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AMSimpkins & Associates Creates a Strategic Alliance with Former FBI Agent and Cybersecurity Expert to Fortify S.A.F.E. Identity Verification Solution

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AMSimpkins & Associates has announced a strategic alliance with former FBI Agent Scott Augenbaum to strengthen the cybersecurity efforts of its S.A.F.E. platform, a solution designed to combat fraudulent student applications in higher education.

ATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — AMSimpkins & Associates (AMSA), a leading provider of technology solutions for higher education, is excited to announce its new venture with retired FBI agent and cybersecurity expert, Scott Augenbaum. This strategic collaboration aims to strengthen the security efforts of AMSA’s flagship product, S.A.F.E. (Student Application Fraudulent Examination), by leveraging Augenbaum’s deep expertise in preventing cyberattacks and combating identity fraud.

Fraudulent student applications present a serious challenge to higher education,” Augenbaum stated. “By integrating proactive measures within the S.A.F.E. platform, we can minimize the financial and reputational impact of these schemes on institutions.”

AMSA’s S.A.F.E. platform has revolutionized the way colleges and universities safeguard their institutions from fraudulent student applications, which can siphon vital resources like financial aid and class spaces away from genuine students. Collaborating with Augenbaum, who has over 30 years of experience investigating cybercrime with the FBI, adds an unparalleled layer of cybersecurity vigilance to S.A.F.E. that will help detect and prevent sophisticated threats like synthetic identity fraud.

As cybercriminals increasingly target higher education institutions with advanced tactics, such as combining real stolen data with fabricated information to create fraudulent student profiles, the need for robust identity verification solutions has never been more critical. Augenbaum’s insight into the evolving methods of cybercriminals ensures that S.A.F.E. remains at the forefront of fraud detection by employing state-of-the-art measures such as behavioral monitoring, cross-referencing data, and artificial intelligence to catch fraudulent activity in real-time.

“Fraudulent student applications present a serious challenge to higher education,” Augenbaum stated. “By integrating proactive measures within the S.A.F.E. platform, we can minimize the financial and reputational impact of these schemes on institutions.”

About Scott Augenbaum:

Scott Augenbaum is a retired FBI Special Agent with over 30 years of experience combating cybercrime. Throughout his distinguished career, Augenbaum led numerous investigations into cyber fraud, identity theft, and financial crimes, developing his expertise in preventing attacks before they cause irreversible damage. As an author, speaker, and cybersecurity advocate, Augenbaum has taught thousands of individuals and organizations worldwide on how to protect themselves from growing cyber threats. His book, The Secret to Cybersecurity, outlines essential principles for preventing cybercrime, making him a leading voice in the field of cybersecurity.

Augenbaum will be attending the upcoming EDUCAUSE 2025 Conference with AMSimpkins & Associates in San Antonio, TX, where he will discuss the growing threat of synthetic identity fraud in higher education and share his insights on how S.A.F.E. and AMSA are working to protect colleges and universities from such attacks.

AMSimpkins & Associates is proud of its commitment to ensuring the security of educational institutions through innovation, vigilance, and strategic alliances like this one. Working with Scott Augenbaum can be a pivotal step in ensuring that S.A.F.E. remains the premier solution for identity verification in higher education.

For more information, visit www.amsa-highered.com or contact info@amsa-consulting.com.

About AMSimpkins & Associates:

AMSimpkins & Associates is an industry leader in IT solutions for higher education, offering tailored technology that integrates and optimizes student application processes. Their S.A.F.E. platform provides real-time identity verification, allowing colleges and universities to detect fraudulent applications and protect critical resources.

Media Contact

LAQWACIA SIMPKINS, AMSimpkins and Associates, 1 6786824193, LSIMPKINS@AMSA-CONSULTING.COM, AMSimpkins and Associates

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Galloway Company Expansion Nearly Doubles United States Industrial Sweetened Condensed Milk Capacity

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NEENAH, Wis., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Galloway Company, a leader in premium dairy ingredients, announces the completion of a major expansion to its production capabilities. The addition of a custom-built evaporator will nearly double the United States’ total capacity for industrial sweetened condensed milk. The expansion comes at a critical time, relieving a highly constrained market for premium concentrated dairy ingredients in the United States.

The expansion will set new industry benchmarks in capacity, operational efficiency, and quality.

The expansion will allow the company to serve existing clients with the same premium quality ingredients they’ve come to rely on, while also welcoming new customers for the first time in four years.

“Over the last four years, we’ve seen growing constraints from the bakery and confectionery markets, with extended lead times and maxed-out production capacities,” said Mike Hasler, Director of Industrial Sales, Galloway Company. “This expansion ensures we can not only meet the demand of our existing customers but also welcome new business.”

With the addition of the second evaporator, Galloway Company is building redundancy into its production process, minimizing the risk of service interruptions for clients. The new system will also enable greater customization of products, allowing the company to meet the needs of clients of all sizes—from full tanker trucks to smaller batches packaged in totes and 5-gallon pails.

The expansion will set new industry benchmarks in capacity, operational efficiency, and quality. The upgraded system includes high-efficiency motors and precision-engineered valve systems, with a fully automated homogenization process, advanced lactose seeding technologies, and state-of-the-art cooling systems. These updates minimize energy consumption and reduce environmental impact while advanced quality control measures ensure consistent performance and accuracy. 

For more information or to place an order, please visit gallowaycompany.com or contact Mike Hasler at mhasler@gallowaycompany.com.

About Galloway Company

Galloway Company is the number one supplier of cream liqueur bases and sweetened condensed milk in the U.S. Located in Neenah, Wisconsin, Galloway specializes in producing unique formulations of condensed dairy blends and beverage bases. Classic Mix Partners, a subsidiary of Galloway Company, is the largest manufacturer of frozen dairy dessert mixes in Wisconsin, serving customers nationwide. For more information on our complete line of innovative dairy product mixes and bases, visit gallowaycompany.com.

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SOURCE Galloway Company

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SOCi Scales its AI Agent Solutions While Bolstering Path to Profitability

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SAN DIEGO, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SOCi, Inc., the leader in AI-powered marketing solutions for multi-location businesses, today announced initial results from its AI Agent strategy. In less than eight months, SOCi’s Genius AI™ solutions now account for more than 10% of the company’s annual recurring revenue (ARR). These results cap off a year of remarkable milestones for SOCi, including surpassing $100 million in ARR—a feat that places the company among the elite Centaur SaaS organizations globally.

In 2025, the company plans to continue to enhance and expand its advanced Genius AI™ technology, allowing SOCi’s AI Agents to take on even more local marketing tasks at scale and deliver unprecedented efficiency and value for SOCi’s nearly 1,000 multi-location customers. Additionally, SOCi is committed to accelerating its journey to profitability by strategically realigning resources to focus on high-impact areas with proven success. This reorganization is designed to enhance efficiency, drive scalability, and position the company for sustainable, long-term growth.

“We remain committed to revolutionizing the industry with our AI Agent innovation and Genius solutions, delivering the first digital workforce to drive unparalleled value for our customers,” said Afif Khoury, CEO of SOCi. “Simultaneously, we are focused on achieving sustainable growth by prioritizing financial stability and operational efficiency, solidifying our position as the leader in marketing innovation.”

Recently recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company for the seventh consecutive year, and named one of Fast Company Most Innovative Companies, SOCi continues to expand its reach into new high-growth markets with its cutting-edge local marketing solutions. Over the past two years, the company has forged partnerships with iconic enterprises such as Ford, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and Ace Hardware, while establishing a strong presence in the Financial Services and Insurance sectors with notable partners like Liberty Tax and Motto Mortgage.

About SOCi, Inc.
SOCi is the leader in AI-powered marketing solutions for multi-location businesses. With its proprietary Genius AI™ and suite of Genius Agents™, SOCi provides a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered digital workforce capable of handling the workload of 1,000 local marketers™, empowering brands to achieve unmatched digital visibility, strengthen customer engagement, and scale faster than ever before.

SOCi is recognized by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, and is trusted by nearly 1,000 top brands—including Ford, Ace Hardware, Kumon, Liberty Tax, and more—to automate and optimize local marketing tasks across all locations. Founded in 2012 and backed by leading strategic investors, SOCi is transforming how multi-location brands manage and scale their marketing efforts. Learn more at www.soci.ai or contact us at hello@soci.ai.

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SOURCE SOCi, Inc.

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Verdantas Acquires M-H-M, Inc. Expanding Water Services Throughout Northern California

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TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Verdantas, a leader in digitally enabled technical consulting solutions for the environment, water, and energy transition markets, backed by Sterling Investment Partners, is pleased to announce the acquisition of M-H-M, Inc. (MHM). The acquisition aims to enhance Verdantas’ expertise in the northern California water market and expand the services offered by both firms.

Based in Marysville, California, MHM brings invaluable expertise and experience to Verdantas, broadening the depth and range of services within the water, and land development markets with strong relationships with municipalities, public agencies, and private clients. The integration of MHM into Verdantas enhances its water service capabilities bringing valuable expertise in water supply and storage, distribution, irrigation, water master planning, flood control, storm drainage, as well as land development and surveying.

Jesse Kropelnicki, CEO of Verdantas, stated about the acquisition: “Integrating MHM into Verdantas will continue our growth strategy by further diversifying our business on the west coast, and by furthering our capabilities in the water market. This expansion enhances our expertise and ability to serve water clients more effectively in northern California. Additionally, MHM improves our land development and surveying capabilities, which will enhance other services we provide in the same geography. We look forward to providing their team with new opportunities for growth while they continue to contribute to our mission.”

California brings unique engineering design complexities. By partnering with Verdantas, we can now integrate robust in-house geotechnical and geological, structural engineering, and environmental expertise into our projects that we previously outsourced,” stated Sean Minard, President of MHM. “Our collaboration with Verdantas aims to expand our service offerings, providing comprehensive solutions in flood control, storm drainage, and water resource management as well as land development. This growth will add value to our current clients in Northern California, enabling us to deliver a more extensive suite of engineering and environmental solutions.”

James Soldano, Partner at Sterling, said, “We are proud to support Verdantas in this strategic acquisition of MHM. This move reflects our shared vision of growing Verdantas’ presence throughout the western United States and addresses the critical need for water-related expertise in a region facing challenges related to water resources and flood control.”

This acquisition is a vital component of the company’s sustainable service offerings objectives. By participating in significant projects, Verdantas plans to address critical water challenges, advocate for conservation, improve water quality, and encourage sustainable practices.

About Verdantas

Verdantas is a leader in digitally enabled technical consulting solutions for the environment, water, and energy transition markets. Blending balanced strengths in environmental and engineering expertise, we partner with clients and communities to create comprehensive solutions that contribute to a sustainable future. With a team of over 1,700 professionals nationwide, we harness diverse skills and innovative technologies to address complex challenges, protect vital resources, and foster resilient communities. For more information, visit www.verdantas.com.

About Sterling Investment Partners

Sterling Investment Partners is a leading private equity firm that has been building leading middle-market companies for over 30 years with a highly experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling focuses on control investments in value-added distribution and business services, acquiring businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 230 transactions, representing over $31 billion in aggregate value, and was recently ranked a Top 10 performing middle market private equity firm globally by Dow Jones-HEC Paris. For more information, visit www.sterlinglp.com.

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SOURCE Verdantas LLC

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