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Stagwell’s (STGW) Assembly Unveils Fresh Brand Identity

Assembly

Global omnichannel agency Assembly has launched a refreshed brand identity to reinforce the agency’s worldwide scale and dynamic, collaborative nature, while signaling the next era of growth. The new identity, designed by creative media consultancy and fellow Stagwell agency, GALE, will be represented globally across the more than 30 markets Assembly serves, uniting our 1,500+ talent network under a focused vision. The brand refresh comes shortly after the combination of ForwardPMX and Assembly in September 2021, a move that cemented the group’s position as the flagship media asset within Stagwell ’s global portfolio. Since the combination, the agency has strengthened our integrated full-service media offering, while expanding into more comprehensive business, data, and technology consulting services, including the continued buildout of our proprietary technology and data solutions platform, STAGE. All of this has culminated in the agency taking on more scaled, global AOR engagements for leading brands. “We’ve looked inward to find change and fuel growth within our own business, and in evolving the brand, we’re moving confidently into a space where our Assembly of data, talent, and tech can deliver a leading set of solutions for the best brands in the world,” said James Townsend, Global CEO of Assembly and Global CEO of Stagwell Media Network. The visual identity plays intentionally with bold, bright colors to humanize and create a sense of accessibility, while also exploring an expanded palette and photography style that reflects the rich diversity of the talent within Assembly and the consumers our clients serve. “Our vision was to reinvigorate the most iconic elements of the former Assembly brand while also leaning further into a visual story that would be intrinsically connected to how we deliver our work,” said Sara Pollack, VP of Marketing at Assembly. “This new brand further solidifies our common purpose and an identity which connect us, no matter where we are in the world.” Assembly has also placed significant emphasis on Impact, both in our efforts led internally by staff around the world, as well as through more dynamic partnerships and innovation in sustainable media, making the agency a key consultative partner to clients navigating their own sustainability agendas in media and beyond. The rebrand effort offered an opportunity for a different kind of collaboration between Stagwell agencies Assembly and GALE, the latter of which has been known for transforming brand identities and challenging perceptions through storytelling and media for the likes of MilkPEP, H&R Block, Chipotle, and Truth Initiative. “Media today is more than data and targeting. It’s also about both culture and collaboration. With this rebrand we wanted to create something that leaned into those two ideas in an energetic, dynamic, and attention-grabbing way,” said Winston Binch, Chief Brand and Experience Officer at GALE. Binch continued, “The big idea here really is the logo change. The original Assembly logo had the “/” on the left side of the “+.” We flipped it. Through this simple change, we’ve created a logo that is inherently more open and inclusive. Assembly is all about collaboration, and we felt that it needed to be conveyed through the logo itself. Great branding is all about the details.” “Our network is designed to transform marketing and the Assembly-GALE team designed a strong new brand that reflects that ambition,” said Beth Lester Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell. “Assembly’s new identity is a great representation of the brand’s ability to deliver the best in media and beyond.” Assembly’s new brand identity is complemented by the full relaunch of the agency’s website at www.assemblyglobal.com. ABOUT ASSEMBLY: Assembly is made of the ingredients of the modern agency, bringing together data, talent, and technology to deliver a connected set of solutions for media + more to the best brands on the planet. We’re home to more than 1,500 of the industry’s top talent, who bring unmatched global omnichannel media expertise + data, technology, and business consulting capabilities that help brands find the change that fuels growth. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. Visit www.assemblyglobal.com for more information. ABOUT GALE: GALE is a Creative Media Consultancy, with data at the core. With expertise in business strategy, CRM, loyalty, brand storytelling, performance marketing, experience design and media, GALE creates marketing systems and communications that grow businesses. GALE delivers strong business outcomes for its partners in automotive, QSR, retail, gaming, entertainment, telecom and more. Founded in 2014, the agency currently has offices in New York, Singapore, Toronto, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, London, Austin and Bengaluru. In 2021, GALE was named Data & Analytics Agency of the year on the Ad Age A-List. For information on GALE, its customer data platform Alchemy™ and its consumer research capability ASK GALE, visit: https://gale.agency/. ABOUT STAGWELL: Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 20+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com. Contact Details Assembly Sara Pollack, VP of Marketing +1 917-438-4922 sara.pollack@assemblyglobal.com Company Website https://www.assemblyglobal.com/

February 16, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Avi Kumar Converts Independent Print Shop to Minuteman Press Franchise in Longmont, CO

Minuteman Press International Inc

A vi Kumar has been part of the Minuteman Press franchise family since May 2016 as the owner of Minuteman Press in Greeley, CO. In February 2021, Avi had the opportunity to buy Ron’s Printing Center located in Longmont, CO, which was in business for 40 years. Avi converted Ron’s Printing Center into his second Minuteman Press location in February 2021 and is now celebrating one year in business at the new center. Minuteman Press in Longmont is located at 420 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501. Avi says, “Our Regional Vice President Jack Panzer told us about this established business for sale in Longmont, which is 40 minutes from us. The main advantage was to extend profitability and expand our business in Northern Colorado.” He continues, “Another advantage was that we did not have to spend a lot of extra effort in marketing this as a new business because Ron’s Printing Center had been established for a long time. The employees were all very hands-on and diligent and we were able to retain them all. Within the second month, we added mailings, promotional products, and apparel to their product lines. In fact, we just wrapped up a 30K mailer for a local non-profit organization and secured a large apparel order as well.” Prior to franchising in 2016, Avi worked in retail as a convenience store manager of several locations. “I used to manage some stores in Illinois for a big outfit out of Wisconsin. I finally got tired of answering to my boss and decided I wanted to own my own business. I moved on to better pastures and we decided as a family that Colorado was our calling.” Avi is thankful for being able to work with Minuteman Press and Jack Panzer over the past five-plus years in Greeley and on the conversion in Longmont in 2021. He says, “Working with Jack is amazing as he is very thorough and helpful. Since I started my business in Greeley in 2016, he has been a huge resource for us and very supportive. As we continue to build in Longmont, we are also expanding in Greeley to a new 5,000 sq. ft. facility – remodeling is under way as we speak. We started small and grew the business, and now we are building on that success at the right, consistent pace.” For more information on Minuteman Press in Longmont, CO, visit https://minuteman.com/us/locations/co/longmont. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. To learn how to sell your printing business through the Minuteman Press Conversion Program, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 15, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Sports Business Analyst Mike Bako’s Winter Olympic Analysis

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEYO-2_V6A4 Mike Bako, Daily National.com sports editor, provides insights and analysis on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the latest on the scandal that is overshadowing the games. Failed Test Casts Shadow Over Skating, the Olympics’ Showcase Event. Russian skater’s Kamila Valieva positive test were an embarrassing failure of the systems designed to keep doping out of the Olympics. Valieva was cleared to skate even though she failed a drug test taken Dec. 25, the result only emerging last week, after her two brilliant performances in the team competition helped win gold for the Russian team. The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave her a favorable decision early Monday in part because she is a minor, known as a "protected person,'' and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete. For additional commentary by Bako please email mike@dailynational.com For more information, visit DailyNational.com Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 15, 2022 10:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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COMCAST’S SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAM EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY TO ALL WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS HIT HARDEST BY THE PANDEMIC

Comcast Houston

Comcast RISE, a small business support program that’s helped more than 500 Houston-area businesses with grants and no-cost marketing services and technology makeovers, is now expanding eligibility to all women business owners who have been impacted by the pandemic. All women business owners — regardless of race or ethnicity— can now apply through June 17, 2022 at www.ComcastRise.com. Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment, is a multi-year commitment to support small businesses owned by people of color through advancing digital equity — a concept that recognizes everyone’s life circumstances are different and underrepresented small businesses should have access to the digital and marketing tools necessary to be successful in a digital world. The expansion of eligibility comes after Comcast RISE celebrated its one-year anniversary. Nationally, the program provided more than $60 million in grants, no-cost marketing and technology services to more than 6,700 small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, among others. Of the 6,700 Comcast RISE recipients to date, nearly 70% are businesses owned by women of color, which spurred Comcast to take a deeper look into the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 42% of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, with more than 1,800 new businesses being started every day. That’s nearly five times the national average. However, according to the same study, women-owned businesses are growing at only half the rate of those run by men, namely because women struggle to access capital and other resources to help them succeed. In 2021, Houston-area woman-owned small businesses like All Real Radio, LAMIK Beauty, and Connect The Dots PR, were awarded either grants and/or digital tools needed to thrive and support their respective communities. The business owners serve as ambassadors to the program. Over the next 10 years, Comcast is committing $1 billion to programs, like Comcast RISE, and partnerships to reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. In addition to women-owned businesses, all businesses owned by people of color are encouraged to apply for the chance to receive no-cost consulting, media and creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or technology upgrades from Comcast Business. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Effectv Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps local, regional, and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66 markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers. For more information, visit www.effectv.com. Contact Details Foti Kallergis +1 832-986-0196 Foti_Kallergis@comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

February 15, 2022 07:02 AM Central Standard Time

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News Direct, an Alternative Wire Service, Selects Texture Capital’s Online Marketplace for Digital Security Offering

Texture Capital

Texture Capital Inc., a leading digital asset securities broker-dealer, today announced that News Direct, an advanced news and content distribution service designed to meet the demands of modern media outreach, has selected Texture’s online marketplace for their digital security offering. Texture Capital will support capital raising News Direct digital securities, which can also become eligible for trading on Texture's marketplace in the future providing News Direct investors with secondary market liquidity opportunities not typically available to investors in private securities. News Direct aims to redefine the staid, decades-old newswire industry with access to an expansive global network of media agencies, news outlets, and trade press—via an automated, secure, and collaborative workflow that eliminates the costly, time-consuming, and outdated editorial layer of traditional providers, all with no word count or geographic-based pricing parameters. The company is dedicated to providing a best-in-class distribution platform to support the communications needs of a diverse customer base, including PR, investor relations, corporate communications professionals, and content marketers, to help manage, execute, and measure their communications programs. Unique functionality supports the dissemination of expanded multimedia formats such as infographics, video, and images as independent, standalone assets, and the organization places an emphasis on secure access and robust analytics. “News Direct’s comprehensive and API-driven, cloud-based platform is the model for services organizations today,” said Richard Johnson, CEO of Texture Capital. “Having used the platform ourselves, we believe the team has struck a chord with the market and appreciate their focuses on security, workflow, analytics, and overall ease of use. We are proud to welcome News Direct to our platform, and are excited to continue working with them throughout 2022 and beyond.” “Having spent more than 32 years at one of the industry's leading providers, including the last seven as president, I started News Direct because I knew the category was dominated by incumbents that had grown change-averse and overly protective of a historically lucrative, but increasingly outdated, business and service model," said Gregg Castano, Founder and CEO of News Direct. “We’re delivering a novel, reimagined, and simplified workflow to meet the needs of 21st century professionals across communications, PR, investor relations, content marketing, and other segments. As we continue to invest in expanding our team and breaking new ground technologically, working with a partner like Texture Capital—whose entrepreneurial philosophy reflects our own—is an exciting milestone for News Direct.” To learn more about how News Direct plans to shake up the legacy newswire industry, please register here for our informational webinar. About Texture Capital Texture Capital, the institutional marketplace for private capital, is a technology-driven marketplace for institutions and issuers to more efficiently and directly participate in the private markets, improving liquidity, transparency, and access. We leverage blockchain technology and smart contracts to streamline the current market structure for private placements; supporting the primary issuance and secondary trading of digital securities through a regulated broker- dealer and a registered ATS. Please visit https://texture.capital for more information and to stay informed of future updates. About News Direct News Direct is an advanced news and content distribution service designed to meet the demands of modern media outreach. News Direct delivers a completely reimagined distribution workflow, revitalized measurement, and high quality service for highly dynamic, efficient, and flexible distribution. News Direct was founded by Gregg Castano, longtime president of Business Wire. With an insider’s understanding of media outreach, and expertise in strategic planning and management, Gregg leveraged his unique perspective and insight to create a brand new, purpose-built platform for news distribution—News Direct. Investment disclaimer: An investment in News Direct is speculative, involves a high degree of risk and that investors must be prepared to bear the economic risk of their investment for an indefinite period of time and be able to withstand a total loss of their investment. Blockchain is a new technology and unproven in financial markets. There is no guarantee that tokenization will enable any secondary market liquidity in the future and your investment may remain illiquid. Potential investors are strongly advised to consult their legal, tax and financial advisors before investing. Contact Details Karen Morgan +1 917-921-8685 kmorgan@texture.capital Company Website https://www.texture.capital

February 15, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

The Botanist Debuts First-Ever Tv Commercial, “The Spirit of Community,” at Super Bowl LVI In Support of Local Restaurants and Bars Nationwide

YourUpdateTV

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin introduces its first-ever television commercial, “The Spirit of Community,” debuting at the Super Bowl, to drive awareness for local bars and restaurants who continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), the campaign urges all Americans to take action to help the IRC in its efforts to refill the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and promote positive change for the industry. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ud_lZY0ZiMA The Botanist hails from Bruichladdich Distillery on the Scottish Isle of Islay, one of the few distilleries in the world to be B Corp certified. The distillery believes in using business as a force for good, putting people and purpose in line with profit. The Botanist’s ongoing partnership with the IRC is rooted in its people-centric values, a demonstration of how its community extends far beyond Islay and into the bar and restaurant industry in the U.S. The goal of “The Spirit of Community” campaign is to raise awareness of the critical support still needed for the 500,000 independent restaurants and bars that remain at risk of closure – 90,000 of which initially closed during the first year of the pandemic. Through the campaign, The Botanist and the IRC are mobilizing Americans to show support for the bar and restaurant community in this continued time of hardship. “Local bars and restaurants across the U.S. have been supporting The Botanist since our first distillation on Islay over a decade ago,” said Ian McLernon, President and CEO at Rémy Cointreau Americas. “Thus it was natural for The Botanist, a brand that is an integral part of the community on the island of Islay, to leverage our first-ever TV commercial to help support the community of hospitality staff working at local bars and restaurants across the U.S. during their time of need. Now more than ever, we must do what we can to save the establishments we know and love. Our hope is that our campaign’s debut at the Super Bowl helps amplify the vital message of our partners at the Independent Restaurant Coalition.” The Botanist is proud to bring its community-focused spirit to life through its first-ever commercial debuting on the biggest night in television. The 30-second spot will urge Americans to take action and support their favorite local bars and restaurants. Created by documentary film production company Blacksmith & Jones, the commercial features real-life bar and restaurant staff, amplifying the continued need for support and encouraging viewers to get involved. “Local bars and restaurants are the fabric of our communities across the country. These beloved establishments are still facing potentially insurmountable hardships,” said Tom Colicchio, Founding Member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. “Our industry is on life support right now, and the only way to avoid massive closures is for swift action to be taken by our elected officials. We are grateful to The Botanist for recognizing the spirit of our community and using their platform to help raise awareness of our industry’s struggles during a monumental event like the Super Bowl.” “Hospitality is at the heart of every independent restaurant and bar,” explained Erika Polmar, Executive Director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. “While you will surely be welcomed with a warm smile as you’re seated in your favorite corner booth, beneath the surface restaurant owners continue to struggle with nearly two years of losses and little financial assistance. Hundreds of thousands of restaurants are at risk of closing permanently, threatening widespread job loss, a massive supply chain disruption, the loss of community gathering spots, and the destruction of family-owned businesses. It’s partners like The Botanist who are helping us fight to keep those businesses and dreams alive.” The Botanist’s “The Spirit of Community” creative will air in 18 TV markets nationwide and digitally across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Botanist chose to run the ad in some of the America’s most influential food and drink cities, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, and Miami. The campaign teaser is live now on YouTube. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVG15dSOCjY. To learn more about how to get involved to support your favorite local bars and restaurants visit saverestaurants.com. About Karen Grill: Karen Grill is The Botanist Islay Dry Gin Brand Ambassador. A beverage industry professional in Los Angeles for 12 years, Karen is originally from New Jersey, where she began her career in hospitality at 15. Karen has spent time behind some of Los Angeles' most notable bars and has competed in several bartending competitions throughout her bartending career, earning herself numerous national and global bartending titles. Named Zagat's '30 Under 30' Culinary Game Changer in 2016, Karen is committed to the education and support of the national bartending community in every capacity. About The Botanist: Founded in 2011, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is distilled and hand-crafted at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the first and only Islay Dry Gin – a rare expression of the heart and soul of this wild Scottish isle. Hailing from one of the only B Corp certified distilleries in the world, The Botanist believes in using business as a force for good, putting people and planet in line with profit. The craft liquid is distilled with a unique combination of 22 wild Islay botanicals which are hand-foraged locally and sustainably on the island by The Botanist's professional forager, James Donaldson. The Islay botanicals are slow simmer distilled with pure Islay spring water in a unique Lomond Still, affectionately nicknamed Ugly Betty, by Head Distiller Adam Hannett. The result is a smooth yet complex gin that speaks of Islay. www.thebotanist.com | Instagram @TheBotanistGin_US |Twitter @TheBotanist_US About the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC): The Independent Restaurant Coalition was formed by chefs and independent restaurant owners across the country who have built a grassroots movement to secure vital protections for the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants and the more than 11 million restaurant workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. About Blacksmith & Jones: Production company Blacksmith & Jones is a motion picture concern focused on story driven filmmaking. Founded by Trevor Jones and Greg Swartz, the company recently produced the documentary feature film The Water of Life. About Rémy Cointreau: All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise – the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned French Group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group's portfolio includes 13 unique brands: Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, Cointreau liqueur, Champagne Telmont, METAXA Greek spirit, Mount Gay rum, St-Rémy brandy, The Botanist gin, and our collection of single-malt whiskies (Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore from Islay, Westland from Seattle and Domaine des Hautes Glaces from the French Alps). Rémy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,900 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group's strategic markets. Rémy Cointreau is listed on Euronext Paris. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 11, 2022 06:26 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Carlos Musquez Joins Catalyst Marketing Agency

Catalyst Marketing Agency

Catalyst, a Denver-based creative marketing agency, adds creative leader, Carlos Musquez, to the agency team. As executive creative director, Musquez will lead the agency’s creative culture and drive the creative direction for Catalyst’s clients, including Microsoft, Adobe, and World Kinect. “This pivotal new role for Catalyst will catapult our position as a true creative agency that is driven by strategy and known for delighting our clients,” said Catalyst CEO, Gem Swartz. “Catalyst is experiencing an exciting creative metamorphosis that brings us into 2022 with a renewed focus on exceeding our clients’ expectations with fresh, bold thinking.” Musquez joins Catalyst from ELA Advertising, a Los Angeles-based creative ad agency, after a long history at Omnicom agencies. He has created work for brands including Starbucks, TikTok, Paramount, Nestle, Logitech, Disney, eBay, Sony, Netflix, and Coca-Cola. “I’m not joining the Catalyst team to work at ‘another agency,’” said Musquez. “I am joining a team that is building a transformative creative agency. The vision of the agency’s partners, Gem Swartz and Robin Emiliani, is to build a creative agency that jolts the creativity of our clients, our industry peers, and future friends. That is inspiring. I want to be part of the journey and infuse my global brand experience and passion for delivering breakthrough creative to the team and our clients.” Musquez has been globally recognized by the Addy’s, Creativity, Effie’s, New York Festivals, Communication Arts, Art Directors Club, Clios, and Cannes. When he’s not creating, Musquez is spending time with his family, cooking, or indulging in his passion for cars and auto racing. About Catalyst Catalyst is a creative marketing agency devoted to helping you reach your most audacious marketing goals. We exist to jolt your creativity—giving you the strategy and unexpected creative direction your business needs to capture your customers' attention. Learn more at catalystmarketing.io. Contact Details Catalyst Marketing Agency Robin Emiliani +1 303-842-1189 robin@catalystmarketing.io Company Website https://catalystmarketing.io/

February 10, 2022 07:00 AM Mountain Standard Time

FreshEdge Launches New Website

FreshEdge

FreshEdge, a family of produce and specialty food companies, has launched a refreshed and expanded www.freshedgefoods.com. FreshEdge partnered with DMA Solutions (Dallas, Texas), a marketing agency dedicated to exclusively serving the fresh produce industry. The website creates opportunities for connecting with FreshEdge’s operating companies and engaging in what makes their family unique. FreshEdge now operates with 1,640 employees, approximately 700,250 square feet of warehouse space, with a fleet of more than 650 trucks, delivering fresh food to customers in 22 states. Through rapid growth and consistent execution, FreshEdge has quickly amassed a reputation for adding value throughout the fresh foods industry. “FreshEdge’s new website is a splash of freshness,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of FreshEdge. “It also symbolizes who we are – a growing family of customer-obsessed fresh food companies who care.” Greg Corsaro, President and COO of FreshEdge, added, “The revamped website reflects FreshEdge’s value proposition of providing dependable, customized solutions with cutting-edge technology for consistent, reliable delivery of fresh food with a sense of family and trust.” “We’re excited about the unique space this new website delivers for connecting FreshEdge, its family, and our industry partners,” said Daniel Corsaro, President of Indianapolis Fruit (FreshEdge retail operating company) and participant in the development of the new site. About FreshEdge FreshEdge was formed in 2019 through the combination of Get Fresh Produce (Bartlett, IL, founded in 1982) and the IF&P Foods family of companies, primarily composed of Indianapolis Fruit (founded 1947) and Piazza Produce (founded 1970). McCartney Produce (Paris, TN) joined the FreshEdge family in November 2020 followed by Valley Produce (Knoxville, TN) in June 2021, Vine Line (Grand Rapids, MI) in October 2021, and Monteverde’s (Pittsburgh, PA) in November 2021. Collectively, these leading fresh food distribution companies have several hundred years’ combined experience serving the grocery and food service industries. In addition, FreshEdge includes two Garden Cut branded fresh-cut processing facilities, a tomato re-packer, a USDA fresh kitchen (CIBUS Fresh), and two transportation companies. Today, FreshEdge is a category leader in providing both the foodservice and retail industries with fruit, vegetables, fresh grab-n-go offerings, dairy, floral and specialty products. For more, visit www.freshedgefoods.com. Contact Details FreshEdge Greg Corsaro +1 317-981-3440 gcorsaro@freshedgefoods.com Company Website https://www.freshedgefoods.com/

February 10, 2022 07:43 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords, Creating Self-Publishing Juggernaut

Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital, LLC and Smashwords, Inc., two pioneers in ebook self-publishing, today announced that Draft2Digital will acquire Smashwords. The acquisition unites the industry’s two most innovative and author-friendly publishing platforms into one, enabling the new Draft2Digital to drive even greater success for authors, publishers, and sales partners. Draft2Digital and Smashwords are key catalysts behind the dramatic rise of self-publishing over the last fourteen years. Their publishing platforms enable 250,000 authors and publishers around the world to publish, distribute, market, and manage over 800,000 ebooks and 11,000 print on demand paperback books. The combined company will operate under the Draft2Digital name and will be headquartered in Oklahoma City. All Smashwords and Draft2Digital employees are expected to join the combination. Kris Austin, co-founder and CEO of Draft2Digital, will lead the combined company as CEO. Mark Coker, founder and former CEO of Smashwords, will join the Draft2Digital management team as Chief Strategy Officer and board member. Both companies are entering the acquisition profitable and debt-free. “I’m pleased to welcome Smashwords authors, publishers, employees and partners to the D2D family,” said Kris Austin. “Early in our discussions with Smashwords, we each immediately realized we can accomplish so much more for the indie author community by working together than working as competitors. The resources we once expended creating duplicative systems can now be redeployed to ramp up our R&D investments in next generation tools to empower authors and publishers.” “I’m thrilled to join forces with Draft2Digital,” said Mark Coker. “Over the last decade, I’ve come to deeply admire Draft2Digital’s team, technology, and commitment to authors. Our shared business model is a key to our two companies’ success. We put authors first. By design, we only make money when our authors make money. This aligns our interests with the interests of our authors. Together we will lead the next chapter of the indie author revolution.” The combination is expected to yield significant benefits for authors, publishers, retail and library partners, and readers. Draft2Digital authors will gain access to the Smashwords Store and its myriad exclusive book marketing tools, including Smashwords Coupons, self-serve merchandising, Author Interviews, and the patent pending Smashwords Presales tool for book launches. Sales at the Smashwords Store have grown consecutively each of the last five years, with December 2021 sales up 20% over December 2020. Draft2Digital’s erotica authors can look forward to expanded distribution enabled by Smashwords’ proprietary erotica certification system, which allows retailers to carry erotic romance and mainstream erotica with greater confidence. Smashwords authors will gain access to new tools that simplify print and digital publishing and drive greater success. Among these tools are D2D Print, the company’s Print on Demand service for paperbacks (currently in beta, which authors can join at https://draft2digital.com/printbeta/); improved metadata management tools for better book discoverability at retailers; automated end-matter for series books; payment splitting for co-authors and collaborations; and more payment options, including direct bank deposits. Retailers and libraries served by the companies can expect greater title selection and unmatched merchandising recommendations. The new, merged company will offer retailers, subscription services, and libraries unprecedented data-driven insights into the world’s largest dedicated catalog of independently published books. This represents a unique and first-of-its-kind offering that Draft2Digital believes will improve the publishing industry. Customers of the Smashwords Store can look forward to an improved store experience and an increased selection of books from the many great authors and publishers distributed by Draft2Digital. “This acquisition is great news for indie authors,” said Joanna Penn, host of the Creative Penn podcast and bestselling author who has followed each company since its founding. “Two of the industry’s strongest advocates for indie authors are combining their unique toolsets, technologies, and energy to do more for the indie community. There are exciting years ahead!” What’s Coming Next The acquisition is expected to close on March 1, 2022. To minimize workflow disruption for authors, publishers, and sales partners, the two platforms will combine their systems in gradual and incremental steps. Authors and publishers of both companies can continue utilizing their current platform of choice with the understanding that over time the authors and publishers of both companies will gain access to a common dashboard, common distribution outlets (including distribution to the Smashwords Store for current D2D authors), and an expanded suite of new and improved tools for book publishing, distribution, and marketing. Draft2Digital will broadcast a live Q&A session for authors and publishers on Wednesday, February 9 th, at Noon Central, with Kris Austin and Mark Coker, moderated by Kevin Tumlinson, Draft2Digital’s VP of Marketing & PR. Kris and Mark will share additional insight about their plans to support the indie publishing community and welcome questions from the audience. Visit https://D2DLive.com for links and launch time, and to attend live on either Facebook or YouTube. The live broadcast will be recorded for future inclusion in the Draft2Digital podcast, Self Publishing Insiders, and will be available as a blog post at Draft2Digital.com/blog. Additional FAQs about the acquisition can be found at: https://smashwords.com/united https://draft2digital.com/united About Draft2Digital Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Draft2Digital is the world’s leading publishing platform for self-published authors and independent presses. The company offers a broad suite of free and powerful automated and self-serve tools that authors and publishers can use to build and grow their publishing businesses. This includes tools to simplify ebook and print publishing, distribution, metadata management, and marketing. Following its acquisition of Smashwords, Draft2Digital will serve more than 250,000 authors and publishers that collectively publish over 800,000 books worldwide. Visit Draft2Digital at https://draft2digital.com or follow on Twitter @Draft2Digital. About Smashwords, Inc. Founded in 2008 by Mark Coker, Smashwords was an early pioneer in ebook self-publishing. The company’s platform made it possible for writers to professionally produce, publish, and distribute ebooks at no cost. As a distributor, Smashwords was the first to open multiple major retailers and library ebook services to self-published authors, and worked in partnership with sales partners and payment processors to establish systems, standards, and professional best practices to foster a thriving ecosystem of indie-friendly booksellers and libraries. As of December 31, 2021, Smashwords was publishing 590,000 ebooks supplied by 150,000 authors, publishers and literary agents. The company was originally headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif, and most recently based in Pacific Grove, Calif. Visit Smashwords at https://smashwords.com, or follow the store at @Smashwords. For media inquiries, please contact: Kevin Tumlinson, Director of Marketing & PR kevin.tumlinson@draft2digital.com ### Contact Details Draft2Digital Kevin Tumlinson, Director of Marketing & PR kevin.tumlinson@draft2digital.com Company Website https://draft2digital.com/

February 08, 2022 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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