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We often take nature for granted. We don’t think about the pivotal role that all of life’s creatures play. Even though, September is known to be "National Honey Month", its during the Month of August that we celebrate honey producers. The World Honey Bee Day give us the perfect opportunity to pay honor to the incredible honey bee. Read on to discover everything you need to know about this day, as well as the critical role that honey bees play in our everyday lives.
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Since 2009, Americans have celebrated National Honey Bee Day on the third Saturday in August. This day of awareness, declared by the U.S. secretary of agriculture, recognizes the contribution that honey bees make to our everyday lives, as well as learning about the different steps that we can take in order to protect this vital species. On World Honey Bee Day, we also pay homage to beekeepers. After all, it is their efforts that make sure that there are healthy and well-managed bees to pollinate crops.
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A brief Story about Bees: Humans have been harvesting honey as early as 15000 BCE. From wild honey hunting to the sophisticated apiaries of today. There have been many developments in the field of beekeeping.
2422 BC: Records of bee harvesting found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Sealed jars of honey have also been found in the tombs of pharaohs such as Tutankhamun.
1622: Bees were introduced to America by European Settlers
1851: Lorenzo Langstroth Designs the modern hive for beekeeping. He discovered that bees would keep a 'bee sized' pathway clear within a hive if it was between 6 and 8mm wide. He named the discovery 'spazio di ape' (or 'bee space' in English). This discovery was important because it led to the development of hives with moveable frames of comb. This allowed the beekeeper to remove comb and honey without destroying the hive.
1945: WWI Increases wax demand, which results in spike of beekeeping.
1982: Sharp decline in bees numbers due to parasitic mites
Today: Increase in backyard beekeeping but increased threat of chemicals used in farming.
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-Bees not only contribute to the pollination of wildflowers, but also to the pollination of agricultural crops. According to an estimate, bees and other pollinators pollinate almost 90% of flowering plants and 70% of the world’s main crops. Without bees, these numbers would fall to decline.
-Beeswax is popular for making candles, wood and leather polishes, and an ingredient in artist’s materials. The pharmaceutical industry uses the substance as a time-release mechanism, drug carrier, and binding agent.
-Bees are critical to our daily living, yet they are in decline on a worldwide scale. This is because they face a number of different threats. The use of toxic pesticides is one of these threats. They are also at risk due to habitat loss, as there has been an increase in invasive farming methods and urban developments, meaning that places that honey bees used to call home do not exist anymore.
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-There are almost 20,000 different species of bees in the world.
-Bees live in colonies. In each colony, there are three types of bees, the queen bee, the worker bee, and the drone. The worker and the queen bee both are females, but only the queen bee can reproduce. All drones are male. Worker bee’s tasks are to clean the hive, collecting pollen and nectar to feed the colony and taking care of the offspring. The drone only mates with the queen. The queen’s job is to lay eggs only.
-One pound of honey is made by 3,500 tiny bees traveling over 55,000 miles and visiting 2 million flowers.Remember this information when you enjoy honey next time and appreciate the hard work of these busy bees.
-Honey is the most beneficial and economically important hive product. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service, honey bees produced around $384 million of honey in 2014, and a little less than $339 million of honey in 2016.
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Sales & Service Recognition Awards
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Rising Star of the Month:
Devoney Kudrich, SSR
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Devoney Kudrich has been awarded Rising Star of the Month for the Sales Team. Devoney joined the company less than 2 months ago as part of the Independents Stores. In her short time working for Imperial, she has gone above and beyond expectations. She can pack out an order like any seasoned SSR as shown by her productivity. Devoney is willing to help out whenever she is needed; always giving her best. The Trucchi's grocery managers like her enthusiasm and appreciate her efforts. She arrives early, works hard and even assists The Trucchis customers. Well Done Devoney!
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Team Member of the Month:
Derek Gay, SSR
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Derek Gay has been awarded Team Member of the Month for the Sales Team. Derek joined the company 6 years ago, and he continues to excel everyday. His managers always have the highest of praise for him. He continues to help the merchandiser with cosmetic resets each year. Even with the increases in cosmetic sales, he always goes the extra mile to makes sure the stores are stocked. Derek has taken on an additional 10 stores since April and all stores sales are up compared to last year. Derek also works in our independent account.He has quite the full plate, but his quality of work is never diminished.
Keep it up Derek!
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Team Member of the Month:
Jonathan Myers, IT Help Desk
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Jonathan Myers has been awarded Team Member of the Month for the Admin team. Since moving to the IT department, Jonathan has provided excellent support to the sales & service team. None more critical than his support with Smartsheet. On his own, Jonathan has become very familiar with the platform and as such, is able and willing to assist when called upon. It was his support and work that led to the development of a new Smartsheet process that will be utilized to track progress for new business. Without his efforts, the process would have been much less efficient and resulted in more work for the sales team. Congratulations Jonathan!
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Distribution Center Recognition Awards
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Team Member of the Month:
Juan Rosa, Shipper
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Juan Rosa has been awarded Team Member of the Month for the DC. Juan has been part of the Shipping Team for almost a year. Since then, he continues to be one of the strongest members of the shipping team. His supervisors praise him for being consistent, diligent and a great worker. Juan always pays attention to detail and is always willing to stay longer hours and do whatever is asked of him. Juan has earned the right to be recognized for his ability, and willingness to go above and beyond. Keep it up Juan!
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The following team members have earned awards for exceeding expectations through perfect attendance, no safety incidents, meeting quality and productivity rates.
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Four Stars & Support Stars
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Stan Szela
Mike Posco
Charlie Simcock
Omar Torres
Jesus Villalba
Joshua Harmon
Sao Lim
Tara Mailman
Mike Barrette
Roland Adams
Mike Grant
Nghia Pham
Nora Dixon
Alfonso Jimenez
Todd Alexandrovich
Tyrone Gain
Hannah Boahen
May St.Martin
Kevin Jacques
Cody Lee
Erik Iverson
Chris Jacques
Dan Caraballo
Thomas Sarpong
Anthony Owusu
Sean O'Rourke
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Cindy Ruo
Kate Ojatabu
Sara Ochoa
Dung Quach
Scott Boilard
Ruth Plange
Richard Acheampong
Claudia Afrifa
Carmen Jarama
Florence Ofosuaa
Norma Jarama
Ana Saravia
Maria McMenemy
Ana Hernandez
Betty Jane Streich
Jared Stone
Akousa Nyantakyiwaa
Cory Gagnon
Ervin Mangual
Anh Luong
Josh Berkowitz
Zacharia Muntala
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Mike McCormick
Eddie Prive
Wayne Gain
Carmen Pena
Marie Ramos
Bill Rivera
Brian LaRochelle
Jandelize Torres
Amy Berry
Starr Ward
Basil Salim
Mike Standring
Skender Senko
Edi Kocaj
Edward Sarrett
Sarah Williamson
Adrian Inosencio
Chris Rose
Lenny Marquez
Jason Martinez
George Pagan
Willie Velez
Damber Thapa
Raul Alicea
Ata Opoku
Jose Castillo
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DC Safety: Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
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Personal protection equipment is necessary to protect Imperial’s team members from potential hazards. Imperial requires PPE throughout the warehouse. Here is a list of areas and the necessary PPE items. Failure to use required PPE can result in serious harm, injuries, and even death.
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COVID Precautions: All unvaccinated team members, temps and visitors must wear a mask.
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Bulk Department
- Steel or Composite Toe Shoes
- 5 point Safety Harnesses
- Fall Limiters
- Lanyard
- Eye goggles/safety shield
- Protective apron
- Protective gloves
- Safety whistle
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Stocking Department
- Self-retracting Safety knives
- Cut resistant safety gloves
- Cut resistant safety sleeve
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Shipping / Receiving and General Warehouse Maintenance Department-
- Steel or Composite Toe Shoes
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Unacceptable PPE- Examples:
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August Work Anniversaries
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38 Years- Marjorie Girard
25 Years- Aileen Luppino
24 Years- Maria Gilantzis
24 Years- Robert Losco
23 Years- Diane Auger
21 Years- Skye Frenier
20 Years- Teresa Lefsyk
20 Years- Costas Tyros
18 Years- Jared Hollywood
16 Years- Susan Girotti
14 Years- Amber Bailey
13 Years- Julie Jellen
12 Years- Vilma Flores
12 Years- April-May Rosebrooks-Mosher 12 Years- Brian Taylor
11 Years- Angel Ortiz
10 Years- Michael McCormick
10 Years- Michael Seed
10 Years- Jon Lightbody
10 Years- Reva Southard
9 Years- Ana Hernandez
8 Years- Peter Tansley
6 Years- Michael Jacques
6 Years- Kevin Jacques
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6 Years- Elizabeth Unger
5 Years- Jessica Thornton
5 Years- Sarah Whalen
5 Years- Joseph Rutelonis
5 Years- Loyd Stewart
5 Years- Betty Streich
4 Years- April Dylewicz
4 Years- Timothy Garriepy
4 Years- Kathleen Grover-Mattar
4 Years- William Ballejo
4 Years- Alfonso Jimenez
4 Years- Cindy Vergara
3 Years- Angel Bencosme
3 Years- Maria McMenemy
3 Years- Alexandria Schiller
3 Years- Cody Lee
2 Years- Rose Pham
2 Years- Ernest Ciliberto
1 Year- Juan Rosa
1 Year- Jason Harris
1 Year- Daniel Rodriguez
1 Year- Enzo Borges
1 Year- Edward Gonzalez
1 Year- Daniel McNee
1 Year- Akosua Nyantakyiwaa
1 Year- Mirta Reyes
1 Year- Jeff Koscielniak
1 Year- Portia Amoako Mensah
1 Year- Orlando Brown
1 Year- Adiza Koduah
1 Year- Christopher Baez
1 Year- Elisandro Guardado
1 Year- Richard Vaillancourt
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Brian Marvin
Sharon Poitras
Kwamena Baidoo
Noreen Busha
Christopher Jacques
David Mascenik
Robinson Berlus
Thomas Cutonilli
Cindy Vergara
Yusuf Alabi
Camil Atallah
Michael Souza
Miguel Castro
Kenneth Hughes Jr.
Claudia Afrifa
Willie Daniels Jr.
Scott Dillon
Sharon Chew
Bertha Pittsley
Francis Farrell
Edward Sarrett
Vladimir Ballta
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Anna Muniz
Belinda Sackeyfio Quaye
William Boyer
Dawn LaGrassa
Roberta Stanley
Tyrone Gain
Julio Benitez
Anthony Salvatore
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Miguelina Jimenez
Portia Amoako Mensah Thomas Boadu
Juan Mejia
Timothy Sullivan
Jiumei Tan
Devoney Kudrich
Sandra Wallen
Richard Gulotta
Gilma Sandoval Garcia
Michael Hic
Noemi Nazario
Robert McCarthy
Michael Welsh
Mary Michaelson
Mirta Reyes
Jennifer Wintner
Michelle Santora
Brett Sullivan
David Watson
Ahmad Yaqub
Joshua Berkowitz
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When planning your retirement it is important to protect your personal information and your retirement account. And you also need more than just money to live comfortably in retirement.
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Coordinating your lifestyle goals and your financial planning can help make for a more enjoyable and fulfilling retirement. Here are some things to consider when protecting your information and retirement account from hackers:
-Monitor your accounts periodically: One reason 401(k) plans are becoming a target for hackers is that many participants don’t check their accounts very often and are unaware of their balances and of any activity. Although daily checking isn’t necessary, it is important to review your 401(k). Look for any unauthorized activity, such as loans or withdrawals, and confirm that your home address, phone number and email address are all correct and current as well.
-Use a Secure password and change it regularly: Make sure it is strong (using both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) and that it’s different from the passwords you use for other accounts.
-Be careful when receiving communications: Phony emails that contain links or attachments could infect your computer with malware or lead you to a fake site to gather your personal information
-Keep your antivirus, anti-malware, and firewall software up to date, and pay close attention to details in the email that may suggest that it’s a fake.
-Inform your employer or plan provider immediately if you suspect hackers are trying to compromise your account or if you discover any unauthorized account activity
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Helping confirm that you have enough income to live comfortably in retirement should be a critical goal. However, money is not the only thing you need to consider when you are planning for your retirement. To enjoy a truly satisfying retirement, you also need to consider the following:
-Where to call home: Consider if you want to stay in your current home, downsize, rent. You should also consider your network of family and friends as well as access to entertainment and shopping. Another point to consider is how easy it will be for you to pursue outdoor activities that you enjoy and help you stay fit, whether if you prefer warm or cold weather.
-Health and access to quality health care: Not every region is equal when it comes to health care. Some areas are well served by hospitals, clinics and medical specialists. Others, especially rural areas, find it hard to attract physicians and often have smaller hospitals with fewer specialist departments.Your health care needs will obviously play a big role in deciding where you want to live in retirement.
-Hobbies and activities: Planning for how you’ll spend your leisure time can keep your mind/body occupied and prevent you from becoming bored.You might even be able to turn a favorite hobby into a business and make some extra money in the process.
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