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Chain Drugstore Daily Saturday, August 25, 2018 5 8 EPD is Latest Proof of Excel Dryer's Industry Leadership Excel Dryer has earned a reputation as a true original within the hand dryer indus- try. Offering the XLERATOR ® Hand Dryer, the only to be Made In USA Certified ® and the first to be GreenBuilding Approved ® , Excel Dryer has singlehandedly pushed the industry forward with its innovative, sustainable technology. Recently though, Excel Dryer solid- ified its place atop the industry with the publication of the first Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR, XLERATOReco ® and ThinAir ® Hand Dryers. EPDs are impor- tant for any manufacturer because they certify a company's commitment to sus- tainability and product performance. The publication of EPDs for each of its three hand dryers meant that Excel Dryer's products set yet another industry first. Published by UL Environment, a business division of Underwriters' Laboratories, Excel Dryer's EPDs were a groundbreaking development for the manufacturer and for the industry as a whole. This achievement effectively ush- ered in a new era of transparency among leading hand dryer manufacturers. On the road to its EPDs, Excel Dryer played a key role in leading the hand dryer industry toward a mandatory prerequisite: the creation of Product Category Rules (PCR). These standard- ize industry testing and reporting meth- ods and are helpful for consumers, allowing them to compare and explore all sustainability aspects of competing products and make more informed product selections. Publication of the hand dryer PCR represented not only an industry first, but the first global stan- dard for any industry. To gain EPD certification, a manu- facturer's products also must go through cradle-to-grave testing with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by an independent third party. For this endeav- or, Excel Dryer worked with world- renowned sustainability consulting firm Quantis International to test its products and substantiate its environmental claims within ISO 14040 standards. Certainly, with the publication of EPDs for its products, Excel Dryer estab- lished new standards of transparency and sustainability. However, from a broader perspective, the EPDs ensure that Excel Dryer will continue to set the tone among leading hand dryer manufacturers by encouraging them to follow suit – a pos- itive development for any industry. For more information, go to www.exceldryer.com. Bred with a Brooklyn Accent Is it any surprise that one of the hottest baby names is "Brooklyn"? Yes, these days Brooklyn is the name to be, the place to be, and for those with guts, the way to be. Damascus Bakeries is all of the above. Since 1930, this third generation family-owned bakery has planted its roots in Brooklyn and baked award-win- ning pitas, lavash and flatbreads, first for its own community, and now for many others. Like many proud parents, Damascus Bakeries has chosen the name "Brooklyn" for its newest baby, Brooklyn Bred ® Bistro Breads, a truly artisanal, naturally fermented line of spe- cialty and innovative flatbreads. "We've been 'Bred in Brooklyn since 1930,' so the name Brooklyn Bred was a natural for us," said David Mafoud, co-Owner and third-generation Baker. First out of the ovens have been award-winning Pizza Crusts, formulated with specialty "00" pizza flour and olive oil, fermented extensively in a control environment for an authentic texture and more pronounced flavor. Mafoud says, "Pizza is all about the bite, and in Brooklyn, that could be the difference between life and death. Okay, I'm exag- gerating – a bit! But without exception, in Brooklyn, the success of every great pizza starts and finishes with its crust." In addition to a line of these Brooklyn Bred Pizza Crusts, which can be customized to your favorite shape, size, thickness and formu- la, including Neapolitan, Damascus has recently introduced its delicious and low calorie Bistro Buns, which are "natural- ly fermented and outspo- ken on the outside, soft and savory inside – just like a real Brooklynite!" Like the crusts, these square shaped Bistro Buns are offered in varieties including Country Potato, Sprouted Grains and Olive Oil & Sea Salt, and can be customized to your preferred thickness and size, including the slider size, or the 20-inch long, pre- perforated party size, which is also ideal for commissaries looking to make multi- ple finger sandwiches with less effort and time. Mafoud says, "Our job is to provide our customers with sandwich carriers that are creative, culinary, convenient, and if needed, customized. All of us love a well-bred sandwich, and the first bite into that sand- wich starts with an equally well-Bred loaf of bread!" What's next? "For sure, something else. Breads are part of everyone's dialog these days, and we are all about the Bred. For almost a century we have been rolling up our sleeves, going back to the basics, and creating fresh, outspoken and edgy breads that will speak out to all – preferably with a Brooklyn accent!" For more information, go to www.damascus bakery.com or www.brooklynbred.com, or contact David Mafoud at dm@damascus bakery.com. GasBuddy Business Pages Launches Market Share Intelligence Solutions Knowing yourself is half the battle. But wouldn't it be great to know more about yourself and your competitors? Today's leading fuel retailers and convenience store chains understand the importance of taking a data-driven, holis- tic view of their business. Whether it's competitive benchmarking to identify high and low performers, or the analysis of consumer engagement trends, a data- driven approach is essential for success in today's hyper-competitive market. GasBuddy Business Pages is offer- ing the ultimate competitive advantage: its Market Share Intelligence solution. Already an industry leader in reputation management, business listings and loyal- ty integration, these additional capabili- ties provide retailers with meaningful insights about the market and their com- petitors. How does your coffee, customer service and restroom quality compare to your competition? What about your fuel pricing? Are your stores busier than your competitors' locations, or are they slowly falling behind? These new features allow you to compare your stores against regional and national competitors across the following categories: overall GasBuddy ratings, fuel pricing, specific ratings categories, brand engage- ment, foot traffic ratio and com- petitive index. Additionally, GasBuddy Business Pages has expanded its brand engagement metrics to enhance your ability to com- pare and analyze your stores. Do cus- tomers stay and shop at some stores, but fill up and drive away at others? Do cus- tomers actively rate and review some stores while others are ignored? This information and more is avail- able through the new Market Share Intelligence solution from GasBuddy Business Pages. About GasBuddy GasBuddy is a smartphone app connect- ing drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop™. With nearly 70 million downloads, GasBuddy is a leader in crowd- sourced information to help drivers find the best gas prices, closest stations, friend- liest service, cleanest restrooms, tastiest coffee and much more. GasBuddy Business Pages helps fuel brands and convenience store owners meet the demands of today's technology- driven, customer-centric marketplace. Connect with millions of engaged con- sumers, monitor foot traffic, promote store sites and amenities, increase sales and stay competitive – all from one easy- to-use dashboard. For more information, go to www .gasbuddy.com or email pages@ gasbuddy.com. New Cakebites from Cookies United Cookies United is changing the grab and go snacking category with its new line of Cakebites products. There are craft beers, craft chips, and now there are craft snack cakes. Cakebites is bringing bakery fresh product to the commercial category and it is resonating with consumers in a very big way! Cakebites are also hitting on all the new Millennial shopping trends, or as Cookies United likes to call them, the three "P's"... Portable, Permissible and Pleasing. The days of belly filler on-the-go snacks are no longer the only option. Cakebites are an amazingly unique high quality product line. Cakebites consist of three layers of cake with jelly in between each layer, fully coated in chocolate and topped with sprinkles. They truly are all the cake in just one bite! They come pre- packaged and pre-cut in perfectly por- tioned 2-ounce packages. Cakebites come in two flavors: Classic Italian Rainbow and Ultimate Party Cake. The Classic Italian Rainbow has been a corner bakery staple for genera- tions. Its uniquely colored cakes and distingué almond and raspberry jelly flavor combinations make it a family favorite. The Ultimate Party Cake is a huge hit with the kids and anyone who likes some- thing fun. The colorful vanilla party cake flavor enrobed in white chocolate and covered in party sprinkles is a real eye catcher! Cookies United is proud to announce the latest edition to the Cakebites family: Coffee Cinna-Crumb. It has taken the traditional coffee cake flavor that everyone has come to love and raised it to a whole other level of flavor. The Coffee Cinna-Crumb has light cinnamon layers as well as a super-rich dark cinna- mon layer, all between layers of cinnamon jelly and topped with a perfectly baked crisp streusel top- ping! For more information, go to www.love mycakebites.com, call 631.581.4000 or email info@cookiesunited.com.