Global Apparel Manufacturer Receives $25 Million in New Markets Tax Credits for Facility Expansion

Komar's  Distribution Facility in Ellabell, GA

Komar’s Distribution Facility in Ellabell, GA

LOS ANGELESMarch 18, 2024PRLog — National New Markets Fund (“NNMF”), an affiliate of Los Angeles, CA-based SDS Capital Group, and the TD Community Development Corporation (“TDCDC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TD Bank, N.A., together have invested $25 million in New Market Tax Credit (“NMTC”)allocation into Charles Komar & Sons, Inc. (“Komar”) distribution center expansion in Ellabell, GA. The cumulative local employment impact of Komar’s new plant is substantial, creating an estimated 300 full-time jobs.

Komar is a 50% women-owned apparel manufacturer and distributor that works with more than 100 owned, licensed, and private label brands to produce 110 million garments annually. NNMF’s $15 million allocation, coupled with TDCDC’s $10 million allocation, will fund the equipment at Komar’s new 765,000 SF e-commerce and distribution center in Ellabell, GA.

The investments utilize capital from the NMTC program administered by the U.S. Treasury Department. Investment groups, such as NNMF and TDCDC, compete annually to receive NMTC awards. These selected allocatees sell the tax credits to institutional investors, using the proceeds to invest in projects benefiting low-income communities – such as Komar’s new plant.

“The New Markets Tax Credit program was critical to our ability to fund this new manufacturing and distribution site,” said Komar Chief Financial Officer, Harry Gaffney. “Thanks to these NMTC allocatees, we are bringing hundreds of quality, full-time jobs into our Savannah community.”

“The economic benefit from Komar’s creation of this new plant is immense,” said Deborah La Franchi, CEO, National New Markets Fund. “Not only is this a women-owned company—a rarity in the industry – but 300 new, quality jobs will be created with most positions not requiring any advanced degree.”

Komar received the NNMF allocation as part of a complex $25 million NMTC financing package. TD Bank is the investor purchasing the NMTCs from each of the participating NMTC allocatees: NNMF and TDCDC.

“We are proud to support Komar’s strategic expansion into Bryan County,” said Michael Cooper, President of TDCDC. “At TD, we’re committed to fostering economic development via projects that create quality and accessible jobs, and Komar, a third-generation family-owned business, is well-positioned to deliver on this shared commitment.”

About National New Markets Fund

National New Markets Fund, LLC

, founded in 2005, has invested $752 million (51 investments) of its New Markets Tax Credit allocation into projects located in the Great Lakes region and the

Deep South. Each investment has provided critical community services or quality jobs to high-distress communities – such as hospitals, charter schools, and food banks, as well as job-creating manufacturing expansions. In 2013, NNMF narrowed its focus to invest only in manufacturing and food-processing companies (26 companies total). This more focused strategy centers on creating quality jobs for the local residents of these distressed communities – both rural and urban. SDS Capital Group, (http://www.sds.capital/) the parent of NNMF, is a pioneer and national leader in impact investing. SDS’s founder, Deborah La Franchi, launched SDS in 2001 with a vision of creating a platform of impact funds that would attract and engage the private-sector in the battle against poverty. Today, SDS’s platform includes five distinct impact fund strategies ($1.3 billion current asset under management; additional $1.1 billion exited), with its direct investments having helped support the creation of over 25,000 jobs and over 6,500 low-income or permanent supportive housing units throughout the US.

Contact
Bruce Beck
DB&R Marketing Communications, Inc
***@dbrpr.com

HandyPro of Metro DC Offers Tips and Top Home Modifications for Safely Aging At Home

BETHESDA, MD, D.C.March 18, 2024PRLog — Trends show most older adults want to stay in their homes as they age. An AARP Study shows 77 percent of adults 50 and older want to remain in their homes long-term.

Aging at home makes financial and emotional sense for many. For some with disabilities or who are aging, the best solution is an assisted living facility. Assisted living comes at a cost. Genworth Financials’ Cost of Care Survey reveals the average monthly cost of an assisted living facility is $4,500. In Metro DC, those costs are higher, averaging $6,000 monthly. Aging-in-place allows individuals to stay in the communities they know and love and could be a better financial alternative for many on fixed incomes.

Most homeowners don’t know their homes can be modified, allowing them to age in place and maintain independence.  A professional can easily execute many modifications to create a safe and comfortable place to live. HandyPro is a CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) and CHAMP (Certified Home Assessment and Modification Professional) contractor.  These certifications ensure that contractors have the essential skills to execute proper home modifications for aging-in-place and for people with disabilities.  HandyPro of Washington DC has an on-staff occupational therapist to help with project design and an engineer overseeing all projects.

“Often, we find the cost to upgrade a house to make it more suitable for a senior to age-in-place is less or the same as the cost of long-term assisted living,” said Ali Soltani, owner of HandyPro of Washington, DC.

Based on HandyPro’s decades of experience, many seniors make the following home modifications to allow them to safely and comfortably age in place:

  • Modifying bathrooms with grab bars, enlarging and no step showers
  • Improve accessibility to the outside with wheelchair ramps, handrails, exterior stair lifts, automatic door openers, and vertical platform lifts
  • Replace old floors or tile with slip-resistant, wheelchair-friendly flooring
  • Renovations for “first-floor living” by creating a new first-floor bedroom and/or bathroom
  • Widening doorways and adding smart lighting
  • Adding wheelchair-friendly vanities, cabinets, or countertops
  • Installing a stair lift for multi-floor living
  • Install Durable medical equipment, such as a shower chair or bench
  • Install overhead ceiling lifts for safer repositioning or transfers, reducing injuries to caregivers or persons with mobility challenges

“The majority of homes we see are not appropriate for aging seniors. They have safety and mobility issues that need to be addressed. Who you hire to install these modifications is equally important. Improperly installed modifications can cause additional safety and mobility issues, which can be avoided by hiring a company like HandyPro that is certified and trained,” added Soltani.

HandyPro has experienced professionals who can provide assessments, installations, and ongoing customer service support for any installation or remodel. For more information on HandyPro’s aging-in-place services, visit https://www.handypro.com/locations/washington-dc.

Since 1996, HandyPro has provided home modification and handyman services in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. HandyPro of Washington DC is a Maryland, Virginia, and DC licensed remodeler.

Contact
Adrienne Lenhoff on behalf of HandyPro of Washington DC
***@buzzphoria.com

Live Courageously Podcast Show with Host John Duffy and Motivation Guru Todd Speciale

John Duffy and Todd Speciale

John Duffy and Todd Speciale

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.March 19, 2024PRLog — “Live Courageously” Podcast Show  with John Duffy is a show for our time where fear and courage are battling it out in our lives. The Podcast show brings on a wide range of guests who are friends of the host who have lived courageous lives in the face of many types of adversity.

The show  EP # 70 will air Sunday Mar 24th @ 3 pm PST on John Duffy’s Facebook Page.

Contact Info: https://linktr.ee/livecourageously

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duffysquareproductions/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duffysquare

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os8ZRfgbTeI

and listen to it on Spotify, Audible, Google Music and more…

On Mar 24th  John’s guest will be Todd Speciale

Todd Speciale is recognized as a motivational guru, along with being an integrity-based authentic leader promoting real change who has built record breaking sales and leadership teams that have yielded record breaking outcomes!

He’s the CEO and Founder of Make Sales Great Again. MSGA teaches business, sales, and leadership to the masses including CEO’s of major Fortune 500 companies and has helped generate over $800 million in revenue for the companies he’s served. He’s also the CSO (Chief Sales Officer) of Apex Roofing and Restoration a $140 million company growing insanely fast nationwide.

Having been nicknamed “The Culture Creator”, going into major corporations with huge teams and completely transforming they way they work with one another, combined with a doctorate in street education to having held multiple C-Level roles, you get the worlds most sought after business leader.

He’s a 3x best selling author with his third book, his masterpiece, called “The Ultimate Sales Bible” just hit the shelves in Barnes and Noble globally in March of 2024.

He has spoken on stages with names like Ashton Kutcher, Jack Canfield, Danelle Delgado, Tai Lopez, Tom Bilyeu, Jason Sisneros, Sean Whalen, Les Brown, Hank Steinbrenner, and many more.

John Duffy the creator and moderator of “Live Courageously” has produced over 50 + films in his film career. John grew up in the South Bronx dropping out of high school at 15. . After many journeys, John has made his way as a  counselor, producer, professor, and motivational speaker. John has recently produced the feature film, Left Behind, with Kevin Sorbo. John  was  an adjunct professor at two universities including the Art Center in Pasadena. John has also worked in the personal development industry with Tony Robbins as his mentor.He produced a weekly live show on Facebook for two years covering transformational material. On February 20th, 2022 John introduced his new podcast, “Live Courageously”, He has produced 57 podcast shows to date.

John has also written two memoirs, Black Irish – Not Your Average White Boy and Mao to Reagan – A Born Again American. Both are currently being shopped to publishers.

Pioneering Woman Mountain Climber Releases Memoir

The book From Mountains to Medicine: Scaling the Heights in Search of My Calling is the inspirational story of Dr. Erica Elliott’s magical mind-bending and heart-opening journey of self-discovery in search of her life’s purpose.

By: Dr. Erica M Elliott, MD

SANTA FE, N.M.March 16, 2024PRLog — Santa Fe, New Mexico – From Mountains to Medicine: Scaling the Heights in Search of My Calling: Dr. Erica M. Elliott, MD recounts a tender coming-of-age journey searching for her life purpose. She grabs the reader, taking us on a trek that includes college in the psychedelic 60s, the Peace Corps in Ecuador and spine-tingling mountain climbing throughout South America.

A courageous woman with insatiable curiosity, Elliott shares her compelling story with disarming honesty. Right from the beginning, she draws the reader into her narrative as she threads her way through the turbulent early years of her life, overcoming many daunting challenges along the way. Her guiding star is her search for meaning and purpose, which leads her to some spellbinding adventures, including being the first American women to make the perilous climb of Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, along with other climbs of daunting peaks, one of which was subsequently named after her.

Ultimately, Elliott’s wise heart leads her home to discover what was there all along—her destiny to be a healer. This inspirational book and recounting of her story is imbued with love, humor, and evokes the sheer specialness of being human.

Endorsement

From Mountains to Medicine is a truly fascinating, and engaging journey found myself laughing out loud, holding my breath, opening my eyes wide in shock, at times exclaiming “holy sh*t!”— and I imagine you will too. It is much more than a memoir. It is so engrossing I forgot I was reading a book. Erica’s writing is clear and straightforward, taking you step by step through pivotal moments in her life, as if you were traveling right along with her. Definitely a must-read!”

~Alan Questel, author of Practice Intentional Acts of Kindness

About The Author

A true adventurer, Dr. Elliott led an all-woman’s expedition to the top of Mt. Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North America, while in medical school. She also was the first American woman to reach the summit of Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere at approx. 23,000 ft. She has lived and worked around the world, serving as a teacher for Native children on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and for Quechua-speaking indigenous people in the mountains of Ecuador.  Affectionately referred to as the “Health Detective,” she finds the underlying causes of mysterious and difficult-to-diagnose illnesses in her busy medical practice. Erica is also a captivating public speaker. She blogs about stories from her life at www.musingsmemoirandmedicine.com. (https://www.musingsmemoirandmedicine.com/)

Her first book Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert was honored by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2020. In May 2020 she was interviewed by Senator William (Bill) Bradley on his weekly show AMERICAN VOICES, broadcast on SiriusXM Radio.

From Mountains to Medicine: Scaling the Heights in Search of My Calling

Publisher:‎ Lammastide (February 10, 2024)

Available at Amazon.com (https://a.co/d/eaNWzSW) in paperback and e-book

ISBN-13: ‎979-8987620007

Contact info: ericamelliott@gmail.com

Stroudwater Associates Announces Fourth Annual Critical Access Hospital Virtual Conference

The annual conferences explore how rural hospitals can improve operational performance

PORTLAND, MaineMarch 14, 2024PRLog — Stroudwater Associates, the nation’s leading source for strategic, operational, financial, quality, and clinical strategy for rural and community healthcare, has announced its fourth-annual Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Regional Virtual Conferences.

The fourth-annual CAH Regional Conferences, taking place virtually across five US regions in June 2024, will provide rural hospital leaders with vital operational resources to help CAHs improve performance. Core subjects include swing bed optimization, cost report best practices, population health strategies, revenue cycle training, provider compensation, analytics, and other topics significant in rural and community healthcare. The sessions, presented by rural healthcare subject matter experts, also include case studies from State Offices of Rural Health, rural hospitals, and other partnership presenters with extensive backgrounds in rural healthcare.

Even as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, many rural hospitals have not returned to pre-pandemic volumes and are now struggling with rapid input cost increases, workforce shortages and demands, and aging infrastructure.

“Rural hospital leaders desperately need practical tools that they can use to address the ever-changing challenges that they face daily to run their hospital,” said Stroudwater Associates Managing Director, Jeff Sommer, MPP. “Our regional conferences will arm them with the expertise they need to diagnose issues and improve operations, financial readiness, and clinical and quality outcomes.”

Representatives of over 327 CAHs across the five regions participated in last year’s CAH Regional Virtual Conferences and highlighted case studies and presenters specific to each region. Many state offices were also represented.  As a result, rural hospitals benefited from hearing how their peers addressed the daily challenges of operating a rural hospital.

“The success of rural hospitals directly impacts the communities that they serve, yet our industry remains heavily underrepresented. Our conference serves as an opportunity for leaders to collaborate, educate, and initiate positive change in the rural communities they represent,” said Stroudwater Associates’ Chairman, Eric Shell, MBA.

The 2024 CAH Regional Virtual Conferences will take place during the second and third weeks of June. Registrants are invited to register for the region specific to their state but are also welcome to register for sessions for other regions based on topics of interest and scheduling considerations. Each region is scheduled to accommodate the time zones within that region. To find more information or register for your state’s respective CAH Conference, visit Stroudwater’s registration page at https://www.stroudwater.com/fourth-annual-cah-regional-virtual-conferences/.

About Stroudwater Associates

Founded in 1985, Stroudwater Associates is a leading national healthcare consulting firm with an all-encompassing devotion to rural healthcare nationwide. With corporate offices in Portland, Maine, and Nashville, Tennessee, and experience working in all 50 states, we focus on strategic, operational, clinical, quality, and financial areas where our perspective offers the highest value for rural hospitals, community hospitals, healthcare systems, and large physician groups. Our consulting teams offer deep expertise and broad experience in strategic, financial, clinical, and operational areas.

Phelps Hamus Group Honored as Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Team for 2nd Consecutive Year

Ameriprise Financial team in Middleton, Wis., earns prestigious honor recognizing ethical standards, professionalism and industry success.

The Phelps Hamus Group, a Forbes award winner

The Phelps Hamus Group, a Forbes award winner

MIDDLETON, Wis.March 14, 2024PRLog — For the second consecutive year, the Phelps Hamus Group, a private wealth advisory practice with Ameriprise Financial in Middleton, was named to the list of “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” published by Forbes. The list recognizes financial advisors and their teams who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism, and success in the business.

The rankings are based on data provided by thousands of the nation’s most productive advisors and their teams. The Phelps Hamus Group was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, compliance record and best practices in their practice, and approach to working with clients.

The Phelps Hamus Group is led by Ronald Phelps, CMFA®, CRPS™, a Private Wealth Advisor and Managing Director with over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, and Managing Director Jacob Hamus, CFP®, a Private Wealth Advisor and Managing Director with 16 years’ experience.

The team is rounded out by financial advisor Forrest Gilbertson, AMPA™, and support staff Wendy Campbell and Sara Musgrave. The practice has $317 million in assets under management.

The Phelps Hamus Group provides financial advice that is anchored in a solid understanding of client needs and expectations and provided in one-on-one relationships with their clients. For more information, please contact Ron Phelps, The Phelps Hamus Group, at (608) 841-4301, visit the Ameriprise office at 8215 Greenway Blvd., Suite 200, Middleton, or review their team web site: https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/team/the-phelps-hamus-group/.

About Ameriprise Financial

At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With extensive investment advice, asset management and insurance capabilities and a nationwide network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors’ financial needs. For more information, visit ameriprise.com (https://www.ameriprise.com/).

Visit forbes.com (https://www.forbes.com/?sh=59749c1f2254) for additional information about Forbes.

# # #

Source: Forbes, “Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams,” Jan. 12, 2024.

The 2024 Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list is developed by SHOOK Research and is created using an algorithm that includes both qualitative (in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings; client impact; industry experience; review of best practices and compliance records; and firm nominations) and quantitative (assets under management and revenue generated for their firms) data. Certain awards include a demographic component to qualify. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. This ranking is based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC, is not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience and is based on data from the previous calendar year. Forbes magazine and SHOOK Research do not receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institutions, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.

© 2024 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.