Latest news with #Valor
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Carnival and Royal Caribbean are making major cruise ship upgrades
Although cruise lines put a lot of careful thought and attention into ship design, they don't always get everything right. Sometimes, cruise ship features miss the mark, or designers fail to recognize something that was important to passengers. Occasionally, they even overlook something that passengers say has a negative impact on the cruise experience. Related: Royal Caribbean passengers demand key onboard change Passenger preferences and needs change over time, too, so certain features eventually become outdated as new innovations are developed that enhance the cruise experience. Luckily, the fact that there's limited space on a cruise ship doesn't mean onboard areas like the pool deck, restaurants, bars, and casinos, can't be redesigned at some point. Even spaces that can't be fully reworked, like staterooms, can be refreshed to add some enhancements. When cruise ships go to dry dock for routine maintenance every few years, they often receive significant refurbishment throughout to overhaul existing venues and make improvements that will elevate passengers' future sailings on the ship. Sometimes when a need arises, cruise lines will even make upgrades to a ship without taking it out of service for dry dock. That's something Royal Caribbean is currently doing to fix a big casino problem on some of its newer and most-popular ships. Doug Parker shared more on the upgrades rolling out on board certain Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ships, plus details on the largest ultra-luxury cruise ship suite yet, on the June 12th edition of Cruise News Today. Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Transcript: This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning. Here's your cruise news for Thursday, June 12th. Carnival Valor is back in service after completing a month-long dry dock over in Spain. The 21-year-old ship received major upgrades including the addition of the Heroes Tribute Bar and WaterWorks Aqua Park. Public spaces were also refreshed, staterooms upgraded with USB outlets, and the casino and spa were also expanded. Valor resumed service yesterday in Barcelona and is now sailing a 15-night repositioning cruise to New Orleans. Related: Carnival Cruise Line testing new dining option passengers want And a $25,000-per-night cruise. Yeah, Regent Seven Seas has unveiled its most extravagant suite yet, the Skyview Regent Suite aboard the upcoming Seven Seas Prestige. Spanning nearly 9,000 square feet over two levels, the suite will set you back $25,000 per night and includes a private gym, sauna, bar, elevator, and a car and driver in every port. Bookings - they open next week if you're interested. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. And Royal Caribbean is expanding the casino aboard Wonder of the Seas, converting the Crown Lounge on Deck 4 into a larger, non-smoking gaming area. The Crown Lounge will be relocated to Deck 16 and reopen later this month. The expanded, redesigned casino will reopen in mid-July. Wonder of the Seas is currently sailing Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral and will reposition to Miami in August. Related: Royal Caribbean makes casino smoking, loyalty program change And cruise stocks were down on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: down 2.6 percent, 23.87. Royal Caribbean: down 1 percent, 267.96. Norwegian: down 3.3 percent, 19.08. And Viking: down 3 percent, 47.36. If you have a lead on a story, let us know. Tips@ This week's Cruise Radio Podcast: a review of a Norwegian cruise ship - can't remember which one. Here in Victoria, British Columbia, waiting to debark for the evening, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Valor Welcomes Luke Hawkins as Chief Financial Officer
Veteran Oil and Gas Executive to Lead Financial Strategy and Growth FORT WORTH, Texas, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Valor, a Fort Worth-based tech-enabled professional services company that provides oil and gas asset management and specializes in mineral management and back-office solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Luke Hawkins as the company's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Hawkins brings over 15 years of extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, with a proven track record of financial leadership, capital raising, and business development. "We are very excited to have Luke join the Valor team," said Joseph DeWoody, CEO and co-founder of Valor. "His experience in the oil and gas sector, particularly in financial management, acquisitions, and operations, will be a tremendous asset to Valor. Luke's expertise and insight will play a key role in supporting Valor's mission to provide innovative solutions to our clients." Prior to joining Valor, Hawkins co-founded and served as CFO of Mammoth Exploration, an Edge Natural Resources-backed oil and gas exploration and production company. In this role, he raised $44 million in equity, oversaw the acquisition of $30 million in oil and gas properties, and managed a portfolio of over 250 wells. In addition to his operating experience, Hawkins has extensive experience in oil and gas finance, having worked in private equity at Natural Gas Partners and investment banking at both Lehman Brothers and Barclays. "I'm thrilled to join Valor and work with such an exceptional team," said Hawkins. "Valor has a strong reputation in the industry, and I'm eager to contribute my expertise to support the company's growth. I'm excited to be part of a team that prioritizes innovative strategies and delivers tangible results for clients." Headquartered in Fort Worth, Valor has earned a reputation as one of Texas' leading mineral management companies. Key service lines of the company include oil and gas accounting, mineral management, and oil and gas consulting and outsourcing. The company's innovative mineral management software, is a map-based and data-rich platform that integrates accounting, land management, data analytics, and reporting. The company is also a leading provider of oil and gas back-office services for operators and investors, partnering with companies to offer owner relations support, oil and gas accounting, regulatory compliance, and other back-office operations. About Valor: Valor, based in Fort Worth, is an oil and gas asset management services provider dedicated to serving mineral rights owners, operators, and investors. We prioritize our clients by offering flexible solutions and leveraging our team of experts to ensure the security, clarity, and optimization of privately owned assets. Valor has been singled out for several prestigious awards, including the Inc. 5000 list (2023 & 2024), Fort Worth Inc.'s Best Companies to Work For (2022, 2023 & 2024), the Inc. Best Workplaces 2024 list, and Most Inspiring Workplaces™. Explore the benefits of partnering with Valor to manage mineral rights and outsource accounting and back-office services by visiting Media Contact:Hannah Jones817-370-0612396542@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Valor Sign in to access your portfolio
The Herald Scotland
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
St Andrews golf hotel group boss on building global business
Name: Euan McGlashan Job title: Global co-founder & CEO What is your business called? Valor Hospitality Partners Where is it based? Atlanta in the US is our global HQ, with regional offices in Manchester in the UK, Cape Town in South Africa, and Dubai in the UAE. What does it do? Operator of newly opened St Andrews hotel, Seaton House, Valor Hospitality Partners is a leading full-service hospitality underwriting, acquisition, development, management, and asset management company. Along with the Seaton House opening, Valor also oversaw the opening of its sister hotel in Northern Ireland, Dunluce Lodge, earlier this year. Overlooking the fourth fairway of Royal Portrush, home of The 153rd Open, Dunluce Lodge and Seaton House occupy some of the most prestigious golfing real estate anywhere on the planet. To whom does it sell? Our clients are masterbrands, real estate developers, REITs (real estate investment trusts), family offices, brokerage companies, hotel guests, travellers, diners . . . How many employees? Over 8,000 'Hotelitarians'. What attracted you to your current role and what were you doing before? I started as a reluctant entrepreneur and now call myself a serial entrepreneur because I never anticipated creating something like Valor. I started the company in the basement of my home after leaving a role that wasn't sustainable. I've been in the hospitality industry since I was 16, starting out by peeling vegetables and washing pots. I quickly worked my way up to a management position at a young age but have been in every role you can imagine so I am deeply embedded in all facets of the business. Throughout my journey, I discovered a genuine passion for serving others, which has remained central to my approach. What do you least enjoy? While I truly enjoy the travel and the energy it brings, it's not always glamorous. Staying deeply connected with every region we operate in can be demanding, and navigating different time zones definitely adds its own set of challenges. What do you consider to be the main successes of the business? We love to make guests and colleagues alike feel better about who they are. At Valor, we are proud of our deep-rooted expertise in the hospitality industry. As we continue to be revolutionary, we have embraced a new tagline that better reflects who we are and how we operate: 'A Whole World of Local'. This is more than just a tagline – it is the guiding principle to our success. It also includes how Valor is committed to supporting local businesses in the areas we operate in. For example, Seaton House in St Andrews has benefitted greatly from working with some amazing local suppliers. We also don't like the term 'employee' or 'staff', so our team members are 'Hotelitarian'', which we have actually defined and trademarked as a word. Hotelitarians are driven by bringing others together from all walks of life – not just to travel but to experience new places, spaces and cultures for a more compassionate world through the art of hospitality. What are your ambitions for the firm? For Seaton House our goal is to compete with the best and grow into becoming the number one hotel in the market: staying humble with low ego but striving to excel. Excellence in food and beverage, excellence in golf, obsession about guest experience, understanding we have a captive market. It will always only ever be about the details – millions of them daily. Looking ahead, one of our key goals is to double the size of our portfolio in the coming years – empowering and nurturing the next generation of hospitality leaders along the way. A legacy company that reaches new heights. What are the challenges facing the sector and market, and what could be done to overcome or address these? The sector currently faces several key challenges, including rising labour costs, the ongoing need for staff training, increasing operational expenses, maintaining high quality standards, and keeping pace with ever-evolving trends. These pressures are constant and demand resilience and adaptability. To effectively address these challenges, it starts with trust and a strong set of core values embedded in the organisation's culture. For us, that foundation is captured in our mantra: striving to 'Do the simple things, brilliantly'. By focusing on consistent execution and valuing progress over perfection, we empower our teams to grow sustainably. What single thing would most help? Unity among teams. Having a team you can always trust that always has each other's back. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? People are not against you, they're for themselves. Understand that and you understand life. What was your best moment? On a daily basis, I'm thankful that I was blessed with tenacity and willpower – that's helped Valor become a business I'm incredibly proud of. What has been your most challenging moment in life or business? Risking everything to create Valor. I had a family I needed to provide for and, with no income, it was one of the most challenging moments in my life– staying the course for two years living off my kids' college funds. How do you relax? I find staying active and consistent with my routine really helps me relax. I make time for the gym, cycling, hiking and even cold-water swimming when in South Africa. Being outdoors and moving my body helps me unwind, clear my head and maintain a positive mindset – it's a big part of how I take care of my mental health. I do love a great glass of wine, too, or a single malt from Islay when I'm at Seaton House. Read more What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most? Nelson Mandela has been my biggest role model for as long as I can remember, having met him many times while living in South Africa. The way he lived by the spirit of Ubuntu really speaks to me – that idea that being human is about showing compassion, understanding, reconciliation, forgiveness, and respect. 'I am who I am because of who we all are.' It's something I try to carry with me every day in how I treat others and navigate the world. What is the best book (fiction or non-fiction) you have ever read? Why is it the best? I do love The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo. It's a great fable about life's journey and how you get ahead but always knowing how you treat people on the way up is important as you will meet the same people on the way down. I also like Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. It's a brilliant and simple read, but it has had a profound impact on how I approach life and stress. The biggest takeaway for me – and something I now share often when mentoring others – is the idea of perspective: when something is bothering you, ask yourself: 'Will this matter in a week? A month? A year?'. And I do love a fictional Wilbur Smith novel. Where do you find yourself most at ease? At home and in a safe place. Being around family, friends and loved ones helps you unwind. Having a core support system is incredibly important. If you weren't in your current role, what job would you most fancy? I always fancied being either an airline pilot or a wine maker. Leaving home at 16 with terrible grades was not ideal preparation to be an airline pilot and, candidly, I prefer just drinking wine! Although, I would have loved that life. What countries have you most enjoyed travelling to, for business or leisure, and why? I've been fortunate to travel extensively throughout my career, both for business and leisure. The UK, particularly Edinburgh where I grew up, will always be home. But another chapter of my life began when I had the opportunity to move to South Africa at such a young age. That experience opened my eyes to a completely different world, and in many ways, South Africa has become home as well. Cape Town and Edinburgh are my two 'happy' places. These global experiences have not only shaped who I am but also influenced my family and the direction we continue to grow in.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Booking deputy earns national Valor award for removing handgun from new inmate
Booking Deputy John Elliott recently received the Valor Award from the American Jail Association for removing a loaded handgun from an inmate being booked at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in 2023. American Jail Association President Shawn Klucznik presented the award to Elliott Tuesday during the annual AJA Conference and Jail Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. AJA gives this coveted award to an individual who demonstrated unusual judgment, zeal, bravery, and/or ingenuity that averted or minimized a potential disaster. While initiating the booking process on the inmate, Elliot noticed a handgun in the inmate's clothing. Without regard for his personal safety, he gained control of the firearm without any injuries. The handgun was loaded with 11 rounds. 'He had a gun and could have shot anybody,' Elliott said. 'I didn't want that to happen. Anybody else in booking would have done the same thing.' Tennessee Corrections Institute Board Chairman Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh commended Elliott. 'We are extremely proud of Deputy Elliott for his quick action to avoid a potential disaster in our facility,' Fitzhugh said. 'He is very deserving of this recognition.' Jail Administrator Kevin Henderson said the detention staff appreciates having a deputy on the team like Elliott. 'To see something wrong, respond and put your own safety at risk showed tremendous courage and the will to do a great job,' Henderson said. 'Who knows how many lives he saved due to his actions with total disregard for his own life? His actions were heroic.' Besides locating the handgun, Elliott also recovered a knife from an inmate in October 2023. The arrestee was belligerent and noncompliant with officers. AJA reported Elliott's persistence and dedication to safety and security while serving as a Booking Officer has been a point of inspiration for other staff members and exemplifies the innate bravery required of corrections officers every day across the nation. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Booking deputy earns Valor award for removing handgun from inmate
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Move over, Black Hawk: Army unveils the MV-75, tiltrotor aircraft to replace iconic assault chopper
The U.S. Army is preparing to retire its iconic Black Hawk helicopters — the workhorses of its air assault fleet for nearly five decades — in favor of a faster, more versatile aircraft built for the challenges of 21st-century warfare. Bell Aircraft's V-280 Valor, a cutting-edge tiltrotor aircraft, has been selected to begin phasing out the Black Hawk by the 2030s. Once fully deployed, it will be designated the MV-75, though a common nickname has yet to emerge. The Valor combines the vertical lift capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane, cruising at 320 mph — nearly double the Black Hawk's top speed of 175 mph. This hybrid design, enabled by tiltrotor technology, allows the MV-75 to hover, land vertically in tight spaces, and then shift into high-speed horizontal flight. It's tailor-made for operations in the Indo-Pacific region, where U.S. forces must be able to travel long distances over the ocean and conduct rapid insertions into constrained environments, such as jungle clearings or island terrain without runways. Fox News Digital recently took a tour of Bell's Advanced Vertical Lift Center in Crystal City, Virginia. Billions Spent, Warfighters Wait: Inside The Pentagon's Broken Buying System And The Plan To Fix It "The Army recognized that the battlefield has changed," Rob Freeland, Bell's director of government relations and public affairs, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "The enemy now has long-range fires, advanced sensors, and robust networks. You have to move faster and strike before they do." Read On The Fox News App Speed and range are at the heart of this transformation. As Freeland put it: "If you can move at twice the speed and range of your adversary, you can change the outcome before they can react." The MV-75 is designed to carry up to 14 troops and haul payloads of 10,000 pounds, making it ideal for rapid troop deployments, heavy resupply and surprise assault missions. It will also feature autonomous and semi-autonomous capabilities, a leap forward in reducing pilot workload and enabling future unmanned operations. The V-280 Valor beat out a proposed joint Sikorsky-Boeing compound helicopter platform dubbed the SB-1 Defiant-X in 2019 for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The Army has contracted Texas-based aerospace company Bell to build six prototypes, conduct the first test flight by 2026 and begin full-scale production by 2028, with delivery targeted for 2030. However, leadership has expressed interest in accelerating that schedule under the Army Transformation Initiative. "We're not waiting for a distant out-year to make this thing real," said Gen. James Mingus, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, speaking at the Mission Solutions Summit earlier this month. "We are driving to get this aircraft online years ahead of schedule." Hegseth Orders Sweeping Army Overhaul And Consolidation Aimed At Countering China And Golden Dome Capabilities The "MV" designation reflects the aircraft's multi-mission and vertical takeoff capabilities. It's built for a broad range of missions, including air assault, maritime interdiction, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), combat search and rescue, and tactical resupply. The first unit to receive the MV-75 will be the 101st Airborne Division, the Army's elite air assault force. One of the Army's priorities in selecting a replacement was reliability. After years of dealing with aging helicopters requiring frequent maintenance, the Army is demanding aircraft that can stay in the fight with minimal downtime. "Because it's inherently reliable, you don't need a mountain of gear next to you just to keep the aircraft flying," said Freeland. The MV-75 program is part of a broader Pentagon push to modernize U.S. military capabilities in an era defined by strategic competition with China. Since entering service in the late 1970s, the UH-60 Black Hawk has been the backbone of Army aviation. It has flown in nearly every major U.S. military operation over the past 40 years, from evacuating wounded troops in Grenada and Panama, to supporting combat and logistics missions in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Black Hawk was infamously involved in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, and became a household name through its depiction in the 1999 book and 2001 movie "Black Hawk Down." Its versatility, durability and ability to perform under fire made it a symbol of American air power — but after decades of use, its replacement will need to adapt to the evolving article source: Move over, Black Hawk: Army unveils the MV-75, tiltrotor aircraft to replace iconic assault chopper
