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Cook & Boardman Acquires Mullins Building Products, Inc.

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Company continues nationwide total opening solutions expansion

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —  The Cook & Boardman Group LLC (“Cook & Boardman” or “C&B”), the nation’s premier provider of fully integrated access and security solutions, has announced the acquisition of Mullins Building Products, Inc. (“Mullins”) headquartered in Birmingham, AL with other locations in Decatur and Montgomery. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1964, Mullins is a traditional commercial door and hardware material supplier and installer, proudly serving customers throughout Alabama.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mullins to the Cook & Boardman family. Their 60+ year history is a testament to the power of relationships and their strong reputation. In an industry built on trust and collaboration, Jeff and Susan have continued the legacy of excellent customer service and strong employee support originally established by their father. We are looking forward to working with Jeff, Susan, and the rest of their team to achieve even greater success in the future,” said David Eisner, Chief Executive Officer of C&B.

“We are thrilled to enter this new chapter with C&B. The acquisition represents not just a continuation of our legacy, but an exciting opportunity to grow and innovate together. Our mission has always been about offering exceptional tangible value to our customer markets, and this mission is significantly enhanced with our relationship with C&B,” said Jeff Mullins and Susan Mullins Sellers, General Manager and Accounting Manager, respectively, of Mullins.

The company will continue to operate under the Mullins Building Products name and customer contacts will remain unchanged as a result of the acquisition.

Platinum Equity acquired a majority interest in Cook & Boardman in 2023. Littlejohn & Co., LLC remains a significant minority shareholder. Mullins represents C&B’s ninth acquisition under Platinum Equity’s ownership.

K&L Gates LLP served as legal advisor to Cook and Boardman.

About Cook & Boardman Group

Founded in 1955, the Cook & Boardman Group is a family of companies that together represent the nation’s premier provider of fully integrated access and security solutions. Through leveraging the entire Cook & Boardman network, the Company is able to seamlessly provide customers with a broad product and service offering spanning commercial doors, frames & hardware (Division 8), electronic access control equipment and specialty (Division 10) products. C&B also provides full systems integration services including physical security, access control, wireless networking, low voltage cabling, audio/visual and managed information technology products (Division 27 & 28).

The nationwide footprint includes over 80 locations in addition to an online customer shopping portal available on the main website and via eProcurement integrations. Our teams have extensive experience serving the non-residential and commercial properties including healthcare, hospitality, K-12 school, higher education institutions, federal/government properties, industrial/warehouse facilities, multi-family/mixed use properties. Learn more at www.cookandboardman.com.

About Platinum Equity

Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $47 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 50 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 28 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 450 acquisitions.

About Littlejohn & Co., LLC:

Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments primarily in growing middle-market industrial and services companies that can benefit from Littlejohn’s 25+ years of operational and sector expertise. With approximately $8 billion in regulatory assets under management, the firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com.

The Cook & Boardman Group

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SOURCE The Cook & Boardman Group

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Cognizant and Google Cloud Expand Alliance to Accelerate Agentic Enterprise Transformation

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Initiative establishes new Gemini Frontier Capability Group, dedicating more than 18,000 engineers to help drive AI adoption for global enterprises.More than 55,000 associates completed Build with Gemini, the largest Gemini partner workshop held to date, part of a shared commitment to scale client execution through Cognizant’s Frontier Certified Engineers.

TEANECK, N.J. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) and Google Cloud today announced a significant expansion of their partnership to accelerate the adoption of agentic AI, including a new Gemini Frontier Capability Group. The group brings together a dedicated global workforce that pairs Google’s full-stack, enterprise-ready AI platform with Cognizant’s domain, industry and engineering expertise as an AI Builder.

Backed by more than 18,000 dedicated Cognizant associates, the new group represents a substantial joint investment and builds on the momentum created by Cognizant’s dedicated Gemini practice launched in April 2026. The new group is designed to bridge the path from pilot to production, equipping enterprises with the ability to safely deploy resilient, enterprise-grade agents that can help drive measurable business value.

“Establishing our dedicated Gemini Frontier Capability Group lets our best frontier engineering talent focus entirely on getting frontier AI into production for clients,” said Ravi Kumar S, CEO of Cognizant. “Our Build with Gemini workshop gave over 55,000 associates that experience directly, earning them tangible skills on one of the world’s most advanced AI platforms, and this new group is where that experience goes to work every day.”

“Deploying AI agents at scale requires trusted partners with deep architectural and integration expertise,” said Thomas Kurian, chief executive officer, Google Cloud. “Cognizant’s dedicated Frontier Capability Group and their skilling initiative for tens of thousands of engineers on Gemini will help our joint customers accelerate the adoption of autonomous agents throughout the enterprise.”

Introducing the Gemini Frontier Capability Group

Designed to meet surging enterprise demand for scaled AI execution, the group aims to deliver production-grade, AI solutions designed to drive business outcomes for global enterprises by leveraging Gemini, Google Cloud’s AI platform for building, governing, and deploying agents. The group will initially concentrate its engineering capabilities across legacy modernization, developer experience, autonomous business process agentification and frontier cyber defense.

To operationalize these capabilities, the group plans to deploy standardized, security-first agentic architecture built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and fortified by Google Cloud’s Model Armor. These trusted frameworks are expected to power a new suite of collaborative, production-ready enterprise solutions, including Cognizant’s Catalog Support Agent (CSA) for retail, the Neuro® San-orchestrated Healthcare Agentic Marketplace, and multi-agent Order-to-Cash (O2C) workflows for manufacturing.

Scaling outcomes with Frontier Certified Engineers

Underpinning the group is a shared commitment by Google Cloud and Cognizant to scale client execution through Frontier Certified Engineers. One early proof point shows what this looks like in practice: by integrating Gemini AI models across its software development lifecycle, Cognizant helped a leading retailer achieve a 40% increase in developer productivity, reduce time-to-market by 30%, and realize a 35% cost savings, underscoring the transformative potential of AI-driven software engineering.

As part of Cognizant’s frontier certification skills drive, the company recently concluded the Build with Gemini workshop with Google Cloud, where Cognizant associates built AI agents and applications while earning Gemini skills credentials. Completed by more than 55,000 Cognizant associates, it is the largest single Gemini partner workshop held to date, representing a meaningful step in building Cognizant’s frontier-certified workforce.

Cognizant is also applying Gemini internally at scale. As announced in July, the company is deploying Gemini to 100,000 associates this year, with plans to scale up to 200,000, and continues to increase its certification commitment for professionals on the platform.

About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.ai or @cognizant. 

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers a powerful, optimized AI stack — including AI infrastructure, leading models like Gemini, data management capabilities, multicloud security solutions, developer tools and platform, as well as agents and applications — that enables organizations to transform their business for the Agentic Era. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.

Cognizant media contacts:

U.S.

Name Ben Gorelick

Email benjamin.gorelick@cognizant.com 

Europe / APAC

Name Sarah Douglas

Email sarah.douglas@cognizant.com 

India

Name Vipin Nair

Email Vipin.nair@cognizant.com 

Google Cloud media contact:

   Josh Gunter

   jmgunter@google.com

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Eczema Awareness Month 2026: What Is the State of Eczema Today?

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NEA pairs findings from its State of AD report with video stories from the community to highlight the data and daily realities of living with eczema

For Eczema Awareness Month 2026, NEA asks what living with eczema looks like today, drawing on the State of AD to bring national data and personal stories together.

The State of Atopic Dermatitis Indicator Report and 51 state-level briefs, published Oct. 1, are available at StateofAD.org.

Video stories from people with eczema and their caregivers share what daily life with the condition is like. Join the conversation with #UnhideEczema.

NOVATO, Calif., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eczema Awareness Month 2026 is underway, and this year’s theme is the State of Eczema. Since Oct. 1, the National Eczema Association (NEA) has been inviting the community to see, share and talk about what living with eczema is like. Throughout October, NEA is asking a question for the more than 31 million Americans living with eczema, and those who care for them: what is it like to live with eczema, and what does it take to get good care?

The theme builds on the State of AD, NEA’s four-year initiative on atopic dermatitis (AD), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It brings together two kinds of evidence, national data and the experiences of people with eczema, to offer a more complete view of the condition.

The State of AD: data that backs up the experience

On Oct. 1, NEA published its State of Atopic Dermatitis Indicator Report, along with 51 state-level briefs covering all 50 states and Washington, D.C. AD is the most common form of eczema. The report is the first comprehensive national and state-level baseline on AD diagnosis and care, and it points to gaps across the country. The complete report and all state briefs are available at StateofAD.org.

“Eczema Awareness Month is about making sure people feel seen. The State of AD gives us the evidence to show that eczema deserves attention in every state, and the stories our community is sharing show why it matters. Together, they tell the whole story,” said Kristin Belleson, president and CEO of NEA.

Video stories: eczema in their own words

Alongside the data, NEA is sharing video testimonials from people living with eczema and the caregivers who support them. The data shows the scale of the need, and the stories show the people behind it. Watch the stories at EczemaMonth.org.

Ways to take part this October

NEA invites people with eczema, caregivers, health care professionals and partners to join the conversation:

Watch and share the video stories from the eczema community.

Explore the State of AD report and your state’s brief at StateofAD.org.

Use #UnhideEczema on social media to share your own experience.

Visit EczemaMonth.org for resources, events and more ways to get involved.

NEA thanks all the sponsors and partners who make Eczema Awareness Month possible, including our Platinum Sponsors: AbbVie, all® free clear, LEO Pharma, and Sanofi and Regeneron.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Eczema Awareness Month?
A: Eczema Awareness Month takes place every October. In 2026, it is centered on the State of Eczema, bringing together national data and personal stories from the eczema community.

Q: What is the State of AD?
A: The State of AD is a four-year initiative funded by the CDC. Its foundation is the State of Atopic Dermatitis Indicator Report and 51 state-level briefs, published Oct. 1, which set a national and state reference baseline on AD care and diagnosed prevalence.

Q: Where can I find the State of AD report?
A: The full report and all state briefs are available at StateofAD.org.

Q: How can I take part in Eczema Awareness Month?
A: Watch and share the stories, explore the report and use #UnhideEczema on social media.

The State of AD project was supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number 1 NU58DP007726-01-00, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About the National Eczema Association

Founded in 1988, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest patient advocacy organization serving the more than 31 million Americans living with eczema and those who care for them. NEA provides programs and resources to elevate the diverse lived experience of eczema, helping patients and caregivers understand their condition, actively engage in their care, find strength in one another and improve their lives. NEA also advances critical eczema research and partners with key stakeholders to ensure the patient voice is represented and valued in education, care and treatment decision-making. Learn more: NationalEczema.org

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SOURCE National Eczema Association

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In HelloNation, Electrical Expert Brennan Coffey Explains Why a Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping

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The Article Explains Common Reasons a Circuit Breaker Trips and When the Pattern Signals a Bigger Problem.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Why does a circuit breaker keep tripping? A HelloNation article answers that question and breaks down the most common reasons behind the problem.

The article explains that every circuit is built to carry a set amount of power safely. A circuit breaker cuts power once that limit is crossed, protecting the wiring from overheating before real damage occurs.

Each breaker in the panel protects one specific circuit, the article notes. An overloaded circuit will usually trip only its own breaker, not the entire panel. Homeowners often notice the pattern happens at predictable moments, like running a microwave and a toaster together.

According to the article, an overloaded circuit is one of the most common reasons a breaker trips. This often happens when several appliances draw power from the same outlets at once.

The article notes that kitchens are frequent trouble spots, since they run several high draw appliances from a limited number of outlets. Spreading large appliances across different circuits often solves the problem on its own.

A short circuit or a ground fault can also cause a circuit breaker to trip, the article explains, and both tend to act faster than a simple overload. A short circuit happens when a hot wire unexpectedly touches another wire.

A ground fault usually involves contact with a grounded surface, often because of moisture nearby. The article points out that GFCI outlets add protection in bathrooms and kitchens, though a standard breaker can still trip when a fault occurs elsewhere on the same circuit.

Newer homes may also have arc fault breakers, which sense the electrical pattern of an arc rather than a simple overload. These devices catch a hazard tied closely to house fires.

The article adds that an aging breaker can be the source of trouble in its own right, especially in a panel older than twenty years. Electrical Expert Brennan Coffey leads Coffey Electric & Generator, serving homeowners throughout the Schenectady area.

Homeowners should never open a panel cover or inspect breakers beyond resetting a switch, the article warns, since the panel carries live current even when a breaker has tripped. Forcing a stubborn breaker back on can let dangerous heat build inside the wall.

A breaker box that feels warm or shows scorch marks needs more urgency than routine tripping. That kind of heat points to trouble well beyond a simple overload, the article cautions.

The article suggests tracking when and where trips happen to spot a pattern before calling for help. Noting which appliances were running, and how often the issue repeats, gives a professional a useful starting point.

Waiting too long to address repeated trips can let a small issue grow into a larger and costlier one, the article explains. Addressing the pattern early tends to save both time and money down the road.

Electrical Expert Brennan Coffey is featured in the article, which advises against repeatedly resetting a breaker that keeps tripping without a clear cause. A licensed electrician can identify the underlying issue and determine what the repair actually requires.

Why Does a Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping? features insights from Brennan Coffey, Electrical Expert of Schenectady, New York, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused digital publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

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SOURCE HelloNation

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