Swedish clothing retailer H&M was the biggest user of organic cotton worldwide for the second consecutive year in 2011, according to Textile Exchange's latest Global Sustainable Textiles Market Report.

“H&M's ambitious program continues to drive demand for organic cotton and other more sustainable fibres,” said LaRhea Pepper, managing director of Textile Exchange.

Dust control is an issue in the mining industry, but also in agriculture, railways, roads and even the military. Bruce Coulthard, president of PZS Stabilization, talks about the revolutionary dust control product PennzSuppress D.

Leaders under pressure must put people first, ensuring that everyone in the company is clear on their role and purpose, and is working together to achieve the business goals.

A survey in the US by administrative staffing firm Office Team in June this year found that nearly half of all employees say they have a bad boss. Some 55 percent of those said they dealt with it by trying to improve the situation or just suffering through, with 38 percent saying they left the company either immediately or as soon as they had lined up a new job.

CEOs should focus on shareholder value at risk in managing major change programmes.

Every major change management programme puts shareholder value at risk. If the project succeeds and meets its objectives, then shareholders benefit. If it fails or even partially fails, then the value of the company may fall and keep falling. And CEOs don’t usually survive such an outcome.

While the excitement and glamour of oil and gas production centres around the wells themselves, nothing would ever get done without the support of experienced service providers.

Elsewhere in this publication there is an account of what the South African Oil and Gas Association (SAOGA) is doing to coordinate and encourage South African based businesses to be part of the overall development of Africa’s oil and gas industries.

This year, DHL Express Pakistan was recognised by its parent company as the best performing operation in Asia, and independently judged the best company to work for in Pakistan. Managing director Sarfaraz Siddiqui walks down memory lane to explain how, in just four and a half years, his staff have earned such accolades.

In the midst of South Africa’s emergence as a centre of oil and gas activity, the opening of One Eighty Engineering Solutions’ new materials testing centre will provide local specialised services. 

South Africa-based Filcon Filters has set an ambitious target of 25 percent annual growth over the next three years. Directors Vernon Clarke, Tony Henfrey and George Canning talk about running a knowledge-based business.

With more than 40 years of ship repair experience, this SAOGA member is looking to expand into the oil and gas sector. General manager James Wrensch explains.

The next big expansion of Africa’s oil and gas production will be on the east, and South Africa is ideally placed to play a key role in its support and development.

For all South Africa’s undoubted bounties in terms of minable minerals, the same can’t be said for its oil & gas resources—at least not yet.