Connect with us

Technology

Haivision Announces Results for the Three Months and Nine Months Ended July 31, 2024

Published

on

Operational Restructuring Now Complete, Focus Turns to Higher Revenue Growth

MONTREAL, Sept. 11, 2024 /CNW/ – Haivision Systems Inc. (“Haivision” or the “Company”) (TSX: HAI), a leading global provider of mission critical, real-time video networking and visual collaboration solutions, today announced its results for the third quarter ended July 31, 2024.

“As we get closer to the end of our Fiscal 2024, I’m proud to say that we have completed our 2-year strategic plan for major EBITDA and profitability transformation,” said Mirko Wicha, Chairman and CEO of Haivision.  Successfully transitioning out of low margin businesses, our focus over the next two years will be to return Haivision to organic, double-digit revenue growth.”  

Q3 2024 Financial Results

Revenue of $30.6 million, down from the prior year comparative period, partially the result of delays in the U.S. budget approval, but also reflect our transformation away from the bespoke “integrator” model and our success in the long-term rental program.Gross Margins* were 75.0%, a significant improvement from 71.9% for the same prior year period.Total expenses were $21.9 million, a decrease of $3.8 million, from the same prior year period.Operating profit was $1.1 million, a $1.8 million or 333% improvement from the same prior year period.Adjusted EBITDA* was $4.1 million, consistent with the prior year period.Adjusted EBITDA Margins* was 13.5%, compared to 12.4% for the same prior year period.Net income was $0.4 million, a $1.3 million or 298% improvement from the same prior year period.

Financial Results for the nine months ended July 31, 2024

Revenue of $99.4 million, down from the prior year comparative period, partially the result of delays in approval of the U.S. federal budget, but also reflects our transformation away from the bespoke integrator model, our success in the long-term rental program and are departure from the house of worship business.Gross Margins* were 73.1%, a notable improvement from 69.1% for the same prior year period.Total expenses were $67.4 million, a decrease of $7.0 million from the same prior year period.Operating profit was $5.2 million, a $7.7 million or 317% improvement from the same prior year period.Adjusted EBITDA* was $14.4 million, a $5.3 million or 78% improvement from the same prior year period.Adjusted EBITDA Margins* was 14.5%, a signficant improvement when compared to 8.7% for the same prior year period.Net income was $2.6 million, a $6.4 million or 243% improvement from the same prior year period.

Key Company Highlights

Haivision joins consortium with Airbus Defense and Space to develop new technologies for rapid, secure, and reliable communications.Haivision MCS awarded US$61.2 million (CAD$82 million) production agreement by U.S. Navy for next-generation combat visualization and video distribution systems.Haivision collaborates with Shield AI to bring together full-motion video with AI object detection for defense and ISR applications.France Television provides exclusive coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing competition with Haivision’s private 5G video transmission ecosystem.Celebrated its 20-years anniversary as a leader and innovator in mission critical live video.Unveiled Hub 360, a cloud-based master control solution that streamlines live production workflows.Published its fifth annual Broadcast Transformation Report, highlighting the state of technology adoption in the broadcast industry.Awarded “Single/Dual-Stream Encoding Hardware” and “Best On-Prem Encoding/ Transcoding Solution” for the Makito X4 by Streaming Media Readers’ Choice Awards.Joined the Panasonic Partner Alliance for live video production workflows with Kairos; joined the Sony Cloud Production Platform for low latency live video in the cloud; and partnered with Grabyo, a London-based live cloud production platform, enabling integrated solution for live multi-camera productions.Announced strategic partnerships with CP Communications, Flypack, RF Wireless Systems, and Vidovation to extend mobile video transmitters rental services into North America.

“Haivision MCS’s recent award of a C$82M production agreement by the U.S. Navy, the Airbus Defense development partnership, and our investment in AI development demonstrate our ability to deliver advanced technology solutions for our key markets. Said Dan Rabinowitz, Chief Financial Officer and EVP, Operations.  These are but a few example of growth opportunities for the Company.  It has clearly been a busy year for Haivision.”

Financial Results

Revenue for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2024 was $30.6 million and $99.4 million, respectively modest decrease when compared to the prior year comparative period.  In this last quarter revenues were impacted by delays in the approval of a U.Ss Federal spending bill which, in turn, delayed certain procurement process; our transition away from the integrator model in the control room space, which offered lower-margined, third-party components; our long-term rental program which will offer a recurring revenue model and enhanced margins in our transmitter business; and our departure from the house of worship market in fiscal 2023.

Gross Margin* for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2024 was 75.0% and 71.9%, respectively compared to 72.0% and 69.1% for the prior year comparable periods. Gross Margin* were positively impacted by our decision to exit the managed services business; transitioning away from the integrator model in the control room market, decreases in the incremental costs of components procured during the worldwide component shortage, and supply chain improvements.   

Total expenses for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2024 were $21.9 million and $67.4 million, respectively representing decrease of $3.8 million and $7.0 million when compared to from the prior year comparative periods, largely the result of recently completed restructuring efforts. 

The result of these Gross Margin* improvements and lower total expenses was operating profits for the three months and nine months ended July 31,, 2024 of $1.1 million and $5.3 million, respectively representing improvements of $1.6 million and $7.7 million when compared to the prior year comparable periods. Adjusted EBITDA* for the three months ended July 31, 2024 was $4.1 million a modest decrease of $0.2 million from the prior year period.  However, Adjusted EBITDA* for the nine-month period ended July 31, 2024 was $14.4 million representing a significant increase of $5.3 million (or 58%) from the prior year comparative period. Adjusted EBITDA Margins* for the three months ended July 31, 2024, was 13.5% compared to 12.4% in the prior year comparative period.  Adjusted EBITDA Margins* for the nine months ended July 31, 2024, was 14.5% compared to 8.7% in the prior year comparative period.

Net income for the three months ended July 31, 2024, was $0.4 million representing an increase of $1.3 million from the prior year net loss of $0.9 million, and net income for the nine months ended July 31, 2024 was $2.6 million and increase of $6.4 million from the prior year loss of $3.8 million.

 *Measures followed by the suffix “*” in this press release are non-IFRS measures. For the relevant definition, see “Non-IFRS Measures” below. As applicable, a reconciliation of this non-IFRS measure to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measure is included in the tables at the end of this press release and in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2024.

Conference Call Notification

Haivision will hold a conference call to discuss its second quarter financial results on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 8:30 am (ET). To register for the call, please use this link https://registrations.events/direct/Q4I3341499 .  After registering, a confirmation will be sent through email, including dial in details and unique conference call codes for entry.

Financial Statements, Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Additional Information 

Haivision’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the third quarter ended July 31, 2024 (the “Q3 Financial Statements”), the management’s discussion and analysis thereon and additional information relating to Haivision and its business can be found under Haivision’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The financial information presented in this release was derived from the Q3 Financial Statements.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s growth opportunities and its ability to execute on its growth strategy. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent management’s current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Haivision as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors identified under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s latest annual information form, and in other periodic filings that the Company has made and may make in the future with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, all of which are available under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Haivision. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Haivision undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Non-IFRS Measures

Haivision’s consolidated financial statements for the third quarter ended July 31, 2024 are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).  As a compliment to results provided in accordance with IFRS, this press release makes reference to certain (i) non-IFRS financial measures, including “EBITDA”, and “Adjusted EBITDA”, (ii) non-IFRS ratios including “Adjusted EBITDA Margin”, and (iii) supplementary financial measures including “Gross Margins” (collectively “non-IFRS measures”). These non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. Rather, these non-IFRS measures are used to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS measures. We also believe that securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the evaluation of issuers. Our management also uses non-IFRS measures to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, to prepare annual operating budgets and forecasts and to determine components of management compensation. For information on the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in the primary financial statements of Haivision, composition of the non-IFRS measures, a description of how Haivision uses these measures and an explanation of how these measures provide useful information to investors, refer to the “Non-IFRS Measures” section of the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2024, dated September 11, 2024, available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca, which is incorporated by reference into this press release. As applicable, the reconciliations for each non-IFRS measure are outlined below. Non-IFRS measures should not be considered as alternatives to net income or comparable metrics determined in accordance with IFRS as indicators of the Company’s performance, liquidity, cash flow and profitability.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys® for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com. 

Thousands of Canadian dollars (except per share amounts)

Three months ended

July 31,

Nine months ended

July 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

($)

($)

($)

($)

Revenue

30,646

34,954

99,394

104,132

Cost of sales

7,665

9,826

26,709

32,133

Gross profit

22,981

25,128

72,685

71,999

Expenses

Sales and marketing

6,744

7,823

20,378

23,339

Operations and support

3,939

3,820

11,903

11,409

Research and development

6,713

7,236

20,738

22,542

General and administrative

3,870

4,740

12,788

14,036

Share-based payment

585

449

1,627

1,545

Restructuring costs

—

1,546

—

1,546

21,851

25,615

67,434

74,417

Operating Profit (loss)

1,131

(486)

5,251

(2,417)

Financial expenses

206

393

749

1,337

Income (loss) before income taxes

925

(880)

4,502

(3,754)

Income taxes

Current

887

(388)

2,236

(242)

Deferred

(397)

371

(378)

283

490

(17)

1,858

40

Net income (loss)

435

(863)

2,644

(3,795)

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Foreign currency translation adjustment

785

(2,670)

203

(2)

Comprehensive income (loss)

1,221

(3,532)

2,848

(3,797)

Net income (loss) per share:

       Basic

$0.01

$(0.03)

$0.09

$(0.13)

       Diluted

$0.01

$(0.03)

$0.09

$(0.13)

 Weighted average number of shares outstanding

       Basic

29,038,392

29,004,453

29,074,599

28,964,172

       Diluted

30,162,758

29,004,453

30,123,314

28,964,172

Thousands of Canadian dollars

As at

July 31,
2024

October 31,
2023

$

$

Assets

Current assets

             Cash

13,882

8,285

             Trade and other receivables

24,676

26,113

             Investment tax credits receivable

2,044

2,238

             Inventories

15,581

18,930

             Prepaid expenses and deposits

3,828

4,043

60,011

59,609

Property and equipment

3,727

3,900

Right-of-use assets

6,199

7,494

Intangible assets

12,727

17,668

Goodwill

46,309

46,219

Non-refundable investment tax credits receivable

7,313

5,602

Deferred income taxes

3,953

3,599

80,228

84,482

140,239

144,091

Liabilities

Current liabilities

            Line of credit

3,402

4,685

            Trade and other payables

14,031

17,534

            Restructuring costs payable

70

240

             Purchase price payable

208

204

            Income taxes payable

1,779

659

            Current portion of lease liabilities

1,677

1,688

            Current portion of term loans

1,138

964

            Deferred revenue

12,672

12,104

34,977

38,078

Lease liabilities

5,460

6,738

Long term debt

1,664

2,101

Deferred revenue

3,009

3,021

45,110

49,938

Equity

Share capital

89,900

90,902

Retained earnings

(7,792)

(9,997)

Share-based compensation and other reserves

4,864

5,295

Cumulative translation adjustment

8,157

7,953

95,129

94,153

140,239

144,091

 

Thousands of Canadian dollars

Three months ended

 July 31,

Nine months ended

July 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

($)

($)

($)

($)

Net Income (loss)

434

(863)

2,644

(3,795)

Income Taxes

490

(17)

1,858

40

Income (loss) before income taxes

925

(880)

4,502

(3,755)

Depreciation

828

768

2,561

2,315

Amortization

1,602

2,053

4,947

6,091

Financial expenses

206

393

749

1,337

EBITDA(1)

3,561

2,335

12,759

5.988

Share-based payments (LTIP)

585

449

1,627

1,545

Restructuring costs

—

1,546

—

1,546

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

4,146

4.330

14,386

9,079

Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1)

13.5 %

12.4 %

14.5 %

8.7 %

___________________

Note:

(1) Non-IFRS measure. See “Non-IFRS Measures.”

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haivision-announces-results-for-the-three-months-and-nine-months-ended-july-31-2024-302245405.html

SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Florida Southern College Celebrates Ben and Missy Albritton Citrus and Horticulture Complex Greenhouse Raising and Miller Planetarium Rededication

Published

on

By

LAKELAND, Fla., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Florida Southern College celebrated two significant investments in science education and historic preservation on Thursday, Oct. 22, with the Ben and Missy Albritton Citrus and Horticulture Complex Greenhouse Raising, as well as the Miller Planetarium Rededication. The celebration highlighted the College’s commitment to agricultural education, scientific discovery, and preserving its distinctive Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus.

The event welcomed Florida Senate President and Florida Southern alumnus Ben Albritton and his wife, Missy Albritton, along with state and local officials, College leadership, alumni, and community partners. The program included the unveiling of a dedication inscription honoring the Albritton’s, a greenhouse raising ceremony for the new greenhouse complex, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly modernized Miller Planetarium.

The Albritton Citrus and Horticulture Complex will strengthen Florida Southern’s longstanding connection to Florida’s citrus industry and agricultural education. As a student, Ben Albritton studied horticulture at the College, where faculty members helped him recognize his potential as both a student and a leader. The complex honors the Albrittons’ connection to Florida Southern and their commitment to education, agriculture, and public service.

During the greenhouse raising, invited guests signed a steel beam that will become a permanent part of the new complex. The ceremony recognized the collaborative efforts of the College, state leaders, and community supporters in advancing agricultural education. Once completed, the four new greenhouses will provide opportunities for hands-on learning, experimentation, and scientific inquiry.

State funding is also supporting improvements to Polk Science, including structural upgrades, historic preservation, and restoration of its greenhouse. Complementing these investments, a private donor gift will support renovations to existing laboratories, strengthening facilities for scientific instruction and research.

“We are particularly grateful to the State of Florida and specifically the Polk County legislators who made these opportunities possible for students, schools, and the entire community,” said Dr. Jeremy Martin, President of Florida Southern College. “We are also honored to recognize Ben and Missy Albritton, whose longstanding relationship with Florida Southern and commitment to Florida agriculture and public service make today’s celebration especially meaningful.”

The celebration continued at the Miller Planetarium, where President Jeremy Martin led the rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The planetarium’s modernization includes significant upgrades to projection and audiovisual technology, transforming the historic facility into an immersive learning environment for students, K-12 school groups, families, and visitors.

The program recognized Senator Colleen Burton and Representative Jennifer Canady for their advocacy in securing state appropriations for Florida Southern over the past several years. The restoration also received support from the State of Florida, the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures grant program, and a private donor. These investments helped preserve the planetarium while equipping it with modern technology to inspire new generations of learners.

“The reopening of the Planetarium fulfills a dream decades in the making,” said Dr. Keith Berend, chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees. “As a student here in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I remember hoping to see this day.”

Dr. Berend also emphasized the significance of the greenhouse complex in carrying forward Florida Southern’s agricultural legacy.

“Florida Southern has a proud history in citrus education, including what was once the nation’s only bachelor’s degree dedicated to citrus. Seeing that legacy carried forward for a new generation is especially exciting,” he said.

Together, the Albritton Citrus and Horticulture Complex and the Miller Planetarium connect Florida Southern’s legacy with new opportunities for scientific exploration, student learning, and community engagement.

Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Colleges” guide, Florida Southern ranks #11 among “Best Regional Universities in the South,” #12 in “Most Innovative Schools,” and #24 in “Best Value Schools.” The College is also highlighted in The Princeton Review’s 2026 Best 391 Colleges guide and the “Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025.” The 2025-2026 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern’s AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College’s School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Home to the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, Florida Southern houses 13 Wright-designed structures.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-southern-college-celebrates-ben-and-missy-albritton-citrus-and-horticulture-complex-greenhouse-raising-and-miller-planetarium-rededication-302920011.html

SOURCE Florida Southern College

Continue Reading

Technology

The Island of The Stars, La Palma, Hosts Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman

Published

on

By

CANARY ISLANDS, Spain, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From the iconic sound of Sir Brian May’s legendary Red Special guitar and the extraordinary voices of Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman to the groundbreaking discoveries of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, from NASA’s Artemis II astronauts preparing for humanity’s return to the Moon to historic tributes to Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall, STARMUS VIII — The Search for Truth brought together an extraordinary constellation of scientific minds, legendary musicians, explorers and visionary thinkers for six unforgettable days in the Canary Islands.

Held across Tenerife and La Palma from 17 to 22 October 2026, the eighth edition of STARMUS transformed the islands into a global stage for scientific discovery, artistic excellence and some of the most important conversations shaping humanity’s future.

Founded by astrophysicist Dr. Garik Israelian and legendary Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Sir Brian May, STARMUS once again demonstrated its unique ability to bridge science, music and society, bringing complex scientific ideas to audiences through extraordinary encounters, performances and shared experiences.

In an extraordinary exchange in La Palma with Reid Wiseman, Commander of the Artemis II mission to the moon, astrophysicist and Starmus co-founder Garik Israelian asked him how it felt to be at the Starmus VIII Festival in La Palma when “15 years ago we were here with Neil Armstrong Alexei Leonov, Jim Lovell, Charlie Hewitt, Buzz Aldrin, lots of scientists, Brian May….” Commander Wiseman responded, “I am here in La Palma and Alexei Leonov was one of the first people to talk to me before I launched to the International Space Station in 2014, and then Jim Lovell sent us a greeting when we went around the far side of the moon in 2014 on Artemis II…amazing to be connected through all those years.”

Media Contacts:

US: Dan DuPont, dupont0708@gmail.com, +1 202 380 7558

UK/EU: Nicole Ettinger, nicole@ettingerpr.com, +44 7515 394107

Spain: Carlos Esteban, cesteban@llys.global, +34 699 55 2854

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-island-of-the-stars-la-palma-hosts-artemis-ii-commander-reid-wiseman-302920013.html

SOURCE Starmus Foundation

Continue Reading

Technology

COLUMBIA DISTRIBUTING COMPLETES ALASKA TRANSACTION WITH RNDC, ESTABLISHING A FOUR-STATE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TOTAL BEVERAGE PLATFORM

Published

on

By

WILSONVILLE, Ore., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Columbia Distributing today announced it has completed its transaction with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) to acquire certain beverage distribution assets in Alaska, marking Columbia’s official entry into the state and completing the final component of the letter of intent announced by the companies in April.

The closing represents a major milestone in a long-term strategy Columbia set out to build: a multi-category, multi-state total beverage platform across the Pacific Northwest. With direct operations now spanning Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, along with its recently completed strategic partnership with Hayden Beverage in Idaho, Columbia has brought that vision to life, creating a connected four-state route to market and a more complete one-stop solution for supplier and retail partners across the region.

“This is a huge moment for Columbia because it represents exactly what we set out to build,” said Chris Steffanci, President and CEO of Columbia Distributing. “Our long-term vision has been to create the strongest total beverage platform in the Pacific Northwest—a multi-category, multi-state strategy that gives our partners a more complete solution across the region. With Alaska, that vision is now coming to life. We can offer suppliers and retailers a connected, capable, and increasingly seamless route to market across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.”

The Alaska transaction expands Columbia’s direct service territory to more than 835,000 square miles and adds nearly 1,500 customer accounts. It also brings Columbia into a market with an experienced local team, strong customer relationships, and an established beverage distribution network.

Columbia sees significant untapped potential in the Alaska business and plans to bring renewed investment, leadership, resources, and market focus to the state. The company will pair the Alaska team’s local knowledge and relationships with the culture and ways of working that drive Columbia’s performance in its existing markets, empowering people, moving with urgency, holding one another accountable, and maintaining a relentless focus on customers, brands, and execution.

“What has impressed me most is the energy and ambition of the Alaska team,” Steffanci said. “They know the market, they believe in the brands, and they are hungry to grow, compete, and win. They do not need us to teach them Alaska. Our responsibility is to give them the leadership, investment, tools, and support to show what they can do.”

“At Columbia, we trust our people, empower the teams closest to the market, and expect everyone to take ownership of results,” Steffanci continued. “That culture and the way we work across our company will bring new energy and momentum to Alaska. We are not entering the market to maintain the status quo—we are here to build, grow, compete, and raise the standard. This team is ready to be unleashed, and I believe the market is going to feel the difference very quickly.”

The expansion is the latest step in the deliberate strategy Columbia has pursued to build a broader total beverage business across multiple categories and markets. On June 30, the company completed its acquisition of certain RNDC wine and spirits distribution rights in Oregon and Washington. In September, Columbia completed a strategic partnership with Hayden Beverage, creating long-term alignment with Idaho’s leading locally based beverage distributor. The Alaska transaction completes the geographic footprint Columbia envisioned across the four-state Pacific Northwest market.

Together, these transactions create a platform designed around what suppliers and retailers increasingly need: one partner capable of representing multiple beverage categories across multiple states while still maintaining the local knowledge, relationships, and market-level execution required to succeed in each community.

Columbia’s expanded platform spans beer, wine, spirits, cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and emerging beverage categories. For supplier partners, it provides greater regional scale, category expertise, operational capabilities, and a more cohesive route to market. For retailers, it provides access to a broader portfolio backed by strong sales, delivery, merchandising, revenue management, and account execution capabilities.

“This is what total beverage means to us,” Steffanci added. “It is not simply adding categories or adding geography. It is about building a one-stop solution that connects categories, capabilities, people, and markets in a way that creates more value for our partners. We now have the platform we envisioned across the Pacific Northwest, and our focus turns to executing against that opportunity.”

Columbia is working closely with the Alaska team, suppliers, customers, and business partners to support a smooth transition. Columbia will communicate additional information about the operational transition, portfolio, and go-live timing directly to affected stakeholders.

Columbia appreciates RNDC’s partnership and the work of teams across both organizations to complete the transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed.

About Columbia Distributing

Since 1935, Columbia Distributing has helped build some of the best-known brands in the beverage business. Today, Columbia is one of the nation’s leading total beverage distributors, with a portfolio spanning beer, wine, spirits, cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and emerging beverage categories.

Columbia’s more than 3,200 teammates serve approximately 24,000 retail customers and deliver more than 80 million cases annually. With direct operations across Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and a strategic partnership with Hayden Beverage in Idaho, Columbia offers supplier and retail partners a connected four-state, multi-category route to market across the Pacific Northwest.

Columbia’s success is built on its people, its brands, and a deep-rooted commitment to execution, service, and creating sustainable growth for its teammates, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and communities. For more information, visit www.coldist.com.

Contact: Steve Gibbs
Steve.Gibbs@coldist.com | 206-920-6799

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/columbia-distributing-completes-alaska-transaction-with-rndc-establishing-a-four-state-pacific-northwest-total-beverage-platform-302919977.html

SOURCE Columbia Distributing

Continue Reading

Trending