J.D. Power to acquire European, Australian vehicle analytics provider Autovista Group
Autovista will become J.D. Power’s auto market intelligence platform for Europe and Australia; senior leadership, 700 employees will stay on.
Live talk at noon Wednesday from the North American International Detroit Auto Show
Jessica Caldwell, director of insights at Edmunds, will join Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Staff Reporter Lindsay VanHulle live from the Detroit auto show floor.
Hamburger Mary’s to host bingo fundraiser for Orlando pride parade
Hamburger Mary’s in downtown Orlando is hosting a bingo fundraiser to bring in money for the Come Out With Pride Orlando’s pride parade.
Seating for bingo is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the game starting at the Church Street restaurant at 7 p.m. The parade itself is Oct. 21.
Hamburger Mary’s co-owner John Paonessa said his business is hosting the fundraiser after hearing the pride event might not be getting as many sponsorships as it has in the past. Large companies have been caught in the so-called culture wars, with Anheuser-Busch facing backlash for transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting its beer.
Come Out With Pride Orlando’s support from corporate partners is lower this year than usual, said executive director Tatiana Quiroga.
“Unfortunately, we are in this current climate,” she said.
But for Hamburger Mary’s, the fundraiser comes after the restaurant scored a victory in court this summer in a legal battle over a Florida law that a federal judge says is aimed at limiting the rights of drag performers.
Hostess is being acquired by JM Smucker in a deal valued at $5.6B after coming back from the brink
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN (AP Business Writer)
Hostess, the maker of snack classics like Twinkies and HoHos, is being sold to J.M. Smucker in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $5.6 billion.
Smucker, which makes everything from coffee to peanut butter and jelly, will pay $34.25 per share in cash and stock, and it will also pick up approximately $900 million in net debt.
Hostess Brands Inc. shareholders will receive $30 in cash and 0.03002 shares of The J.M. Smucker Co. stock for each share of stock that they own.
“We believe this is the right partnership to accelerate growth and create meaningful value for consumers, customers and shareholders. Our companies share highly complementary go-to market strategies, and we are very similar in our core business principles and operations,” Hostess President and CEO Andy Callahan said in a prepared statement Monday.
Twinkies went big when Hostess put them on shelves in 1930, and it followed up with a string of sweet concoctions like DingDongs, Zingers and Sno Balls.
Messi scores big waterfront Fort Lauderdale estate for $10.75 million
FORT LAUDERDALE — World soccer star Lionel Messi and his family have finally landed a South Florida home — a sprawling waterfront estate in the gated Bay Colony community for $10.75 million.
Messi, who has been tearing up Major League Soccer ever since he signed with Inter Miami this summer, will have plenty of space to roam. The house contains more than 10,500 square feet, 8 bedrooms, 9.5 bathrooms and a three-car garage and pool, according to the Team Simpkin Compass real estate group of Fort Lauderdale.
The firm, which says it has assisted other club players find homes in the area, confirmed the transaction through a news release on Monday. The transaction was first reported by The Real Deal.
The property, which occupies just under a half-acre at 91 Compass Lane, was sold by John and Stacy Dickerson, who records show acquired the estate in 2022 for $9 million.
Built in 1988, the home boasts 170 feet on the water, two docks, a pool, gym/spa room and an Italian kitchen. As word of the sale got out on Monday, helicopters began hovering over the neighborhood trying to get a glimpse of the property.