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QSL IS ANALYZING A SOLUTION TO OPTIMIZE CARGO TRANSHIPMENT AND MEET THE NEEDS OF BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS.

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4 months ago

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Improving supply chain resilience
Increasing international trade

QUEBEC CITY, July 5, 2024 /CNW/ – In a globalized economy where the transport of goods is of paramount importance and at a time of climate change where the maritime route is proving to be the eco-responsible mode, QSL wants the province of Quebec and Quebec City to be part of the equation and the solution. In this context, QSL is initiating the analysis of a business case to address one of the major economic challenges facing the Quebec region: the establishment of an efficient, green, resilient, and better-integrated supply chain.

Concretely, this logistics and transportation across North America is considering a redevelopment of its port activities in the Beauport sector to include a more important container handling vocation in a sequenced project respectful t of the communities.

Not only would the project being considered by QSL not require any encroachment on the St. Lawrence River and not impact aquatic habitat, but it could also reduce land traffic by encouraging intermodal transfer and significantly reducing GHGs.

First, Quebec has all the assets to favour intermodality and make supply chains more efficient: an enviable geographical location, access to a strategic market of consumers and businesses, the opportunity to regain significant market share from the American East Coast volumes destined for the American Midwest, complementarity with Montreal, a water depth of 15 meters as well as an interconnection with a North American rail and road network. In addition, QSL believes that the economic fundamentals behind the establishment of a container terminal as well as the commercial interest remain, especially after a global pandemic.

“Currently, 80% of the volume of international trade in goods is transported by sea and the containerization trend is likely to increase. We have heard the concerns of the business community which wants to benefit from short supply chains where processed products and inputs are brought closer to consumers or end users. If QSL can become a solution to this economic ecosystem that must be optimized, we raise our hand and are ready to work with all the stakeholders who cherish this objective,” commented Robert Bellisle, President and Chief Executive Officer of QSL.

The answer to a need and a solution to an environmental reality

In its 2024-2029 action plan, the Zone économique métropolitaine (ZEM) created under the impetus of the Quebec government and where many of the region’s driving forces sit, devotes an entire chapter to the issue of supply chains. The need responds to a concern often expressed by businesses in Eastern and Central Quebec where large manufacturers struggling from inefficient supply chains . They also have issues with the economical and environmental impact of having goods arrive from overseas to ports of the United States East Coast whose final destination is the Quebec market.

Although bulk cargo still accounts for the largest share of maritime trade, containerized goods have the fastest rate of growth in North America. By itself, global container traffic is expected to double by 2030 compared to 2018.

“If containerization was necessary 10 years ago, it is now unavoidable. Now, we must shape an exemplary project from an environmental point of view, irreproachable in terms of governance, complementary to what is being done on the St. Lawrence and meeting the principles of acceptability for the surrounding communities. QSL could become this partner,” added Mr. Bellisle.

Next Steps

Before finalizing its reflection and filing a project notice with the Port of Quebec, QSL is asking the federal government to favourably respond to its November 2023 request to expand customs operations at the Port of Quebec. If this condition is met, QSL will then be able to finalize a detailed business plan that it will submit to senior governments.

“We are pleased that an established Quebec company like QSL wants to participate in the search for a solution to increase the efficiency and resilience of the Quebec logistics chain in terms of cargo transshipment, while being complementary to current activities on the St. Lawrence, in particular in Montreal and Trois-Rivières. We believe that a containerized cargo project could not only meet the economic challenges of Quebec City and the province of Quebec but also respect the fundamental principles of our Vision 2035, which places a high priority on respect for the environment and the community. We would like to emphasize our satisfaction with QSL’s desire to develop a project that will be based on the principles of sustainable development compatible with our environmental and social ambitions,” concluded the Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Quebec, Mr. Mario Girard.

About QSL

A key supply chain player with its head office in Quebec City, QSL develops tailor-made solutions to offer innovative handling methods while paying particular attention to goods and contributing to the well-being of the communities in which it operates. Its socio-economic footprint is impressive with over 2,000 employees and activities deployed in 66 port terminals across Canada and the United States. It is ranked among Canada’s Best Managed Companies and all its port terminals are Green Marine certified. In 2021, QSL became the first maritime company in Canada to join the United Nations Global Compact. www.qsl.com

SOURCE QSL

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Positive Perception of Term “All-Electric Home” Increases 12 Percentage Points in Recent Years, E Source Survey Finds

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47 minutes ago

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November 14, 2024

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Research from the utilities-focused research, consulting, and data science company shows positive shift in homeowner perceptions of electrification technologies, though cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching. 

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — E Source, a utilities-focused consulting, research, and data science company, has shared the results of its 2024 Residential Electrification Survey, including a shift in consumer attitudes toward electrification technologies in residential settings. The independent study, first conducted in 2021, fielded in April 2024 with over 10,000 residential homeowner utility customers in the United States and Canada.  

Designed and administered by the E Source Market Research team, the survey offers findings around: 

Consumer perceptions of electrification technologies: Over three-quarters of respondents believe that electricity is a safer home and appliance fuel source than natural gas, an increase from 2021. Despite shifting perceptions, cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching.Current ownership of electrification equipment: More respondents say they own electric equipment in 2024 compared to 2021, with electric cooktops and smart thermostats reported as the most common electric appliances.Readiness for adoption: While many respondents said they were unlikely to switch fuel sources for most home equipment, 27% expressed interest in taking steps to electrify all their appliances.

In other notable findings, positive perception of the term “all-electric home” increased from 40% in 2021 to 51% in 2024. Additionally, over one-third of respondents would prefer homes with only electric appliances when choosing their next residence, with 63% stating that gas appliances contribute to indoor air pollution, an increase from 51% in 2021.  

However, despite the growing interest in electrification, cost remains the largest barrier to fuel-switching, with 76% of respondents believing that switching fuel sources of any kind in their home appliances would be costly. 

Utilities today are navigating fast-paced technological advancements, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, managing tighter budgets, and looking to meet heightened customer expectations. A systematic and targeted approach to electrification is central to successfully addressing these challenges.

“Electrification holds tremendous potential along with risks. Utilities can realize that potential and mitigate the risks by understanding how to best engage their customers in the energy transition. With in-depth market research like our Residential Electrification Survey, utilities can understand perceptions of electrification to promote the value of new technologies based on customer needs, beliefs, and behaviors,” said Filomena Gogel, President of research and advisory at E Source.  

An overview of the insights is publicly available in a downloadable eBook here. Detailed findings are available in an industry report for members of the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Strategy Service offered by E Source. 

About E Source 
E Source combines industry-leading research, data science, and consulting to help utilities make and implement better data-driven decisions that positively impact their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, E Source has teams across the US and Canada. Learn more at www.esource.com.

Media Contact:  
Adarsh Nalam, Director, Solutions Marketing and Communications  
adarsh_nalam@esource.com

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SOURCE E Source Companies LLC

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Ironclad Launches Jurist: an AI-Powered Assistant That Shows its Work

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47 minutes ago

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November 14, 2024

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The conversational AI assistant utilizes purpose-built multi-agent technology that works together to automate legal work, giving legal professionals a singular place to work with all the right tools and information in one seamless experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ironclad, the leading digital contracting platform for modern businesses, today announced the public launch of a new conversational AI legal assistant, Ironclad Jurist. Jurist allows legal professionals to draft, edit, review, summarize, translate, and answer questions related to modern contracting. Jurist is the only AI-powered assistant purpose-built for lawyers that lets users create and iterate on any legal document with past company precedent, benchmarks, and real-time changes in the legal space—all in an online, fully editable .docx workspace.

Jurist, built on Ironclad’s open-source visual programming platform Rivet, offers users unprecedented transparency into AI decision-making within a contract by displaying agent actions and reasoning, complete with citations in its online research mode. Leveraging industry-leading prompt routing, specialized legal prompt engineering, and a sophisticated retrieval automation generation (RAG) approach that harnesses multiple top-tier LLMs, Jurist is transforming the landscape of AI-assisted legal work.

“Jurist has already eliminated hours of manual review from our document review process. Its intuitive interface lets us easily define our own parameters, transforming tasks like NDA reviews into a streamlined workflow,” said Katelyn Canning, Director and Head of Legal at Ocrolus. “What truly sets it apart is its ability to select the most appropriate AI model for each task behind the scenes, delivering useful results without requiring us to craft intricate prompts. This combination of power and simplicity has made it an indispensable tool for our legal team.”

After a rigorous five-month beta, which included in-house legal teams at companies like Ocrolus and Signifyd, and leading law firms including Gunderson Dettmer, Jurist is now generally available. With Ironclad Jurist, users can:

Perform legal work in one central place: Jurist provides a new surface for lawyers to work with, iterate, draft, edit, research, and ask questions, all within a single environment. Users can directly edit AI outputs—and write prompts for specific sections of documents to fine-tune contract language—in a native .docx editor.Personalize AI outputs with past documents: Jurist produces personalized drafts, reviews, and edits based on the context users provide, including templates and executed agreements.Access the latest legal knowledge from verified online sources: Users can stay current with the ever-evolving legal landscape from the most reputable online legal research sources.Verify actions taken by your team of agents: Jurist explains its decisions in real time and cites sources when answering prompts, empowering users to use what they create with confidence.Work in a responsible, privacy-forward environment: Jurist does not allow companies like OpenAI or Google to retain or train on customer data. Ironclad provides customers with complete enterprise-grade security and holds numerous certifications, including several ISOs. Ironclad is also compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, and the SOC 2 Type II Security Trust Criteria. To learn more about Ironclad’s security certifications, click here.

“Legal is the perfect application for LLMs, because LLMs are exceptionally good at working with unstructured data – which is the lion’s share of the types of documents lawyers work with,” said Ironclad Chief Product Officer Michel Feaster. “We built Jurist to help bridge this gap, and wanted to create something that was congruent with the ways that lawyers are already working. Lawyers need to be able to edit in real-time in one place, or be able to ask questions about specific parts of a contract, or compare and edit groups of documents at the same time. And because Ironclad has been building technology for lawyers and optimizing contracts for 10 years, our AI agents are fine tuned to be best in class at legal editing.”

“Using Jurist has helped give us a singular workplace to drastically speed up many kinds of legal work,” said Zuhair Saadat, Contracts Manager at Signifyd. “For example, performing an MNDA review or drafting custom clauses for an order form typically takes an hour to a day. Using Jurist, we could do this in minutes—in some cases seconds—depending on complexity. If I need to edit the output, translate it, or ask a question about it, I can do that right in the product without leaving. It reduces time spent on these kinds of tasks, saves money on attorney fees, and gives me a leg up. Whatever I’m doing, I never have to start from scratch.”

“We’ve released Jurist as a standalone product, built on Ironclad architecture, because we feel this will benefit the entire legal community—whether they already use Ironclad or not,” said Ironclad President Jeremy Smith. “We are committed to enabling legal teams with the products they need to drive tangible business impact, and we believe Jurist will make a lasting impact on the future of the legal field.”

To learn more about Jurist and try it for yourself, click here.

About Ironclad
Ironclad is the #1 contract lifecycle management platform for innovative companies, powering billions of contracts every year. L’Oréal, OpenAI, and other leading innovators use Ironclad to collaborate and negotiate on contracts, accelerate contracting while maintaining compliance, and turn contracts into critical carriers of operational business intelligence. It’s the only platform flexible enough to handle every type of contract workflow, whether a sales agreement, an HR agreement or a complex NDA. The company is backed by leading investors like Accel, Sequoia, Franklin Templeton, Y Combinator, and BOND. For more information, visit www.ironcladapp.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Media Contact:
Paul Chalker
paul.chalker@ironcladhq.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ironclad-launches-jurist-an-ai-powered-assistant-that-shows-its-work-302305858.html

SOURCE Ironclad Inc.

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Tom Atchison Honored as a Most Admired CEO by Denver Business Journal

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47 minutes ago

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November 14, 2024

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GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — National Corporate Housing is thrilled to announce that Tom Atchison, our esteemed Founder and Chief Executive Officer, has been honored with the Most Admired CEO Award by the Denver Business Journal. This prestigious award recognizes leaders in the Denver area who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and community impact within their industries and beyond.

Under Tom’s visionary leadership, National Corporate Housing has achieved significant growth and success while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical business practices and a people-first culture. He has fostered an environment that prioritizes employee development, customer satisfaction, and industry-leading service.

“Tom exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and Surprisingly Superior Service,” said Misty Gregarek, President of National Corporate Housing. “Part of what makes National so special is Tom’s incredible talent for identifying potential in people and providing them opportunities to excel. This recognition is a testament to his unwavering dedication to our company’s mission and to making a positive impact on our employees, customers, and the community.”

Tom was recognized along with 20 other executives Wednesday night at an award dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. We congratulate Tom on this well-deserved honor and look forward to continued success under his exceptional leadership.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Heidi Hume, Vice President, Marketing
703-727-9124 | hhume@nationalcorporatehousing.com

About National Corporate Housing: At National, we turn complex temporary housing challenges into seamless solutions. As a global leader in customized corporate housing since 1999, we provide personalized, 360-degree services that ensure your employees feel at home, wherever they are in the world. With our extensive network and local expertise, we make the unfamiliar comfortable, delivering exceptional experiences that transform clients into lifelong partners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tom-atchison-honored-as-a-most-admired-ceo-by-denver-business-journal-302306087.html

SOURCE NATIONAL CORPORATE HOUSING

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