Category: Business Pursuit

a Dallas-based private equity firm, today announced that it has completed a majority recapitalization of HK Solutions Group (“HK Solutions” or the “Company”), a leading regional provider of infrastructure maintenance services for municipal and industrial customers primarily in the Midwest. Chief Executive Officer Wade Anderson and the existing management team will continue to lead the Company following CenterOak’s investment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“HK Solutions represents an attractive opportunity to partner with a regional market leader providing non-discretionary services in a fragmented sector”

 

HK Solutions, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, provides water and wastewater infrastructure inspection, cleaning, and repair services, as well as industrial services and wastewater treatment, to customers predominantly in Midwestern states. HK Solutions’ diverse set of service offerings are designed to support the ongoing maintenance needs of existing public and private infrastructure, including sewer lines, manholes, stormwater systems, large diameter pipe, and industrial facilities. With an extensive fleet of vacuum trucks, pipe inspection units, and hydroblasting equipment, HK Solutions differentiates itself based on its breadth of services and highly skilled workforce serving the growing needs of municipal and industrial markets in the Midwest.

“We were attracted to the Company after developing an investment thesis around the need to cost effectively repair or replace aging or failing water and wastewater infrastructure,” said Randall Fojtasek, CEO and a Managing Partner of CenterOak. “Sustaining this significant core infrastructure is mission critical for our communities and for the environment. HK Solutions has an impressive operating track record in this large, growing, and important sector.”

“HK Solutions represents an attractive opportunity to partner with a regional market leader providing non-discretionary services in a fragmented sector,” said Jason Sutherland, a Managing Partner with CenterOak. “We look forward to working alongside management to grow the Company’s existing service lines, to expand market presence and to broaden service capabilities, drawing upon CenterOak’s recent relevant investment experience.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the team at CenterOak to drive continued growth,” said Wade Anderson, CEO of HK Solutions. “The team’s knowledge of the wastewater and infrastructure services sectors, operational improvement focus, and significant experience supporting growth through add-on acquisitions made them an ideal partner for HK Solutions. We are excited about entering a phase of accelerated growth and the opportunities that investment in our business can bring our employees, customers and vendors.”

About HK Solutions Group

HK Solutions, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, provides water and wastewater infrastructure inspection, cleaning, and repair services, as well as industrial services and wastewater treatment, to customers predominantly in Midwestern states. HK Solutions’ diverse set of service offerings are designed to support the ongoing maintenance needs of existing public and private infrastructure, including sewer lines, manholes, stormwater systems, large diameter pipe, and industrial facilities. With an extensive fleet of vacuum trucks, pipe inspection units, and hydroblasting equipment, HK Solutions differentiates itself based on its breadth of services and highly skilled workforce serving the growing needs of municipal and industrial markets in the Midwest. For more information, please visit www.hksolutionsgroup.com

About CenterOak Partners LLC

CenterOak Partners LLC is a private equity firm with a focus on making control-oriented investments in middle market companies organized or operating in the United States. The Firm specializes in three key industry sectors: Industrial Growth, Consumer, and Business Services. Based in Dallas, Texas, the CenterOak team has a strong history of creating significant value through operational improvements. CenterOak and its Partners have managed over $2.4 billion of equity capital commitments and have completed more than 100 transactions, representing over $6.6 billion in value. For additional information, please visit www.centeroakpartners.com

Rolls-Royce has appointed a government and corporate affairs director for its mini nuclear reactors project, while the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has hired a new director of communications.

Tas Bhanji starts at the Institution of Civil Engineers in September

Tas Bhanji, who is a director at Blakeney, will take up her in-house role at the ICE in September.

She will take over from Simon Barney, who has served as interim director of comms since Simon Creer left earlier this year to become the Royal Town Planning Institute’s director of comms.

Bhanji will work with with Chris Richards, policy director at the ICE, and will oversee a comms team covering public affairs, media, social media, internal comms, membership and international comms.

Bhanji has worked in comms for more than a decade. Prior to joining Blakeney last year, she spent two-and-a-half years at McDonald’s, where she was corporate relations manager, Eastern Europe.

Her career has also included stints with Weber Shandwick in China, FleishmanHillard in Brussels, and MHP Communications in London. In addition, she held the role of senior campaigns adviser at the Confederation of British Industry.

Commenting on her new job, Bhanji said: “The ICE has a long history of qualifying and supporting civil engineers around the world, and providing professional expertise to decision-makers. The focus in the coming year(s) will be to build on that, and continue to highlight the critical role civil engineers play in tackling climate change, enabling a more sustainable world.”

Nuclear power

 

Alastair Evans, government and corporate affairs director, the Rolls Royce SMR project

Meanwhile, Alastair Evans has joined Rolls-Royce as government and corporate affairs director for its mini nuclear reactor deveopment programme – dubbed the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project.

Evans, who started his job this week, is responsible for the corporate affairs strategy,  encompassing public affairs, policy and investor relations. He reports to Tom Samson, chief executive of the SMR project.

“The Rolls-Royce SMR project is a pioneering technology solution to the need to deliver firm low-carbon power. In moving to the delivery stage, there are… exciting and challenging  policy, regulatory, communications and political challenges to navigate,” he said.

“The opportunity to join the experienced executive team to deliver this vital project to the UK was too compelling to pass up.”

Evans was previously head of international government affairs at oil and gas company Neptune Energy.

He has worked in public affairs for a decade, mostly in the nuclear sector, with stints as head of government affairs at NuGen and at the Nuclear Industry Association, where he was policy and public affairs manager.

Rolls-Royce has appointed a government and corporate affairs director for its mini nuclear reactors project, while the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has hired a new director of communications.

Tas Bhanji starts at the Institution of Civil Engineers in September

Tas Bhanji, who is a director at Blakeney, will take up her in-house role at the ICE in September.

She will take over from Simon Barney, who has served as interim director of comms since Simon Creer left earlier this year to become the Royal Town Planning Institute’s director of comms.

Bhanji will work with with Chris Richards, policy director at the ICE, and will oversee a comms team covering public affairs, media, social media, internal comms, membership and international comms.

Bhanji has worked in comms for more than a decade. Prior to joining Blakeney last year, she spent two-and-a-half years at McDonald’s, where she was corporate relations manager, Eastern Europe.

Her career has also included stints with Weber Shandwick in China, FleishmanHillard in Brussels, and MHP Communications in London. In addition, she held the role of senior campaigns adviser at the Confederation of British Industry.

Commenting on her new job, Bhanji said: “The ICE has a long history of qualifying and supporting civil engineers around the world, and providing professional expertise to decision-makers. The focus in the coming year(s) will be to build on that, and continue to highlight the critical role civil engineers play in tackling climate change, enabling a more sustainable world.”

Nuclear power

 

Alastair Evans, government and corporate affairs director, the Rolls Royce SMR project

Meanwhile, Alastair Evans has joined Rolls-Royce as government and corporate affairs director for its mini nuclear reactor deveopment programme – dubbed the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project.

Evans, who started his job this week, is responsible for the corporate affairs strategy,  encompassing public affairs, policy and investor relations. He reports to Tom Samson, chief executive of the SMR project.

“The Rolls-Royce SMR project is a pioneering technology solution to the need to deliver firm low-carbon power. In moving to the delivery stage, there are… exciting and challenging  policy, regulatory, communications and political challenges to navigate,” he said.

“The opportunity to join the experienced executive team to deliver this vital project to the UK was too compelling to pass up.”

Evans was previously head of international government affairs at oil and gas company Neptune Energy.

He has worked in public affairs for a decade, mostly in the nuclear sector, with stints as head of government affairs at NuGen and at the Nuclear Industry Association, where he was policy and public affairs manager.

A focus on premium video and omnichannel monetization drives long-term relationship into the future

announced the renewal of a global contract with Microsoft which sees the extension of existing technology solutions, the introduction of new ventures and follows over ten years of successful partnership. Microsoft is extending its use of Xandr’s sell-side platform, Xandr Monetize, and its Global Supply Evangelism relationship with Xandr, as Microsoft expands and diversifies its monetization strategy, focusing on increasing Microsoft’s unique audiences for advertisers across premium display, video and native supply in more than 100 countries. Concurrently, Microsoft is increasing its marketing spend that runs through Xandr’s Invest DSP and extending the Microsoft Audience Network demand platform to bid in the Xandr Marketplace.

“Our holistic relationship with Microsoft is entrenched in innovation and collaboration. We deeply value their continued trust in our platform and team to support formats that are so critical to the future of our advertising business”

 

“We always seek to align our partnership opportunities to serve the best interests of and to directly benefit the marketers and agencies looking to drive growth through our unique Microsoft audience. Our renewal with Xandr, after ten successful years of partnership, extends globally-scaled programmatic access to Microsoft’s audience that marketers rely on today,” said Kya Sainsbury-Carter, VP, Global Partner Sales at Microsoft.

“Our holistic relationship with Microsoft is entrenched in innovation and collaboration. We deeply value their continued trust in our platform and team to support formats that are so critical to the future of our advertising business,” said Dave Osborn, Senior Vice President, North America Commercial & Global Partnerships, Xandr. “Microsoft’s international growth on Xandr, across the buy- and sell-sides, and across leading formats like video and native, are critical components of our global marketplace as Xandr builds to support campaigns that span screens.”

With multiple consumer properties, including Microsoft News, MSN and Outlook.com, Microsoft has leveraged Xandr’s global technology solutions to connect its unique audiences programmatically to advertisers through both video and omnichannel demand at scale. As digital advertising budgets shift to video, Microsoft ramped up video monetization efforts supported by Xandr’s video technology solutions and unique video demand. Initially, Microsoft launched on Xandr Monetize with a single video ad format in one market and quickly expanded to three formats and into over sixty global markets. Those three video ad formats include instream pre-roll, outstream in-article and “BannerStream” which enables multiple media types to participate in a single unified auction.

Most recently, Microsoft was an early adopter of Xandr’s simplified server-side header bidding solution, Prebid Server Premium. With the technology, Microsoft consolidates its demand for video and native through the tools on Xandr Monetize, allowing for efficient private marketplace (PMP) buying and providing advertisers a unified path to access Microsoft supply.

On the buy-side, Microsoft has augmented its media spend through Xandr’s Invest DSP as one of its primary DSPs for marketing campaigns.

In 2020, Xandr joined the Microsoft Audience Network, which serves “Microsoft Audience Ads,” the only native advertising solution built by its trusted search platform, Microsoft Bing. Xandr has integrated premium third-party supply in the network, giving buyers the ability to target Microsoft unique audiences at scale across premium international native supply through Xandr Monetize.

ABOUT XANDR

A business unit within AT&T, Xandr powers a global marketplace for premium advertising. Our data-enabled technology platform, encompassing Xandr Invest and Xandr Monetize,

A focus on premium video and omnichannel monetization drives long-term relationship into the future

announced the renewal of a global contract with Microsoft which sees the extension of existing technology solutions, the introduction of new ventures and follows over ten years of successful partnership. Microsoft is extending its use of Xandr’s sell-side platform, Xandr Monetize, and its Global Supply Evangelism relationship with Xandr, as Microsoft expands and diversifies its monetization strategy, focusing on increasing Microsoft’s unique audiences for advertisers across premium display, video and native supply in more than 100 countries. Concurrently, Microsoft is increasing its marketing spend that runs through Xandr’s Invest DSP and extending the Microsoft Audience Network demand platform to bid in the Xandr Marketplace.

“Our holistic relationship with Microsoft is entrenched in innovation and collaboration. We deeply value their continued trust in our platform and team to support formats that are so critical to the future of our advertising business”

 

“We always seek to align our partnership opportunities to serve the best interests of and to directly benefit the marketers and agencies looking to drive growth through our unique Microsoft audience. Our renewal with Xandr, after ten successful years of partnership, extends globally-scaled programmatic access to Microsoft’s audience that marketers rely on today,” said Kya Sainsbury-Carter, VP, Global Partner Sales at Microsoft.

“Our holistic relationship with Microsoft is entrenched in innovation and collaboration. We deeply value their continued trust in our platform and team to support formats that are so critical to the future of our advertising business,” said Dave Osborn, Senior Vice President, North America Commercial & Global Partnerships, Xandr. “Microsoft’s international growth on Xandr, across the buy- and sell-sides, and across leading formats like video and native, are critical components of our global marketplace as Xandr builds to support campaigns that span screens.”

With multiple consumer properties, including Microsoft News, MSN and Outlook.com, Microsoft has leveraged Xandr’s global technology solutions to connect its unique audiences programmatically to advertisers through both video and omnichannel demand at scale. As digital advertising budgets shift to video, Microsoft ramped up video monetization efforts supported by Xandr’s video technology solutions and unique video demand. Initially, Microsoft launched on Xandr Monetize with a single video ad format in one market and quickly expanded to three formats and into over sixty global markets. Those three video ad formats include instream pre-roll, outstream in-article and “BannerStream” which enables multiple media types to participate in a single unified auction.

Most recently, Microsoft was an early adopter of Xandr’s simplified server-side header bidding solution, Prebid Server Premium. With the technology, Microsoft consolidates its demand for video and native through the tools on Xandr Monetize, allowing for efficient private marketplace (PMP) buying and providing advertisers a unified path to access Microsoft supply.

On the buy-side, Microsoft has augmented its media spend through Xandr’s Invest DSP as one of its primary DSPs for marketing campaigns.

In 2020, Xandr joined the Microsoft Audience Network, which serves “Microsoft Audience Ads,” the only native advertising solution built by its trusted search platform, Microsoft Bing. Xandr has integrated premium third-party supply in the network, giving buyers the ability to target Microsoft unique audiences at scale across premium international native supply through Xandr Monetize.

ABOUT XANDR

A business unit within AT&T, Xandr powers a global marketplace for premium advertising. Our data-enabled technology platform, encompassing Xandr Invest and Xandr Monetize, optimizes return on investment for both buyers and sellers. For more than 143 years, AT&T has used data and technology to inform and improve the consumer experience.

optimizes return on investment for both buyers and sellers. For more than 143 years, AT&T has used data and technology to inform and improve the consumer experience.

Investment will see Colt DCS take ownership to develop and operate hyperscale data centres across Tokyo and Osaka markets increasing capacity from 50MW to 140MW

Colt Data Centre Services (DCS), a leading provider of global hyperscale data centre solutions, today announced, that Fidelity has entered into a joint venture agreement with Mitsui & Co, and Mitsui & Co Asset Management Holdings, to provide state-of-the-art hyperscale data centres in Japan. The new joint venture will be owned 50:50 and will further strengthen Colt DCS’ presence in the Tokyo and Osaka regions of Japan.

“Data centres play a critical role in the digital transformation of businesses across the globe, and the demand for high-quality and environmentally conscious hyperscale data centres is huge”

 

The joint venture between Fidelity and Mitsui will allow Colt DCS to further accelerate its hyperscale strategy in Japan, where it has seen unprecedented success. The company pre-sold 94% of its capacity before the launch of its Inzai Three facility November of last year, and has recently been named Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 Japan Data Center Services Company of the Year, a prestigious award which examines criteria such as customer experience, operations excellence technical capabilities, and innovation. Colt DCS currently have 50MW existing built in Japan, which will almost triple to 140MW following the joint venture.

“Japan remains a strategic country of focus for our regional expansion, where the demand for large-scale data centre capacity outstrips supply,” commented Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO, Colt Data Centre Services. “Whilst Colt DCS already has a solid reputation in the market for working with the world’s largest hyperscale cloud providers and multi-national companies, the partnership with Mitsui and its strategic alliances will provide new opportunities for us to further penetrate the domestic enterprise sector and accelerate our land banking strategy.”

The joint venture will appoint Colt Data Centre Services as the exclusive service provider for the design, development, operations and customer service management for the venture. Mitsui & Co., Realty Management Ltd., a private real estate fund management subsidiary of Mitsui will serve as the asset manager for the joint venture, covering structuring, financing, land sourcing, development support and Japanese customer marketing by utilising Mitsui group’s deep industrial capabilities.

“Data centres play a critical role in the digital transformation of businesses across the globe, and the demand for high-quality and environmentally conscious hyperscale data centres is huge,” added Shinsuke Waka, GM of Financial Business Division, from Mitsui & Co. “Through the management of the Mitsui Fund and our joint venture, Mitsui will utilise its unique financial and industrial capabilities to respond jointly to these needs with its global prestigious partners.”

About Colt DCS

Colt Data Centre Services provide true service and operational excellence in the design, build, delivery and operational management of hyperscale data centres and hybrid cloud solutions to our customers across Europe and Asia pacific.

We have over 25 years of experience in operating 26 state-of-the-art carrier neutral data centres across 18 cities, offering 24/7 security and local language support.

Our connectivity and colocation solutions allow our customers freedom to plan effectively for the growth of their business, knowing that their data centre strategy is ready for the demands of tomorrow. http://www.coltdatacentres.net/

Investment will see Colt DCS take ownership to develop and operate hyperscale data centres across Tokyo and Osaka markets increasing capacity from 50MW to 140MW

Colt Data Centre Services (DCS), a leading provider of global hyperscale data centre solutions, today announced, that Fidelity has entered into a joint venture agreement with Mitsui & Co, and Mitsui & Co Asset Management Holdings, to provide state-of-the-art hyperscale data centres in Japan. The new joint venture will be owned 50:50 and will further strengthen Colt DCS’ presence in the Tokyo and Osaka regions of Japan.

“Data centres play a critical role in the digital transformation of businesses across the globe, and the demand for high-quality and environmentally conscious hyperscale data centres is huge”

 

The joint venture between Fidelity and Mitsui will allow Colt DCS to further accelerate its hyperscale strategy in Japan, where it has seen unprecedented success. The company pre-sold 94% of its capacity before the launch of its Inzai Three facility November of last year, and has recently been named Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 Japan Data Center Services Company of the Year, a prestigious award which examines criteria such as customer experience, operations excellence technical capabilities, and innovation. Colt DCS currently have 50MW existing built in Japan, which will almost triple to 140MW following the joint venture.

“Japan remains a strategic country of focus for our regional expansion, where the demand for large-scale data centre capacity outstrips supply,” commented Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO, Colt Data Centre Services. “Whilst Colt DCS already has a solid reputation in the market for working with the world’s largest hyperscale cloud providers and multi-national companies, the partnership with Mitsui and its strategic alliances will provide new opportunities for us to further penetrate the domestic enterprise sector and accelerate our land banking strategy.”

The joint venture will appoint Colt Data Centre Services as the exclusive service provider for the design, development, operations and customer service management for the venture. Mitsui & Co., Realty Management Ltd., a private real estate fund management subsidiary of Mitsui will serve as the asset manager for the joint venture, covering structuring, financing, land sourcing, development support and Japanese customer marketing by utilising Mitsui group’s deep industrial capabilities.

“Data centres play a critical role in the digital transformation of businesses across the globe, and the demand for high-quality and environmentally conscious hyperscale data centres is huge,” added Shinsuke Waka, GM of Financial Business Division, from Mitsui & Co. “Through the management of the Mitsui Fund and our joint venture, Mitsui will utilise its unique financial and industrial capabilities to respond jointly to these needs with its global prestigious partners.”

About Colt DCS

Colt Data Centre Services provide true service and operational excellence in the design, build, delivery and operational management of hyperscale data centres and hybrid cloud solutions to our customers across Europe and Asia pacific.

We have over 25 years of experience in operating 26 state-of-the-art carrier neutral data centres across 18 cities, offering 24/7 security and local language support.

Our connectivity and colocation solutions allow our customers freedom to plan effectively for the growth of their business, knowing that their data centre strategy is ready for the demands of tomorrow. http://www.coltdatacentres.net/

State owned insurance company, Sasria, to expedite claims for businesses destroyed in unrest
The recent wave of unrest that has blazed in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has left a trail of destruction that will impact our economy for years to come. eThekwini Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, says that more than 40 000 businesses in the region have been affected and estimates that the damage to property and equipment will exceed R15 billion.
With most companies already in the process of rebuilding, Craig Mendelson, the Short-term Insurance Manager for Consolidated Group says there is some good news for business owners. The South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) has been proactive in its dealings with insurance companies to ensure that claims will be expedited.
“The state-owned entity, Sasria, is the only insurer in South Africa that provides cover for loss or damage to insured property as a direct result of social unrest, including rioting, strike action and public disorder,” Craig explains.
“Businesses that have Sasria cover and have claims up to R50 000 should be paid out quickly as the Association has given certain insurance companies a mandate to settle these smaller claims directly. All larger claims will however have to go through the usual Sasria approval process; but the Association has promised that even these will be expedited.”
Craig expects that businesses with smaller claims will be paid out within a few weeks whereas larger claims may take up to two months or longer, depending on the complexity of the claim.
Sasria does not deal directly with the public but its cover is included as an option in most commercial and consumer insurance policies. If this is selected, the insurance company is responsible for administering the cover.
“Insurance companies offer insurance for unforeseen incidents including accidental damages, theft (not arising from riots) and weather-related damages. In practice, business owners take up this normal insurance, but supplement it with cover from Sasria,” says Craig.
“It’s a simple box ticking exercise when business owners select their cover and while many companies choose to include it, there are exceptions and unfortunately, there is no recourse now for these businesses as their regular insurance won’t pay out for damages caused by social unrest.”
Sasria cover comprises a number of categories including material damage to domestic and commercial property, goods in transit, motor and business interruption. Craig says this latter cover could be a saving grace for many businesses but cautions them to check their limitations.
“Saria Business Interruption insurance covers consequential or indirect financial losses suffered as a result of looting, property damages such as fire or vandalism during riots, strikes and public disorder amongst others. Usually, a time period is specified for this cover which varies from three to 24 months,” says Craig.
Knowing the period over which the business interruption cover will pay out may help companies with their expenses in the short-term while they are unable to trade but it could leave them exposed in the long-run, depending on how long they need to rebuild and become fully operational.
Sasria limitations also apply to the value of the business insured. If a business owner is insured by Sasria to the tune of R100 million and incurred damages or losses worth R500 million, Sasria will only pay out the insured amount. The owner will have to pay out of pocket to fix the uninsured damages.
To understand all these exclusions and limitations, Craig advises any business owner who is submitting a claim due to the recent riots to work directly with their broker.
“Your broker will help you to fast-track your claim and will handle the administration with Sasria for you. The most important part of this is to ensure that all the correct documentation is submitted from the start and if you get this right, it will assist in your claim been resolved speedily.

Tragically, South Africa is in the midst of violent protests and looting. A number of provinces are being affected, and many businesses and properties have been damaged.
AASYS (Advanced Automated Systems) believe they have the products and technology to prevent and contain any further damage.
AASYS is the sole distributor of LIOS products in South Africa. Using LIOS’s world-leading technology, fibre optic cables are deployed as a sensing and condition-monitoring solution fit for a wide variety of different applications – including the monitoring of the perimeter of businesses and buildings.
“The acoustics technology allows you to distinguish specific sounds – whether it’s a truck or car, a group of people or an individual, someone cutting the fence or digging under it – and provides an early warning so you can react in time to prevent an incident,” explains AASYS CEO, Yoni Margalit. “In addition, this technology enables the monitoring of temperature near the fibre optic cable – ensuring the early detection of fires.”
AASYS is also the sole distributor of Dafo. The Dafo Wet Chemical Handheld units are extremely effective at putting out tyre fires. “As reported in the news, many trucks have been set on fire during the rioting, and we believe this product will be useful in preventing further damage.”
Then there’s AASYS’s FOG microcapsule technology. The microcapsules contain a fire-suppressant chemical which is added to a paint, and automatically burst on reaching a certain temperature, thereby extinguishing an approaching fire at a very early stage.
“The paint can be applied to any surface to make it fire suppressant,” says Margalit. “It’s especially useful in this situation to protect armoured vehicles, petroleum tanks, delivery trucks and shop walls.”
AASYS takes pride in offering the most advanced condition monitoring and fire prevention and suppression systems in the world.
“This technology enables clients to save lives and protect assets, while ensuring businesses and industries stay up and running at all times,” says Margalit. “The damage is already severe, but we’d like to put our cutting-edge solutions to work to help prevent and minimise any further disruptions to our economy, and to the businesses which drive it.”