Press Releases

RACINE, Wis., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In its continuing initiatives around Doing What's Right, SC Johnson, A Family Company, recently announced its first commitment as part of its involvement in the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). Founded by former President Bill Clinton in 2005, CGI brings world leaders from a variety of backgrounds together to create partnerships that result in innovative and measurable solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.

SC Johnson is rolling out a new anti-Malaria information, education and communication (IEC) program, based on the success of the company's previous anti-malaria initiatives. In partnership with the Global Business Coalition (GBC), an organization focused on helping companies fight malaria on a global scale, a repository of malaria-related information will be created for Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), governments, businesses and community health groups to help them support their local populations in Africa and other parts of the world where families are at risk of contracting malaria. All of the information will be shared with these groups electronically either via the GBC website or via email. This program will provide valuable resources and best practices for organizations and people motivated to educate others on the risks of malaria, as well as its prevention and treatment. In essence, it will be a one-stop-shop for anti-malaria information.

By making the commitment to CGI, SC Johnson is demonstrating the importance it places on fighting malaria. It also allows the company to draw on CGI's resources when needed.

"SC Johnson is honored to make this commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative. CGI has an outstanding record of doing what's right by creating partnerships that deliver results," said SC Johnson Executive Vice President - Worldwide Corporate & Environmental Affairs Jane Hutterly. "Through our collaboration with the Global Business Coalition, we can make our goals a reality. Together we can make a difference by empowering people with education and tools to fight the ravages of malaria."

This program takes a train-the-trainer approach to information distribution. The materials will appear in both English and Portuguese. Given their over-sized images and hard-hitting messages, they should have an effect regardless of the prevailing language of a region.

SC Johnson's IEC program will be hosted on GBC's website and should be available to anyone with access to the Internet by year end.

SC Johnson's Commitment to Doing What's Right

SC Johnson has a wide variety of efforts to drive global development and growth that benefit the people around us and the planet we all share. From exceptional philanthropy, volunteerism and education to new business models that bring economic growth to the world's poorest communities, we're helping to create stronger communities for families around the globe. For example:

    --  The company led the industry by increasing transparency and further
        demonstrating our commitment to doing what's right with the voluntary
        launch of our innovative ingredient disclosure initiative, which openly
        communicates product ingredients, including fragrances, dyes and
        preservatives.
    --  SC Johnson continued to make strides using its patented Greenlist(TM)
        process, with use of "Better" and "Best" rated materials increasing to
        47 percent of total materials.
    --  Through cogeneration with landfill gas, wind power and biofuels, almost
        36 percent of SC Johnson's total electricity usage worldwide came from
        renewable energy.
    --  The company's base of the pyramid efforts in Kenya and other countries
        continued, and it has kicked off a supply chain initiative with Rwandan
        pyrethrum farmers and the Borlaug Institute at Texas A&M.
    --  SC Johnson continued to provide valued support to the communities where
        we operate, with our 10-year cumulative giving surpassing $180 million.

    --  The company sets aside 5 percent of pre-tax profits globally for
        corporate giving - nearly four times the average - and works with
        partners, such as Conservation International. Around the world, our
        subsidiary companies contribute an average of 2 percent of pre-tax
        profits and partner with local foundations.

About SC Johnson:

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, ECHO®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 123-year old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries. www.scjohnson.com

About Clinton Global Initiative: Learn more at clintonglobalinitiative.org

About Global Business Coalition: Learn more at gbcimpact.org

SOURCE SC Johnson

SAN DIEGO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 11/11/09 -- Three federally subsidized programs are available to help both employers and employees in the San Diego region. As part of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation's (EDC) outreach efforts, EDC has teamed with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to inform the businesses community about these programs, and assist companies with taking advantage of the benefits.

The first program, "On-the-Job Training," allows area businesses to be reimbursed for the costs of training their current employees. Reimbursement is made for up to 50% of the wages or salaries earned by employees during their training period. To meet the criteria employees must enhance their knowledge and skills while working toward a higher wage position at the company.

The second program, "Customized Training," is designed for companies in expansion mode. This program funds up to 50% of an employer's training costs to train new employees. To be eligible, the training must be relevant to the business and for an occupation that is in regional demand.

The third program called "Rapid Response" helps mitigate the effects of downsizing for both companies and their employees. EDC helps area businesses by connecting their recently laid off employees with the region's network of One-Stop Career Centers and workforce development professionals. These career centers provide a wide range of free services helping job seekers find new employment.

"If your company has training needs or is facing a downsize, we can help," says Katie Mayfield, Business Development Manager with San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. "Our goal is to connect local companies, large and small, to these resources."

Because these programs are funded by federal stimulus dollars under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funds are limited and time-sensitive. To learn more about these training and layoff assistance programs, contact EDC's Business Development Manager Katie Mayfield at (619) 234-8484 or km@sandiegobusiness.org.

CONTACT:
Megan Carleton
Marketing Manager
office (619) 234-8484
cell (619) 417-5884
Email Contact
www.sandiegobusiness.org

CHICAGO, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- This year the User Experience Alliance (UXalliance), a global network of leading user research firms, celebrated World Usability Day by unveiling the preliminary findings of the first "Global-Local Monitor" conducted on airline Web sites.

The Global-Local Monitor assesses how well a site is localized or adapted to local language and culture. Localization is based on factors such as the proper use of local languages, character sets, weights and measures, currencies, dates and times, and culturally sensitive imagery. In this case, how well an airline's Web site is localized could measurably impact their customer's ability to complete travel bookings or find important information. Ultimately it impacts brand perception and sales.

The Global-Local Monitor for airlines drew upon the talents and expertise of over 70 user experience professionals from 17 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas; this is the broadest systematic localization review ever conducted by user experience professionals. The Global-Local airline monitor involved five local user experience experts in each country, each reviewing the ten Web sites on 30 localization criteria.

The ten Web sites surveyed were those shortlisted for the Skytrax Airline of the Year Award, which annually rates airline performance by more than 16 million air travelers.

The UXalliance investigated whether the airlines recognized by their outstanding service in the air also deliver that same outstanding service in their online customer experience to users in various locations around the world.

The findings reveal that, out of the world's ten top-rated airlines, Emirates, Quantas and Qatar Airways rated highest in terms of meeting of the needs of local users around the world. The determining success factors were information in the local language, culturally appropriate character sets, colors schemes and imagery, and well-localized calendar formats. The airlines that rated lowest tended to be less developed or representative of the local markets. The full localization ratings and rankings were as follows:

    Airline           Rating         Rank
    Emirates          7.76           1
    Quantas           7.32           2
    Qatar             7.27           3
    Singapore         7.26           4
    CathayPacific     7.21           5
    NewZealand        7.15           6
    Thai              6.88           7
    Etihad            6.76           8
    Asiana            6.49           9
    Malaysia          6.37           10

Through their extensive experience in global user research, the UXalliance knows that companies that do a great job in localizing their sites have a higher probability of connecting with their customers and maximizing the profitability of their local Web sites. "When facing a global audience, localizing your Web site in all aspects is key to maximizing the user's experience. Translation alone does not equal localization, and ensuring designs that respect cultural awareness is quite important. By not localizing sites, global organizations risk reduced task completion and conversion rates and increased customer support costs," explains Anna Haywood, Senior Consultant at Serco ExperienceLab (UK).

A full detailed report of the "Global-Local Monitor: Top Rated Airlines" study will be available in December on request from aimee@uxalliance.com.

About the UXalliance

The UXalliance has served as a dependable and cost-effective partner to global companies, functioning as a single point of contact to facilitate research requests that go beyond borders since 2005. With over 20 companies, 250 global projects completed to date, 50+ usability labs, and nearly 300 user experience professionals, the UXalliance assures the quality and expertise clients look for in global research projects. Please visit www.UXalliance.com for more information.

    Contact:
    Aimee Reif
    UXalliance Marketing Coordinator
    aimee@uxalliance.com
    T: +1.630.320.3910

SOURCE UXalliance

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Members who choose one of Regence's consumer-directed health plans will soon benefit from a new banking relationship, now that the company has added HealthEquity as a banking partner. Regence selected HealthEquity for its 24/7/365 customer service, its flexible health care financial technology, and its commitment to helping employers and employees build health savings.

HealthEquity combines a suite of integrated online tools that allows for online bill pay for health care, single account administration and investment options that are unmatched in the health care account industry. In addition, HealthEquity will provide a full suite of consumer-directed health account administration including: Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Dependent Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA and Health Savings Accounts (HSA). This will allow Regence to offer all these products through one vendor, thus simplifying and enhancing the employer and member experience.

"We are proud to partner with an innovative financial institution like HealthEquity to provide our members with the resources and advice they need to make the most of their health savings accounts," said Cary Badger, vice president of Market Development for Regence. "HealthEquity combines an exemplary track record of customer satisfaction and online tools to empower members with the confidence they need to manage their health dollars wisely."

Regence's partnership with HealthEquity will deliver a unique set of services to help members manage their health savings, including 24/7/365 Live HealthEquity Member Specialists, "free" investment options, and user-friendly online bill pay making it easier for doctors and hospitals in the Regence network to get paid by members with high deductible health plans and also for members to easily reimburse themselves for health care expenses.

"We are excited to partner with Regence on a program that will truly help employers and their employees build health savings," said Steve Neeleman, MD, CEO of HealthEquity. "Regence has had a long-standing commitment to outstanding customer support and service and now combining that commitment with the 24/7/365 coverage of our HealthEquity Member Specialists, we will truly work together to help people better save and spend their health care dollars."

About HealthEquity®, Inc.

HealthEquity helps hundreds of thousands of American families build health savings and the confidence to be savvy health care consumers, all day, every day, with 24/7 live access to healthcare finance specialists, seamless integration with health insurers and employer benefits programs, and a comprehensive set of tools to help our customers save and spend their medical dollars wisely. In addition to HSAs, we offer total account solutions that include VEBA/HRA/FSA and other tax-advantaged health accounts. To open a HealthEquity account, contact your employer, insurer, broker or visit us directly at www.healthequity.com.

About Regence

Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Regence

DALLAS, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Fall and winter months are quickly approaching, and with them comes an assortment of entertaining opportunities. From Thanksgiving and Christmas to the much anticipated tailgating season, the time is right for snacking. Why not make smarter choices this year and serve something healthier to snack on.

Santa Barbara Bay, makers of best-selling refrigerated deli dips available nationwide, bring consumers new All Natural Greek Yogurt Dips made with Voskos Greek yogurt. Available in five popular flavor varieties, these dips contain twice the protein of traditional yogurt and many active cultures that promote digestive health - making it a snack the whole family, or the whole party, can enjoy.

Santa Barbara Bay 12-ounce containers, available in deli departments for around $5, are offered in Cucumber Dill, Thai Three Pepper, Roasted Red Pepper & Asiago Cheese, Zesty Ranch and Spinach varieties. Each variety is rich and creamy with gourmet flavor and texture. Santa Barbara Bay's Greek Yogurt dips make an ideal addition to appetizer trays, as they are "table-ready" straight from the package. Simply serve with a spread of crackers, vegetables and nuts to keep your guests satisfied. For a less formal atmosphere, take the easy, portable 12-ounce containers to your next tailgate and serve with a variety of chips.

Besides the additional health benefits from replacing the traditional sour cream based dips with Voskos Greek yogurt, these new dips from Santa Barbara Bay boast of lower calories, fat and carbohydrates that cause many to stay away from such dips. The Cucumber Dill variety packs a mere 40 calories per 1-oz. serving, with 3 grams of fat and only 2 grams of carbohydrates. The Thai Three Pepper packs 60 calories per 1-oz. serving, with 4 grams of fat and 3 grams of carbohydrates.

All Natural Greek Yogurt Dips join Santa Barbara Bay's traditional line of premium refrigerated dips, spreads and salads, with popular flavors including Spinach, Artichoke, Chili Con Queso, Raspberry Chipotle, Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic, Garden Dill and Cajun Krab Dips. Santa Barbara Bay also introduced a trio of all-natural Parmesan cheese-based dips, branded Parmesanos, with varieties including Zesty Red Pepper, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil, and Original Garlic and Herb. Full product descriptions, featured recipes and distribution information are available online at www.santabarbarabay.com.

SOURCE Santa Barbara Bay