NextEra seeking major purchase

NextEra Energy is seeking to make a major acquisition.

The company, which owns and operates Bluff Point Wind Energy Center in Jay and Randolph counties, reportedly made a $15 billion offer to purchase the utility Evergy, Reuters reported Monday.

The Reuters report said Evergy turned down the offer and that NextEra had no immediate plans to make a new bid.

However, Evergy responded Tuesday, saying “there is currently no offer or bid from any third party for a potential transaction.”

A NextEra spokesperson told Greentech media that it does not comment on market rumors.

NextEra operates 126 wind facilities in the United Sates and Canada. It also made an effort in September to purchase Duke Energy, though those efforts also did not come to fruition.

Evergy was formed in 2018 when Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy merged. It serves customers in Kansas and Missouri.



Classes set

John Jay Center for Learning will host ServSafe classes.

The classes are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 21. For more information, call (260) 729-5525.



Ardagh expanding

Ardagh Group announced this week that it will expand operations at its facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

The company, which operates glass manufacturing plants in Dunkirk and Winchester, will add two production lines as part of a $1.8 billion investment plan, Area Development Online reported this week. The expansion in Olive Branch is projected to result in 80 new jobs.

“We’d like to thank the governor and Olive Branch and DeSoto County officials for their support as we expand in the region and grow our business,” said Claude Marbach, CEO of Ardagh Metal – Beverage North America. “We’d also like to recognize and thank our team at the Olive Branch facility as we continue to serve as an essential business during the pandemic …”



Adding option

Pizza Hut announced this week that it is partnering with Beyond Meat to offer plant-based meat options to its menu.

The companies will team to offer two new pizzas — Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza and the Great Beyond Pizza, both of which will feature Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausage.

“I’d challenge anyone to go try the new Beyond Pan Pizza and tell the difference. I shared it with friends and family, and they couldn’t,” said Pizza Hut chief brand officer David Graves in a press release. “The Beyond Italian Sausage is rich, juicy and has the signature Pizza Hut flavors — pizza lovers everywhere are going to love it.”



Launching pet car

Walmart announced Thursday that it is launching Walmart Pet Care.

The new service will include pet insurance, dog-walking and pet sitting. Walmart will partner with Rover on the new project.

“We’re on a mission to help families live better — and that goes for pets, too,” said Melody Richard of Walmart. “Especially as adoption rates soar as a result of the pandemic, and more people become pet owners, this was the perfect time to launch expanded services in Walmart Pet Care for our customers.”



DG announces

Dollar General on Tuesday announced that it will build a new distribution center.

The company is planning an $85 million, 800,000-square-foot facility in Blair, Nebraska. The facility, with construction beginning next month and slated to be complete in early 2022, will support 1,500 stores in the Midwest.

“We are excited for the addition of our first-ever, ground-up dual distribution center, which is to be built in Blair, and look forward to expanding our mission of Serving Others in the Midwest,” said Dollar General executive vice president of global supply chain Mike Kindy. “We also look forward to welcoming approximately 400 new Nebraskan employees to our Dollar General family soon.”



CVS names VP

CVS Health has named Daniel Finke as its executive vice president for its health care benefits segment.

Finke, who has worked for Aetna since 2014, will take over for Karen S. Lynch on Feb. 1.

Lynch will become president and CEO of CVS Health.

“Dan’s dedication to the health of our members and passion around addressing health care disparities make him the ideal person to take the Health Care Benefits segment forward,” said Lynch. “Dan has a track record of driving growth, delivering strong operating improvements and bringing customer-driven innovations to the market.”



Sales go up

Advance Auto Parts announced Nov. 10 that its third-quarter sales were up by 9.9% over the previous year.

Advance recorded $2.5 billion in net sales for the third quarter, which concluded Oct. 3. It declared a cash dividend of 25 cents per share to be paid Jan. 4 to stockholders of record as of Dec. 18.

“Industry demand remained strong in the quarter, however our performance is also a testament to the resilience of our team members and independent partners during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Advance president and CEO Tom Greco in a press release.



McDonald’s reports

McDonald’s announced Monday that its sales for the third quarter were down by 2.2% from 2019.

Advance recorded $5.42 billion in sales, down from $5.5 billion during the same period the previous year. Diluted earnings per share still increased by 11%.

“The resilience of the McDonald’s system was on display during the third quarter as the competitive strength of our business and the 3 D’s — Digital, Delivery and Drive Thru – led to significant global comparable sales recovery,” said McDonald’s chief financial officer Kevin Ozan in a press release. “Our franchisees and restaurant teams around the world remain focused on running great restaurants and continuing to provide a safe environment for customers to enjoy our great tasting food.”