VANCOUVER, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global construction consultancy firm Linesight today announced the official opening of its Vancouver office to support its growing client base in the region in key sectors including data centers, life sciences, high-tech industrial and manufacturing.

Linesight is an industry leader in the delivery of construction consultancy services to data centers, and has completed more than 408 projects in 30 countries across six continents, valued at more than $76 billion globally. Data center providers the world over engage with Linesight because of its deep knowledge and expertise in the sector. Linesight is currently supporting a number of significant data center projects in the region and advising on a revolutionary carbon-neutral distillery project in Ontario.

“It was essential for us to have a hub for multi-sectoral work in Canada to support our extensive business growth in this region, and Vancouver offered everything we needed in terms of location, talent pool, and infrastructure,” said Padraig Leahy, Director at Linesight.

Linesight’s expansion is timely with a general positive outlook for the construction sector in Canada. Forecasts indicate that the Canadian industrial construction sector will grow by 14.9% in 2023. As the national government works to establish Canada as an industrial hub, investment in and permits for construction have been on the rise. Investors and policy leaders have also contributed to expected growth in life sciences construction.

The Vancouver office will be headed up by Jonathan Scully-Lane, an experienced leader with deep sectoral experience. Jonathan has previously held roles as a Quantity Surveyor, Commercial Manager, Contracts Manager, and Cost Manager, with expertise in cost planning, cost reporting, and procurement.

“I’m excited to move back to Vancouver, where I previously made my home for five years. My family loves this city and our team in British Columbia is ready to spearhead the Linesight push into Canada. I’m looking forward to building on the relationships established from my previous time in Vancouver to further Linesight’s position as a global leader,” said Scully-Lane.

About Linesight

Linesight is a multinational consultancy firm with over 45 years’ experience, providing cost, schedule, program, and project management services to a multitude of sectors including Life Sciences, Commercial, Data Centers, High-Tech Industrial, Residential, Hospitality, Healthcare, and Retail. Linesight’s specialist project teams, each with specific skills and experience, provide faster project delivery, greater cost efficiency, and maximum value for money for their clients. For further information, please visit http://www.linesight.com.

Contacts

For Linesight
Cameron Thomas

Media Relations on behalf of Linesight Americas

(416) 660-9801

cameron@verbfactory.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Slate Grocery REIT (TSX: SGR.U) (TSX: SGR.UN) (the “REIT”), an owner and operator of U.S. grocery-anchored real estate, announced today that the Board of Trustees has declared a distribution for the month of June 2023 of U.S.$0.072 per class U unit of the REIT (“Class U Units”), or U.S.$0.864 on an annualized basis.

Holders of Class U Units may elect to receive their distribution in Canadian dollars and should contact their broker to make such an election.

Holders of class A units of the REIT (“Class A Units”) will receive a distribution equal to the Canadian dollar equivalent (based on the U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate at the time of payment of the distribution) of U.S.$0.072 per Class A Unit, unless the unitholder has elected to receive distributions in U.S. dollars. Holders of class I units of the REIT (“Class I Units”) will receive a distribution of U.S.$0.072 per Class I Unit, unless the unitholder has elected to receive distributions in Canadian dollars. Holders of units of subsidiaries of the REIT that are exchangeable into Class U Units (“Exchangeable Units”) will receive a distribution of U.S.$0.072 per unit.

If a holder of Class U Units or Class I Units elects to receive distributions in Canadian dollars, the holder will receive the Canadian dollar equivalent amount of the distribution being paid on the Class U Units or Class I Units, as applicable, based on the U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate at the time of payment of the distribution.

Distributions on all unit classes of the REIT, and distributions on Exchangeable Units, will be payable on July 17, 2023 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on June 30, 2023.

About Slate Grocery REIT (TSX: SGR.U / SGR.UN)

Slate Grocery REIT is an owner and operator of U.S. grocery-anchored real estate. The REIT owns and operates approximately U.S. $2.4 billion of critical real estate infrastructure across major U.S. metro markets that communities rely upon for their daily needs. The REIT’s resilient grocery-anchored portfolio and strong credit tenants provide unitholders with durable cash flows and the potential for capital appreciation over the longer term. Visit slategroceryreit.com to learn more about the REIT.

About Slate Asset Management

Slate Asset Management is a global alternative investment platform targeting real assets. We focus on fundamentals with the objective of creating long-term value for our investors and partners. Slate’s platform has a range of real estate and infrastructure investment strategies, including opportunistic, value add, core plus and debt investments. We are supported by exceptional people and flexible capital, which enable us to originate and execute on a wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Visit slateam.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information herein constitutes “forward-looking information” as defined under Canadian securities laws which reflect management’s expectations regarding objectives, plans, goals, strategies, future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities of the REIT. The words “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “projects”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements to the effect that certain actions, events or results “may”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “occur”, “be achieved”, or “continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management as of the date hereof, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, the REIT cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the filings of the REIT with securities regulators.

SGR-Dist

Contacts

For Further Information
Investor Relations

+1 416 644 4264

ir@slateam.com

70% of respondents look to technology to help with building, renovation and maintenance projects

CALGARY, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AI—IrisCX, the smart video platform for virtual product selection, DIY setup, and support today announced the results of a survey that confirms the virtual customer support revolution with a human touch is here. The survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted by Propeller Research in April 2023.

“Every American has experienced a home-related issue and needs expert help. Yet, the experts they hire are still using antiquated processes,” said Guillermo Salazar, co-founder and CEO of IrisCX. “Nearly seven in 10 participants noted that they specifically contacted an in-person contractor for support, but what 73% really want is an expert consultation with the convenience of digital. The future is smart video consultation solutions with home product and service experts.”

People inherently trust experts, and they rely on those experts to validate their product and service selection decisions:

• 85% said talking to an expert makes them feel more confident
• 84% are more likely to make a purchasing decision stemming from expert advice
• 81% feel influenced by speaking to home experts

Consumers’ preferred way of receiving information and service is shifting. As the world continues to become more digital, people expect to do things virtually, including getting quotes for home product purchases, maintenance and improvement. Virtual experiences allow consumers to get answers from experts in real time without having to make arrangements to meet someone in person.

Increasingly, digital natives especially want instant access to experts versus waiting for days or weeks for an in-home visit. In fact, 63% said they have had to miss work or rearrange their schedule to accommodate an in-person contractor visit. And, 68% expect their home-related issue to be fixed in three hours or less.

The most demanding groups were Gen Z and Millennials who were born digital. More than 15% of them expect an issue to be resolved within an hour. Gen Z also wants to avoid unnecessary time away from work because they believe they are more dispensable than people from older generations because members of Gen Z have less work experience and expertise.

When it comes to purchases and projects around the home, the most successful companies will offer a virtual consultation and service option that provides expert assistance and the convenience of digital technologies. Seven in 10 respondents are interested in using virtual assistant technology to help with building, renovation and maintenance projects, and 61% are using technology to solve home-related problems.

“Seeing is believing, and consumers often have a hard time seeing,” said Sam Maglio, professor of consumer psychology at the University of Toronto. “They can’t envision how something will look in their home until it gets there. They struggle to translate verbal descriptions into a clear mental image. Immersive video takes out all the guesswork. It leaves consumers with a concrete sense of where things stand and what to do next.”

The top two perceived benefits of virtual assistants are higher efficiency and greater accessibility. Perhaps that’s why 68% said they would at least double their DIY home projects if there was a virtual platform to streamline the process. This is true across generations, but 55% of those over 65 noted their DIY projects would largely stay the same.

“People want the personalization and expertise that comes from a human-to-human interaction when they are making decisions for their home, particularly complex decisions they might have to live with for a while,” said Salazar. “At the same time, they want the convenience that comes from digital interaction. Technologies such as video, AI, augmented reality and machine learning can provide consumers with hyperpersonalized recommendations and support when coupled with the knowledge of a product or service expert. In fact, people with such experiences tend to buy more and keep their product rather than return it. They also become loyal to brands that provide this type of interaction.”

Follow us

Twitter: @iriscxglobal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iriscx/

About IrisCX

IrisCX is a leading SaaS company that is focused on providing personalized visual customer experiences for consumers to make product purchasing decisions, assemble products in their home and receive customer support. IrisCX’s smart video technology connects consumers anywhere to real-time expert help instead of waiting for in-person sales or technical assistance. Brands experience increased customer loyalty, reduced cost of customer and technical support, and a decrease in product returns. Powered by computer vision, conversational intelligence and machine learning, IrisCX can provide both step-by-step instructions for self-guided use, and live sessions with company experts. Founded in 2018, IrisCX is headquartered in Calgary and privately held, with operations across Canada. For more information, please visit https://iriscx.com.

Contacts

Grant Zehnder

PRforIrisCX@bospar.com
440.714.7958