Risk is associated with every form of business, but it is especially important in the construction business. Millions and even billions of dollars are on the line with every project. Averting this risk as much as possible is paramount for a construction company to return profits on each project. The best way to increase the odds of success with a big construction job is to turn to a world-renowned company like Hill International, Inc. (NYSE: HIL).

Hill International is in the project management and construction claims business, meaning they are experts in budgeting; management of contractors, subcontractors and suppliers; estimating; inspection; expediting; and scheduling. Once your construction company lands a multi-million or multi-billion dollar project, the first call you make should be to the experts at Hill International. The company has many successful projects and accolades, including, most recently, being named the seventh largest construction management firm in the U.S. by Engineering News-Record.

The company has 4,800 professionals in 100 offices worldwide and also just announced a contract with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company Morocco SARL for a coastal resort in Tangier, Morocco. This golf and beach resort encompasses nearly 600 acres and includes a hotel, resort, spa, apartments, beach and golf villas, clubhouse and 18-hole golf course.

Percentage points in this business determine whether your company goes under or moves on to greener pastures, so why risk doing this alone? Instead, put your faith in the company that has been around nearly 40 years and dominates its field. Would you rather have Joe Montana driving down the field to score the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl or Dan Marino? Historical results say the winner of four championships should be your choice.

Reputation, experience and success are cornerstones of Hill International’s business model, which explains why they are on the speed dial of real estate moguls around the globe.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.hillintl.com.

Choosing a reliable bank is an important decision. People often consider interest rates, total assets, and terms on accounts (checking, savings, loan, retirement, etc.) when considering their banking options. Another very important factor in the decision process is the bank’s reputation and how long they have been in business. Sugar Creek Financial Corporation (OTC: SUGR) is the holding company for Tempo Bank, which has been in business since 1889 and is located in Trenton, Illinois. Sugar Creek Financial is a subsidiary of Sugar Creek Mutual Holding Company.

Tempo Bank is Trenton’s oldest independent, locally operated and managed financial institution. Its directors, officers and employees live, work and are involved in the community. This means that all decisions are made locally, not hundreds of miles or states away. The bonus is that its customers receive personalized service and quicker responses to questions or requests from people that they know. From its humble beginnings to the present, Tempo Bank still believes that personal service is the major ingredient of its success.

The company offers the following types of accounts to individuals: checking accounts; savings accounts; IRA’s (with terms from 18 months to 60 months); and Certificates of Deposits (with terms from six months to 60 months). Insurance is always very important, so the company offers deposit insurance up to $250,000.

Working with a locally owned bank also has its perks. The company offers a suite of loan vehicles along with competitive interest rates and great customer service. Loan products include the following: consumer and auto loans; mortgage loans; home equity and improvement; and special programs (first time homebuyer’s program; home buyer pre-qualification, counseling and education assistance program; and affordable housing grant assistance program).

The company also offers eBanking; online bill pay; phone banking; a Shazam ATM card; and MasterMoney debit cards.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.tempobank.com.

Alternet Systems, Inc. has a guiding vision. The Miami company imagines a world in which every person has access to economical, efficient banking and payment services and, in pursuit of this dream, invests in companies that are creating the future of money in the high-growth, emerging technology fields of digital commerce, multichannel payments and predictive analytics.

As the world has become more and more dependent on technological advances and conveniences, Alternet has expanded its search for tech-focused investment and partnership opportunities. From mobile payments, e-tickets and internet phone service to banking on a digital platform, the company has a record of finding and capitalizing on technologies of the future.

Led by a management team and board of directors with over a century’s worth of combined experience in the fields of investing, technology, and financing, and a fountain of knowledge on where to invest and when in start-up and early-stage companies, Alternet embarked on this path with a strong support system.

Since 2010, Alternet has sustained an ongoing focus on the high-growth, value-added service industries of mobile financial services and mobile security. Last year, the company extended its scope of expertise to include: investing in entities within the digital commerce environment; transforming the legacy electronic payments infrastructure; and developing advanced predictive data analytics applications for the mass consumer, telecommunications and financial industries.

Alternet is now at the cutting edge of the multi-billion dollar multichannel electronic payments, financial services and consumer analytics industries. With its strategic investments in these three key, high-growth markets, Alternet is accelerating the future of money and its role in the global demand for these services.

Alternet is providing innovative solutions that facilitate and expedite commerce, enrich its partners’ and customers’ experience, and improve efficiency in order to become the leading digital commerce, multichannel payments and predictive analytics solutions provider in global markets, and to provide its customers with the tools they need to prepare themselves for a new era of digital commerce and payments, financial services and consumer information, and, most importantly, a new era of how to live.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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International Stem Cell Corp. is tackling some of the world’s most debilitating health maladies with a powerful new stem cell technology that employs parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis is a type of reproduction that takes place in the absence of fertilization. The company’s new stem cell technology holds the promise of advancing significantly the field of regenerative medicine by addressing the problem of immune-rejection. Stem cells are able to divide in a process of self-renewal in which one cell gives birth to two or more. They are also able to differentiate into cells of a different type so that a stem cell originating from one part of the body may differentiate into a type that is similar to the cells in another part of the body.

At the top of ISCO’s list is Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is characterized by noticeable tremors of the hands. But since it is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects motor functions, it also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates that approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, a number that may not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected. About one million Americans live with the disease and an estimated seven to ten million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease. ISCO’s UniStemCell for Parkinson’s has completed the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)’s Investigational New Drug (IND) phase, which means it will soon begin to undergoing clinical trials. Clinical trials occur when the effects of new treatments on humans are studied.

ISCO’s development of neural stem cells for the treatment of ischemic strokes is also at an advanced stage. Pre-clinical trials have been completed, and the company is now embarking on the FDA’s IND phase. Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that, on average, one American dies from stroke every four minutes and that more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.

ISCO is also developing treatments for spinal cord injury, metabolic liver diseases, retinal blindness and corneal blindness. These four treatments are all at the pre-clinical stage. Metabolic liver diseases, retinal blindness, corneal blindness and spinal cord injuries are ailments that affect hundreds of thousands. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham estimates that between 240,000 and 337,000 people in the United States are currently living with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and 12,500 new SCI cases occur every year.

So far ISCO has accepted no government subventions and has been able to generate income from its two subsidiaries to help fund its research. One subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care, Inc., develops, produces, and markets a line of anti-aging cosmetic skin care products. The other is Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC, which develops, manufactures, and sells human cell culture products along with optimized reagents for laboratory research purposes. For the many sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and other debilitating conditions, relief from ISCO is on the way.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com and www.lifelineskincare.com

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Freedom Leaf, Inc. is giving local experts in the emerging medical marijuana, cannabis and industrial hemp industries an opportunity to work under the Freedom Leaf banner. In an effort to increase its presence on the grass roots level, FRLF’s newly-announced program will offer the company’s current state ambassador licensees a chance to generate revenue by selling city licenses to suitable prospects and, subsequently, coordinating with these new city directors in order to work on growth prospects while leveraging the power of the Freedom Leaf brand. Boosted by the national reach of FRLF, local ambassadors are expected to earn income by hosting seminars, workshops and educational panels that will increase awareness of the burgeoning legal cannabis industry in locations across the country.

By increasing its grass roots presence, FRLF aims to expand readership of its successful print and online magazine. New local ambassadors will be expected to launch hyper local additions that can be added to the national magazine, supported by the sale of local advertising space. Local ambassadors will also have an opportunity to write articles as credentialed contributing journalists on people, politics and businesses in their respective areas, all while being backed by the staff journalists working with FRLF.

News of the company’s updated licensing strategy comes just weeks after the announcement of a new partnership with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) that named FRLF as the organization’s brand ambassador. Through this arrangement, the company agreed to promote and support donations, membership, business networking events, musical festivals, NORML merchandise and educational seminar components, as necessary to bring revenue to both NORML and FRLF. In line with this agreement, FRLF’s local ambassadors will sell branded merchandise from NORML in the future.

For individuals seeking entry into the medical marijuana, cannabis and industrial hemp space, FRLF’s expanded brand ambassador program offers an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the expertise of FRLF’s established brand and infrastructure. The company will offer expertise on mentoring, branding, conceptual development, websites, graphics, printing, accounting, financial business plans, legal, product development, public relations, social media and more, as necessary to improve the visibility and reach of its efforts to keep people informed on the latest marijuana-related information, innovations and legislation.

For more information, visit http://freedomleaf.com

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Many uncertainties exist in today’s economy. People have to be much smarter with their money and change spending habits in order to compensate for a lack of disposable income. Take golf carts for example. A consumer is much more likely to pay more for longer lasting batteries instead of buying the newest model golf cart every year. Add Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTC: OGES) to the conversation.

Oakridge is a producer of lithium-based batteries for a multitude of residential, commercial, government, and medical applications that are made entirely in the US. Most batteries are produced in China and, while they’re cheap, they just don’t last very long. Oakridge makes high quality lithium-based batteries with significantly longer lifespans than the competition. Longer life in batteries means fewer trips to the store; increased reliability and performance when you really need it; more money in your pocket; and less tonnage dumped into landfills.

Alternative energy is the future, but it is unattainable, in a practical sense without a sustainable energy storage solution. You can have the most efficient solar panel or the highest power generating wind turbine, but unless you have a way to effectively store, harness, and access that energy, the point is moot.

The company uses two state-of-the-art production facilities in Florida to produce its batteries and has a perfect mix of science project winners and investment professionals needed to become a leader in the industry. Batteries are the food for our technologies, so the demand will always be there. What distinguishes Oakridge Global from the competition is that it is the only battery maker offering ‘Made in the USA’ solutions.

The company is largely held by a foreign investment group (90 percent of the outstanding common stock) made up of Australian, Japanese and European families, so that tells you this is not a quick profit type of investment. They are here for the long haul and constantly developing new products to stay ahead of the competition.

For more information, visit www.oakg.net

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TraderPower was established to empower investors with all the resources they need to make profitable trading decisions. Using the vast resources on the TraderPower website, the investment community can discover undervalued small-cap companies, learn how to properly analyze investment opportunities, and utilize free research tools for in-depth evaluation.

TraderPower’s #1 focus is on connecting investors with undervalued small-cap companies that are trading far below their true worth. With an estimated 15,000 publicly traded companies, it’s no surprise that these stocks exist. Of course once these neglected equities begin to get noticed, the climb to their fair valuation can be exceptionally profitable in a very short time.

Want to learn more? Visit www.TraderPower.com and discover your next profitable investment

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Cleantech is a broad term used to describe a diverse range of products, services and processes that utilize renewable materials and energy sources in order to dramatically reduce the use of natural resources and minimize or eliminate harmful emissions and waste. Since coming into the spotlight around the turn of the century, investment in this vital technological sector has grown significantly. In 2007, the United Nations Environment Program reported that wind, solar and biofuel companies received roughly $148 billion in new funding as rising commodity prices and stiffening climate change policies encouraged investment in renewable energy. In a recent article, the Investing News Network placed a spotlight on the future of this pivotal market, particularly as world leaders inch closer to definitive cleantech commitments.

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP21, is currently underway. Running from November 30 to December 11, the conference is intended to create a roadmap for the meaningful advancement of cleantech in the next 12 months and beyond. COP21 is the culmination of a full year of talks and negotiations between participating countries, and the early results have been promising. Last year, developing countries raised $62 billion to address climate change, putting them on course to reach $100 billion per year by 2020. However, not all progress has been quite so fluid.

A major snag for the world’s largest economies has come in the form of a legally binding accord. While some countries – including Russia and Great Britain – are pushing hard for an accord to enforce strict carbon emissions goals, others – including the United States – refuse to endorse such an agreement. According to Chief U.S. negotiator Todd Stern, legally binding targets “would have many countries unable to participate.” For this reason, it will be imperative for cleantech investors to support national leaders by jumping in and backing the ongoing development of the cleantech industry. The Breakthrough Energy Coalition, led by some of the biggest names in government, business and entrepreneurship, is doing just that.

Launching at the same time as COP21, the Breakthrough Energy Coalition has a mission of creating reliable, affordable and carbon-neutral energy by “developing new tools to power the world.” Led by Bill Gates, the initiative is made up of 28 cleantech investors committed to driving noteworthy progress in the months to come. Among the group are Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN); Mark Zuckerburg, founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB); Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM); Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD); and Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA).

For cleantech investors, these two conferences could have a major impact on the performance of the sector in 2016. As big names continue to put their weight behind the industry, those in the space should feel confident moving forward. DreamTeamNetwork outlined its forecast for cleantech in an interview with the Investing News Network. While they anticipate sweeping policy changes at the national level, DreamTeamNetwork also pointed to growing demand for electric vehicles as an area of focus for the cleantech landscape in 2016.

“COP21 should give rise to sweeping new supranational incentivization for further sector growth,” DreamTeamNetwork noted. “Continued emphasis on renewables by China and India, as well as South Africa, the Middle East and Africa, will help to drive the conversation in a new and more open direction.”

To view the full article, visit http://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/cleantech-investing/cleantech-investors-2016-outlook

According to the 2015/2016 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 79.7 million U.S. households own a pet. The survey concluded that 65% of homes have at least one pet while 35% of those have more than one. With so much pet ownership, it’s no wonder that retail pet supply sales are close to $44 billion, showing that the pet industry has barely been affected by the recent economic slump. This gives OPCO the opportunity it needs to progress with an ever-expanding pet supply market. The company focuses on creating supplies for our beloved pets that promote growth, development, and health. Since domesticated dogs and cats are like members of the family, it’s important to maintain their health and vitality. Furthermore, as recent research suggests, pets can provide just as much health and mental benefits as their owners can.

One benefit of having a pet in a household is, surprisingly, a lower rate of allergens. According to an article by James E. Gern in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, children exposed to pets early tend to develop healthier immune systems while lowering the likelihood of being allergic to similar allergens.

Another advantage of having a pet is increased physical health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have stated that owning a pet, specifically a dog, decreases blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, thus minimizing heart attack risks. Dogs can be the equivalent to a personal trainer, taking owners for jogs, walks, bike rides, and more. People who take their dogs for walks are also less likely to be obese.

Owning a pet isn’t just good for the body, it can also be a mood booster. Dogs and cats provide unconditional love while giving their owners a sense of purpose in life. Pets can also combat loneliness by being a constant companion at home. Pets can even improve social skills and confidence by being an icebreaker for potential friends out in the park, an outdoor café, and obedience classes.

OPCO provides tools and supplies to make sure pets get the best care. The correlation between owning a pet and personal wellness is no secret and should be remembered when taking care of our furry companions.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ourpets.com

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Cherubim Interests has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United Cannabis Corp. (CNAB) under which Cherubim will supply, deploy and provide the technical means to cultivate cannabis.

In exchange, United Cannabis Corp. agrees to provide to BudCube Cultivations Systems fee based consulting services including:

– Standard Operating Procedures
– Cultivation
– Inventory Control and Management Systems
– Genetics Counseling and Testing Procedures
– Extract Processing and Equipment Design, and
– Proprietary Product Line(s)

“We are excited to have Cherubim as a collaborative partner in the construction of cutting-edge laboratory and cultivation facilities. It’s another vital step in accomplishing our mission of providing cannabis based therapies to patients around the world,” stated Earnest Blackmon, CEO of United Cannabis Corp.

The MOU outlines a business model that Cherubim and its BudCube Cultivation Systems (“BCS”) subsidiary are pioneering in the real estate development and medical as well as recreational cannabis cultivation industries. Cherubim will lease modular turn-key cultivation facilities to new and existing market participants in a “mini-storage” or “co-op farming” scenario.

“First, we provide the necessary capital investment to cover any land purchase and improvements, as well as construction and deployment to location for leasing, These portable modules when combined, provide the floor space and square footage required for operations. We then deliver, install and connect the modules while providing standard operating procedures and ongoing maintenance as needed,” Cherubim CEO Patrick J. Johnson explained in the news release.

Though the cannabis/marijuana industry is rapidly growing in terms of public and legislative acceptance, vertical markets, and revenue opportunities, supply is falling short. Addressing this need is where Cherubim plans to lock-in its market position.

“As we see the front of legalization push across States and even into the platforms of the next presidential election, companies are scrambling to catch up. The market is there, the demand is high, but the supply from legal cultivators is low. Cherubim Interests and BudCube are uniquely positioned at this perfect apex of an emerging, billion dollar market; we are positioning ourselves to meet the impending demand by supplying the facility necessary to bring existing as well as start-up companies into full scale production in a matter of months,” said Johnson. “With their existing industry relationships and the services they offer, we believe that our relationship with United Cannabis puts us a year ahead of schedule or quite possible more. We no longer have to reinvent the wheel from a client servicing perspective as United Cannabis has already created that wheel.”

For more information, visit www.cherubiminterests.com

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