Shared from the 8/29/2020 The Columbus Dispatch eEdition

BUSINESS REPORT

Office space going fast at Polaris-area development

The Pointe at Polaris, the mixed-use development rising between Polaris Fashion Place and Interstate 71, has two new office tenants.

Cathcart Rail, based in Bucyrus, and Fusion Alliance of Columbus, have each leased about 8,200 square feet of the 70,000 square feet of office space in the development’s first phase. The two companies will join Anthem Blue Cross Insurance, Atone Chiropractic, Club Pilates, Kitchen Social, Condados Tacos, Atlas Tavern and Sweetwater Coffee in the complex’s first part.

The Pointe at Polaris developer, VanTrust Real Estate, is well underway on the second phase of the development, which will include a 145,000-square-foot office building with 260 apartments. Bank of America will anchor the building.

Coca-Cola to offer buyouts to 40% of American, Canadian workers

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. announced Friday a major global reorganization of its workforce that will include job cuts, both voluntary and involuntary, for thousands of employees in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The beverage giant said "to minimize the impact from these structural changes" it will offer voluntary separation packages to 4,000 employees in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico hired on or before Sept. 1, 2017.

That covers nearly 40% of the company’s 10,800 employees in the U.S. and Canada.

Similar packages are being offered to employees in other parts of the world, the company said in a news release. Coca-Cola has 86,000 employees globally.

Amazon buys electric vans as Mercedes-Benz joins climate effort

Amazon says it's buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date.

In announcing the order Friday, Mercedes said it would also join a climate initiative established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. By signing up to The Climate Pledge, Mercedes-Benz commits itself to going completely carbon neutral by 2039 — a move the company had already signaled last year.

App to notify drivers of vehicle recalls quickly

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching a smartphone app that will make it easier for users to find out whether there's a recall on their car and what to do about it.

Once users download the SaferCar app and enter their vehicle identification number, or VIN, or information about equipment or car seats, they can get notifications, the agency said in a news release.

The app will check for recalls daily and send alerts to smartphones when a new recall is issued or if there are any unrepaired recalls on a users’ vehicle. NHTSA said user data is only stored on the phone and is not sent back to the agency. The app should also direct users to a dealership making repairs.

Last year, 53 million vehicles, car seats, tires and equipment were recalled, according to the NHTSA.

18,000 layoffs planned at pandemic-hit MGM Resorts

MGM Resorts is laying off 18,000 people as an unchecked pandemic leaves economic scars across numerous U.S. industries, particularly those that really on healthy crowds of people.

Casinos in Nevada closed March 17. Unemployment in the state reached 28.2%, topping levels last seen during the Great Depression. Casinos reopened in early June, but the climb back has been long and slow.

MGM operates casinos in Mississippi, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and overseas in Macao.

Ram pickup recall: Floor mats can interfere with gas pedal

Fiat Chrysler is recalling over 186,000 Ram pickups and is telling owners to take them to dealers because floor mats can interfere with the gas pedals.

The recall covers certain 2019 and 2020 model-year trucks with factory-installed mats, mainly in North America. Owners will be notified in mid-September by mail.

From staff and wire reports

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