Author: robertrocheblog

The team assisted Oak Lawn Marketing Inc., a company founded by Illinois State alum Robert Roche ’85, who was recognized by the College of Business Hall of Fame in 2024. Oak Lawn Marketing, known to consumers as Shop Japan, is a multichannel direct marketing company that sells some of Japan’s most well-known brands.

Roche is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist who has launched, managed, and invested in more than 50 successful global businesses

This project provided the students with a unique opportunity to research and explore products that are gaining popularity for potential sale through Oak Lawn Marketing. “This multifaceted student project will build cross-cultural competency as well as develop business acumen,” stated College of Business Dean Ajay Samant. “We are very grateful to Mr. Robert Roche for making possible this great learning opportunity for our students.”

The student consulting team was large and divided into three subteams to cover all aspects of this project efficiently. This allowed every member to apply their individual strengths. Each subteam consisted of a student project manager and a student project recorder.

“This project was like solving a giant puzzle,” said Kaydence Wendt, a project manager majoring in integrated marketing communications and minoring in business analytics. “We are creating something completely new.”

She also mentioned that this was unlike any project she had ever done since there were no instructions to follow. It required brainstorming and collaboration with fellow team members.

The consulting team was supported by faculty coaches Dr. Peter Kaufman and Dr. Chiharu Ishida-Lambert, both from the Department of Marketing. The coaches provided support to the students while they, too, learned how to navigate and tackle new challenges.

“Because the teams consisted of students from diverse majors and expertise, the scope of the project could be expanded accordingly,” said Ishida-Lambert. She was proud of the teams for their initiative in taking on a major project like this and to step out of their comfort zone to grow as professionals.

“The students not only needed to respect and get the best insights from students from multiple different majors, but they also had to consider cross-cultural factors when developing their client recommendations,” Kaufman said.

Students Cristina Perez and Tristan Cravens are continuing this project this fall semester. “This ICC project has been a great complement to my studies, giving me hands-on experience with market trends and the impact of social media in global business,” said Perez, an international business major.

“This has helped me think about innovation beyond just technology—it’s been a unique chance to apply creative thinking to real-world problems in a global context,” said Cravens, a computer science major. Both students look forward to continuing this project and further developing their skills.

This project gives students a valuable opportunity to earn course credit and work on a project with a real, successful company. As the spring semester concluded, the students presented recommendations to the client, and a second consulting team will build on their work this fall to complete the project.

Land being evaluated for new Gallup Indian Medical Center

Gallup Land Partners, LLC has sold 571 acres of land in Gallup, New Mexico to the Navajo Nation. This parcel, which borders the City of Gallup, New Mexico, is being considered as a site for the new Gallup Indian Medical Center and ancillary healthcare services, along with housing and commercial development. The property is just west of US Highway 491 and lies along the newly-paved Carbon Coal Road.

The historic transaction is the result of nearly two years of negotiations between Gallup Land Partners and the Navajo Nation administration, led by President Jonathan Nez. The agreement was reviewed and approved by the Navajo Division of Natural Resources and supported by the 24^th Navajo Nation Council’s Resource and Development Committee.

“Gallup Land Partners is excited about Presidents Nez’s vision to keep this land as fee simple to allow for streamlined economic development and traditional home ownership and mortgage financing,” commented Jacob Bracken, Chief Executive Officer of HG Management, the company that manages Gallup Land Partners.

“Gallup Land Partners is proud to be a part, no matter how small, of bringing quality healthcare and generational wealth via home ownership to the Gallup community,” stated Robert Roche, President of Roche Enterprises, the parent company of Gallup Land Partners. “We are thrilled to forge a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship with the forward-thinking Navajo Nation leadership.”

Roche’s belief in Gallup and McKinley County is reflected in his significant investments in the region over the years. In 2013, he purchased 26,000 acres of land in Gallup, and since then, Gallup Land Partners has been a valued partner to the region and state, assisting in its effort to develop, grow, and provide economic opportunity to the northwest region of New Mexico. The company also gives back to the community through civic participation and involvement in local charities.

The 544-acre location is the gateway to the planned 14,000 acre, sustainable and equitable Carbon Coal Development Zone, which includes commercial-scale solar farms; an international logistics park and industrial park with Free Trade Zone designation; and affordable workforce and environmentally friendly housing communities. It is another step ushering in a new era of opportunity and planned growth for McKinley County and Gallup.

Red Mesa Science & Refining, in its quest to lead the market and help establish industry best practices, is the first industrial-scale hemp processor to purchase Boulder Creek Technologies solventless Vapor-Static™ 5000 to produce distillation-ready concentrates directly from biomass. At Red Mesa, we intend to capitalize on this cutting-edge extraction technology to demonstrate a profound improvement in process optimization, workplace safety, cost reductions and sustainability.

Incorporating Vapor-Static™ Extraction technology into our manufacturing process will create greater overall output for Red Mesa Science & Refining and eliminate expensive and hazardous solvents from the extraction process, significantly reducing environmental impact. The solventless extraction technology, combined with the absence of high pressure is ideally aligned with our prioritization of workplace safety.

Red Mesa will begin processing at the rate of up to 5,000 pounds of hemp daily to produce highly refined concentrated forms of CBD and CBG oil with no sugars, no chlorophyll and low wax content, with the added bonus of transforming spent biomass into solvent-less raw material for future input. The recycling of input material, together with the energy efficiency operation, allows us to reduce our carbon footprint to help care for our planet.

The environmentally conscious aspect of this technology aligns with Red Mesa’s plan to fully use the hemp plant to create something of value and to help mitigate the thousands of tons of waste we see each year within the industry.

Red Mesa will set a precedent in the hemp industry with improved extraction methodologies to produce high-quality CBD raw ingredients with minimal environmental impact. Implementation of this all-in-one continuous solvent-less extraction system will transpire over the coming months.

As a member of the ABCN Walkathon’s inaugural committee, I could never have imagined that 30+ years later it would grow to be such a long-term, massive event, nor that it would raise in excess of 8 million yen per year for the benefit of local charities. To be honest, at the time, I had huge doubts that the inaugural event would even get off the ground.

I had never been involved in organizing a project of this scale, but nevertheless, Harry Hill and I found ourselves managing the event, which, incidentally, doubled as a 4th of July celebration. There were many moving parts, and I was not completely sure how this was actually going to be pulled off successfully. 

I clearly recall one of the first planning meetings that took place in the Lockheed Martin office. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, I said something that expressed my anxiety over the growing enormity of the event and its huge production scale. At the time, what we were trying to accomplish seemed impossible. I was very young at the time, and did not have extensive business experience. I was feeling insecure about my qualifications to manage such an event and its ever-growing scale. Henry Gomez, who was the director of the FSX project for Lockheed, was in that meeting. He looked me straight in the eye and pointed his finger at me and said, “Boy, there is absolutely no place for that attitude. This will work and it will be a success and it will be the best 4th of July celebration that Nagoya has ever had. We will make this work!”

Following the success of the event, I reflected on the lessons I had learned, and it reinforced the value of my involvement with ACCJ, which was then known as the ABCN in Nagoya. I would have never had access to a guy like Henry if it weren’t for this connection with the American business community. Henry was a champion of American industry, and there he was giving me management advice. That kind of advice and mentoring is priceless, and it’s a moment I’ll never forget.

I’m proud to have been a founder of this annual event. It’s so fulfilling to realize how much has been done for local charities as a result. To learn more about the Walkathon and International Charity Festival, please click here.

Sand Hollow Resort was honored to host a charity golf event for Neighborhood Connection, a local organization dedicated to relieving hunger for elementary school students who are at risk of going without food on the weekends when school-provided breakfast and lunches are not provided. The annual event raised $28,000, which will be used to expand the organization’s Pantry Pack program.

As part of the program, Neighborhood Connection prepares and distributes weekly pantry packs to more than 650 children each week. Pantry Packs are gallon-sized zip lock bags filled with enough child friendly food for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and several snacks. These packs are distributed throughout Washington County, typically on Friday. The distribution is done in such a way as to preserve the dignity of the children and their families.

“It is so fulfilling to support such a worthy organization,” stated Adam Jasperson, General Manager, Resort Operations. “Our award-winning Championship course provided a beautiful backdrop for the Neighborhood Connection Charitable Foundation Tournament, and we are thrilled to aid them in their goal to alleviate hunger for at-risk students in Washington County.”

 

Companies to Collaborate on Enhancing Methods Development, Becomes Reference Facility Site for RotaChrom’s Purification Technology Platform

IRVINE, CA, Jan. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire – RotaChrom Technologies NA (“Rotachrom” or the “Company”), the developer of the world’s first industrial-scale Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) technology platform, announced today the launch of a long-term strategic partnership with leading hemp-derived cannabinoid manufacturer Red Mesa Science & Refining, LLC (“Red Mesa”).

Through this new partnership, RotaChrom and Red Mesa will collaborate on numerous initiatives. Firstly, the two teams will work closely together on methods development by sharing and optimizing existing methodologies as well as working to create new and profitable applications utilizing RotaChrom’s centrifugal chromatography solution. The companies will also work together on developing processes for additional compounds of interest and new minors, which is essential to the ever-changing landscape of the legal cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD)-derived product industries.

In addition to the research collaboration, the Red Mesa site will serve as a reference facility to showcase RotaChrom’s signature technology platform. The facility features a fully operational setup of the Company’s industrial-scale Centrifugal Partition Chromatography platform, the pCPC. Potential customers and partners will witness first-hand the equipment in action, allowing them to ask questions about the machinery related to their specific needs and gain an understanding of various integrations and best practices for building and operating a complete system. The scalable CPC system includes pilot sized rCPC and preparative sized iCPC (which adds 10 fold capacity) utilizes a proven superior methodology of chromatography compared to more traditional methods through which separation occurs between two immiscible liquid phases. The result is a more purified botanical extract at a lower cost due to a reduction in steps and inputs required, as well as automation that decreases human capital and operating costs. Additionally, the platform creates significantly less environmental impact when compared to more traditional chromatography and purification solutions as it uses two liquid phases, therefore no solid state waste occurs and solvents can be recycled up to 95%.

“We are honored to work with a high caliber company such as Red Mesa, whose focus is on leading the space in terms of quality, consistent reliability, and innovation, to highlight how our technology can position operators for success in the industry,” said RotaChrom CEO László Madarász. “Most processors working in the botanical extract space understand the value of chromatography for purification. However, until now, most industrial-size applications had drawbacks such as scalability, solvent consumption, automation, and loadability. Our platform is the first of its kind available at industrial scale and offers those operating in the botanical extract space, specifically as it relates to hemp purification, a truly revolutionary solution.”

The Red Mesa facility, located in St. George, Utah, is managed by seasoned business professionals and operated by more than 60 employees, including engineers, chemists, researchers, and renowned operators. The 50,000 square foot facility was built upon the quality management principles of ISO9001:2015 and adherence to cGMP. Capabilities include extraction, distillation, crystallization, and chromatography, creating an integrated infrastructure for processing industrial-scale premium CBD and other cannabinoids raw materials for the exclusive distribution to the B2B sector for formulating a multitude of consumer products.

“We set out to be the global leader in cannabinoid processing, leveraging science and innovation, to create a truly unique integrated model for refinement of hemp-based ingredients,” said Jeff Applegate, President of Red Mesa. “In deciding to move ahead with the RotaChrom pCPC System, the refinement and purity of higher value minors at scale and the ability to operate our processes consistently under the highest quality standards was paramount. Our focus was to secure a relationship with a partner that best complimented our team of talented chemists and researchers. With this view, we were confident that we had selected the best candidate in the field.”

Red Mesa intends to utilize the RotaChrom CPC technology platform to fulfill its ambition to continually innovate refining processes to provide custom product blends to meet the needs of large-scale product formulators in addition to commodity products. Red Mesa’s ambition to innovate is already being realized with the first known production methods to refine CBT and CBE at scale using RotaChrom’s system. These two novel developments by the technology and product development team certainly help lay claim to the story unfolding at Red Mesa.

“Our goal to lead the industry in terms of setting the production processing standards and product purity is the core of our founding principles. On top of that fundamental belief is our intense desire to be creative with our research and process development as we expand the production gates of operation,” according to Danton Brown, Director of Technology & Engineering. “The breakthrough made with CBT and CBE is just the beginning of a long runway for the refining of new minors and custom blends.”

For more information about RotaChrom Technologies, visit RotaChrom Technologies To learn more about Red Mesa Science & Refining, visit RedMesaScience.

Radicle ACES Study Shows 70 percent improvement in participants

Green Rock Hemp Holdings, a vertically integrated grower, processor and marketer of hemp derivatives, has released the results of the Radicle ACES Brand Insight Report on its PURAURA Naturals Premium Tincture. PURAURA Naturals, an Enhanced Botanicals brand, recently participated in the groundbreaking Radicle ACES (Advancing CBD Education and Science) study, which was the largest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial of its kind.

Over the course of four weeks, the rigorous study tracked consumption and effectiveness of orally ingested CBD products across a diverse population of nearly 3,000 participants and 13 brands, and assessed well-being, quality of life, longer-term pain, sleep quality, and feelings of anxiety using validated, standardized health indices. “As we anticipated, the results demonstrated that participants who took the PURAURA Premium Tincture throughout the study period experienced significant improvement in well-being, anxiety, sleep quality and pain compared to the control group,” stated Joseph Cachey, Chief Executive Officer, Green Rock Hemp Holdings.

Key findings show that study participants assigned to the PURAURA Premium Tincture reported a 70 percent improvement in well-being, as assessed by the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well Being Index; a 49 percent decrease in anxiety, measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7 scale; a 27 percent improvement in sleep quality, measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS™) Sleep Disturbance SF 8B scale; and a 25 percent decrease in pain, which was measured using the PEG-3 Scale. Participants experienced the most significant improvements during the first week of use, and generally reported effect onset one to four hours after using the product.

“The ACES study was driven by our deep commitment to contribute to the body of scientific data in the CBD market,” stated Pelin Thorogood, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Radicle Science. “This rigorous study provides objective health outcome data for a variety of common health conditions, with the potential to offer unprecedented guidance on CBD effectiveness based on demographic or behavioral differences.”

“The Radicle ACES study illustrates that PURAURA Naturals Premium Tincture can provide tremendous benefit and improve overall well-being for those suffering from sleep disturbances, anxiety, and pain,” Cachey concluded. “Our commitment to both quality and transparency is precisely why customers trust PURAURA Naturals.”

To learn more about PURAURA Naturals, please visit: puraura-naturals.com. And, for more background on Radicle ACES methodology and additional insights from collaborators and experts involved in the study, see this Radicle Resources article.

For the second year in a row, Sand Hollow Resort’s Championship Course was named one of Golfweek’s Top 200 Modern Golf Courses; ranking in the 155th position. This list of 200 courses consists of golf courses that were built in or after 1960 in the United States.“We are honored by this recognition and thrilled to be included in a ranking of some of the most prestigious golf courses in the country,” stated Adam Jasperson, General Manager, Operations. “Our team works tirelessly to maintain a beautiful course and ensure an outstanding golf experience.”

Over the past several years, Sand Hollow Resort’s Championship Course has amassed a number of impressive rankings, including ranking first on Golf Magazine’s Best Utah Golf Courses; 56th on Golfweek’s 2019 Top 100 Courses You Can Play; 41st^t on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Courses; and 156th on Golfweek’s 2020 Top 200 Modern Courses.

“The Championship Course offers an unsurpassed golf experience, and it’s fulfilling to see that golf experts appreciate the unsurpassed beauty and challenge the course offers,” stated Robert Roche, co-owner of the Sand Hollow Resort and President of Roche Enterprises. “I am proud of the Sand Hollow team, who have worked tirelessly to earn this recognition year after year.”

Golfweek’s rankings are determined by members of their course-ratings panel who continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria. The overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course (Sand Hollow Resort received an overall rating of 6.81.) Each course is then ranked against other courses, on a national level, to produce the final rankings. Courses must receive at least 25 votes to qualify for the “top 200 Modern” list. 

To experience Sand Hollow’s Championship Course for yourself, plan your next golf adventure at:  https://sandhollowresort.com/golf/