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KIRKLAND’S ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF VOTING DEADLINE FOR UPCOMING SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

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Preliminary Voting Report Shows 94.3% of Votes in Favor of Proposal for Share Issuance to Beyond, Inc.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kirkland’s, Inc. (Nasdaq: KIRK) (“Kirkland’s” or the “Company”), a specialty retailer of home décor and furnishings, announced its decision to extend the voting deadline for its upcoming special meeting of shareholders originally scheduled for December 23, 2024. The special meeting will be convened as scheduled and adjourned to a later date in order to allow for additional time to satisfy applicable quorum requirements.

Based on the preliminary reports from the votes submitted as of December 19, 2024, approximately 94.3% of votes represented in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting were voted “For” the proposal to approve the issuance of shares of Kirkland’s common stock to Beyond, Inc. in connection with the strategic partnership between the companies and in accordance with applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules, indicating an overwhelming level of support from participating shareholders.  However, at this time, the Company has received proxies representing approximately 37.2% of total shares outstanding as of the record date, less than the majority needed under applicable law and the Company’s bylaws.  

“The strong positive preliminary vote results have confirmed broad shareholder support. We are thankful for our shareholders for their participation in this important process. The approval of the proposal is a key milestone in strengthening our financial position heading into 2025,” commented Amy Sullivan, CEO of Kirkland’s. “Our teams remain committed to furthering the strategic initiatives at Kirkland’s Home and are continuing to work together with the Beyond team to revitalize the iconic Bed Bath and Beyond brand and build the foundation for its brick-and-mortar strategy. We believe through this partnership we will accelerate our growth trajectory and deliver long-term value to our shareholders. We believe that providing more time for the Company to solicit votes and for additional shareholders to participate, especially as we move past the holidays, will secure a quorum.”  

“We support the decision to extend the voting period to ensure all Kirkland’s shareholders have ample opportunity to participate, particularly given the busy holiday season. With the preliminary voting results thus far, we are extremely confident that shareholders understand the merits of our strategic partnership,” said Marcus Lemonis, Executive Chairman of Beyond, Inc. “We have strong conviction in the management team and look forward to working together towards our common goals including enhancing the Bed Bath and Beyond brand with an omni-channel offering for customers.”

Additional information related to revised deadlines for submission of proxies and timing for the reconvened special meeting will be included in an amended notice of meeting and supplemental proxy materials that will be mailed to Kirkland’s stockholders as soon as they are available. The record date for the meeting will continue to be November 5, 2024, and there is no need for shareholders to revote shares if votes have already been cast.

About Kirkland’s, Inc.

Kirkland’s, Inc. is a specialty retailer of home décor and furnishings in the United States, currently operating 326 stores in 35 states as well as an e-commerce website, www.kirklands.com, under the Kirkland’s Home brand. The Company provides its customers an engaging shopping experience characterized by a curated, affordable selection of home décor and furnishings along with inspirational design ideas. This combination of quality and stylish merchandise, value pricing and a stimulating in-store and online environment provides the Company’s customers with a unique brand experience. More information can be found at www.kirklands.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the Company’s future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “aim,” “believe,” “can,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “forecast,” “plan,” “possible,” “intend,” “target,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions that concern the Company’s expectations, strategy, priorities, plans, or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to consummate the Transactions and satisfy applicable closing conditions, including the receipt of its shareholders’ approval of the Nasdaq Proposal. The Company’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties, including changes in the Company’s plans or assumptions, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks include the risk of the Company’s shareholders not approving the Transactions, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could result in the Subscription Agreement being terminated or the Transactions not being completed on the terms reflected in the Subscription Agreement, or at all, and uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the Transactions; the ability of each party to consummate the Transactions; risks related to optional conversion of the convertible note under the Beyond Term Loan; risks related to the Collaboration Agreement and the Trademark License Agreement; the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Transactions on the Company’s business relationships, operating results and business generally; risks related to the Special Meeting diverting management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the Transactions; potential litigation relating to the Transactions that could be instituted against Beyond, the Company or their affiliates’ respective directors, managers or officers, including the effects of any outcomes related thereto; continued availability of capital and financing; the ability to obtain the various synergies envisioned in the Collaboration Agreement; the ability of the Company to successfully open Bed Bath & Beyond stores; the ability of each company to successfully market their products to the other company’s customers and to implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to its business after the completion of the transaction and realize additional opportunities for growth and innovation; and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 29, 2024 and subsequent filings. All information provided in this communication is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessment as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

Additional Information and Where to Find it

In connection with the Special Meeting to approve the Nasdaq Proposal, the Company filed a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC on November 8, 2024. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, COMPANY SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. The definitive proxy statement was mailed or made available to shareholders of the Company on or about November 8, 2024. Shareholders will be able to obtain the documents (when they become available) free of charge at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. In addition, shareholders may obtain free copies of the documents (when they become available) on the Company’s website, https://ir.kirklands.com/or by contacting Investor Relations by mail at Attn: Investor Relations, 5310 Maryland Way, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and other employees, under the SEC’s rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of the Company’s shareholders in connection with the Special Meeting to approve the Nasdaq Proposal. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the Transactions and their respective direct and indirect interests in the Transactions, by security holdings or otherwise, will be if any, is included in the definitive proxy statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transactions (if and when they become available). Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

Contact:                   

Kirkland’s Home                               

ICR

Mike Madden                                 

Caitlin Churchill

1-615-872-4800                             

KIRK@icrinc.com 

1-203-682-8200

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SOURCE Kirkland’s, Inc.

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GET ENGAGED JOINS SAMY, CREATING A POWERFUL GLOBAL PLATFORM AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOCIAL, CREATORS, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE

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October 7, 2026

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Partnership combines Get Engaged’s deep U.S. relationships and culture-driven expertise with SAMY’s global social-first scale and data, strategy and creative capabilities.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Get Engaged, a leading U.S. social-first agency specializing in creators, talent, entertainment and culture, today announced that it is joining SAMY, a global independent social-first agency. The combination brings together two social specialists to create one of the largest independent social-first influencer/creator agencies in the world, expanding the capabilities both organizations can offer brands globally.

For Get Engaged clients, the combination provides access to greater global reach and international activation capabilities, complemented by deeper social-first expertise across data and insights, strategy, creative, content production, social commerce, and product and technology development. At the same time, Get Engaged will retain its founders, leadership, culture, client-first approach and hands-on service model.

Alex Dermer, CEO of Get Engaged said, “We built Get Engaged to help brands connect with culture in ways that move their businesses forward. Joining SAMY gives us the global reach, technology and talent to take that vision further. What excites me most is our shared ambition for where this industry is going and the role we can play in shaping it. As I step into the CEO role of Get Engaged, I’m proud of what we’ve built and energized by what this partnership makes possible for our clients and our team.”

“The next era of marketing will belong to brands that create moments people want to be part of. We see a huge opportunity to bring brands, creators and talent together in ways that go well beyond a single campaign. With SAMY, we can take bigger swings and turn bold ideas into experiences and partnerships that reach audiences around the world.” – Cam Fordham (Co-Founder)

Juan Andres Elhazaz, CEO of SAMY said, Joining forces with Get Engaged consolidates SAMY as an independent, global leader in social and creator marketing. Having established a proven track record as a leader in Europe and Latin America scaling our U.S. footprint was one of SAMY’s primary growth objectives and Get Engaged is the ideal partner to lead that expansion. We now bring our data and insight- driven Influencer and Social capabilities, powered by tech and AI, to maximize strategy and creative output, allowing leading brands to resonate authentically with today’s audiences.

Founded in 2016 by Alex Dermer, Cam Fordham and Ben Hiott, Get Engaged drives culture with the power of influence and cross-platform orchestration, building genuine connections between celebrities, creators and brands through engaging content. The company has grown to more than 120 employees across Atlanta, New York, Nashville and Los Angeles, serving clients including Sephora, Raising Cane’s, DoorDash, Live Nation, NBCUniversal, EA Games, Sazerac, Universal Music Group, and Perplexity.

SAMY is a global, social-first agency that builds brand relevance by seamlessly integrating intelligence, creativity, and technology. Headquartered in Madrid, the agency operates with over 1,200 specialists across 20 offices and 55 markets worldwide, driving high-impact campaigns for leading global brands including L’Oréal, Barilla, The North Face, Diageo, Microsoft, Red Bull, Grindr and Unilever.

“Get Engaged has been a valued partner of Raising Cane’s since 2018 and has helped the Brand reach new audiences in fun and engaging ways that feel authentic and genuine to both the Brand and our Customers,” said Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves. “The team at GE is collaborative, resourceful, and skilled at helping identify opportunities for Brands to capitalize on cultural moments and maintain that momentum through fresh ideas and industry-leading insight.”

The partnership also expands opportunities for Get Engaged’s existing clients, who will gain access to SAMY’s global organization and the ability to activate campaigns across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Get Engaged will anchor SAMY’s operations in the United States, with its founders, leadership and teams continuing to lead the business and its client relationships.

Beyond combining services, the combination will result in one of the largest independent social-first marketing organizations globally, built around how modern audiences discover and engage with brands across creators, entertainment and social ecosystems.

For employees, the combination creates new opportunities to collaborate internationally, work alongside a larger network of specialists, operate across additional markets and participate in building the next phase of a growing global organization.

“We’ve spent years developing a deep understanding of what captures attention, what people choose to share, and what makes content move across the internet. Joining SAMY gives us the global infrastructure, resources, and reach to build on that expertise at a much greater scale, helping more clients earn a meaningful place in the conversations shaping culture.” Ben Hiott (Co-founder, Get Engaged)

The combined business will also benefit from the proprietary technology and AI-powered tools already in use across SAMY, as well as further developments to be brought to market together, enabling greater speed, intelligence and scale for clients. By pairing this technology with Get Engaged’s access to talent and creators, cultural understanding and local-market expertise, the two agencies will help brands participate meaningfully in culture rather than simply advertise around it.

Héctor Pérez, Deputy Managing Partner of Bridgepoint Europe said “This is another important milestone in SAMY’s global growth journey, bringing together two highly complementary social first businesses and significantly strengthening the group’s presence in the US. Together, SAMY and Get Engaged will create a leading social first agency globally, with the scale, capabilities and local expertise to support clients across markets. We are pleased to continue supporting the team as they deliver on that ambition.”

The Raine Group served as exclusive financial advisor to Get Engaged.

About Get Engaged

Founded in 2016 by Alex Dermer, Cam Fordham and Ben Hiott, Get Engaged is a social-first marketing company operating at the intersection of brands, entertainment, creators, talent and culture. With more than 100 employees and offices in Atlanta, New York, Nashville and Los Angeles, the company’s capabilities include campaign ideation, social media management, influencer marketing, celebrity partnerships, content production and paid media. Get Engaged works with leading brands, platforms, labels, studios, creators and talent.

About SAMY

SAMY is a global social-first marketing organization with approximately 1,200 employees and operations across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The company brings together social-first strategy, technology, research and market intelligence, content and production, creator marketing and international operating infrastructure to help brands connect with audiences globally and execute effectively in local markets.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/get-engaged-joins-samy-creating-a-powerful-global-platform-at-the-intersection-of-social-creators-entertainment-and-culture-302900421.html

SOURCE Get Engaged

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Draper Breaks Ground on New Microelectronics Building in Lowell

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October 6, 2026

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LOWELL, Mass., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Draper held a groundbreaking ceremony today for a new microelectronics building in Lowell, Massachusetts. The building will house Draper’s Integrated Microelectronics Production & Advanced Chip Technology (IMPACT) Center.  

An integral part of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), the IMPACT Center will be a 111,000 square foot building with advanced microelectronic design, production, and packaging facilities to deliver cutting-edge technology to Draper’s customers. The Center will create more than 100 new highly skilled jobs, including technicians, advanced degree engineers, and business executives.

Construction is being supported, in part, by state and local funding in partnership with the city of Lowell to strengthen the defense ecosystem in the Commonwealth.

“Microelectronics are a critical component in nearly every system used to safeguard our nation’s interests. To ensure the integrity of these systems, we must build and maintain a domestic microelectronics supply chain – one that is free from foreign influence and disruption,” said Jerry M. Wohletz, Ph.D., Draper’s president and CEO. “The IMPACT Center will expand our onshore capacity to create and deploy the systems our nation depends on. At the same time, the IMPACT Center will drive the local economy by creating new jobs for Lowell residents and UMass Lowell graduates and strengthen Massachusetts’ position in the defense industrial base.”

“The groundbreaking of the IMPACT Center reflects the continued growth of LINC and UMass Lowell’s relationship with Draper,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. “By bringing industry and academia together in close proximity, LINC creates an innovation ecosystem where researchers can exchange ideas, students can gain career-connected experiences, and companies can tap into the university’s resources and expertise. The IMPACT Center will deepen those connections, leading to innovations in microelectronics while helping develop the future workforce.”

“Today’s groundbreaking represents an exciting investment in Lowell’s future and strengthens our city’s growing innovation and technology economy,” said Lowell Mayor Erik Gitschier. “Draper’s new IMPACT Center will bring more skilled jobs, expand opportunities for our residents, and strengthen the partnership between the City of Lowell, UMass Lowell, and the Commonwealth. This project is another important step in positioning Lowell as a center for advanced manufacturing, research, and workforce development. On behalf of the City Council, we welcome this investment and look forward to the opportunities it will create for our Lowell community.”

Upon completion in 2029, the IMPACT Center will offer manufacturing services spanning design to field-ready systems that meet the specific needs of Draper’s customers. The Center will enable high-mix, low-volume production supporting domains ranging from microelectronics to advanced precision navigation and timing systems.

“Advanced chip packaging, which bundles multiple chips into a single assembly for placement onto a circuit board, is a critical part of building complex, high-performance systems,” said Colleen Anderson, Electronic Systems program director at Draper. “But only 3 percent of chip packaging is performed in the United States today. The IMPACT Center will help to fill this void by providing a reliable domestic source for some of the most sophisticated systems our country produces.”

The IMPACT Center will be located in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District and is part of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC). LINC is an innovation ecosystem that stretches from the UMass Lowell campus into downtown Lowell that drives research, workforce development and economic growth while creating opportunities for students, faculty, companies and the community. Draper is an anchor tenant in LINC and currently has a corporate campus established within the corridor.

Draper is pleased to be teaming with Wexford Science & Technology as the real estate developer for the project alongside GMH Communities and First Atlantic. In support of the development team is Shawmut Design and Construction and Burns & McDonnell.

Distinguished guests attending the ceremony included Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, University of Massachusetts Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, and Lowell Mayor Erik R. Gitschier. Draper President and CEO Jerry Wohletz hosted the event. He was joined by Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President of Development at Wexford Science & Technology, John Grady.

About Draper

Draper is a non-profit research, development, and manufacturing company that solves some of the nation’s most important challenges. With more than 2,800 employees working in collaboration across 12 locations, Draper delivers transformative, mission-driven solutions that successfully meet our customers’ requirements. These efforts focus on four critical mission areas: Strategic Systems, Space Systems, Electronic Systems, and Biotechnology Systems. To extend our legacy into the future, the Draper Scholars program engages with the next generation of innovators while DraperSPARX™ seeks to partner with startups and small businesses that can further our mission. To learn more about Draper, visit www.draper.com. Follow Draper on Linked In and Instagram. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/draper-breaks-ground-on-new-microelectronics-building-in-lowell-302900385.html

SOURCE Draper Laboratory

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ExSign by Hosting Controller Now Supports Google Workspace for Centralized Email Signature Management

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2 hours ago

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October 6, 2026

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Organizations using Google Workspace can now centrally manage professional and consistent email signatures with ExSign, extending its email signature management capabilities across leading business email platforms.

KINGSTON, ON, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Hosting Controller Inc. has expanded ExSign, its centralized email signature management solution, with support for Google Workspace. Organizations using Google Workspace can now centrally create, manage, and maintain professional email signatures across their users without relying on individual employees to configure or update signatures manually.

Organizations using Google Workspace can now centrally manage professional and consistent email signatures with ExSign, extending its email signature management capabilities across leading business email platforms.

As email remains a core business communication channel, maintaining consistent branding and accurate information across every employee email can become increasingly challenging as organizations grow. Individually managed signatures can result in inconsistent branding, outdated contact information, missing disclaimers, and missed opportunities to use everyday emails as a marketing channel.

“Google Workspace support marks an important expansion for ExSign and gives more organizations the ability to centrally manage one of the most visible elements of their everyday business communication,” says Babar Zaman, VP Business Development at Hosting Controller. “Whether the goal is stronger brand consistency, streamlined administration, compliance, or turning everyday emails into marketing opportunities, ExSign makes it easier to manage signatures across the organization.”

With ExSign for Google Workspace, IT administrators and marketing teams can centrally manage signature designs, contact information, branding elements, disclaimers, and promotional banners across the organization, helping reduce manual updates while keeping email communications professional and consistent.

With the addition of Google Workspace, ExSign now supports Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Exchange Server, extending centralized email signature management across cloud and on-premises email environments. Learn more at https://hostingcontroller.com/Email-Signature-Management/ExSign-for-Google-Workspace.html.

About Hosting Controller Inc.

Founded in 1999, Hosting Controller Inc. is a cloud automation software provider with customers in over 125 countries. Its comprehensive suite of products supports email signature management, Active Directory tools, hybrid cloud solutions, virtualization, and enterprise automation, helping businesses modernize their communications and infrastructure. For more information, visit https://www.hostingcontroller.com/.

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Media Contact

Babar Zaman, VP Business Development, Hosting Controller, 1 (647) 799-1000, hello@hostingcontroller.com, https://HostingController.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/exsign-by-hosting-controller-now-supports-google-workspace-for-centralized-email-signature-management-302898264.html

SOURCE Hosting Controller

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