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

Blackstone Remains Committed to Tricon’s Extensive Housing Development Platform, Including its Pipeline of $1 Billion of New Single-Family Homes in the U.S. and $2.5 Billion of New Apartments in Canada

Plans to Improve Quality of Existing U.S. Single-Family Homes through an Additional $1 Billion of Capital Projects  

All financial and share price-related information is presented in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

NEW YORK & TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and Tricon Residential Inc. (NYSE: TCN, TSX: TCN) (“Tricon” or the “Company”) today announced that they have entered into an arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) under which Blackstone Real Estate Partners X together with Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“BREIT”) will acquire all outstanding common shares of Tricon (“Common Shares”) for $11.25 (approximately C$15.17) per Common Share in cash (the “Transaction”). The Transaction price represents a premium of 30% to Tricon’s closing share price on the NYSE on January 18, 2024, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Transaction, and a 42% premium to the volume weighted average share price on the NYSE over the previous 90 days, and equates to a $3.5 billion equity transaction value based on fully-diluted shares outstanding. BREIT will maintain its approximately 11% ownership stake post-closing.

Tricon provides quality rental homes and apartments in great neighborhoods, along with exceptional resident services through its tech-enabled operating platform and dedicated on-the-ground operating teams. Tricon serves communities in high-growth markets such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Tampa and Phoenix as well as Toronto, Canada. In addition to managing a single-family rental housing portfolio, Tricon has a single-family rental development platform in the U.S. with approximately 2,500 houses under development, as well as numerous land development projects that can support the future development of nearly 21,000 single-family homes. The Company also has a Canadian multifamily development platform that is building approximately 5,500 market-rate and affordable multifamily rental apartments.

Under Blackstone’s ownership, the Company plans to complete its $1 billion development pipeline of new single-family rental homes in the U.S. and $2.5 billion of new apartments in Canada (together with its existing joint venture partners). The Company will also continue to enhance the quality of existing single-family homes in the U.S. through an additional $1 billion of planned capital projects over the next several years.

“We are proud of the significant and immediate value that this transaction will deliver to our shareholders, while allowing us to continue providing an exceptional rental experience for our residents. Blackstone shares our values and our unwavering commitment to resident satisfaction, and we look forward to benefitting from their expertise and capital as we partner in building thriving communities,” said Gary Berman, President & CEO of Tricon.

“Tricon provides access to high-quality housing, and we are fully committed to delivering an exceptional resident experience together,” said Nadeem Meghji, Global Co-Head of Blackstone Real Estate. “We are excited that our capital will propel Tricon’s efforts to add much needed housing supply across the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada.”

The announcement of the Transaction follows the unanimous recommendation of a committee (the “Special Committee”) of independent members of Tricon’s board of directors (the “Board”). The Board, after receiving the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, has determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of Tricon and fair to Tricon shareholders (other than Blackstone and its affiliates) and recommends that Tricon shareholders vote in favor of the Transaction.

“Following a thoughtful and comprehensive process, the Special Committee and Board concluded that the transaction with Blackstone is in the best interests of Tricon and its shareholders, and that the transaction price represents compelling and certain value for Tricon’s shares,” said Peter Sacks, Chair of the Special Committee and Independent Lead Director of Tricon.

Transaction Details

The Transaction is structured as a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). Completion of the Transaction, which is expected to occur in the second quarter of this year, is subject to customary closing conditions, including court approval, the approval of Tricon shareholders (as further described below) and regulatory approval under the Canadian Competition Act and Investment Canada Act.

As part of the Transaction, Tricon has agreed that its regular quarterly dividend during the pendency of the Transaction will not be declared and the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan will be suspended. If the Arrangement Agreement is terminated, Tricon intends to resume declaring and paying regular quarterly distributions and reinstate the dividend reinvestment plan.

The Arrangement Agreement provides for, among other things, customary representations, warranties and covenants, including customary non-solicitation covenants from Tricon, subject to the ability of the Board to accept a superior proposal in certain circumstances, with a “right to match” in favour of Blackstone, and conditioned upon payment of a $122,750,000 termination fee to Blackstone, except that the termination fee will be reduced to $61,250,000 if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated by the Company prior to March 3, 2024 in order to enter into a definitive agreement providing for the implementation of a superior proposal. In certain circumstances, Blackstone is required to pay a $526,000,000 reverse termination fee to Tricon upon the termination of the Arrangement Agreement.

Completion of the Transaction will be subject to various closing conditions, including the approval of at least (i) two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting of shareholders to be called to approve the Transaction (the “Special Meeting”), voting as a single class (each holder of Common Shares being entitled to one vote per Common Share) and (ii) the majority of the holders of Common Shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting, excluding the votes of Blackstone and its affiliates, and any other shareholders whose votes are required to be excluded for the purposes of “minority approval” under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”) in the context of a “business combination” as defined thereunder. Further details regarding the applicable voting requirements will be contained in a management information circular to be filed with applicable regulatory authorities and mailed to Tricon shareholders in connection with the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction.

Copies of the Arrangement Agreement and of the management information circular for the Special Meeting will be filed with Canadian securities regulators and will be available on the SEDAR+ profile of Tricon at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, Tricon will furnish to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a current report on Form 6-K regarding the Transaction, which will include as an exhibit thereto the Arrangement Agreement and will be available at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. All parties desiring details regarding the Transaction are urged to read those and other relevant materials when they become available.

In connection with the Transaction, Tricon will prepare and mail a Schedule 13E-3 Transaction Statement (the “Schedule 13E-3”). The Schedule 13E-3 will be filed with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE SCHEDULE 13E-3 AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRICON, THE TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. In addition to receiving the Schedule 13E-3 by mail, shareholders will also be able to obtain these documents, as well as other filings containing information about Tricon, the Transaction and related matters, without charge from the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

BREIT, which made an initial $240 million exchangeable preferred equity investment in Tricon in 2020 and is maintaining its ownership stake, has entered into a support agreement whereby it has agreed to vote its Common Shares in favor of the Transaction.

Subject to and upon completion of the Transaction, the Common Shares will no longer be listed on the NYSE or TSX. Tricon will remain headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

Formal Valuation and Fairness Opinions

In connection with its review of the Transaction, the Special Committee retained Scotia Capital Inc. (“Scotiabank”) as independent valuator and financial advisor to provide financial advice and prepare a formal valuation of the Common Shares (the “Formal Valuation”) as required under MI 61-101. Scotiabank concluded that, as of January 18, 2024, and subject to certain assumptions, limitations and qualifications, the fair market value of the Common Shares was in the range of $9.80 to $12.90 per Common Share. Scotiabank has also provided its oral opinion (to be subsequently confirmed by delivery of a written opinion) to the Special Committee that, as of January 18, 2024, and subject to certain assumptions, limitations and qualifications, the consideration to be received by the holders of the Common Shares (other than Blackstone and its affiliates) pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the holders of the Common Shares.

Advisors

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are acting as financial advisors to Tricon. Scotiabank is acting as independent financial advisor and independent valuator to the Special Committee.

Goodmans LLP and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP are acting as legal counsel to Tricon in connection with the Transaction and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is acting as independent legal counsel to the Special Committee.

BofA Securities, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo are acting as Blackstone’s financial advisors and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP are acting as legal counsel.

About Tricon Residential Inc.

Tricon Residential Inc. (NYSE: TCN, TSX: TCN) is an owner, operator and developer of a growing portfolio of approximately 38,000 single-family rental homes in the U.S. Sun Belt and multi-family apartments in Toronto, Canada. Our commitment to enriching the lives of our employees, residents and local communities underpins Tricon’s culture and business philosophy. We provide high-quality rental housing options for families across the United States and in Toronto, Canada through our technology-enabled operating platform and dedicated on-the-ground operating teams. Our development programs are also delivering thousands of new rental homes and apartments as part of our commitment to help solve the housing supply shortage. At Tricon, we imagine a world where housing unlocks life’s potential. For more information, visit www.triconresidential.com.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors. We do this by relying on extraordinary people and flexible capital to help strengthen the companies we invest in. Our over $1 trillion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Additional Early Warning Disclosure

BREIT currently indirectly owns 6,815,242 Common Shares and 240,000 preferred units of Tricon PIPE LLC that are exchangeable into 28,235,294 Common Shares, representing approximately 11% of the outstanding Common Shares, assuming the conversion of all preferred units held by BREIT. Pursuant to the support agreement, BREIT has agreed to exchange at least 75% of its preferred units for Common Shares prior to the Special Meeting to vote on the Transaction and the balance of its preferred units prior to closing. Following the completion of the Transaction, funds affiliated with Blackstone Real Estate together with BREIT will own 100% of the outstanding Common Shares. Tricon intends to apply to cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws following the completion of the Transaction. An early warning report with additional information in respect of the foregoing matters will be filed and made available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under Tricon’s profile or may be obtained directly upon request by contacting the Blackstone contact person named below. The head office of Blackstone Real Estate and BREIT is located at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154. The head office of Tricon is located at 7 St. Thomas Street, Suite 801, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2B7.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute 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 “anticipate”, “plan”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, and similar expressions. This information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the following: statements with respect to the expected completion of the Transaction and the timing thereof, the anticipated benefits to the shareholders of Tricon, satisfaction of the conditions to closing the Transaction, the holding of the Special Meeting, the suspension and resumption of quarterly distributions and the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan, and delisting of the Common Shares and ceasing to be a reporting issuer following closing of the Transaction.

Such forward-looking information and statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on management’s current expectations, intentions and assumptions, including expectations and assumptions concerning receipt of required approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions to the completion of the Transaction, and that the Arrangement Agreement will not be amended or terminated. There can be no assurance that the proposed Transaction will be completed, or that it will be completed on the terms and conditions contemplated in the Arrangement Agreement.

Accordingly, although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Tricon can give no assurance that it will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to: the failure to obtain necessary approvals or satisfy (or obtain a waiver of) the conditions to closing the Transaction as contained in the Arrangement Agreement; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Arrangement Agreement; material adverse changes in the business or affairs of Tricon; Tricon’s ability to obtain the necessary Tricon shareholder approval (including the “minority approval”); the parties’ ability to obtain requisite regulatory approvals; either party’s failure to consummate the Transaction when required or on the terms as originally negotiated; risks related to the disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Transaction and possible difficulties in maintaining customer, supplier, key personnel and other strategic relationships; potential litigation relating to the Transaction, including the effects of any outcomes related thereto; the possibility of unexpected costs and liabilities related to the Transaction; competitive factors in the industries in which Tricon operates; interest rates, currency exchange rates, prevailing economic conditions; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Tricon. Additional factors and risks which may affect Tricon, its business and the achievement of the forward-looking statements contained herein are described in Tricon’s annual information form and Tricon’s management’s and discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 and in the other subsequent reports filed on the SEDAR+ profile of Tricon at www.sedarplus.ca and Tricon’s filings with the SEC as well as the Schedule 13E-3 and management information circular to be filed by Tricon.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents Tricon’s expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. Tricon disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws.

This press release also includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward -looking terminology such as “outlook,” “indicator,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “identified,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates”, “confident,” “conviction” or other similar words or the negatives thereof. These may include financial estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements about plans, objectives, intentions, and expectations with respect to positioning, including the impact of macroeconomic trends and market forces, future operations, repurchases, acquisitions, future performance and statements regarding identified but not yet closed acquisitions. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and there are or may be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are, among others, the timing and ability to consummate the pending transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could delay the closing of the transaction, or result in the termination of the agreement for the transaction; and adverse effects on BREIT’s common stock because of a failure to complete the transaction. Other factors include but are not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in BREIT’s prospectus and annual report for the most recent fiscal year, and any such updated factors included in BREIT’s periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included herein (or in BREIT’s public filings). Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, BREIT undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward -looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Wissam Francis

EVP & Chief Financial Officer

Email: IR@triconresidential.com

Wojtek Nowak

Managing Director, Capital Markets

Tricon Media:
Tara Tucker

Senior Vice President, Corporate and Public Affairs

Email: mediarelations@triconresidential.com

Blackstone Media:

Jillian Kary

212-583-5379

Jillian.Kary@Blackstone.com

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 $0.275 per stapled unit for the month of January 2024. The distribution will be paid by Granite on Thursday, February 15, 2024 to stapled unitholders of record at the close of trading on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. The stapled units will begin trading on an ex-dividend basis at the opening of trading on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 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 January 31, 2024, 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 143 investment properties representing approximately 62.9 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 Data Analysis and Retrieval +(SEDAR+) which can be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca 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, Associate Director, Legal & Investor Services, at 647-925-7504.

Contacts

Teresa Neto

Chief Financial Officer

647-925-7560

Andrea Sanelli

Associate Director, Legal & Investor Services

647-925-7504

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) announced that the Company’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.35 per share of common stock payable on March 15, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 15, 2024. Cintas has a strong record of returning capital to its shareholders and has consistently raised its dividend each year since Cintas’ initial public offering 41 years ago in 1983.

Any future dividend declarations, including the amount of any dividends, are at the discretion of the Board of Directors and dependent upon then-existing conditions, including the Company’s operating results and financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, business prospects and other factors that the Board of Directors may deem relevant.

Cintas

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

J. Michael Hansen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer – 513-972-2079

Jared S. Mattingley, Vice President – Treasurer & Investor Relations – 513-972-4195

CALGARY, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AlwaysAbove–FulcrumAir and PLP have partnered to launch the world’s most advanced automated robotic system for installing helically-shaped bird diverters on overhead power lines. The Mini LineFly™ is a revolutionary unmanned system that automatically and precisely installs PLP’s BIRD-FLIGHT™ Diverters on overhead lines, helping to significantly reduce safety concerns for lineworkers while also exponentially increasing project efficiency.

“We are excited to collaborate with FulcrumAir to launch this newest addition to our expanding lineup of robotic installation solutions,” said Ryan Ruhlman, President of PLP. “The Mini LineFly not only offers the most efficient method for installing bird diverters but, more significantly, contributes to enhancing the safety environment for utility workers around the world.”

The Mini LineFly accurately places PLP BIRD-FLIGHT Diverters at predetermined intervals, maximizing the performance to help safeguard wildlife from accidental contact with power lines. This critical wildlife protection device reduces the probability of unintended bird collisions by enhancing line visibility, helping to protect diverse avian species and mitigate potential costly and problematic power outages.

The first implementation of robotically installed PLP BIRD-FLIGHT Diverters took place during the recent High Banks Wind Project in Kansas. Nearly 15,000 bird diverters were installed using robotics along the 75-mile 345 kV transmission line spanning Marshall, Republic, and Washington counties. The High Banks Wind Project delivers approximately 600 megawatts of dependable renewable energy to customers in the American Midwest.

“We are extremely pleased with how the Mini LineFly performed during this demanding project,” said Patrick Arnell, President & CEO of FulcrumAir. “Our mission is to develop and operate equipment that assists electric utilities with the industry’s ongoing challenges, including staffing shortages, the increased need for safer work sites, and overall project efficiency requirements.

Alongside the Mini LineFly, FulcrumAir and PLP also recently introduced the CSR-18™ Robot, a state-of-the-art robotic installation system designed for PLP CUSHION-GRIP® Twin Spacers. Both cutting-edge robotic solutions are fully operational worldwide, with multiple projects initiated globally.

ABOUT FULCRUMAIR

Founded in 2016 and having invested over 60,000 hours into design and engineering to date, FulcrumAir is the leader in aerial robotics for the powerline industry. FulcrumAir’s portfolio of UAVs and aerial robotics are specifically designed to address critical challenges facing electric utilities by robotically performing line construction tasks such as installing line spacers and bird flight diverters. Additional robotic solutions are currently under development.

ABOUT PLP

PLP protects the world’s most critical connections by creating stronger and more reliable networks. The company’s precision-engineered solutions are trusted by energy and communications providers worldwide to perform better and last longer. With locations in over 20 countries, PLP works as a united global corporation, delivering high-quality products and unparalleled service to customers around the world.

Contacts

PLP
JOSH NELSON
MANAGER, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

+1 440 473 9120

JOSH.NELSON@PLP.COM

FULCRUMAIR
PATRICK ARNELL
PRESIDENT & CEO

+1 403 617 0109

PARNELL@FULCRUMAIR.COM

 

Not for distribution to U.S. News Wire Services or dissemination in the United States.

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#valueforgenerations–Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (“Choice Properties”) (TSX: CHP.UN) announced today that the trustees of Choice Properties have declared a cash distribution for the month of January, 2024 of $0.0625 per trust unit, representing $0.75 per trust unit on an annualized basis, payable on February 15, 2024 to Unitholders of record at the close of business on January 31, 2024.

About Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust

Choice Properties is a leading Real Estate Investment Trust that creates enduring value through the ownership, operation and development of high-quality commercial and residential properties.

We believe that value comes from creating spaces that improve how our tenants and communities come together to live, work, and connect. We strive to understand the needs of our tenants and manage our properties to the highest standard. We aspire to develop healthy, resilient communities through our dedication to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. In everything we do, we are guided by a shared set of values grounded in Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence.

For more information, visit Choice Properties’ website at www.choicereit.ca and Choice Properties’ issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Contacts

For further information:
Mario Barrafato

Chief Financial Officer

Choice Properties REIT

(416) 628-7872

Mario.Barrafato@choicereit.ca