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Deswell Industries (DSWL)
Stock Price: $2.62
Market Cap: $42 million
Enterprise Value: $27.7 million
Deswell Industries is a micro-cap EMS manufacturer with an extremely poor following. The company does not hold earnings calls because they want to convey to investors that they are a long-term oriented company. Because of this, they also changed their reporting from 4x a year to 2x.
I believe the opportunity in this company lies in its improving fundamentals and business operations, and because of the margin of safety established by it trading at a severe discount to book value. I have defined in the valuation section that I believe this company to be a "quasi net-net." Therefore, it follows that the catalyst is sheer value itself. Though buybacks are unlikely to occur in the near future, and hostile takeover attempts are blocked by the concentration of management's held shares, the firm may consider selling the business if an acquirer offered a price equal to book value.
Business Overview:
Deswell is a manufacturer of injection-molded plastic parts and components, electronic products, and subassemblies, metallic molds, & accessory parts for OEMs and contract manufacturers. Products include plastic components for power tools, outdoor equipment, flashlights, telephones, paging machines, projectors, alarm clocks, toner cartridges, AC, ventilators, remote controls, baby products, medical products, and automobile components.
Deswell is characterized by a passive foreign investment company corporate structure. However, it generates all of its revenues from sales of product that it manufactures. It has a main facility in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, PRC.
Going forward, Deswell's strategy is to focus on capturing the growing China market by reducing its proximity to its supplier base and customers. It also seeks to improve its manufacturing efficiency by reducing its employee base and turning to plant automation and upgrades. This will increase precision in the manufacturing process and reduce labor costs.
Customer Information:
Deswell's sales are heavily concentrated in its five largest customers which make up over 45% of total revenues. Its largest customers are Vtech Telecommunications (slightly less than 10% of sales), Lenbrook Industries (11.5%), Loud Technologies (10.2%), an unnamed customer D (12.5%), and an unnamed customer E (11.1%).
Their largest customers are companies such as PZ ProAudio, NAD Audio, and Loud Technologies. Many of the audio brands featured in the music store Sam Ash are ones that Deswell manufactures parts for. In addition, Deswell manufactures molds for companies such as Lexmark (ink printers), Emerson (landline phones), and VTec Telecommunications (landline phones).
Some of their largest customers will stay with the company year after year, but others will come and go. By the nature of the business, they hold shorter-term contracts ranging from 6-12 months. The business is not long-term backlog oriented. At the least, they need a six-month visibility, not a couple years, since their production is based on product-to-product.
One of their largest customers in the past was Behringer. The main reasons a customer leaves is due to cost, or in the case of Behringer, taking its manufacturing in-house.
Segment Information:
Because Deswell is a holding company, the two segments are separate businesses. Some customers will use both sides, but that is not always the case.
Deswell's factory is located in a free economic zone that is close in proximity to Hong Kong. According to the IR representative, it will likely stay there in the foreseeable future, since most of the company's core business customers are located in that region. The company has two facilities: one for the injection molding, and the other for the assembling business. The factory space in Dongguan is 223K square. It has never had manufacturing facilities outside of China. Over time, the company's facilities have moved further inland, from Shenzhen. What drove the decision was customers moving further inland as well, and decreasing labor costs. The end product is usually shipped elsewhere.
Jet Crown: Plastic Injection Molding (52% of total sales)
This segment has 1.07 million square feet of factory space in Dongguan. It specializes in mold design and production, requiring specialized machines. The process is highly capital intensive, and computerized. The process uses machines bought from other OEMs. Those machines use a high-power water jet that cuts through molds. Molds are stamped out of custom-designed templates. The customer owns the mold, which is housed and stored at Deswell until shipment. Two people operate each machine, and one product is produced at a time.
Within mold design, output is approximately 25-30 molds per month. The average weight of these molds is roughly 2.3 tons, and the average cost is $12,000 per set. The smallest product is the back of a cellphone, and the largest is the back of a keyboard. The segment as a whole has a relatively low scrap rate. The low scrap rate is attributable to good quality control, and the company believes that its scrap rate has been consistently at the lower end of the industry. It also helps that the products molded are not complex, and are not involved in life or death circumstances. According to the IR representative, the company added six machines in 2019 (after March 31) and scrapped two. This has been at a slightly high scrap rate than the previous year (none), but less than prior years (3 and 12 for year ended 2018 and 2017, respectively). Those machines scrapped are sold second-hand to other manufacturers.
Electronic Products & Assembly (48% of total sales)
There are three methods involved in the board assembly process. This is not to be confused with the assembly process for plastic molds. PTH (pin-through-mount) is the method of assembling circuit boards. The technology is several decades old and labor intensive, but still has significant market applications, especially in consumer products. According to management, despite it being an older process, it is not at the risk of obsolescence because it is only used towards certain niche products such as thicker board audios, and legacy audios. BGA is the method of mounting integrated circuit to PCB (printed circuit board). SMT is the automatic process of PCB assembly, which involves mounting components to the surface and sides of the board, rather than drilling and inserting into holes. While all three methods are similar in capital intensity, the SMT technique is the fastest and most common of all three. Over the past decade, management has invested 90% of the board assembly process in SMT.
Industry Outlook & Competitive Advantage:
EMS industry is currently experiencing excess manufacturing capacity. In China, it has moderated from where it was in previous years as a result of many smaller firms going out of business. According to the IR rep, it happened simply because they didn't have the clean balance sheet that Deswell has. Having an excess cash position and no debt has allowed Deswell to play the waiting game, and survive over time. Or, as Buffett puts it: "Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre. While I'm not trying to argue that Deswell is a wonderful business (which would imply its intrinsic value to trade at a premium), it does certainly have wonderful qualities. The excess cash serves its purpose as a cushion when the going gets though. And it had, for Deswell. From 2008 to 2015, the company had experienced declining sales, but because of its balance sheet, it was able to survive that tough period.
Other measures taken to counteract excess capacity in the short-term has involved retiring old machines.
While the EMS industry is considered to be commoditized, Deswell has carved out a niche. It is looking to return to moderate growth through building its brand in the audio sector. Unlike most EMS companies, Deswell does not engage in high volume consumer products (high volume companies include Flextronics and others in the Apple audio supply chain). Its focus is instead on professional quality audios, namely the transmission of audio, and therefore specializes in lower volume products. Its expertise is in audio transmission equipment, amplifiers, and mixing boards.
Though price within Deswell's niches is not as governing as the rest of the EMS space, Deswell still needs to be low-cost. Because it is positioned at the lower end of the industry cost curve, it has the ability to walk away from a lot of business. That, and coupled with its good balance sheet, it does not have to seek higher volume and high customer growth. Instead, it grows with its existing customers, and has for the past two decades.
Overall, Deswell should benefit from the continued trend towards outsource manufacturing.
Plastic injection molding is projected to reach an overall value of $162 billion globally by 2020. The industry has been growing at a CAGR of 4.9%, due to increasing demand in end markets such as automotive, electronics, and consumer goods.
Electronics assembly is projected to reach an overall value of $1.6 trillion globally by 2020. The industry has been growing at a CAGR of 4%, also due to increasing demand in end markets such as automotive, communications, consumer electronics, industrial, and medical.
In short, Deswell's competitive advantage is characterized by its quick response capability that comes from its uncommitted cash reserves and excess plant capacity. Those customers that have stuck with Deswell long-term continue to seek a custom designed product, which leads to greater customer loyalty.
Relative to Tangible Book Value, EPV offers a more conservative valuation. It rests on two somewhat pessimistic assumptions. Firstly, it assumes that projected revenues would shrink to $57 million, and profit margins would remain on the weaker end of previous years. Secondly, I used Graham's no growth PE multiple of 7.5.
The target price range is anywhere from $3.78 (downside) to $5.18 (upside).
Deswell has no debt, and no committed credit facilities. Therefore, all free cash flow produced is unlevered. In FY2019, the company produced $1.2 million in free cash flow (down from $3.99 million in FY2018, but up from prior years of negative FCF).
The company has a current ratio of 4.5, and a quick ratio of 3.66. Working capital turnover is 1.22x, increasing since 2014. Inventory turnover is 4.32x, increasing since 2017. Receivables turnover is 4.23x, increasing since 2017. Payables turnover is 9x, and increase from the two prior years, but decrease from 2017 and prior.
DIO has been on a decreasing trend since 2016. DSO has been on a decreasing trend since 2017. DPO has overall been on an increasing trend, with the exception of FY2019. Overall, the CCC has been on a decreasing trend since 2018. Prior to that, it was increasing for the past decade.
Working capital management has improved in the most recent years. This is signaling a turnaround in the business. In addition, there has not been any inventory or DSO bloat, which is a good sign.
On the income statement, non-operating income has played a key role, keeping the company's bottom line going. Dividend income from marketable securities, interest income from bank deposits, and rental income has provided a steady, reliable source. Unrealized gains from marketable securities are provided a steady, plentiful source, but are not as sustainable.
Manufacturing facilities and warehouses that were idle have been leased to third parties for rental income. Income earned has been growing each year: $839K (2017), $1,111K (2018), and $1,455K (FY2019).
Capital allocation-
In 2013 and 2014, the company had carried out an extensive buyback program. While it is certainly possible that it will happen again the future, at present, paying out a dividend takes precedence over a buyback.
There are several reasons against not initiating a buyback at the present. Management does not want to bring the cash position too far down, due to competitive advantage and cultural reasons. Additionally, the share count is relatively small and compressing the float further will make it harder for investors to buy shares.
During the 8-year period in which sales were declining, paying a meaningful dividend to shareholders encouraged patience, and created a long-term shareholder base. In FY2019, dividends were funded solely by net cash provided by financing activities.
Improvements in Business Operations-
Revenues stabilizing
- 2014: $40.9 mil
- 2015: $38.1 mil
- 2016: $44.6 mil
- 2017: $44.5 mil
- 2018: $60.7 mil
Improved gross margin
- 2014: 8.9%
- 2015: 11.1%
- 2016: 10.8%
- 2017: 16.7%
- 2018: 16%
Recovering and improving net income
- 2014: -$7.4 mil
- 2015: -$2.8 mil
- 2016: -$4.9 mil
- 2017: $1.4 mil
- 2018: $6.2 mil
Maintaining strong balance sheet
- Liquid securities: ($15.5 mil in cash + $18.9 mil in marketable)
- No debt
There is a heavy concentration of share ownership in senior management. The Chairman of Board, Richard Pui Han Lau, owns 51.7% of outstanding common shares. Total members of senior management and Board own 61.6% of common shares. For the most part, this is as an ant-takeover measure. The company is not looking to sell, as the Chairman has been buying up shares. In terms of valuation, the Chairman is a firm believer that the company is worth at least book value. At the very least, it should be valued at its assets, because of its improving fundamental situation.
Risk Factors:
1. Because the minimum wage is set by the regional Chinese government, Deswell is dependent on external factors for labor costs. Its only two facilities are both in the same region, and will experience concurrent labor cost increases should the minimum wage be increased.
2. Deswell does not have long-term contracts to obtain plastic resins. In FY2019, the cost of resin was 21% of COGS. In FY2020 thus far, resin is responsible for 40% of gross margin product. The resin is purchased in bulk and its cost is difficult, if not impossible, to pass off to the customer. From an inventory standpoint, pricing is unpredictable. To be better stewards of shareholder capital, Deswell utilizes short-term contracts rather than long-term contracts. They have never had to hedge for materials, as the costs of hedging is rather expensive.
3. If there are any shortages in electronic components, this could cause a short-term setback or delay in production. Thus far, the trade war has had a little bit of an impact, despite there being crossover with Deswell's customer base. The real risk lies in the portion shipped to the US, which is positioned at immaterial at this point for the injection molded plastic products (5%), and significant for electronic products (30%). As a percentage of total revenues, sales to the US make up 19%. As a ramification, there are present negotiations in progress for the possible future relocation of facilities to Vietnam.


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- Home
- Books
- Curriculum & Small-Group Study
- Formed by Love Church's Teachings for a Changing World: Volume 5
Formed by Love Church's Teachings for a Changing World: Volume 5
Product Description
- Next generation of classic Episcopal teaching series
- Accessible and engaging for newcomers and adults; full of content for church leaders and seminarians
- Online study guide
In volume five of Church's Teaching for a Changing World, Scott Bader-Saye, Academic Dean and Professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology at Seminary of the Southwest, examines the moral life through the lens of the Episcopal Church and its traditions. Beginning with an introduction to ethics in a changing world, Bader-Saye helps the reader move past the idea that we either accept cultural change as a whole or reject it whole, suggesting that Christians need to make discriminating judgments about where to affirm change and where to resist it. Part I looks at some distinctive aspects of the Episcopal ethos that shape a particular kind of moral life. Part II looks at big ethical questions including the relation of goodness and happiness, the place of rules and desires in the moral life, the significance of love and justice, and engagement with those who are different. Part III examines how an Episcopal ethos might shape a typical day – seeing Morning Prayer and Compline as bookends of moral formation between which we work, eat, and play in ways that are distinctive to our identity.

subset: commoncrawl


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Leopold and his Fiction
First of all, can we talk about the talent this band has and the credit that needs to be given? When I first heard them a few weeks back I thought "Holy shit!!" this is like a mix of Black Keys, Led Zeppelin, and mow-town in a cluster-fuck of "awesomeness" . I think we all needed that.
The day before the concert I found myself listening to "Cowboy" and "Waves (Golden)" on repeat while at the gym. That whole day I re-listened to their 3 previous albums before Darling Destroyer, which are: Leopold and his Fiction, 3, and Ain't No Surprise. I was anxious for Saturday.
Saturday came and I posted on the band's page that I wanted to interview them. Less than an hour later they had accepted, to my delight. Crap, that meant I had to get prepared. (Regardless, I was elated).
Night came and I was inside Lowbrow Palace, the venue, with my friend and blog partner Estefania. While we were waiting for Daniel (singer and guitarist of Leopold and his fiction) to arrive with the rest of the band, we listened to the opening bands. Meanwhile, we listened to the opening bands I turned to face out the door and saw the bleached hair. For a second I did not recognize Daniel for i remember that in his last interview he had brown hair and a mustache.
He walked into Lowbrow and his drummer, Mark Henne, notified him and turned to us.
I'm not going to lie. I was so nervous. This is how it went down; He greeted us and I asked him if he had visited El Paso before. He mentioned that he had been in El Paso before many years ago, but never with that line-up.
Leopold and his fiction is an Austin based band (hell yeah Texas) and Daniel (lead singer) mentioned that he had moved from San Fransisco, which was very drastic in every way. He said, "Not only was the move drastic, but I'm also a first-time father."
I proceeded to ask him about their latest album, Darling Destroyer. I asked him what was different about this album compared to the others and if there was anything he would like to tell us about it. He was quick with an answer and said "This album is it. The other albums were a warm-up to this one and that if I did not make Darling Destroyer it would be detrimental." It is obvious that he and the band members put a lot of heart into this album, I personally love it and he asked that people just give this album a chance. Music is always evolving.
After conversing about the album, I proceeded into asking about his favorite songs to pump up to before a concert and whether he carried a lucky item with him. He smiled and said, "The Stooges and 2chainz. For the lucky item I bring something of my daughter's or something family oriented."
Daniel was born and raised in Detroit and lived there for twenty years. I asked him what places he would recommend for me to visit and he mentioned, always smiling, "see Studio A (historic mouton studio) and visit the museums. Detroit has probably changed since I have last been there, so you go and tell me what you see." We laughed.
I ended this interview by asking the entire band what bands they were into or currently listening to. Zach Lynch (bassist) jokingly said "Britney Spears", jokes aside, they mentioned bands like: The Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle club, and whatever they were in the mood for. My final question was what had been their favorite place to have played at, which they all responded"Berlin".
I was at awe during the concert. They have such raw energy and they sound as good live as they do on CD. They had a great vibe going and the music was fantastic. I wish El Paso gave them a chance and would like for people to check them out next time they come because they are really good and talented. It is worth it! Trust me.
Out with the old, in with the new?
Is the title completely true? No. What I mean by that is that there a lot of modern, rising bands that sound like they are completely from a different era! Below I will provide a list of modern bands that will make you feel nostalgic and say "a-ha! This reminds me of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, or even Otis Redding!!" However, this play list will include some good ole' oldies as well as modern music that pairs well and is worth a try!! Give them a listen!
** I do not own any of this material**
Banner by: dotodotjulio
Interviews and playlists of local bands and international artists.
September 2020


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I love this great Johnson's Baby Oil ad from 1974 for the mere fact that it looks very current, like something you'd see on a beauty blog or Pinterest. In the 70s, Johnson & Johnson was on a real kick, marketing their baby products to teens and adults. Since there was no internet, we teenaged… Read more »
Posts Tagged: 70s ads
Yardley's 'You're the Fire' Skin Inscents 1974
I came across these two Yardley of London ads from 1974 issues of Mademoiselle magazine for You're the Fire skin 'inscents'. I admit that I was a bit horrified because #1) I don't remember this product AT ALL, #2) the ads are rather frightening, and #3) it shows how Yardley was completely changing its marketing… Read more »
The Ultra Brite Love-Bug – Vintage 1975
In 1971, LA based advertising consultant Charles E. Bird started a company called Beetleboards. It was a way for college students to advertise and make money ($20 per month) by driving around with groovy graphic ads on the sides of their VW Beetles. This continued throughout the '70s, but fizzled out by the '80s. Which… Read more »
The Boho Folkloric Yardley of 1971
Yardley of London always seemed to be spot-on with trends in the late '60s and into the early '70s. Their late '60s advertising tended to be either London Mod or Ethereal Romantic, and featured gorgeous 'Yardley Girl' models Jean Shrimpton, Olivia Hussey, and Patsy Sullivan. By the early '70s, Yardley took on a more Folklorical… Read more »
The Cool Scents of 1973: Charlie, Sweet Earth, and Musk Oil
Admittedly, 1973 was a pivotal year for me. It was the year I turned 18, graduated from high school, got my first part-time job, and started college. So things from that year particularly stand out, especially poignant fragrances. Perfumes took an original, more natural turn that year. Gone were the scents that your mother wore,… Read more »
There Were Colorful Nails in 1973 Too!
With all the wildly different nail polish colors of today, it's easy to think that it is only a current thing. But this Max Factor Nail Confections ad from 1973 tells a different story; that all the nail polish colors of the rainbow were available then. Even black! Which I thought came about during the… Read more »


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In keeping with Government restrictions on non-essential movement of people, we have temporarily postponed delivery of products redeemed using Relish Rewards points. But don't worry, you will still be earning Relish Reward points when you purchase from us.
We will relaunch our programme when the current restrictions on the movement of non-essential workers have been lifted.
Please get in touch at email@example.com if you have any queries.


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As many of you know. I've been putting out videos on LinkedIn almost, well almost, every week day since December 2017.
During this time, I must say that I've never ran out of things to say.
The rationale is this:
Starting out
When I first started out as a content creator, I had only one focus: myself.
I created content when I wanted to.
I created content based on what I wanted to say.
Frankly, I didn't have much to say.
Valuable lesson
Despite putting in the resources, time, and energy into my content, I was still not getting any traction.
However, once I switched my focus from myself to my audience, things started to happen.
People started engaging with my content. Not because I was cool. But because my content helped solve their problems.


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California, Mo. Couple Become Millionaires Overnight
CALIFORNIA - Derek VanLoo was playing a streak of Missouri Lottery Scratchers he got in his Christmas stocking when he decided to end the run. He ended up with a $3.1 million winning Lotto ticket from the Dec. 28 drawing.
"Give me tickets for whatever drawing is tonight," he told the clerk at Break Time in California. She explained that Powerball was $2 a ticket, so would he want two of those, or should she split them between Powerball and Lotto? "Split them," said VanLoo, thinking a shot at a big jackpot was better than the $4 Scratchers win he just traded in. And that's how he ended up the Missouri Lottery's 222nd Lotto jackpot winner.
VanLoo was checking his tickets the next day when he discovered the surprise. He and his wife, Dena, had just become the 390th Missouri Lottery-made millionaires. Knowing that the family had a full day of Christmas celebrations to attend, he slipped the winning ticket into his pocket and sealed his lips. Later that night, he broke the news to Dena, following a phone call from her mother. News was already getting about town that a winning Lotto ticket had been sold at Break Time. Dena's mother was wondering if they had it.
"I closed the door, sat her down, and said, 'I've got something to tell you, and it's life-changing.'" He told Dena, "You know that Lotto ticket your mother just called about? It's us. We've got it." The VanLoos took their time, speaking with an accountant and financial advisor before claiming the ticket at Lottery headquarters on January 2. They plan to take the annuity, which will pay about $124,000 a year before taxes for the next 25 years.
Not much will change for the couple, who plan to keep working. The win is just fortunate security. "We'll be able to retire comfortably, and we'll be able to pay for our children's college education," noted Derek. "That's a welcome relief." Lotto is a twice-weekly Draw Game with jackpots that start at $1 million. Break Time received a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning Lotto jackpot ticket. The winning Lotto numbers for Dec. 28, 2013, were: 6, 14, 15, 19, 23 and 40.


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AS and A Level
The International Football Academy can offer students the opportunity to take AS and A Level qualifications, to support their BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sports Studies course. A variety of qualifications are available, aimed at meeting the individual needs of the student.
Additional costs are required for students wishing to study an AS or A Level through the Academy, further information is available on request.
Advanced level qualifications (known as A levels) are subject-based qualifications that can lead to university, further study, training, or work. Through Oxford Education Consulting (OEC), the Academy can offer the opportunity to take various AS and A level qualifications.
OEC personalise its services and delivery to the needs of the individual student. With a team of expert and experienced teachers who specialise in the educational wellbeing and guidance of students, OEC support learning for both UK and International students.
Using a highly effective online teaching platform, specialist teachers deliver live lessons through the easy to use platform. Delivered on a one to one or small group basis, personalised advice and assessment enables each lesson to be specifically tailored to the needs of the individual.
There are several A Level courses to choose from, so whatever your needs or interests there will be something to suit. Students can study towards either an AS or A level, and whilst some courses will require an individual to have studied GCSE's or equivalent before enrolment, other subjects do not require prior knowledge.
A dedicated personal tutor will be allocated for each course of study. Each of the OEC tutors are an expert in the subject they teach and will be responsible for the delivery of each lesson, marking work and providing support and feedback during the course.
All AS and A level courses require you to sit an exam at the end of your course and some involve assessed coursework that will be built up during the time you spend studying the course. OEC will arrange the exam at test centre suitable for the student, exams take place predominantly between May to July of each year, where each student will register as a private candidate and pay exam fees to the exam centre.
International Students
Students who live outside of the UK are welcome to enrol on an A Level, with many A Level exams having test centres not only in the UK but also Internationally.


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Digital Lancashire
Tom Stables
My obsession for tech, words and multimedia is underpinned by my BSc Web & Multimedia with Creative Writing. My love for design, image and aesthetics is underpinned by my MA Graphic Design.
I've been inadvertently immersed in digital since 1996. I design for web, design for print and I develop communication strategies across multiple channels (digital/offline). In 1999, I was teaching local communities how to use the internet at Cardinal Newman College. In 2001, I was an online journalist, producing digital written content and fostering a social network in the shape of Bigwideworld.
I got Preston involved with the first global Social Media Day in 2010 and I co-founded the Preston Social a year later, which sought to bring the digital community together once a month to investigate how social networking developments affected our local community.
Little wonder then, that my MA dissertation focussed on hyperconnectivity and its impact on us as designers and people.
It makes sense then that I also lecture in Online Reputation Management, Digital Marketing and other social network related agendas at a number of colleges and universities in the region. In my role at, 3ManFactory, I also work with schools, educating students about the importance and impact of their digital footprint, with emphasis on web safety.
I was part of the board that launched the Digital Inclusion Charter for Lancashire Country Council and currently sit on the board of Digital Lancashire, which provides support to individuals and organisations working in or aspiring to work in the digital sector in Lancashire.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
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This haunting version of Rodger's & Hammerstein's Sound of Music classic Edelweiss captured my attention when it was re-purposed as the eerie introduction for the televesion adaptation of Phillip K Dick's "The Man in the High Castle"
I was so impressed that I decided to learn it, but I noticed that all the version I found on youtube were slightly innaccurate (A not untypical scenario!)
Therefore, as the adage goes, if a job's worth doing, do it yourself! And so I have. Below is my transcription of the intro theme above. Note the chord symbols indicating a tune of reasonable harmonic sophistication, as befits Rodger's & Hammerstein.
Originally posted 2019-07-04 11:51:46.


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Posted on :
28 Aug, 2017
28 Aug, 2017
Dear Colleagues Leading companies from the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and banking sectors, in partnership with the Belgium Campus, offer an ICT qualification of a high standard to talented South African youngsters. The ITBLP qualification and associated learning programme is aligned to the ICT skills needs of the ICT and banking industries.
The learning programme is inclusive of the following course modules:
Programming, Java, Computer Network & Security; Mainframe; Microsoft.net; Oracle; COBOL; Business Analysis, Project Management and Business Intelligence.
Learners will at the end of the programme, obtain a National Diploma in Information and Communication Technology Studies NQF Level 6. These forms a base for Learners to upgrade their qualification into a degree in future. The duration of the Learnership is 24 months, comprising of 12 months theoretical learning and 12 months workplace learning. If vacant posts are available, employment will be offered on successful completion of the Programme.
Admission Requirements
The ITBLP, sponsored by BANKSETA, MICT SETA, Business Connexion, First National Bank, Gijima, Nedbank Ltd and the South African Reserve Bank offers limited opportunities to applicants who satisfy the following admission requirements:
Persons with disabilities must provide a medical certificate confirming the nature of their disability.
Closing Date: 30 August 2017
Location: Gauteng
How To Apply
To avoid disqualification, please e-mail your CV (not exceeding 3 pages) and certified copies of their South African Identity documents and Matric certificate or latest school results to [email protected]
If you do not hear from us by 30 September 2017, please consider your application as unsuccessful.


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Our new home faces west and is within 1km of the ocean. When buying the home we recognised that installing Roller Shutters on the front windows was going to be one of our first projects. The heat increase in the front bedrooms was significant in the afternoon and a summer storm reinforced the need to protect against winter storms coming straight off the ocean. This is the second home to which we have fitted Ozshut Roller Shutters. Our previous home was similarly situated and after 10 years service the Ozshut electric Roller Shutters were still operating satisfactorily without the need for additional service.
Our previous experience with Ozshut made requesting a quote for our new home a no brainer and we are very pleased with our decision to again choose Ozshut Roller Shutters. The installation service was excellent and the Roller Shutters have met all our expectations: the heat has been significantly reduced in the front bedrooms; any noise from the street has been reduced; the impact of storms is reduced and security has been increased.
Russell Hewitt


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Allen Tate Relocation & Corporate Services
As a nationally acclaimed leader in relocation, Allen Tate Corporate Services has the experience and resources to provide your corporate relocation needs. We assist HR departments in administering relocation benefits and providing relocation services. Our comprehensive services are designed to make each move a success. By coordinating all aspects of your relocation, we create a smooth transition, reduce stress and increase productivity. Our services include: Area tour and information, school ratings, temporary housing and rental assistance, real estate and associated products.
Pam Davis, CRP
VP Corporate Services
323 Buncombe Street Greenville, SC 29601
Phone: 864-272-1927
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://relocation.allentate.com/


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TEC Explores Co-op Purpose with CFC
February 2, 2015
More than 200 National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation employees got an in-depth look into their organization's purpose in January. Nearly all CFC staff attended "Understanding the CFC Difference" during one of four sessions over two days at the organization's headquarters in northern Virginia.
Texas Electric Cooperatives President/CEO Mike Williams and Special Projects Manager Monica Beavers led the program, designed to explore why and how CFC employees do what they do. The program was based on TEC's "Cooperative Purpose 101" training, which builds on concepts explored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's "21st Century Cooperative Committee Report."
"The training TEC facilitated provided CFC employees with a better understanding of how electric cooperatives do business, what impact they have on the lives of their member-consumers and how they tirelessly work to improve the lives of the communities they serve," CFC CEO Sheldon C. Petersen said. "CFC's entire focus is on electric cooperatives. Mike and Monica helped connect the work we do every day to the broader purpose driving our member-owners."
For more information, please contact us at (512) 486-6226.


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"One day, you're 17 and you're planning for someday. And then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life." ~John Green
My baby is a senior! She is a kind, compassionate, loving, intelligent, funny, and artistic young woman. I am proud to call her my daughter!


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Mare Liberum (Freedom of the Sea)
Jason Minsky
(Film, 3 minutes looped)
Preview December 6th @ 5pm – 7pm
Open: Thurs – Sun : 12pm -7pm
Runs: 6th Dec – 23rd Dec 2018
MART Gallery 2, 190A Rathmines Rd Lwr, Dublin 6
Mare Liberum (Freedom of the Sea*) is a projected film showing an assistant referee (aka Linesman) signalling towards the horizon whilst standing on top of a grass covered raft which floats somewhere in the Sea.
Drifting aimlessly, Undaunted by his maritime position, He stands upright, absurdly patrolling the line on his tiny section of football pitch in a bizarre sense of duty.
The title 'Mare Liberum' translates as Freedom of the Sea, and was a treaty formulated by Hugo Grotius in 1609. It established the sea as international territory for all the nations to use freely for seafaring trade. The film is beguiling as it is absurd and has a soundtrack that is calming and strangely rhythmic.
This film was made during Minsky's Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship and was first shown in 2009 as part of his Solo show, Interfering with Play, Berwick Gymnasium Art Gallery. He began his residency with a file of information about the local football team, Berwick Rangers who famously play their domestic football in Scotland and his research unearthed twenty- eight other professional teams around the world who play their domestic football across another border.
After reading through, FIFA, UEFA, English, Scottish and Welsh Football Associations rulebooks, and examining the laws of the game he concluded that what was needed was a gesture to these nomadic teams. Somewhere to call home. A rallying call to all twenty-nine teams. Mare Liberum is the resulting work.
This is the first time this film has been shown in Ireland. Jason Minsky would like to thank Deirdre Morrissey and the team at MART for their help in making this happen.
A Limited Edition Signed Print 'Mare Liberum' is also available. Please contact the artist for details.
About the artist
Born London,1968, Jason Minsky now lives and works in Dublin. He has a multi-disciplinary approach. Combining video, photography, multiples, installation and performance. The context of the work is often central to its interpretation and during the last few years he has made a range of work exploring the conventions and rituals within and around sporting environments.
Much of Minsky's work shares a feeling of surreal pondering brought to life. Activity and energy is captured and presented, both as performance to camera and harnessed in the objects he constructs or chooses to work with. A strong interventionist strand runs through all his work along with a mischievous sense of humour
He studied 3-D Design at Manchester Polytechnic, BA Hons (1989-1992) and completed a Masters at the Royal College of Art (1997-1999). Minsky has lectured at many colleges and universities within the UK, on a diverse range of courses, including architecture, furniture design and fine art.
He was the Inaugural winner of the Crosby Homes Manchester Art Prize (2003), creating a live performance and exhibition; Get in…get out, Manchester Art Gallery (2004). A catalogue was produced on the occasion of this show, which included an essay by Henry Meyric Hughes. 'Get in…get out', Jason Minsky, Manchester Art Gallery, Cornerhouse Publications (2004).
Most recently he has shown an edition of 'Mare Liberum' (Freedom of the Sea) prints (1/10) as part of Halftone Print Fair at PhotoIreland, Dublin November,2018. Purchased by the Office of Public Works for the State Art Collection, Ireland.
Exhibitions include:
'Advantage' Solo show, Site Gallery, Sheffield, 2012. Artist in residence on Extraordinary Moves project, Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield, an Official Cultural Olympiad Project 2012. During 2007-2008, He spent 12 months working as Artist in Residence for the Leeds Rugby Foundation. The result was 'Match Report' a solo show for PSL (Project Space Leeds, 2008). During this year he also exhibited internationally with Arte Grupo Forja, Valencia (2008).
'Unrealised Potential' Cornerhouse, Manchester, 2010, 'This is England' Beacon House University, Pakistan 2010, 'Plus100', Volume Projects, London (2009), alongside Damian Hirst, Tracey Emin and Mustafa Hulusi. 'Artheke' Va Va Room, Hong Kong (2009). 'Kiss of a Lifetime', Bearspace, London (2009) and 'Interfering with Play', Berwick Gymnasium Art Gallery, Berwick upon Tweed (2009). Minsky's work has been reviewed in The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, Time Out (London), and Art News (USA), Arena Magazine, Flux Magazine, Apollo Magazine, Artists Newsletter and many other publications. Catalogues available include, 'Arcadia in the City' English Heritage (p.74, 79, and back cover) (2002). 'New Routes New Destinations' Rosenthal and The Royal College of Art, (2000).
Opening: 27 October 2018 @6pm
Runs to: 17 November 2018 – Open: Wed – Sat, 1-6pm
Hangar Galleries, Santa Monica Art Studios, 3026 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, California
Curated by Matthew Nevin & Deirdre Morrissey.
MART Gallery & Studios Dublin curators Matthew Nevin & Deirdre Morrissey are delighted to present Transmission an exhibition featuring Irish Artists Sofie Loscher, Helen Mac Mahon & Robin Price in the Hangar Galleries, Los Angeles as part of Irelandweek 2018. Within their work, the artists examine and reinvent light as a material, producing experimental methodologies to act as a mirror and analysis of the structure of our world.
Featuring Live Performances and readings from local artists & performers on the opening night; including Zeina Baltagi, Jenny Minniti Shippey, Thinh Nguyen, Marc-Ivan O'Gorman, Rachel Rath, and Patrice Roth.
Transmission explores light as catalyst to investigate the risks in our everyday life. By creating dialogues which challenge conventional views, the exhibition aims to push preconceived expectations of how visibility works and is understood. The exhibition surveys the processes of how light moves through space, exploring both its and our expectations of its functions. The way that light moves through space can often bring forward new possibilities in presentation and representation, igniting exploration through visibility and quite often producing overlooked qualities. The works explore visibility, the process of perception, expectations versus function and assesses how our beliefs or understanding of light can be changed or manipulated through positioning, alignment and juxtaposition.
The artwork explores light in its most basic form and the processes behind visibility. The installations redirect the viewer's attention away from the object and towards the process of perception. The work uses unconventional sculptural media with a scientific underpinning. It makes connections between the physical world and the visual world, examining issues of visibility, stability, perception and contradiction. Her polarised geometric sculptures and cyanotype prints examine how light moves through space, through objects and to picture how we move in relation to it – these optical devices and materials reveal a way to better understand light. The works expose how we see refracted and redirected light, and how a change in direction might affect our perception.
"The work created for Transmission explores materials, our expectations around their function and how these beliefs might be confounded. Everyday materials are used, in particular those that seem fixed and certain, such as concrete and glass. These materials make manifest the external structure of our world and serve to reflect this world back to us. But, through simple manipulations, be it the introduction of an additional element or the presentation of an object en masse, new potentials for the materials are created. Bringing to light previously overlooked qualities and revealing new possibilities, the potential to see beyond limitations and restrictions associated with certain materials is focused on while also emphasising active discernment rather than blind trust in their more traditional functions."
The works in this exhibition make visible the outcomes of a collaboration between digital artist Robin Price and environmental scientist Francis Pope. Experimental photography – recorded using a custom-built digital light painter and wearable sensors – capture the extent of air pollution present by enlarging microscopic particulates which are usually invisible to the naked eye. Images which indicate a greater density depict higher numbers of hazardous particulates. These images were made in sites around the UK and Ireland, as well as those which are most vulnerable to the health effects of pollution including India, Mexico and East Africa.
With thanks to Culture Ireland, Ciara Scanlan & Team at The MART Gallery Dublin, Santa Monica Art Studios and Deirdre & Buzz O'Neill of Irelandweek 2018.
MART at Art Market Budapest
October 11 – 14 2018
Curated by Deirdre Morrissey
For Art Market Budapest 2018 MART has selected four Irish artists at different stages of their professional careers working across painting, drawing and sculpture whose work takes innovative approaches to traditional media. The exhibition of the artists work at Art Market Budapest is driven by a three pronged curatorial objective aimed at: widening access to the artists individual practices, driving sales, and promoting MART Gallery as a dynamic platform for visual art in Ireland.
James L Hayes' art practice is multi-faceted but rooted in sculpture. His work aims to draw out the often-incongruous relationships between finished art objects, and the industrial aspects of the processes that produce these revered objects.
Shane Berkery is a young emerging artist who is fast developing a following of collectors of his beautiful paintings. Shortlisted for the prestigious National Gallery of Ireland Hennessy Portrait Prize in 2017 he was winner of the RHA Hennessy-Craig Award and RHA Whytes Award in 2016.
Steven Maybury's practice is primarily concerned with drawing although often develops into sculptures and installations. His work has been purchased for the OPW state collection and has been sold to private collectors in Ireland, England, Switzerland, Spain, USA and Canada.
Niamh Hannaford uses her work to explore her inner fears with a playful curiosity. Still, she is constantly terrified. With her background in metalwork, B.A in Metal work National College of Art and Design 2010, Niamh Hannaford now primarily focuses on her painting practice. Her work focus on aspects of play with the aim to create a feeling reminiscent of childhood wonder and curiosity.
ART MARKET BUDAPEST, the international art fair established in 2011 presents a unique artistic composition in a vibrant and exciting region and in one of the culturally most attractive cities in Europe, that gives an emphasised presence to fresh and inspiring galleries and artists including the now emerging stars of the future, and places new artistic inspirations in the focus.
With thanks to Culture Ireland, Ciara Scanlan, Matthew Nevin, & Team at the MART Gallery Dublin.
Preview: Thursday 13 September @ 6pm
Location: The MART Gallery, 190a Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Runs to: Thursday 1 November 2018
Open: Tuesday – Saturday | 1-6pm
Artist: David Lunney
Curator: Deirdre Morrissey
Video Conversation with the Artist
David Lunney's artistic practice involves the undertaking of protracted art processes. Typically, these processes start with the construction of site-specific sculptural works in Dublin Mountains. These sculptures are generally created less for their inherent value but rather to provide photographic source material for documentary artworks.
In Things Twice (multiple times) points of view can be different and the same, simultaneously. The artist has used tailor-made sculptures to split apart and meld together a variety of vistas.
In the Drumnadober series this is achieved using formal symmetry, weaving, photography and pattern. Here, a sculpture was brought to some woodland in Co. Leitrim and placed into the ground.
Two photographs were taken of the sculpture from two exactly opposite angles. The compositional similarities of these two images are both highlighted and obscured in the central work, Drumnadober Dance.
Most of other work in the exhibition uses reflective surfaces instead of symmetry. A cameraphone is mounted in a fixed position relative to a matrix of reflective, shiny and matt surfaces. This, as a portable unit, was brought for a walk and photographed in the digital collages A walk at Kilmashogue Passage Tomb #1 and #2.
All the images gleaned from these sculptures are presented in detailed handmade frames which play an important role in the work. These frames ape a non-existent vernacular aesthetic; a neo-Celtic Baroque.
David Lunney is based in Dublin and currently a member of Talbot Studios, he has a BA in Fine Art from NCAD. Recent exhibitions include Chrome Dreams at Pallas Projects, April 2018, Re-Inforce MART LA November 2017, Landscape Contortion at Droichead Art Centre, August 2017, Glitch at Rua Red May 2017, Things Made for Drawing at Eight Gallery, 2016, Glencree Intervention at The LAB, 2015. David Lunney has been the recipient of awards such as; the Sculpture in Context Award 2014, Arts Council of Ireland Project Award (for Adorned Documents, collaborative project with artist Jane Fogarty) Falun Grafisk (Printmaking) Residency Award John Kelly RHA Black Church Print Studio Graduate Award. He will undertake a month long residency in Tynset, Norway in October 2018
Lunney is represented by MART Gallery. This exhibition is made possible with funding by the Arts Council of Ireland.
The MART Team are: Ciara Scanlan & Matthew Nevin (Directors), Deirdre Morrissey, Barbara Deignan, Gay Murphy, Edward Sheehy, and Bernard O'Rourke.
SMART Talks is a new series of professional development presentations and workshops, providing a platform for artists and the creative community to engage with a curated selection of creative agencies, councils, artistic supports, professional creative practices, and funding providers. There will also be a space for wider discussions of issues such as arts & mental health, wellbeing, diversity and accessibility in the arts.
By providing these talks in The MART Gallery, Dublin – alongside our gallery programme and studio network – we hope to foster an environment where creativity can flourish as a professional career, where new practices can establish themselves, and where artists and creatives have the space to engage critically with contemporary issues.
To stay informed of future talks, keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or sign up to our monthly newsletter.
Upcoming SMART Talks
Please note that the 2020 SMART Talk programme will resume when it is safe for MART Gallery to reopen to the public.
Previous SMART Talks
Friday 3 May & Saturday 4 May – 'How to survive as an artist and maker in Ireland today.' – Led by 4D Space.
Thursday 9 May – 'Women in Film and TV' – Led by Vanessa Gildea.
Wednesday 6 February 2019 – Caroline Ryan, Education and Outreach Officer at the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland will discuss available supports for designers, artists and craftspeople.
Thursday 7 February 2019 – Claire Meaney, Acting Arts Director of Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT), and Emma Eager, Project Co-ordinator of artsandhealth.ie, the national website for arts and health, will talk about arts and health practice in Ireland.
Thursday 3rd May 2018 – Information session with Local Enterprise Office.
Tuesday 10th July 2018 – Visual Artists Ireland Help Desk.
Thursday 2nd August 2018 – Arts Council Funding with Aoife Tunney of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Wednesday 29th August 2018- Presentation from Jenny Walton of Culture Ireland
Saturday 15th Sept 2018 – 'Ad Infinitum' – Led by Róisín Power Hackett & Ruth Kerr
10th Nov 2018 – 'Cultural Engagement in the Age of Trump' – led by Dan O'Neill and Fiona Kenny
What: An Exhibition in Support of Together for Yes Campaign to Repeal the 8th
Where: The MART Gallery, 190a Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6
When: 5 April – 13 April | Monday – Saturday, 1-6pm.
Click here to browse art work for sale
Artists: Gag | Be Alice | Doug Ross | Ciara O'Neill | Robyn Carey | Monica Flynn | Sophie Murphy | Izzy Rose Grange | Leonie Connellan | Niamh Hannaford | Patricia Hennessy | Dominique Crowley | Helen Mac Mahon | Phaedra Vlahos | Eleanor Lawler | El Harrington | Jane Fogarty | David Lunney | Darina Meagher | Juliana Scodeler | Moran Been Noon | Collette Flores | Amy Ní Mhurchú | Jago Moulton | Andrej Kapor | Sarah Lennon | Ellen Forkin | Rebecca Curling | Aaron Ross | Paul Leech
Taproot + MART Gallery are proud to present 'Artonomy' – an exhibition and art auction to raise funds for the Together for Yes Campaign.
The exhibition launches with an opening reception and auction on Thursday 5 April at 6pm, and runs until Friday 13 April. In selecting the work for Artonomy, Deirdre Morrissey {MART} and Sophie Murphy {Taproot Art} curated work from invited artists and current MART Studio members who believe that the 8th Amendment needs to be removed from the Irish Constitution.
Being self determining means having the free choice over one's own acts, and we at MART believe that the 8th Amendment is currently denying Irish women the freedom to make choices and have autonomous control over their bodies.
MART Directors Ciara Scanlan & Matthew Nevin feel strongly in supporting the repeal of the 8th campaign and have helped produce this fundraising exhibition. MART firmly believes in the self-determining artist and art organisation as vital societal and cultural catalyst.
This exhibition is both a showcase of the varied and diverse practices of determined creatives and an act of solidarity with Together For Yes and the Repeal the 8th campaign.
50% of all artwork sold will go to the Together for Yes Campaign and 50% will go to the artist.
There will be an auction of work on the opening night (Thursday 5 April) from 6pm -9pm, with music by Eve and Frank Sweeney.
In addition to the work being auctioned, Taproot will present MASK – a series of of images and installations produced by Sophie Murphy in association with drawing session conductor Doug Ross, and the artists Paul Leech, Aaron Lennon Ross, Sarah Lennon Ross, Amy Ní Mhurchú, Andrej Kapor, Rebecca Curling, Jago Moulton, Ellen Forkin, Niamh Hannaford and Bertrand Desrochers.
Activating Pangea: Acts to Objects
Curated by: Ciara Scanlan & Matthew Nevin of MART Gallery Dublin
Runs: March 15th – April 29nd 2018
Gallery: LACE, Los Angeles.
Artists: Aine Phillips, Amanda Coogan, Helen Mac Mahon, Margaret O'Brien,
Katherine Nolan, Eleanor Lawler, Laura O'Connor, and Jane Fogarty.
Opening Reception: March 15th, 2018, 7-10 PM
The opening night will feature performances by: Amanda Coogan, Eleanor Lawler, Cindy Rehm, Thinh Nguyen and Mothertongues (Meital Yaniv & Kim Ye).
Art and cultural practice often seeks to challenge the primacy of the visual in Western culture, as dominated by a pervasive masculinised privileged gaze (Irigaray). To affect change women artists too have sought ways to refute, undermine and evade this primacy of the visual in art practice in order to find a visual language and a voice that can be heard (Mary Kelly).
So too have artists harnessed and heightened the spectacle of the visual as means to staking a claim to the authorship of cultural practice, and thereby a form of subjectivity. It is in the tradition of these 'attention grabbers' that the artists in this show employ strategies that arrest and twist the gaze, that clamber for visibility. The artworks play with and investigate the idea of art as spectacle, whether refracting and manipulating light, playing on expectations of material form and colour, or performing acts that intervene in social space and norms.
As a set of work disparate in form, from sculpture to performance, together they speak to ideas of spectacle. The art works shun the lingering forces that continue to undermine women's right to cultural authorship, unapologetic in staking their claim to visibility. The philosophical terms that frame westernised art practices assert 'calling attention to' as a critical strategy: these art works glisten, tousle and shout.
The exhibition is staged in Los Angeles, the locus of production of the Hollywood spectacle, that much early feminist discourse critiqued for its dominant gendered narratives that constantly position women as passive objects to the active masculine look, that continues to persist in new forms. Bringing together artists from Los Angeles and Ireland that span a number of generations, in order to explore the role of spectacle in feminist practice today.
Livestock has teamed up with MART to present a year long residency in 2018.
Livestock was established in 2010 at The Market Studios in Dublin by Joan Healy, Louise Ward and Francis Fay. Livestock continues today with Francis Fay & Eleanor Lawler as co-curators.
Livestock is an artist-led initiative set up to support, encourage and promote performance, the artists and their work. The bi-monthly event is an opportunity for performers to show new or evolving work.
Central to their ethos is the creation of a positive and welcoming environment where artists can perform their live work to an appreciative audience. We believe performance facilitates a relationship between artist and audience, creating an intimacy and a space for dialogue between both parties.
Livestock has been part of Dublin Live Art Festival since 2012, exposing Irish performance artists' work to International artists taking part in the Festival.
Check out Livestock on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or on their website.
Previous Livestock Events in MART
Friday 30 November: 'Bare' – Curated by Tara Carroll.
Friday 21 September: 'Into the Night!' an evening of live art lamenting and challenging the end of summer as part of Culture Night 2018.
Friday 22 June – Sunday 24 June 2018: Body & Borders Weekend Event.
Saturday 12 May- Sunday 13 May 2018: Performance Workshop with Áine Phillips and Rae Goodwin.
Saturday 24 March 2018: Showcase of new work.
Friday 24 November 2017: Livestock Performance, featuring Crawford Graduates Award artists, as part of Can You Hear Me Now? and Dublin Gallery Weekend.


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Top News
Black teenager launches racial justice project in Nova Scotia
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Daily fall forecasts and weather facts from Cindy Day
SaltWire's cartoonists bring heart and humour to the news.
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What you need to know about COVID-19: September 23, 2020
New Brunswick company goes global: How this Nova Scotia mom launched one of the biggest baby brands in Canada
It was a simple childhood.
Growing up in a small Acadian village in southwestern Nova Scotia, Dawn Pottier read books, played outside and sewed.
She sewed a lot.
"I didn't know what fashion design was but I remember trying to design outfits out of bed sheets to make myself cool clothes," Pottier says. "There was no cable … I believe in that type of childhood because it allowed us to be creative."
Her upbringing, surrounded by traditional handiwork like knitting, quilting and sewing, would lead Pottier to launch Lulujo Baby in 2008, now one of the best-known baby brands in the country.
DIY project becomes big business
The New Brunswick-based company sells products through thousands of big and small retailers – both online and in brick and mortar stores – in more than 40 countries, including in fast-growing markets in China and the United Arab Emirates.
Lulujo recently partnered with award-winning author Sheree Fitch to produce board books for a new collection of Waldorf-style soft dolls, and the company's blankets are often spotted wrapped around the babies of celebrities.
The idea for the company started while Pottier was on maternity leave with her second child. She wanted a baby carrier, but couldn't find what she was looking for. So she sewed a homemade sling to carry her daughter.
Her friends raved about it. Strangers stopped her on the street to ask where she got it. On a whim, she went to a store in her new home of Fredericton, N.B., to see if the retailer would carry her slings.
When our client @lulujobaby's products are on @TheEllenShow, you know they've made it big! Actor Kate Hudson's little Rani Rose loves her Lulujo blanket. Congrat! pic.twitter.com/xToAPKGd4k— Opportunities NB (@ONBCanada) January 17, 2019
"They asked me all these questions I didn't know the answer to," the entrepreneur admits in an interview. "I just came up with answers on the fly."
The store agreed to stock six carriers. Pottier rushed home and came up with a brand name using her children's nicknames – Lulu and Jo – and began sewing.
Two weeks later, the store called. The first six had sold, and the retailer ordered a dozen more.
Pottier kept making slings, but also started sewing face cloths and baby blankets – now the flagship product of Lulujo. Then she put her baby in a car seat, put some product samples in the trunk and drove to gift shops and baby stores across Atlantic Canada to see if other retailers would carry her brand.
They all said yes.
"I think some of them just felt bad for me, but also thought I was brave," Pottier says. "I was naive and I actually think that helped me … I didn't know what was in front of me."
Scaling up
"I knew there was no way I was going to make this work if I was manufacturing everything in my basement."
- Dawn Pottier, founder of Lulujo Baby
Pottier hired some moms in her neighbourhood to help her sew.
Despite having to return to her full-time IT job, she decided to test Lulujo on the national stage. She took a week off work and drove to Toronto in a snow storm to display her products at a gift trade show.
She returned home with orders from retailers in every single province. The problem was how to fill all the orders.
"I knew there was no way I was going to make this work if I was manufacturing everything in my basement," the mother of two says. "So I Googled how to manufacture in China."
She stumbled on Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant that offers dozens of services – including connecting businesses to manufacturers in China. Pottier contacted a few manufacturers, and one stood out to her. She sent some samples of her baby blankets, and was told that the minimum order quantity was 2,000 units per print.
She picked two prints – one was Lulujo's trademark swirl, and another was a classic polka dot design – and maxed out her credit card ordering 4,000 muslin swaddling blankets.
They sold instantly.
"It exceeded my expectations. I was really surprised at how well the blankets were manufactured and sewed," Pottier says. "We still work with that same manufacturer today and I've been to the factory and met them."
'Be really comfortable being poor'
With her business taking off, she made the difficult decision to leave her job. She also went through a divorce.
"Personally it was very challenging and it was extremely risky. I didn't have any money," she says. "When I speak to people who are wanting to go into entrepreneurship, I tell them you've got to be really comfortable being poor and working really hard for a long time before you make money."
Pottier knew the next step was to find a distributor. She approached Kid Central, Canada's largest distributor of baby products, and was turned down. But she took their advice and six months later, called the company's president.
"I knew if she said no again, I'd have to look for another job," Pottier says.
The distributor agreed to place an order for $25,000, but Pottier had to pay for shipping – just over $800.
"I had nothing left. Every credit card was maxed out. There was nothing left in my bank account," she says.
Her parents stepped in to help, with her dad saying: "Just pay us back when your company makes a million dollars."
She paid them back two years later.
Happy ending
Going to see my Mama in FREDERICTON & wrap my arms around her, these huggable books & adorable dolls, do a reading as we launch in F'ton, home of LULUJO whose beautiful products are in over 35 countries. I'm happy 2 B part of a wonderful Atlantic team & joyful project. #literacy pic.twitter.com/5uh3XOmLlt— Sheree Fitch (@sherfitch) September 24, 2019
"It grew like wildfire from there," Pottier says, describing the company's move into the United States and then around the world.
In 2016, she got a call to join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a delegation of Canadian business leaders in China during the G20 summit Hangzhou.
"To actually see with my own eyes and talk to the consumers … that's when I knew this is the market that we really should be selling our products in," Pottier says. "Chinese moms just loved our product and they loved our quality. We really started focusing on the China market."
With the help of a local partner, Lulujo made it onto Tmall Global, Alibaba's cross-border e-commerce marketplace. The company then worked with WPIC, a Beijing company headed by Canadian ex-pats, to obtain licenses to do business in China and begin selling products on Tmall Classic.
"If you're a mother in Shanghai or Dubai or Fredericton or in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, you want the same thing for your child. You want something that's affordable, safe and beautiful."


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Call to raise age for access to super
THE superannuation industry has declared that workers should have to wait a further two years to access their super, believing it is bad policy to allow people to draw on their savings from age 60.
THE superannuation industry has declared that workers should have to wait a further two years to access their super, believing it is bad policy to allow people to draw on their savings from age 60.John Brogden, the chief executive of the Financial Services Council, says the age at which people can begin drawing on their super - the super preservation age - should be moved much closer towards the pension eligibility age.The pension eligibility age is 65 but will be progressively lifted to 67 over the next decade.Mr Brogden said older workers needed to stay in the workforce longer to drive economic growth, and to relieve pressure on government finances. Average life expectancy for men and women had increased in the past two decades, which meant more people drawing on the aged pension for longer."The time has come to consider whether the superannuation preservation age of 60 is still appropriate," he told the Financial Services Council annual conference yesterday."The increase in the age pension eligibility age to 67 opened the gap between access to superannuation and eligibility for the age pension to seven years."[This] has a negative impact on retirement savings as it will accelerate consumption of superannuation before retirees become eligible for the age pension." The increase in the pension eligibility age will be phased in between 2017 and 2023.A spokesman for the Minister for Superannuation, Bill Shorten, said there were no plans to alter the superannuation preservation age.The International Monetary Fund warned in April that the sustainability of retirement funds and pension schemes would be severely tested if governments did not move quickly to lift the pension age in line with rising average life expectancy."Unexpected longevity, while clearly beneficial for individuals and society as a whole, is a financial risk for governments and defined-benefit pension providers, who will have to pay out more in social security benefits and pensions than expected," the IMF said in its half-yearly global financial stability report"It may also be a financial risk to individuals, who could run out of retirement resources themselves."Yesterday Mr Brogden said lower-income workers would benefit most from lifting the super preservation age. Raising the age by two years would reduce their personal savings gap by 30 per cent.The Financial Services Council is the peak body for Australia's retail superannuation providers.


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Chelbis will enable company to diversify revenue streams
Further to an agreement signed mid-December 2014 (see previous InfoPowa report), Contagious Gaming has executed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of Chelbis Company Limited.
Chelbis owns and operates established bingo destinations House of Bingo, Gone Bingo and Harrys Bingo along with bingo networks Best Bingo Network, Super Bingo Network and Fun Bingo Network. The company supports 14 white label bingo partner websites within its networks.
Contagious expects the acquisition to diversify its revenue streams while allowing it to capitalise on synergies between the two companies.
Online Casino News Courtesy of Infopowa
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Chat Private and Securely With Dust Encrypted Message App – Review
You can never tell who's reading your messages when it comes to social media. Some of these platforms can be hacked and all your private messages could potentially be seen by everyone. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if some of our secret messages ever get in the hands of the wrong person? I couldn't bear thinking about. The great thing though is we have discovered an amazing app that lets you text and chats safely without worrying if your message will be seen by the wrong person.
Private texting is an amazing thing and to know that when you send the message in Dust, you have complete control, is a great feeling. The messages that you send are automatically erased after 24 hours and can never be recovered. You can set the messages to erase as soon as the recipient reads it. It will immediately be gone like, Dust. The app also notifies you if a screenshot is taken but the great thing is, no one can ever tell who sent the message because no names are shown in the private chat room. You can have a secure one-on-one chat or group chat with whoever you invite. You can message about anything knowing that your message will go straight to the person you intended it for.
Dust is free to download and all you need to use is your mobile number to sign up. You will then be sent a code to validate the login. Once logged in you can use the contacts tab to see if any of your family and friends are using the app. If not then the invite tab gives you the option of letting your friends know they need to check out the app. There's not a lot of settings but, to be honest, there's no need for it. Because the app is so simple, this is what makes it worth the download.
The developers state that Dust is "The world's most secure messenger" and it might just be. Having total control just makes one feel very powerful. The app is free to download and doesn't even contain ads. Try it now for both iOS and Android.


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Home and LittleBigPlanet have a lot of common elements. Both focus on empowering the player with a wide range of customization options, both are PS3 exclusives, and both will be available this fall season. With so many parallels drawn, it's only natural that somebody would ask Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans if the two would share cross functionality with one another. Eurogamer were not shy to inquire; however, Mr. Evans was a tad reluctant to spill the Sackboy beans.
While Evans said that he couldn't "announce anything right now," he did open up the doors to possibility. Pointing back to GDC, Evans reminded of a presentation which was done in Home and had a Sony-built LittleBigPlanet space. Not only was there proof that such content can exist, but he also cited how close the LBP crew was with the Home team -- they're "just down the road from us ... I'm looking forward to getting the LittleBigPlanet space in there, working on it and making it cool." It seems like the possibilities are very real; however, it also looks like you'll be customizing levels in LittleBigPlanet first before ever tinkering with LBP in Home.
Aug 25, 2008
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Tips to Enable You Choose the Best Custom Home Builder
Building a home is a time to fulfill your vision and you aim at building a dream home since most likely you will do this once in a lifetime. The process is therefore not a simple one, and it should begin with a choice of an excellent custom home builder who will be in a position to add every finer detail to your home so that it meets all your unique needs. However choosing a home builder is not an easy task as you will realize that the industry is riddled with so many fake home builders purporting to offer excellent home building services to disappoint their clients later. Knowing very well the cost of building a home disappointment should be the last thing you should have and that is why you should know how to choose a professional home builder who will give you the best results. Read below to know some of the things you should look at when selecting the right home builder to help you build a dream home. This article has a list of some of the things people look when they are selecting an excellent home builder for their dream home and when you follow them you will surely have your dream home put in place within a reasonable period.
Start by looking for referrals from friends who have had experiences with home builders, and you will listen to their testimonies. Once you get referrals from friends and relatives you will get a platform to work from since you will a list of all those home builders who have served people in your area.
The second step to take is spending some time investigating about these home builders to know them better. You will learn that this is an easy task as it involves going online and searching for the companies reviews and website content such as mission and guiding principles and this information will enable you asses if the company can help you build a quality home. Besides you can look for online ratings and pick those home builders who feature at the top.
The next step is to communicate to the remaining home builders in your list. Here consider booking an appointment with them to be in apposition to interact with them and know if they are the best. During the interview ask about materials home builder uses and let them give you an estimate of the period he or she will take to complete building your home. You can also ask to see some of the photos he has of previous homes built by the home builder just to be sure that he is the best.
The last factor to consider is the overall price you will pay for the services. When doing this remember to inquire on extra cost like meals to the builders and their transport to your location.
The Essential Laws of Contractors Explained


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Frank Black and the Catholics, Devil's Workshop – This came out the same day as Black Letter Days, but it has considerably fewer songs, and was my favorite of the two at first. I'm not sure I could easily pick a favorite at this point. The title apparently refers to marijuana, which I think has more euphemisms than anything except sex and death.
Velvety – From what I understand, this was an early song of Frank's, which had been released in instrumental form as a Pixies B-side. He said that he might not have remembered all the lyrics he originally wrote for it, but he recalled the gist. Since I'm sure he was a better songwriter when he was working on this album, any changes were probably for the better. It's a thematic sister to "Velouria," my favorite Pixies song, as both relate to the lost continent of Lemuria and the idea that some of its survivors moved to the caves under Mount Shasta in California. The narrative is more straightforward here than in "Velouria," relating the tale of a Lemurian girl who saved the narrator's life, after which he fell in love with her. There is indeed a town called Weed just north of Mount Shasta; that was not merely another pot reference.
Out of State – A sad sort of song in which the narrator's partner cheated on him and wants him to come back, but he doesn't trust her, so he's contemplating traveling far away. Pretty typical theme for a Frank song, really. He's said it was inspired by Del Shannon, whose song "Handyman" he covered with Teenage Fanclub.
His Kingly Cave – I find this one rather dreamlike, with the whistling wind at the beginning and the abstract and strangely paranoid lyrics. It's actually based on a true story, or at least a true experience, when Frank and his girlfriend visited Graceland while on hallucinogenic mushrooms. He admitted it was a dumb thing to do, but hey, he got a good song out of it.
San Antonio, TX – There's a definite bar-band song to this one, with the steel guitar and honky-tonk piano. It also strikes me as a good driving song. Speaking of which, this album came out right around when I was first learning to drive. Kind of appropriate, considering how many of his songs are about driving and travel in general.
Bartholomew – This is one of those songs that sounds like it's about something specific, but I'm not sure what. I've seen it suggested that it's about insanity, but that's still fairly broad.
Modern Age – An enjoyable song that progresses from prehistoric times to recent ones. I suppose part of the message is that the present is always the modern age. Well, unless you ask someone who says we're currently in the post-modern age. I don't know of any group of humans without little toes, but there is apparently a persistent rumor that future humans will only have four toes on each foot, as the little toe is basically useless. Evolution doesn't really work that way, but perhaps the first verse is supposed to take place in the future, with communication achieved through telepathy. It's an idea, anyway.
Are You Headed My Way? – This and "Modern Age" are a good pair, both structured around short verses and a catchy, repetitive chorus. The song has a spiritual air to it.
Heloise – Frank has actually revealed the subject of this song, so we don't have to guess like we do with "Bartholomew." Apparently he had the title first, and a quick Internet search revealed that one of the most famous people with the name was Heloise of Argenteuil. She was known for her love affair with her tutor, the theologian Peter Abelard. Her uncle had Abelard forcibly castrated, after which Peter became a monk, while Heloise went to live in an abbey. They exchanged letters long after this, and they were buried next to each other. The song refers to Heloise and Abelard's "only boy" being taken away. Apparently it's not entirely clear what actually happened to him, but if both of the parents went to live in convents, that seems likely.
The Scene – I like the build-up at the beginning and the electric guitar part, but overall this is probably the most forgettable song on the album.
Whiskey in Your Shoes – A song about depressed people drinking, the people described including a man whose son died and someone who's getting divorced.
Fields of Marigold – The album ends with this number, which is light in terms of lyrics, but has a nice, expansive sound to it that makes it a great closer.
Next time, it's the last main album released under the Frank Black and the Catholics name. (I had previously said THIS one was the last, but I was forgetting about Show Me Your Tears.)


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Assessing the impact of anthropogenic pollution on isoprene-derived secondary organic aerosol formation in PM2.5 collected from the Birmingham, Alabama, ground site during the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 16(8):4879-4914.. 2016.
Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) for on- and offline analysis of atmospheric gas and aerosol species. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. 9(7):3245-3262.. 2016.


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Infectious disease assay kits are clinical lab tests used to for the detection and diagnosis of infections, toxins, and diseases caused by any of the following sources of origin: bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or viral. Several tests include for the detection of Epstein Barr virus, Chlamydia, Candida albicans, Influenza, Dengue, Toxoplasma, Aspergillus, Mumps, Rubella, HIV, and more.
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