Cintas earns its 16th Most Admired Companies recognition from its industry peers

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) has been named one of FORTUNE’s 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies, ranking second amongst all companies in the Diversified Outsourcing Services category.

This is the 16^th time that Cintas has been recognized by FORTUNE for this honor.

“We are proud to be recognized by our peers and industry experts as a well-run and successful organization,” said Todd Schneider, Cintas President and CEO. “Being recognized again for this award is a reflection of our unique culture and commitments to providing excellent products and services to our customers, developing our employee-partners, creating value for our shareholders and being a good corporate citizen in the communities we serve.”

Of the companies in the Diversified Outsourcing Services category, Cintas has been ranked first in the following categories: People management, Use of corporate assets, Quality of Management and Quality of Products and Services.

To determine its 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies List, FORTUNE partnered with global management consulting firm Korn Ferry to identify and rank the Most Admired Companies. Companies among an initial pool of 657 candidates were divided into 52 industry groupings. Approximately 15,000 senior executives, outside directors, and industry analysts were surveyed to rate their peers on nine attributes, ranging from social responsibility to the community and the environment and financial soundness, to the quality of products or services. The top finishers in each industry were named to the World’s Most Admired List.

Cintas is also currently listed on the 2023 Fortune 500.

The complete listing of FORTUNE’s 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies is available at fortune.com. FORTUNE’s print edition featuring the 2024 World’s Most Admired Companies list will be available on newsstands beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20.

About Cintas Corporation

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, towels, restroom supplies, workplace water services, first aid and safety products, eye-wash stations, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

Contacts

Michelle Goret, Cintas Vice President of Corporate Affairs | goretm@cintas.com, 513-972-4155

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Peerless Fence Group (“Peerless” or “Company”), one of the largest fence companies in the Midwest providing customers both residential and commercial installation services and materials, announced today that it has appointed Roger Greenhagel as the company’s new President. Dean White, current CEO and founder, will assume the new role of Executive Chairman. These executive changes will help position Peerless to accelerate its growth and continue a dedication to a superior customer experience centered on the ideals of quality, service, and integrity.

As Executive Chairman, White will remain involved in strategic initiatives, partner relationships and helping Peerless continue as an industry thought leader in the fencing installation and material sales market. “I couldn’t be more excited for Peerless’ next chapter as Roger moves into this leadership role utilizing his extensive industry experience and track record of growth. It is really inspiring to see how far Peerless has come and I look forward to carrying on the legacy and tradition of the company with this incredible team,” said White.

Greenhagel joined the company in early 2023 and has been serving as VP of Material Sales focused on building Peerless’ growing material sales business in addition to key operational and commercial initiatives. Prior to Peerless, Greenhagel held senior roles in the exterior construction market with Barrette Outdoor Living, Tando and US LBM. “With such a long history and stellar reputation in the industry, I am proud to partner with Dean and the entire Peerless team to lead the company into its next phase of growth from a position of strength,” said Greenhagel.

Peerless’ appointment of Greenhagel is part of a long-term strategy to build a leading management team that includes the top senior talent from across the industry. In addition, Peerless continues making strategic investments in technology and systems to build a scalable platform that will serve as a foundation for continued growth and expansion. “In an industry that has seen rapid growth and numerous changes over the last few years, I am thrilled that we are assembling the strongest team in the market that will position us as an innovator delivering a leading customer experience driven by technology and data,” said White.

ABOUT PEERLESS

Founded in 1961, Peerless Fence Group is one of Chicagoland’s largest fence installation companies, serving residential and commercial customers with service and repair of a wide range of fence and automated gate products. With locations across the Midwest, Peerless continues to deliver on its promise of quality, service and integrity. To learn more, visit peerlessfence.com

Contacts

Nina White

(630) 796-0137

MAUMEE, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–For the first time, Therma-Tru, Larson, Fiberon, Fypon and Solar Innovations will be on display together, providing an experience unlike what the industry has seen from these brands previously.

These brands feature a legacy of more than 200 combined years of material science expertise and product innovation. Therma-Tru, Larson, Fiberon, Fypon and Solar Innovations are part of Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.

“Our brand portfolio offers a diverse range of products for the outer home,” said Cheri Phyfer, executive vice president and group president at Fortune Brands Innovations. “Each brand brings a legacy of product innovation to the table, providing a cohesive experience for building professionals and homeowners seeking durable, trusted products.”

David Youn, president of outdoors at Fortune Brands Innovations, adds, “We are looking forward to sharing a unique way for our customers to see product compatibility and innovation across all the products we offer. Having all our outdoors brands in the same space replicates a single outer home experience.”

Manifest your outer home. Visit Central Hall, Booth C3835 at the International Builders’ Show, Feb. 27-29 in Las Vegas, to explore each of these iconic brands.

About These Iconic Brands

Therma-Tru

We designed the only door you’ll ever need to purchase.

Thanks to decades of material science expertise, Therma-Tru doors are made from super-natural, better-than-nature materials proven to outlast and outperform wood and steel.

Larson

Open the full potential of your entry – season after season.

For more than 70 years, we’ve perfected storm doors designed to let the best of nature in while keeping the worst of nature out.

Fiberon

Decking designed to be different.

The perfect mix of science and art deliver a super-natural decking material designed to respect nature while outperforming it.

Fypon

Tailored architectural details for your unique home.

More than 50 years ago, we unlocked the material science to create better-than-nature decorative trim, designed to withstand the worst of nature with style.

Solar Innovations

Tailored to nature.

Make your home part of nature’s beautiful canvas. Discover superior custom glass structures expertly designed and constructed to your unique living needs.

Visit Booth C3835 at the International Builders’ Show, Feb. 27-29 in Las Vegas, to explore each of these exemplary brands.

About Fortune Brands Innovations

Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: FBIN), headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., is a brand, innovation and channel leader focused on exciting, supercharged categories in the home products, security and commercial building markets. The Company’s growing portfolio of brands includes Moen, House of Rohl, Aqualisa, Emtek, Therma-Tru, Larson, Fiberon, Master Lock, SentrySafe, Yale and August. To learn more about FBIN, its brands and environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, visit www.FBIN.com.

Contacts

Sarah Seventko

540.878.0591

sseventko@ampagecy.com

Partnership allows APOLLO Insurance customers to access Zenbase’s CreditBuilder solution, allowing them to use their existing rent payments to seamlessly build their credit.

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–APOLLO Insurance, a Canadian digital insurance provider and leading innovator in the emerging embedded finance sector, is pleased to announce that they now offer credit reporting services to their tens of thousands of customers, through a new partnership with Zenbase.

APOLLO’s digital platform launched in 2019, and began serving Canadian consumers with fully digital insurance products. Since then, APOLLO has partnered with property management companies, proptechs, insurance brokers, and other organizations to embed insurance products into their existing workflows. For property managers, the insurance purchase experience is embedded directly into the leasing workflow.

Zenbase offers Canada’s only automated rent reporting and most popular split rent payments, and has gained recognition for its innovative credit-building solutions, empowering individuals to enhance their financial well-being. Through its solution, Zenbase enables users to report their rental payments automatically to Equifax, allowing them to establish or strengthen their creditworthiness.

“APOLLO’s digital first and resident centric approach to insurance makes them an ideal partner for Zenbase,” said Koray Oztekin, Zenbase Founder and CEO. “As part of our mission to redesign rent payments for the financial health of unbanked or underbanked individuals, including newcomers, this partnership will make rental reporting available to more residents and create substantial ESG value for all stakeholders.”

APOLLO customers can access exclusive rates to use Zenbase to report current and past rent payments to Equifax, helping them build their credit. Building credit can help Canadians reduce interest payments and save money on financial products.

“A healthy credit score goes hand in hand with other aspects of a tenant’s risk management strategy, so offering Zenbase’s solution alongside their insurance makes sense for our customers,” said Jeff McCann, Founder and CEO of APOLLO. “We are excited to work with Zenbase to continue to add value to our customers with this tool.”

Visit https://myzenbase.com/apollo/ for more information.

About APOLLO Insurance

APOLLO Insurance (“Apollo Insurance Solutions Ltd. and its subsidiaries”) is Canada’s leading online insurance provider. Our proprietary platform allows insurance agents and their customers to purchase their policy immediately, from anywhere, on any device, 24/7. Unlike traditional paper-based processes, APOLLO leverages extensive data and sophisticated algorithms to quote, collect a payment, and issue policies without human intervention.

Through traditional agents and embedded finance partnerships, APOLLO is redefining the distribution of insurance. For more information visit https://apollocover.com/.

About Zenbase

Zenbase, a leader in rewarding and flexible rent payments, is committed to economic inclusion that fosters financial empowerment for renters. Our solutions aid the financial wellness of renters while improving operational efficiency for property managers. Rent is usually due on the first of the month, but that doesn’t align with most people’s bi-monthly pay cycle. Zenbase fixed that misalignment by offering residents the option to split their rent into two monthly payments and provide other financial health solutions such as rent reporting. For more information on how to get started with Zenbase or CreditBuilder, visit myzenbase.com.

Contacts

David Dyck, Chief Marketing Officer

APOLLO

Email: david@apollocover.com
LinkedIn: APOLLO

Philipp Postrehovsky, Chief Operating Officer

Zenbase

Email: philipp@myzenbase.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (“RioCan”) (TSX: REI.UN) today announced that it has appointed Guy Metcalfe as a Trustee effective February 1, 2024. Mr. Metcalfe will join the Board’s Investment Committee and the People, Culture and Compensation Committee.

Mr. Metcalfe is an accomplished executive who joined Morgan Stanley in 1990, was a member of the Investment Bank’s Executive Committee and led its Real Estate Investment Banking business for over two decades, serving most recently as Global (Executive) Chairman, until his retirement on January 31, 2024. During his more than 30-year career at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Metcalfe advised clients on over $850 billion of transactions and also served as a trusted advisor to the CEOs and leaders of many of the world’s leading real estate companies. Mr. Metcalfe has played a leading role in some of the largest public company transactions in the United States and in many marquee real estate deals in Europe. Throughout his career, he has dedicated his time to numerous charitable causes and he currently serves on the Board of the Child Mind Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.

“On behalf of RioCan’s Board of Trustees, we are extremely pleased to welcome Guy Metcalfe to RioCan’s Board. Guy is a widely respected leader whose experience, business acumen and extensive knowledge of capital markets and the real estate and banking industries will be a tremendous asset and complement the depth of expertise currently on our Board,” said Ed Sonshine, Chairman of the Board. “We look forward to working with him and are confident that he will make meaningful contributions that will help RioCan in achieving its strategic objectives and in its commitment to responsibly and sustainably deliver long-term unitholder value.”

Mr. Metcalfe holds an Honours B.A. in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

For more information on RioCan’s Board, please visit https://www.riocan.com/investors/board-of-trustees.

About RioCan

RioCan is one of Canada’s largest real estate investment trusts. RioCan owns, manages and develops retail-focused, increasingly mixed-use properties located in prime, high-density transit-oriented areas where Canadians want to shop, live and work. As at September 30, 2023, our portfolio is comprised of 192 properties with an aggregate net leasable area of approximately 33.6 million square feet (at RioCan’s interest) including office, residential rental and 10 development properties. To learn more about us, please visit www.riocan.com.

Contacts

RioCan
Kim Lee

Vice President, Investor Relations

(416) 646-8326

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Canada Construction Market Size, Trends, and Forecasts by Sector – Commercial, Industrial, Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Institutional and Residential Market France, 2023-2027” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The construction industry in Canada is expected to have shrunk by 1.7% in 2023, with the industry projected to contract further by 3.1% in 2024, owing to a weak economic outlook, falling building permits, high building construction prices, and continued weakness in the residential sector amid a tightening of monetary policy.

According to Statistics Canada, the total value of building permits issued fell by 7.2% year-on-year (YoY) in the first ten months of 2023, owing to a 14.9% YoY fall in residential building permits issued. In another setback to the industry, in August 2023, Canada’s Alberta Province halted 118 renewable energy projects involving a total investment of CAD33 billion ($25.6 billion) until February 2024, to review renewable energy policies.

The publisher expects the Canadian construction industry to rebound at an annual average rate of 2.2% during 2025-27, supported by developments in the energy, transport, industrial and residential sectors. In November 2023, the federal government launched the CAD1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF), under which clean energy, electrification initiatives, as well as transportation projects will be supported for a period of seven years.

Forecast-period growth in the industry will also be supported by investments in public housing projects, in line with the government’s target to improve housing supply in the country. In November 2023, the federal and provincial government of Quebec announced that they will each invest CAD900 million ($698.3 million) over the next four years to accelerate housing construction in Quebec; the funding will be provided as part of the CAD4 billion ($3.1 billion) Housing Accelerator Fund, that was launched in March 2023 to build 100,000 homes in Canada.

According to the estimates of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the country needs to build an additional 3.5 million homes – on top of the current pace of building – by the end of this decade to restore affordability.

Scope

• Historical (2018-2022) and forecast (2023-2027) valuations of the construction industry in Canada, featuring details of key growth drivers.
• Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by sub-sector
• Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, including breakdowns by development stage across all sectors, and projected spending on projects in the existing pipeline.
• Listings of major projects, in addition to details of leading contractors and consultants

Reasons to Buy

• Identify and evaluate market opportunities using the standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies.
• Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts.
• Understand the latest industry and market trends.
• Formulate and validate strategy using the critical and actionable insight.
• Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures.
• Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Construction Industry: At-a-Glance

3 Context

3.1 Economic Performance

3.2 Political Environment and Policy

3.3 Demographics

3.4 Risk Profile

4 Construction Outlook

4.1 All Construction

• Outlook
• Latest news and developments
• Construction Projects Momentum Index

4.2 Commercial Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

4.3 Industrial Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

4.4 Infrastructure Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

4.5 Energy and Utilities Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

4.6 Institutional Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

4.7 Residential Construction

• Outlook
• Project analytics
• Latest news and developments

5 Key Industry Participants

5.1 Contractors

5.2 Consultants

6 Construction Market Data

7 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7pfp5o

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world’s leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

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TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DREAM RESIDENTIAL REIT (TSX: DRR.U and TSX: DRR.UN) (“Dream Residential” or the “REIT”) will be releasing its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

Senior management will be hosting a conference call to discuss the financial results. Participants may join the conference call by audio or webcast.

Conference Call:
Date:		Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (ET)
Audio:		1-800-319-4610 (toll free)
		416-915-3239 (toll)
Webcast:		A live webcast will also be available in listen-only mode. To access the simultaneous webcast, go to the Calendar of Events on the News and Events page on Dream Residential’s website at www.dreamresidentialreit.ca and click the link for the webcast.
Digital Replay:		A taped replay of the call will be available for ninety (90) days. For access details, please click on the Calendar of Events on Dream Residential’s website.

About Dream Residential

Dream Residential REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established and governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT owns a portfolio of garden-style multi-residential properties, primarily located in three markets across the Sunbelt and Midwest regions of the United States. For more information, please visit www.dreamresidentialreit.ca.

Contacts

Brian Pauls
Chief Executive Officer

(416) 365-2365

bpauls@dream.ca

Derrick Lau
Chief Financial Officer

(416) 365-2364

dlau@dream.ca

Scott Schoeman
Chief Operating Officer

(303) 519-3020

sschoeman@dream.ca

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DREAM INDUSTRIAL REIT (TSX: DIR.UN) (“Dream Industrial”) will be releasing its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Senior management will be hosting a conference call to discuss the financial results. Participants may join the conference call by audio or webcast.

Conference Call:
Date:		Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. (ET)
Audio:		1-800-806-5484 (toll free)
		416-340-2217 (toll)
Passcode:		1104570#
Webcast:		A live webcast will also be available in listen-only mode. To access the simultaneous webcast, go to the Calendar of Events on the News and Events page on Dream Industrial REIT’s website at www.dreamindustrialreit.ca and click the link for the webcast.
Digital Replay:		A taped replay of the call will be available for ninety (90) days. For access details, please click on the Calendar of Events on Dream Industrial’s website.

About Dream Industrial

Dream Industrial REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. As at September 30, 2023, Dream Industrial REIT owns, manages and operates a portfolio of 322 assets totalling approximately 70.6 million square feet of gross leasable area in key markets across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Dream Industrial REIT’s goal is to deliver strong total returns to its unitholders through secure cash flows underpinned by its high-quality portfolio and an investment grade balance sheet as well as driving growth in its net asset value and cash flow per unit. For more information, please visit our website at www.dreamindustrialreit.ca.

Contacts

Alexander Sannikov
President and Chief Executive Officer

(416) 365-4106

asannikov@dream.ca

Lenis Quan
Chief Financial Officer

(416) 365-2353

lquan@dream.ca

CALABASAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#apartmentmentinvestments—Marcus & Millichap (NYSE:MMI), a leading commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in investment sales, financing, research and advisory services has released its 2024 Canada Investment Forecast Report. The report provides a detailed national economic perspective and multifamily, retail, office, industrial and hospitality sector overviews for major markets throughout Canada.

“With inflation trending down and the labor market cooling, the Central Bank is expected to begin cutting interest rates as early as the second quarter,” said Mark Paterson, first vice president and regional manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Toronto and Ottawa offices. “This is likely to aid economic growth over the latter half of the year and cause commercial real estate transaction activity to gain momentum as underlying fundamentals across most property types and markets remain healthy.”

Highlights of the report include:

• Canada’s population expanded at a record-setting pace as of the third quarter of last year, growing 3.2 per cent annually amid historic immigration. Combined with limited housing supply across the country, multifamily performance will remain robust over the coming year.
• Given record population growth expanding Canada’s consumer base, a relatively healthy labor market and limited supply, Canada’s retail property sector is well-positioned for 2024. This is especially true for essential-based neighborhood retail as the sector’s stability and its role in servicing communities seeing strong population growth are resulting in healthy investor and tenant demand.
• Industrial assets are expected to remain a preferred investment option. While the national vacancy rate is forecast to trend up further due to softening demand and elevated levels of new supply coming to market, it is still notably lower compared to years past. Tight vacancy, even in the face of substantial construction, is reinforcing the sector’s strength.

Access Marcus & Millichap’s 2024 Canada Investment Forecast Report here.

About Marcus & Millichap, Inc. (NYSE: MMI)

Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is a leading brokerage firm specializing in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services with offices throughout the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2022, the company had 1,904 investment sales and financing professionals in 81 offices who provide investment brokerage and financing services to sellers and buyers of commercial real estate. The company also offers market research, consulting and advisory services to clients. Marcus & Millichap closed 12,272 transactions in 2022, with a sales volume of approximately $86.3 billion. For additional information, please visit www.MarcusMillichap.com.

Contacts

Gina Relva, VP of Public Relations
Gina.Relva@marcusmillichap.com
510-999-1284

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DREAM OFFICE REIT (TSX: D.UN) (“Dream Office” or the “Trust”) today announced its January 2024 monthly distribution of 8.333 cents per REIT Unit, Series A ($1.00 annualized). The January distribution will be payable on February 15, 2024 to unitholders of record as at January 31, 2024.

Dream Office REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. Dream Office REIT is a premier office landlord in downtown Toronto with over 3.5 million square feet owned and managed. We have carefully curated an investment portfolio of high-quality assets in irreplaceable locations in one of the finest office markets in the world. For more information, please visit our website at www.dreamofficereit.ca.

Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Michael J. Cooper

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

(416) 365-5145

mcooper@dream.ca

Jay Jiang

Chief Financial Officer

(416) 365-6638

jjiang@dream.ca

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Metropolitan Hardwood Flooring (Metropolitan Floors), a leading manufacturer and distributor of premium Kentwood engineered hardwood dazzled at the Interior Design Show, unveiling their new and notable collections as well as the winning entry of their esteemed Metropolitan Design Challenge.

The annual Interior Design Show (IDS), held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, returned last week, wrapping on Sunday, January 21, after a four-day run. The show featured hundreds of exhibitors, including Metropolitan Floors. The event saw an impressive turnout, with dealers, distributors, architects and design professionals in attendance.

For Metropolitan Floors, IDS has been a long-standing tradition. “We’ve been attending IDS for many years,” said Wilf Selfe, vice president, of Eastern Canada, at Metropolitan Floors. “The audience this show brings with architects, builders, and designers is unparalleled. We hope to continue to foster closer relationships with the A&D community, closer relationships with builders and to showcase our new products and our mission as a company, at large.”

Sheridan College Students Win 2024 Design Challenge

During IDS, Metropolitan Floors announced the 2024 Metropolitan Design Challenge winners, spotlighting Jenny Bae Huggon, Gigi Lombardo-Dybalski, and Natalie Guberney, all of whom attend Sheridan College. Their design, called “Origins,” was constructed and showcased at Metropolitan’s booth for attendees to admire. The installation invited viewers to interact with it through the use of a map, inspiring them to document their own ‘origins.’

Open to Ontario students enrolled in a post-secondary interior design program, the challenge awards the winning design with a cash prize of fifteen hundred dollars. “The challenge is all about giving back to the design community. It’s rewarding for us because we always look forward to seeing how students draw inspiration from the theme and use our products,” said Joe Cosentino, Builder – Commercial Business Manager, Eastern Canada, at Metropolitan Floors.

Further, the Design Challenge is a manifestation of Metropolitan’s core values, an ethos to design the most sustainable and ethically made flooring. This year, the challenge took inspiration from Metropolitan’s Clean Floors program, a forest-to-floor quality assurance and environmental compliance program. The theme of the challenge, coined “Crafted with Conscience,” challenged participants to design an installation that gives both meaning and life to the phrase and incorporates Kentwood’s latest flooring designs.

The winning students were thrilled to have their design showcased at the event. “We were really inspired by how Kentwood knows the origins of their wood,” said Gigi Lombardo-Dybalski.

“It was such a fun project for us to undertake. We wanted to symbolize our connection to the earth but also to each other,” said Natalie Guberney.

“Our hope with the piece is that it provokes conversation amongst people as they view it,” added Jenny Bae Huggon.

Metropolitan Has the Floor: New and Notable 2024 Collections Launch

Metropolitan Floors launched new 2024 flooring designs during IDS. Featuring ten new and notable collections with beautiful selections from Kentwood and Evoke Flooring, the new offerings include extra-wide plank-engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl flooring for light to heavy commercial applications, timeless herringbone designs, and much more.

IDS marks the first of a series of Metropolitan Floors industry events in 2024. They will roll out at select Metropolitan Floors studios and showrooms across North America this spring. These events will serve as the perfect opportunity for the A&D community to learn more about the brand and view their collections.

Explore the Kentwood engineered hardwood and Evoke luxury vinyl, laminate, rigid core, and Surge© flooring solutions manufactured and designed by Metropolitan.

About Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc.

Metropolitan Floors is a manufacturer and distributor of premium Kentwood-engineered hardwood and Evoke luxury vinyl, laminate, rigid core, and Surge® flooring. Founded as a hardwood flooring retailer in 1992, the company has grown to become a leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty flooring products and an end-to-end flooring solution provider. Metropolitan services Canada and the US from its North American design studios, warehouses, and distribution centers. Visit metrofloors.com for more information.

Contacts

For further information or interview requests please contact:

Marissa Themeles

marissa@elevatorinc.com
416-258-7595

Borjana Bejatovic

Borjana@elevatorinc.com
416-258-3922

PREMIERE brings $650 million in sales across 20 states to the fastest-growing, publicly traded brokerage

TORONTO & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$REAX #therealbrokerage–The Real Brokerage Inc. (NASDAQ: REAX), the fastest-growing, publicly traded real estate brokerage, today announced that the PREMIERE Group, one of the nation’s largest and most successful mega teams, has joined the company. Founded as a new kind of brokerage by successful entrepreneur and technologist David Keener and ranked as the No.1 mega team in the U.S. at one of the nation’s largest brokerage firms based on closed transactions in 2023, PREMIERE brings nearly $650 million in sales across 20 states since its founding in 2017.

Acting as a brokerage within a brokerage, PREMIERE has set itself apart among other large teams by investing 100% of its profits back into its agents and offering a cloud-based model with a state-of-the-art technology platform, low splits, revenue sharing and expansive marketing and operations resources. To encourage a sense of community without brick and mortar offices, PREMIERE has team leaders in each of the markets in which it operates.

“Dave’s decision to bring PREMIERE to Real is a monumental testament to the Real model and what our company offers top teams,” Real President Sharran Srivatsaa said. “In less than three years, Dave and his team have grown PREMIERE from less than two dozen agents to more than 200. His vision of building a tech-first, agent-centric brokerage aligns with our mission at Real. I’m thrilled to welcome Dave and the entire PREMIERE team to Real and to be able to provide a platform that helps them achieve their national expansion goals in a manner that supports their culture and dedication to serving clients.”

Based in Greensboro, N.C., PREMIERE holds the distinction of being named to the prestigious 2023 RealTrends + Tom Ferry’s The Thousand list, ranking in the top 0.5% of the more than 1.5 million Realtors^® nationwide. In 2023, PREMIERE closed 1,315 home sales valued at more than $303 million and ranked as the top mega team at one of the nation’s largest brokerage firms.

A successful investor, entrepreneur and founder of technology companies that have sold for a combined value of over $240 million, Keener founded the PREMIERE Group in 2017 with a belief that agents and their clients were underserved from a technology standpoint.

“PREMIERE was built to be a different kind of brokerage team, so this was not a move we entered lightly. It was important to us to be able to maintain the values that differentiate PREMIERE,” Keener said. “After looking at a lot of models, Real is the only brokerage ideally set up for teams – it’s not only got a strong agent-centric culture that offers wealth-building opportunities, the Real platform is designed to ensure agents provide a great experience for clients.”

Since making the decision to expand beyond North Carolina in 2021, PREMIERE has grown from 20 agents to more than 250 agents in 38 markets across 20 states by offering an agent-centric model that includes financial incentives as well as an operational platform and culture not typically found in cloud-based companies. The team’s coverage area spans the entire East Coast, south to Texas and as far west as California. PREMIERE’s goal is to be in all 50 states by the end of 2025.

About Real

Real (NASDAQ: REAX) is a real estate experience company working to make life’s most complex transaction simple. The fast-growing company combines essential real estate, mortgage and closing services with powerful technology to deliver a single seamless end-to-end consumer experience, guided by trusted agents. With a presence in all 50 states throughout the U.S. and Canada, Real supports more than 14,000 agents who use its digital brokerage platform and tight-knit professional community to power their own forward-thinking businesses.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “likely” and “intend” and statements that an event or result “may”, “will”, “should”, “could” or “might” occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as of the date hereof. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, without limiting the foregoing, expectations regarding Real’s ability to continue to attract agents.

Forward-looking information is based on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including but not limited to Real’s business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. Real considers these assumptions to be reasonable in the circumstances. However, forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, slowdowns in real estate markets, economic and industry downturns and Real’s ability to attract new agents and retain current agents. These factors should be carefully considered and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Real cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and Real assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Contacts

Investor inquiries, please contact:

Ravi Jani

Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning & Analysis

investors@therealbrokerage.com
908.280.2515

For media inquiries, please contact:

Elisabeth Warrick

Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Brand

press@therealbrokerage.com