Ardagh focuses on sustainability

Ardagh Group, parent of glass container manufacturing plants in Dunkirk and Winchester,  has established a Global Sustainability Action Group to better coordinate its global sustainability work, to accelerate sustainability programs and to increase responsiveness. 

The company announced that the action group will report to the board and will include senior executives from across Ardagh’s business units.

Sustainability is defined by Ardagh as not only delivering a reduced environmental impact but also achieving sound economic performance while making a positive social contribution, the company said in a press release.

Ardagh’s current chief procurement officer, John Sadlier, has been appointed as the new chief sustainability officer. Sadlier will be responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s sustainability agenda. He joined Ardagh in 2007 and now will focus on ensuring that sustainability is at the core of the business.



Jobs being cut

Tyson Foods Inc., parent company of Tyson Mexican Original of Portland, plans to eliminate 500 jobs, mostly office positions in Chicago and Arkansas.

Tyson said the job cuts are part of its efforts to strengthen overall financial fitness that consolidates some of the functions across the growing enterprise.

After acquiring Hillshire Brands in 2014, Tyson found itself with a second large corporate office in Chicago in addition to its longtime corporate offices in Springdale, Arkansas.

Currently about 500 work in the Chicago office and about 2,000 work in Springdale.

“We have an ongoing focus on financial fitness to make sure our business remains competitive. This means we’re continually reviewing our resources including staffing levels. We’ve recently reduced some roles and relocated others. It’s always difficult to eliminate and move jobs, and we’re doing this only after careful consideration,” Tyson Foods corporate spokesman Gary Mickelson told business reporters in an email.



McDonald’s help

The top dog in the Westminster Kennel Club show this week chowed down on a McDonald’s chicken sandwich before the competition, The Associated Press reported.

Siba, a standard poodle, will only eat chicken and her handler couldn’t find any at the dog show.

Instead, she munched on grilled chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s before the competition.

He’s a visionary

Jeff Broin, chief executive officer of POET, parent company of Portland’s ethanol plant, has been presented with The American Biofuel Visionary award by Growth Energy. The award recognizes Broin for a lifetime dedicated to advancing the biofuels industry.

Growth Energy is the country’s largest biofuels trade association representing nearly half of all American ethanol plants, numerous fuel retailers, and other biofuels supporters. Broin was a founding member of Growth Energy in 2008, and served as its hairman for over a decade.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this thoughtful recognition from Growth Energy,” Broin said in a prepared statement. “Helping to found and grow this organization has been a true labor of love for me, going back to my roots on the family farm. While we have won many battles, the war is far from over. I will continue to work with the biofuels industry and agriculture to drive biofuels to new heights in the years to come.”



Beats expectations

CVS Health turned in fourth-quarter operating results that slightly beat analysts’ expectations on the bottom line. 

In the quarter, revenue reached $66.9 billion and adjusted earnings per share hit $1.73.

Its retail stores remained strong with 3% same-store sales growth, a 7% increase in prescription volume and 1% front of store growth. 



Off a bit

First Financial Bancorp reported fourth quarter net income of $48.7 million, down slightly from $50.9 million for the third quarter of 2019 and down from $55 million for the fourth quarter of 2018.

For the twelve months that ended Dec. 31, First Financial had earnings per diluted common share of $2 compared to $1.93 for the same period in 2018.