Technology

ASI Southeast Work-Based Learning Student Named Georgia Student of the Year

Published

2 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Governor’s Workforce Summit award caps a nine-year manufacturer-school partnership that now supplies one in ten of ASI’s Georgia employees

TOCCOA, Ga., Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Connor Wallace, a senior at Stephens County High School and a Work-Based Learning student at ASI Southeast, has been named the 2026 Georgia Work-Based Learning Student of the Year. He received the award on September 24 at the Governor’s Workforce Summit in Atlanta, where he was recognized by Governor Brian Kemp. Wallace won the county-level award before advancing to the statewide honor.

Georgia’s work-based learning programs enrolled 32,518 students across 24,582 employers in the most recent school year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

ASI Southeast manufactures commercial toilet partitions and lockers for ASI Global Partitions and ASI Storage at its plant in Toccoa, roughly 90 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Two years, zero absences

Wallace joined ASI Southeast in December 2024, shortly after turning 16. He has recorded zero absences, zero tardies and zero early departures since, earning the company’s 2025 Perfect Attendance Award. As of August 19, he had completed 2,534 Work-Based Learning hours and is on pace to pass ASI’s program record of 3,100 before graduation.

His contribution has gone well beyond attendance. During the Locker Business Unit’s continuous improvement competition, Wallace redesigned the UPS staging process, eliminating roughly 158,720 employee steps per year, close to 80 miles of walking, and producing an estimated $5,000 in annual savings. The project won the unit’s “Most Steps Saved” award.

He was then selected as one of five employees to represent the Locker Business Unit in ASI’s 2026 company-wide continuous improvement championship. That team’s project delivered approximately $35,000 in annual savings and won the competition outright. Wallace was named Best Presenter.

He now serves as ASI’s Work-Based Learning Team Captain, acting as liaison between the company, participating students and Stephens County High School. He has led plant tours, represented ASI at job fairs, helped train employees, and taken on responsibilities in production and quality inspection.

“Connor’s defining qualities are his respect, dependability, and ability to make the people around him better,” said Clint Frady, Business Unit Manager at ASI Southeast. “He earns opportunities through consistency, masters new responsibilities, and then helps others succeed. Connor is a tremendous example of what can happen when a motivated student is given an opportunity to contribute in a real workplace and chooses to make the most of it.”

A program built for the labor market it sits in

ASI’s Work-Based Learning program was developed by Stephen Wallace, General Manager of ASI Southeast and Connor’s father, in partnership with Stephens County Schools. Students join the plant during the school year and return across successive summers, with a defined path to full-time employment after graduation.

That structure is a deliberate response to conditions in northeast Georgia, where manufacturers compete for a limited pool of qualified skilled labor. Rather than recruiting against the shortage, ASI develops workers within it, building familiarity with the plant, the equipment and the culture years before a hiring decision is made.

The program runs in collaboration with the county school system rather than as an internal-only initiative, with coordinators, credit hours and a structure the school recognizes and students can build on.

Nine years in, it has hired 67 students from three area high schools, beginning with four. Graduated participants have worked more than 57,736 hours and earned over $1 million in wages, nearly all of it spent in the local economy. Approximately 80 percent remain with ASI after graduation and about half stay three years or longer. In nine years, one participant has been involuntarily terminated.

Today, 32 percent of the operations workforce at ASI Southeast’s 900 Plant came through Work-Based Learning, as did roughly 10 percent of ASI’s employees across Georgia.

About ASI Group

ASI is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial toilet partitions, washroom accessories, lockers, and visual display products. ASI Global Partitions and ASI Accurate Partitions are the company’s partition divisions. With operating units and offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Mexico, and China, ASI serves architects, building owners, and contractors in more than 50 countries.

Media Contact
Anthony Dutcher
Vix Media Group
301-485-9853
424140@email4pr.com

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SOURCE ASI Group

Technology

Lexar Partners with Bolt PR to Accelerate Consumer Technology Brand Growth

Published

8 seconds ago

October 5, 2026

Bolt PR to lead strategic communications and brand visibility for the high-performance memory and storage global leader

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bolt PR, an award-winning integrated marketing communications agency, is now the public relations agency of record for Lexar, a global leader in memory and storage solutions.

Lexar delivers high-performance memory and storage for consumers, creators and professionals who capture, store and move data. Its portfolio includes memory cards, SSDs and DRAM, and it pairs reliability with innovation for a data-driven world. As data needs grow, Lexar is bringing decades of expertise into the AI era.

“As Lexar extends its reach and pushes storage innovation forward for consumers and professionals worldwide, strategic communications becomes essential to how we build our brand and own our narrative,” said Van Baer, General Manager of Lexar North America. “We are pleased to partner with Bolt PR to showcase the technology behind our products, elevate our expertise across the memory and storage category, and connect Lexar with the audiences that matter most.”

“Lexar has built a strong reputation for delivering innovative, high-performance memory and storage solutions. We’re excited to help bring that story to a broader audience,” said Erin Vadala, Group President at Bolt PR. “As data demands continue to grow across everything from content creation and gaming to AI and everyday digital life, Lexar has a compelling role to play in the conversation. We look forward to building a PR program that reinforces its category expertise and creates meaningful opportunities for visibility.”

About Lexar
Founded in California in 1996, Lexar has spent 30 years advancing reliable, high-performance memory solutions and now operates more than 100,000 sales channels across six continents, serving over 100 million users in more than 70 countries. Its award-winning portfolio—from memory cards and SSDs to DRAM and mobile storage—continues to empower creators, professionals, and everyday users worldwide. For more information, please visit lexar.com.

About Bolt PR
Bolt PR is an award-winning, integrated digital marketing and public relations agency. With a presence in major markets across the country, Bolt PR partners with emerging and established brands across B2B, technology, consumer, and hospitality sectors to drive meaningful visibility, credibility, and growth. Through strategic media relations, content marketing, digital advertising, and social media management, Bolt PR delivers creative, results-driven programs that move businesses forward. For more information, visit boltpr.com.

Media Contact
Lexar Bolt PR Team
lexar@boltpr.com

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SOURCE Bolt PR LLC

Technology

Shooks Expands Privacy & Cybersecurity Group with Washington, D.C. Partner Catherine Muir

Published

11 seconds ago

October 5, 2026

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shook, Hardy & Bacon is pleased to announce that Catherine Muir has joined the firm as a partner in its Privacy & Cybersecurity practice group.

Based in Washington, D.C., Muir brings significant experience advising clients on privacy and cybersecurity issues, investigations, regulatory enforcement matters, and matters involving the Federal Trade Commission.

“Catherine is a highly respected strategic counselor whose cybersecurity experience will be an outstanding asset to our practice,” said Al Saikali, chair of Shook’s Privacy Group. “Her ability to help clients manage risk in fast-moving, high-profile matters aligns with our practice’s focus on developing innovative strategies and defenses.”

Muir counsels clients across a broad range of industries, including retail, automotive, technology, financial services and healthcare, among others, on managing digital risk, cybersecurity preparedness and response, privacy compliance, and operational resilience, and has guided organizations through significant cybersecurity incidents, including destructive malware events, zero-day vulnerabilities and other high-stakes matters.

“Catherine’s arrival reflects our continued investment in areas that are increasingly important to clients across sectors and practices,” said Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. “Her ability to address litigation, regulatory and cybersecurity issues together make her a valuable addition.”

Muir’s arrival expands the firm’s capabilities in matters involving government enforcement, information governance and emerging cyber and privacy risks. She also has experience in regulatory and policy issues in automotive cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles.

“What sets Shook apart is its people,” said Muir. “The combination of extraordinary talent, a genuinely collaborative culture and deep litigation capabilities creates a powerful platform. I saw an opportunity not simply to join an exceptional firm, but to bring an even more integrated approach to helping clients navigate risks in an increasingly complex and evolving landscape.”

About Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 18 offices in the United States with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and business litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling.

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SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Technology

Wells Vehicle Electronics Announces New President, Joe Robinson

Published

13 seconds ago

October 5, 2026

FOND DU LAC, Wis., Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wells Vehicle Electronics, a leading global source of advanced vehicle electronics solutions and a member of the Omega Holdings family of companies, today announced the appointment of Joe Robinson as President, effective October 15, 2026. Robinson succeeds Patrick Sommerfeld, who has served as President since 2022.

Robinson brings more than 15 years of automotive aftermarket experience to the role and most recently served as Vice President of Product Development for Omega Holdings. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives spanning new product development, product quality and validation, and strategic customer engagement.

As President, Robinson will lead the continued growth of Wells Vehicle Electronics, building on the company’s more than 120-year history of serving the automotive aftermarket while supporting its integration into the Omega Holdings portfolio.

“Joe’s extensive industry experience and strategic vision make him uniquely qualified to lead Wells Vehicle Electronics into its next phase of growth,” said Randy Rankin, Chief Executive Officer of Omega Holdings. “As we expand our presence in vehicle electronics, Joe’s leadership will help strengthen the Wells brand while continuing to deliver the quality, innovation, and service our customers expect.”

“I am honored to lead this exceptional team of automotive professionals” said Robinson. “I look forward to driving the continued success of Wells Vehicle Electronics. As we navigate this upcoming transition, our commitment remains firmly focused on delivering premium quality products, expanding our extensive product offering, and cultivating our strong customer partnerships”

The announcement follows Omega Holdings’ recent acquisition of the automotive aftermarket electronic components business of Wells Vehicle Electronics, further strengthening Omega Holdings’ position in the vehicle electronics category and expanding its ability to serve customers with a broader range of high-quality aftermarket solutions.

About Wells Vehicle Electronics

Since 1903, Wells Vehicle Electronics has met the fast-growing auto industry’s need for accurate and quality electrical components. Working alongside early automobile innovators, Wells became a pioneer in the design, engineering and manufacturing of these parts.

Wells continues to remain a long-standing distribution partner dedicated to serving the needs of the automotive aftermarket industry. Always considering that customers are looking for innovative, high quality electronics that meet the strict requirements of not only today’s vehicles, but tomorrow’s as well.

Wells Vehicle Electronics | Automotive Electronics & Components

About Omega Holdings
Premier automotive parts distributor specializing in air conditioning, turbochargers, sensors, and other high demand components for light-duty, heavy-duty, and off-highway vehicles. Market leaders in a diverse range of channels, Omega Holdings leverages its expansive product offering and customer partnerships to service the automotive aftermarket industry.

With an unwavering commitment to quality and reliability, Omega Holdings serves the unique needs of over 3,000 customers across 85 countries. As a trusted value added partner, Omega Holdings offers an extensive product portfolio supported by comprehensive technical, marketing, and merchandising services.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/omegaholdings/

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SOURCE Omega Holdings