• Lexaria Bioscience is involved in the research and improvement of its trademarked DehydraTECH technology, which enhances the bioavailability of some legal drug substances used by consumers
• The technology provides a rapid-on, rapid-off effect that may be effectively used in cannabis-infused edibles and beverages as an alternative to mind-altering substances such as alcohol and cannabis
• New research has boosted Lexaria’s hopes, with findings that show no adverse NME chemical compositions were formed in several rounds of in-depth testing
• The company recently formed a collaboration with Hill Street Beverage Company to make cannabis-infused alternatives to alcoholic beverages
• By 2024, cannabis-infused beverage sales are expected to reach $1.4 billion

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) has announced the completion of a research agreement that is moving the company forward as it investigates market opportunities that would use Lexaria’s patented DehydraTECH technology to aid biological absorption of substances such as cannabinoids, nicotine and ibuprofen.

Under a master collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Lexaria focused on technical aspects of DehydraTECH’s drug delivery processes for speeding up lipophilic active ingredient compositions’ bioavailability to see if the technology caused the formation of a new molecular entity (NME) during activation, according to a company news release (http://ibn.fm/R94q9).

The creation of an NME would likely have burdened Lexaria’s research program with additional testing and regulation to establish the NME’s safety for human consumption under the oversight of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada.

“The company is very pleased to report that all evidence aligns that no covalent-bonded NME is created with Lexaria’s technology,” the news release states.

The collaboration with the NRC analyzed 33 formulations using DehydraTECH technology out of more than 50 that were prepared. In addition to the drug substances analyzed in-depth, the research tested long chain fatty acid and medium chain triglyceride oils alone and in combination.

The testing demonstrated no shift in the spectral positioning of the API pharmaceuticals’ molecular construction for all formulations tested, which provided nearly incontrovertible evidence of a lack of any covalent-bonded NME, according to the company.

Lexaria also noted that the National Research Council of Canada study discovered the remarkable stability of DehydraTECH technology, even under highly acidic conditions. “Other formulation technologies by third parties that have not been tested for pH stability cannot be relied upon to deliver stable quantities of the API in question within an acidic beverage,” the news release states. “Since mildly acidic formulas are used in the vast majority of beverages sold in North America today, pH stability testing is a necessary aspect of safely delivering cannabinoids within popular beverage formats and Lexaria’s technology is now proven capable of doing so.”

Lexaria, through its working relationship with the NRC, continues to pursue other objectives, such as determining what interactions take place at the molecular level between nicotine polacrilex formulations and DehydraTECH’s methodology in order to continually improve on DehydraTECH and expand scientific understanding of its processes.

Lexaria announced July 24 that it will collaborate with alcohol-free and cannabis-infused beer and wine maker Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. (TSX.V: BEER) in creating a new brand of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products as edible and beverage consumption of cannabis becomes nationally legal in Canada later this year (http://ibn.fm/cznv3).

Market analysts at Zenith Global forecast that the U.S. market for cannabis- and hemp-infused drinks will rocket to over $1.4 billion by 2024, reflecting a growing interest in alternatives to alcoholic beverages with a potential wellness aspect to them. Lexaria’s technology is also attractive because it provides a relatively rapid-on, rapid-off effect that reduces or eliminates the potential hazards of alcohol that carry over into other daily activities (http://ibn.fm/Acaxn).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LexariaBioscience.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LXRP are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/LXRP

• MCOA’s virtual launch party introduced VivaBuds, a premium cannabis delivery service that will initially deliver to the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County
• Attendees were treated to a live tour of the VivaBuds website, VivaBuds swag giveaways and an invitation to become one of VivaBuds’ first customers
• VivaBuds offers the option for customers to become ‘BlazeMasters’ and build their own personal cannabis businesses by utilizing a ‘call your friend’ approach
• MCOA’s joint venture subsidiary, Covered Bridge Acres Ltd., produced a first harvest from its hemp farm in Scio, Oregon, that generated revenues of $525,000

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, provided a curious public with an inside look at its new joint venture, VivaBuds, during a virtual launch party earlier this month. Customers eager to learn more about VivaBuds, a unique cannabis delivery service slated to initially begin deliveries in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, were treated to swag giveaways and details on how to become one of VivaBuds’ first retail customers.

“VivaBuds will offer our customers low-cost premium cannabis, fast delivery times, and quality customer service,” Don Steinberg, CEO of MCOA, stated in a news release prior to the launch party (http://ibn.fm/HQ4aG). “California’s cannabis delivery regulations, which were implemented earlier this year, introduced a new burgeoning market that VivaBuds will not only benefit from, but also help set the industry standard by contributing to California’s cannabis revenue surge.”

Steinberg announced in April that MCOA had acquired a 20 percent ownership interest in Natural Plant Extract of California (“NPE”), a licensed manufacturer, distributor and retail delivery service for volatile cannabis products in California (http://ibn.fm/mpOdt). The deal established a joint venture to create VivaBuds, which serves as the marketing arm for a new retail cannabis delivery service, launched earlier by NPE subsidiary Northern Lights Distribution in California.

The VivaBuds rollout remains in full swing, with the VivaBuds mobile application live on Google Play and available for download on all Android devices (http://ibn.fm/P9YMz). Customers using the app can also learn more about customizing their own buying experiences, how to enjoy premium cannabis products at wholesale pricing and how to become a ‘BlazeMaster’ and earn a commission on a referral basis.

MCOA recently reported that its joint venture subsidiary, Covered Bridge Acres Ltd. (“CBA”), has started generating revenue through operations at its hemp farm in Scio, Oregon. Through a combination of the sales of raw biomass, plantlets, CBD crude oil and CBD distillate produced from various processing test runs along with other farm operations, CBA generated $525,500 in its first year of operation (http://ibn.fm/NjZiq).

For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com, www.VivaBuds.com and www.hempSMART.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MCOA are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/MCOA

• Organigram’s Q3 results marked its fourth quarter in a row of positive adjusted EBITDA*
• A Bloomberg article states that the company is an outlier due to its high margins and low production costs

Organigram Holdings Inc. (TSX.V: OGI) (NASDAQ: OGI) stands out from other Canadian cannabis companies due to the fact that it has registered four quarters of positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), as a Bloomberg article about the enterprise reads (http://ibn.fm/BUMhB). Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure. For more information, see the company’s latest MD&A.

Organigram’s Q3 and fiscal year-to-date results represent some of the strongest operating and financial metrics amongst Canadian licensed producers. With one of the lowest cultivation costs per gram and continued discipline on selling, general and administrative expenses, Organigram’s results place it in the top tier of the Canadian industry.

As per the Bloomberg article, Organigram’s sustainable profitability is an outlier due to the fact that the industry has been experiencing some negative developments. Regulatory measures have been undertaken in Canada against some of the cultivators to ensure compliance. Other firms have been registering lower than expected sales, significant negative adjusted EBITDA and shrinking margins in recent quarters.

Recently, Organigram announced that it has received Health Canada approval for the licensing of its phase 4A, for total licensed production capacity of 61,000 kilograms annually (http://ibn.fm/Hgp0a). The entire phase 4 expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 and aims to increase target production capacity to 113,000 kg/year, once licensed and fully operational.

* Cultivation cost per gram is a non-IFRS measure. Please see the Company’s latest MD&A.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Investors.Organigram.ca

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to OGI are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/OGRMF

• The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. is Canada’s only coast-to-coast premium cannabis producer
• Supreme’s wholly owned subsidiary produces sustainably scaled, high-quality cannabis yields
• The company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Truverra Inc.

The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) works with an eye to providing the world’s best cannabis products and emerging as a top competitor in the cannabis marketplace. As Canada’s only coast-to-coast premium cannabis producer, Supreme is engaged in widespread distribution and has an expert team of passionate professionals and employees. Furthermore, Supreme Cannabis secured a place among the highest revenue-recording, publicly traded cannabis companies in Canada with reported revenues of C$8.85 million for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2018.

“As a result of the successful execution of our strategy, we have generated significant revenue growth both for the quarter and the year-end period,” Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal stated in a news release. “We look forward to building on this growth as we expand domestically and internationally.”

One of the company’s strengths lies in its wholly owned subsidiary, 7ACRES. With the end to 100 years of cannabis prohibition, the Canadian market is set to flourish and expand, and 7ACRES is ideally positioned to make the most of this opportunity. Situated in a 440,000-square-foot cultivation facility in Kincardine, Ontario, 7ACRES operates by the motto of ‘Craft quality, commercial scale’. One of the first 40 federally licensed cannabis producers in Canada, 7ACRES concentrates on producing sustainably scaled, premium-quality products. The fact that six Canadian provinces have signed an agreement with Supreme is a testament to 7ACRES’ exemplary quality cannabis.

In addition, on July 17, 2019, Supreme announced a definitive agreement with the privately held Truverra Inc. The deal involves the transaction of 14.7 million common shares of Supreme Cannabis, with an approximate value of $20,000,000 (http://ibn.fm/R9yCt). “The recent introduction of Health Canada’s amended cannabis regulations creates a distinct opportunity for Supreme Cannabis to establish a leading position in the cannabis extracts markets,” Dhaliwal added. “With the acquisition of Truverra, we secure a Toronto-based facility equipped to extract our high-quality inputs for concentrates and vaping liquids in the near-term.”

With the completion of this deal, Supreme will further strengthen its position in the global cannabis market. Truverra sells a wide range of CBD products (http://ibn.fm/3Y4cw) to international markets through its subsidiaries, Truverra (Europe) B. V. and Canadian Clinical Cannabinoids Inc. (“CCC”). CCC’s 5,000-square-foot licensed facility in Ontario is focused on producing cannabis derivative extracts for Legalization 2.0, or the second round of regulations in Canada, which are scheduled to commence around fall 2019.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Supreme.ca

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SPRWF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SPRWF

• The immunology company released its financial results for the second quarter of 2019 and also delivered an update on its clinical trials
• The phase I trial of INmune Bio’s cancer treatment INB03 has delivered promising results in terms of safety and tolerability. The company will now be moving forward with the phase II of the trial
• INmune Bio also announced the appointment of biotechnology executive Edgardo Baracchini as a new member of the board of directors

INmune Bio Inc.’s (NASDAQ: INMB) clinical program continues to advance, CEO RJ Tesi, M.D., noted during a presentation of the company’s 2019 second quarterly report. The business update, year-to-date, focused on financial results and on the advancement of the INB03 program (http://ibn.fm/shHin).

At the beginning of August, INmune Bio announced positive preliminary data from the INB03 phase I clinical trial. INB03 is a second-generation soluble tumor necrosis factor (sTNF) inhibitor, which the company believes alters the immunobiology of the tumor microenvironment to improve tumor killing in the body.

The phase I trial enlisted patients with advanced solid tumors. These volunteers received INB03 to determine the safety of the treatment in cancer patients. The medication was administered for an average of 74 days, and no adverse side effects were reported. INB03 was well tolerated.

As the company begins phase II testing, it hopes to establish the effectiveness of the medication in combination immunotherapy.

INmune Bio also announced that it expects to begin enlisting patients for a phase I trial of its other drug candidate, XPro1595, targeting Alzheimer’s disease. Patient enrollment is expected to begin in the second half of 2019.

Apart from announcing strategic developments, INmune Bio also presented its most important financial results for the second quarter. Net loss attributable to common stockholders for the second quarter was $0.4 million, in comparison to $6.2 million for the same quarter of 2018. Research and development expenditure remained unchanged at $0.3 million. The total research and development expenditure was $0.6 million, but it was partially offset by a $0.3 million Alzheimer’s Association grant.

As of June 30, INmune Bio had cash and cash equivalents of $9.4 million with no debt. In May 2019, INmune closed a private placement of nearly $4.7 million. As of August 9, INmune Bio has 10.8 million common and 13.9 million fully diluted shares outstanding.

INmune Bio has made another important announcement in line with its strategic development plans. On August 8, 2019, the company announced that Edgardo Baracchini, Ph.D., will be joining the INmune Bio team as a member of the board of directors (http://ibn.fm/zPl7l).

Barracchini brings extensive business development and deal-making experience to the board of directors, Tesi said. These are critical skills that are expected to benefit INmune Bio as it continues to advance its three main drug candidates through clinical trials, Tesi concluded.

Baracchini has over 25 years of experience in biotech business development. He has negotiated over 80 business transactions with multinational pharmaceutical firms, biotech businesses and prominent universities. His efforts have resulted in transactions estimated at over $5.3 billion.

“INmune Bio has very exciting clinical trials in cancer and Alzheimer’s disease,” Baracchini noted in a news release. “I am looking forward to working closely with its seasoned leadership team, each of whom have demonstrated their own track record of success.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.INmuneBio.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to INMB are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/INMB

• Spectrum Global Solutions provides end-to-end market offerings for communications networks, including building infrastructure for wireless and wired-in products and maintaining existing networks
• In a world that is increasingly interconnected through wireless technology, network services occupy a turnkey position and keep the machinery humming
• The pending rollout of 5G-speed networks promises to be a boon for fans of smart home products and streaming video services who rely on fast network capability, and Spectrum is positioned to help build the 5G future
• The smart home product market was estimated at about $10 billion last year and is expected to grow by 50 percent each year through 2021

As the global race to adopt and adapt to higher-speed 5G networks heats up, wireless service providers will need more spectrum, and Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. (OTCQB: SGSI) is positioned to respond to those needs.

Spectrum Global is a holding company operating as an end-to-end telecommunications network service provider whose subsidiaries play key roles in the design, construction and maintenance of both wireless and wireline projects for carriers, aggregators, enterprise services, project management offices (PMOs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of all sizes, including well-known names such as Ericsson, Nokia, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.

The company’s subsidiaries, AW Solutions Inc. and ADEX Corporation and their Puerto Rico LLC divisions; Florida Tropical Communications Inc.; and Illinois T N S Inc., provide communications infrastructure deployment, telecommunications project lifetime services and wiring needs. The services are taking on turnkey importance as all facets of the tech industry anticipate the launch of 5G networks that could raise the bar for transmission speeds by 10 to 100 times, beginning in the coming year.

Those transmission speeds are increasingly important to the consumer market as OTT video services gain a preferential hold on much of the television-watching market. Netflix garnered attention last month when it announced that viewership for its third season of the streaming series ‘Stranger Things’ was up to 40.7 million household accounts and that 18.2 million had already finished watching the entire season (http://ibn.fm/5uakD). While insiders acknowledge that it’s still impossible to directly compare Netflix’s viewership with standard at-home TV watchers, the rising popularity of streaming services with adult consumers appears to be undisputed.

In addition, homes are increasingly connected to their owners’ mobile products through smart applications. Global market research company IHS reported that 98 million smart home devices worth about $10 billion dollars were sold last year in the United States, and IHS predicts that the market will continue to grow by 50 percent yearly through 2021 (http://ibn.fm/HR7bJ). Those smart applications are dependent on networks that are sufficiently fast to stream data including video, in real time.

“The market opportunity is immense,” SGSI President Keith Hayter told The RedChip Money Report at the beginning of the year (http://ibn.fm/fqLlj). “We’re in a high-growth market… Over $1.5 trillion is going to be spent on telecommunications. For deployment services, which is where we primarily fit in and get our revenue streams from, from $150 (billion) to $200 billion will be spent over the next couple of years.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SpectrumGlobalSolutions.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SGSI are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SGSI

• Pivotal’s gas flow monitoring and control solutions are unrivaled in speed, precision and sensing capabilities
• The company boasts strong customer retention rates, maintaining close relationships with leading blue-chip integrated device manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers
• Pivotal’s global footprint includes production facilities in the U.S., China and Korea, with sales offices located throughout the Asia-Pacific Region, Japan and Europe

Pivotal Systems Corporation (ASX: PVS), a leading global provider of best-in-class gas flow control solutions that are integral to the production of semiconductors, continues to build its customer base and increase profit margins with new and repeated sales orders from clients located throughout the world. Pivotal Systems Corporation is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

Pivitol’s portfolio of gas flow controllers (“GFCs”) and flow ratio controllers (“FRCs”) assists semiconductor manufacturers hoping to stabilize and control the delivery of gases used to deposit or remove materials during the semiconductor manufacturing process. Pivotal’s GFC product lines offer high accuracy, real-time monitoring and control of the most critical parameters that are difficult to handle in wafer processing today, including gas flow and chamber condition.

Pivotal recently conducted live demonstrations of several of its products, including the High Flow GFC, the Flow Ratio Controller and the Ultra-High Speed Control System running at microsecond speeds, at SEMICON West in San Francisco. John Hoffman, chairman and CEO of Pivotal Systems, also presented at the 11th Annual CEO Summit, held concurrently with SEMICON West, delivering a detailed review of 2018 and the company’s product timeline (http://ibn.fm/DyxNJ).

Pivotal successfully launched an initial public offering (IPO) on the ASX in July 2019, raising $39.6 million (A$53.5 million) to expand operations in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China and the U.S., as the company noted in a news release (http://ibn.fm/bTsvF).

“We have seen a fantastic level of investor support, which reflects our plans to expand our capabilities and provide increasingly valuable technology to our global customers,” Hoffman stated in a news release. “By utilizing cutting-edge proprietary hardware and the most advanced software in our industry, we provide real value when it comes to overcoming many of the flow control challenges advanced semiconductor manufacturers face.”

The company’s strong revenue growth in 2018 – up 32 percent as a result of increasing market share – translates into a strong financial position within a multibillion-dollar industry. The company’s machine learning platform enables a new generation of intelligent industrial controls that can drive productivity in many applications. Pivotal has production capabilities in the U.S. and contracted facilities in China and Korea, with sales offices located throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Japan and Europe.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PivotalSys.com

• Sports performance medicine and nutrition is a strong focus for Neutra. As the company’s new Sports Performance Medical Advisor, Dr. Cherry will continue his recent work designing tailored medical programs and services focused on human performance.
• Neutra will aggressively target the promising sports nutrition market, a segment with sales that are currently expected to reach $11 billion by 2023.
• Neutra is developing third-party certified hemp-derived CBD health and nutritional product lines for consumers.
• Hemp-based CBD consumer projects generated sales of up to $390 million in 2018 with analysts predicting sales of hemp-based products could reach $22 billion by 2022.
• Leadership has a proven track record of adding value for public company shareholders.

Neutra Corp. (OTCQB: NTRR) is an early-stage research and development company bringing modern healthy living solutions to a multi-billion-dollar market. Cutting-edge technologies within the nutraceuticals, food and drug, and environmental purification sectors are creating a new kind of world culture – one where consumers are demanding access to products that promote health and stave off potential health dangers.

Neutra is concentrating on developing into a vertically integrated company able to cultivate, manufacture and distribute hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) products. Hemp-based CBD consumer products generated sales of up to $390 million in 2018 with projections pointing to a $3 billion market by 2022, according to the Hemp Business Journal.

Neutra’s new broadened scope, which includes the commercialization of newer, more effective products, aims to capitalize on this worldwide boom. Our company is seeking new and exciting opportunities that can accelerate Neutra’s mission to bring these products to a wider demographic. Our work reflects a renewed dedication to supporting a better body, environment and life for people around the globe.

Acquisitions

• Vivis – Neutra is expanding its market presence in the rapidly growing hemp-derived CBD market with a letter of intent to acquire Vivis, an emerging retail brand of hemp-based health and nutritional products. Vivis’ hemp-derived CBD products are third-party certified as contaminant-free and of consistent quality and potency. Consumers are increasingly looking for this certification when they buy hemp-based CBD products. With Vivis as the new retail face of Neutra, the company is expecting greater interest in its expanding portfolio of branded products moving to market.
• J3 Holdings – The signing of a letter of intent to acquire J3 Holdings includes the company’s land and warehouse, as well as a license to cultivate hemp and refine it into usable forms. Neutra has concentrated its early efforts developing business networks and on developing hemp-based CBD products, including supplements and creams. The latest move will enable the company to grow its own hemp supply, giving it more control over the quality of its ingredients.

Partners

• Surface to Air Solutions is the North American distributor of a patent-pending, water-based solution known as Purteq, a green technology that works similar to photosynthesis.
• ZeroBlast uses a durable, non-toxic, anti-microbial solution to eliminate all contaminates and kill germs on contact for a period of up to 90 days.

Leadership

Neutra president and CEO Sydney Jim provides strong executive leadership, a network of business contacts and experience implementing solid corporate strategy. Jim has a proven track record of adding value for public company shareholders. He founded Global Visionary Investments where operational support is provided to seven different companies and their subsidiaries. Jim was also the CEO of First Titan Energy, a microcap public company where he was responsible for restructuring the corporate structure, deal sourcing, and leading the company in mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. Scott Cherry is the company’s sports performance medical advisor. He is an energetic physician executive with a passionate focus on health, performance and prevention. Dr. Cherry received emergency medical technician training in the U.S. Navy, a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Florida State University, medical degree from Nova Southeastern University, and a master’s degree of public health from Uniformed Services University F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine. Dr. Cherry has honed his skills in a variety of medical and executive positions spanning the U.S. Army and Navy, several Fortune 500 corporations, and major health care facilities over the past 20 years.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.NeutraInc.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NTRR are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/NTRR

• BacTech Environmental is an Ontario, Canada-based company that uses microbial bacteria for “bioleaching” the arsenic from historic and often-abandoned mine projects, leaving the sites environmentally restored and making their precious metals easier to process
• The company has attained equity interests in mine remediation projects in Bolivia and Ecuador, and it is working with Ontario’s Cambrian College to identify the “best bugs” to tackle the arsenic in those countries
• BacTech recently strengthened its financing with a two-tranche funding effort that’s expected to bring in $125,000

Environmental remediation at mine tailing sites has gained a natural, even holistic, advocate in the form of BacTech Environmental Corp. (CSE: BAC) (OTC: BCCEF), a Toronto-based “bioleaching” corporation that aims to put microbes to work in stabilizing dangerous arsenic mine waste and recovering more precious metals in the process.

“Our Bugs Eat Rocks,” one company video presentation declared in 2013 (http://ibn.fm/PjkJd). CEO and President Ross Orr explained in the video how BacTech’s proprietary technology was being primed for use in cleaning up tailings at the former Telamayu project in Bolivia – a mill that received ore for processing for nearly a century from various mines in the area until it was abandoned over 50 years ago.

The plan is to use naturally occurring bacteria to clean up sulfide tailings at such projects, he said.

“The tailings there (in Bolivia) have been oxidizing for some time and releasing acid mine drainage into the local river, which of course goes right into the town of Atocha next door,” Orr added.

Orr issued a call for funding the cleanup project through the medium of the video, a request that has been repeated a number of times since. Last month, BacTech announced its most recent success in obtaining capital to advance its bioleaching project, referring to a two-tranche private placement financing effort that’s expected to bring in $125,000 (http://ibn.fm/ZOj1S).

A second BacTech project involves the potential use of bioleach processing to treat historic arsenopyrite concentrates and tailings produced in Southern Ecuador by small mom-and-pop operations. Environmental microbiologist Nadia Mykytczuk has been working with BacTech to identify the best bacteria for the region’s needs and the ideal conditions for nurturing their growth inside fermentation tanks where the arsenic is stabilized even as precious metals are recovered. A research project has also grown out of the Ecuadorean reclamation effort, including a test facility with bioreactors at Cambrian College in Sudbury, near Toronto, according to publication Northern Ontario Business (http://ibn.fm/7LDgx).

“We’ve completed a year’s worth of test work to find the best bugs, under the best conditions, to extract the gold out of this high arsenic material,” Mykytczuk told Northern Ontario Business. “If you take a handful of tailings from Copper Cliff or Ecuador you have thousands to millions of individual organisms, and that diversity matters because those bugs are best adapted to those conditions. Nature knows best. It will have picked bugs that can grow in a particular situation. My goal is to demonstrate that we can use this technology to reprocess the many thousands of abandoned mines here that still hold a lot of value.”

BacTech Environmental’s strategy includes seeking an equity position in each remediation project it undertakes and augmenting related revenues with additional cash flow proceeding from metal recovery. Where possible, the company will also pursue governmental and non-governmental organization (NGO) funding for the projects.

The company notes that its strategy is based on the global demand for cleaning up mining areas as world populations become ever-more environmentally conscious, as well as the potential revenue stream resulting from the interest in remediation, as opposed to simple revenues from licensing the bioleaching technology to other firms for their uses.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BacTechGreen.com

• Sonic Automotive ranks among the top five retail automotive groups in the United States each year, as reported by industry publication Automotive News
• The company has a new vehicle-centered retail division and its EchoPark Automotive used car division, both focused on innovations to the buying experience
• During the second quarter, EchoPark’s sales grew by 68.7 percent as new vehicle sales volume slowed
• Despite a downturn in new vehicle sales during the quarter, Sonic’s total sales established a number of consolidated all-time quarterly records

Innovative automotive retailer Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE: SAH) is a Fortune 500 company that consistently ranks among the top five largest retail automotive groups in the United States, growing from a small business with 20 stores in 1997 to a group of more than 100 stores selling 24 brands currently.

Sonic was one of seven U.S. retailers to report over 100,000 new vehicle sales last year, rising to just shy of 300,000 units sold when used and wholesale transactions were factored in. Total revenues for the group were $9.95 billion (http://ibn.fm/lW9NF).

Under the company’s One Sonic One Experience campaign, introduced in 2014, non-commissioned sales representatives work with shoppers over the course of about an hour to make buying a vehicle an enjoyable experience by “eliminating all the pain points” that can accompany identifying the right vehicle and subsequent negotiations. The company’s priority on transparency extends from the service area to trade-in valuations, and it purchases consumers’ vehicles without trade-in requirements.

Sonic’s EchoPark Automotive segment is the corporate arm that deals in used cars and light trucks, helping to arrange additional finance and insurance product sales in eight specialty retail locations across North Carolina, Texas and Colorado.

EchoPark’s retail sales topped 12,500 vehicles during the second quarter of 2019, marking an increase of 68.7 percent from the previous year’s second quarter.

“Even as the new vehicle market started showing signs of weakness (during the second quarter), we still had record results in our pre-owned and F&I business lines and grew our fixed operations by 6.4 percent,” CEO David Smith stated in a company news release issued July 25 (http://ibn.fm/6Ma3u). “This, once again, shows how the dynamic dealer operating model benefits from multiple revenue streams. We are very excited to see the maturity of our current EchoPark locations as illustrated by our most mature market, Denver, Colorado… It is very exciting to see the results when you focus on the customer and use technology and process to reduce your expenses and simplify the operational model. We believe we will be able to open an additional EchoPark store before the end of 2019 and another shortly thereafter in the first half of 2020. Our current plans include two additional EchoPark store openings in the second half of 2020.”

EchoPark’s revenues of $291.7 million during the second quarter put the company on track to exceed $1.1 billion by year’s end, and Sonic’s total sales established a number of consolidated all-time quarterly records, according to the report. The company’s board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share payable in cash for stockholders of record on September 13, 2019.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SonicAutomotive.com