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Agreement combines advanced TPU portfolio with Formerra’s expert compliance know-how and agile service.

ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / Formerra, a leader in performance materials distribution, today announced an agreement with Epaflex S.r.l. that designates Formerra Europe as the preferred distributor of Epaflex’s thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) lines in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

The partnership leverages Epaflex’s 30-year legacy of innovation in TPU manufacturing with Formerra’s deep expertise in UK/EU REACH compliance, local technical support, and agile logistics. Additionally, the collaboration ensures that process engineers and sourcing managers across cable, wire, industrial, automation, and oil & gas markets gain seamless access to high-performance TPU grades backed by responsive service and regulatory guidance.

“We’re proud to welcome Epaflex’s industry-leading TPU portfolio into our specialist distribution network,” said Ronan Kennedy, Managing Director at Formerra Europe. “This agreement opens a true window of opportunity for UK & Ireland processors by delivering advanced TPUs via the reliable supply chains and technical support our customers need.”

Epaflex is renowned for its Epamould, Epaline, and Epamet engineered TPU formulations featuring high-abrasion, oil-resistance, specialty matte finishes, and low-temperature flexibility. These materials serve critical applications such as cable jacketing, hydraulic hoses, precision tubing, and protective film. Combined with the company’s new Epalite material, this portfolio brings durability, processability, and design versatility for today’s demanding industrial environments.

“Partnering with Formerra marks a significant milestone in our UK and Ireland expansion,” said Andrea Martignoni, Global Strategic Marketing Manager – Elastomers at Epaflex. “Their local market expertise and commitment to engineer-led service make them the ideal partner to bring Epaflex innovation to manufacturers in this key area of Europe.”

With this agreement, Formerra further strengthens its European presence, offering unmatched portfolio depth, compliance guidance, and rapid responsiveness to support customers’ most challenging TPU applications.

Key Details:

• Formerra Europe appointed preferred distributor for Epaflex TPU lines (Epamould, Epaline, Epamet, and Epalite) in the UK & Ireland.

• Partnership combines Italian-engineered TPU grades with Formerra’s UK/EU REACH expertise and agile service.

• Target applications include cable/wire jacketing, hydraulic hoses, precision tubing and protective films.

About Formerra

Formerra is a preeminent distributor of engineered materials, connecting the world’s leading polymer producers with thousands of OEMs and brand owners across healthcare, consumer, industrial, and mobility markets. Powered by technical and commercial expertise, it brings a distinctive combination of portfolio depth, supply chain strength, industry knowledge, service, leading e-commerce capabilities, and ingenuity. The experienced Formerra team helps customers across multiple industries to design, select, process, and develop products in new and better ways – driving improved performance, productivity, reliability, and sustainability. To learn more, visit www.formerra.com.

About Epaflex

Epaflex S.r.l., headquartered in Italy, is a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic polyurethanes. For over 30 years, Epaflex has developed innovative TPU solutions for industries including cable & wire, automotive, oil & gas and consumer goods. Its portfolio features high-performance grades engineered for abrasion resistance, flexibility, weather-ability and specialty surface finishes. Privately held under the Elachem Group, Epaflex operates global sales and technical support hubs to serve OEMs and processors worldwide.

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Media Contact

Jackie Morris
Marketing Communications Manager, Formerra
jackie.morris@formerra.com
+1 630-972-3144

SOURCE: Formerra

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Rhode Island manufacturer’s environment monitoring solution continues unprecedented award streak with Vision Award for Smart Buildings Category

WARREN, RI / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / AVTECH Software (AVTECH), the leading provider of network-based environment monitoring solutions, announced that its Room Alert MAX product line has been selected as a winner of the prestigious FacilitiesNet Vision Award 2025 in the Smart Buildings category. This marks an unprecedented third major industry recognition for Room Alert MAX in just two months, following its selection as winner of the MSP Today Product of the Year Award and the Providence Business News Innovative Companies 2025 Award for Technology.

In business for nearly 40 years, AVTECH manufactures Room Alert, the world’s most popular environment monitoring platform for business continuity plans, outage prevention, and workplace safety. Room Alert is made in the USA and proactively monitors environment conditions such as temperature, humidity, heat index, flood, power, smoke, and more. Room Alert is currently used in 187 of 196 countries by organizations ranging from thousands of small businesses to Boeing, Sprint, Microsoft, over 80% of the Fortune 1000, the United Nations, and many government agencies.

The 7th annual FacilitiesNet Vision Awards honor innovation and excellence in products contributing to the efficient, profitable operations and management of institutional and commercial buildings in the United States. Products are scored by a panel of judges made up of Facility Influencers, members of the Building Operating Management and Facility Maintenance Decisions Editorial Advisory Boards, and other prestigious facility managers.

The triple award recognition in such a short timeframe underscores Room Alert MAX’s exceptional market impact across diverse industry segments and validates AVTECH’s continued innovation leadership in environment monitoring technology. Room Alert MAX streamlines environmental monitoring through its ease of setup and use and is designed to be installed without needing IT support. The platform proactively monitors critical environment conditions including temperature, humidity, heat index, water leaks, power, smoke, and more. Like all Room Alert products, Room Alert MAX is made in the USA and designed to protect facilities of all types and sizes. Room Alert MAX also offers BACnet support for full integration into existing Building Management System platforms.

“Achieving three major industry awards in just two months is truly extraordinary and demonstrates that Room Alert MAX has struck a chord across multiple industries,” said Richard Grundy, President & CEO at AVTECH. “The FacilitiesNet Vision Award is particularly meaningful as it recognizes Room Alert MAX’s impact in the smart buildings sector, where environmental monitoring is becoming increasingly critical for modern facility management operations.”

The FacilitiesNet Vision Awards provide recognition to winning facilities industry suppliers showcasing their products to more than 200,000 facility executives. The Smart Buildings category specifically recognizes products that enhance the intelligent operation and management of commercial and institutional buildings.

About AVTECH

AVTECH Software (AVTECH), a private corporation founded in 1988, is a computer hardware and software developer and manufacturer based in Warren, RI with an international sales office in Dubai, UAE as well as an international distribution facility in Shannon, Ireland. AVTECH’s Room Alert products are made in the USA at their affiliated company Mirian Solutions, and proactively monitor critical facilities and assets for conditions such as temperature, humidity, power, water leaks, smoke and more, providing organizations with 24/7 awareness of their facility environments. Trusted by over 80% of the Fortune 1000, countless government agencies, and the US military, AVTECH and Room Alert protect people, property, and productivity to provide peace of mind. For more information, please visit AVTECH.com.

SOURCE: AVTECH Software, Inc

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HOUSTON, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / US Med-Equip (USME), the nation’s top-rated provider of medical equipment rentals and management services, is expanding its operations support across the country with two larger facilities–a national distribution center and a national production center–to meet rising demand from its hospital customers.

The new USME Distribution Center in northwest Houston handles shipping and receiving of critical medical equipment, including infusion pumps, ventilators, patient monitors and specialty beds rented daily by thousands of hospitals. Entrusted for its 2-hour delivery standard, the new facility strengthens USME’s logistics network, helping teams nationwide respond even faster to hospitals’ ever-changing patient care needs.

USME’s new national production center, located alongside the company’s northwest Houston headquarters, serves as one of the hubs for its biomedical operations. There, manufacturer-certified biomedical technicians maintain and service the company’s rental fleet of medical equipment with the industry’s highest standards of safety and performance.

Recognized as an Inc. Power Partner and CIO 100 for helping hospitals optimize resources and patient outcomes, USME also leads the way in specialized equipment for bariatric care, one of the fastest-growing needs in healthcare today.

“As we continue expanding, we’re strengthening every part of our operation to deliver the unmatched service and equipment quality our hospital partners expect,” Greg Salario, CEO of US Med-Equip, said about the company setting the standard for the industry.

Houston-based USME operates from more than 100 locations nationwide and continues to expand as more hospitals turn to its team for medical equipment rental and management services. The Top Workplace is investing in new facilities, technology and clinical support to help more hospitals than ever meet rising patient care demands.

About US Med-Equip:

USME partners with top hospitals to provide the highest quality medical equipment, including monitoring devices, ventilators, infusion pumps, patient beds and more. From on-demand delivery of medical equipment rentals to asset management and onsite biomedical support services, USME is the highest-rated medical equipment partner for hospitals across the country.

Contact Information

Buse Kayar
busek@accessnewswire.com

SOURCE: US Med-Equip

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NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / doola, the AI Business-in-a-Box™ for global e-commerce entrepreneurs, today announced the launch of its AI Co-Founder, the first intelligent business partner that cuts founders’ back-office work from hours per week to minutes. With this launch, e-commerce entrepreneurs can now get from idea to first sale faster and automate the complex operations of scaling a U.S. business.

Solving the $6 Trillion E-Commerce Paradox

Global e-commerce sales are projected to surpass $6 trillion in 2025. While starting a Shopify or Amazon store takes minutes, running one remains a major hurdle. Founders juggle compliance deadlines, tax filings, banking setup, and bookkeeping, often without local expertise. doola’s AI Co-Founder removes that burden by integrating these functions into one intelligent platform that proactively guides each founder’s next step.

What AI Co-Founder Delivers Today

Unlike generic chatbots, AI Co-Founder is built for e-commerce entrepreneurs and automates tasks that usually drain founders’ time:

• Banking & Payments: Helps founders globally set up U.S. accounts and Shopify Payments quickly.

• Compliance & Filings: Tracks state deadlines and fees, sending reminders before obligations are due.

• Bookkeeping & Accounting: Advises on accounting methods and expense categorization to keep your books clean.

• U.S. Tax Guidance: Explains filing requirements based on a founder’s home country and U.S. business structure.

Arjun Mahadevan, CEO and Founder of doola, said: “E-Commerce entrepreneurs don’t want 10 browser tabs and five service providers. They want one trusted partner who gets it done. AI Co-Founder is that partner; never sleeps and is available 24/7, fluent in 175+ countries’ unique challenges, and getting smarter with every interaction. doola is not a formation service; we’re an AI Business-in-a-Box™ for E-Commerce. Our AI Co-Founder is our first step toward an intelligent, agentic, automated back-office that works for you, so you can focus on what you do best while doola handles the rest.”

Tommy Castellano, CEO and Founder of Kyvo, said: “Running an e-commerce brand is a 24/7 job. doola already saves me hours on bookkeeping, but the new AI Co-Founder is a game-changer. Automating compliance, tax prep and having knowledge at my fingertips means I can get back to focusing on my product and customers.”

Jishnu Bhattacharjee, Managing Director at Nexus Venture Partners, said: “doola’s AI Co-Founder redefines what it means to support global entrepreneurs. It’s not just about offering services – it’s about delivering intelligence, personalization, and peace of mind. doola has built the infrastructure layer for global entrepreneurship. Now they’re adding intelligence and agentic automation.”

Arjun Gandhi, Vice President at Nexus Venture Partners, said: “Founders don’t fail for lack of ambition. They fail because no one shows them the path. AI Co-Founder is the missing guidance layer. By embedding context-aware intelligence directly into the founder journey, doola is building a seamless and personalized experience for starting a company.”

About doola

doola (Y Combinator S20) is the AI Business-in-a-Box™ for global e-commerce entrepreneurs. The platform provides an all-in-one back-end solution including U.S. LLC formation, Registered Agent services, an EIN, a U.S. business bank account and payment processor access, bookkeeping, tax filings, and compliance. By integrating these complex services, doola empowers founders from over 175 countries to start and scale their U.S. businesses with confidence. doola is backed by $13 million in venture capital from Y Combinator, Nexus Venture Partners, HubSpot Ventures, and more. Visit www.doola.com.

SOURCE: doola

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WINSTON-SALEM, NC / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / Balancing vendor preferences with merchandising realities is an everyday challenge in C-store environments. As Quality Mart discovered, it’s also a significant opportunity to build sales.

Quality Mart began its transformation journey with a seemingly simple challenge: address beverage clutter on the perimeter of the story. “I wanted a beverage solution that would consolidate take-home packages plus two-liter bottles,” said Mike Roscoe, Quality Mart’s director of merchandising and category management. Concurrently, Roscoe was seeking out new center store solutions, including gondolas, cold vault, and beer cave racking, for a planned store remodel.

What Roscoe found was a limited selection of beverage display options, along with lengthy delays on new center store fixtures. In addition, he had concerns about the quality of the products. Out of curiosity, Roscoe reached out to ImageWorks Display^®, his trusted provider of back bar solutions. What he found surprised him. “I started talking with ImageWorks about my need for beverage racking. Then I saw they had center store fixtures as well.”

Roscoe’s initial outreach jump-started a collaborative process tightly focused on his specific situation. He scheduled a session with the ImageWorks team at their Winston-Salem, NC, Client Collaboration Center to share additional insights on what he was seeking. The ImageWorks team responded with a customized plan tapping the company’s Planniq Strong^® beer cave racking, Planniq Core^® and Planniq Tech^® gondola systems, and new Planniq Chill^® cooler racking lines. The new design consolidated beverage options in one streamlined, shopper-friendly design while reducing Quality Mart’s overall beverage footprint. New gondola and cooler fixtures perfectly coordinated with the beverage solution to create a cohesive and elevated shopper experience.

“It looks like a new store,” Roscoe said. He was so pleased with the resulting store reconfiguration – and the ImageWorks process — that he ordered other displays for additional locations. “ImageWorks team members are absolute professionals,” said Roscoe. “They pay great attention to detail, and they were incredibly courteous to my store staff. I’m really excited to see where they go.”

About ImageWorks Display

Since 1996, ImageWorks Display^® has been creating both in-stock and custom retail display solutions within the merchandising industry. Considered a “total store solution” provider with unique expertise and offerings for whole-store integration, ImageWorks Display is known for its high-quality materials, performance engineering, innovative designs, and end-to-end customer service – service that places the client at the center of decision-making.

Their customer-centric business philosophy, along with their top-quality display products, have earned ImageWorks Display the privilege of being in many small-business and large-chain convenience stores throughout the U.S. Their back bar Xulta Impact^® and Xulta Classic^® products are the standard-setting solutions within the display industry.

Their center store gondola solution line includes Planniq Tech^®, Planniq Core^®, Planniq Strong^®, Planniq Lock^®, Planniq Bev^®, and Planniq Queue^™. Both the Xulta back bar and Planniq center store product lines maximize dynamic retail environments with elevated and cohesive designs, resulting in increased sales and improved shopper experiences. Another area in which ImageWorks excels is the practical application of product pusher technology. Their pushers are known in the industry as the ones that never break. Strong product pushers and strong pusher tactics combine to help clients increase both sales and profitability.

Many clients choose to co-create custom solutions with the ImageWorks Display engineering and design teams. Clients see ImageWorks Display as an extension of their own merchandising team. This design collaboration encourages innovation and creativity, while resulting in highly effective display solutions that stand the test of time.

ImageWorks Display offers premium quality fixtures for a range of retail environments, along with lifetime product support, best-in-class supply chain management, and robust client service for every client partnership it enters. Nothing is more important than enduring relationships with loyal clients. This dedication is at the core of what drives their success. And it’s also what assures the success of their highly valued clients.

ImageWorks Display^® Contact Information:
Phone: 800 704 3660
Email: hello@imageworksdisplay.com
Website: imageworksdisplay.com

SOURCE: ImageWorks Display

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Dr. Nneka J. McGee chose ACE’s low-cost, flexible, online doctoral program for her studies; her doctoral research, which examined how teachers learn about and use artificial intelligence tools, caught the attention of leading institutions and established her as a national leader on the topic of AI in K-12 education.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2025 / Accomplished educator Dr. Nneka J. McGee turned her professional research in artificial intelligence into a doctoral degree at American College of Education (ACE), establishing her as a national leader in implementing AI in K-12 classrooms – just as a new presidential executive order calls for more AI education in K-12 schools.

ACE, founded in 2005 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is a national innovator in providing quality, affordable and online graduate degrees, and is the third-highest conferrer of education master’s degrees in the United States.¹

For her doctoral dissertation, McGee conducted original research into K-12 teachers’ experiences learning about AI and attempting to implement it in their classrooms. She completed her program in December 2023 and graduated from ACE in 2024.

She chose to pursue her degree at ACE because of her concerns about the high tuition and student loan debt at most graduate programs. She also wanted the flexibility of online education so she could continue her career – something difficult or impossible if she attended a traditional bricks-and-mortar university.

ACE’s doctoral tuition is under $25,000² and among the lowest in the United States. It has not raised tuition in eight years³ and the college forgoes federal student loan programs, which helps keep costs low. As a result, McGee was able to graduate from ACE without accruing any student loans.

“That was really a determining factor for me, and ACE also has the accreditation that is necessary,” McGee said. “Because of that and the flexibility of the program, I was able to keep working and, during my program, I rose from director to executive director to chief academic officer.”

When McGee began her research, she was working as a director of advanced academics in a Dallas-area school district and building the framework for launching an AI initiative aimed at helping students learn more about the technology. ChatGPT was still years from becoming a household word, and she realized there were few studies on the use of AI in the United States’ K-12 schools.

“I noticed there is this thing, AI, that is going to transform education, and I thought not enough people are talking about it or looking at the implications. That was the genesis for my research,” McGee said.

Through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews, she gathered information from a slate of K-12 teachers nationwide on their efforts to learn about AI educational tools and to bring them into the classroom.

McGee found that teachers were using AI-powered tools to save time on tasks, and that they saw increased student engagement when AI was incorporated into learning environments. However, teachers also faced significant challenges in attaining those outcomes.

“One of the biggest findings is that teachers don’t have enough access to quality professional development in this space,” she said. While AI is a hot topic of discussion, teachers have limited access to people with enough expertise to implement it. Teachers had to seek out the few options for professional development on their own.

She also found that when teachers did find a way to access AI training, they often faced the challenge of having limited time to pursue the professional development side, let alone implement it in their classrooms.

Doctoral students often face similar challenges as they study and write their dissertations. McGee said ACE’s online classes are more effective than traditional on-campus lectures because “you actually have more time to sit and really process the information, because it is flexible, on your own time, when you’re in the best condition to learn.”

ACE uses a chapter-by-chapter dissertation model, where students work on their dissertation progressively throughout their doctoral program, rather than waiting until the end. In addition, dedicated faculty members guide students through each phase of the dissertation, including topic selection, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and the final defense.   

Professors also offered invaluable support when she felt challenged while writing her dissertation. “One of my professors kept checking in on me – he may have noticed it in my emails or responses – and he said, ‘OK, we need to talk like, so call me and let’s talk,’” McGee said. “That call really changed everything. He said, ‘Let’s look at this, how are you feeling, why are you feeling this way?’ And I realized what I needed to do, and that weekend I finished everything up. So it was a pivotal moment.”

The dissertation, now available online, recommends that school districts invest in professional development and resources that promote responsible AI implementation – an idea echoed months later in April’s presidential executive order.

McGee’s work has caught the attention of many organizations developing policies and uses for AI, allowing her to serve as a panelist for the U.S. Department of Education and Carnegie Mellon University. She has also collaborated on projects with Digital Promise and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning at Stanford University. McGee has been in high demand as a keynote or featured speaker on AI in education at multiple conferences.

She credits much of her success to ACE’s program and the quality and personal attention of its faculty. “My dissertation work came out when ChatGPT exploded,” McGee said. “People saw me as a teacher with campus experience, district leadership and administration experience, and I had a doctoral degree. That just wouldn’t have been possible without ACE’s program, and the care and consideration of my teachers.”

ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said the college was proud of McGee’s career success.

“Dr. McGee’s commitment to pursuing her doctorate on AI’s role in education is a perfect example of our students’ dedication to learning and mastering the latest advances in their field,” Hyland said. “Students like Dr. McGee are the reason ACE is committed to building programs that teach current, relevant skills, and why we continually refine those programs while relentlessly focusing on keeping our degrees accessible and affordable.”

¹nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/datacenter

²This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax will apply where required by law.

³Excludes RN to BSN

About American College of Education

American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, fully online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 60 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation and part of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

SOURCE: American College of Education

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