Branch Technology among 2015 disruptors
The Chattanooga 3D printing startup known as Branch Technology is among the businesses cited by Inc. magazine as one of those developing the 10 most disruptive technologies of 2015.
The financial magazine said digital production with 3D printing on site is allowing for new types of material, design and locations for producing a host of products. Branch Technology, headed by Platt Boyd, is creating new forms of building walls and other structures and currently operates the world’s largest free-form, 3-D printer.
“Branch Technology, a Chattanooga startup in the 2015 Launch Tennessee master accelerator program, took inspiration form nature to develop 3-D printerd walls for homes and buidlings in a process it calls “cellular fabrication,'” Inc editors write in the current issue. “What are you going to build?”
Consumer spending shows solid growth
Consumer spending, a key driver of the U.S. economy, showed solid growth last month to kick off the holiday shopping season as incomes also kept rising, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
After spending stagnated in October, Americans opened their wallets wider last month. Consumer spending increased 0.3 percent in November, in line with economists’ forecasts.
Income growth slowed a bit, increasing 0.3 percent in November. Incomes had increased 0.4 percent the previous month.
Still, November was the eighth straight month that incomes rose, an encouraging sign for the economic recovery.
The combination of increased spending and slightly slower income growth led consumers to save at a slower pace. The percentage of disposable income saved ticked down to 5.5 percent in November, though still a relatively high number.
Inflation remained low, with a key price index increasing less than 0.1 percent in November. For the 12 months ended Nov. 30, prices increased just 0.4 percent.
BlueCross partners with HSA Bank
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee said Wednesday it has added HSA Bank as another preferred partner to help its members manage their health savings accounts (HSA) increasingly being offered by many employers with high deductible plans.
BlueCross members with Marketplace or employer group coverage will receive preferred pricing when purchasing an HSA through HSA Bank. The partnership also includes member assistance from BlueCross coaches specializing in consumer-driven health products and support for employer plan administrators.
“We want to give our members more ways to effectively manage costs associated with the care they need,” said Kelly Paulk, director of product strategy at BlueCross. “With the HSA Bank preferred partnership, we’re providing our employer groups and individual members with another solid option to do that.”
HSA Bank health savings accounts are available to BlueCross individual and group members with a Jan. 1, 2016 or later effective or renewal date. BlueCross members can still select an HSA from other companies offering this product including existing preferred partner HealthEquity.