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IMEC & World Business Chicago Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive the Future of Manufacturing in Chicago

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CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IMEC and World Business Chicago (WBC) announce a new partnership aimed at aligning strategies and resources to strengthen Chicago’s manufacturing sector and drive inclusive economic growth. As global trends reshape the manufacturing landscape—from evolving technology and shifting supply chains to workforce dynamics—this partnership is focused on preparing Chicago for the future of manufacturing while leveraging the city’s deep industrial roots. 

The partnership will focus on key initiatives designed to elevate Chicago’s position as a global manufacturing hub. This includes the third annual Manufacturing Month Series in October, where IMEC will serve as a planning partner, participate in tours of local manufacturers, and provide the keynote address at the DPD-WBC Manufacturing Award Ceremony. The series will spotlight more than a dozen manufacturers and bring together industry stakeholders. Additionally, IMEC and WBC will co-host three manufacturing roundtables through the end of 2024, creating a platform for industry leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue on topics like leadership, workforce development, and the rapidly evolving technology landscape that is reshaping the sector. 

“Our nation is experiencing a pivotal manufacturing moment, driven by shifting geopolitics, supply chain realignments, and the transition toward next-generation technologies,” said David Boulay, President, IMEC. “This partnership with World Business Chicago allows us to address these changes head-on by supporting small and mid-sized manufacturers—the backbone of Chicago’s manufacturing ecosystem—while preparing them for what’s next.” 

Chicago has a rich manufacturing tradition, and this partnership aims to harness that legacy while looking forward. The collaboration also addresses key challenges such as the demographic shift, as retiring boomers pass ownership to a more diverse next generation, and the need for increased productivity through investments in skills and automation. 

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center to build on our shared vision of supporting local manufacturers,” said Kyle Schulz, Chief Growth Officer, World Business Chicago. “As the manufacturing sector evolves, it’s critical that we focus on workforce development, embracing new technologies, and ensuring that the next generation of manufacturing is driven by innovation and inclusivity.” 

As part of the partnership, IMEC and WBC’s Research Center will jointly develop bi-monthly infographics analyzing subsectors of the Chicagoland manufacturing economy, and they will release a co-branded digital newsletter to engage a network of over 250 manufacturers, agencies, and partners with insights and updates. 

For more information on upcoming events and related research follow the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center and World Business Chicago online.

About Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center: 

The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) serves as the state’s U.S. Department of Commerce NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership center. IMEC is a team of industry improvement specialists dedicated to providing Illinois Manufacturers with the solutions, tools, and resources to create sustainable, competitive futures. IMEC drives growth through enterprise excellence, helping organizations become more effective and efficient through tailored solutions and support. In 2023, they assisted over 2,500 companies and helped create or retain over 5,200 jobs, resulting in over $650M aggregate impact to the Illinois economy. For more information, visit https://www.imec.org. 

About World Business Chicago:
World Business Chicago (WBC) is the City of Chicago’s public-private economic development agency focused on driving inclusive growth and job creation, supporting businesses, and promoting Chicago as a leading global city. WBC’s mission is to position Chicago as the most business-friendly global city by advancing equitable economic growth that benefits all Chicagoans. www.worldbusinesschicago.com

Contact: Megan Altmyer, maltmyer@imec.org

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SOURCE IMEC

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ATTOM ENHANCES RENTAL AVM WITH AI-POWERED MODEL COVERING NEARLY 100 MILLION U.S. HOMES

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Enhanced model expands coverage by about 40% and delivers a 5.9% median error on homes not yet listed for rent

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, the leading provider of property data, AI-powered intelligence, and real estate analytics solutions, today announced enhancements to its Rental AVM, introducing an AI-powered model that estimates current monthly market rent for nearly 100 million U.S. single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses, an increase in coverage of about 40%. The model delivers a 5.9% median absolute error on homes before they are listed for rent, helping businesses evaluate rental potential and make more informed decisions.

“Estimating rental values is difficult because leases are private and many homes have no rental history,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “With these enhancements, we’re extending the same approach driving ATTOM Intelligence, combining trusted property data with advanced AI and analytics, to many more homes, so customers get more meaningful insights and can make better-informed decisions.”

Key Enhancements Include:

Expanded Coverage: Rental estimates for nearly 100 million single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a coverage increase of about 40%.Improved Accuracy: A 5.9% median absolute error on homes before they’re listed for rent, with calibrated low and high values that tighten as the evidence behind an estimate grows.AI-Powered Modeling: Multiple machine-learning models evaluate property characteristics, property value, rental history, and recent rental activity, weighing each based on the available evidence for a property.Listing-Based Training: The model is trained and benchmarked on observed rental listings, cleaned to remove duplicates, placeholder rents, and unrealistic prices.

“Our enhanced Rental AVM evaluates multiple sources of rental information and adapts to the evidence available for each property,” said Aaron Wagner, Head of Data Science at ATTOM. “That adaptability is what allows us to estimate rent for homes with no rental history and extend coverage to nearly 100 million properties, while keeping the ranges calibrated to the strength of the evidence behind each estimate.”

Built for Real-World Applications
ATTOM’s enhanced Rental AVM supports a range of business needs, including:

Real Estate Investors and Rental Operators: Screen acquisitions, evaluate rental potential, compare rental income with property values, and support rent-setting decisions.Mortgage Lenders and Insurers: Assess rental income for investment-property and DSCR loans, monitor portfolio exposure, and support loss-of-rent analysis.Real Estate Portals and AI Developers: Integrate rental estimates into property listings, investment tools, and AI-powered applications through ATTOM’s MCP Server.

Updated monthly to reflect new rental activity and changing market conditions, the enhanced Rental AVM is available through ATTOM’s APIs, bulk data licensing, Snowflake, Databricks, and MCP Server.

To learn more about ATTOM’s enhanced Rental AVM, visit the Rental AVM landing page or download the Rental AVM White Paper.

About ATTOM
ATTOM delivers AI-driven property intelligence built on the nation’s most trusted property data repository, covering 160+ million U.S. properties—99% of the population. Our engineered, multi-sourced, semantically rich real estate data spans property tax, deeds, mortgages, foreclosure, environmental risk, property conditions, natural hazards, neighborhood insights, and geospatial boundaries, rigorously validated for advanced analytics. ATTOM supports analytics, AI applications, and AI agents through flexible delivery options including APIs, bulk licensing, cloud delivery, and the MCP Server for AI-powered, agentic access to engineered property data, enabling organizations to automate analysis, power intelligent workflows, and scale property intelligence across industries.

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
949.502.8313
datareports@attomdata.com

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SOURCE ATTOM

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Staypineapple to Donate to American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots™ in Honor of Veterans Day

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Hotel brand will donate a portion of November bookings to help veterans and retired first responders receive service dogs

KIRKLAND, Wash., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of Veterans Day, Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, is supporting American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots™ program. Throughout the month of November, Staypineapple will donate up to $5,000 on behalf of its guests from every Pineapple Pup Package booking and every booking made with military or government rates. The initiative supports the placement of specially trained service dogs with veterans and retired first responders living with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), at no cost to recipients.

In recognition of Veterans Day, Staypineapple will donate a portion of November bookings to the Pups4Patriots program.

“Dogs have an incredible ability to bring comfort, connection and a renewed sense of purpose to our lives,” said Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple. “We’re proud to support American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots program and help more of our nation’s heroes access the companionship and support of a service dog. We hope our guests will join us in making a difference through booking a stay this November.”

Pups4Patriots helps remove financial barriers to obtaining a specially trained service dog, matching eligible veterans and retired first responders with dogs trained to support their specific needs.

The impact of the program can be seen in the bond between Russell, a retired U.S. Army veteran and law enforcement officer, and his service dog, Nico. Through Pups4Patriots, Nico has become an important source of support in Russell’s life. As Russell shared, “Nico has brought me a renewed sense of living that I was very much struggling to find before meeting him.”

Through this initiative, Staypineapple hopes to help connect more of America’s heroes with life-changing canine companions to those who have served our country and communities.

To learn more or book a stay, visit Staypineapple.com.

About Staypineapple
Staypineapple is a brand of boutique hotels in urban markets across the U.S., managed by Staypineapple Hotels Inc., based in Kirkland, Wash. Known for personalized service and a warm welcome for people and pets alike, Staypineapple creates unique guest experiences that offer more than just a place to stay. It is a place Where Stays Become Stories. For reservations or more information, visit Staypineapple.com or call (866) 866-7977. Follow Staypineapple on Instagram, Threads, TikTok and Facebook.

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SOURCE Staypineapple

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Terakeet’s Mac Cummings Named to ADWEEK Innovator 50 List

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Recognition honors Cummings’ leadership in transforming Terakeet and building a new model for enterprise reputation management in the age of generative AI

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ADWEEK today announced that Terakeet CEO & Co-Founder Mac Cummings has been named to the 2026 ADWEEK Innovator 50 list, which recognizes leaders driving innovation and shaping the future of marketing, media and technology.

Cummings was recognized for his leadership and vision in anticipating how generative AI would reshape enterprise reputation and positioning Terakeet to address the emerging challenges facing the Fortune 100 and its executives.

Over the past year, Cummings has led Terakeet’s transition from enterprise search marketing to global reputation management. The shift expanded the company’s focus beyond search visibility to the ways brands and executives are represented across search engines, generative AI platforms and the broader digital ecosystem.

“AI has changed what’s at stake for the Fortune 100,” said Cummings. “Reputation risk now moves across search and AI at the same time, and most brands don’t have the infrastructure to manage it. We built the Reputation Operating System to give them the technology, intelligence and expertise to understand those risks and strengthen their position before issues escalate.”

To better serve these customers, Cummings directed investments in proprietary technology, expanded the company’s expertise in cybersecurity and reputation risk, and established new strategic partnerships.

The recognition comes as Terakeet celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter century of evolution alongside major shifts in technology and the digital landscape. Cummings co-founded Terakeet in 2001 and has led the company through each stage of its growth, from its origins in search to its current focus on enterprise reputation management.

“The responsibility of a leader isn’t to protect the business model that worked yesterday but to recognize where the market is going and build for it,” Cummings said. “For Terakeet, that has meant looking past short-term fixes and building the infrastructure enterprises need to understand risk and protect trust in the AI era.”

About Mac Cummings

Mac Cummings is the CEO and Co-Founder of Terakeet. He co-founded the company in Syracuse, New York, in 2001 and has led its evolution across search marketing, digital strategy and enterprise reputation management. Today, Cummings oversees Terakeet’s business strategy and the continued development of its reputation management capabilities and technology.

About Terakeet

Terakeet is an enterprise reputation management company that helps brands and executives understand and manage how they are represented across search engines, generative AI platforms and the broader digital ecosystem. Founded in 2001, the company combines proprietary technology, intelligence and strategic expertise to support enterprise reputation programs.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/terakeets-mac-cummings-named-to-adweek-innovator-50-list-302928186.html

SOURCE Terakeet, LLC

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