COLLIERVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IMC Logistics, the largest marine drayage provider in the nation, has announced a strategic partnership with one of its longtime customers, Kuehne+Nagel, who will acquire 51% of the company. This strategic partnership will directly address growing demand for end-to-end transportation of cargo to or from seaports or rail hubs, customer facilities and inland in the United States, where landside container logistics are complex.

Once the transaction is completed, IMC Logistics will continue to operate as it has been previously, but with greater resources to serve clients. Mark H. George will continue as Chairman with the same leadership team in place.

“We embrace the opportunity to partner with Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics companies, to elevate our family-founded business to new heights and to grow together. Combining our landside container logistics expertise and offering with Kuehne+Nagel’s global reach will deliver exceptional services for our customers and create new career growth opportunities for our colleagues” says George.

Stefan Paul, CEO of Kuehne+Nagel International AG says: “International Sea Logistics is a highly complex business with many interfaces and stakeholders, in which US trade flows are of central importance. IMC’s range of capabilities significantly expands our service offering and allows us to develop and offer even more attractive solutions for the value chains of our ocean freight customers.”

Completion of the transaction is expected at the beginning of the first quarter of 2025. The deal is subject to approval from regulatory authorities and customary closing conditions.

BofA Securities served as financial advisor and Baker Donelson served as legal advisor to IMC Logistics.

About Kuehne+Nagel
With over 80,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics providers. Headquartered in Switzerland, Kuehne+Nagel is listed in the Swiss blue-chip stock market index, the SMI. The Group is the global number one in air and sea logistics and has strong market positions in road and contract logistics.

Kuehne+Nagel is the logistics partner of choice for 400,000 customers worldwide. Using its global network, logistics expertise and data-based insights, the Group provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for global companies and industries. As a member of the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), Kuehne+Nagel is committed to sustainable logistics by reducing its own environmental footprint and by supporting its customers with low-carbon logistics solutions. To learn more, visit https://us.kuehne-nagel.com/en/.

About IMC:
IMC Logistics is the largest marine drayage company in the United States. Equipped with the largest fleet of trucks and chassis, an integrated network of secure depots, and transloading facilities, IMC moves cargo to and from all major rails and ports in the nation. For 42 years, IMC has focused on delivering innovative solutions to its valued clients. To learn more, visit www.imcc.com.

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SOURCE IMC Logistics

PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Vantage Markets (or “Vantage”), an award-winning multi-asset broker, has once again solidified its reputation for excellence, outperforming competitors across multiple key categories in Investing.com’s latest brokerage test.

Investing.com, one of the world’s leading financial publishers, provides real-time financial news, analysis, and data, serving over 60 million monthly users across global markets. Its brokerage tests are highly regarded in the industry, offering comprehensive insights into broker performance based on rigorous evaluation criteria.

In this latest assessment, the test evaluated multiple key metrics, including leverage, spread value, spread stability, no-slippage rate, market depth, large order cost, and swap competitiveness, conducted during one of the most volatile periods – the U.S. elections—with test data focused on the product movement of Gold (XAUUSD).

Leverage

Vantage excelled in providing flexible, highly competitive leverage of up to 1:2000 (in selected regions), granting traders access to powerful financial instruments with a range of options tailored to their trading needs. This balance of flexibility and control is essential to Vantage’s philosophy of empowering traders with tools that support intelligent risk management.

Spread Value and Spread Stability

Based on ECN account data, the test highlighted Vantage’s exceptionally low spread values at 9.1 as compared to other brokers, offering traders cost-effective access to the markets. Furthermore, spread stability consistently held within a range of 8-9 points, a critical factor during market turbulence. This stability reflects  Vantage’s robust infrastructure and dedication to providing reliable trading conditions regardless of market fluctuations.

No-Slippage Rate

Vantage demonstrated an unmatched 79% no-slippage execution rate on STP accounts, showcasing its ability to minimise the disparity between requested and executed prices. By reducing unexpected deviations, Vantage ensures that traders’ strategies remain intact without unexpected deviations, enhancing trust and transparency in trade execution.

Market Depth

In a rigorous test of order placements during high-volatility news events, Vantage exhibited unparalleled market depth, handling large lot sizes with minimal slippage. This level of market depth and stability reflects the strength of Vantage’s liquidity network, providing traders with a seamless experience even during peak market activity.

Large Order Cost

During the high-volatility US Election period, Vantage excelled with a larger order cost of -26.6, offering competitive pricing and minimising trading expenses for large transactions. This is at the back of Vantage’s commitment to ensure that traders enjoy cost-efficiency even in dynamic and fast-moving markets.

Swap Competitiveness

Vantage continues to deliver value with industry-leading swap rates, offering -30.8 for long positions and 22 for short positions. Known for offering some of the industry’s best swap rates, Vantage ranks highly with advantageous rates on both sides of the market, providing  traders added value, especially for long-term positions.

The recognition by Investing.com is a true testament to Vantage’s drive for excellence and reinforces its position as a leader in the global trading landscape. For traders across the world, these results are not only a reflection of Vantage’s superior trading conditions but also a promise of its unwavering commitment to fostering a high-performance trading environment.

Geraldine Goh, Chief Marketing Officer at Vantage said, “At Vantage, stability, precision execution, and robust anti-slippage measures set us apart. Especially during volatile trading conditions, our commitment to reliability and superior performance ensures that our clients experience the best trading environment, standing strong when it matters most.”

For more information, visit Vantage’s Media Centre: https://www.vantagemarkets.com/about/media-centre/

About Vantage

Vantage Markets (or Vantage) is a multi-asset CFD broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds.

With over 15 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play.

trade smarter @vantage

RISK WARNING: CFD trading carries significant risks. You could lose more than your initial investment.

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SOURCE Vantage

In partnership with Education Design Lab, eight Arkansas community colleges will develop and scale skills-based pathways to high-demand careers.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Education Design Lab (the Lab) today announced the launch of a new initiative to expand Arkansas’ college-to-career pipeline. The “Scaling Learner Opportunity and Economic Growth Across Arkansas” program will bring colleges, employers, learners, and local stakeholders together to collaboratively design agile, skills-based education-to-career pathways to meet the state’s evolving workforce needs.

Using the Lab’s human-centered design framework, the colleges will design, test, and scale seven to fifteen “micro-pathways” — stackable credentials achievable within less than a year — that will put learners both on the path to an associate degree or to liveable-wage employment in high-growth industries, based on data and feedback from industry partners across the state.

The demands of today’s employers go beyond traditional education; workers need to be able to bring in-demand skills to the table on their first day on the job,” said Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez, President of South Arkansas College. “Using the Lab’s human-centered design process, we’re crafting micro-pathways tailored to the needs of businesses throughout the state, and helping Arkansans access stable, family-sustaining jobs and continued career growth.” 

Arkansas’s economy is booming, with continuous job growth in all four regions of the state in key industries including aerospace and defense, agricultural technology, IT, and manufacturing. However, Arkansas faces one of the nation’s worst worker shortages despite high workforce participation and consistent, lower-than-average unemployment. As historic providers of accessible, affordable, and innovative programs, community colleges are well-positioned to address barriers to the workforce, and ensure both current and future workers are prepared to enter — and maintain relevant skills for — the state’s most economically vital fields.

“Micro-credentialing is a game-changer for ASU Newport students, offering a flexible pathway to valuable credentials while balancing work, family, and education,” said Charles Walker, Director of Workforce Development, Arkansas State University, Newport. “This approach allows students and workers to efficiently gain targeted expertise and enter high-demand, high-wage jobs — without the potentially prohibitive expense and time commitment of a four-year degree.”

The pathways created through the Scaling Learner Opportunity program will build upon skills-based, employer-responsive workforce readiness initiatives and partnerships already underway at the participating institutions:

South Arkansas CollegeArkansas State University, NewportArkansas State University, Three RiversArkansas Tech University, Ozark CampusEast Arkansas Community CollegeNorth Arkansas CollegeNorthwest Arkansas Community CollegeUniversity of Arkansas Rich Mountain

“The push to adopt micro-pathways has really taken off across the country in recent years, showing how higher education and the workforce are becoming more connected,” said Bill Hughes, President and CEO of Education Design Lab. “This initiative is about creating educational programs that keep up with fast-changing industry demands while meeting the needs of New Majority Learners — a crucial balance for building a stronger, more resilient workforce.”

Since the launch of CCGE, the Lab has worked with 89 community colleges and systems throughout the nation to design and pilot more than 100 employer-validated micro-pathways in six sectors and over 30 occupations that connect New Majority Learners to employment in careers at or above median wage.

Funding for this effort has been generously provided by Ascendium Education Group, Strada Education Foundation, and Walmart.

About Education Design Lab

The Education Design Lab (the Lab) is a national nonprofit that co-designs, prototypes, and tests education-to-workforce models through a human-centered design process focused on understanding learners’ experiences, addressing equity gaps in higher education, and connecting learners to economic mobility. Learn more: www.eddesignlab.org.

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SOURCE Education Design Lab