Cash offer values the on-demand segment of TrueBlue, Inc. in excess of $100 million

GOOSE CREEK, S.C., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HireQuest, Inc. (Nasdaq: HQI) announced today that it has submitted to the Board of Directors of TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI) a proposal to acquire certain assets of TrueBlue’s People-Ready segment for $105 million in cash.

As previously disclosed, HireQuest (“HQI”) made multiple offers to acquire True Blue, Inc. (“TBI”) in 2025 at prices ranging from $7.50 to $12.30 per share. Each of those offers, however, was rebuffed by the board of directors of TBI (the “TBI Board”). As a result, and also as previously disclosed, HQI was prepared to initiate a tender offer directly to the TBI shareholders and incurred substantial costs in preparing such offer. However, prior to commencing the tender, HQI postponed further shareholder-facing communication in the hopes of engaging with the TBI Board directly on a friendly basis regarding a potential deal.

Now, a year after initially making its interest in a transaction public, no deal between HQI and TBI has materialized. HQI is once again exploring all options with respect to a potential transaction. “We remain interested in acquiring TrueBlue and especially the on-demand portion of the company’s People-Ready segment,” stated Richard Hermanns, CEO of HQI. “We believe the on-demand business is very complimentary to our HireQuest Direct division, and, as a result, we made an attractive all-cash offer earlier today to the TrueBlue Board for them to engage with us in a transaction to sell the on-demand business of TrueBlue’s People-Ready segment to us if they prefer to keep TrueBlue as an independent publicly-traded company.”

“The all-cash proposal for this portion of People-Ready,” Mr. Hermanns continued, “represents a unique opportunity for TrueBlue. This business, which excludes the higher-growth skilled and solar/renewable energy staffing segments, has been an underperformer for TrueBlue for years. As we’ve said in the past, HireQuest’s franchise model is uniquely suited to unlock the value in the on-demand portion of People-Ready. This deal could allow TrueBlue to divest of this underperforming segment and raise a substantial amount of cash that could be used to repay debt, grow and diversify its business strategically, or even make a sizeable special dividend to TrueBlue shareholders. Based on disclosures in their most recent proxy statement, this proposal represents $3.45 per share of TrueBlue stock.”

In closing, Mr. Hermanns added, “We hope the Board of TrueBlue will view this opportunity for what it is – a clear path to creating incremental shareholder value for TrueBlue shareholders.” 

About HireQuest, Inc.

HireQuest is a franchisor of staffing solutions with a footprint across the U.S. and international markets. Through its primary divisions – HireQuest Direct, HireQuest Health, Snelling, TradeCorp and DriverQuest – the company delivers temporary, direct-hire, and contract workforce solutions across a wide range of industries, including construction, light industrial, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, hospitality, logistics and more. From on-demand staffing to direct hire recruiting, HireQuest’s divisions work together to provide workforce solutions that help businesses grow and create meaningful opportunities for the communities we serve. For more information, visit www.hirequest.com

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes, and HireQuest’s officers and other representatives may sometimes make or provide certain estimates and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, including statements regarding the proposed transaction, benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction and future opportunities for the combined company, including statements regarding value, profitability or growth prospects of the combined company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and similar references to future periods.

While HireQuest believes these statements are accurate, forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are inherently uncertain. They are based only on HireQuest’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of its and TrueBlue’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. HireQuest cannot assure you that these expectations will occur, and its actual results may be significantly different. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by HireQuest, include but are not limited to the possibility that the parties will not agree to pursue a business combination transaction or that the terms of any definitive agreement will be materially different from those described herein; uncertainties as to whether TrueBlue will cooperate with HireQuest regarding the proposed transaction; HireQuest’s ability to consummate the proposed transaction with TrueBlue; the conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction, including the receipt of any required shareholder approvals and any required regulatory approvals; the possibility that HireQuest may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all and to successfully integrate TrueBlue’s operations with those of HireQuest; that such integration, including any proposed conversion to franchises, may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; that operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; that the retention of certain key employees may be difficult; that any or all of such factors could result in lower profitability of the combined businesses than of HireQuest currently; and general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected. Additional risks that may affect HireQuest’s operations and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in HireQuest’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter. 

Any forward-looking statement made by HireQuest or its management in this news release is based only on information currently available to HireQuest and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. HireQuest and its management disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, based on the occurrence of future events, the receipt of new information, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Important Additional Information

This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. This communication relates to a proposal that HireQuest has made for a business combination transaction with TrueBlue. In furtherance of this proposal and subject to future developments, HireQuest (and, if applicable, TrueBlue) may file one or more registration statements, consent solicitation or proxy statements, tender offer statements, prospectuses or other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). However, such filings will not be made unless required. This communication is not a substitute for any registration statement, consent solicitation or proxy statement, tender offer statement, prospectus or other document HireQuest and/or TrueBlue may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.

Investors and security holders of TrueBlue and HireQuest are urged to read any registration statement(s), consent solicitation or proxy statement(s), tender offer statement(s), prospectus(es) and/or other documents that may be filed with the SEC carefully in their entirety if and when they become available as they will contain important information about the proposed transaction.

Any final prospectus(es) and definitive consent solicitation or proxy statement(s) (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of True Blue and/or HireQuest, as applicable. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by HireQuest through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, and by visiting HireQuest’s investor relations site at investors.hirequest.com.

This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

This communication is neither a solicitation of a consent or proxy nor a substitute for any consent solicitation or proxy statement or other filings that may be made with the SEC. Nonetheless, to the extent a TrueBlue shareholder vote is required, HireQuest and its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of consents or proxies in respect of the proposed transactions. You can find information about HireQuest’s executive officers and directors in its Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 30, 2026. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in one or more registration statements, consent solicitation or proxy statements, tender offer statements or other documents if and when they become available. These documents (if and when available) may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website www.sec.gov, and by visiting HireQuest’s investor relations site at investors.hirequest.com.

Company Contact:
HireQuest
David Hartley, Chief Financial Officer
(800) 835-6755
Email: cdhartley@hirequest.com

Investor Relations Contact:
IMS Investor Relations
John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau
(203) 972-9200
Email: hirequest@imsinvestorrelations.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hirequest-issues-offer-to-the-board-of-directors-of-trueblue-inc-302770048.html

SOURCE HireQuest

New call for proposals offers up to $1M in grants to support creators and nonprofits using immersive media to drive climate action and civic engagement

LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Agog: The Immersive Media Institute, a philanthropic organization focused on extended reality (XR) for social good, announced today that it has distributed nearly $6.5 million in grants to date, supporting creators, nonprofits, and field-building efforts that use immersive media to deepen public understanding of urgent social and environmental challenges. Agog is now opening its support to a wider pool of creators through its first public open call, offering up to $1 million for climate-focused immersive storytelling and projects.

Since publicly launching in 2024, Agog has worked to strengthen the ecosystem for immersive storytelling by funding projects, supporting creator labs and development programs, partnering with nonprofits, and bringing together artists, technologists, and cultural leaders. The open call reflects a deepening of Agog’s investment in exploring how immersive media can bring climate stories to life in more immediate, experiential ways.

“After more than three decades working as a journalist focused on climate change, I believe immersive storytelling is a powerful way to help people connect with what’s happening now — and imagine and build what a better future could be,” said Chip Giller, co-founder and executive director of Agog and founder of climate news organization Grist. “Immersive media represents a step change in communications. These technologies put you in the story itself, allowing you to experience it viscerally as a participant. Using them, you can travel to Greenland to experience melting ice sheets, visit low-lying islands in the Pacific threatened by sea-level rise, or even embody a tree growing from a seed to a towering old growth. It’s wild — and the changes in these media are happening fast. We hope this open call encourages more people to learn about immersive media and put it to use in the fight for a livable climate.”

“Climate change is a challenge so immense that it can be hard to grasp, even as it affects every one of us,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Agog. “Immersive storytelling has the ability to bring the effects of climate change — whether it’s melting glaciers, raging storms, or disappearing coastlines — not only before our eyes but all around us, reaching all of our senses. As Agog deepens its focus on climate storytelling, we hope that this powerful technology can, by helping us all experience these changes, spur us to action for our communities and our planet.”

Agog’s grantmaking supports immersive impact storytelling across climate change, racial equity, Indigenous knowledge, and journalism, alongside broader ecosystem investments. Climate-focused projects include “Out of the Ashes,” a virtual reconstruction of communities impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Work in racial equity includes support for wider distribution of “The Book of Distance,” a critically acclaimed virtual reality (VR) documentary exploring memory, migration, and state-sanctioned racism. Agog has also invested in Indigenous-led storytelling through projects like “OurWorlds” and a funding initiative with the Indigenous Screen Office, supporting community-led narratives, language revitalization, and land-based knowledge. In journalism, Agog has supported efforts like the Experiential Journalism Lab at the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley Journalism, training emerging reporters to develop immersive, experience-driven forms of storytelling grounded in rigorous reporting.

Beyond individual projects, Agog has invested in the infrastructure that allows this work to grow — from creator labs and residencies with partners like PHI, Black Public Media, and Electric South to incubators such as WORLDING and Reality Hack at MIT, in addition to wider distribution initiatives. Together, these efforts support projects from concept to audience engagement and impact.

“Immersive media has the power to have a generational impact on our society, the land, and humanity,” said idris brewster, founder of Agog grantee Kinfolk Tech. “Agog has recognized the power of and need for this technology, and its support has made this kind of storytelling possible for Kinfolk Tech and many other creators and organizations.”
 

A New Phase: Climate Futures + Immersive Media Open Call

Agog’s 2026 open call, Climate Futures + Immersive Media, supports projects that use immersive media to engage people more deeply in climate issues and expand pathways for participation and action.

The initiative invites proposals from XR creators and mission-driven organizations new to immersive media, with a focus on projects that move audiences from awareness to action. The review committee will consist of Agog leadership and climate and XR experts, including Myriam Achard, chief of new media partnerships and PR at PHI; Jerome Foster II, sustainability and social impact consultant; Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D., director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; and Jacqueline Patterson, founder and executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project.

Areas of interest for the open call include:

Climate storytelling and civic participationCommunity power and resilienceAccess, equity, and climate justicePlanetary connection and well-beingFuture-building and world design

The open call will support projects across a range of stages and formats, from early concept to more developed work. Agog is particularly interested in projects that use smart glasses, augmented reality, spatial sound, and mixed reality to help people experience climate challenges and solutions in more immediate, embodied ways. Agog will award grants in denominations ranging from $25,000 to $200,000. In addition to funding, selected projects may receive mentorship and opportunities for partnership and distribution.

Applications close June 12. agog.org/opencall2026/ 

Agog: The Immersive Media Institute

Agog: The Immersive Media Institute is a philanthropic organization founded by Chip Giller and Wendy Schmidt that is dedicated to helping creators and nonprofit leaders use extended reality — including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality — to imagine and build a more connected, just, and compassionate world. Agog operates as a field builder and creative partner, supporting immersive storytellers whose work addresses urgent social and environmental challenges.

CONTACT: Alex Capriotti
alex@agog.org

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agog-strengthens-field-of-immersive-media-for-good-with-6-5m-in-early-grants-and-new-open-call-for-climate-impact-projects-302769688.html

SOURCE Agog: The Immersive Media Institute

AI-powered product advances fuel broad-based momentum across Commercial and International Government markets

RESTON, Va., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Seerist, the AI-powered risk intelligence platform trusted by security and intelligence teams around the world, today reported strong first quarter 2026 results. New logo wins doubled year-over-year, and Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) from new logos surged 85% compared to the same period in 2025, reflecting the convergence of product innovation meeting market demand.

The breadth of the quarter’s performance was just as notable. Total company ARR grew 15% from Q1 2025, while Seerist’s Commercial and International Government markets, the two fastest-moving areas of the business, posted a combined 19% ARR increase from the prior year period. Net Expansion in those markets rose 15%, and Gross Retention improved by 5%, signaling that customers are not only renewing but deepening their reliance on Seerist.

“The AI capabilities we’ve built into the platform, automating workflows that used to consume analyst hours, are genuinely force-multiplying what our customers can accomplish. Security and intelligence teams are extending their reach without adding headcount, and the outcomes are speaking for themselves. This quarter’s numbers are a direct reflection of that.”

— Barry Saadatmand, Chief Revenue Officer, Seerist

At the core of this product evolution is AskAnna, Seerist’s AI intelligence assistant. Built to synthesize vast quantities of structured and unstructured data into clear, actionable outputs, AskAnna has emerged as one of the most significant drivers of platform adoption and expansion and is transforming the speed and scale at which customers can act on global risk.

“AskAnna now puts 50,000 analyst hours fused with millions of open source signals all at the fingertips of a query that generates actionable insights in seconds. This is a categorically different way of understanding and responding to risk. Our customers are operating at a level that simply wasn’t possible before, and the market is responding accordingly.”

— Alex Berry, Chief Executive Officer, Seerist

As Seerist heads into the second quarter, the company expects to sustain this trajectory through continued investment in its AI capabilities, expansion of its go-to-market reach, and the deepening of strategic partnerships across Commercial, Federal Government, and International Government sectors.

About Seerist

Seerist, Inc. enables global corporations, governments, and organizations to navigate a volatile and uncertain world by preparing them for potential events that could disrupt operations. Trusted by more than 400 organizations, including over 20% of the Fortune 100, and over 50 government agencies, Seerist combines cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)—parsing millions of data points—with expert human analysis built on decades of insight. With 10 global offices and a strategic partnership with Control Risks, Seerist delivers the foresight and clarity needed to make rapid, strategic, and reliable decisions when it matters most. To learn more, visit www.seerist.com

Media Contact

Jen Dillon, Seerist, 1 1 800 674 8398 748, jen.dillon@seerist.com, www.seerist.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/seerist-caps-banner-q1-with-doubled-new-customer-wins-and-85-growth-in-new-logo-arr-302766629.html

SOURCE Seerist