TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Home Capital Group Inc. (“Home Capital” or the “Company”) (TSX: HCG) announced today the preliminary results of its substantial issuer bid (the “Offer”) to repurchase for cancellation up to C$300,000,000 of its common shares (the “Shares”).

In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer and based on a preliminary count by Computershare Investor Services Inc. (the “Depositary”), Home Capital expects to take up and purchase for cancellation 6,896,551 Shares at a purchase price of C$43.50 per Share (the “Purchase Price”). The Shares expected to be purchased under the Offer represent approximately 13.68% of the Shares issued and outstanding (undiluted) as at December 21, 2021. After giving effect to the Offer, 43,499,284 Shares are expected to be issued and outstanding.

“Concluding this substantial issuer bid represents a significant step in moving toward our target level of capital,” stated Yousry Bissada, President and Chief Executive Officer of Home Capital. “We have now returned over $900 million to shareholders since December 2018 and we intend to continue returning capital to shareholders by applying to renew our current Normal Course Issuer Bid in Q1 2022.”

Shareholders had the opportunity under the Offer to tender Shares until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on December 21, 2021. The Offer was made by way of a “modified Dutch auction” with Offer prices ranging from C$43.50 to C$48.50 per Share. Based on preliminary results, approximately 16.45 million Shares were tendered under the Offer (including Shares tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery). As the Offer was oversubscribed, shareholders who made auction tenders at C$43.50 per Share and purchase price tenders are expected to each have approximately 45% of their successfully tendered Shares purchased by Home Capital, other than “odd lot” tenders, which are not subject to proration.

The full details of the Offer are described in the offer to purchase and issuer bid circular dated November 15, 2021, as well as the related letter of transmittal and notice of guaranteed delivery, copies of which were filed and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The number of Shares to be purchased under the Offer and the Purchase Price and the proration factor are preliminary, subject to verification by the Depositary and assume that all Shares tendered through notice of guaranteed delivery will be delivered within the two trading day settlement period. Home Capital will announce the final results following completion of take-up of the Shares.

This news release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Shares.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including relating to the Company’s completion of a substantial issuer bid, the size of the substantial issuer bid and the renewal of its normal course issuer bid. Please refer to Home Capital’s 2021 Third Quarter Report, available on Home Capital’s website at www.homecapital.com, and on the Canadian Securities Administrators’ website at www.sedar.com, for Home Capital’s Caution Regarding Forward-looking Statements.

About Home Capital

Home Capital Group Inc. is a public company, traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (HCG), operating through its principal subsidiary, Home Trust Company. Home Trust is a federally regulated trust company offering residential and non-residential mortgage lending, securitization of residential mortgage products, consumer lending and credit card services. In addition, Home Trust and its wholly owned subsidiary, Home Bank, offer deposits via brokers and financial planners, and through a direct-to-consumer brand, Oaken Financial. Licensed to conduct business across Canada, we have offices in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.

Contacts

Jill MacRae

VP, Investor Relations and ESG

416-933-4991

Investor.relations@hometrust.ca

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Please replace the release dated 12/20/21 with the following corrected version.

The updated release reads:

STARLIGHT CAPITAL ANNOUNCES 2022 CASH DISTRIBUTIONS FOR LISTED ETFS

Starlight Investments Capital LP (“Starlight Capital”), announced today the 2022 monthly distributions for its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – The Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund (NEO:SCGI.UN) and Starlight Global Real Estate Fund (NEO:SCGR.UN). Unitholders of record will receive cash “per-unit” distributions as per the below schedule:

Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund Distribution Rate	Starlight Global Real Estate Fund Distribution Rate	Ex-Div Date	Record Date	Payable Date
$0.0477	$0.0485	10/Jan/22	11/Jan/22	14/Jan/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	7/Feb/22	8/Feb/22	11/Feb/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	7/Mar/22	8/Mar/22	11/Mar/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	4/Apr/22	5/Apr/22	8/Apr/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	9/May/22	10/May/22	13/May/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	6/Jun/22	7/Jun/22	10/Jun/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	4/Jul/22	5/Jul/22	8/Jul/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	8/Aug/22	9/Aug/22	12/Aug/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	2/Sep/22	6/Sep/22	9/Sep/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	7/Oct/22	11/Oct/22	14/Oct/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	4/Nov/22	7/Nov/22	10/Nov/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	5/Dec/22	6/Dec/22	9/Dec/22

For eligible unitholders, a distribution reinvestment plan is available. Interested unitholders should contact their brokers and consult the full text of the plan. A copy of the plan is available on www.sedar.com or can be requested from our Advisor and Investor Experience Department (contact details below).

The tax composition of the ETFs’ distributions will be determined on an annual basis and will be available only after the ETF’s tax year-end.

About Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund

The fund’s investment objective is to provide regular current income by investing globally in companies with either direct or indirect exposure to infrastructure.

About Starlight Global Real Estate Fund

The fund’s investment objective is to provide regular current income by investing globally primarily in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and equity securities of corporations participating in the residential and commercial real estate sector.

About Starlight Capital and Starlight Investments

Starlight Capital is an independent asset management firm offering mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, offering memorandum funds and structured products. Our goal is to deliver superior risk adjusted returns to investors through a disciplined investment approach, Focused Business Investing. Starlight Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starlight Investments. Starlight Investments is a privately held, full service, real estate investment and asset management company. The firm manages over $20.0 billion of assets on behalf of institutional joint ventures as well as publicly listed REITs, closed end funds and investment funds and is driven by an experienced team of over 300 professionals. Please visit us at www.starlightcapital.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Marco Drumonde
Director, Advisor & Investor Experience

1-647-245-2045

mdrumonde@starlightcapital.com

The first single zone system with R-32 in North America features impressive efficiency gains while reducing emissions vs. R-410A

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Daikin–For the first time in North America, Daikin is launching a home comfort product featuring R-32, a refrigerant with one-third the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the most common refrigerants currently being used in the United States and Canada.

The new Daikin ATMOSPHERA system featuring R-32 refrigerant from Daikin North America LLC is a single zone, ductless system that gains impressive efficiencies over its R-410A predecessor line, the LV Series, with up to 27.4 SEER, 13.8 HSPF and 16.3 EER ratings for ultra-efficient cooling and heating. Four sizes of indoor and outdoor heat pumps are available, from 9,000 to 24,000 BTU.

“Daikin has sold over 33 million R-32 systems in more than 100 countries and regions,” said Takayuki (Taka) Inoue, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “We are excited to be the first to bring this proven technology to North America. With an estimated 160 million R-32 systems sold by Daikin combined with other manufacturers worldwide, we are confident R-32 has the all-around performance benefits to make it the ideal replacement for R-410A.”

“Daikin ATMOSPHERA brings North America a powerful, new single-zone system that has a lower GWP, is more efficient and may help lower end-user electric bills compared to R-410A models,” explains Connie Schroder, Sr. Product Manager – Single and Multi-Zone Systems for Daikin. “We’ve also built advanced features into Daikin ATMOSPHERA heat pumps that improve comfort, cleanliness, and usability while simplifying maintenance.”

Daikin ATMOSPHERA’s heat pump performance over its R-410A predecessor is substantial, offering greatly enhanced heating and cooling capacities. The units feature up to 100 percent rated heating capacity at 5°F WB ( -15° C WB) and confirmed continuous operation as low as -13°F WB (-25°C WB). Rated cooling capacity is up to 100 percent at 115°F DB (46°C DB).

New hybrid cooling technology efficiently controls humidity, even in low-cooling loads, and maintains dehumidification effect after the target temperature is reached. Daikin ATMOSPHERA’s novel “CLEAN” operation dries the interior of the indoor unit to reduce the amount of condensation present, while a detachable drain pan allows for easy cleaning.

With the indoor unit’s built-in Wi-Fi, the system can be controlled via the internet with the Daikin Comfort Control App without the need for an additional adaptor. Daikin ATMOSPHERA’s Intelligent Eye employs an infrared sensor to detect movement in the room. If the room is empty for 20 minutes, the set point is changed to start saving energy.

Installation is now more flexible with 50 percent longer piping lengths up to 49 feet, compared to other Daikin single zone systems.

Indoor units include a wireless infrared controller and are compatible with the full suite of optional s21-based single and multi-zone controls solutions, including the Daikin One+ smart thermostat.

Daikin ATMOSPHERA is currently available in Washington, Oregon, and Florida.

Daikin ATMOSPHERA single zone systems are backed by a 12-year parts limited warranty. Complete warranty details available from your local dealer/contractor or at www.daikincomfort.com. To receive the 12-year parts limited warranty, online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation. Online registration is not required in California or Québec.

For more about Daikin ATMOSPHERA and the low-GWP potential benefits of R-32, visit www.DaikinAtmosphera.com and www.R32Reasons.com.

###

About Daikin

Daikin Industries, Ltd. (DIL) is a Fortune 1,000 company with more than 84,870 employees worldwide and is the world’s number 1 air conditioning company. Daikin North America LLC (DNA) is a subsidiary of DIL. DNA and its affiliates manufacture heating and cooling systems for residential, commercial and industrial use and are sold via independent HVAC contractors. DNA engineering and manufacturing is located at Daikin Texas Technology Park near Houston, TX. For additional information, visit www.northamerica-daikin.com.

Additional Information:

Before purchasing this appliance, read important information about its estimated annual energy consumption, yearly operating cost, or energy efficiency rating that is available from your retailer.

Contacts

Marc Bellanger – Director of Marketing & Communications – 713.263.5505

DaikinMedia@DaikinComfort.com

American Rental Association members step up to assist communities impacted by natural disaster

MOLINE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–During the evening hours of Dec. 10 and into Dec. 11, parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee were hit with the deadliest U.S. outbreak of tornadoes in a decade. The storm spawned at least 20 tornadoes, according to The Weather Channel. The path of destruction left at least 74 people dead in Kentucky, six in Illinois, four in Tennessee, two in Arkansas and two in Missouri. As of Dec. 14, the total death toll of 88 exceeds the 76 deaths caused by tornadoes in the U.S. in all of 2020.

Several towns across the region were left in ruins like Mayfield, Ky., which took a direct hit from an EF-4 tornado with wind speeds between 166 and 200 mph. Two and a half hours away, Bowling Green, Ky., was hit by at least two tornadoes — one being an EF-3 with winds between 136 and 165 mph.

Jordan Clarke — an ARA Insurance preferred agent and vice president of Charles M. Moore Insurance Agency — lives in Bowling Green where more than a dozen people were killed by the storm.

Clarke reported to the American Rental Association (ARA) that rental business E-Z Rent It in Bowling Green was leveled, and another building was severely impacted.

“It [the tornado] hit several residential areas and the main business thoroughfare that had a lot of commercial businesses,” said Clarke.

“Our downtown area was OK. It jumped around. It hit one area of our community that had a lot of apartments and single-family homes, skipped an area of town and then hit the business district and then hit another residential area. It bounced around and was very random. On one side of the street, the houses were destroyed. On the other side, the houses were OK. It has been very heartbreaking to see this, especially this time of year,” he said.

In Mayfield, Hutson, a John Deere dealership was hit by a tornado.

“John Deere has been in communications with Josh Waggener, resident and CEO of Hutson, since the storm hit, offering our full support,” said Jennifer Hartmann, director, public relations, John Deere.

“Through the deployment of our Enterprise Disaster Support Program, we have partnered with Hutson to provide financial assistance to strengthen community disaster response. Despite their own losses, the Hutson team has stepped up by using equipment from its store to assist with the urgent rescue efforts at the candle factory located next door to the dealership,” Hartmann said.

Sunbelt Rentals, Fort Mill, S.C., has mobilized both team members and equipment into several of the affected areas. In Edwardsville, Ill., parts of the community were damaged after an EF-3 tornado tore through the area. An Amazon warehouse partially collapsed, killing six people.

“We have team members in the Edwardsville area providing temporary structures, debris removal, lighting and temperature control to a distribution warehouse that sustained heavy structural damage,” said Walter Hoehn, emergency response and strategic customer support manager, Sunbelt Rentals.

“In Mayfield, our Emergency Response Team is engaging in site-by-site coordination with local entities to determine the best course for restoration and recovery,” Hoehn said.

Caterpillar, Deerfield, Ill., released a statement from the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar.

“Caterpillar and Cat® dealers are assisting relief efforts by providing equipment and generators to assist in rescue and cleanup. To date, this includes power to waste water treatment plants, water stations and healthcare facilities, and portable generators to support community members impacted by the disaster,” the statement said.

The ARA Foundation is offering Disaster Relief Grants to rental operations and their employees who have been severely impacted by the recent tornado outbreak. The relief grants are designed to help rental businesses rebuild and rental employees experiencing financial hardship following a natural disaster.

“It’s the mission of The ARA Foundation to provide opportunities and assistance for those in the equipment and event rental industry and the communities where they live and work. To help people repair and recover their businesses and homes, The ARA Foundation is pleased to offer financial assistance through business and employee grants,” says Marcy Wright, ARA Foundation executive director.

As Clarke’s community and numerous others move from recovery efforts to rebuilding, he said, “it is really amazing when you see a disaster like this happen, everyone pulls together. It gives you a good sense that people are good and that everyone wants to help. Everyone wants to know what to do. It has been amazing to see the outpouring of support from people from all over the place.”

Photos of E-Z Rent It in Bowling Green, KY. Photos courtesy of Jordan Clarke.

About ARA: (www.ARArental.org) The American Rental Association, Moline, Ill., is an international trade association for owners of equipment and event rental businesses and the manufacturers and suppliers of construction/industrial, general tool and event rental equipment. ARA members, which include more than 11,000 rental businesses and more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers, are located in every U.S. state, every Canadian province and more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded in 1955, ARA is the source for information, advocacy, education, networking and marketplace opportunities for the equipment and event rental industry throughout the world.

Contacts

ARA Contact: Debby Schaller (debby.schaller@ararental.org); 800.334.2177, ext. 275

 

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DREAM INDUSTRIAL REIT (TSX: DIR.UN) (the “Trust”) announced today its December 2021 monthly distribution in the amount of 5.833 cents per Unit (70 cents annualized). The December distribution will be payable on January 14, 2022 to unitholders of record as at December 31, 2021.

Dream Industrial REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. As at September 30, 2021, Dream Industrial REIT owns, manages and operates a portfolio of 221 industrial assets (326 buildings) comprising approximately 39.8 million square feet of gross leasable area in key markets across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Dream Industrial REIT’s objective is to continue to grow and upgrade the quality of its portfolio which primarily consists of distribution and urban logistics properties and to provide attractive overall returns to its unitholders. For more information, please visit our website at www.dreamindustrialreit.ca.

Contacts

DREAM INDUSTRIAL REIT

Brian Pauls

Chief Executive Officer

(416) 365-2365

bpauls@dream.ca

Lenis Quan

Chief Financial Officer

(416) 365-2353

lquan@dream.ca

Alexander Sannikov

Chief Operating Officer

(416) 365-4106

asannikov@dream.ca

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DREAM IMPACT TRUST (TSX: MPCT.UN) (“Dream MPCT” or the “Trust”) today announced its December 2021 monthly distribution in the amount of 3.333 cents per Unit (40 cents annualized). The December distribution will be payable on January 14, 2022 to unitholders of record as at December 31, 2021.

Dream Impact Trust is an open-ended trust dedicated to impact investing. Impact investing is the intention of creating measurable positive, social and environmental change in our communities and for our stakeholders, while generating attractive market returns. Dream Impact’s underlying portfolio is comprised of exceptional real estate assets reported under two operating segments: development and recurring income, that would not be otherwise available in a public and fully transparent vehicle, managed by an experienced team with a successful track record in these areas. The objectives of the Trust are to create positive and lasting impacts for our stakeholders through our three impact verticals: environmental sustainability and resilience, attainable and affordable housing, and inclusive communities; balance growth and stability of the portfolio, increasing cash flow, unitholders’ equity and NAV over time; leverage access to an experienced management team and strong partnerships in order to generate attractive returns for investors; provide investors with a portfolio of high-quality real estate development opportunities, concentrated in core geographic markets; and to provide predictable cash distributions to unitholders on a tax-efficient basis. For more information, please visit: www.dreamimpacttrust.ca.

Contacts

DREAM IMPACT TRUST
Meaghan Peloso

Chief Financial Officer

(416) 365-6322

mpeloso@dream.ca

Kimberly Lefever

Director, Investor Relations

(416) 365-6339

klefever@dream.ca

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Starlight Investments Capital LP (“Starlight Capital”), announced today the 2022 monthly distributions for its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – The Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund (NEO:SCGI.UN) and Starlight Global Real Estate Fund (NEO:SCGR.UN). Unitholders of record will receive cash “per-unit” distributions as per the below schedule:

Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund Distribution Rate	Starlight Global Real Estate Fund Distribution Rate	Ex-Div Date	Record Date	Payable Date
$0.0477	$0.0485	4/Jan/22	5/Jan/22	8/Jan/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	5/Feb/22	8/Feb/22	12/Feb/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	5/Mar/22	8/Mar/22	12/Mar/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	1/Apr/22	5/Apr/22	9/Apr/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	7/May/22	10/May/22	14/May/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	4/Jun/22	7/Jun/22	11/Jun/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	2/Jul/22	5/Jul/22	9/Jul/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	6/Aug/22	9/Aug/22	13/Aug/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	2/Sep/22	3/Sep/22	10/Sep/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	1/Oct/22	4/Oct/22	8/Oct/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	5/Nov/22	8/Nov/22	12/Nov/22
$0.0477	$0.0485	3/Dec/22	6/Dec/22	10/Dec/22

For eligible unitholders, a distribution reinvestment plan is available. Interested unitholders should contact their brokers and consult the full text of the plan. A copy of the plan is available on www.sedar.com or can be requested from our Advisor and Investor Experience Department (contact details below).

The tax composition of the ETFs’ distributions will be determined on an annual basis and will be available only after the ETF’s tax year-end.

About Starlight Global Infrastructure Fund

The fund’s investment objective is to provide regular current income by investing globally in companies with either direct or indirect exposure to infrastructure.

About Starlight Global Real Estate Fund

The fund’s investment objective is to provide regular current income by investing globally primarily in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and equity securities of corporations participating in the residential and commercial real estate sector.

About Starlight Capital and Starlight Investments

Starlight Capital is an independent asset management firm offering mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, offering memorandum funds and structured products. Our goal is to deliver superior risk adjusted returns to investors through a disciplined investment approach, Focused Business Investing. Starlight Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starlight Investments. Starlight Investments is a privately held, full service, real estate investment and asset management company. The firm manages over $20.0 billion of assets on behalf of institutional joint ventures as well as publicly listed REITs, closed end funds and investment funds and is driven by an experienced team of over 300 professionals. Please visit us at www.starlightcapital.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Marco Drumonde
Director, Advisor & Investor Experience

1-647-245-2045

mdrumonde@starlightcapital.com

HARVEY, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Atkore Inc. (“Atkore”), today announced the acquisition of Sasco Tubes & Roll Forming Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of metal framing and related products serving the electrical, mechanical, construction and solar industries (www.sascostrut.com).

“With more than 65 years in the industry, Sasco has developed an extensive range of sizes, gauges and multiple combinations of strut channels and fittings,” commented Mark Lamps, President of Atkore’s Safety & Infrastructure business. He added, “This acquisition complements Atkore’s existing product portfolio and enables us to improve the customer experience by providing a broader range of solutions.”

Sasco Tubes & Roll Forming Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with approximately 50 employees. It will continue operating at its current location. Terms of the sale are undisclosed.

About Atkore Inc.

Atkore is forging a future where our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and communities are building better together – a future focused on serving the customer and powering and protecting the world.

With a global network of manufacturing and distribution facilities worldwide, Atkore is a leading provider of electrical, safety and infrastructure solutions.

To learn more, please visit www.atkore.com.

Contacts

Lisa Winter

Vice President – Communications

Atkore

708 225-2453

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (“Granite”) (TSX: GRT.UN / NYSE: GRP.U) announced today that its board of trustees has declared a distribution of CDN $0.2583 per stapled unit for the month of December 2021. The distribution will be paid by Granite on January 14, 2022 to stapled unitholders of record at the close of trading on Friday, December 31, 2021. The stapled units will begin trading on an ex-dividend basis at the opening of trading on Thursday, December 30, 2021 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange.

Granite confirms that no portion of the distribution constitutes effectively connected income for U.S. federal tax purposes. A qualified notice providing the breakdown of the sources of the distribution will be issued to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation subsequent to the record date of December 31, 2021, pursuant to United States Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4.

ABOUT GRANITE

Granite is a Canadian-based REIT engaged in the acquisition, development, ownership and management of logistics, warehouse and industrial properties in North America and Europe. Granite owns 126 investment properties representing approximately 53.3 million square feet of leasable area.

OTHER INFORMATION

Copies of financial data and other publicly filed documents about Granite are available through the internet on the Canadian Securities Administrators’ System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) which can be accessed at www.sedar.com and on the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR) which can be accessed at www.sec.gov. For further information, please see our website at www.granitereit.com or contact Teresa Neto, Chief Financial Officer, at 647-925-7560 or Andrea Sanelli, Manager, Legal & Investor Services, at 647-925-7504.

Contacts

Teresa Neto

Chief Financial Officer

647-925-7560

or

Andrea Sanelli

Manager, Legal & Investor Services

647-925-7504

The Greater Toronto Area becomes the Place To Be for Canada’s Craftsmen

LEIPHEIM, Germany & VAUGHAN, Canada–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The 24/7 self-checkout store concept developed by Wanzl together with Würth is already established in Germany. Now, Würth’s Canadian subsidiary of the assembly and fastening materials provider has followed this frictionless format, which gives customers the flexibility to shop around the clock via a Würth eShop account. Würth Canada Ltd. opened North America’s first flagship store in September of this year, located in Vaughan, a city in the Greater Toronto Area. This marks an important milestone for Würth and Wanzl North America (NA).

Würth offers more than 4,000 products in the Canadian 24/7 store. From hardware to hand tools, to chemicals, electrical supplies, abrasives and PPE, Würth has what you need for your everyday industrial needs. As with the German 24/7 stores, this store is a hybrid solution. As Würth Vice President Goran Abramovic explains, “We want to give our customers the optimal shopping experience no matter how they choose to buy from us. During normal opening hours, we invite all customers to come see the breadth of our product range, receive product and technical advice from our qualified staff, and pay for their purchases at the service check-out desk. Additionally, approved business customers have the option of accessing the 24/7 functionality at any time (day or night) with their activated Würth eShop account. Whether someone needs an item early in the morning, late at night, on a weekend or a Holiday, Würth is always there for you.”

Store technology, Shop Equipment and Support – Wanzl North America’s contribution

Wanzl NA has provided a turnkey solution for this project by transferring the self-checkout concept from German 24/7 Würth stores. As with the German stores, Wanzl is responsible for the back-end technology in the Canadian 24/7 store. At its heart is the WanzlConnect® software platform. All technical processes in the store are controlled via WanzlConnect – including 24/7 access. Approved customers need to log-in to their Würth eShop account to access the store and request a QR code. They scan the code at the outer store entrance to enter the building, and a second time inside at the eGate entrance system. Once on the retail floor, the customer can browse the extensive range of products at their leisure for up to one hour.

To purchase, the customer scans the QR code at the exit gates, and accesses the self-checkout station through a Wanzl Galaxyport. To initiate checkout, the initial QR code is scanned at the self-checkout station. Here, merchandise is scanned, and automatically debited from the customer’s Würth eShop account.

The modern and structured look of the Würth Canada store design borrows heavily from Würth Germany’s stores, co-developed last year with Wanzl Germany. Wanzl NA supplied “wire tech 100®” shelving for product presentation, hand baskets, shopping carts, and local sourcing of millwork, such as the Service Desk and decorative items. Additionally, on-site installation, assembly and commissioning were the responsibility of Wanzl, as is ongoing 24/7 technical support for Würth Canada.

Ben Hinnen, CEO of Wanzl North America, stated that, “This is the first Würth 24/7 store in North America and is a clear demonstration of Wanzl’s global capabilities as a partner, executed locally. Wanzl is a total solution provider of not only products, including self-checkout systems, but also of store concept development through planning, design, and installation, in addition to complete lifecycle technical support during ongoing operations.”

About Wanzl North America

Wanzl North America, formerly Technibilt Ltd, is a leading B2B solution provider for Retailers. Founded in 1946 and acquired by Wanzl GmbH & Co. KGaA in 2012, Wanzl North America is the leading manufacturer of shopping carts, and enhances retailer’s customers’ shopping experience through superior solutions in design, innovation and customer service. The parent company, Wanzl GmbH & Co. KGaA, is an owner-managed family company in its third generation, with over 4,600 employees, global production sites and sales outlets. Together, Wanzl offers over 100,000 products, solutions, and innovations. Visit Wanzl North America at www.wanzl.com/NA.

About Würth Canada Limited

Würth Canada Limited was founded in Montreal, Québec in 1971. Its state-of-the-art Head Office has been located in Guelph, Ontario since 2014. Würth Canada has established itself in the Automotive, Trucking, and Industrial marketplaces and has more than 400 sales representatives servicing customers from Victoria, British Columbia to St-John’s, Newfoundland. Visit Würth Canada Limited at www.wurth.ca.

Contacts

Jeffrey Armstrong, Director of Marketing and Product Management, jeff.armstrong@wanzl.com

TORONTO & WATERLOO, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Looking back at 2021, there’s really only a couple of words that come to mind to describe the year-in-review at Bridgit – growth & momentum. As we prepare for another year around the sun, we wanted to celebrate the progress we’ve made with our construction workforce intelligence solution, Bridgit Bench, and our evolution as a company. This was made possible by our investors, our passionate and dedicated team, and most importantly, our customers who will continue to be Bridgit’s foundation and catalyst heading into the new year.

Looking ahead to 2022, we wanted to share a few highlights from the year behind us.

This year alone, our customers have:

• Added over 9,700 projects to Bridgit Bench
• Added over 4,600 trackable staff
• Added over 1,800 new users
• Saved 7-8 hours/week per office maintaining workforce data
• Cut workforce planning meeting times in half (50%)

Bridgit team grows by 55%

We started the year with 58 team members, but by the year’s end, we’ll be roughly 90 strong. We were also recognized as a Great Place to Work® and one of 2021’s Best Workplaces Managed by Women and will continue to invest in our people and culture as we keep scaling the team, through FY22.

Some of our notable hires include:

• Amy Abascal, VP of Marketing – Amy brings with her a wealth of experience in the construction technology industry and will be at the helm of the marketing team’s mission to make Bridgit a household name for all North American GCs.
• Jason Fitzpatrick, Senior VP of Sales – “Fitz” brings with him more than 20 years of experience in technology sales, and leads a team dedicated to helping our customers reduce risk and optimize their workforce.

Bridgit’s VP of Software Development, Andrew Lockwood, has also recently announced the addition of two new development teams at Bridgit: Architecture and Data.

Interested in joining our team? To see all of our active job postings, check out our careers page.

Bridgit expands customer base

Bridgit Bench, our workforce intelligence solution, made waves in North America throughout 2021. We onboarded more than 60 new general contractors, including 27 of the top ENR 400 contractors in 2020. (The ENR 400 is a list curated by the Engineering News Recorder and is akin to the Fortune 500, but for General Contractors). Some of our notable ENR 400 onboardings include Gilbane (#10), Clayco (#23), Burns and McDonnell (#34), Robins & Morton (#77), The Boldt Co (#110), and Columbia (#254). These new additions mean that nearly 20% of the ENR 400 are using Bridgit Bench to create strategic, long-term workforce strategies.

Bridgit increases revenue by 125% YoY and raises $24M in Series B funding

Our Series B funding brings our grand total to CDN $43.5 million CAD in equity financing. This comes as no surprise given that Bridgit has increased revenue 125% YoY in FY21. Our latest funding round was co-led by Camber Creek and Storm Ventures. Additional investors include Nine Four Ventures, along with existing investors BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund, StandUp Ventures, Sands Capital, and Vanedge Capital.

Along with our Series B raise, we announced that Arun Penmetsa, a Partner at Storm Ventures, and Mitchell Schear, Executive Partner at Camber Creek, will be joining the Bridgit board of directors.

Bridgit launches new branding

One of the biggest changes at Bridgit through 2021 was the launch of our new look and voice. We are building a brand that represents Bridgit, and we’re aware it may be different from what the industry expects. But that’s who we are — we didn’t want to choose the obvious. Bridgit is a trailblazer. Our brand is bold, unexpected, and embraces the human side of construction tech. Learn how we developed our new brand.

Bridgit Bench integrates with leading ConTech software

One of our ongoing goals is to create a seamless workforce planning experience. For contractors, that means not having their data siloed off in their respective tools. This year, we’ve launched over 16 integrations with leading construction software. Some of our notable integrations include Procore, Autodesk Build, BIM 360, and BuildingConnected. Read about all of our integration offerings.

Bridgit Bench updates

A lot of the momentum that we’ve built in 2021 is a direct result of the hard work our product and development teams have put into improving our workforce intelligence solution, Bridgit Bench. This work takes months of research, both with our customers and the larger industry, to build meaningful features that can impact contractors’ bottom lines.

This year alone, our development team has pushed out a staggering 42 updates into Bridgit Bench based on direct customer feedback. We always aim to put our customers’ problems first, and work backward to create meaningful solutions for them. Some of our most notable additions include:

1. Pursuit tracking

“Forecasting is probably one of our biggest challenges. [Without Bridgit] we don’t know about projects until somebody sends us the setup plans and then we still don’t know if it’s going to be ours or not. We don’t know how many people we’ll need or if we have enough. Do we need more people? Fewer people? That’s a big challenge for us.”

– Bridgit customer

Create more meaningful collaboration with your business development team by tracking project bids and opportunities directly in Bridgit Bench using Pursuit Tracking. Import your project pipeline and start planning your project team without impacting your utilization rate.

“Our business development team turned down an opportunity to tender for a job because they didn’t think there were any resources available to take on the work. A couple of months later, they found out we did have enough people available, so we missed out on an opportunity to win a job for no good reason.”

– Bridgit customer before Bridgit Bench

2. Smart suggestions

Bridgit Bench will give you smart suggestions on whom you could assign to the role based on previous project history and roles. When you go to assign a person to a role, you’ll see a list of suggestions based on fields from previous projects.

As you build project history in Bridgit Bench, the platform will become more intelligent and show you better suggestions.

3. Certification tracking

“One thing we’ve talked about with Health & Safety is ‘how do we know if our team’s certifications are good?’ Is CPR updated or expired? That’s something that has definitely come up in our discussions.”

– Bridgit customer

You can now track certifications with Certification Tracking in Bridgit Bench. Create a master list of certifications and set warning date ranges so you’re notified well in advance of the certification expiring.

Add the certification to a person’s profile and set the expiration date for their certification. As the certification’s expiry date approaches, you’ll start to see warnings appear.

4. The Strategic Workforce Plan Report

“We did a three-month look ahead by market to see if we needed to hire from February to March. For example, we’ll need five licensed electricians and three crane operators. Can Bridgit Bench help us forecast in a way that shows our current pool of team members and help identify any gaps?”

– Bridgit customer

With the Strategic Workforce Plan Report, Bridgit Bench helps you make better staffing decisions. The report shows you an accurate image of workforce capacity and project demand for both projects and project opportunities, allowing you to filter by role to get granular insights on your workforce needs.

5. Scenario planning

“When we start chasing some of these larger jobs and big projects, we’ll have 150-200 people on them. We try to run scenarios in Excel, but we’re trying to manage documents, marrying this one to that one. It’s a broken system. I’ve had enough. So that’s what drove us to ask you.”

– Bridgit customer

We’ve expanded our forecasting tools to include Scenario Planning for the Utilization Rate Chart. Now, you can plan scenarios for the entire forecasting dashboard, which includes both the Strategic Workforce Plan report and the Utilization Rate Chart.

With Scenario Planning, you can see the impact of your project pursuits on your people. Use it to identify gaps in your allocations and plan in advance for project bids you think you might win.

Putting a bow on 2021

Here we are, with another year in the books. This year was a record-breaking one for the team at Bridgit and we couldn’t have done it alone. Everything we do is a team effort. We have the backing and incredible support from our investors, a team that is obsessed with solving the construction industry’s most prevalent problems, and most importantly we have a star-studded base of customers that includes some of the sector’s most influential players.

These customers worked with us to build Bridgit Bench into what it is today, and will continue working with us to take workforce intelligence to the next level. We’re excited to continue our push forward as a team in 2022! What better way to wrap up the year than with a message from our CEO and Co-Founder, Mallorie Brodie:

“Bridgit Bench was designed by listening to the needs of general contractors and understanding how we could best help them reduce risk and be more profitable. Taking workforce planning out of Excel or other outdated solutions lets them accurately plan, efficiently allocate their staff, and strategically bid based on workforce availability,” said Mallorie Brodie, Bridgit CEO and Co-Founder. “Because listening is ingrained in our corporate DNA, nearly all of our feature releases have been inspired by or directly requested by our customers. There is no other workforce planning tool that can say that customer love drives their roadmap! Our 2022 plan includes aggressive product enhancements, more integrations, and new ways we can help GCs put their people first. We’re looking forward to another banner year!”

+++

About Bridgit

Bridgit is workforce intelligence for the construction industry. Bridgit’s mission is simple — to help the construction industry maximize profits by taking a people-first approach. Workforce Intelligence from Bridgit transforms workforce data into actionable insights that inform an organization’s strategic and tactical business decisions. Bridgit is a privately held company, having raised over $43.5 million CAD in equity financing, with capital from investors such as Autodesk, BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund, Camber Creek, Export Development Canada, IAF, Nine Four Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Sands Capital, StandUp Ventures, Storm Ventures, and Vanedge Capital. Learn more about Bridgit at gobridgit.com.

Contacts

Media Contact

Jesse Kent

Derring-Do Inc.

jesse@derringdo.com
909.781.3892

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

OTTAWA, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–InterRent Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX-IIP.UN) (“ InterRent”) announced today that its distribution declared for the month of December 2021 is $0.0285 per Trust unit, equal to $0.3420 per Trust unit on an annualized basis. Payment will be made on or about January 17, 2022 to unitholders of record on December 31, 2021.

About InterRent

InterRent REIT is a growth-oriented real estate investment trust engaged in increasing Unitholder value and creating a growing and sustainable distribution through the acquisition and ownership of multi-residential properties.

InterRent’s strategy is to expand its portfolio primarily within markets that have exhibited stable market vacancies, sufficient suites available to attain the critical mass necessary to implement an efficient portfolio management structure, and offer opportunities for accretive acquisitions.

InterRent’s primary objectives are to use the proven industry experience of the Trustees, Management and Operational Team to: (i) to grow both funds from operations per Unit and net asset value per Unit through investments in a diversified portfolio of multi-residential properties; (ii) to provide Unitholders with sustainable and growing cash distributions, payable monthly; and (iii) to maintain a conservative payout ratio and balance sheet.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts

Sandy Rose, CFA

Director – Investor Relations & Sustainability

(514) 704-2459

sandy.rose@interrentreit.com
www.interrentreit.com