Brick
TSE:BRKThe Brick Ltd. (The Brick) is a retailer of household furniture, mattresses, appliances and home electronics, operating under four banners: The Brick, United Furniture Warehouse, The Brick Mattress Store, and Urban Brick. The Company has two operating segments: Retail and Financial Services. The Company operates retail stores concentrating on the sales of furniture, mattresses, appliances and electronics. Retail customers are offered credit though the Brick Card which is funded and billed by unrelated external service providers. The Financial Services segment is primarily engaged in providing extended warranty services on products sold to customers of The Brick and credit insurance on balances that arise from customers' use of their Brick Card. As at December 31, 2011, The Brick operated 232 retail store, including 60 franchise locations. The Brick owns 100% of the limited partnership units of The Brick Warehouse LP. In March 2013, Leon's Furniture Ltd acquired Brick Ltd.
Westaim
CVE:WEDThe Westaim Corporation is a private equity firm specializing in direct and indirect investments through acquisitions, joint ventures, secondary investments both direct and indirect, fund of fund investments, and other arrangements. For direct investments, the firm invests in early venture, mid venture, late venture, middle market, later stage, mature, emerging growth, PIPEs, and buyout transactions. For fund of fund investments, it seeks to invest in private equity funds, venture capital funds, and hedge funds. The firm seeks to provide long term capital to businesses operating in the global financial services industry. It typically acquires controlling interests in businesses. The firm seeks to acquire debt, equity, or derivative securities of both public and private companies. It invests with the objective of providing its shareholders with capital appreciation and real wealth preservation. The firm seeks to provide its portfolio companies with advisory services including, but not limited to, advice on capital allocation, financing strategy, performance measurement and merger and acquisition support. It also seeks to partner with like-minded providers of third party capital to help supplement the firm's own capital, when completing acquisitions. The firm generally seeks to hold its investments for seven to 15 years. The Westaim Corporation was founded in 1996 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
