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RED QUEEN BIO APPOINTS IAN WATSON AS CHIEF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICER

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Senior biodefense and national security leader joins Red Queen Bio as the company expands its work at the intersection of biotechnology, AI and national security

BOSTON, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Red Queen Bio PBC, the AI biosecurity company, today announced the appointment of Ian Watson as Chief Government Affairs Officer, adding one of the country’s most experienced biodefense and biosecurity leaders to its executive team as the company builds a new generation of biological defense capabilities.

Watson will lead Red Queen Bio’s government affairs strategy and deepen the company’s engagement with key stakeholders across the federal government, national laboratories and agencies including the Department of War, Department of Energy and Department of Health and Human Services.

“Ian has spent his career operating at the intersection of frontier biotechnology, national security and public health,” said Nikolai Eroshenko, co-founder and CEO of Red Queen Bio. “The biosecurity landscape is evolving faster than many traditional systems were designed to respond. Red Queen Bio is building for that reality, and Ian understands what it takes to deploy and scale new technological capabilities.”

Watson has decades of experience spanning biodefense, biotechnology policy, pandemic preparedness and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense.

Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense, overseeing the development of chemical and biological defense capabilities for the Joint Force. He also served as Executive Secretary of the Biodefense Executive Council and led the Department of War’s Biosurveillance Program.

Before that, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the Office of Strategy, Policy, Planning, and Requirements within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, where his responsibilities included industrial base expansion, supply-chain management and the Defense Production Act program during the COVID-19 response.

From 2018 to 2020, Watson was Assistant Director for Biotechnology and Biosecurity at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he led the National Bioeconomy Initiative with the National Security Council, co-chaired National Science and Technology Council biodefense and biological sciences subcommittees, and helped shape federal policy around the bioeconomy and biological security.

Earlier in his career, Watson held a series of leadership roles at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, including overseeing international biological threat reduction programs. He began his career in missile defense and arms control, including work on the Army’s PAC-3 and MEADS programs.

“What drew me to Red Queen Bio is the ambition of the mission, and the amazing team they have assembled,” said Watson. “The biological threat landscape has consistently been described for more than a decade as rapidly accelerating, and there is an argument to be made that it has done so in advance of our collective ability to adequately detect, understand and respond with the cohesion and timeliness necessary. Red Queen Bio is confronting the problem with the technical depth and urgency of a technology company, while staying focused on the national security realities.”

About Red Queen Bio

Red Queen Bio PBC is an AI biosecurity company building next-generation technologies to help governments and communities respond to emerging biological threats. Founded by Nikolai Eroshenko and Hannu Rajaniemi, the company brings together advances in biology and artificial intelligence to create faster, more adaptive approaches to biosecurity and preparedness. Red Queen Bio is headquartered in Boston and is backed by OpenAI, Cerberus Ventures and others. For more information, please visit www.redqueen.bio.

Media Contact
press@redqueen.bio

 

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SOURCE Red Queen Bio

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Media Advisory: Minister Chartrand to celebrate mining milestone

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THOMPSON, MB, Oct. 15, 2026 /CNW/ — The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, will celebrate an important mining project milestone. A media availability will follow.  

Date: Friday, October 16, 2026

Time: 1:40 p.m. CT

All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing Seeon.Smith@manitoba.ca. Details on how to participate will be provided upon registration.

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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Monarch Metal Launches Build Your Custom Z Clip Configurator for Made-to-Order Aluminum Z Clips and Rails

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Monarch Metal’s new online configurator gives contractors, fabricators, installers, and purchasing teams a faster way to order aluminum Z Clips with the exact length and hole pattern their project requires.

RONKONKOMA, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Monarch Metal Inc., a leading manufacturer of architectural metal solutions for more than 30 years, announced the launch of Build Your Custom Z Clip, a new online configurator that lets customers create custom aluminum Z Clips and rails directly from the product page. Customers choose the profile, finished length, hole size, and spacing they need, review the configuration and pricing, and add it directly to their cart.

They configure it, see the price, and add it to the cart, and most custom orders ship within two days. – Brandon Bingham, CEO, Monarch Metal Inc.

Not every project fits a standard rail length or hole pattern. An installation might require a specific finished length, a different fastener size, tighter hole spacing, or a rail with no holes at all. Build Your Custom Z Clip puts those choices on the product page so customers can configure the rail they need without submitting a quote request or working through specifications by email.

The configurator is available on six Monarch aluminum Z Clip profiles: the MF625, MF375, and MF250, along with the high load capacity MFSTR-0375, MFSTR-050, and MFSTR-075.

Custom rails can be configured from 1.5 inches to 12 feet in 0.125-inch increments for the length of the rail or clip. Customers select one of the available hole diameters for the profile or choose No Holes, then set hole spacing in 0.5-inch increments, with the maximum spacing adjusting automatically to the rail length. The configurator determines how many holes fit the selected rail and centers the pattern so the lead-in at both ends is equal. A live Configuration Summary shows the finished length, hole size, hole count, spacing, lead-in, price per rail, quantity, and total price before the order is placed.

Custom does not always mean a custom part is needed. If a configuration exactly matches a Monarch stock rail that is currently available, the configurator displays a stock option notice with a direct way to select it instead. The comparison checks rail length, hole size, and hole spacing, so a configuration is only identified as stock when the specifications actually match.

“Every installation is different, and a standard rail length or hole pattern does not always fit the job,” said Brandon Bingham, CEO of Monarch Metal Inc. “Build Your Custom Z Clip gives our customers the exact rail their project calls for without the back and forth of a quote request. They configure it, see the price, and add it to the cart, and most custom orders ship within two days. With locations in New York, Texas, and Nevada, we are positioned to get custom rails to job sites across the country quickly.”

Build Your Custom Z Clip is designed for projects that call for something outside the standard options, including panel installations that require rails cut to exact layout dimensions, millwork and cabinetry where custom lengths reduce cutting in the shop or field, architectural applications with specific fastening requirements, and fabrication work where rails are ordered without holes for in-house drilling or machining. Regular stock options remain available on the same product pages.

The configurator is built for both desktop and mobile. On phones and tablets, the layout stacks into a single column and replaces sliders with large plus and minus controls for easier adjustment on a touchscreen. Custom and stock products can be added to the same cart, and the specifications for each custom rail stay with the item through checkout, order confirmation, and order emails.

For more information or to build a custom Z Clip, visit https://www.monarchmetal.com/products/monarch-z-clips/.

About Monarch Metal Inc.

For over 30 years, Monarch Metal Inc. has been a trusted manufacturer of high-quality architectural metal products, custom aluminum extrusions, and panel hanging systems, specializing in aluminum Z Clips, panel mounting systems, and interior wall and ceiling panel solutions. The company is known for precision-engineered components that support efficient installation, long-term durability, and clean, concealed finishes across commercial and architectural applications. Through continuous product innovation and a commitment to quality, Monarch Metal Inc. remains a leading resource for architects, designers, and contractors seeking reliable panel mounting and metal fabrication solutions.

Media Contact

Brian Oakes, Monarch Metal Inc., 1 6317503000, boakes@monarchmetal.com, https://www.monarchmetal.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/monarch-metal-launches-build-your-custom-z-clip-configurator-for-made-to-order-aluminum-z-clips-and-rails-302910097.html

SOURCE Monarch Metal Inc.

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Movin’ on Up: Olympus Announces Sale of MEI

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STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Olympus Partners is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to sell MEI Industrial Solutions (“MEI”) to 26North Partners LP. MEI is a scaled national provider of equipment execution services including rigging, machinery moving, industrial storage, millwrighting, custom crating and integrated logistics. The company serves blue-chip customers across data centers, semiconductors and other industrial end markets, with nearly 2,500 employees across the U.S.

Under Olympus’ ownership, MEI underwent a transformative expansion, growing its footprint from 16 to 30 operating locations and entering key new markets including Chicago, Miami, Providence and Richmond, while quadrupling its indoor storage capacity to over 10 million square feet and executing seven strategic acquisitions. To drive this growth, Olympus partnered with CEO Doug Dayton, who was hired during Olympus’ ownership period, to strengthen the commercial organization, establish a regional leadership structure backed by robust corporate infrastructure and maintain a rigorous commitment to an industry-leading safety program.

“Our investment in MEI was anchored in a strong business model and an exceptionally talented team,” said Sam Greenberg, Partner at Olympus. “By making targeted investments in both leadership and technology, the Company has integrated its geographic footprint into a unified national platform, delivering a level of service quality and consistency unprecedented in the industry. We are incredibly proud of what Doug and the team have built and look forward to following MEI’s next chapter of growth.”

“The MEI team executed exceptionally well, capturing substantial market share in high-growth end markets while rapidly launching new services to meet evolving customer needs,” added Dave Cardenas, Managing Partner at Olympus. “Crucially, they achieved this expansion while maintaining an industry-leading safety record. We couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with Doug and the entire company.”

“The growth MEI has experienced over the past three years is a testament to the extraordinary people across our organization and our strong partnership with Olympus,” said Doug Dayton, CEO of MEI. “They’ve supported us in making the investments necessary to become a true industry leader while staying grounded in the values that have always made MEI successful: safety, accountability, and delivering for our customers. I’m grateful for their confidence in our team and excited to build on this momentum with 26North as we enter our next chapter of growth.”

The Olympus team included Dave Cardenas, Sam Greenberg, George Swenson, Marty Durkin, and Tanaya Bhakat. Lazard served as financial advisor to MEI and Olympus, led by George Fisher and Bob Frost. Baird also served as a financial advisor.

ABOUT OLYMPUS PARTNERS

Olympus Partners is a private equity firm focused on providing equity capital for middle market management buyouts and for growing companies. Olympus manages in excess of $12 billion mainly on behalf of corporate pension funds, endowment funds and state-sponsored retirement programs. Founded in 1988, Olympus is an active, long-term investor across a broad range of industries including business services, food services, consumer products, healthcare services, financial services, industrial services and manufacturing.

ABOUT MEI INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS

MEI Industrial Solutions moves, stores and installs critical equipment for customers in the data center, semiconductor, EV and battery, aerospace and defense, life sciences and pharmaceutical, and industrial manufacturing markets. Its services include rigging, machinery moving and setting, storage and staging, crating and export packaging, and specialized logistics. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MEI operates 30 locations across the United States. For more information, visit www.meiindustrialsolutions.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movin-on-up-olympus-announces-sale-of-mei-302910400.html

SOURCE Olympus Partners

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