Amid surging demand and a booming economy, American trucking companies are facing a shortage of nearly 50,000 drivers, according to On the Move Systems (OMVS) – and it’s a conundrum the company says its shared economy platform can help overcome.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reports that the shortage is deepening, and is expected to jump to 174,000 needed drivers by 2025. Compounding the problem, trucking companies are reportedly having trouble finding, and keeping, qualified candidates. While 1.6 million men and women are currently employed as truck drivers, the driver turnover rate consistently tops an astounding 90 percent.

As a result, top qualified drivers are now commanding, and getting, premium compensation – with the median annual salary now 10 percent higher at $73,000.

With its shared economy trucking app, OMVS says it can help solve these growing industry challenges, which the company says have the potential to impact the broader economy.

“This shortage could not only crimp the industry, but the U.S. economy, too,” OMVS CEO Robert Wilson stated in a news release. “Shipments are being delayed or can’t be delivered, causing prices to go up. Our shared economy app, now under development, could solve this. Companies looking for drivers can seamlessly find those looking for work or local independent owner-operators wanting to contract with national logistics firms. While the driver shortage and subsequent capacity crunch pose real problems for truckers, they represent a great opportunity for our platform.”

OMVS continues development work on its upcoming trucking app. Based on the highly successful Uber model, the online, on-demand platform will enable truckers to take advantage of the increasingly popular shared economy.

For more information visit www.onthemovesystems.com

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Hot on the heels of signing an exclusive distributor agreement with 57-year veteran oil and gas production services and equipment supplier, Oil and Gas Equipment, Inc. (which is focused on delivering a soup-to-nuts capability for sector operators in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah), developer of proprietary stored energy solutions and ultra-high precision chemical injection pumps, Galenfeha, Inc. (OTC: GLFH), recently announced that the company is now on track to become the nation’s top consumer of LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry. Given the continuing downturn in energy prices, oil and gas sector operators are clamoring for ways to shore up efficiency, and whether that comes in the form of the company’s revolutionary SCADA-controlled (pneumatic and solar) chemical injection pump control platform, the iWaV, or the company’s increasingly popular and extremely robust lineup of LiFePO4 batteries, GLFH is seeing mounting market penetration. In the battery arena specifically, this trend now has the company poised to steal the top slot from the only other company in the country with a bigger footprint in this compelling battery chemistry.

This latest distributor agreement announcement follows up on the exclusive distribution deal inked back in August with one of the most trusted names in West Texas oilfield services, Control Equipment, Inc., a deal which greatly expanded GLFH’s throughput in the Permian Basin. Sometime next year, on the strength of continuingly positive sales of oilfield batteries and increased penetration in other markets for the company’s lineup of patent pending, microprocessor controlled LiFePO4 battery systems, such as the NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) and golf cart markets, Galenfeha will likely become the biggest U.S. manufacturer doing lithium iron phosphate batteries. Already hard at work on accessing new horizons for its range of batteries, including testing units that are slated to capture sizeable share in the U.S. military market, Galenfeha, with its extremely safe, yet lightweight lithium iron phosphate battery technology, is now really starting to turn heads as a provider of environmentally safe alternatives to lead-acid batteries. And these are alternatives that come with significant performance advantages to boot.

The same superb thermal stability, long-lasting electrochemical properties and superior energy density (compared to other chemistries such as lithium-ion), which has won the company’s technology many ardent fans in the oil and gas production game, has also set GLFH up for success in other battery end markets. The company’s current lineup, consisting of 30AH and 120AH (13.2V), 40AH and 120AH (12V), and a 12V mobile system (for vehicle emergency starter applications, as well as for field charging mobile phones or other electronic devices, and supplying continuous power for devices such as laptops), is fast becoming the go to choice across a wide variety of markets. Not only are these batteries an extremely attractive solution for upgrading various traditional lead-acid battery systems, offering benefits such as an absence of dangerous gases being generated during charging, the proprietary onboard battery management system (BMS) developed by GLFH also represents a significant cost-saving and logistical efficiency advantage. An advantage which has made Galenfeha a rising star among consumers of the technology.

The much lower self-discharge rate, lack of need for water and a complete lack of sulfation on the batteries (as is common with lead-acid), makes Galenfeha’s battery systems a no-brainer when it comes to standalone applications where a (for instance) vehicle sits idle for an extended period of time. This is a key advantage in applications such as golf carts, which sit during the off-season for long periods of time, or for things like range targeting systems in the military. The company’s proprietary BMS further enhances this advantage by providing continuous monitoring of the system’s operational parameters, such as current flow, voltage, and internal temperatures during charging/discharging. The net benefit is a battery that not only offers high energy density for direct power use due to the specific capabilities of the company’s LiFePO4 chemistry, but which also lasts a lot longer, thanks to continuous assurance that the battery is operating in a safe state, and that the cells are being protected from overcharge or being discharged too low, as well as optimally balanced, by the BMS.

The military market alone holds significant, untapped potential for GLFH’s technology and an already strong footing in oilfield services, combined with a growing presence in the golf cart/NEV space, makes this extremely agile company a highly interesting target for savvy investors. Galenfeha’s relatively small size and its established track record for providing the kinds of problem solving and tight-knit working relationships needed to master the military market, which is characterized by high demand for tailored solutions and an increasing focus on energy savings/environmental impact, make this company a share price-accessible vehicle for shareholders looking to profit amid the ongoing shift towards greater energy efficiency across the DOD’s entire landscape, as well as numerous sectors. And the company is even positioned to compete with Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Powerwall technology for home backup power and main use energy cost efficiency, with an arguably superior implementation of the same concept, based on the company’s LiFePO4 chemistry, instead of lithium-ion cells.

Learn more, visit Galenfeha’s website at www.galenfeha.com

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Today before the opening bell, Neah Power Systems, an emerging leader in fuel cell-based power solutions and rechargeable lithium battery storage solutions for defense, commercial, and consumer applications, proudly announced that it has released the improved Formira HOD® platform.

In the press release, the company included a video that can be viewed online (YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQiQ-I77DPc) and the white paper and spec sheet for the product that allows potential customers to estimate the size of the fuel cell for their specific application (PDF Download: http://dtn.fm/Formic-Acid-Hydrogen-Reformer-for-Fuel-Cells). NEAH POWER also mentioned that it has chosen BASF to be its preferred supplier of formic acid for the Formira HOD platform through its global network of production and distribution sites.

President and CEO of NEAH POWER stated, “We are so proud to be launching this improved product. We believe this is the most energy dense, safe, cost effective, liquid source for the generation of hydrogen. The hydrogen can be used for a variety of applications, as a fuel for fuel cells, for metals processing, and other applications. We have also taken the unusual step of posting our product spec sheet on the website, with a simple calculator that customers can use to determine the size of a system for their specific application.”

He also said, “Unlike other reformer technologies, we use the same fuel source (formic acid) to run the reformer and to generate hydrogen, and the fuel contains less than 5% water, unlike other reformers that can contain 30% or more water. The hydrogen generated is consumed by the fuel cell, and we do not store the gaseous hydrogen, addressing various safety and handling concerns related to compressed hydrogen use in fuel cells.”

This Formira HOD® product has generated significant interest from customers and partners due to the lack of alternate high energy density, instantly rechargeable solutions. These teaming agreements with Tectonica (Pvt) Ltd, Clear Path Technologies®, Silent Falcon, S4 Worldwide and Black-I Robotics allow them to incorporate the Formira HOD into their product platforms, and to partner with NEAH POWER to offer the product in other geographical markets as well.

NEAH POWER concluded the press release stating that it “will continue to update on the exciting commercialization of this disruptive product.”

For more information, visit www.neahpower.com

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Lingo Media, through the implementation of its aggressive growth strategy, has established itself as an outfit to watch in the educational technology space. Last week, the company’s recent progress toward achieving sustainable growth in the $56 billion global English-learning market was highlighted in an article by Investor’s Digest of Canada. The key to this growth, according to the article, lies in Lingo’s ability to gain industry recognition and start making sales in the rapidly expanding educational technology market.

Over the past two years, Lingo has invested considerable time and resources into completing a transformation from a conventional textbook publisher into an emerging player in the EdTech market. The development of a digital library and the creation of a functioning platform through which to present its language-learning programs proved to be a complicated and lengthy process. However, with the creation of an online business unit now complete, Lingo appears to be primed for strong growth in the short term.

Lingo stands out from big names in the edtech market, such as Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) and Duolingo, for its dedication to the development of specialized modules to meet the needs of every type of student – from preschool through to adults. By customizing its learning products, the company is able to more adequately address the language needs of specific groups, effectively increasing the marketability of its products.

In the first three quarters of 2015, Lingo’s innovative approach to the English-learning industry has helped it secure a strong foothold in one of the world’s most promising educational markets. Since July, the company has entered into contracts in Mexico, Peru and Colombia, establishing a presence in a region with more than 600 million people and an educational system that, in many respects, lags behind the rest of the developed world.

With the foundation in place, Lingo appears set to capitalize on its work in previous quarters. In the second quarter of 2015, the company recorded just under $1.8 million in total revenue, doubling its results from the previous year. This financial growth carried over to the bottom line, with Lingo achieving net profit of $979,000 for the period. As the company continues its sales rollout, it is in a favorable position to build on these results while benefitting from the high margins offered by the EdTech market.

As Lingo progresses toward positioning itself as a major player in the educational technology space, it is expected to continue to record revenue from its legacy publishing operations thanks to a contract with the Chinese government. Providing stable, recurring sales of roughly $1.5 million a year for the next five years, this contract is anticipated to pad the company’s top and bottom lines for the foreseeable future. As a result, Investor’s Digest of Canada suggests that Lingo’s tiny market cap, which is currently about $12 million, leaves plenty of room for upside for forward-thinking investors.

For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com

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OurPet’s Company was recently highlighted in an article by investment research platform Seeking Alpha. The overview studied the company’s position in the rapidly expanding pet market, as well as its prospects for sustainable growth in the future.

OPCO has had great success in recent years focusing on products designed to satisfy the mental and physical health, safety and comfort of pets around the world. The company has established strong sales channels through which to promote additional growth. OPCO sells its products through some of the biggest retail names in the world – including pet specialty retailers such as Petco and Petsmart (NASDAQ: PETM), as well as more diversified sales channels like Kroger (NYSE: KR), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN).

Bolstering the company’s success in these retail channels is the performance of the pet market. In 2013, the U.S. pet industry was the country’s third largest consumer market, accounting for approximately $60 billion in total revenue. Despite its size, analysts insist that there is still plenty of room for improvement. In total, about 68 percent of U.S. households own a pet, and research indicates that the majority of pet owners are willing to spend a significant amount of their income on their pets. As a result, the forecast CAGR for the market is between four and five percent through 2018, giving OPCO a strong foundation upon which to promote sustainable growth.

Moving forward, OPCO is in a favorable position to expand its ecommerce sales. In 2014, ecommerce already accounted for 10 percent of the company’s total sales, but a number of factors suggest that these sales figures could rapidly expand in the coming years. OPCO is currently the number one rated company in their product category on Amazon, which has helped it dramatically improve its results through the ecommerce giant. In 2014, the company’s ecommerce sales grew by nearly 40 percent, as compared to the previous year, with a 67 percent sales bump on Amazon leading the way. Following this performance, OPCO’s management team has highlighted ecommerce as one of their primary strategic initiatives for achieving sales and growth targets in the future.

As one of the only pure plays left in the pet industry, OPCO is one of the only ways investors can participate in the industry’s rapid growth. This position gives the company a noteworthy advantage in promoting additional growth while making it an extremely appealing acquisition target. In the months to come, OPCO’s efforts to establish improved brand awareness will likely play a key role in its ability to continue expanding its market share. For prospective shareholders, these efforts could translate into an opportunity to realize strong returns sooner rather than later.

To view the full Seeking Alpha article, visit http://www.seekingalpha.com/article/3508856-ourpets-company-the-last-pure-play-in-the-pet-industry

For more information, visit www.ourpets.com

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Hemp, Inc. this morning announced the release of its quarterly industry publication, The Hemp Nation Magazine (HNM), geared toward hemp industry advocates and supporters with a focus on the ongoing changes within the hemp industry in America.

The online, digital news source is designed to inform, educate, raise awareness and connect the public to the industrial hemp industry by reporting on politics, industrial growth, banking, distribution, medical, lifestyles and legalization.

The Hemp Nation Magazine’s editor Darlene Mea, in a news release stated, “Our mission and goal is to have The Hemp Nation Magazine be the first go-to resource for industrial hemp advocates and supporters seeking credible, current, engaging and curated content.”

The magazine has attracted nearly 1,000 subscribers in less than two months and has 15 advertisers featured in the magazine.

Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc., said, “I am very pleased with the direction in which The Hemp Nation Magazine is going. We believe our industry publication is editorially savvy, digitally appealing, extremely informative and politically engaging. This edition envelopes the maverick spirit that prompted us to start this publishing venture.”

The feature story in the current issue is “Hemp Industry: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of an American Industry,” by Kyle Ladenburger, which discusses how the “incredibly useful crop (hemp)” became “inaccessible and steeped in controversy.” Readers also learn how innovative technologies are unlocking new possibilities in the article, “Hemp: It’s on its Way to Your Car Battery and Many Things You Haven’t Yet Imagined.”

Hemp, Inc. also issued numerous industry updates highlighting rising interest in industrial hemp in various U.S. states, ongoing legislation, and important market information.

For more information visit www.hempinc.com or www.hempnationmagazine.com

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Elephant Talk Communications Corp. provides mobile proprietary Software Defined Network Architecture (ET Software DNA® 2.0) platforms for its growing base of strategic partners and clients, which includes some of today’s world-leading MNOs and technology companies, including Vodafone, T-Mobile, Zain, HP and Affirmed Networks.

Targeting its share of the broader $1.4+ trillion telecommunications market, Elephant Talk empowers MNOs, MVNOs, MVNEs and MVNAs with a full suite of applications, reliable industry expertise, and high quality customer service. Understanding that partnership is crucial in enabling and delivering the highest level of quality of product capability and professionalism, Elephant Talk also closely collaborates with other expert organizations and leading service providers.

ValidSoft UK Ltd., a subsidiary of Elephant Talk uses personal authentication and device assurance to secure transactions and help customers reduce fraud losses. As part of its multi-factor authentication, ValidSoft integrates its leading Voice Biometric engine into multivendor solutions or as a standalone system. ValidSoft serves multiple clients in the financial government and business automation sectors and is the only company to have been granted four European Privacy Seals, reflecting its commitment to promoting strong data privacy.

Elephant Talk has implemented rigid structures and processes to ensure corporate integrity and the responsible oversight of all business activities. This vision starts with executive management and extends to every employee. Elephant Talk is guided by a visionary leadership team with a rich history of success in key markets pertinent to both the company’s current and desired market positions. In order to achieve and maintain world-class system performance, Elephant Talk leverages this management team along with collaborations with the world’s best technical partners.

Key Investment Highlights:

• Strategic geographical focus includes the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia
• World class mobile cloud management and security delivery platform enables unique product positioning
• Well-positioned for recurring revenue growth, driven by contracts with top industry leaders
• Strong client and partner base for outsourcing services complemented by powerful pipeline of mobile platform outsourcing opportunities
• ValidSoft subsidiary continues to advance IP and patent portfolios; five patents and 22 further patent applications

Today MissionIR released an interview with Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) Chief Executive Officer Steve Barber.

The full audio interview is available at http://OGES.MissionIR.com/interview.html

Oakridge is focused on the design, development and manufacture of American-made high-quality cells, batteries and power systems. Its innovative product line includes multiple lithium-ion technologies and form factors optimized to address four high-demand target markets: stationary power storage units and power back up systems for homes and living space applications; motive applications such as electric vehicles (especially including golf cars, local area electric vehicles, and fleet vehicles); remote control sector batteries for civilian and military applications (for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and unmanned cars and boats); as well as starter motor batteries for motorcycles, jet-skis, snow mobiles, and boats, together with specialty applications such as military, aerospace, marine, medical and telecom backup.

Mr. Barber begins the MissionIR interview by describing Oakridge’s business model and recent visit from Florida Governor Rick Scott to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters.

“[Governor Scott] was here to not only himself personally open our new headquarters, which is our expansion facility because we outgrew our initial starting point from two years ago, but he also announced a… $33 million incentive package from a combination of the state of Florida, the local county [Brevard County]… and the city of Palm Bay, which is where our corporate headquarters is. I think that really got everybody’s attention quite nicely,” says Steve Barber.

Mr. Barber then briefly details Oakridge’s ongoing restructuring initiatives and how the Company is now aptly positioned to expand its market reach in the global lithium-ion batteries market, which is expected to reach approximately $70 billion by 2020.

In addition to his executive position with Oakridge, Mr. Barber is the chairman and chief investment officer of a private office family fund, Precept, which searches out “the next great new thing” in which to invest. It was through Precept that Barber noticed the incredible growth of the lithium-ion battery space, along with the need for American-made and commercialized batteries of superior quality.

In 2014, Precept took control of Oakridge, which at the time was a shell company, polished it up, and with a new management team decided how to best utilize the patents for lithium ion battery technology it holds.

“Through our family fund we searched around and about two years ago we found Oakridge and decided to invest in and take control of it,” Barber explains. “And that’s another good thing for investors, because as a family fund we’ve got our two parallel funds… and we own almost 90% of the company, which means that we can do the restructure that we needed to do successfully, reposition the company how it needs to be repositioned, inject fresh capital — which has been, in total, around about $40 million. We really put our money where our mouth is with this one. And of course, we’re long-term holders… we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

Today, Oakridge is the only pure-play “Made in the USA” manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries available for purchase. The company’s battery products are designed for golf cars, jet skis, motorcycles, boats, home energy storage and many more exciting applications.

“Batteries are boring unless you wrap them in cool stuff, so we make batteries for cool stuff,” explains Mr. Barber.

The CEO also names and explains the qualifications of key members of its leadership team and recent corporate milestones before concluding with an overview of what’s to come in the near future.

“It’s extremely important to us, in creating a successful company, that you have the right team. That’s really what we’ve spent the last 18 months to two years doing. We restructured the company completely, cleaned it up… We’ve filed for NASDAQ — which the company expects to achieve when the share price climbs to $4. The company is also gearing up to order new equipment to expand its existing production to become fully operational by spring of 2016, positioning the company among the top 10 battery manufacturers by capacity in the world,” he says.

For more information, visit http://oakg.net

Hemp, Inc. has been on a tear in recent months. On the heels of recording its best quarter in company history during the second quarter of 2015, the company has continued to make considerable progress toward the impending launch of its hemp processing plant in Spring Hope, North Carolina. Initially, Hemp, Inc. plans to process kenaf in the 70,000 square foot facility, but recent regulatory action has set the stage for industrial hemp legalization in the near future. Last month, a legislator in North Carolina introduced a bill that, if passed, would commission a pilot program studying the immense benefits of industrial hemp cultivation. Put simply, the movement to legalize industrial hemp is rapidly gaining steam, and Hemp, Inc.’s decortication plant is a big reason for the push.

“The Spring Hope facility will give North Carolina farmers a leg up in this industry,” Representative Jeff Collins, member of the North Carolina House of Representatives and sponsor of the industrial hemp legislation, stated.

The commercial potential of legalized industrial hemp is vast, as the plant can be used to produce more than 25,000 products. From paper, fabric and building materials to high quality health and beauty products, the countless benefits of hemp have ushered in a growing revolution calling for the legalization of a crop that’s production has been banned in the U.S. for more than 70 years.

In preparation for this green revolution, Hemp, Inc. has partnered with Gawk, Inc. (OTC: GAWK), a global innovator of digital technology, in order to enhance its web presence and improve its ability to speak to consumers and investors about its progress during this exciting time. Through this partnership, Hemp, Inc. will be provided with a secure cloud-based platform that can be remotely managed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

“Gawk has been materially beneficial to us in our pursuit of informing the public of the many benefits and uses of hemp-based products,” Bruce Perlowin, chief executive officer of Hemp, Inc. stated. “Having our own private cloud infrastructure with Gawk as our strategic partner allows us to focus on our core business with the confidence that our infrastructure is robust.”

Pending unforeseen delays, Hemp, Inc. executives expect the decortication plant to be fully operational before the end of 2015, putting the company in a strong strategic position to bolster its financial performance while preparing to capture a sustainable foothold in the industrial hemp market following legalization. As North Carolina inches closer to this regulatory change, the company is preparing to launch a redesigned website that better communicates its established strategic position in the world of industrial hemp.

For more information, visit www.hempinc.com

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For years, costly fountains and simple, coin-operated puzzle tables and rides held center court in malls across the U.S. By the 80s though, shopping mall owners and operators had replaced these pieces with less costly art/performance spaces and lounge areas they believed would attract more customers. These days, mall designers are offering new enticements to keep shoppers from shopping online or at competitive locations. They are adding restaurants fit for foodies, promoting real-life services like fitness clubs and hair salons, and turning to cozy play areas to bring in more shoppers (both parents and kids), capture their attention and get them to stay longer in their malls.

Giggles N’ Hugs, which owns and operates three family-friendly restaurants in major malls in the Los Angeles area, has been enjoying this rising trend. Recognizing that the once-humble play area is a thing of the past and that cushy new play areas are the shopping malls’ new secret weapon, the company doubled down with its restaurant concept. At each of its locations, Giggles N’ Hugs has paired innovative, kid-friendly entertainment and play spaces with adult-friendly, organic food and drink menus, and created a popular, family-friendly atmosphere and winning formula that has brought its first three locations notable success. During the course of the first and second quarters of 2015, for example, the company’s sales of $1.75 million surpassed last year’s levels by 6%.

Major expansion is now in the works for Giggles N’ Hugs and its highly marketable restaurant concept. The company is preparing to duplicate this concept at new locations in West Coast markets like Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County and has been actively discussing expansion with several large mall owners, including the Westfield Group. Giggles N’ Hugs typically targets kids who are 10 or younger and, in the Westfield Group, the company just might have found a like-minded strategic business partner. At its Galleria at Roseville mall in California, Westfield has been testing out a play area stocked with touch-screen games, puzzles and Jenga-style games more suited to kids aged 6 to 10 who wish to do more than run and climb.

For more information, visit www.gigglesnhugs.com

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