Partnership brings Zelus’s SNAP automation platform to one of the nation’s largest community banks.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zelus Automation Platform and Woodforest National Bank® today announced an agreement for Zelus’s SNAP platform. The partnership will deliver next-generation automation capabilities across Woodforest’s retail banking operations, supporting the bank’s nearly 740 branches in 17 states nationwide.

“At Woodforest, it’s always been about customers first, community always, and this venture with Zelus brings that commitment to life in new and powerful ways,” said Julie Mayrant, President and Chief Community Bank Officer Woodforest National Bank. “Our upcoming move to Jack Henry’s SilverLake System™ sets the stage for exactly this kind of decision. Zelus’ SNAP solution integrates seamlessly with SilverLake, so we’re able to automate processes without adding complexity to our tech stack. It was a natural fit — one that lets us build on our core investment rather than work around it.”

The agreement reflects both organizations’ commitment to a long-term partnership built on shared goals of operational excellence and customer service. SNAP will be deployed across Woodforest’s retail banking network, which spans Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

“We are honored to partner with Woodforest National Bank, one of the nation’s most respected community banking institutions,” said Russell Bond, Chief Executive Officer of Zelus Automation Platform. “This agreement is a testament to the power of SNAP and our shared vision of transforming the way community banks operate and serve their customers.”

The implementation of SNAP across Woodforest’s operations is expected to begin in the coming months.

About Woodforest National Bank

Woodforest National Bank has successfully stood among the strongest community banks in the nation, proudly offering outstanding customer service since 1980. Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, Woodforest operates nearly 740 branches in 17 states and employs approximately 4,300 associates. As an employee-owned institution, Woodforest understands the importance of investing in its people and the communities it serves. Woodforest is an Outstanding CRA-rated institution. For more information, visit www.woodforest.com.

About Zelus Automation Platform

Zelus Automation Platform is a leading provider of intelligent automation solutions for the financial services industry. The company’s flagship SNAP platform enables banks and financial institutions to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience through advanced automation technology. For more information, visit www.zap-llc.com.

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SOURCE Woodforest National Bank

A new Weed Science Society of America research article shows a generously seeded cereal rye cover crop helps reduce weed pressure for organic no-till soybean production

WESTMINSTER, Colo., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) journal, Weed Science, recently published a research article showing that a cereal rye cover crop helps reduce weed pressure for organic no-till soybean production, particularly when seeded at higher rates. The two-year research study reviewed field experiments conducted during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 growing seasons near Rock Springs, Pennsylvania, at the Pennsylvania State University Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.

“The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude of weed control and soybean yield under different cereal rye densities within the soybean phase of cover-crop based organic rotational no-till production,” states Laurel Wellman, a Ph.D. student in plant sciences at Pennsylvania State University, and the study’s corresponding author. “Our results indicated that all cereal rye seeding rates reduced weed biomass compared to the unseeded cereal rye control plots, and that the higher cereal rye seeding rates reduced weed biomass significantly more than the lower seeding rates.” 

In two experiments, the researchers evaluated rye cultural management strategies for rye biomass, weed suppression, and soybean yield. They tested: 

four rye seeding rates (0.5-3 bu. acre) and two sowing arrangements (grid vs. row sowing)fall-applied poultry litter (0, 1.5, 3 tons acre) with two soybean planting dates (planting green or standard planting). 

“Increasing cereal rye seeding rate did not lead to increased rye biomass but did increase weed suppression,” points out Wellman. “Soybean yield was unaffected by rye seeding rates, and sowing arrangement did not affect any response.” 

Interestingly, “while fall poultry litter significantly increased rye biomass, weed suppression was unaffected,” she adds.

During one of the two cropping seasons studied, planting green reduced soybean establishment and yield, note the researchers. However, they also state that “these results highlight the limitations of organic no-till soybean production within grain crop rotations in the Northeastern U.S. when using cereal rye as a stand-alone weed suppression method. Increasing cereal rye seeding rates or applying fall fertility could be effective cultural practices when integrated with other weed control tactics to supplement weed suppression by rye surface mulch.” 

Overall, and perhaps most importantly, notes Wellman, the study “indicates that higher cereal rye seeding rates improved weed suppression independently of cereal rye biomass.” 

More information about the study is available online in the article: “Cultural management of cereal rye for weed suppression in cover crop-based organic rotational no-till soybean.” The research article is among others recently featured in Weed Science, a Weed Science Society of America journal, published by Cambridge University Press. Wellman can be contacted about the study at lew5444@psu.edu.

About Weed Science 
Weed Science is a journal of the Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society focused on weeds and their impact on the environment. The publication presents peer-reviewed, original research related to all aspects of weed science, including biology, ecology, physiology, management, and control of weeds. To learn more, visit www.wssa.net. 

Media Contact: 
Jo Skelton 
Cambridge University Press 
Senior Brand and Partner Communications Manager 
cupacademic@cambridge.org 
01223326165 

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SOURCE Weed Science Society of America

BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICW Holdings, LLC (“ICW”), an investment management firm, today announced the formation and launch of its flagship fund, a private investment vehicle pursuing a global, long-biased equity strategy by combining bottom-up company research with macroeconomic regime analysis and portfolio risk management.

Managed by Mark Dinner, formerly with Bridgewater Associates, the strategy is designed to create a diversified, risk-balanced portfolio of high-quality businesses. With a focus on managing concentration risk and navigating a wide range of inflationary, deflationary, and policy-drive environments, the strategy’s multi-layered investment process integrates macro risk analysis, systematic portfolio construction, and selective tail-risk mitigation.

“ICW was founded on the belief that companies are the most fundamental drivers of long-term value creation and our investment approach combines rigorous bottom-up equity selection with a deep understanding of macroeconomic regimes,” said Dinner. “We believe the current environment continues to reward an active, differentiated investment approach that can adapt across cycles. The strategy is designed with that flexibility at its core and formalizes an investment approach we have been actively executing since our founding in 2021.”

ICW’s leadership team combines macro investing expertise, systematic portfolio construction experience, and institutional operational oversight. Collectively, the team brings over 100 years of cumulative experience across leading investment organizations.

About ICW Holdings, LLC

ICW is an investment management firm founded in 2020 by Mark Dinner, a former senior investor at Bridgewater Associates, to apply a disciplined understanding of macroeconomic regimes and portfolio balance to equity investing. The firm serves eligible investors seeking risk-aware equity exposure across market cycles. All statements regarding personnel background, firm history, and strategy should be reviewed for accuracy and substantiation before dissemination.

Important Notice: This press release is for general informational purposes only. It is not, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or other investment interests, and it is not intended to condition the market for any securities offering. ICW is not using this announcement to market any securities. Any private offering, if made, would be conducted only through confidential offering materials and only in accordance with applicable law.

Media Contact

Matthew Della Croce
Clario Group
1-646-319-7487
matthew.dellacroce@clariogroup.com

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SOURCE ICW Holdings