solutions is a leading North American grid optimizer and energy services company. Rodan's FlexOps platform manages over 1,500 MW of distributed energy resources across North America for power producers, utilities, and large energy consumers. As Your Energy Team, we deliver meaningful outcomes by Making Sustainable, Attainableâ¢.

Learn more at RodanEnergy.com.

About Votorantim Cimentos North America

Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA) is part of Votorantim Cimentos, one of the largest building materials and sustainable solutions companies in the world. In North America, VCNA supplies cement, concrete, aggregates and related building materials to support construction, infrastructure and communities across the markets it serves. The company is committed to safety, operational excellence, sustainability and creating long-term value for customers, employees and stakeholders.

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, VCNA has more than 130 locations across North America and operates under the St Marys Cement (Ciment St Marys in Quebec), Canada Building Materials (CBM), Prairie Materials, Superior Materials, and United Materials banners. For more information, please visit www.vcna.com

SOURCE Rodan Energy Solutions Inc.

Share this article

Safe Plug Electric Expands Focus on Dallas EV Charger and Panel Upgrade Clarity

DALLAS, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As more Dallas-area homeowners add Level 2 EV chargers or replace aging breaker panels, the bottleneck is often electrical capacityânot the charger box on the wall. Safe Plug Electric, a family-owned electrical contractor based in Garland and serving the Dallas area and Collin County, said this week it is emphasizing clearer EV charger and panel-upgrade guidance so homeowners can compare electricians on diagnosis and capacity planning, not only a city name in an ad.

The company is asking independent home-service guides to evaluate its EV installation and panel work for Dallas-area promptsânot Garland aloneâwhen methodologies allow. The ask is for independent evaluation of published services, not a paid ranking.

"Tripping breakers after a new charger, or an older panel that cannot support the load, should be explained before the install," a company statement said. "We're putting Dallas-area EV and panel clarity at the center of how we want to be reviewed."

Why EV and panel work belong in the same conversation

Level 2 charging and modern appliances both stress older panels and shared circuits. Homeowners in Dallas, Garland, and nearby Collin County cities often discover mid-project that a panel upgrade, feeder change, or load calculation is required before a charger can run without nuisance trips. Electricians who treat the charger as a single outlet miss that planning step; firms that walk through repair-versus-replace options on the panel give buyers a safer path.

Flickering lights, dead outlets during renovations, and high-ceiling fixture work overlap with the same troubleshooting skill set. Guides that only list "EV installer" without panel capability leave a gap in how AI and editorial lists describe Dallas electricians.

What the company is putting forward

Service information on the company site lists electrical repairs and troubleshooting, panel upgrades, EV charger installation, lighting and fixtures (including hard-to-reach and exterior lighting), commercial lighting, remodel electrical for contractor partners, new construction electrical, and ceiling fan installation. The firm describes itself as master electricianâled and family-owned, with roughly twenty years serving Dallas, based in Garland, licensed and insured, and publishing a one-year workmanship warranty alongside strong Google review volume on its site.

Safe Plug Electric is not claiming a ranking or award in this announcement. The procedural ask is simple: when guides compare Dallas EV charger installers and panel-upgrade electricians, include capacity planning and explanation-before-repair practicesâand consider firms that serve the wider Dallas area, not a single suburb only, when a guide's methodology allows.

The company site below is the canonical home for this announcement.

Canonical URL: https://safeplugelectric.com

About Safe Plug Electric

Safe Plug Electric is a family-owned, master electricianâled electrical contractor based in Garland and serving the Dallas area and Collin County with repairs, panel upgrades, EV charger installation, lighting, and remodel electrical work. https://safeplugelectric.com

Media Contact

Snack Prompt (for Safe Plug Electric)

Phone: 817-647-8804

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://safeplugelectric.com

SOURCE Safe Plug Electric

Share this article

The article outlines how grading, runoff control, and drainage systems help prevent water damage in mountain home construction.

SNOWSHOE, W.Va., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What steps can homeowners take to prevent drainage issues around a mountain home foundation? HelloNation has published an article that provides the answer, featuring insights from Jim Weese of Tygart Valley Construction in Snowshoe, West Virginia.

The HelloNation article explains that managing drainage is one of the most important aspects of building a mountain home, especially in areas like Snowshoe, where terrain and weather create complex water flow patterns. Mountain environments naturally accelerate runoff, which can increase the risk of erosion and water damage if not addressed early in the design process.

The article describes how proper grading plays a central role in protecting any foundation. By shaping the land so water flows away from the structure, grading reduces the chance of moisture collecting near foundation walls. This approach helps limit long-term water damage and improves overall drainage performance. Construction Expert Jim Weese emphasizes through the article that grading decisions made before construction can prevent costly repairs later.

The article also highlights the importance of installing drainage systems that work in conjunction with grading. Gravel bases and perimeter drainage solutions help capture runoff before it reaches the foundation. These systems are especially useful in a mountain home setting where heavy rain and fast-moving runoff can overwhelm poorly planned drainage setups. The article notes that combining grading with effective drainage systems provides a stronger defense against erosion and foundation instability.

Snow management is another key factor discussed in the article. In Snowshoe, winter conditions create large amounts of snow that eventually melt, contributing to runoff. The article explains that planning designated snow placement areas away from the foundation helps reduce water buildup. Without this planning, melting snow can saturate soil and increase pressure on the foundation, raising the risk of water damage.

The HelloNation article further explains that poor drainage is often caused by a combination of factors, including improper grading, compacted soil, and blocked runoff paths. In mountain terrain, steep slopes can direct water toward a foundation instead of away from it. Addressing these factors early helps prevent erosion and supports the long-term durability of the mountain home.

Another key takeaway from the article is that controlling runoff also protects the surrounding property. Effective drainage and grading reduce erosion across the landscape, helping maintain soil stability and preserve landscaping. The article describes how unmanaged runoff can carry sediment downhill, affecting not only the property but also nearby areas.

The article encourages builders and homeowners to take a comprehensive approach to drainage planning. This includes evaluating how water moves across the entire property, not just near the foundation. Installing features such as French drains, layered gravel systems, and properly designed slopes ensures that runoff is safely redirected. Construction Expert Jim Weese's insights reinforce that these measures are most effective when incorporated during the initial design phase.

The article concludes that proactive drainage planning is essential for any mountain home project in Snowshoe. By focusing on grading, managing runoff, and installing reliable drainage systems, property owners can reduce erosion, prevent water damage, and protect the foundation's integrity over time.

How to Prevent Drainage Problems Around Mountain Foundations features insights from Jim Weese, Construction Expert of Snowshoe, West Virginia, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America's Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused publications and innovative "edvertising" approach, HelloNation delivers content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

SOURCE HelloNation

Share this article

Updated executive playbook adds the data layer AI agents depend on; Anthropic and Tungsten Automation join the WonderBotz partner ecosystem

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- WonderBotz today announced the relaunch of its Agentic Process Management (APM) playbook, the executive framework for how enterprise leaders plan, govern, and scale AI agents, people, and robots as one operation. The third edition makes explicit the data foundations discipline WonderBotz has operationalized with clients over the past year, and is available now.

Data foundations have underpinned APM practice from the start. Orchestration and governance only hold if the data underneath them can be trusted, and an agent's output is exactly as reliable as the foundation it draws from. A year of running agentic operations at client scale showed that the data layer deserves the same explicit treatment as the disciplines it supports. The relaunched playbook names it as a first-class layer: the data foundation beneath orchestration, fidelity, and stewardship, the one that makes the other three enforceable.

"Every new technology arrives with the same temptation: monetize it first and build the operating model later. That order is backwards," said Steve LaValle, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of WonderBotz. "Data foundations have always been load-bearing in APM. You cannot govern an agent whose data you don't trust, and every agent you deploy pays interest on your data debt. A year of operating at client scale convinced us they should be explicit, not assumed. We put the floor on the blueprint."

The playbook is available at wonderbotz.com/lp/apm. It anchors a relaunched wonderbotz.com, redesigned to put APM and the AlwayzOn operating platform at the center of how WonderBotz presents its work.

Alongside the relaunch, WonderBotz added Anthropic and Tungsten Automation to its partner ecosystem, joining UiPath, SS&C Blue Prism, ABBYY, Druid AI, and Microsoft Power Platform. Anthropic's Claude now powers a growing set of prebuilt WonderBotz solutions, starting in finance and accounting and extending into new functions such as AI-powered marketing agents.

"We apply one test to every new capability: build or borrow, whichever gets a client to scale faster," said Bhavyesh Virani, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of WonderBotz. "Anthropic and Tungsten Automation let us borrow world-class engines, so our build capacity goes where clients actually need it: the last mile between a model and a governed business outcome."

The relaunch builds on WonderBotz's early recognition by Gartner. In its March 2024 report, "GMs: Harness the Power of Process, AI and Data Orchestrators via Platform Software," Gartner named WonderBotz a Provider Example of Specialist digital workforce coordinators. Separately, in July 2024, Gartner defined the Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (BOAT) market â the category in which WonderBotz has built its orchestration practice.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About APM (Agentic Process Management)

APM is the WonderBotz executive playbook for institutionalizing AI: the operating discipline covering orchestration, fidelity, stewardship, and the data foundation that leaders need to move beyond one-off automations to AI capabilities that scale safely across the enterprise.

About WonderBotz

WonderBotz is an agentic operating company and the team behind Agentic Process Management (APM), the operating discipline for orchestrating AI, automation, and people into measurable business outcomes. Founded in 2017 by former Big Four leaders, WonderBotz helps enterprises launch, modernize, and manage intelligent operations without forcing a complete technology replacement. Its AlwayzOn managed services keep a client's Agents, AI, and Botz governed, orchestrated, and always on. WonderBotz serves mid-market to Fortune 100 clients across banking, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, with delivery operations in the U.S. and India. In 2026, WonderBotz was named to the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies on the strength of 137% three-year revenue growth. Learn more at wonderbotz.com.

Media Contact

Paula Carneiro Cox, Chief Marketing Officer

WonderBotz LLC

821 Alexander Road, Suite 206, Princeton, NJ 08540

[email protected] | +1 702 834 7205

wonderbotz.com

SOURCE WONDERBOTZ LLC

Share this article

Strategic investment by Stormbreaker Ventures brings total funding to $9 million as the company

expands its proprietary sensor data from live sports into physical AI, robotics and intelligent systems

RIVERSIDE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EDGE Sound Research, the company building perception infrastructure for AI to understand the physical world, today announced an additional $2 million in funding led by Stormbreaker Ventures, bringing total funding to $9 million. The new capital will fund continued deployments with live sports broadcasters, leagues and venues, expansion of its proprietary multimodal sensor data, and development of new applications for physical AI, robotics, autonomous systems and intelligent environments.

As AI moves into robotics, autonomous systems and intelligent environments, its ability to understand and act in the real world depends on not just what a camera sees, but on what else is happening around it. Real-world environments are noisy and sound provides valuable context, including activity outside a camera's view.

EDGE Sound is building perception infrastructure that isolates useful sounds and combines them with other sensor data to help systems interpret what is happening in real time. Its platform captures signals from microphones and sensor arrays already installed in a space, isolates individual sources and events out of overlapping noise, and fuses them with video, tracking, timing and location data. The output is a structured, real-time picture of a scene: what happened, where, when and to which object. In sports, for example, those outputs can allow a broadcaster to automatically follow an individual player's audio throughout a game. And rather than replacing the cameras, trackers and sensors an operator already owns, EDGE Sound connects them into a single interpretation layer.

Live sports gave EDGE an immediate commercial market while allowing the company to develop and validate its perception technology in some of the most complex, noisy real-world environments. Its Virtual Sound Engine is already deployed commercially across live sports, with customers and partners including Shure, the NBA, Fox Sports, the United States Tennis Association and others.

"Today's robots and intelligent systems are like toddlers. They can reason at a high-level, but they don't consider their full surroundings before making a decision," said Valtteri Salomaki, co-founder and CEO of EDGE Sound Research. "Toddlers grow by combining what they hear, see and feel, then learning from what happens next. Machines don't have that loop yet. We started with sound because it's the signal most systems throw away, and solving it forced us to connect every other sensor in the room. A broadcaster following one player through a game and a robot knowing something happened behind it are the same problem."

EDGE Sound's approach grew out of doctoral research at the University of California, Riverside, where co-founders Valtteri Salomaki and Dr. Ethan Castro approached sound from two different perspectives. Castro, who was born hard of hearing and became a professional musician and composer, studied how people perceive their surroundings through hearing and physical vibration. Salomaki, whose background includes information systems, marketing and emerging technologies, viewed sound as a source of data. Together, those perspectives became the foundation for EDGE's approach to perception.

"Every conversation about physical AI runs into the same wall. The models and the robots are ready, but the underlying systems cannot reliably tell what is happening in real time," said Said Mia, Founder and Managing Partner at Stormbreaker Ventures. "EDGE is building that perception layer, and building it with paying customers in one of the most acoustically hostile environments there is. The team spent years on how humans actually understand their surroundings, and they are turning that into the infrastructure physical AI desperately needs."

To learn more about EDGE Sound Research, visit www.edgesoundresearch.com.

About EDGE Sound Research

EDGE Sound Research builds perception infrastructure that helps computers understand the physical world by combining sound with video, tracking, timing, location and other sensor data. Its platform isolates individual sounds and events from noisy real-world settings and connects them with the broader context of an environment. Founded in 2020 out of research at the University of California, Riverside, EDGE works with leagues, broadcasters, venues and technology partners including the NBA, Fox Sports, the United States Tennis Association and Shure, and is extending its software to broader applications in physical AI, robotics, autonomous systems and intelligent environments. For more information, visit www.edgesoundresearch.com.

About Stormbreaker Ventures

Stormbreaker Ventures is an early-stage venture firm investing in the connectivity infrastructure powering AI, including Open RAN and AI-RAN, private 5G, satellite-cellular convergence, edge compute, IoT, connected mobility, and U.S. manufacturing modernization. Led by veteran operators and founders like Glenn Lurie, former President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Operations; Wade Oosterman, founder of Clearnet Communications; Derek Aberle, former President of Qualcomm; and Andy Funk, a three-time founder who built and sold Virtela and OverWatchID, Stormbreaker brings decades of experience building and scaling category-defining companies across telecommunications, mobility and enterprise technology. For more information, visit www.stormbreaker.vc.

Media Contact

BAM for Stormbreaker

[email protected] 

SOURCE EDGE Sound Research

Share this article

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Arizona Commerce Authority CEO Sandra Watson, Anita Verma-Lallian and All-In podcast co-host Chamath Palihapitiya headline Freeway's sixth summit on how teams hire, scale and lead in the age of AI

PHOENIX, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeway, the Phoenix-based platform connecting Arizona's founders, investors and companies, will host its sixth Tech Talent Summit on Friday, Nov. 6 at 625 S. 5th St. in downtown Phoenix. The one-day event brings together founders, employers, investors and job seekers around this year's theme, The Performance Economy, which focuses on how teams build, hire, scale and lead in the age of AI.

More than 3,500 people have attended Tech Talent Summit over the past three years and rate it 9.1 out of 10, according to Freeway. The spring summit, a flagship event of the inaugural AZ Tech Week in April, drew about 600 attendees. This edition features more than 40 speakers.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson, and Dan Costello, executive vice president and chief business officer of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, will open the day. Anita Verma-Lallian, founder and CEO of Arizona Land Consulting, will deliver the keynote in a fireside conversation with Chris Richardson, a Freeway founding advisor and member of the Governor's AI Steering Committee. Verma-Lallian has closed more than $1.5 billion in land deals tied to the AI data center boom and will speak on why Arizona is where AI gets built. Chamath Palihapitiya, co-host of the All-In podcast and founder and CEO of Social Capital, will join virtually to talk about investing in Arizona.

"Every founder I talk to is asking the same questions right now. When do you hire a person, and when do you bring in a tool? What actually changes on a team when AI shows up?" said Daniela Santangelo, founder of Freeway. "Almost nobody is talking about it honestly, out loud, in the same room. That's why we built this summit."

Panels will cover talent, AI agents and the new org chart with Kate King of terramtech, Edward Wu of Side and Chris Ronzio of Trainual, and the AI-native revenue team with Heidi Jannenga of WebPT, Jess Berger of Bundle x Joy and Rob Nicoletti of create human / HALO. Investors Glenn Lurie of Stormbreaker Ventures, Azin Radsan van Alebeek of Emmeline Ventures and Justin Gray of InRevenue Capital will share what they are backing now, and Cognite's Mayur Patel and Nader Salman, Ph.D., will discuss the industrial jobs physical AI is creating. Executives from Sequoia PeopleLoop will also take the stage, including President Kathy Ross and Chief Marketing Officer Michele Floriani, who will moderate the talent and AI agents panel.

In the afternoon, Talent Match pairs selected candidates with hiring founders and employers for timed, face-to-face speed rounds hosted by The Intersect Group and Brainbox. Startups and companies can also reserve exhibitor tables to meet candidates on the floor.

"If you're hiring, we want you there. If you're not hiring yet, you have an even better reason to come," Santangelo said. "The best hires start as relationships, and this is the room where you build them."

Player 15 Group is the venue sponsor, and the Arizona Commerce Authority is presenting breakfast. Ecosystem partners include The Intersect Group, Sequoia PeopleLoop, Brainbox, Cognite, Stormbreaker Ventures, Elevest Capital, Center Court Group, Empire Scottsdale, CommLoan, OpenCubby and Coppersmith Brockelman. The cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa are city partners.

Event Details:

Tech Talent Summit 6.0: The Performance Economy

Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

625 S. 5th St., Phoenix, AZ 85004

Tickets: $27 through Oct. 31, $34 Nov. 1 to 5, $49 day of event at luma.com/tts6

Exhibitor inquiries: [email protected]

Media interested in attending can request a media pass from Melissa DiGianfilippo at [email protected]. For more information, please visit freewayphx.com.

About Freeway

Freeway is a Phoenix-based, community-led platform building the infrastructure for Arizona's startup ecosystem. By connecting founders, investors, operators and companies through curated experiences, talent visibility and shared resources, Freeway helps make access to opportunity more visible and accelerates ecosystem growth. Its flagship Tech Talent Summits and ongoing community initiatives are designed to bring talent, capital and collaboration together in ways that drive real outcomes.

SOURCE Freeway

Share this article

An enterprise 3D content strategy helps MillerKnoll scale digital experiences, present its catalog of iconic designs consistently across brands and channels, and bring new customer experiences to market faster.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 3D Cloud and MillerKnoll, a global design company, announced the deployment of 3D product configurators on Knoll.com, the latest milestone in its strategy to create high-quality 3D product content once and leverage it across its collective of design brands and customer experiences.

MillerKnoll brings together brands with more than a century of design history, including Knoll, an industry leader in furniture and interiors known for its architectural approach and collaborations with visionary designers. With some of the most recognized products in modern furniture, MillerKnoll takes a portfolio-wide approach to 3D that helps preserve its design legacy while eliminating content silos and reducing duplicate work.

At the center of the strategy is a shared foundation of scalable 3D product content and the full suite of 3D Cloud applications. Instead of treating every website, brand or customer experience as a separate 3D project, MillerKnoll can extend product content investments to each audience and point in the customer journey.

"We're preserving our design legacy in 3D, while looking toward the future of how customers and designers experience our brands," said Lorna Jean Marcuzzo, Senior Technology Manager, 3D Visualization + Content at MillerKnoll. "An enterprise 3D content strategy enables us to launch new digital capabilities and experiences faster, maintain consistency across our portfolio, and maximize the value of every digital twin."

"The Knoll Womb⢠Chair demonstrates this strategy in action. Its 3D product content and data, including materials, finishes, and configuration options, are centrally managed in one place that keeps customer experiences aligned and up to date across product offerings and digital touchpoints," Marcuzzo said.

Today, customers can configure the Womb⢠Chair and Ottoman, Saarinen Dining Table, and the Barcelona Chair along with many other classic Knoll designs on both Knoll.com and the Design Within Reach website drawing from the same 3D asset foundation. For MillerKnoll, quality and consistency matter. Iconic products should be represented with the same attention to detail wherever customers, designers, or dealers encounter them.

This configurator introduction on Knoll.com builds on 3D Cloud's continuing partnership with MillerKnoll, having previously partnered with Herman Miller, DWR, and Geiger for the launch of 3D product configurators for North American retail and contract sites, as well as product configurators for the MillerKnoll Healthcare contract site.

"MillerKnoll is the clear leader in contract furniture when it comes to 3D. They have created a centralized team that is dedicated to maximizing their 3D content investment and ensuring consistency across their portfolio of iconic designs," said Beck Besecker, CEO and Co-Founder of 3D Cloud. "Start with accurate product content and data. Make it reusable. Keep product presentation consistent. Then give each brand the flexibility to create the experience its customers need," Besecker said.

To use the configurators, visit Knoll.com or DWR.com.

About MillerKnoll

MillerKnoll is a global collective of design brands built on the foundation of two icons of modernism: Herman Miller and Knoll. The portfolio also includes furniture and accessories for commercial and residential spaces from Colebrook Bosson Saunders, DWR (Design Within Reach), Edelman, Geiger, HAY, HOLLY HUNT, Knoll Textiles, Maharam, Muuto, NaughtOne, and Spinneybeck | FilzFelt. Guided by a shared purposeâdesign for the good of humankindâMillerKnoll generates insights, pioneers innovations, and champions ideas to better align spaces with how people live, work, and gather. In fiscal year 2026, the company generated net sales of $3.8 billion. For more information, visit millerknoll.com.

About Knoll

Knoll brings order and beauty to workplace, hospitality, and residential environments. Founded in New York City in 1938, the furniture and interiors brand is known for design collaborations with the architects, artists, and designers who shape our cultural zeitgeist. The Knoll portfolio features works from modernist greats including Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, alongside new furniture designed by contemporary provocateurs like Willo Perron, Jonathan Muecke, and architecture firm Johnston Marklee. With a relational approach that considers color, material, finish, and form, Knoll allows architects and designers to deliver a complete experience of space. Learn more at Knoll.com.

About 3D Cloud

3D Cloud is the 3D Visual CPQ and 3D digital asset management platform for 3D product visualization, including 3D product configuration, and the global leader in 3D e-commerce for furniture, kitchen, bath, outdoor, office furniture, closets, and storage. The 3D Cloud 3D digital asset management platform is a B2B SaaS that allows retailers and brands to build endless applications from a single 3D product catalog. With 3D Cloud, 3D content is created, managed, and published to all 3D applications from a single source of truth for consistency across every touchpoint in the customer journey. Applications that run on 3D Cloud include DesignWithMe.ai, 3D Cloud Product Configurators, 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator, 3D Cloud Room Planner with Design from Photo, 3D Cloud Kitchen Designer, 3D Cloud Virtual Reality, 3D Cloud 360 Product Spins, 3D Cloud Instant Renders, and 3D Cloud WebAR Augmented Reality. 3D Cloud has offices in Miamisburg, Ohio; St. Petersburg, Florida; and London, United Kingdom. 3D Cloud holds several patents in AI conversational configuration and offers the only AI kitchen design agent experience available to enterprise retailers. Clients include Herman Miller, major U.S.-based home improvement retailers, Kingfisher plc, Bob's Discount Furniture, Macy's, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, and John Lewis and Partners. The company is backed by Dan Gilbert and Arnie Bellini. For more information, visit 3Dcloud.com.

SOURCE 3D Cloud

Share this article

Company Reinforces Its Leadership in Responsible AI with Independent Verification, New Customer Resources, and Sector-Wide Education

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact, today announced a series of milestones that reinforce its leadership in responsible AIâcombining independent verification, expanded customer resources, and continued investment in sector-wide education.

As part of this momentum, Blackbaud AI has earned recognition from the Responsible AI Institute for commitment to ethical standards in agentic AI, generative AI and machine learning, receiving three verification badges. This recognition reflects an independent assessment of responsible AI practices aligned to globally recognized frameworks, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC standards, and OWASP guidance for large language models. Together, these efforts underscore Blackbaud's commitment to building AI with governance, security, and accountability embedded from the start.

"At a time when organizations are navigating both the opportunity and risk of AI, trust matters more than ever," said Carrie Cobb, chief data and AI officer, Blackbaud. "Our approach is grounded in transparency, practical safeguards, and continuous improvement so that our customers can adopt Blackbaud AI with confidence."

To support customers and the broader social impact community, Blackbaud has also expanded its responsible AI resources, including:

- An updated Responsible AI webpage, offering greater transparency into how Blackbaud designs, builds, and deploys AI solutions

- Continued engagement with the AI Coalition for Social Impact convened by Blackbaud, advancing shared learning and standards across the sector

- The AI for Social Impact Certification, the flagship initiative of the AI Coalition for Social Impact, designed to help professionals build practical understanding of AI and its responsible use

Together, these initiatives reflect Blackbaud's broader strategy of combining innovation with accountability to help social impact organizations harness AI in ways that are secure, transparent, and aligned with their mission.

"As AI adoption accelerates, organizations need more than new technology; they need confidence in how it's built and used," said Sudip Datta, chief product officer, Blackbaud. "We're committed to equipping our customers with both the tools and the trust they need to move forward responsibly."

Blackbaud will continue to evolve its responsible AI practices and expand its ecosystem of resources, partnerships, and validation efforts, ensuring that innovation and trust advance together in support of social impact.

About Blackbaud

Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact. Serving nonprofits, educational institutions, companies committed to corporate social responsibility, and individual change makers, Blackbaud propels impact at scale with the sector's most intelligent solutions for fundraising and engagement, education solutions, financial management and CSR and grantmaking. With the deepest expertise powered by the world's largest philanthropic data set, the most connected workflows, and the most powerful impact network, Blackbaud's solutions are building a future where resources are unleashed at the speed of need. Blackbaud has been recognized by Fast Company, Newsweek, Quartz, Forbes and more for AI innovation, responsible leadership and workplace excellence. Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries

[email protected] 

Forward-looking Statements

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

SOURCE Blackbaud

Share this article

Synteq launches its first Canadian location in Toronto, Ontario to provide compute, storage, and cloud services for Northeast and Canadian workloads.

TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Synteq today announced its expansion into Canada with a new location in Toronto, through a partnership with Telehouse Canada. This is Synteq's sixth location overall, following Spokane, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Valley Forge, and Sofia, Bulgaria. This expansion is a direct response to the growing demand from Synteq customers for Northeast and Canadian capacity.

Telehouse Canada, a subsidiary of KDDI Corporation, operates three interconnected, carrier-neutral data centres in downtown Toronto providing Synteq direct access to TorIX, CANIX and an ecosystem of more than 200 carriers, ISPs, and cloud on-ramps.

Synteq owns and operates its hardware and network and sells compute directly to developers and operators running compute workloads. In Toronto, that means dedicated GPU servers, virtual machines, and block storage on Synteq-owned equipment, provisioned by API, CLI, or consoled via Synteq Cloud; its single control plane for provisioning, management, and billing. If requested by clients, data and workloads provisioned in the Toronto data center will be capable of remaining in Canada.

"Expanding into Canada was a decision driven by organic demand from our client base," said Eric Yingling, Chief Executive Officer of Synteq. "Toronto gives us the power density current GPUs need, alongside the right connectivity for Northeast US and Canada-focused workloads."

"We're excited to partner with Synteq and take part in their Canadian expansion," said Atsushi Kubo, President and CEO of Telehouse Canada. "This partnership reflects our shared commitment to delivering the infrastructure Canadian enterprises need to confidently deploy AI and compute workloads."

About Telehouse Canada

Telehouse is a leading global data centre service provider under KDDI Group, bringing together a diverse range of business partners including carriers, mobile and content providers, enterprises, cloud providers and financial services companies. Established in 1989, Telehouse provides reliable, secure, and flexible colocation services, enabling organizations to accelerate speed to market and create business opportunities through fast, efficient and secure interconnections. For more information visit: www.telehouse.ca

About Synteq

Synteq delivers GPU compute, bare metal, and virtualized infrastructure to enterprises, researchers, and developers worldwide, operating its own network (AS400304) and infrastructure footprint across multiple sites. Synteq combines enterprise-grade infrastructure with exceptional price-performance compute, storage and virtualization. Learn more at synteq.com.

Media Contacts:

Telehouse Canada

Kristina Ivashkova

Sales & Marketing

[email protected]   

Synteq

[email protected]

https://www.synteq.com

SOURCE Synteq Digital

Share this article

New facility eliminates typical accounts receivable payment gaps to accelerate corporate growth

HOUSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Business Credit provided a $1 million factoring facility to a fast-growing Southwestern fuel transportation and distribution company. The facility delivers immediate liquidity to support the Company's urgent working capital needs and revenue expansion.

With a long history of success, the Company specializes in transporting hazardous materials and liquid fuels nationwide. Because payment terms in the energy sector typically extend to 60 to 90 days, the Company faced working capital shortages that forced it to pass up new business opportunities.

Recognizing these challenges, a commercial banker referred the Company to Republic due to its deep roots in the Gulf Region and expertise in oilfield services. Republic's flexible facility successfully removes the cash flow constraints caused by extended payment cycles, unlocking the Company's potential for accelerated growth.

"No business should be forced to turn down profitable new opportunities due to slow-paying clients," said William Kemp, Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer at Republic Business Credit. "Our mission is to eliminate those cash flow gaps, and we are proud to partner with regional companies to scale safely and drive economic growth throughout the region."

The partnership highlights Republic's long-standing connection to the energy and logistics sectors across the Gulf Region.

"Republic has spent 15 years filling the lending gap for Southern oilfield service companies seeking alternatives to traditional bank requirements," said Robert Meyers, Chief Executive Officer of Republic Business Credit. "Sustaining and empowering this vital sector is deeply meaningful to us, and we remain fully committed to our long-term partnership with the industry."

About Republic Business Credit

Republic Business Credit is a nationally recognized commercial finance company supporting the working capital requirements of companies nationwide, including private equity and entrepreneurial businesses. Republic provides asset-based lending, e-commerce, ledgered lines of credit, factoring and Fast AR Funding. Republic partners with its clients to provide up to $20 million in senior credit facilities to rapidly growing businesses, start-ups and companies experiencing recoverable distress. Republic is recognized by the Secured Finance Network as one of the largest finance companies in the United States of America. Republic is proud to be headquartered in New Orleans with additional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta. Republic is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renasant Bank.

SOURCE Republic Business Credit, LLC

Share this article