Los Angeles – October 16, 2026 -- Fengate Private Equity, a division of Fengate Asset Management, has partnered with Clinical Research of West Florida (CRWF), an independent trial site operator with more than 1,000 completed trials, in a deal with undisclosed terms.

Westcove Partners, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to CRWF. Its deal team comprised Managing Directors Justin Hand and Abe M'Bodj, Director Bill Bolding, Vice President Geno Catalano and Associate Andrew Hartono.

CRWF runs three Phase I-IV facilities across Tampa Bay

Founded in 1995, CRWF operates three Phase I-IV facilities in the Tampa Bay area. The company has conducted more than 1,000 trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas and has differentiated expertise in complex autoimmune and rheumatology indications.

Houston – October 16, 2026 -- The 2026 Gulf Energy Information Excellence Awards drew a record 560 nominations, the most in the program's history, and presented 44 awards across the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors at a black-tie gala at The Post Oak Hotel.

AI wins Best Digital Transformation in all three sectors

Artificial intelligence earned Best Digital Transformation honors in the upstream, midstream and downstream categories. Lower-carbon work in ammonia, hydrogen and CO2 recovery was recognized alongside advances in drilling, deepwater and pipeline integrity.

The individual awards covered careers at every stage, from the industry's most promising engineers to lifetime achievers.

Hangzhou – October 16, 2026 -- CFMOTO unveiled CFMOTO NexFactory in Jiaxing, an integrated manufacturing hub for two-wheeled vehicles destined for global markets, at its CFMOTO EXPERIENCE 2026 media event. Journalists from more than 29 countries and regions attended the event at the company's Chinese headquarters.

CFMOTO runs five plants and sells through more than 9,000 dealers

The company operates five production facilities across China, Mexico and Thailand, backed by five flagship R&D centers and four design hubs worldwide. It sells in more than 100 countries and regions, and its portfolio spans motorcycles, off-road vehicles and electric mobility solutions.

Chief Brand Officer Ferdinand Klauser said the goal is to become a premium global powersports brand, adding that "being global isn't just about where we sell, it's about how we operate."

Toronto – October 16, 2026 -- Vale Base Metals (VBM) has completed the transaction that makes Exiro Nickel Company the new owner and operator of the Thompson Mine Complex in Manitoba, Canada, backed by a commitment to invest up to US$200 million (approximately CAD$280 million) in the operation.

Exiro, Orion and Canada Growth Fund take 81.1% of Exiro Nickel

Exiro Minerals Corp., Orion Resource Partners LP and Canada Growth Fund Inc. collectively hold 81.1% of Exiro Nickel. VBM, through its subsidiary Vale Canada Limited, retains an 18.9% minority interest. All customary regulatory and government authorizations have been received.

VBM secures multi-year offtake for Thompson nickel concentrate

VBM has entered into a multi-year offtake agreement for nickel concentrate produced at the Thompson mill. Together with the retained equity stake, the agreement keeps VBM tied to Canadian nickel supply from Manitoba.

Washington – October 16, 2026 -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has selected former TeamOne Logistics CEO Page Siplon as its next president and chief operating officer, ending a nationwide search to replace Rebecca Brewster, who retires in February 2027 after more than three decades with the organization.

Siplon joins in November for a three-month handover with Brewster

Siplon starts at ATRI in November and works alongside Brewster until she retires in February 2027, when he assumes the presidency. ATRI is the trucking industry's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. Its board announced the appointment on Oct. 16.

Topeka – – October 16, 2026 -- Capitol Federal Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: CFFN) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders on Tuesday, January 26, 2027, with a voting record date of December 4, 2026.

Stockholders of record on December 4, 2026 will be eligible to vote

Only holders on the record date can vote at the January session. The gap between the record date and the meeting is 53 days.

The Company is the holding company for Capitol Federal Savings Bank. The announcement contained no agenda items, director nominees or proposals.

Pre-1988 bad debt recapture could constrain dividend capacity

The Company's forward-looking statements cite potential pre-1988 bad debt recapture as a risk. The Company says recapture, together with the future earnings and capital levels of the Bank, could affect its ability to pay dividends in line with its dividend policies. The release gives no estimate of the amount involved.

Wilmington – – October 16, 2026 -- Vantaca, an AI-first software company built for community association management, ranked No. 40 in the small and medium company category of the 2026 Fortune Best Workplaces in Technology list, with 94% of its team members calling it a great place to work.

Ranking draws on survey responses from nearly 144,000 technology employees

Great Place To Work compiled the list from confidential survey responses at Great Place To Work Certified companies in the technology industry. Those responses came from nearly 144,000 employees, drawn from a pool of more than 1.3 million U.S. employee responses. Companies with 10 to 999 employees competed in the small and medium category, while companies with 1,000 or more employees were considered for the large category.

Arlington – October 16, 2026 -- The chair and CEO of Edge Total Intelligence Inc. (TSXV: CTRL) bought a combined 320,000 shares on the open market on October 13 and 14. The purchases are part of a wave of insider buying across defense, aerospace and national security technology since early September, including a $998,400 director purchase at Honeywell Aerospace.

edgeTI chair nearly doubles his holding, CEO adds about 70%

Chair James Barrett bought 170,000 subordinate voting shares in five transactions at prices between C$0.3944 and C$0.4405, a total of about C$69,300, according to SEDI filings. His reported holding rose from 183,467 to 353,467 shares.

CEO Jason Nichols bought 150,000 subordinate voting shares in three transactions on October 13 at US$0.2970 to US$0.3110, about US$45,600 in total. His holding increased from 213,000 to 363,000 shares.

Downers Grove – October 16, 2026 -- Midwest grocer Fresh Thyme Market has placed five employees on Progressive Grocer's 2026 GenNext list, which recognizes emerging leaders in the grocery industry.

Honorees span category management, store operations and IT

The five honorees are Joe Sanchez, Deli Category Manager; Zachary Robbins, Store Director in Newport, Kentucky; Bri Chin, Natural Living Category Manager; Jared Anderson, Vegetable Category Manager; and Manny Perez, IT Network & Systems Infrastructure Manager.

Three of the five hold merchandising roles across deli, natural living and vegetables. The remaining two cover store-level leadership and technology infrastructure.

Jackson, Miss. – October 16, 2026 -- Newk's Eatery, a fast-casual brand with nearly 100 locations, has taken the No. 244 spot on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400, which ranks the largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales.

Top 400 systems generated $784 billion in 2025 sales, up 4.3%

According to Franchise Times, the 400 largest U.S.-based franchise systems generated $784 billion in global sales in 2025, a 4.3% increase over the previous year. The ranking draws on company-reported data, franchise disclosure documents and other financial information.

Newk's also ranks No. 25 on Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers

Newk's was separately named No. 25 on the 2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. The brand, founded in 2004, operates nearly 100 locations and sells sandwiches, salads, soups and pizzas.