Business bites: The post office, undies and obesity

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Ken Grant helped take on aggressive parking ticket enforcement in Wilmington and managed to get the city to acknowledge the problem and take some steps to change the situation.

The social media leader  or “pot stirrer” as he prefers to be called, is now taking on the Post Office, specifically the main Newark branch in Ogletown.

Grant, a marketing director who frequents  the branch, spent nearly an hour and half last week watching the counters staffed by only a couple of people even as lines grew during the period he monitored the proceedings.

It’s a familiar story many of us have seen for decades and presents a  contrast to the far less busy  and friendlier Main Street Post office in Newark.

Grant has no illusions about the difficulty of dealing with a Postal Service  that is struggling with billions of dollars of losses, mass retirements and congressional battles.

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He does  hope that shining a little light on the problem might somehow get another person to the counter.

Invista looking out for our comfort

Invista, the Koch Industries  company that bought DuPont’s nylon business several years ago, is on a  crusade when it comes to underwear.

=The maker of Lycra fiber, which has headquarters operations in northern Delaware and a plant in Seaford,   announced it  is introducing  new quality standards for natural fiber undergarments.

Invista cited a Strategic Insights survey of 4,000 men and women that ranked comfort as the No. 1 priority followed by fit and quality,.

Invista got one piece of good news when Lycra fiber ranked second in desirability, well behind cotton at 70 percent.

Invista then analyzed 300 commercial underwear styles and found no basic standard  for underwear fabrics. That led  Invista to get together with a French company to make underwear that is 90 percent cotton and 10 percent Lyrca. The goal was to create a comfortable, long-lasting fit, according to a  release.

The latest and greatest undies are now available at high-end department stores in North America under the brand of American designer Michael Kors.

Shown, courtesy of Invista,  is the first and perhaps last underwear photo in this publication.

Finally….

William Winkenwerder, the CEO of Highmark , parent of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, apologized for talking about the need to control obesity while those attending the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce annual dinner were sitting down for a meal.

His words may have carried some weight. While strolling up to the podium for a photo of the winner of the Josiah Marvel Cup, it was clear diners at the dinner  left a fair amount of food on their plates. Then again, perhaps it was the first time I noticed the amount of leftovers.- Doug Rainey

 

 

 

 

 

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