WHERE SAFETY IS THE DRIVING FACTOR Royal Truck & Equipment BUILDING THE CONNECTED COMMUNITY ALLO Communications A SEAT AT THE TABLE City of Reedley, California BUSINESSINFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM FE B RUA RY 20 22 EDITOR’S CORNER 3 It is said that you need to walk a mile in another’s shoes before you can judge them. I would agree with this adage, as perspective is key to understanding anything, but in reality, it’s not always possible to take that walk. Sometimes the very differences we struggle to understand prevent us from seeing from that perspective in the first place. I think respect and humility go a long way to bridge that gap in perception, though. If we can be willing to listen to and learn from those with a different perspective, perhaps we can seek out commonalities rather than getting stuck on differences. We can appreciate that the success of others does not diminish our own, and can celebrate and uplift one another’s achieve- ments – in business or otherwise. In this issue, Business in Focus is proud to honour Black History Month, and writer Karen Hawthorne explores some of the chal- lenges in business from a different perspective than her own in her latest piece, Black Entrepreneurs – Scaling for Success, where she uncovers some interesting and encouraging statistics. Tim Hocken Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nate Hendley | David Caldwell | Karen Hawthorne Allison Dempsey | Robert Hoshowsky | Jen Hocken Pauline Müller | William Young CONTENT TEAM MANAGER Tom England SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Brad Mike TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER James Corbett CONTENT MANAGERS Louis Susara | Scott Forbes | Aaron Ferguson Justin Eavis | Obed San Jose SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Luke Simms SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Kayla Brown | Morgan Culpepper PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Chantal De Brouwer OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Severina Gachparova GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva REGIONAL DIRECTOR Adam Cameron OPERATIONS MANAGER Jonathan Fisher CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “We can appreciate that the success of others does not diminish our own, and can celebrate and uplift one another’s achievements – in business or otherwise.”INSIDE FEBRUARY WORKFORCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY TRANSPORT, SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISITICS SERVICES 4 Scaling for Success In this month, we look at the history, the contribu- tions and the achievements of the Black community in North America. Getting ahead in business can be an uphill battle at the best of times, and when one is faced with additional challenges of inequality in the form of wealth gap, lack of privilege, and outright racism, the struggle for success for an entrepreneur – especially a Black one - can be daunting. AUTOMATION 5 BUSINESS IN FOCUS FUTURE SKILLS SUMMIT 22 – 24 February, online The Future Skills Centre (FSC) hosts leaders and representatives from all across Canada to share what we’re collectively learning and to discuss innovative ideas to shape our future work environment. The Future Skills Summit gathers leading experts in skills development across Canada, including policy makers, industry leaders, community representatives and skills training practitioners. Discussions will zero in on finding relevant data and information, discovering new skills approaches, identifying systemic change enablers, and scaling best practices. For more information LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS – LIVE VIRTUAL TRAINING 22 – 24 February, online Since the title was invented, administrative professionals have been vested with great power and unofficial leadership. Join Sandy Geroux, CEO of WOWplace International, LLC, in this two-day intensive workshop as she shares informal leadership processes, mindsets and skills that allow you to lead without rank, up down and across the organization. For more information NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO WEST 8 – 12 March, Anaheim, CA and online Educational sessions and an extensive trade show await at this year’s Natural Products Expo, along with an expanded lineup of digital content. Discuss industry trends, discover new products, and enjoy networking opportunities along with special events such as Climate Day, the Pitch Slam Semifinals and Finals, the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace, a Global Export Seminar Series, and more. For more information CMA SHIPPING EXPO & CONFERENCE 23 – 31 March, Stamford, CT “Connecting the North American shipping community worldwide,” this expo and conference welcomes high-profile thought leaders and in-depth discussion. Key topics will include the State of the Industry, Decarbonization & Alternative Energy, Freight Markets, Digitalization, Finance, Salvage & Wreck Removal, and Integrated Logistics & Finance, while the expo hall will showcase exhibitors in technology, maritime equipment, fuel and lubricants, safety and sustainability, ship repair, navigation and communication, software solutions, energy, salvage and emergency response solutions, insurance, and maritime recruitment. For more information BETTER WORKPLACE CONFERENCE 2022 5 – 7 April, online Themed, ‘Toward a better workplace: Evidence and trust in the face of uncertainty,’ this conference brings together thought leaders, research- ers, and industry experts for an important, evidence-based discussion on workplace wellbeing in 2022. This event will be a virtual conference experience with engaging sessions that blend The Conference Board of Canada’s trusted research with inspirational stories and conversations. Expand your network, gain insights, and access practical tools to improve your organization’s culture. For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Business Industry? To get your event listed in Business in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS WALMART, FEDEX INK ELECTRIC VAN DEALS As the world moves further toward de-carbonization and reducing fossil fuel emissions, more of us are purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), and some well-known companies are focusing their efforts on cleaner, greener delivery services. Technology company BrightDrop recently added retail giant Walmart to its ever-expanding list of customers. Providing GROCERS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP Another issue causing food shortages is staff burnout. Working in retail can be challenging as it is, even without COVID. Hailed as heroes during the early days of the pandemic and receiving additional pay (now discontinued), some grocery store workers have since quit because they feel underappreciated, underpaid, and overwhelmed after two years of wearing masks, gloves and in some cases, face shields. For consumers, shortage of products also means higher food prices and the worst inflation in decades. A recent study from the Angus Reid Institute revealed two in five Canadians (39 percent) stated they were worse off financially today than last year, with three in five (57 percent) saying they are having a hard time feeding their families. connected, electrified products and services, BrightDrop is behind electric-powered delivery vans like the EV600 and EV410, delivery solutions such as cloud-based visibility and insights, charging support, and parts and service. Walmart will reserve 5,000 of the company’s EV600 and EV410 electric delivery vans. These vans will help Walmart achieve its goal of operating a zero-emissions fleet by 2040. “BrightDrop's mission is to decarbonize the world’s deliveries,” said BrightDrop President and CEO Travis Katz in a media state- ment. “We leverage the best of two worlds – the innovation, agility, and focus of a technology start-up with the engineering and manufacturing might of General Motors.” Having launched just last year, the addition of Walmart to its client roster is welcomed by the company, which also recently expanded its relationship with delivery giant FedEx, who reserved priority production of 2,000 EV vans in the coming years in addition to an initial 500 EV van order made in 2021. Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com If you’ve been to the grocery store lately and are having flash- backs to the early days of the pandemic and empty shelves, you’re not alone. As the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to spread, many stores across the United States and Canada are having a hard time keeping shelves filled. The reasons – like many issues surrounding COVID-19 – are varied, with issues being mired in the blame game. The issue of not enough truckers to haul products and products is hardly new, yet it recently took another twist in Canada with the federal government’s reversal of vaccination rules for drivers from the U.S. entering Canada, who must be fully vaccinated – or face a long quarantine. This has impacted supply chains and created a slowdown of deliveries. Where some points of entry previously had dozens of fully-loaded trucks arriving daily, they are now lucky to see the arrival of one truck every few days. For trucking companies, the issue is incredibly frustrating, since many drivers arrive, unload, and go back to the U.S. almost immediately, having little contact with anyone else. 8INDUSTRY NEWS GROWTH IN PLANT-BASED MENU ITEMS Not all that many years ago, ordering a vegetarian burger in a restaurant meant getting a slice of tomatoes, pickles and lettuce on a bun, or if you were lucky, a patty made out beans and rice which looked and tasted nothing like beef. Then came companies like Beyond Meat and plant-based substitutions for beef, chicken strips, meatballs, minced pork, and sausage. Made from pea protein, potato starch, rice, canola oil and other ingredients, these products are vegan, containing no animal products whatsoever. For reasons ranging from health to ethics, fewer of us are eating animal-based protein, a shift not unnoticed by fast food restaurants that have based their entire business models on farmed animals like chickens. In 2020, Subway introduced a meatless meatball marinara version of its popular sandwich, which was soon followed by the Tastes Like Chicken (T.L.C.) sub, and the T.L.S., Tastes Like Steak version. Earlier this year, Pizza Hut decided to make Beyond Meat plant- based sausage a permanent addition to its menu, on the same day as world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken officially launched KFC Beyond Fried Chicken in the United States. The latest to test the meatless market? McDonald’s. Starting this month, the fast food giant will roll out the McPlant burger at about 600 of its U.S. locations. Made with Beyond Meat, the move comes two years after rival Burger King welcomed the Impossible Whopper to its list of menu items, and after McDonald’s trialed the Beyond Meat burger in some Canadian locations in September 2019. The moves are being made to bring in not only strict vegans and vegetarians, but to offer alternatives to customers who want to cut down on their meat consumption. These foods are designed to mimic the entire meat-eating experience, with some foods accompanied by slices of vegan cheese. AMAZON OPENING REVOLUTIONARY CLOTHING STORE Earning its reputation as an online retailer, Amazon is taking a rev- olutionary step: entering the brick-and-mortar world of clothing. Already carrying many brands online, including its own Amazon Essentials, the e-commerce giant announced a new 30,000 square foot location in a suburban Los Angeles mall. Named Amazon Style, the upscale location represents the company’s first-ever physical fashion store, which will carry clothing, shoes and accessories for women and men. Unlike regular apparel sellers, Amazon Style aims to re-imag- ine the retail experience through algorithms and real-time personalization. This includes an app where shoppers scan QR codes and have items sent to fitting rooms and a ‘secure closet.’ There, they can use a touchscreen to request other sizes and styles brought to their room, and can rate products. With inventory kept in the back of stores, Amazon believes the model will offer customers greater choice and personal recommendations without having to sort through clothes themselves for the right fit or style. “For an even more tailored experience, customers can share information like their style, fit, and other preferences to receive more refined recommendations,” stated Amazon on its blog. “Even shopping for deals is personalized and conve- nient – customers can easily view deals in store that match their preferences right in the Amazon Shopping app.” Items for sale vary widely in price, meeting the needs of every shopping budget. The first Amazon Style location will open later in 2022 at The Americana at Brand in greater L.A. Experimenting with physical retail stores in the past – including a foray into books in 2015, purchasing Whole Foods in 2017, and some grab-and-go conve- nience locations – the company’s new offering promises to deliver consumers a “seamless and elevated shopping experience.” 9Next >