Kohl’s Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Financial Results

Kohl’s Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Financial Results

  • Third quarter sales and earnings exceed company expectations, with significant improvement from the second quarter
  • Strengthened financial position during the quarter by fully repaying revolver and ending with $1.9 billion in cash
  • Strong operating cash flow year-to-date of $910 million
  • Third quarter comparable sales decrease 13.3%
  • Third quarter loss per share of ($0.08); adjusted diluted earnings per share(2) of $0.01

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) today reported results for the quarter ended October 31, 2020.

 

Three Months

Nine Months

($ in millions, except per share data)

2020

2019

Change

2020

2019

Change

Total revenue

$

3,979

 

$

4,625

 

 

(14.0

)%

$

9,814

 

$

13,142

 

 

(25.3

%)

Net sales(1)

 

(13.3

)%

 

(0.3

)%

 

 

 

 

(25.9

)%

 

(2.2

)%

 

 

 

Gross margin

 

35.8

%

 

36.3

%

(48) bps

 

 

30.5

%

 

37.3

%

(680) bps

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses

$

1,302

 

$

1,419

 

 

(8.2

)%

$

3,418

 

$

3,962

 

 

(13.7

%)

Reported

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

$

(12

)

$

123

 

 

(110

)%

$

(506

)

$

426

 

 

(219

)%

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

$

(0.08

)

$

0.78

 

 

(110

)%

$

(3.28

)

$

2.67

 

 

(223

)%

Non-GAAP(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted net income (loss)

$

2

 

$

116

 

 

(98

)%

$

(532

)

$

460

 

 

(216

)%

Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share

$

0.01

 

$

0.74

 

 

(99

)%

$

(3.45

)

$

2.89

 

 

(219

)%

(1)

Represents change in Net sales vs. prior year period.

(2)

Excludes Impairments, store closing, and other costs, (Gain) on sale of real estate, and (Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt.

“I continue to be very proud of how our organization is navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our third quarter results exceeded our expectations with significant sequential sales and profitability improvement. Digital sales growth remained strong and our actions to improve our gross margin showed great progress. We also further strengthened our financial position and fully repaid our revolver during the period, which underscores the solid cash flow generation of our business,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief executive officer.

“We entered the holiday season well-positioned and prepared to serve our customers with more omnichannel conveniences in place to deliver the great experience they always expect from Kohl’s. As we look ahead, we are incredibly focused on executing against our new strategic framework, which represents our greatest opportunity to drive long-term sales and profit growth and create shareholder value in the coming years,” said Gass. “In addition, through disciplined capital management we plan to reinstate a dividend during the first half of 2021.”

Third Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call

Kohl’s will host its quarterly earnings conference call at 9:00 am ET on November 17, 2020. A webcast of the conference call and the related presentation materials will be available via the Company’s web site at investors.kohls.com, both live and after the call.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Non-GAAP Measures

This current report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipates,” “plans,” or similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks described more fully in Item 1A in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in Item 1A of Part II in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2020, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in the Company’s filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements relate to the date initially made, and Kohl’s undertakes no obligation to update them.

In this press release, the Company provides information regarding adjusted net (loss) income and adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share, which are not recognized terms under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and do not purport to be alternatives to net income as a measure of operating performance. A reconciliation of adjusted net (loss) income and adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share is provided in this release. The Company believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with enhanced visibility into its results with respect to the impact of certain costs. Because not all companies use identical calculations, these presentations may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.

About Kohl’s

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading omnichannel retailer with more than 1,100 stores in 49 states. With a commitment to inspiring and empowering families to lead fulfilled lives, Kohl’s offers amazing​​ national and exclusive brands, incredible savings and an easy shopping experience in our stores, online at Kohls.com and on Kohl’s mobile app. ​Since its founding, Kohl’s has given more than $750 million to support communities nationwide, with a focus on family health and wellness. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit Kohls.com. For more information about Kohl’s impact in the community or how to join our winning team, visit Corporate.Kohls.com or follow @KohlsNews on Twitter.

KSS-IR

KOHL’S CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

(Dollars in Millions, Except per Share Data)

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

Net sales

$

3,779

 

$

4,358

 

$

9,152

 

$

12,348

 

Other revenue

 

200

 

 

267

 

 

662

 

 

794

 

Total revenue

 

3,979

 

 

4,625

 

 

9,814

 

 

13,142

 

Cost of merchandise sold

 

2,424

 

 

2,775

 

 

6,360

 

 

7,740

 

Gross margin rate

 

35.8

%

 

36.3

%

 

30.5

%

 

37.3

%

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling, general, and administrative

 

1,302

 

 

1,419

 

 

3,418

 

 

3,962

 

As a percent of total revenue

 

32.7

%

 

30.7

%

 

34.8

%

 

30.1

%

Depreciation and amortization

 

210

 

 

227

 

 

656

 

 

687

 

Impairments, store closing, and other

 

21

 

 

 

 

85

 

 

55

 

(Gain) on sale of real estate

 

 

 

 

 

(127

)

 

 

Operating income (loss)

 

22

 

 

204

 

 

(578

)

 

698

 

Interest expense, net

 

78

 

 

52

 

 

214

 

 

157

 

(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

(9

)

 

 

 

(9

)

(Loss) income before income taxes

 

(56

)

 

161

 

 

(792

)

 

550

 

(Benefit) provision for income taxes

 

(44

)

 

38

 

 

(286

)

 

124

 

Net (loss) income

$

(12

)

$

123

 

$

(506

)

$

426

 

Average number of shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

154

 

 

156

 

 

154

 

 

158

 

Diluted

 

154

 

 

157

 

 

154

 

 

159

 

(Loss) earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

(0.08

)

$

0.79

 

$

(3.28

)

$

2.69

 

Diluted

$

(0.08

)

$

0.78

 

$

(3.28

)

$

2.67

 

ADJUSTED NET (LOSS) INCOME AND DILUTED (LOSS) EARNINGS PER SHARE, NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(Unaudited)

 

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

(Dollars in Millions, Except per Share Data)

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

Net (loss) income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP

$

(12

)

$

123

 

$

(506

)

$

426

 

Impairments, store closing, and other

 

21

 

 

 

 

85

 

 

55

 

(Gain) on sale of real estate

 

 

 

 

 

(127

)

 

 

(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

(9

)

 

 

 

(9

)

Income tax impact of items noted above

 

(7

)

 

2

 

 

16

 

 

(12

)

Adjusted (non-GAAP)

$

2

 

$

116

 

$

(532

)

$

460

 

Diluted (loss) earnings per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP(1)

$

(0.08

)

$

0.78

 

$

(3.28

)

$

2.67

 

Impairments, store closing, and other

 

0.14

 

 

 

 

0.55

 

 

0.35

 

(Gain) on sale of real estate

 

 

 

 

 

(0.82

)

 

 

(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

(0.06

)

 

 

 

(0.06

)

Income tax impact of items noted above

 

(0.05

)

 

0.02

 

 

0.10

 

 

(0.07

)

Adjusted (non-GAAP)(2)

$

0.01

 

$

0.74

 

$

(3.45

)

$

2.89

 

(1)

Weighted average diluted shares outstanding for purposes of calculating diluted adjusted (loss) earnings per share for the three months ended October 31, 2020 was 154 million as the effect of including dilutive shares would be antidilutive.

(2)

Weighted average diluted shares outstanding for purpose of calculating diluted earnings per share for the three months ended October 31, 2020 was 155 million, which includes the dilutive effect of share-based awards as determined under the treasury stock method.

KOHL’S CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

 

(Dollars in Millions)

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,939

 

$

490

 

Merchandise inventories

 

3,607

 

 

4,887

 

Income tax receivable

 

115

 

 

25

 

Other

 

335

 

 

379

 

Total current assets

 

5,996

 

 

5,781

 

Property and equipment, net

 

6,876

 

 

7,364

 

Operating leases

 

2,422

 

 

2,427

 

Other assets

 

150

 

 

167

 

Total assets

$

15,444

 

$

15,739

 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

$

2,184

 

$

2,454

 

Accrued liabilities

 

1,272

 

 

1,347

 

Income taxes payable

 

 

 

2

 

Current portion of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance leases and financing obligations

 

127

 

 

110

 

Operating leases

 

160

 

 

162

 

Total current liabilities

 

3,743

 

 

4,075

 

Long-term debt

 

2,450

 

 

1,856

 

Finance leases and financing obligations

 

1,402

 

 

1,332

 

Operating leases

 

2,644

 

 

2,643

 

Deferred income taxes

 

74

 

 

258

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

293

 

 

220

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

4,838

 

 

5,355

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

15,444

 

$

15,739

 

KOHL’S CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 

 

Nine Months Ended

(Dollars in Millions)

October 31,

2020

November 2,

2019

Operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net (loss) income

$

(506

)

$

426

 

Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

656

 

 

687

 

Share-based compensation

 

26

 

 

47

 

Deferred income tax (benefit) expense

 

(181

)

 

45

 

Impairments, store closing, and other costs

 

49

 

 

45

 

(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

(9

)

(Gain) on sale of real estate

 

(127

)

 

 

Non-cash inventory costs

 

187

 

 

 

Non-cash lease expense

 

111

 

 

112

 

Other non-cash expense (income)

 

15

 

 

(3

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merchandise inventories

 

(251

)

 

(1,405

)

Other current and long-term assets

 

54

 

 

34

 

Accounts payable

 

978

 

 

1,266

 

Accrued and other long-term liabilities

 

159

 

 

(26

)

Income taxes

 

(147

)

 

(49

)

Operating lease liabilities

 

(113

)

 

(125

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

910

 

 

1,045

 

Investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisition of property and equipment

 

(264

)

 

(678

)

Proceeds from sale of real estate

 

194

 

 

 

Other

 

 

 

8

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(70

)

 

(670

)

Financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of debt

 

2,097

 

 

 

Deferred financing costs

 

(19

)

 

 

Treasury stock purchases

 

(8

)

 

(387

)

Shares withheld for taxes on vested restricted shares

 

(21

)

 

(32

)

Dividends paid

 

(108

)

 

(319

)

Reduction of long-term borrowings

 

(1,497

)

 

(6

)

Finance lease and financing obligation payments

 

(72

)

 

(88

)

Proceeds from stock option exercises

 

 

 

2

 

Proceeds from financing obligations

 

4

 

 

11

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

 

376

 

 

(819

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

1,216

 

 

(444

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

723

 

 

934

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

1,939

 

$

490

 

 

Investor Relations:

Mark Rupe, (262) 703-1266, [email protected]

Media:

Jen Johnson, (262) 703-5241, [email protected]

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Celona Unveils Industry’s First Fully Integrated Solution For Private Mobile Networks And Its Unique Microslicing™ Technology As The Key Ingredient

New solution bridges the gap between cellular wireless and existing IT Infrastructure, enabling enterprises to build their own LTE/5G wireless networks

CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Celona, provider of the first enterprise networking platform for cellular wireless, today unveiled its product portfolio that, for the first time, makes transformational 5G technology easily accessible to IT leaders and managed service providers. The company also announced the availability of its new channel program, including a strategic partnership with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, to resell Celona’s entire line of products.

Celona’s solution is the first-of-its kind, featuring an all-in-one platform, to tightly integrate network and cellular wireless functions with AI orchestration. Taking advantage of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum in the United States, its wireless network delivers unprecedented range and predictability of operation to mobile devices and IoT infrastructure deployed within the enterprise.

“The enterprise market is where the promise of 5G is likely to deliver the greatest returns,” said Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research. “Organizations that depend on wireless connectivity for the success of their essential business operations and the new generation of digital business initiatives will surely benefit from Celona’s architecture that’s designed to accelerate private 5G adoption.”

New research by Polaris Market Research, predicts that the global 5G enterprise market will reach a total value of $31.4 billion by 2027, realizing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 57 percent.

WHAT’S THE
BIG
PROBLEM?

Until now, Wi-Fi has been the only enterprise-ready technology for addressing requirements in enterprise mobility. Organizations that required strict network segmentation and use of interference-free connectivity for critical devices had to rely on public LTE networks, compromising control. In addition, the latest generation of applications that demand strict service levels in terms of latency/jitter, throughput and packet error metrics has so far had to rely upon expensive wired infrastructure. While CBRS-based LTE/5G wireless offers a solution to all these challenges, existing methods for deploying the technology remain too complex, costly and cumbersome.

“CBRS is a game changer, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. Enterprises need a packaged solution to take full advantage of cellular wireless within the context of their existing IT framework,” said Mehmet Yavuz, CTO of Celona. “Our unique approach provides organizations a clear path to easily adopt LTE wireless today, and 5G in the future, while maintaining complete control over the network and the data running over it.”

BUILD YOUR OWN
MOBILE NETWORK

By taking advantage of the CBRS spectrum in the United States, enterprises can now build their own private LTE/5G networks to support essential business applications for which predictable wireless performance is non-negotiable.

“Our customers are demanding additional connectivity options and spectrum to support specific digital initiatives being deployed within their organizations,” said Jeff Lipton, VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Our partnership with Celona is designed to directly address these demands and reflects a shared vision that enterprises need a viable 5G strategy that complements existing investments in enterprise wireless.”

Sitting next to existing enterprise Wi-Fi networks, CBRS-based LTE/5G wireless enables an additional lane of wireless connectivity that’s designed to operate in clean spectrum, away from interference. It allows the definition of specific service levels for network metrics such as latency, throughput, jitter and packet error rate. Within a network of wireless access points, mobility events of client devices and their traffic transmissions are always pre-scheduled by the infrastructure – further improving overall predictability.

“We are investigating the use of a CBRS-based LTE wireless technology to improve the quality of voice communication among our clinical staff members,” said Doug Lyon, IT Director at St. Luke’s Health System, located in Boise, Idaho. “Next to our existing Wi-Fi deployment, our aim is to understand the benefits of CBRS as an additional lane of clean spectrum for staff-operated smartphone connectivity. We are actively evaluating the performance of the technology in areas of our facility where it has traditionally been considered to be challenging to offer wireless coverage.”

CELONA PRIVATE 5G PLATFORM DETAILS

By offering all the ingredients required to enable enterprises to build their own LTE/5G wireless networks in a single package, the Celona solution architecture has been designed to accelerate the adoption of new digital business initiatives – without breaking the bank and without compromises in the capabilities of LTE/5G wireless.

Celona’s software-led approach utilizes a deployment framework that is familiar to IT organizations and removes the complexity of cellular wireless network design with AI-powered automation. To ensure Quality of Service (QoS) continuity for critical apps, patent-pending Celona MicroSlicingtechnology automatically maps, enforces and tracks essential service levels with no human intervention. Tracked on a per application and device group basis, these service levels include maximum latency, jitter, packet error rates and minimum throughput metrics that are maintained across a unified cellular wireless and L2/L3 network infrastructure.

Product components of Celona’s integrated solution architecture include:

  • The
    Celona RAN
    : Enterprise-optimized indoor and outdoor CBRS LTE access points that provide up to 25K sqft and 1M sqft of coverage, respectively. Their radio functions are fully automated via Celona software with their power level and frequency channel assignments in the CBRS spectrum and do not require any manual intervention.

  • The
    Celona Edge: Enterprise-ready private LTE/5G core that’s designed to integrate with any existing enterprise network configuration and access control policies. It can be simultaneously deployed on-premises for strict SLA enforcement for local applications and within the private / public / edge clouds for service scalability.

  • The Celona Orchestrator
    : An AIOps platform that enables remote installation of Celona’s access points and Edge software across multiple enterprise sites and allows for provisioning of Celona SIM cards against required device level access control policies within the enterprise network. It goes beyond basic monitoring of infrastructure components and keeps track of application- and device-specific key performance indicators for Celona MicroSlicing™ – enabling IT teams to maintain laser focus on digital service delivery and business outcomes.

Designed from the ground up with enterprise IT infrastructure in mind, the Celona platform is flexible enough that channel partners, managed service providers, cloud providers, and wireless operators can also leverage Celona’s platform to scale their reach within the enterprise market.

AVAILABILITY

Available immediately through its channel partners, all components of Celona’s networking platform are priced as a single software-as-a-service license, with three- and five-year subscription options. This all-inclusive pricing model incorporates Celona indoor and outdoor access point hardware and relevant accessories, Spectrum Access System (SAS) license for CBRS spectrum access, Celona Edge and Orchestrator software, Celona SIM cards, technical support and hardware warranty. A trial of the complete solution can be requested by visiting celona.io/journey.

ABOUT CELONA

Celona, the enterprise 5G company, is focused on accelerating the adoption of business-critical apps on enterprise wireless and helping organizations implement new generation of digital business initiatives. Taking advantage of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the United States, Celona’s solution architecture is designed to automate deployment of cellular wireless technology by enterprise organizations and their technology partners. For more information, please visit celona.io and follow Celona on Twitter @celonaio.

Media Contact

Jay Nichols
Nichols Communications
[email protected]
+1 (408)-504-5487

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OMERS Private Equity Further Expands US Portfolio Thorough Acquisition of TurnPoint Services

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OMERS Private Equity announced today that it has acquired TurnPoint Services (“TurnPoint” or the “Company”) from Trivest Partners.  OMERS Private Equity invests on behalf of OMERS, the defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in the Province of Ontario, Canada.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, TurnPoint is a leading provider of residential services, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”), along with plumbing and electrical.  In addition to its focus on residential services, the Company has recently expanded its commercial offering.  TurnPoint has grown rapidly in recent years, through a combination of organic growth initiatives and acquisitions of leading brands in attractive markets.  The Company’s center of excellence, which leverages capabilities and best practices across all its brands, has been a key driver of this growth.  TurnPoint currently has 17 brands, which in aggregate employ over 720 technicians performing over 290,000 service jobs annually.

Kurt Bratton, CEO of TurnPoint, said: “We are excited to partner with OMERS in this next stage of growth for TurnPoint.  We believe there is a strong cultural alignment between our two organizations.  OMERS brings a track record of success in supporting high-growth, acquisitive companies, and we are eager to collaborate closely with them in the years ahead.”

Graham Brown, Managing Director, OMERS Private Equity, said: “Kurt and the team have built TurnPoint into a leader in the residential services space, and we look forward to partnering with them.  One of the most exciting elements of the strategy is TurnPoint’s use of technology to improve service delivery and customer experience.  The residential services industry is changing rapidly, and TurnPoint is well-positioned within this changing market.”

Mark Dolfato, Senior Managing Director, OMERS Private Equity, said: “Over the last 15 years, OMERS Private Equity has successfully executed on a strategy of partnering with top management teams at industry-leading companies to support accelerated growth.  TurnPoint is a great fit for this strategy, with its leading brands and the strength and experience of its leadership team.  We are excited to welcome TurnPoint to our growing portfolio.”

This investment in TurnPoint follows previous investments by OMERS Private Equity in high-growth, acquisition-driven companies, including Community Veterinary Partners, Forefront Dermatology, National Veterinary Associates, and Caliber Collision Centers. 

Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal counsel for OMERS Private Equity.  Harris Williams served as financial advisor for OMERS Private Equity.



For Further Information:

OMERS:
Neil Hrab, Manager, Communications – Investments
[email protected]
+1 416.369.2418 



About OMERS and OMERS Private Equity

Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, with C$109 billion in net assets as at December 31, 2019.  OMERS invests and administers pensions for more than half a million members through originating and managing a diversified portfolio of investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.

OMERS had private equity net investment asset exposure of C$15.7 billion as at December 31, 2019. OMERS Private Equity, the private equity investment arm of OMERS with a team of investment professionals in London, New York, Singapore and Toronto, seeks to use its significant and differentiated capital base to partner with management teams of industry leading businesses.  For more information, please visit www.omersprivateequity.com.

About Trivest

Trivest Partners LP, with offices in Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, is a private investment firm that focuses exclusively on the support and growth of founder-led and family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada in both control and non-control transactions. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 350 transactions, totaling approximately $7 billion in value. To learn more, visit Trivest.com



About TurnPoint Services

TurnPoint Services partners with best-in-market service businesses while combining local brand equity and world-class technology to create high-value customer experiences.  Each business brings decades of experience serving both residential and commercial customers.  Every TurnPoint brand is committed to turning bad days into good ones by removing the usual frustrations customers experience with service contractors. 



Imara Announces the Appointment of Lynette Hopkinson as Senior Vice President of Regulatory

Brings 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and a deep understanding of global regulatory strategy and commercial regulatory affairs

BOSTON, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Imara Inc. (Nasdaq: IMRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin, today announced the appointment of Lynette Hopkinson as Senior Vice President of Regulatory. Ms. Hopkinson joins Imara with 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, where she led global regulatory teams in strategy for multiple clinical development candidates and marketed products.

“We are delighted to welcome Lyn to Imara; her expertise and understanding of global regulatory strategy and commercial affairs will be important as we continue to advance IMR-687 across multiple indications globally,” said Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Imara. “Lyn also brings deep expertise in rare diseases, including most recently in cystic fibrosis, and importantly in CRISPR Cas-9 programs in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Lyn is a key and timely addition to our leadership team.”

“I’m thrilled to join Imara at such an exciting time. The recent advancement of IMR-687 into Phase 2b clinical trials for patients with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia is a critical milestone and I look forward to collaborating with the leadership team on global regulatory and clinical strategy going forward,” said Ms. Hopkinson.

Prior to joining Imara, Ms. Hopkinson served as Vice President, Global Head of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Regulatory Strategy and Commercial Regulatory Affairs at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. In this role, she oversaw early and late-stage development programs, as well as line-extension programs for marketed products, and managed a strategy team of global and regulatory leads responsible for the development and execution of regulatory strategy plans, as well as a team of commercial regulatory leads responsible for supporting multiple CF product launches. Ms. Hopkinson also served as Vertex’s Vice President, Head of North America Regulatory Strategy and Commercial Affairs for marketed products as well as clinical development candidates, including the CRISPR Cas-9 programs in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Before Vertex, Ms. Hopkinson held Regulatory Affairs roles of increasing responsibility at Eisai, Inc. and Genentech, Inc., including supporting the approvals of multiple new drugs including Halaven®, Fycompa®, Belviq® and Lucentis®. Ms. Hopkinson received her B. Pharm and Management Advancement certificate from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

About IMR-687

IMR-687 is a highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitor of PDE9. PDE9 selectively degrades cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), an active signaling molecule that plays a role in vascular biology. Lower levels of cGMP are found in people with SCD and beta-thalassemia and are associated with reduced blood flow, increased inflammation, greater cell adhesion and reduced nitric oxide mediated vasodilation.

Blocking PDE9 acts to increase cGMP levels, which is associated with reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), a natural hemoglobin produced during fetal development. Increased levels of HbF in RBCs have been demonstrated to improve symptomology and substantially lower disease burden in both patients with SCD and patients with beta-thalassemia.

About Imara

Imara Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin. Imara is currently advancing IMR-687, a highly selective, potent small molecule inhibitor of PDE9 that is an oral, once-a-day, potentially disease-modifying treatment for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. IMR-687 is being designed to have a multimodal mechanism of action that acts on red blood cells, white blood cells, adhesion mediators and other cell types. For more information, please visit www.imaratx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company’s plans, strategies and prospects. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other filings that the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact:

Gina Nugent
Ten Bridge Communications
617-460-3579
[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Michael Gray
617-835-4061 
[email protected]



Autolus Therapeutics to host Investor Conference Call to discuss AUTO1 and AUTO3 data presented at ASH and to participate in the Jefferies Virtual London Healthcare Conference

LONDON, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T cell therapies, today announced that management will host an investor conference call to discuss AUTO1 and AUTO3 data presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Virtual Congress 2020 and will also participate in the Jefferies Banking Conference:

  • 1
    9
    November 2020 – Dr. Christian Itin, chairman and chief executive officer, will participate in an analyst led fireside chat and host virtual one-on-one meetings at the Jefferies Virtual London Healthcare Conference at 11.25 pm ET, 4.25 pm GMT. A live audio webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at Autolus. An archived replay will be available for a period of 30 days after the conference.

  • 7
    December
    2020 – Dr. Christian Itin, chairman and chief executive officer, along with the Autolus clinical team, will host an investor call and webcast at 4.00 pm ET, 9.00 pm GMT to discuss presentations related to its AUTO1 and AUTO3 programs, the company’s CAR T cell therapies being investigated in adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and relapsed/ refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), respectively, during the ASH conference. To listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slide presentation, please go to Autolus. After the conference call, a replay will be available for a period of one week.

About Autolus Therapeutics plc

Autolus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled and highly active T cell therapies that are designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defense mechanisms and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. For more information please visit www.autolus.com.

Contact:

Lucinda Crabtree, PhD
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
+44 (0) 7587 372 619 
[email protected]

Julia Wilson
+44 (0) 7818 430877
[email protected]

Susan A. Noonan
S.A. Noonan Communications
+1-212-966-3650
[email protected]



Watchfire Signs Selected for Entertainment Venue at The Mill on Etowah

DANVILLE, Ill., Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Watchfire Signs, a leading provider of exterior and interior LED signs, was selected to provide a large, high-resolution digital display as part of the entertainment venue located at The Mill on Etowah mixed-use development, in Canton, Ga. Click to Tweet.

The Mill on Etowah is an adaptive re-use development near downtown Canton that’s reinventing the area’s shuttered Canton Cotton Mills into a dynamic community attraction along the Etowah River. The 158,000 sq. ft. development includes restaurants, retail, a brewery, office space, a co-working space, and community event space with a stage featuring state-of-the art video and audio.

The Watchfire LED wall features an 8mm 9’ x 16’ display that is used to broadcast films for movie nights and to enhance live concerts for the audience on the lawn. The display showcases crisp and vibrant video content for several events a week, and can easily withstand the outdoor elements. The display’s high resolution makes it viewable even at close distances.

The Watchfire display is integrated with an audio and control system from dB Integrations, Gainesville, Ga. Having worked with several public green space venues, dB Integration’s experience was ideal for delivering crystal clear sound to guests on the lawn measuring 120 ft. deep and 60 ft. wide, as well as spillover to nearby restaurants and shops.

“Watchfire has a reputation for manufacturing reliable video boards that produce stunning graphics for both outdoor and indoor venues,” said Ben Barr, director of sign division sales, East Coast, at Watchfire Signs. “Partnering with dB Integrations has allowed us to deliver a turnkey solution for The Mill on Etowah that helps the development attract entertainment talent and build a community experience in Canton.”

About Watchfire

Watchfire Signs designs and engineers the best looking, most durable outdoor LED signs, digital billboards and video scoreboards, which help businesses and organizations increase visibility and drive growth. Headquartered in Danville, Ill., Watchfire has manufactured electric signs since 1932 and LED signs, using meticulously sourced components from around the world, since 1998. The company has more than 60,000 Watchfire LED signs in operation worldwide and has more digital billboard customers in the U.S. than any other brand. For information, go to http://www.watchfiresigns.com.

For information contact:

Linda Muskin, 847-432-7300
[email protected]

Mara Conklin, 847-816-9411
[email protected]



MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge Expands Internationally

Prestigious US high school math competition to open to UK students in 2021

Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) today announced that its MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge will expand from the U.S. to include students from England and Wales. Starting in 2021, hundreds of sixth form students (ages 16-18) are expected to join U.S. high school students in competing for more than $100,000 (£79,000) in scholarship prizes. A total of 37 monetary prizes are up for grabs.

Registration for the M3 Challenge 2021 competition is now open until February 19, 2021 at 4 p.m. ET. The competition will take place February 26 to March 1, 2021. For more information and to register, visit http://m3challenge.siam.org.

Marking its 16th year, M3 Challenge spotlights applied mathematics and technical computing as powerful problem-solving tools and viable, exciting professions and attracts the participation of thousands of students. Participants from 11th and 12th grades work in small teams, committing 14 consecutive hours on a designated weekend in February/March to devise a solution to a real-world problem using mathematical modeling. Of the hundreds of participating teams, nine winning teams are selected as finalists, among them three technical awards for teams that opt to include code in their solutions. Submissions are judged by a national panel of 150 largely Ph.D.-level mathematicians. The competition final presentation event and awards ceremony is traditionally held in New York City in late April – an all-expense paid experience for the finalist teams.

According to Michelle Montgomery, M3 Challenge program director at SIAM, what sets M3 Challenge apart from other math competitions is that it uniquely requires students to use math modeling to represent, analyze, make predictions and provide insight into current world issues.

“For 2021, the competition will be taken up a notch, with students now having the opportunity to participate in an international competition and compete on the world stage, resulting in added prestige for the winning teams,” Montgomery said.

Past competition topics have had students address issues such as the transition of trucking from diesel to electric, substance abuse, food insecurity and car sharing.

“SIAM and MathWorks share a common goal of encouraging students to explore STEM careers by demonstrating the relevance of math, engineering and science outside the classroom,” said Lauren Tabolinsky, academic program manager at MathWorks. “We are pleased to continue supporting M3 Challenge as it expands its scope by helping younger audiences consider STEM careers by applying their skills to relevant and achievable contest goals.”

In addition to its title sponsorship, MathWorks offers participants a range of free resources, training materials and software licenses to help them prepare for the challenge – including its flagship products MATLAB and Simulink that are widely used across academia and commercial industries around the world.

“Every year without fail, we hear from participating students who refer to their participation in M3 Challenge as a transformative experience that helped open their eyes to how important, useful and valuable the application of mathematics can be,” Montgomery said.

To date, M3 Challenge has awarded a total of more than $1.5 million in scholarships.

Registration is open until February 19, 2021. To register, visit http://m3challenge.siam.org.


About Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics


Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an international society of more than 14,000 individual, academic and corporate members from 90+ countries. SIAM helps build cooperation between mathematics and the worlds of science and technology to solve real-world problems through publications, conferences, and communities like chapters, sections and activity groups. Learn more at siam.org.

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Attachment

Becky Kerner
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
267-992-8681
[email protected]

Microbot Medical Secures Patents in Multiple Global Jurisdictions

HINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Microbot Medical Inc. (Nasdaq: MBOT) announced that it has received patents in multiple jurisdictions, further demonstrating the Company’s continued execution of expanding and protecting its Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio. The Company now has 40 issued/allowed patents and 23 patent applications pending worldwide.

“As we continue to make progress on the development, clinical and regulatory fronts, it is encouraging that we are also achieving our goals to broaden the protection of our novel technologies,” commented Harel Gadot, CEO, President and Chairman. “Strengthening our IP portfolio is a critical component of Microbot’s strategy for facilitating product evolution and maximizing future commercial opportunities.”

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Notice of Allowance 684 pertaining to the Company’s Self-Cleaning Shunt (SCS) device. The allowed patent application is a Continuation of a patent, issued on July 19, 2016, and covers a device for mitigating occlusion in an implantable catheter. The claims are directed to a device comprising a tube having at least one drainage opening disposed in its wall and configured for implantation within a body cavity, further comprising a cleaning element having at least one cleaning protrusion extending into the opening and configured to move within the opening.

Additionally, the European Patent Office (EPO) granted an EP Patent covering the Company’s guidewire technology for use with endo-luminal interventions, and related to the Company’s LIBERTYTM development. This is the second European patent granted for this unique technology and extends protection to include the device’s current development, having a double guidewire comprising a first hollow guidewire and a second guidewire deployed within the first guidewire, and an adjuster mechanism operable to displace the second guidewire longitudinally relative to the first guidewire between at least three states.

About Microbot Medical

Microbot Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: MBOT) is a pre-clinical medical device company that specializes in transformational micro-robotic technologies, focused primarily on both natural and artificial lumens within the human body. Microbot’s current proprietary technological platforms provide the foundation for the development of a Multi Generation Pipeline Portfolio (MGPP).

Microbot Medical was founded in 2010 by Harel Gadot, Prof. Moshe Shoham, and Yossi Bornstein with the goals of improving clinical outcomes for patients and increasing accessibility through the use of micro-robotic technologies. Further information about Microbot Medical is available at http://www.microbotmedical.com.

Safe Harbor

Statements pertaining to the registered direct offering, timing, the amount and anticipated use of proceeds and statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for Microbot Medical Inc. and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects” and “estimates”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, including LIBERTYTM, the outcome of its studies to evaluate the SCS and other existing and future technologies, uncertainty in the results of pre-clinical and clinical trials or regulatory pathways and regulatory approvals, uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Additional information on risks facing Microbot Medical can be found under the heading “Risk Factors” in Microbot Medical’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Microbot Medical disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:

Michael Polyviou
EVC Group
[email protected]
732-933-2754



Bath Fitter Certified as a Great Place to Work®

MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BATH FITTER is proud to announce its certification as a Great Place to Work® after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work® Institute Canada. This certification is based on direct feedback from employees, provided as part of an extensive and anonymous survey about the workplace experience.

Bath Fitter’s goal is to engage employees with meaningful work and enrich their lives with opportunity and knowledge. Even during a global pandemic, the aim stayed true: Provide a working environment, whether at home or in the office, which takes respect and inclusivity to a new level. Teamwork continues to be at the forefront of our mandate. And despite working remotely, Bath Fitter ensures open and regular communication amongst team members and continues to provide employees every opportunity to grow, learn, and make a difference.

“Since our formation in 1984, Bath Fitter has always felt like a family,” says Sophia Nardelli, VP, Human Resources. “I am proud to say that, after all these years, our company has maintained the trust and respect that comes with being part of a family, even though we are now 4,500 employees-strong worldwide.”

About Great Place to Work®:

Great Place to Work® (www.greatplacetowork.ca) is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work® recognizes the Best Workplaces™ across the world in a series of national lists including those published by Fortune magazine (USA) and The Globe & Mail (Canada). Great Place to Work® provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures.

Follow Great Place to Work® at www.greatplacetowork.ca and on Twitter at @GPTW_Canada

About Bath Fitter: Founded in 1984 in Montreal, Canada, Bath Fitter unveiled a demolition-free remodeling solution for bathrooms. Today, Bath Fitter has transformed over two million bathrooms with a unique tub-over-tub installation process. Bath Fitter is the market leader in manufacturing and installation of premium-quality acrylic bathtubs, showers, and one-piece seamless walls with production facilities in Quebec and in Tennessee. Retail locations serve over 250 markets across the US and Canada. Bath Fitter is committed to providing homeowners and commercial customers with high-quality products and superior service. For more information, visit: bathfitter.com.

For all media enquiries, please contact: 

Julia Asselstine, Director, Communications
[email protected]



Progressive Care Reports Positive Q3 EBITDA and Increased Margins

MIAMI, FL, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire ‒ Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB:RXMD) (“Progressive Care” or the “Company”), a personalized healthcare services and technology company, is pleased to announce performance data for the three months ended September 30, 2020, including strong topline and bottom line growth, positive EBITDA, increased margins and continued strong cash resources on hand at the close of the quarter.

  • Consolidated gross sales across all locations during the three months ended September 30, 2020, totaled $10.7 million;
  • Prescriptions filled during 3rd Quarter were over 138,000;
  • Margins increased from 24% to 27% during the quarter (on a year over year basis);
  • Positive EBITDA of $300,000 for the quarter (Non-GAAP Measure);
  • Cash and cash equivalents stood at $1.6 million as of September 30, 2020; and
  • On November 3, 2020, Chicago Venture made the final redemption request on its $1,090,000 note agreement with Progressive Care.

“In a difficult environment, we saw continued growth, increasing profitability, and improved margins,” commented Alan Jay Weisberg, CEO and Chairman of Progressive Care. “We also are approaching our December 4 move-in date for our new 11,000 square-foot Hallandale Beach PharmCoRX location. In addition, we made strong progress toward launching our telehealth platform by integrating CallingDr into the PharmCoRX back-end, which we expect to have up and running in Florida before year-end, ahead of our nationwide telehealth platform rollout early next year.”

The Company’s COVID-19 Testing services continue to expand, with growth in clients accelerating as the number of COVID-19 cases increases in the northern hemisphere and businesses seeking outpatient/on-site services utilize the Company’s 15-minute rapid results testing solution. The Company continues to address this opportunity aggressively, having recently acquired more supplies, allowing for continued expansion in testing services over the coming months.

Mr. Weisberg added, “We have already tested over 1,500 people and, due to rising demand, we are now testing seven days a week. Now that we received more analyzers, our goal is to establish the same leading brand recognition in Palm Beach and Orange Counties as we have in Miami Dade County.”

For more information about Progressive Care, please visit the company’s website. Connect and stay in touch with us on social media:

Progressive Care Inc.
https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveCareUS/https://twitter.com/ProgressCareUS

PharmCoRx
https://www.facebook.com/pharmcorx/https://twitter.com/PharmCoRx

ClearMetrX
https://www.clearmetrx.com/https://www.facebook.com/clearmetrx/

About Progressive Care 

Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB: RXMD), through its subsidiaries, is a Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, provider of tele-pharmacy services, the sale of anti-retroviral medications, medication therapy management (MTM), the supply of prescription medications to long-term care facilities, and health practice risk management.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations about its future operating results, performance, and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding launch of telehealth, expansion of Covid-19 testing. When used herein, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “upcoming,” “plan,” “target,” “intend” and “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to Progressive Care Inc., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

Public Relations Contact:
Carlos Rangel
[email protected]