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Clearwater at Glendora Assisted Living & Memory Care to Host Open House
Clearwater at Glendora, a luxury assisted living and memory care community currently under development in Glendora, will be hosting an open house on Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The public is invited to meet the Clearwater team, tour staged studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes and learn more about what the community will offer local seniors.
"This open house will be the perfect opportunity for Clearwater at Glendora to showcase our approach to extraordinary senior living for prospective residents and their families," said Danielle Morgan, Clearwater Living's president & chief operating officer. "Our communities provide top-notch assisted living and memory support with a variety of resort-style amenities that are meaningful and fun."
Conveniently located just off the Foothill Freeway at 333 W. Dawson Avenue, Clearwater at Glendora will offer 88 assisted living and 29 memory support apartments when it begins welcoming residents later this year. Residents will be able to choose from a variety of studio, companion and one- and two-bedroom layouts, each mindfully designed with sophisticated, contemporary finishes. Expansive and lush outdoor spaces will combine to create an immersive indoor/outdoor living experience.
A variety of luxurious community amenities will also be available to residents, including a fitness center, game room, theater and learning center, full salon, wine vault and much more. In line with Clearwater's commitment to healthy and nutritious dining, Clearwater at Glendora will also feature artisanal, chef-prepared dishes for all residents from its private, on-site restaurant, Savor, as well as its pub and lounge.
Along with the in-home and community amenities, residents will have access to a licensed nurse onsite, 24-hour compassionate care partners, medication coordination, daily monitoring and other comprehensive care services. These amenities and services all represent Clearwater's philosophy of Empowered Living through impactful emotional, physical and social experiences in a stimulating and comfortable environment.
The ISH™ Food Company Achieves B Corporation Certification, Furthering its Commitment to a Regenerative, Nutritious Food System
The ISH Food Company announces today official B Corporation certification. ISH was established in 2020 to deliver Innovative, Sustainable, Healthy, and deliciously disruptive plant-based foods to every plate worldwide, starting with plant-based seafood. ISH is determined to lead change in communities globally to create a regenerative, nutritious food system. With this goal in mind, ISH was awarded B Corp certification, joining a select group of only ~5,000 for-profit companies globally.
The company's passion for driving change in our food system begins with the founder's story. Through a "this-changes- everything" heart attack in Penn Station, Bernard David, Founder and CEO, discovered the transformative benefits of plant-based foods and the realization that we all can have a positive impact on our food system.
"We have a big mission, and we can't do it alone," said David, "which makes our confirmation as a certified B Corporation even more important. We all need to work together to help transform food and agriculture into a regenerative, nutritious, and healthy system - it is foundational to our journey - and critical to feed 10 billion people on planet earth by 2050."
B Corp certification is for businesses that demonstrate efforts to create an inclusive, sustainable economy. The intense certification process looks at multiple factors, including supply chain practices, ingredients, employee benefits, and charitable giving. To obtain certification, companies must achieve high grades on performance, accountability, and transparency for these factors.
Consumer demand for healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food is accelerating as individuals increasingly make the connection between the food they eat and a rapidly changing climate. More than half of consumers are open to eating more plant-based foods, and predictions state the plant-based foods market could grow by more than 1,000% over the next 10 years, reaching $140 billion.
Plant-based seafood at ISH is crafted with environmental impact top of mind, while delivering on taste and nutrition. The company's goal is to offer flexitarians and mainstream consumers plant-based seafood alternatives that taste, look, and cook just like food from the sea.
The ISH Food Company proudly launched its flagship product Shrimpish®, a plant-based shrimp, in early 2022. ISH has a robust product portfolio in development including Salmonish, Codish, Crabish, and Lobsterish. ISH has also identified over 20 different seafood textures for future commercial development.
New BenefitsCheckUp® Website Makes it Easy to Find Help Paying for Food, Medicine, and More
The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person's right to age well, is launching a new and improved version of its BenefitsCheckup.org website that connects older adults and people with disabilities with nearly 2,000 benefits programs to help them pay for food, medicine, utilities, and other daily expenses.
"In today's economy, inflation is taking a bigger and bigger bite out of people's incomes," said Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO. "The good news is that there are programs that can help. We completely redesigned BenefitsCheckUp to make it even easier for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers to find the resources they need to age with dignity. No one should have to choose between paying for medication or food."
Millions of people miss out on saving money through public and private benefits simply because they don't know the programs exist—or how to apply. NCOA created BenefitsCheckUp in 2001, and since then has seen millions of people use it to find billions in benefits. Programs featured on the site include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS/Extra Help), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and Affordable Connectivity Program.
On BenefitsCheckUp, visitors can learn which programs they might be eligible for—and find the right contact information to take the next step to apply. The site features:
- Details on nearly 2,000 federal, state, and local benefits programs in both English and Spanish
- Free, confidential eligibility checks by specific program or benefits category
- The ability to create an account for visitors who want to save their results
- Personalized support via a call center, online chat, email, and NCOA's network of local Benefit Enrollment Centers—85 agencies in 41 states where individuals can get application support in person
"Benefits programs are a critical piece in ensuring that every person has what they need to age well—regardless of gender, color, sexuality, income, or ZIP code," Alwin said. "Now more than ever, BenefitsCheckUp.org is a great place to start to see if you're eligible and find out how to apply."
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person's right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or zip code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more at www.ncoa.org and @NCOAging.
Learning Without Tears Announces Breakthrough Reading Program for K-3
Today at ISTELive 22, early childhood learning leader Learning Without Tears announced Phonics, Reading, and Me™ – a K-3 supplemental phonics program designed to help children learn the skills they need to become proficient readers. Learning Without Tears also announced a new partnership with SoapBox Labs, the Dublin-based speech recognition company that powers joyful learning and play experiences for kids, to leverage speech recognition technology to provide digital assessments and give educators a more streamlined and accurate view of a student's reading progress, making it easier to personalize instruction.
"We listened to teachers and educators," explained Learning Without Tears CEO Terry Nealon. "Teachers have more work to do with more students than ever before. But they also lack the resources and time to allow them to assess, monitor, and individualize reading instruction based on a clear understanding of each student's progress. We know that word study and morphology skills are fundamental to all other learning and overall literacy. Phonics, Reading, and Me incorporates speech recognition technology from SoapBox Labs into the LWT personalized learning environment, providing teachers a more streamlined and accurate assessment of a student's reading skills. With this single program, teachers get tailored recommendations attending to the needs of each student. And, with our embedded professional learning, we have made it incredibly easy for teachers to implement the program."
Typically, assessing a student's phonemic awareness and oral fluency is a highly manual process, requiring educators to sit and listen carefully--often in a loud and bustling classroom--as each student reads out loud. By using SoapBox Labs' voice engine designed intentionally for the unique speech patterns of kids, digital assessments can now accurately listen to a student and return that data back to the teacher. Voice-enabled oral reading assessments ensure that every child gets the personalized instruction and support needed to ensure their literacy success.
"Acoustically, it's very difficult to distinguish between short, individual utterances and sounds made by a young child at the foundational stages of learning to read. The SoapBox voice engine's ability to return highly accurate feedback down to the phoneme level is a game changer for early literacy companies like Learning without Tears and the educators they serve" said Martyn Farrows, CEO of SoapBox Labs. "With timely, automated and granular data on each student's progress in phonemic awareness, letter names and letter sounds, educators can focus on what matters most: building relationships of support through more personalized instruction that matches students' individual needs."
"Differentiated instruction, especially when dealing with early foundational skills like literacy, is absolutely critical for the success of young learners. And after the last two years of lost instructional time, there is a deep urgency to help educators do this more easily and quickly," said Andrew Clute, Vice President of Product and Technology at Learning Without Tears. "As a result of SoapBox's extensive research and experience in developing speech recognition specifically for kids, we have a great new tool in our toolbox to help educators differentiate students' learning pathways. Their technological breakthroughs mean we can unlock an instructional pathway that wasn't easily available before, to better serve millions of kids."
Lessons within Phonics, Reading, and Me focus on rich texts that give decoding and skills practice. All components – student books, lesson cards, digital learning, reading response journals, sound-spelling activities, formative assessment cards - work together to provide ample opportunities for children to read, talk, and write, all vital steps on the path to successful reading. A student's reading success builds by reading more.
"Research has shown that students spend inadequate time actually reading themselves, with support, during the school day – often as little as 10-20 minutes of a 90- to 120-minute literacy block," continued Terry Nealon. "This exceptional curriculum means that teachers no longer must choose between focusing on skills or fostering the type of curiosity that comes from reading great books. With Phonics, Reading, and Me, students build skills and build knowledge while they contribute their own experiences from diverse cultures. The result is an accelerated personalized learning plan that balances instruction and practice, and – most importantly – provides an unprecedented degree of equity and access for all students."
EcoFlow Launches Modular Power Solutions for RVs and Off-Grid Living
EcoFlow, a portable power and renewable energy solutions company, today launched EcoFlow Power Kits for RVs and off-grid living. Simple in setup, the EcoFlow Power Kits simplify the demanding installation process of existing custom power solutions, allowing users to tailor their own settings that best fit their power needs with compact and smart modules.
"The EcoFlow Power Kits are designed to make creating custom power solutions easier than ever," said Thomas Chan, R&D Director at EcoFlow. "EcoFlow wants to offer energy solutions that can be personalized to users' exact needs, whether they are in an RV, off-grid or retrofitting their workshops."
Modular and expandable
The EcoFlow Power Kits come with two basic modules – the EcoFlow Power Hub, which acts as the central node for all inputs and outputs, and EcoFlow's 2K/5KWh LFP Batteries. Based on actual power needs, the EcoFlow Power Hub can connect to up to three LFP Batteries, which together offer a base capacity of 2KWh and are expandable to 15KWh, allowing users to power an RV for 18 hours and an off-grid house for 11 to 14 hours[i].
In addition, the EcoFlow Power Kits can be bundled with three types of solar panels, including the 100W Rigid/Flexible Solar Panel and the 400W Rigid Solar Panel. By pairing the EcoFlow Power Kits with the solar panels, customers can achieve a maximum 4800W solar input which can fully charge a 15KWh capacity in about 3 hours, and enjoy a sustainable lifestyle off-grid.
For more control, the EcoFlow Power Kits can be enhanced with the AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel which connects to up to six home/RV AC circuits and 12 DC circuits. Once connected, users can monitor the power consumption of all 18 circuits and control six of the DC circuits, all via the optional Power Kit Console or EcoFlow app.
Simple setup
With dozens of modules, most modular power solutions will take an experienced user 10 to 15 hours to install. In comparison, the EcoFlow Power Kits contain no more than four modules (not including solar panels) and fewer wires, making the installation process three times faster than the industry average[ii] while reducing the risk of incorrect wiring.
Fast and multiple charging
EcoFlow Power Kits can be charged via six different power sources including solar panels, the EcoFlow Smart Generator, alternators, shore power, the grid, and traditional generators. With various charging methods and the ability to fully recharge a 15KWh capacity with a 6000W input in 2.5 hours, the EcoFlow Power Kits free users from low-battery anxiety during their RV road trips or when living off-grid.
Advanced 48V system
The EcoFlow Power Kits utilizes a unique 48V system compared to traditional 12V systems. This allows the EcoFlow Power Kits to enhance the user experience on multiple levels including safety, energy efficiency, versatility, and ease of use.
- Safety and energy efficiency
Under the same output power, the 48V system has only a quarter of the electric current flowing through its cables compared to traditional 12V systems, resulting in one sixteenth power loss, and thinner and more convenient cables. - Versatility
The 48V system allows the EcoFlow Power Hub to achieve a maximum 3600W output to power heavy-duty appliances including air conditioners, water heaters, and hair dryers. - Ease of use
The EcoFlow Power Hub can easily replace 12V systems since it comes with a step-down DC-DC module for those who have already installed power system in their RVs.
Integrated and compact
The EcoFlow Power Hub is the industry's first five-in-one central power system that integrates two Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) solar charge controllers, one battery charger with MPPT, one inverter-charger, and one DC-DC step-down converter. With fewer components, the EcoFlow Power Hub makes it easy for users to expand or scale down their own EcoFlow Power Kits. On top of that, the EcoFlow LFP Batteries are designed to be stackable. To save space, users can stack up to three LFP Batteries.
Choose your own Kit
The EcoFlow Power Kits come in three different packages to best suit user needs. Starting with the Get Set Kit, users can have their basic power needs covered with the EcoFlow Power Hub and LFP Batteries. Going a step further, the Prepared Kit adds the AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel to the mix to provide users circuit-level control over their energy consumption. Lastly, for the best user experience and greatest power needs, the Independence Kit provides every aforementioned module with the addition of the Power Kit Console and EcoFlow Smart Generator.
Each of the three kits come with five bundles of different capacities from 2KWh to 15KWh, making for 15 bundles in total. Customers can choose the bundle that best fits their power needs with the help of EcoFlow's Power Calculator, which will be live on EcoFlow's website on July 5.
The Art Farm Announces Grand Reopening of Their Newly Renovated Space
The Art Farm on the second floor of 431 E 91st St. has officially announced that their newly renovated space has opened.
This newly renovated space includes a variety of new and engaging spaces for children including two classrooms, a petting zoo, party rooms, a full size kitchen for cooking programs and much more. The reopening of The Art Farm's space comes with new activities and a new Afterschool Club in addition to their existing programs.
Enrollment for all classes, preschool and camps is officially open. Our weekends are back and running with cooking classes on Saturday mornings with farm fresh recipes. Their popular weekend program Mornings on The Farm which takes place Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8am -10pm is open for reservations. Join them for this program and help feed the bunnies their breakfast.
If you'd like to take a look at their new space you can visit their website theartfarms.com/farm-tour/ and take a virtual tour! Users can also view their calendar events, class schedules, and get more information about their various classes and programs on The Art Farm's website.
Youth Esports Organization Vanta Teams Up with Starlight Children's Foundation to Bring Gaming to Hospitalized Children
Youth esports organization Vanta today announced its support of Starlight Children's Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to deliver happiness to ill kids and their families at children's hospitals across the United States.
The two organizations will work together to bring gaming to pediatric patients, providing a sense of normalcy, entertainment, and distraction to help improve their health outcomes.
Based in Boston, Vanta is a youth esports development platform that works with schools and community organizations to provide a digital esports platform, competitive esports leagues, and expert coaching and programming to kids ages 8-18.
"At Vanta, we truly believe in the power of play and the positive impact that can have on young gamers," said James Roche, co-founder and CMO of Vanta. "We are extremely excited to team up with Starlight Children's Foundation, who have done such amazing work for children coping with injuries and serious illness over the years. Together, we can leverage the power of gaming and play a role in helping put a smile on the faces of children and their families. We appreciate what Starlight is working on and for allowing us to support their mission."
Vanta is committed to participating in multiple charity streaming campaigns through Stream For Starlight, a year-round drive that invites content creators to stream on Twitch or YouTube and help deliver happiness to seriously ill kids. From now until the end of 2022, Vanta's goal is to raise funds to place Starlight Gaming Stations at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh UMPC, a hospital the youth esports team chose to sponsor.
Throughout the year, Vanta's Twitch channel VantaLeagues will feature coaching spotlights from some of their best esports coaches, a special game of the week broadcasts, exclusive events, and more.
"Starlight is thrilled to have Vanta join our Stream For Starlight community, with more than 500 broadcasters who fundraise year-round to help bring Starlight's innovative programs such as Starlight Gaming, Starlight Virtual Reality, Starlight Hospital Gowns to more than 800 hospitals across the U.S.," said Aimee Finn, senior director of marketing and community engagement.
Vanta will participate in three dedicated streaming campaigns on their Twitch channel, including one that ran from June 23 – June 26. Additionally, Vanta will host an open donation link on their page for the remainder of the year.
The next streaming events will be in September, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in December for Starlight's 12 Days of Streaming event.
You can check out Vanta's content at https://www.twitch.tv/vantaleagues and contribute to their donation campaign for Starlight starting today.
Tori Richard Rides Tech Wave
Honolulu based resort wear brand, Tori Richard, has signed with Teamwork Commerce.
Having trademarked the phrase, "Resort is a State of Mind®," the company was eager to implement Teamwork's software to create a frictionless retail process and open more time to enjoy the Hawaiian lifestyle. The Implementation of Teamwork's mobile Point of Sale and Order Management System will enable omnichannel services by offering customers endless fulfillment options such as Buy Online Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), Buy Online Ship from Store (BOSHIP), and Buy In-Store Ship from Warehouse. Remember that dress you saw from your vacation you can't stop thinking about? Tori Richard is now able to bring their award-winning resort wear for men and women to you, wherever you are.
"Teamwork Commerce enables a fully integrated omnichannel experience for our customers, as well as enabling sophisticated data analytics, customer and product data management, and merchandise planning tools for our internal team. All of this on an intuitive, easy to use platform for all users. I couldn't be more pleased with our choice of Teamwork Commerce, and their expert team, as our POS and Retail Management software partner," shares Mike Osorio, Tori Richard, VP of Retail & Marketing.
Teamwork's turn-key omnichannel solution will empower Tori Richard to capture and manage important customer behavior and transactions seamlessly all while creating a personalized shopping experience for every single customer. The sophistication of this cloud-based mobile retail technology allows for big changes to happen for the brand right from their headquarters in Honolulu, where they have been based for over 60 years.
LeadSquared secures $153mn from WestBridge Capital
Sales automation platform, LeadSquared recently announced that it has secured an investment of USD $153mn in the Series C funding round from WestBridge Capital.
Founded by Nilesh Patel, Prashant Singh, and Sudhakar Gorti in 2011, LeadSquared's vision is to make high-velocity sales execution software a growth engine for companies around the globe.
LeadSquared has built a global, best-in-class sales platform that takes away the guesswork from sales execution and makes efficiency the focus of every customer interaction, no matter how complex the customer journey. It now serves more than 2,000 customers globally.
"We are grateful for the support of our investors as we strive to build LeadSquared into a globally significant business. With this financing, we will double down on growth investments in India and North America, start building in APAC and EMEA, add new offerings to our product portfolio, and fund acquisitions. To support our growth, we plan to double our headcount in the next 18 months," shared Nilesh Patel, Founder & CEO, LeadSquared.
Remarking on the investment, Sumir Chadha, Co-founder and Managing Director at WestBridge Capital, said, "LeadSquared has shown a remarkable ability to scale and grow efficiently. Its core SaaS metrics are unique and best-in-class in the industry. Its focus on building an easy-to-use platform that transforms sales processes through automation delivering unparalleled efficiency, has significant potential for growth in the global market. Future of LeadSquared is very exciting to us and we look forward to a long partnership with the company."
Gaja Capital's Managing Partner, Gopal Jain opined, "LeadSquared is fast emerging as a category leader in high-velocity sales execution software. Nilesh and the team have built a strong platform with robust unit economics. With this round, the company has the balance sheet strength to further invest for growth in India as well as international markets, especially the US. We look forward to LeadSquared being the engine of growth for ambitious companies in India and around the world."
LeadSquared is the growth partner for organizations in higher education, edtech, professional education, healthcare, financial services. LeadSquared is headquartered in Bengaluru, India alongside its presence in the United States, APAC and EMEA.
The company's existing investors include Gaja Capital, IFC, and Stakeboat Capital.
Barclays acted as the exclusive placement agent for the Series C funding.
LogicSource Sponsors College of Charleston's Second Annual Women for Women Summit
LogicSource's recent expansion to Charleston County, South Carolina provides our organization with a wealth of opportunities to enhance our services, offerings, and the businesses we serve. But it also offers a unique opportunity to lend our support to a new community and align ourselves with those looking to make a difference. As we establish our new roots in the Lowcountry, LogicSource was proud to be a premier sponsor of this year's Women for Women Summit presented by the College of Charleston School of Business.
At LogicSource, we wouldn't be the company we are today without the strong, powerful women throughout our ranks. Comprised of more than 45% women, with an even higher percentage represented in leadership roles – women have been instrumental in driving our organization forward. LogicSource benefits greatly from a focus on gender diversity, and as a result, we wanted to continue to amplify female leadership voices and showcase Procurement's potential to set the pace for gender diversity in leadership.
"This was an inspiring event that we hope to be a part of in Charleston for years to come," said Jessica Buchok, LogicSource's General Counsel and one of many from LogicSource to participate in this year's event, including Niki Heim - CFO / CAO, Teal Williams - Managing Director, Marketing Sourcing Practice, Malinda Long - Director, Talent Acquisition, Crystal Malin - Managing Director, Sourcing and Procurement, and Adrienne Moreland - Director, Procurement. "Each one of us left the Women for Women Summit feeling a stronger sense of purpose, empowered to take bold new steps, and help each other along our unique leadership journeys."
Created for women by women, the Summit aims to celebrate, elevate, and build connections with women from all industries and backgrounds, and provides a catalyst for those looking to advance in their personal and professional lives. The event highlights women's accomplishments in their fields while sharing the insights, wins, and lessons learned to inspire the next generation of female leaders.
All across the globe, women have been breaking barriers and shattering the glass ceiling. Yet the impact of the pandemic has provided even more evidence of the determination they show every day in navigating a new set of challenges, both at home and in the workplace. It's no surprise that this year's Summit theme was focused around "grit" and the strength of character women have shown as they pursue their career and personal aspirations.
This year's event included a wide range of insightful speakers who are blazing the trail for women in leadership roles, including South Carolina Lt. Governor - Pamala Evette, Lau Acquisition Corporation Founder and CEO - Joanna Lau, 2022 Woman of Courage Award Recipient and South Carolina Ports Authority COO - Barbara Melvin, Nephrom Pharameuctical CEO - Lou Kennedy, and many more.
LogicSource prides itself in aligning our organization with causes that help the communities we serve, from the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, The Boys and Girls Club of America, The Multiple Myeloma Foundation, and more. We are proud to include the Women for Women Summit and the College of Charleston as our most recent partners and look forward to continuing to strengthen our mission of service and support.
Allspring Closed-End Funds Declare Monthly Distributions
The Allspring Income Opportunities Fund (NYSE American: EAD), the Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund (NYSE American: ERC), and the Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund (NYSE American: ERH) have each announced a distribution.
These funds make distributions in accordance with a managed distribution plan that provides for the declaration of monthly distributions to common shareholders of the fund at an annual minimum fixed rate of 7% for the Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund, 8% for the Allspring Income Opportunities Fund, and 9% for the Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund based on the fund's average monthly net asset value (NAV) per share over the prior 12 months. Under the managed distribution plan, distributions are sourced from income and also may be sourced from paid-in capital and/or capital gains. The fund's distributions in any period may be more or less than the net return earned by the fund on its investments and therefore should not be used as a measure of performance or confused with yield or income. Distributions in excess of fund returns will cause the fund's NAV to decline. Investors should not draw any conclusions about the fund's investment performance from the amount of its distribution or from the terms of its managed distribution plan.
The Allspring Income Opportunities Fund is a closed-end high-yield bond fund. The fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. The fund may, as a secondary objective, seek capital appreciation to the extent it is consistent with its investment objective.
The Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund is a closed-end income fund. The fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income consistent with limiting its overall exposure to domestic interest rate risk.
The Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund is a closed-end equity and high-yield bond fund. The fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income and moderate capital growth with an emphasis on providing tax-advantaged dividend income.
For more information on Allspring's closed-end funds, please visit www.allspringglobal.com.
These closed-end funds are no longer available in public offerings and are only offered through broker-dealers on the secondary market. A closed-end fund is not required to buy its shares back from investors upon request. Shares of a fund may trade at either a premium or discount relative to the fund's net asset value, and there can be no assurance that any discount will decrease. The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by a fund may decline due to general market conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of such securities.
Equity securities fluctuate in value in response to factors specific to the issuer of the security. Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk, and high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality have a much greater risk of default and their values tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar maturities. Foreign investments may contain more risk due to the inherent risks associated with changing political climates, foreign market instability, and foreign currency fluctuations. Risks of international investing are magnified in emerging or developing markets. Funds that concentrate their investments in a single industry or sector may face increased risk of price fluctuation over more diversified funds due to adverse developments within that industry or sector. Small- and mid-cap securities may be subject to special risks associated with narrower product lines and limited financial resources compared with their large-cap counterparts. Each fund is leveraged through a revolving credit facility and also may incur leverage by issuing preferred shares in the future.
The use of leverage results in certain risks, including, among others, the likelihood of greater volatility of the net asset value and the market price of common shares. Derivatives involve additional risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, the risk of improper valuation, and the risk of noncorrelation to the relevant instruments they are designed to hedge or closely track. There are numerous risks associated with transactions in options on securities.
Allspring Global Investments™ is the trade name for the asset management firms of Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, a holding company indirectly owned by certain private funds of GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. These firms include but are not limited to Allspring Global Investments, LLC, and Allspring Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by Allspring entities are distributed by Allspring Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA/SIPC). Associated with Allspring is Galliard Capital Management, LLC (an investment advisor that is not part of the Allspring trade name/GIPS firm).
This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.
Some of the information contained herein may include forward-looking statements about the expected investment activities of the funds. These statements provide no assurance as to the funds' actual investment activities or results. Readers must make their own assessment of the information contained herein and consider such other factors as they may deem relevant to their individual circumstances.
The Players’ Lounge Expands with Student-Athletes from Seven New Universities, Will Host Kick-Off Party to Connect Fans with Student-Athlete Partners
The Players’ Lounge (TPL), a Web 3.0 focused platform built to empower relationships between current and former college athletes and their respective fanbases, today announces its expansion with student-athletes at seven new universities: Auburn University, Clemson University, University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Tennessee and University of Texas. To celebrate the launches and growth into eight total markets, The Players’ Lounge will host The TPL Kick-off, the ultimate fan experience event, at the College Football Hall of Fame on July 23, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring more than 60 athletes from all nine TPL schools, along with special guests including former college football greats from each of the schools.
“When we first concepted The Players’ Lounge last Fall, I never thought we’d be where we are today, partnering with some of the best college athletes in the country, and providing unforgettable experiences to some of the biggest fan bases in all of sports,” states Keith Marshall, Co-CEO of The Players’ Lounge. “This event is the culmination of the incredible work of our team, our school ambassadors and the student-athletes that have entrusted us through NIL. We look forward to an amazing event that hopefully captures the essence of what TPL is all about; athlete empowerment, engagement, and community.”
Student-athletes attending the TPL Kick-off include the following schools:
Alabama
Rashad Johnson
Brian Branch
Trey Sanders
Demarco Hellams
Kristian Story
Cameron Latu
Malachi Moore
Terrion Arnold
Dallas Turner
Myra Gordon
Khyree Jackson
Tyler Booker
Auburn
TJ Finley
Keiondre Jones
Nehemiah Pritchett
Jaylin Simpson
Derick Hall
Shedrick Jackson
Owen Pappoe
Tyler Fromm
Jaylin Williams
Wendell Green
Zep Jasper
Clemson
BT Potter
Ben Boulware
Trenton Simpson
Tyler Davis
Tyler Venables
Jordan McFadden
KJ Henry
Joseph Ngata
Oklahoma
Joshua Eaton
DJ Graham
Danny Stutsman
Trey Morrison
Jalen Redmond
Olivia Trautman
Ragan Smith
Texas
Luke Brockermeyer
Derrick Johnson
Bryan Jones
Byron Murphy
Justice Finkley
Roschon Johnson
Jordan Whittington
Jaylon Guilbeau
Tanner Witt
Tennessee
Brandon Turnage
Jabari Small
Jeremy Banks
Tyler Baron
Tre Flowers
Cooper Mays
Cedric Tillman
The Players’ Lounge utilizes Web 3.0 technologies to connect communities of fans and their respective student-athletes through the purchase of NFTs, which serve as fans' subscriptions and unlock a variety of utilities from exclusive message boards to in-person events. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sales go directly to the student-athlete partners.
More information around how fans can attend the event is to come. What we know for sure is that fans who hold TPLs DGD Mafia NFT as well as a Bayou Cat Crew NFT from the pre-sale on June 25th will be entered for a chance to attend the event which will feature:
- Exclusive speakers from across the schools, the college sports landscape and favorite college football broadcasters
- A lounge featuring pool tables, arcade style games, and more
- A Madden tournament featuring players vs. fans
- Open bar and light bites, and more
“At the College Football Hall of Fame, we pride ourselves on hosting some of the most exclusive events in the country. This TPL Kick-off party will certainly join the ranks of one of our best experiences connecting fans with their favorite athletes,” says Kimberly Beaudin, CEO and President of the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame. “We believe in celebrating excellence on and off the field and these student-athletes are among the best and brightest of their generation. It is an honor to participate in bringing these athletes together to share exclusive experiences with their die-hard fans.”
More details will be unveiled in the coming months including speakers, attendees and sponsors.
To learn more about the event, become a sponsor or sign up to attend, visit: https://www.theplayerslounge.io/kickoff-party
To join The Players’ Lounge community, visit https://www.theplayerslounge.io/.
JDC Group Named as One of Atlanta's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For
JDC Group, a Consulting Solutions Company, announced today that it has been named as one of "Atlanta's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®" in 2022 by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).
Since 2005, JDC Group has earned a national reputation as one of the leading technology workforce solutions providers, helping companies drive successful SAP transformation initiatives by delivering scalable, flexible solutions. A silver partner in the SAP® PartnerEdge® program, JDC Group provides architecture, migration, and implementation programs utilizing highly specialized SAP consultants and practitioners with a focus across multiple industries.
Companies receiving the NABR Best and Brightest recognition were assessed by an independent research firm, with applicants scored on: Compensation, Benefits, and Employee Solutions; Creative, Wellness, and Wellbeing Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement, and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment and Selection; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Work-Life Blend; Community Initiatives and Corporate Responsibility; and Leadership, Strategy, and Company Performance.
"We're honored to be recognized as a 'Best and Brightest' company for 2022 and view it as a validation of our ongoing commitment to our employees," said JDC Group President Greg Beyer. "We're able to provide exemplary technology workforce solutions because of our highly skilled teams, so it's a core mission of our organization to ensure their continual job satisfaction, career fulfillment, and wellbeing."
"JDC Group as well as the entire family of Consulting Solutions companies are laser-focused on exceptional HR practices to ensure that we continue to keep top talent with us to support our clients," said Michael Werblun, CEO of Consulting Solutions. "We're excited that JDC Group has received this year's Best and Brightest recognition for its Atlanta operations. Every employee is important to us, and we look forward to continuing to raise the bar in terms of the work environment we create for our teams."
"These 2022 winning organizations have stood out during unpredictable times and have proven they are an employer of choice," said Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO of NABR and The Best and Brightest Program. "They continue to keep the needs of their employees first and provide perks that include development, wellbeing, work-life balance, rewards, and recognition. In addition, these winning companies offer a fantastic work culture and workplace environment that attract and retain superior employees."
To see all winners of the 2022 Atlanta Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, click here.
Georgia Power Requests Funding to Support Essential, Critical Investments in Electric Grid Reliability, Cleaner and More Economical Energy Resources and Better Customer Experience
Georgia Power today filed a request with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) that would enable the company to continue making investments in strengthening and further securing the electric grid, transforming its power generation to include cleaner and more economical energy resources and continue improving the customer experience.
"We take our responsibility to plan, prepare and make the investments needed to meet our customers' energy needs today, tomorrow and for years to come seriously, and Georgia Power's request to the Georgia Public Service Commission today outlines and supports that focus," said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "As our state continues to grow and the energy landscape rapidly evolves, we recognize and respect our customers' focus on the reliability and resiliency of Georgia's electric system, the expansion of our clean energy resources and Georgia Power's continued ability to safely and reliably meet their energy needs. This request reinforces our commitment to meeting those needs while continuing to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy for generations of Georgians."
The request supports Georgia Power's focus on the following:
- Strengthening the electric grid through investments in the company's transmission and distribution systems and the continuation of its Grid Investment Plan (GIP) to support customers' long-term reliability and resiliency needs. Many of these investments are required to protect the reliability and resiliency of our electric grid.
- Transforming how it makes energy, including the continued transition of the company's power generation to cleaner and more economical resources for customers, including renewables such as solar.
- Enhancing operations and improving customer experience through investments in technology that will help enable Georgia Power to continue delivering exceptional service to customers while meeting their evolving energy needs.
If approved, customer rates would increase a total of just under 12% over the next three years, which is lower than the current projected rate of inflation. As outlined in the filing, the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatthours per month would see an increase of $14.32 per month on their bill in 2023, $1.35 per month in 2024 and $0.62 per month in 2025, for a total increase of $16.29 over the three-year period. The company has helped offset the rising cost of doing business through reduced operating costs, managing storm cost recovery and making smart financing decisions.
Strengthening the Electric Grid
Georgia Power is continuously investing in the power grid to make it smarter and more reliable, and today's filing looks to continue those efforts. The company is seeking to build upon its ongoing investments in its transmission and distribution system to further provide safe, reliable and secure electric service to its customers. Over the next three years, the company expects to invest nearly $7 billion more in transmission and distribution improvements, including $2.2 billion in the company's on-going multi-year GIP.
Over the last ten years, Georgia Power has invested nearly $10 billion to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of its network for the benefit of the communities and people it serves. This amount includes approximately $4.9 billion invested in transmission and distribution infrastructure since January 2020 and projected through December 2022, of which $1.5 billion relates to the company's GIP. Examples of critical investments the company has made and look to continue include:
- deploying advanced control and monitoring technologies, including additional self-healing distribution networks, to enhance the company's ability to sectionalize parts of the electric grid to isolate issues and reroute power to serve customers;
- replacing framing hardware to improve insulation levels and protect equipment; and
- enhancing substations, replacing transformers and moving powerlines underground.
These investments have improved reliability, reduced both the number and duration of outages, minimized repair time and contributed to a better customer experience. The investments proposed in this request are a continuation of these enhancements that have increased reliability.
Investing in Renewables and Cleaner Energy Resources
As presented in the company's 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filed earlier this year, Georgia Power is looking to continue transforming how it produces energy, transitioning its power generation fleet to more economical and cleaner generation resources that will produce significant, long-term benefits for customers. The company is deploying new and expanded resources in solar, wind, hydro and energy storage to continue reducing carbon emission. This rate request would support that transformation and the proposed retirement of approximately 3,600 megawatts (MW) of coal- and oil-fired generation by 2028, replacing it with more economical generation and supporting investment in the transmission infrastructure necessary to facilitate the continued growth of renewables and to provide customers access to these lower cost and lower-carbon emitting resources.
To support the transition, Georgia Power will continue serving customers with a diverse, balanced generation fleet of reliable, resilient and economical resources, which includes adding cost-effective renewable resources. Working within the state's constructive regulatory framework, Georgia Power has continued developing renewable resources in a way that benefits customers, positioning the company as a national leader in renewable energy growth. Georgia Power currently has one of the largest voluntary renewable portfolios in the country, with more than 3,100 MW of renewable resources already online and an additional 2,400 MW under development. The company is also planning to double its renewable generation by adding 6,000 MW by 2035, which includes a request for approval of 2,300 MW* in its 2022 IRP. This new capacity would expand the company's renewable resource portfolio to approximately 11,500 MW by 2035.
The addition of these renewable resources and the retirement of uneconomic coal- and oil-fired units will enable Georgia Power to continue to operate its generation fleet efficiently, reliably and affordably for customers. To read more about Georgia Power's energy plans for the future, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com/IRP.
Enhancing the Customer Experience
Georgia Power is focused on continuously improving for the benefit of customers, including enhancing how customers can communicate with the company, pay their bills and manage their energy usage. In response to customers' changing preferences, the company has enhanced customer communications and provided additional and more flexible payment options, enrolling nearly 500,000 customers in outage alerts, eliminating credit and debit card payments fees, increasing the number of Authorized Payment Locations across the state, extending the bill payment timeframe by five days and more.
Over the next three years, Georgia Power will continue this focus and plans to invest nearly $700 million in technologies that will enhance operations and benefit customers. These include:
- Customer Information System (CIS) – Implementation of a new CIS will integrate customer information into a single platform that enables customer service employees to quickly access customer information, thereby allowing them to provide customers with more comprehensive and timely solutions.
- Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) – DERMS is an integrated software resource platform that offers real-time visibility into the impact of distributed energy resources on the electric system and allows for enhanced monitoring and operational capabilities. A robust DERMS platform will enable Georgia Power to integrate distributed energy resources with both system and fleet operations.
- Technologies to support the continued electrification of transportation – Over the next three years, Georgia Power will increase investments in community electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities and necessary electric transportation infrastructure upgrades to support customer EV charging. In addition to these capital infrastructure upgrades, the rate request continues various rebates for homebuilders and residential and commercial customers to accommodate growth in EV charging across the state.
Additionally, the company is working on developing a new, enhanced mobile app that will simplify mobile transactions, provide direct communications with customers impacted by service outages and notify customers regarding company offerings for which they qualify. Georgia Power is also developing a virtual platform that will help customers by answering general questions and processing a variety of customer transactions and plans to release a digital wallet option later this year, which will allow customers to make payments conveniently from their mobile devices and more.
Energy Assistance
Georgia Power has a long-standing history of assisting income-qualified customers with programs and resources to aid them in lowering and paying their bills, and those will continue in this rate request. Program details are available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/EnergyAssistance, including details on:
- Senior citizen discount – Georgia Power offers a senior citizen discount of up to $24 per bill to customers 65 years of age or older who qualify based on their income. In this rate request, the company is proposing to increase this discount by $2.27 in its filing for a total discount of up to $26.27 per bill.
- Project SHARE – In partnership with the Salvation Army, customers can donate $1, $2, $5, or $10 on their monthly bill to support their neighbors in need. Georgia Power matches each dollar donated with $1.50 up to a total match of $1.5 million annually. Since its inception in 1986, Georgia Power and its customers have donated more than $72 million to the program.
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – Georgia Power supports the Division of Family & Children Services through LIHEAP, which is available every year from November to May, and helps low-income households pay for heating and cooling their homes.
- Home Energy Efficiency Assistance Program (HEEAP) – Income-qualified Georgia Power customers may be eligible for free, energy-efficiency home improvements. From improved attic insulation to smart thermostats that can help manage their home's temperature, these type of home improvements can help qualified customers save energy and reduce their bills.
Additionally, the company offers a variety of flexible and customizable rate plans and payment options to help manage electric bills. Being on the most economical rate plan for a customer's use is one of the most effective ways to keep energy costs low. Customers can explore Georgia Power rate plans and billing options on www.GeorgiaPower.com, including:
- FlatBill –This plan offers a 12-month fixed price that will not vary as usage does – eliminating surprises and preventing higher bills during the summer and other peak usage months.
- PrePay – Customers can take control of when and how much they pay with PrePay. This program provides customers with more flexibility to manage their budget and energy use, while also enjoying the benefits of no deposit requirement, credit check, or reconnect fees.
- Budget Billing – Offered to Georgia Power customers to reduce large fluctuations in their bill due to seasonal peaks, Budget Billing spreads a customer's total annual electric costs over 12 equal monthly payments.
Rate Case Process
Today's filing initiates a series of additional filings and public hearings with the Georgia PSC. At the conclusion of this open and transparent process, the Georgia PSC is expected to vote on the company's rate case in December. The request seeks to continue the investments approved in Georgia Power's 2019 Rate Case, so that the company can continue to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to customers. If approved, the proposed rates would take effect beginning January 1, 2023.
* REC Disclaimer: Georgia Power purchases only the null energy output from some renewable generating facilities that have contracted to sell that energy to Georgia Power. Ownership of the associated renewable energy credits (RECs) is specified in each respective power purchase agreement. The party that owns the RECs retains the right to use them.
Sonida Senior Living Names Tim Cober as Chief Accounting Officer
Sonida Senior Living, Inc. (the “Company” or “Sonida Senior Living”) (NYSE: SNDA), one of the nation’s leading senior living owner-operators, announced the appointment of Tim Cober, CPA, as Chief Accounting Officer, effective July 1, 2022. Cober joins Sonida Senior Living from Spire Hospitality, a national third-party hospitality management company, where he most recently served as Vice President of Accounting. Cober will succeed Howard Garfield whose last day with the Company will be July 1, 2022.
“Tim is a hands-on and results-driven accounting and finance executive with extensive experience leading large teams through organizational change to improve internal processes and systems. Tim has proven business acumen in mergers, acquisitions and portfolio optimization encompassing the full business lifecycle,” said Kevin Detz, Chief Financial Officer. “We are delighted to welcome him to the Sonida team.”
During his time at Spire Hospitality, Cober was involved in multiple strategic initiatives, including the accounting oversight of complex hotel joint venture structures and corporate accounting with varying bases of accounting, including U.S. GAAP, tax and cash. He was responsible for cash management, forecasting and reporting for all Spire Hospitality entities, and he oversaw the status and completion of annual financial and internal audits performed by various national and regional audit firms.
Prior to that, Cober held roles as a Vice President and Corporate Controller and Vice President of Accounting Operations for two leading healthcare organizations. Notably, he transformed the accounting departments at both companies to reduce contract labor, streamline processes and support organizational growth and efficiency.
Earlier in his career, Cober served as Vice President of Central Accounting for Aimbridge Hospitality and was responsible for the Hotel Accounting Department, encompassing approximately $5 billion in revenues, 800 hotels and a staff of 100 professionals.
At the beginning of his career, Cober spent several years as an Assurance Senior for Ernst & Young primarily serving private and public clients in real estate, hospitality and private equity and a Financial Services Associate for Chapman Hext, & Co. P.C.
“This is a time of significant opportunity for Sonida and its stakeholders. I’m honored to accept the role of Chief Accounting Officer,” said Cober. “I look forward to joining the Company and being part of this exceptional team as we contribute to the Company’s important mission.”
Cober graduated with a degree in Accounting from University of Texas, Arlington, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Emberli Pridham, Celebrated Children’s Book Author Set to Preview A Real-Life Fairy Tale Illustrated Biography Series Chronicling The Lives Of Globally Renowned Women Whose Dedication To Improving Lives Impacted The World
Best-selling children's author Emberli Pridham will preview her new book series - A Real Life Fairy Tale (www.areallifefairytale.com) Princess Diana with a celebration event to take place at renowned fashion destination Veronica Beard Southampton, New York on Saturday June 25 from 2 to 4pm. Ms. Pridham will read excerpts from her book as well as sign copies with proceeds benefitting Centrepoint, a UK charity that provides shelter and support to homeless teenaged girls and young women.
Princess Diana: A Real-Life Fairy Tale The first in a series of illustrated biographies that chronicles the lives of renowned women who went from relative anonymity to become global icons whose contributions changed the world.
Ms. Pridham gained national recognition as co-author If Not You, Then Who? (www.ifnotyoubooks.com) the highly regarded and top-selling book series that introduces children to the magical world of inventors and inventions - all the while helping to build imaginations and encourage their own creativity.
Combining thought-provoking text and original illustrations, each book in Ms. Pridham's Real-Life Fairy Tale series is designed to introduce children to several of the most distinguished women in contemporary history and inspire them with their lives and legacies.
Princess Diana: A Real-Life Fairy Tale takes young readers through her growing up years as a spunky girl in Norfolk, England to her courtship by Queen Elizabeth's son, Prince Charles and her emergence as one of contemporary history's most accomplished fighters for social change, taking her place on the world stage where she made a profound difference to the lives of millions by leading with grace, compassion and empathy.
Prior to launching into her Real-Life Fairy Tale biography series, Ms. Pridham has co-authored five titles in the popular If Not You, Then Who? series which have gone on to achieve #1 rankings in key Amazon Best Seller categories including How Things Workbooks, Children's Inventors Books, Children's Jobs & Careers Books, Children's Technology Fiction Books, and Children's Girls and Women's Books.
Princess Diana: A Real-Life Fairy Tale will be available at Barnes&Noble.com, Amazon, www.reallifefairytale.com and through all other online booksellers, as well as at select booksellers and retailers nationwide.
Veronica Beard Southampton is located at 84 Main Street, Southampton, New York.
AT&T COO Updates Shareholders at Bank of America Conference
Jeff McElfresh, chief operating officer, AT&T Inc.* (NYSE:T), spoke today at the Bank of America C-Suite TMT Conference where he provided an update to shareholders.
McElfresh reiterated that AT&T has taken a disciplined approach to growth and investment and made the following points:
- The company continues to grow customer relationships in its strategic focus areas of 5G and fiber. McElfresh stated the company continues to see healthy consumer demand even with continued expectations that 2022 postpaid wireless industry demand is unlikely to replicate 2021 levels. AT&T continues to successfully attract high-value customers with its consistent, simple go-to-market strategy and efficient distribution.
- McElfresh remains comfortable that the company can deliver improving postpaid phone ARPU trends in 2022. He reiterated prior commentary from the company that postpaid phone ARPU could edge up sequentially in the second quarter.
- McElfresh stated the one of the company’s top priorities is improvement in profit trends, particularly as select transformation investments drive incremental efficiencies throughout AT&T. As noted previously, the company continues to anticipate gradual improvement in year-over-year mobility EBITDA trends throughout 2022. The company expects a more pronounced impact from the previously announced 3G network shutdown and the absence of approximately $100 million in CAF II and FirstNet related reimbursements in the second quarter. However, the revenue and EBITDA impacts of these items are expected to be more than mitigated in the second half of year by organic service revenue growth and the lapping of 3G shutdown costs in the second half of 2021.
- AT&T’s fiber build continues to progress with expectations to achieve 30+ million total customer locations by 2025. McElfresh noted that AT&T is acquiring new customers and seeing strong penetration rates thanks to its straightforward go-to-market approach.
- AT&T continues to work through its business wireline portfolio rationalization process and focus its efforts on core transport and connectivity solutions. As previously noted, the company has yet to see a recovery in government sector demand trends, which impacted the business during the first quarter
NexPoint Extends Offer to Purchase Up to All Shares of United Development Funding IV (UDFI)
NexPoint Advisors, L.P., investment adviser to the NexPoint Diversified Real Estate Trust ("NXDT" and together with affiliated entities "NexPoint"), today announced the extension of the offering period for its previously announced offer to purchase Shares of Beneficial Interest (the "Shares") of United Development Funding IV ("UDFI" or the "Company") at a price of $1.10 per Share upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Assignment Form for the offer (which together constitute the "Offer" and the "Tender Offer Documents"). The Offer is now scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, at the end of the day on July 22, 2022, unless the Offer is extended or earlier terminated. The Tender Offer Documents are available at www.UDFITenderOffer.com, or from the information agent for the Offer, as discussed below.
As previously announced on December 14, 2020, the Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions: (i) there shall not have been threatened, instituted, or pending any action or proceeding before any court or any governmental or administrative agency (a) challenging the acquisition of shares pursuant to the Offer or otherwise relating in any manner to the Offer, or (b) in the sole judgment of NexPoint, otherwise materially adversely affecting the Company; (ii) NexPoint shall have received all required governmental approvals, if any, for the Offer; (iii) NexPoint shall have had the opportunity to conduct sufficient due diligence to determine whether the offered price per share is reasonable given the current financial condition and results of operations of UDFI; (iv) the Board of Trustees of UDFI shall have waived in writing the ownership limitations set forth in Article VII of the Declaration of Trust of UDFI as such limitations would otherwise apply to the Offer; and (v) NexPoint shall have received satisfactory evidence that UDFI has continued to qualify as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under federal tax laws and thereby to avoid any entity-level federal income or excise tax.
NXDT is in the process of converting from an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 into a real estate investment trust ("REIT"). In connection with that conversion, NXDT dropped down certain of its investments to a single-member, wholly owned limited liability company subsidiary, NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities ("NREO"), which is reflected as a portfolio company of NXDT. NexPoint Advisors, L.P., external adviser to NXDT and NREO, continues to have investment and voting power over the UDF IV Common Shares. Accordingly, NexPoint continues to beneficially own the UDF IV Common Shares it had previously reported to the SEC on its last Schedule 13D.
On January 8, 2021, UDFI announced that it had reduced the percentage of outstanding Shares that a shareholder may own from 9.8% to 5.0%. The Company took such action in an effort to frustrate the Offer. It also announced it amended the Company's bylaws to require that certain legal actions could be brought on behalf of or against UDFI only in certain courts in Maryland. NexPoint is reviewing these actions and their legality under applicable law.
Shareholders should read the Offer to Purchase and the related materials carefully because they contain important information. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the Offer to Purchase and the Assignment Form from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent for the Offer (the "Information Agent"), by calling toll-free at (800) 331-7543. THE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, EASTERN TIME, AT THE END OF THE DAY ON JULY 22, 2022, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED.
Primoris Services Corporation Awarded $260 Million Solar Project
Primoris Services Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: PRIM) (“Primoris” or the “Company”) today announced a solar project with an estimated value of $260 million. The contract was secured by the Company’s Energy/Renewables Segment.
“The organic growth of our utility-scale solar business is one measure of the success of our energy transition strategy,” said Tom McCormick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Primoris. “With over 3,200 megawatts of solar power projects under construction currently in 2022, Primoris ranks as one of the leading EPC contractors in the space. This contract brings our year-to-date total of new solar business to more than half of a billion dollars.”
The award is for the engineering, procurement and construction of a utility-scale solar facility in the South. Initial project construction will begin in the third quarter of 2022 with completion of the project expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.
A Statement from David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive on the Passing of the Company’s Founder and Executive Chairman Bruton Smith
Please see the statement below from David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive, Inc. (“Sonic'' or the “Company”) (NYSE:SAH), on the passing of the Company’s founder and executive chairman Bruton Smith.
“Yesterday, our company’s founder, executive chairman, and my father, Bruton Smith, passed away. He lived a truly remarkable life fulfilling his love for the automobile business, motorsports, philanthropy and most of all his family. I’m forever grateful for the countless opportunities he gave me and invaluable lessons he taught me about life, business, leadership, and the importance of giving back. I’m honored to work with our company’s Board of Directors, leadership team, and over 10,000 teammates to continue executing the vision he had for our company. Today and in the years ahead, Sonic Automotive will honor my father’s legacy through our company’s commitment to our guests, teammates, manufacturer partners, and communities we serve. Bruton Smith was not only an amazing entrepreneur and businessman, he was an even greater dad and my best friend. I used to tell him often that if everyone had a dad like him the world would be a much better place.” David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive, Inc.

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