Downward drilling robot delivers up to 10x faster drilling speeds than traditional methods and has reduced construction timelines by 190 weeks across 26 major projectsRobot debuts in the market to overwhelming acclaim from construction professionals and leading media outlets, including Fast Company, which praised the robot’s disruptive potential to “drastically speed up data center construction”

TOWSON, Md., July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand renowned for relentless innovation on the jobsite, today announces the commercial launch of the world’s first fleet-capable, downward drilling robot, DALE™, developed in collaboration with global mobile robotics leader August Robotics.

Following its debut to resounding industry acclaim at World of Concrete earlier this year, the robot now enters the market as a true game-changer, poised to redefine data center construction by delivering concrete drilling with unmatched speed, safety, and efficiency. This landmark introduction signals a transformative leap forward for the industry, setting an unprecedented standard for productivity, precision, and technological advancement on the modern jobsite.

Amidst an unprecedented wave of data center construction, speed has become the defining competitive advantage for hyperscalers racing to deliver computing capacity.

“The downward drilling robot’s year-long pilot with one of the world’s most influential technology leaders powerfully demonstrated its ability to accelerate schedules, reduce costs, enhance precision, and elevate safety in downward drilling applications,” said Bill Beck, President, Tools & Outdoor, Stanley Black & Decker. “Now, we’re advancing to the next phase: delivering this breakthrough technology to a broader market and empowering customers to achieve unparalleled speed, efficiency, and results on their most demanding projects.”

Throughout the pilot program, the downward drilling robot drilled at speeds up to 10 times faster than traditional methods, reduced project timelines by a total of 190 weeks across 26 data center construction phases, and achieved 99.97% accuracy drilling more than 230,000 holes, setting a new standard for productivity and precision in the industry.

Equipped with fast-swap batteries and remote monitoring, DALE™ maximizes time on-site to support around-the-clock drilling operations. Integrated automatic dust extraction and AI-enhanced quality assurance ensure sites are clean and prepped for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installation workflows immediately after drilling, shaving weeks from schedules.

Powered by August Robotics’ advanced autonomous, fleet-capable platform, DALE™ enables cost-efficient, high-capacity drilling for installation of server rack stops and supports for MEP systems. The robot is a vital addition to DEWALT’s data center ecosystem, complementing the company’s PERFORM AND PROTECT™ tools and ICC anchoring solutions designed to maximize safety and productivity on the jobsite.

The downward drilling robot is available now for commercial order. To learn more about the robot and DEWALT’s industry-leading solutions for jobsite professionals, visit www.dewalt.com.

For information on August Robotics and its autonomous mobile robotics solutions for construction, visit www.augustrobotics.com.

About DEWALT
DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand, is a leader in total jobsite solutions. For more than 100 years, DEWALT has been powering the future of construction with tools and technologies that have been designed, built and tested to help deliver safety and productivity on every jobsite. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About August Robotics
August Robotics is a leading international mobile robotics company that builds robots to improve lives and boost productivity by automating dirty, dangerous and dull jobs. Founded in 2017, August Robotics has expanded worldwide and partners with market leaders to develop new robotic applications across industries including construction, commercial and industrial fit-outs, and exhibitions. For more information, visit www.augustrobotics.com, or follow August Robotics on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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SOURCE DEWALT

Accomplished STAR executive join the board as the nonprofit expands its STARs Advisory Council – and reports 20% gains in jobs newly opened to STARs

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Opportunity@Work, the nonprofit social enterprise working to rewire the U.S. labor market for the more than 70 million workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) – rather than a bachelor’s degree – today announced the appointment of its newest member to its Board of Directors: LaFawn Davis, former Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Indeed. The organization also announced the addition of 12 new members to its STARs Advisory Council, supporting and guiding Opportunity@Work’s strategy and direct partnerships with STARs – including ambassadorship, advocacy, and advisory services.

The appointments come as the skills-first movement is gaining momentum at a pivotal moment for the American workforce. As artificial intelligence reshapes career pathways and opportunities, employers in Opportunity@Work’s networks have taken intentional action that is already producing measurable results for workers. According to the organization’s 2026 State of the Paper Ceiling Report, over the last year employers have increased the number of jobs open to STARs by nearly 20% for a total of almost 600,000 jobs – with 90,000 STARs having experienced upward mobility since 2022.

“Today’s labor market is full of bad design choices and unintended consequences, and this AI labor market transition is a vital opportunity to rewire it – using AI as amplified intention – to create new pathways, solve new problems, and empower more problem solvers,” said Byron Auguste, CEO and co-founder of Opportunity@Work. “LaFawn is exactly the kind of leader we need today. She is a STAR who built a remarkable career on the strength of her skills and experience and she has led talent teams at the highest levels of large, complex organizations. She knows firsthand that when you hire for skills rather than pedigree, you unlock talent that makes your business more competitive, innovative, and resilient. Her lived experience and operator’s instincts will sharpen our work as we help employers turn AI into a tool for amplified opportunity.”

LaFawn Davis is a C-suite enterprise transformation executive known for designing operating models that align people, technology, and strategy at the intersection of human and AI-enabled capability. As former Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Indeed, she led globally scaled teams across talent, learning, DEIB, ESG, and responsible technology. At Indeed she also helped implement skills-first hiring practices, giving her a practical, operator-level understanding of the barriers, incentives, and platform levers involved in moving beyond credential-based hiring. A STAR who entered the workforce navigating the barriers faced by workers without formal credentials, she brings lived experience alongside a systems-level perspective on AI, employment, and the talent platforms shaping the future of work.

“I’ve sat in the seat where decisions get made about who is considered ‘qualified,’ and I know how much talent gets filtered out before anyone ever looks at what a person can actually do,” said Davis. “AI is about to make those decisions at a speed and scale we’ve never seen. We can either bake the old degree bias into these systems or we can build them to recognize skills. That choice is everything, and it’s why joining Opportunity@Work matters. Our work together will make skills, not pedigree, the default signal of who gets a shot.

Expanding the STARs Advisory Council
Opportunity@Work also welcomed 12 new members to its STARs Advisory Council, reflecting the organization’s belief that STARs should be co-creators – not just beneficiaries – of the systems that shape their economic mobility. The Council is chaired by LaShana Lewis, CEO and founder of L.M. Lewis Consulting, and its full roster of 19 members can be found here.

“Every STAR knows what it feels like to be told you’re ‘one in a million’ – when the truth is we’re one of millions, ready to contribute if someone will just open the door,” said Lewis. “The progress we’re celebrating today didn’t happen by accident. It happened because real people made intentional choices to recognize skills over credentials. As we grow this Council and welcome a leader like LaFawn to the board, we’re making sure STARs are co-creators of the solutions — not just the people they’re designed for. The folks closest to the paper ceiling should be in the room helping tear it down, especially now, as AI rewrites the rules of who gets hired.”

Momentum Built on Intentional Action
Today’s announcement builds on the momentum Opportunity@Work generated in 2025, when it released the first State of the Paper Ceiling – a report showing that, after a decade of decline, STARs had stopped losing ground in their share of good-paying jobs.

The story of 2026 is what comes next: how intentional action by employers, governments, and individuals – amplified rather than undermined by AI – can convert that stabilization into real, sustained upward mobility. The nearly 600,000 jobs newly opened to STARs and the 90,000 STARs who have moved up since 2022 are early proof that the movement is not only holding the line, but advancing.

This worker progress is matched by the rapid growth of the movement’s infrastructure. The Tear the Paper Ceiling Coalition has grown to more than 90 members, 33 states have now removed degree requirements for many public-sector roles, and Opportunity@Work’s Transformers in the Public Sector cohort has tripled in size. Together, these milestones show a movement that is not only widening at the top, with more employers and governments committing to skills-first hiring, but deepening on the ground, where those commitments turn into jobs and mobility for STARs.

Opportunity@Work and its partners continue to work toward the goal of enabling 1 million STARs to attain better upward mobility through higher-wage jobs, generating a $20 billion annual earnings boost by 2030.

To learn more about Opportunity@Work, the STARs Advisory Council, and the Tear the Paper Ceiling movement, visit opportunityatwork.org.

About Opportunity@Work
Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise on a mission to rewire the labor market so all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Our work advances economic opportunities for the 70+ million U.S. workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) instead of through a bachelor’s degree. Opportunity@Work engages with corporate, public sector, talent technology, and philanthropic partners through landmark research and labor market data analysis, public awareness and narrative change, STARs-centric software tools, and multi-sector networks. Our goal is to enable upward mobility for 1 million STARs by opening up 10 million jobs, and boost their earnings by 100 billion dollars by 2035. Learn more at opportunityatwork.org

Rena Ramirez | rena@opportunityatwork.org

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SOURCE Opportunity@Work

Study confirms the effectiveness of the recently announced Reworld ReAssure™ PFAS Destruction service in destroying PFAS-containing materials

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reworld®, a leader in sustainable waste solutions, today introduced the results from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study conducted at its Lake County Thermomechanical Treatment Facility (TTF) in Okahumpka, Florida. The results validate the effectiveness of PFAS destruction at Reworld TTFs using a conservative surrogate compound that is harder to destroy than other PFAS. The TTF process destroyed up to 99% of the surrogate compound, and measured concentrations of all PFAS compounds tested were either non-detectable or well below ambient air quality standards. No products of incomplete combustion were observed during normal operating conditions. Review the results at info.reworldwaste.com/pfas-destruction-study.

“PFAS contamination is one of the defining environmental crises of our generation,” said Azeez Mohammed, President and CEO of Reworld. “These ‘forever chemicals’ do exactly what their name suggests. They persist, accumulate, and become a growing burden for every generation that follows. We cannot continue treating PFAS as tomorrow’s problem. This EPA study marks a turning point by demonstrating that compounds specifically engineered to resist degradation can be permanently destroyed. It proves that PFAS destruction is achievable at scale, and that Reworld has the technology to confront this challenge.”

The EPA study, conducted in spring 2024, was evaluated in conditions representative of how PFAS appears in municipal, commercial, and industrial waste streams. As the PFAS content of incoming waste cannot be precisely quantified, the EPA study used a conservative, stable fluorinated surrogate gas injected into the furnace to evaluate the destruction efficiency.

PFAS are embedded in thousands of everyday products and materials, creating a continuous stream of these persistent chemicals into the waste system. As carpets, textiles, paper products, packaging, and other consumer goods reach the end of their useful lives, they are routinely disposed of in municipal solid waste, where PFAS can continue to persist unless permanently destroyed. With the volume of PFAS-containing waste growing every year, the need for proven destruction technologies has never been more urgent.

The study findings support the recently announced Reworld ReAssure™ PFAS Destruction service, offering the nation’s largest full-scale destruction capacity for PFAS-containing materials across municipal, commercial, and industrial waste streams. Globally, the scale of the PFAS challenge is enormous. If society is serious about addressing it, the solution is destruction rather than shifting the burden to future generations. To meet the need, ReAssure provides customers with access to approximately 17 million tons of processing capacity through Thermomechanical Treatment Facilities (TTFs) accessible to all major markets in the United States, delivering the scale necessary to address PFAS-containing waste.

Reworld TTFs process waste at temperatures above 1,100°C (2,012°F), widely cited as effective for PFAS destruction. Through ReAssure, Reworld also provides access to 50+ material processing facilities (MPFs), which prepare non-bulk PFAS wastes for delivery to TTFs, extending their geographical and market reach. Additionally, ReAssure includes wastewater treatment with activated carbon, coordinated logistics services, and other related services. This comprehensive approach enables Reworld to work with companies that have PFAS in products, residuals, and mixed materials, significantly expanding the universe of PFAS-containing waste streams that can be responsibly managed. Thermal destruction is built on three Ts: time, turbulence, and temperature. Reworld adds two more: turnkey and traceability; the ability to manage PFAS from pickup to final destruction through a single provider, with documented chain-of-custody every step of the way. To learn more about ReAssure, visit www.reworldwaste.com/what-we-do/pfas-destruction.

“PFAS is a clear and urgent issue, and the time to act is now,” added Mohammed. “The science is no longer in question; we’ve demonstrated that permanent PFAS destruction at scale is possible. It is our shared responsibility to put that capability into action.”

The EPA study advances the scientific understanding of how TTFs perform when managing PFAS compounds in waste streams. Compared to other PFAS destruction options, Reworld TTFs operate at a significantly greater scale, with a processing capacity scale over 17 times greater than hazardous waste incineration – a capability no other company can offer.

About Reworld®
Reworld® is a leader in sustainable waste solutions, providing innovative and environmentally responsible services to a global community. Reworld is committed to advancing zero waste initiatives and supporting sustainability goals through state-of-the-art technologies that reimagine, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and renew. For more information, visit www.reworldwaste.com.

Media Contacts
Coyne PR for Reworld
reworld@coynepr.com

Linda Ribakusky
lribakusky@reworldwaste.com

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SOURCE Reworld Holding Corporation