Fiat: Over A Century in the Automobile Industry

The world's automobile industry is dominated by giant corporations; one of them being Fiat S.p.A. Short for the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, Fiat is the holding company for the subsidiary Fiat Automobiles, a business that was founded over a century ago in Turin, Italy. With its headquarters still in Turin, Fiat's scope covers not only automobile manufacturing, but commercial vehicles, automobile parts, newspapers, production and media systems, and in the past, railway engines and train carriages, military vehicles, farm vehicles and aircraft. Recent records have pegged Fiat as the 9th largest automaker in the world, and the biggest in Italy. Its 2011 profits alone were at 1.334 billion euros. Fiat is now run by John Elkann, Chairman and Sergio Marchionne, CEO.

Fiat was founded by Giovanni Agnelli and other investors in 1899. In just a few years, Fiat was exporting to the USA and to the rest of Europe. In 1910, Fiat had grown to become the largest Italian automobile corporation, a position it has held for 103 years. In its early years, Fiat vehicles were akin to social symbols, their prices being much heftier than competitors'. During World War II, Fiat was Italy's supplier for fighter aircraft and military machinery. The founder's family, the Agnellis, was pulled out of Fiat when Mussolini was thrown from power, but Gianni Agnelli, Giovanni's grandson, returned as general manager of the company in 1966, eventually becoming chairman of Fiat.

Fiat continued making automobiles and holding its own in the industry throughout the succeeding years, forming an alliance with USA's Chrysler in 2009 in order to enter the North American market successfully. The partnership eventually turned Fiat claiming a majority stake in Chrysler. Fiat also formed a partnership with Mazda. Aside from private and commercial vehicles, publishing and communications, Fiat also holds business interests in information technology, public services, economics and finance, research and development, real estate and recreation. Fiat's largest base of operations outside of Italy is in Brazil, with manufacturing going on in Argentina, Serbia, Poland and Russia.

Everyone’s Favorite “Ex-Boyfriend”

If you look hard enough, you’ll find that there are so many independent fashion labels out in the market today. This is because more and more people want to show their identity to the world with the clothes they wear. While many consider graphic clothing and accessories to be a niche market, it is still a growing industry that is making a statement in the mainstream fashion world.

One of the more popular independent labels is Ex-Boyfriend. Founded by Matt Snow as a side project when he was still a graphic design student studying at The Art Institute of Pittsburg, the company has grown from just selling artistically crafted graphic tees to other clothing items and accessories such as hoodies, tote bags, messenger bags and many more.

From its humble beginnings in Pittsburg, the company has now grown and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Today, the Ex-Boyfriend brand can be found stores scattered over 700 cities in the US, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Enjoy a New Breed of Indie Comics with Viper Comics

Independent comic books and graphic novels have been gaining popularity over the years. This is because more and more people are appreciating comic books for what they are – pieces of art that tell a story. As the number of comic book enthusiasts grows, the number of publishers and specialty stores that carry independent comic books and graphic novels grows as well. 

One of the more popular independent comic book publishers today is Viper Comics. Founded in2003, Viper began its publishing legacy with a hit comic book called Dead@17 which led to many sequels and a movie that is soon to be released. Since the publishing company was established, they have released a number of hit comics and graphic novels created by many of the notable independent comic book artists and graphic artists today. To date, they have published 45 graphic novels and over a hundred comic books. Viper’s hit titles include The Middleman, which had a one-season TV show spin off, and another popular comic called Villains. The American Library Association has also recognized and recommended four of Vipers titles. Aside from The Middleman, the other titles on this list include Emily Edison, Oddly Normal, and Daisy Kutter. Aside from print, Viper also has webcomics on their site with titles like Kung Fu Bean, Riverside, and Sanford Park.

As an independent publisher, Viper Comics relies on Diamond Comic Distributors to make sure that their titles make it to the shelves of bookstores and comic book specialty stores across the US and in other countries as well. They also work with other distributors like Baker & Taylor Books and Ingram Books for their graphic novels. Aside from retail stores here in the US, Canada, Australia, and several countries in Europe, Viper comic books and graphic novels are also available at several established and well-known e-commerce site such as Amazon.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

Jed Drake and ESPN: Growing Up Together

When Jed Drake joined ESPN, Inc., as a producer and director in 1980, the possibilities for him and the all-sports network were endless. Established in 1979, the network did not begin broadcasting 24/7 until the following year. A cable pioneer in devoting programming to one subject, ESPN took shape almost by accident. In 1978, out-of-work sports announcer Bill Rasmussen rented satellite time from RCA Corporation to broadcast basketball games of the University of Connecticut via cable-TV stations across the state. Because renting 24 hours of satellite time was less expensive than renting for the five hours he needed, he decided to offer 24-hour sports programming nationally. He made his first payment on air space by credit card, with Entertainment Sports Programming Network (ESPN) debuting in September 1979. By the time Jed Drake came on board, coverage included NCAA football games, preliminary rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, and weekly boxing matches.

With an early $10 million investment from Getty Oil and another $25 million in venture capital raised with no profits in sight, Getty hired a management firm to assess ESPN’s future. The company’s top consultant on the project, Roger Werner, predicted the network would become profitable in five years with another $120 million in investment. Werner, who became Vice President of Finance, Administration, and Planning at ESPN, introduced the concept of charging affiliates for programming, now a standard industry practice. By December 1983, ESPN had become cable television’s largest network, broadcasting to 28.5 million households.

ABC, Inc., acquired ESPN in 1984, and two years later, the parent company became Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. The network began airing National Football League games in 1987 and covering Major League Baseball in 1989. Other milestones include The Walt Disney Company’s 1995 acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.; the launch of ESPN Classic in 1997; and the debut of ESPN: The Magazine in 1998. Jed Drake’s career has paralleled the rise of the all-sports network. Today, he oversees the remote production of more than 6,000 hours of sports programming on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC as Vice President and Executive Producer of Event Production.

To learn more about Mr. Drake and ESPN history visit jeddrake.tumblr.com

EasySeat: The Ticket to What’s Happening All Around

Established in 2005, EasySeat is a premium reseller of hard-to-find tickets to events within and all around Connecticut, and across the United States.  The company purchases and sells tickets for concert, theatre and sporting events of all sorts, but specializes in UCONN Huskies and New York Yankees, and concerts at Comcast Theater, Mohegan Sun Arena and XL Center.

EasySeat has four convenient retail locations in Connecticut for last-minute ticket purchases, ticket pick-ups, same-day tickets, as well as an even more individualized and personalized service for which the company has become famous for – coast to coast.

As of this moment, EasySeat has sold hundreds of thousands of tickets for countless customers all over the country. It is currently ranked as 38^th in Connecticut’s Top 100 Companies and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.  It has become one the nation’s leading ticket retailers to the coolest events happening around.

ItsHot.com: Where Luxury Costs Less

ItsHot.com is a web-based diamond watch and jewelry retailer with a sprawling showroom in the diamond district of New York City. The company offers diamond jewelry and watches for men, women and children for up to 80% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. ItsHot.com also offers custom-designed diamond jewelry, and is the one primarily behind most of the celebrity blings including the ones used by Kim Kardashian, Ja Rule and Snoop Dogg. 

ItsHot.com prides itself with a broad selection of diamond jewelry, from round diamonds to priceless cut diamonds mounted on 10K, 14K or 18K platinum, white gold, rose gold or yellow gold. The company has established the highest levels of customer satisfaction by offering the most superior quality products, the greatest selection and prices, and the best customer services in the entire jewelry industry. Not only that, ItsHot.com manufactures nearly all of the items in its selection, and sells both in wholesale and retail, ensuring customers that they are buying directly from the manufacturer sans the middlemen, who are usually the main reasons behind the high prices of jewelry. The company is an authorized reseller of the diamond watches they offer, and all of the products are sold with complete warranty, original papers and packaging. 

ItsHot.com’s more than 20 years of experience in designing, manufacturing and selling fine diamond jewelry, and extensive knowledge on workmanship and customer needs has helped the company develop an exemplary line of diamond jewelry, from diamond rings to earring and pendants, bracelets to charms, and necklaces to bangles. ItsHot.com has more than 20,000 different kinds of jewelry and watches designs, and it is constantly expanding. It has become one of the leading manufacturers of diamond jewelry in the entire United States, and its unparalleled reputation is known globally, with its exports reaching as far as Southeast Asia.

Beyond the Office Door: Offering Stylish and Ergonomic Office Furnishings at Affordable Costs

Beyond the Office Door is a retail company that offers high-quality, ergonomic office furnishings at factory-direct prices. An Inc. 5000 business, it has everything one needs to create a stylish, contemporary corporate headquarters, from lobby furniture to reception chairs, training room tables to adjustable height desks, and modifiable work stations to file cabinets.

It is a company that constantly designs, manufactures and sells innovative, premium quality furniture pieces that are not only stylish but comfortable as well. Each of their products ensures utmost comfort and is easily adjustable to ascertain an excellent workplace that does not interfere in meeting the day-to-day demands of office operations.

Furthermore, Beyond the Office Door website boasts of a state-of-the-art, user-friendly, secure web-based shop that allows for easy navigation when one is looking for the best office furnishings. Every product sold by the company is affordable and shipped directly from the manufacturing facilities, making the entire purchasing process fast and at the same time, saves customers with huge amounts of dollars.