By Shefali Kapadia As college students return to universities for the fall semester, a payment scam is lurking on campus. Fraudsters are stealing identities or creating fake ones to create “ghost students.” These false identities apply for financial aid from a university or through the federal government. If the fraudster successfully bypasses university or governmentContinue reading “Scammers fake student identities to siphon aid payments”
Author Archives: skapmedia
How Baker Industries and its 101-year-old founder fuel a talent pipeline
By Shefali Kapadia Baker Industries began as a tiny operation out of Charlie Baker’s garage. Forty-six years later, the organization is preparing to open a new warehouse outside of Philadelphia and Baker recently celebrated his 101st birthday. Baker Industries, with two locations in Pennsylvania, provides packaging, shrinkwrapping, kitting, fulfillment, assembly and other light-industrial services forContinue reading “How Baker Industries and its 101-year-old founder fuel a talent pipeline”
Retailers are calling on AI to stop customer return fraud
By Shefali Kapadia It’s not uncommon for a consumer to order the same shirt in three sizes, then return the two that don’t fit. But what happens when the consumer swaps the labels and returns different shirts, or buys a dress for an event, wears it once with the tag tucked in, then returns it?Continue reading “Retailers are calling on AI to stop customer return fraud”
Data center construction boom driving historic manufacturing opportunities
By Shefali Kapadia If someone told Trey Travis five years ago he’d be walking the floor of a supercomputing show, he wouldn’t have believed them. Georgia-based Southeastern Hose, where Travis is VP of operations, manufactures corrugated metal hoses and traditionally serves customers in industries such as steel and petrochemicals. But the hoses have another purpose:Continue reading “Data center construction boom driving historic manufacturing opportunities”
Prepared food surge in c-stores brings packaging innovations
By Shefali Kapadia Convenience stores are no longer just a spot to grab an energy drink and a bag of chips. The retailers are increasingly becoming an outlet for prepared meals and fresh food – even sushi – while still maintaining grab-and-go convenience. For packaging suppliers, the c-store sector presents a growing opportunity to supplyContinue reading “Prepared food surge in c-stores brings packaging innovations”
Facebook fraud becomes lightning rod
By Shefali Kapadia Social media platforms, especially Facebook, have become a hotbed for payment scams, putting financial institutions in a position of playing the last line of defense to stop money transfers from a victim to a criminal. The Federal Trade Commission tallied the toll on consumers last month in a new report: $2.1 billion inContinue reading “Facebook fraud becomes lightning rod”
How NASA is using AI and digital twins to replicate outer space on Earth
By Shefali Kapadia When NASA’s Mars rover, Perseverance, needs to move from point A to point B, it’s not as simple as plugging in GPS directions. The rover has to avoid boulder fields, sand dunes, and steep slopes on a foreign planet. To help chart a course for Perseverance, NASA has enlisted the help ofContinue reading “How NASA is using AI and digital twins to replicate outer space on Earth”
Inside CPG’s AI advertising boom, from Super Bowl spots to synthetic focus groups
By Shefali Kapadia Coca-Cola’s holiday ad and Svedka’s Super Bowl commercial share more in common than promoting a beverage — both were generated with the help of AI. The technology is catching on at consumer goods companies, with marketing leaders adding AI to their processes on both the creative and strategic sides. As a result, assets andContinue reading “Inside CPG’s AI advertising boom, from Super Bowl spots to synthetic focus groups”
Trucking M&A outlook: Economy, technology and uncertainty may shape opportunistic deals
By Larry Avila Economies of scale, specialized markets or survival may drive trucking mergers and acquisitions in 2026, industry experts suggest, although their predictions are mixed on how active dealmaking will be in the sector this year. Prolonged weak freight conditions and excess market capacity may sideline purchasing aspirations for some, as carriers look to reduce theirContinue reading “Trucking M&A outlook: Economy, technology and uncertainty may shape opportunistic deals”
Second-chance hiring continues to gain traction among major manufacturers
By Shefali Kapadia Drew Crowe had been incarcerated multiple times and was stuck in a vicious cycle, as he described it: getting “locked up,” lacking skills and having no idea how to craft a resume or secure a job. Crowe found a turning point when a manufacturing employer hired him to work as a third-shiftContinue reading “Second-chance hiring continues to gain traction among major manufacturers”
