Knight Frank has announced the sale of Network House on behalf of its client Columbia Threadneedle Investments

A modern warehouse in Leeds has been snapped up by new owners for an undisclosed sum. Network House in south Leeds has been sold after a deal was struck by Knight Frank’s Yorkshire industrial and logistics team, on behalf of its client Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

The warehouse has been bought by Wilson Power Solutions, which specialises in manufacturing electrical transformer equipment. The company is based close by, off Westland Square in the Beeston area of south Leeds.

The impressive 67,760 sq ft modern warehouse in Middleton Grove was fully refurbished by Columbia Threadneedle Investments in 2023 and is said to be one of the most energy efficient properties on the market, with a full solar roof and EPC A+ rating.

Iain McPhail, partner in Knight Frank’s industrial property and logistics team, said: “This significant deal is a strong indication that the Yorkshire industrial property market remains resilient.

“Network House, which was extensively refurbished throughout and with headquarter-style offices was always going to attract interest in the market, especially given its proximity to both Leeds city centre and Yorkshire’s excellent motorway network.

“This deal has also been a real team effort on all sides, and it has been a pleasure working with our clients at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, CMS UK Solicitors, and GV&Co, who acted for the purchaser.”

Tom Goode of GV& Co adde: “It was a pleasure to act for long-standing client Wilson Power Solutions on acquiring Network House. Network House offered a unique opportunity to acquire a fully refurbished building, close to their current HQ, that will be integral to the next phase of growth for the business”.

Knight Frank acted for Columbia Threadneedle Investments and GV&Co acted for Wilson Power Solutions.

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The only thing that will hit harder than the tackles on NFL Sundays this season is the fans’ wallets. 

Michael J. Wolf, the co-founder and CEO of Activate Consulting, a leading strategy and consulting firm, said that the NFL has an affordability issue when it comes to fans being able to watch games. 

“It is a big affordability issue, and it’s just coming down to the value of teams versus the value of the viewer. And so, essentially, what we’re taking is we’re taking NFL, which is really one the few things that drives people to watch sports and across all these services, and we’re getting people to pay for it,” Wolf said during a recent appearance on FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria.”

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Activate estimated that the total cost for fans to watch NFL games this season will be $1,400 a year. While basic cable will give fans a good amount of football, they won’t be able to watch all games without subscribing to the requisite streaming services. 

“There’s a big affordability issue in you have to have a large number of services to watch everything. You would get roughly 15 hours of NFL a week if you just have basic cable and an antenna. But to get the full package, you’re going to need basic cable plus the stations plus the NFL Sunday ticket,” Wolf said. 

Wolf cited the licensing fees for all sports leagues, not just the NFL, which force leagues to maximize their value. 

“Well, the NFL — each of the leagues are doing everything they can to maximize the value. So, the US sports leagues, the license fees are roughly 33 billion a year and a third of that is from the NFL. The forecasts are that we’re going to go from 11 billion a year to almost 20 billion from the NFL,” Wolf said. 

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In addition to the exorbitant costs for NFL fans to watch all the games, Wolf said another point of consternation is how complex it is to find them. Fans don’t know which streaming service or channel a game is on, despite paying for the services needed to watch it.

For example, in Week 1, the NFL will broadcast games on five different networks and platforms. The league will open with a nationally televised game Wednesday night, a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on NBC.

The second game of the season is a massive NFC West rivalry game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams Thursday. The game will be played in Australia and broadcast on Netflix. 

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Sunday afternoon, all the games will be broadcast on FOX and CBS, with “Sunday Night Football” on NBC. The final prime-time game of Week 1, “Monday Night Football” between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, will be broadcast on ESPN. 

Week 2 will begin with the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills playing on Thursday on the opening night of the Bills’ brand-new stadium. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. 

Not exactly easy or cheap, for fans to watch. 

BERKELEY, CALIF. — Annie’s, a subsidiary of General Mills, Inc., has added two new varieties to its macaroni and cheese product portfolio.

The new varieties include Super! Mac Dill Pickle Mac & Cheese, which combines the taste of dill pickle with the taste of macaroni and cheese in addition to containing 14 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving, and Macaroni & Grilled Cheese Mac & Cheese, which features “Real American cheese and notes of browned butter,” the company said.

“One of the things we love most about mac and cheese is that it’s both comforting and endlessly customizable,” said Ben Myers, business unit director for Annie’s. “From fun, unexpected flavors to comforting classics, we’re always dreaming up delicious new ways to enjoy one of our most-loved favorites. With Dill Pickle Super! Mac, we’re pairing one of today’s boldest flavor trends with nearly double the protein and fiber of our regular mac and cheeses, giving consumers a new way to enjoy the comfort they love with added nutrition.” 

Super! Mac Dill Pickle Mac & Cheese is now available online through Target, Walmart and Amazon while Macaroni & Grilled Cheese Mac & Cheese is now available at Target and will be available at other US retailers later this year.

While Nvidia has become synonymous with the artificial intelligence boom, a lesser-known group of power and cooling equipment suppliers is benefiting from the global surge in data centre construction as developers race to overcome infrastructure bottlenecks, Reuters reported.

Energy-intensive data centres are driving demand for equipment ranging from transformers and power-management systems to advanced cooling technologies. The trend is creating opportunities across Asia’s supply chain, although gains in several related stocks have moderated after sharp rallies.

McKinsey estimates that nearly $7 trillion could be invested in data centres globally by 2030. Nvidia has also indicated that AI-related spending is likely to remain strong for years, underscoring expectations of sustained demand for the infrastructure needed to support AI workloads.

However, expanding data centre capacity is becoming increasingly difficult as developers face delays in securing power and connecting new facilities to electricity grids. Consultancy Pivotale AI estimates that grid connection delays can reach 24 months in some emerging markets and more than eight years in major developed economies.

The lengthy timelines are putting greater focus on equipment such as transformers, which convert high-voltage electricity from the grid into levels suitable for servers, cooling systems and power distribution units.

Transformer Demand Surges
Leading transformer manufacturers are seeing a sharp increase in orders linked to AI infrastructure projects, particularly in North America.
South Korea’s HD Hyundai Electric reported strong demand during the first half of 2026, with the company also seeing increased interest from Europe as U.S. hyperscalers expand investments in Finland, Germany and Britain. Demand from the Middle East has remained strong as well, according to Reuters.
The company’s order backlog increased 23% to $8.5 billion at the end of June from six months earlier. The company expects data centre demand to remain robust and has production capacity for major power equipment largely committed for the next three years.

China’s Hainan Jinpan Smart Technology has also benefited from the trend. New data centre orders in the first half of 2026 more than quadrupled from a year earlier, while its related backlog nearly tripled.

AI Pushes Demand For More Efficient Power Systems
The rapid growth in AI computing is also increasing demand for technologies that can improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of data centres.

Bank of America estimates that power consumption per AI rack could rise to more than 1.5 megawatts by the end of 2030, based on Nvidia’s technology roadmap. That would be nearly 100 times the power consumption of a conventional rack.

One technology attracting increasing attention is the solid-state transformer, or SST. Unlike traditional transformers that rely on bulky magnetic components and copper windings, SSTs use semiconductor technology to transform and route electricity.

UBS estimates that SSTs could improve power efficiency by around 4% and reduce costs. Commercial adoption remains at an early stage, but the bank expects penetration to reach 40% by 2030 and sees Chinese manufacturers gaining market share because of their technological capabilities and cost advantages.

HD Hyundai Electric and Jinpan are expanding their work on SST technology. Taiwan’s Delta Electronics, another major power infrastructure supplier, has said a small data centre is already using its SSTs.

Delta told Reuters that demand for AI power, cooling and data centre infrastructure solutions remains a key growth driver. The company is expanding its production footprint in Thailand, the United States and China to meet rising demand.

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Cooling Becomes Critical
Power infrastructure is only one part of the data centre supply chain. Cooling systems are becoming increasingly important as more powerful AI chips generate substantially more heat.

Bank of America expects liquid cooling to account for 70% of new AI data centre installations by 2030, compared with around 30% currently. McKinsey estimates that liquid cooling can reduce energy consumption by more than 27%.

The shift is creating opportunities for companies supplying thermal-management equipment, including Delta Electronics, Taiwan’s Asia Vital Components and Auras Technology, as well as China’s Shenzhen Envicool Technology. These companies are among suppliers operating within Nvidia’s broader ecosystem.

Data centre developers are also examining unconventional infrastructure models, including floating and underwater facilities as well as installations in caves and tunnels. Such projects could widen the addressable market for power-generation and cooling equipment.

HD Hyundai Electric has highlighted the potential for marine medium-speed engines as data centre operators expand self-generation and explore floating data centre concepts.

Supply Constraints And Valuations Remain Risks
Despite strong order growth, investor enthusiasm toward some data centre equipment suppliers has cooled as valuations have risen and competition intensifies.

Delta’s shares have gained more than 90% this year, while HD Hyundai Electric has remained broadly flat after rising more than 100% last year. Jinpan and Envicool have declined nearly 30% and 20%, respectively, following gains of about 118% and 244% in 2025.

The companies are also facing potential pressure from component shortages, deployment delays and the introduction of new product platforms.

Bank of America has cautioned that investors need to be selective because rising AI infrastructure spending will not benefit every supplier equally.

For equipment manufacturers, the data centre boom therefore represents a significant long-term opportunity, but capacity constraints, competition, valuations and the pace at which AI infrastructure is deployed will determine which companies ultimately emerge as the biggest winners.

As employers across the country look for skilled workers, the Lowe’s Foundation is backing a new effort aimed at creating more pathways into high-paying skilled trades careers that do not require a traditional four-year college degree.

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison joined “FOX & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones on Wednesday to discuss the company’s push to expand the skilled trades workforce and change perceptions around career paths outside a four-year degree.

Ellison said Lowe’s is launching the “Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition” with a goal of helping train and develop one million people for skilled trades careers by 2035, pointing to careers including plumbing, electrical work, welding and HVAC.

“These are great jobs. These are six-figure jobs… You don’t need to get a four-year degree to have one of these incredible careers,” Ellison said.

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The effort builds on work already underway through the Lowe’s Foundation. Ellison said the foundation committed $250 million to help train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035, but the scale of the workforce challenge requires broader participation.

He said the coalition has brought in companies including NVIDIA, Bank of America, General Motors and AT&T. The group plans to invest in training and credentialing programs, including those run by community colleges and nonprofits, while also helping connect people with open positions.

Ellison said part of the effort is about challenging the idea that a college degree is the only route to professional success.

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“We’re going to change the perception. That getting a four-year degree is the only way you can be successful in this country,” Ellison said.

Ellison tied the initiative to his own background, noting that his father did not graduate from high school and describing his own path to becoming CEO of two Fortune 500 companies as an example of the American dream.

“Look man, I’m the middle child of seven kids, dad never graduated from high school, mother was the oldest of 16, and yet I’ve been the CEO of two Fortune 500 companies. It’s totally the American dream,” Ellison said.

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He also warned that failing to address the skilled labor shortage could carry broader economic consequences, saying the country could face roughly 2.1 million unfilled skilled trades jobs by 2030 and potential economic losses of up to $1 trillion annually.

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LOUISVILLE, KY. — Dan-O’s Seasoning is unveiling two new lines of seasoning packets: chili and taco.

The chili line features mild, smoky chipotle and white chicken chili blends.

The taco line contains mild, spicy and birria varieties.

“I wanted to make chili and tacos better,” said Dan Oliver, founder of Dan-O’s Seasoning. “We made these packets with simple, high-quality premium ingredients and the big flavor you expect from Dan-O’s, so you can cook up something great without all the stuff you don’t need.”

The seasoning packets may be purchased online through the company’s website, Amazon and TikTok Shop. Select products also may be found at Walmart stores.

Quant Mutual Fund has turned cautious on manufacturing companies amid uncertainty around input costs and supply chains, while increasing its exposure to IT Services as the sector moves into what it describes as “neglected territory”.

The fund house, in its monthly factsheet, said that its portfolio construction is focused on under-owned, under-researched, under-valued and neglected stocks.

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Apart from IT Services, Quant Mutual Fund said it continues to remain constructive on Energy, large Infrastructure, select NBFCs, asset management companies (AMCs), Auto Ancillaries, Hotels, Pharmaceuticals, Telecom and data centre themes.

The fund house said it expects market consolidation to become more entrenched in large-cap and blue-chip segments over time. In such an environment, it expects alpha generation to increasingly come from bottom-up, stock-specific opportunities in the micro-, small- and mid-cap segments.

Sandeep Tandon led Quant Mutual Fund also believes that India could benefit from being relatively away from the crowded AI trade of 2026 and said the country is poised to outperform.
The fund house highlighted its dynamic and active approach to money management, saying its multi-asset, multi-manager structure allows it to act swiftly and seek opportunities across asset classes under different market conditions.The fund house expects consolidation trends to strengthen in the large-cap and blue-chip segments which could make bottom-up stock selection increasingly important, particularly across micro-, small- and mid-cap companies.

The fund house also pointed to its Predictive Analytics framework, which it said had anticipated sharp movements in copper and WTI crude in recent months. It added that crude has largely stalled after its earlier expectation of a gradual correction over the coming months.

Quant Mutual Fund said global markets navigated geopolitical shocks, rising sovereign yields and strong artificial intelligence earnings through August 2026. Despite these challenges, global equity indices remained largely flat during the month, while the Nifty 50 corrected 1.2%.

The fund house noted that Indian corporate earnings continued to show strong growth and profitability. Excluding oil marketing companies, profit growth in the first quarter of FY27 stood at 14% for the Nifty, 27% for the Nifty Next 50 and 38% for the Nifty Midcap index, according to Quant Mutual Fund.

Quant said it continues to believe that the upcoming decade belongs to India and that global capital will continue to view India as a favourable investment destination. It added that robust domestic demand in areas such as discretionary consumption, banking, real estate and industrials supported corporate earnings during the quarter.

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While sharing its new launches, Quant Mutual Fund said that it launched Quant Income Plus Arbitrage Active Fund and Quant Silver ETF. These two funds were firsts of their kind. Out of these two funds, the Income plus arbitrage fund will open for continuous sale and repurchase on September 7 while the silver ETF is open for further subscription.

As of August 2026, the fund house had a total money under management of Rs 1 lakh crore with over 1 crore folios and around 36 funds. The VLRT framework of Quant Mutual Fund has completed six years and the money under management has gone up from Rs 135 crore in April 2020 to Rs 1 lakh crore in August 2026.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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