Pawfectly Clean Cymru is run by husband and wife time Mike and Josienne Hoover

A South Wales sel- service dog cleaning station venture is planning a major expansion.

Barry-based husband and wife team Josienne and Mike Hoover launched Pawfectly Clean Cymru after spotting a gap between washing a muddy dog at home and booking an appointment with a professional groomer.

The business currently operates stations at Caerphilly Mountain, Pontcanna Fields in Cardiff and Clydach Vale Lakes. It has a number of potential new locations in the pipeline, including sites in Barry and Newport. They are aiming to have 10 stations across Wales within the next year.

Pawfectly Clean Cymru has recorded more than 1,000 washes since its first station opened and is projecting turnover of more than £100,000 this year.

The couple initially funded their first installation themselves before securing a Start Up Loan through the British Business Bank, which helped fund the expansion into their second and third locations.

Without prior trading history for Pawfectly Clean Cymru, they said the funding provided a crucial opportunity to grow the business at a stage when securing finance through traditional lenders could have been more difficult.

Starting the business has been a labour of love alongside the couple holding down full-time jobs. Josienne works in educational safeguarding with Mike having a background is in finance and sustainability-focused investment

Between them, they have four children, three cats and three dogs – including Caesar, a street dog Michael rescued while living in Jordan.

Josienne said:“We loved the idea and knew we would use it ourselves, so we thought other dog owners would to,“There’s that moment after a walk when you’ve got a soaking wet, muddy dog and you know what’s waiting for you when you get home. We wanted to make that part of dog ownership easier.

“We’ve both put a huge amount of time into getting the business off the ground alongside our jobs, but seeing people use the stations and hearing how much they love them makes it all worthwhile.”

On funding from the British Business Bank, the economic development bank of the UK Government, Mike, said: “The team listened to what we wanted to achieve and took a personal approach to understanding the business.

“The funding meant we could go from having one site to building a network. Without it, we simply wouldn’t have been able to grow the business at the pace we have.”

Jessica Phillips-Harris, director for Wales at the British Business Bank, said: “Pawfectly Clean Cymru shows how a simple idea, based on solving a problem that many people experience every day, can develop into a growing business with the right support.

“Josienne and Michael have shown real ambition in taking their idea from a single site to three locations in just six months, while building strong relationships with the communities and businesses around them.

“Through the Start Up Loans programme, we’re proud to support entrepreneurs across Wales as they turn their ideas into businesses that can grow, create opportunities and contribute to their local economies.”

BOSTON — Nestle SA has “more to be done” in its North America business after a disappointing second quarter, said Anna Manz, chief financial officer.

In a Sept. 8 presentation at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference in Boston, Manz said that while the consumer environment in North America has been weak, it was not the driver of the company’s poor performance in the region. Instead, she pointed to two key factors.

First, weak category growth in frozen food.

“There, the category as a whole is in slight decline,” Manz said. “It plays to the more challenged area of the consumer. Equally, there are big pockets in that category that are growing much faster. And the sorts of trends that — where we’re seeing that faster growth is around world cuisine, around high fiber, high protein, around actually the very small pack sizes or the single pack sizes and then the big family value packs.

“So it’s about making sure that we’re playing in the right places in the category to really take advantage of the growth that is there.

“We are doing a better job of that. Our performance is improving. There is more to do to be consistently growing.”

The second area of concern involves the company’s Gerber brand and creamers.

In the case of Gerber, Manz said it “is a journey to turn that around.”

She said Nestle will have a better idea of how Gerber is doing once first-quarter shelf resets take effect. The company’s move to add new formats and flavors to reach new demographics is expected to help the brand regain shelf space once annual shelf resets take place.

Creamers also has been a trouble spot, with Manz acknowledging that “that one annoys me.”

“It annoys me because some of our issue in the quarter was production, and that really isn’t acceptable,” she said. “So we’ve made the interventions there, really good momentum on the fast-growing part of the category. A bit more to do on Coffee Mate, but good progress.”

CHICAGO — Protein2o, a manufacturer of fruit-flavored, clear protein water formulated with whey protein isolate, has named Mark Rappaport as chief executive officer. Rappaport succeeds Chris Pruneda.

Rappaport brings more than two decades of experience in the beverage and consumer brands space, the company said.

Most recently, he was global chief commercial officer at Congo Brands and previously was in leadership positions at Red Bull.

In addition to a new leader, Protein2o has received a growth investment.

Mark Rappaport, chief executive officer of Protein 2o

| Photo: Mark Rappaport

The investment, which was not disclosed, will be used to support the company’s next phase of growth for brand building, retail development, organizational capabilities and new innovations.

“Mark brings a rare combination of brand building and operating experience, along with an instinctive understanding of where consumers are going next,” said Chris Running, chairman of the board of Protein2o. “He has a proven track record of building brands, developing high-performing teams and delivering exceptional results.

“Just as importantly, Mark is known throughout the industry as a leader of great character who builds strong, lasting relationships with customers, partners and people. We believe he is uniquely suited to lead Protein2o through this next chapter and realize the enormous opportunity ahead.”

Pruneda became the company’s CEO in April 2025. Previously, he was CEO and co-founder of Matador Energy and earlier was chief commercial officer at Koia. 

The inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir concluded with calls for more local participation. Organizers and attendees emphasized the need for training programs and infrastructure development. The festival screened over 130 films and featured master classes and celebrity appearances. Government officials acknowledged the success while planning future initiatives for filmmaking in the region. The aim is to foster a vibrant film culture and discover local talent.

Central banks must monitor energy price impacts and potential second-round inflation effects. Global regulatory coordination is crucial for advanced AI technology challenges. Stablecoins require careful regulation to mitigate negative economic spillovers. Economies can build inventories, diversify, and develop technology for resilience. The BIS supports tokenization within traditional banking systems for stability.

Advent International and Temasek Holdings are reportedly in talks to acquire Fairfax Financial’s stake. Fairfax is looking to exit IIFL Finance as part of its IDBI Bank acquisition plan. This stake sale will help Fairfax comply with regulations and fund the IDBI Bank buyout. Fairfax currently holds a significant stake in IIFL Finance, which is valued at approximately ₹3,500 crore.

A robust economic framework is evident in fifty districts that drive India’s unincorporated enterprise GVA and businesses. Impressively, 280 districts surpass the national average for GVA per worker, indicating heightened productivity. Notably, women dominate ownership in over 25 districts, particularly in Telangana, and comprise a vital segment of the workforce, underscoring the critical contributions of both the sector and female entrepreneurs.

Indian Railways will procure new energy-efficient locomotives for passenger trains. These powerful engines will operate in a push-pull format, enabling smoother and faster journeys. The modern locomotives will also eliminate the need for separate power generator cars. This upgrade will bring more comfortable travel to non-Vande Bharat trains.

Organised apparel retailers anticipate revenue growth slowing to twelve to thirteen percent this fiscal year. Profitability faces pressure as costs rise and competition limits price increases. Value fashion is a key growth driver, increasing its market share significantly. Retailers are expanding into smaller cities and investing in omnichannel capabilities. The festive season remains critical for annual apparel sales performance.

Port City Colombo is attracting technology companies from India seeking to diversify risks. This special economic zone offers a lower cost of doing business compared to Singapore. Indian firms can leverage Port City Colombo for access to the RCEP trading bloc. The US dollar and Indian rupee are designated currencies for transactions within the zone. Substantive conversations are underway with large technology firms exploring this location.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 4 this week, introducing a significantly overhauled health sensor system, extended battery life and a new daily “Readiness” score, while keeping the device’s physical design and $799 starting price unchanged from its predecessor.

The watch, announced alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 at Apple’s Sept. 9 “Surprise and Shine” event, is available for preorder now, with retail availability and deliveries beginning Sept. 18. According to Apple, the Ultra 4 retains the same physical dimensions, all-titanium case, 3,000-nit peak brightness display and 100-meter water resistance as the Ultra 3, making its most significant improvements largely invisible from the outside.

The centerpiece of this year’s upgrade is a completely redesigned health sensing system built around larger, more power-efficient green LEDs in the watch’s optical heart sensor, paired with the new S11 chip, Apple’s most powerful wearable processor to date. According to Apple, that combination allows the Ultra 4 to measure heart rate every five seconds, a 60-fold increase in sampling frequency compared with the Ultra 3, while heart rate variability is now measured up to every five minutes, a 24-fold increase over the prior generation.

Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide Apple Watch product marketing, described the significance of those sensor upgrades in the company’s official announcement.

“The new Health Sensing System and S11 chip take Apple Watch Ultra 4 — our most rugged and capable Apple Watch — to the next level, delivering longer battery life, faster charging, and the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable,” Drance said.

Tom’s Guide, which conducted hands-on testing ahead of the device’s launch, confirmed Apple’s claims regarding sensor accuracy based on the company’s own internal testing against both competing wearables and a traditional chest-mounted heart rate monitor. According to Tom’s Guide editorial lead Dan Bracaglia, Apple says the Ultra 4 and Series 12, which share the same underlying sensor technology, now rank as the most accurate heart trackers among any wearable currently on the market.

That increased sampling frequency powers the watch’s most significant new software feature: Readiness, a daily score ranging from 0 to 10 that analyzes a user’s recent activity, training load, sleep quality and vital signs to offer a simple recommendation for how to approach the day ahead, categorized as “Recover,” “Pace Yourself,” “Ready” or “Go For It.” According to Apple, the underlying calculation draws on baseline data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study to help contextualize each user’s individual readings.

Battery life saw the most dramatic improvement of any single specification on the Ultra 4. According to TidBITS, everyday battery life climbed from 42 hours on the Ultra 3 to 50 hours on the new model, while Low Power Mode extended from 72 hours to 84 hours. A new Max Extended Workout mode allows the watch to track outdoor runs, walks and hikes for up to 45 hours while still taking GPS readings every second, giving endurance athletes and backcountry users significantly more tracking capability during extended activities without needing to recharge.

Beyond health monitoring, the Ultra 4 also introduces a new set of Audio Intelligence features enabled by the S11 chip’s dedicated, hardware-isolated Secure Exclave, according to Appleosophy. These include Live Rewind, which generates a short text transcript of the previous 15 seconds of speech with a double press of the Digital Crown, and Siri Recap, which summarizes recent conversations without storing the underlying raw audio, reflecting Apple’s continued emphasis on processing sensitive data on-device rather than in the cloud. Some of these Audio Intelligence features are not expected to become available until later in 2026, following the watch’s initial launch.

The Ultra 4 also ships with support for Apple’s newly redesigned Siri AI assistant, part of the broader iOS 27 and watchOS 27 software ecosystem Apple introduced alongside its new hardware this week. A pedometer algorithm rebuilt using machine learning on the S11 chip is intended to deliver more accurate real-time step counts and distance tracking during outdoor workouts, according to Neowin’s coverage of the announcement.

Despite the substantial internal upgrades, some early coverage has noted specific limitations that did not make it into this year’s model. According to SmartBodyTouch, the Ultra 4 does not include cuff-accurate blood pressure monitoring or non-invasive blood glucose tracking, two features that had been the subject of speculation ahead of the announcement. DigiTimes had previously reported that Apple submitted a more advanced real-time blood pressure alert feature for U.S. Food and Drug Administration review, though whether or when that specific capability might eventually ship remains dependent on regulatory clearance rather than a confirmed feature of the current Ultra 4 hardware.

A redesigned Health app on iPhone is set to arrive later this year alongside the new hardware, introducing a new Longevity tab featuring a Health Age metric that compares a user’s tracked health data against age-based benchmarks, according to MacDailyNews’ coverage of the announcement.

For prospective buyers weighing whether to upgrade, SmartBodyTouch’s early assessment characterized the Ultra 4 as representing the most substantial update to the Ultra lineup since its original 2022 launch, driven primarily by the expanded sensor array and its downstream software features rather than any change to the watch’s external design. The outlet suggested the upgrade would prove most compelling for users currently on an Ultra 2 or the original Ultra model, while recommending that current Ultra 3 owners consider skipping this particular generation given the relatively modest physical changes involved.

With the Apple Watch Ultra 4 now available for preorder at its unchanged $799 starting price and set to begin shipping Sept. 18, the device’s real-world performance, particularly the accuracy of its redesigned health sensors and the practical usefulness of its new Readiness score, will become clearer once independent reviewers and early adopters have had the opportunity to test the watch extensively following its retail launch later this month.

Casual dining chain O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar is reportedly closing its remaining locations nationwide, according to employees who spoke with local news outlets, bringing the 55-year-old restaurant chain’s run to an apparent end.

Managers at six of the chain’s eight remaining Middle Tennessee locations told Nashville-based WKRN that employees had been informed the restaurants would close Wednesday at 8 p.m.

O’Charley’s has not publicly announced the closures and did not respond to multiple inquiries from WKRN. The company has also disabled its primary social media accounts, while its website was inaccessible Thursday morning.

119-YEAR-OLD NJ AMUSEMENT PARK TO CLOSE, GO UP FOR SALE

FOX Business reached out to Cannae Holdings Inc., which owns a 65.4% equity interest in O’Charley’s.

The reported shutdown comes as the Nashville-founded chain has struggled with declining customer traffic and sales.

O’Charley’s in Turkey Creek closed Sept.9, 2026. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

Cannae reported that guest counts at the restaurant chain fell 23.8% during the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Comparable store sales fell 13.1% during the quarter and declined 12.8% during the first six months of 2026, according to Cannae’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

El Charro will open a new location at the old O’Charley’s by the Tippecanoe Mall, pictured here March 4, 2025, in Lafayette, Ind. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

Cannae said in its second-quarter update that O’Charley’s continued to face challenges maintaining customer traffic. Management had been working to stabilize the business through menu changes, improvements to guest service and the closure of underperforming restaurants.

The Las Vegas-based investment company also said it was continuing to explore “strategic alternatives” for its restaurant group as part of a broader portfolio transformation strategy.

O’Charley’s was founded in 1971 by Charles Watkins on 21st Avenue near Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

O’Charley’s in Hendersonville, Tenn (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

Watkins sold the business in 1984 to David Wachtel, a former Shoney’s executive who expanded O’Charley’s into a regional chain. By 1993, the company had grown to 45 locations.

The brand later expanded to hundreds of restaurants across the Southeast and Midwest before substantially reducing its footprint in recent years.

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O’Charley’s operated 52 locations nationwide earlier this year, according to WKRN.