VW to host Chattanooga diversity supplier trade show
Volkswagen Chattanooga will host a diversity supplier trade show that is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Convention Center.
Called Driving Diversity, Accelerating Change, it's an opportunity for minority businesses to network with some of Volkswagen Chattanooga's tier one suppliers to build relationships, seek subcontracting opportunities and discuss tier one opportunities with Volkswagen purchasing representatives, according to the automaker. More than 60 suppliers plan to be in attendance for the trade show.
"Supplier diversity aligns with Volkswagen's core values of fairness and equal opportunity by connecting with the historically underutilized supplier base," said KeeKee Mathis, supplier diversity manager for Volkswagen Chattanooga.
Walker to speak on 'transit truths'
Public transit consultant and author Jarrett Walker will speak on "Transit Truths" in Chattanooga at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday. Walker will talk at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center as part of the Rob C. Taylor Lecture Series.
Walker is the author of the book, Human Transit, and head of Jarrett Walker & Associates. The company helps governments improve and explain their public transit services. The company said it leads in the design or redesign of transit networks, helps choose the right transit tools for a situation, and analyzes transit data and integrates it with local goals.
Panera CEO steps down as firm buys Au Bon Pain
Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich is stepping down as CEO and the company is buying Au Bon Pain - bringing together two chains the executive helped build.
The companies did not disclose on Wednesday how much Panera was paying for Au Bon Pain, an acquisition it says will boost its presence at airports, hospitals and colleges.
Shaich, 63, will be replaced as CEO on Jan. 1 by Blaine Hurst, who oversees Panera's restaurants. Shaich said it was "too early to comment" on how Panera will use Au Bon Pain, or whether the brand will continue.
It's been a year of change for Panera: In July, it was bought and taken private for more than $7 billion by JAB Holding Co., a European company that controls Krispy Kreme, Peet's Coffee and other chains.
Former Yahoo CEO says none immune from hacks
Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer told lawmakers Wednesday that the threat from state-sponsored hackers has changed the playing field so dramatically that even the best-defended companies can fall victim.
Mayer joined former and current CEOs of Equifax in testifying before a Senate committee examining recent data breaches that affected millions of Americans.
In Yahoo's case, stolen information for billions of users included names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and security questions and answers. Mayer said the thefts occurred during her nearly five-year tenure and she wants to "sincerely apologize to each and every one of our users."
"As we all have witnessed: no company, individual or even government agency is immune from these threats," Mayer said.
Arkansas backs ban of herbicide dicamba
An Arkansas regulatory panel voted Wednesday to ban the use of a herbicide for part of next year after the weed killer drew complaints from farmers across several states who say it has drifted onto their crops and caused widespread damage.
The Arkansas Plant Board on Wednesday approved prohibiting the use of dicamba in the state between April 16 and Oct. 31.
Dicamba has been around for decades, but problems arose over the past couple of years as farmers began to use it on soybean and cotton fields where they planted new seeds engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. Because it can easily evaporate after being applied, the chemical sometimes settles on neighboring fields. The state earlier this year approved a temporary ban on the herbicide's sale and use, and has received nearly 1,000 complaints this year about dicamba.
Monsanto, which last month sued Arkansas for previously banning its dicamba weed killer, criticized the panel for the latest restriction and said the move will deprive farmers of a needed tool to protect crops.