Latest news with #Winnipeg-based
Cision Canada
5 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
TPC Development Corporation Announces Major Investment and Executive Expansion to Grow The Picklr Across Canada, Starting in Winnipeg
WINNIPEG, MB, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - TPC Development Corporation, the exclusive Canadian Master Franchisor of The Picklr (excluding Quebec), is proud to announce a significant expansion of its investor group and leadership team, alongside a multimillion-dollar infusion of growth capital to power its national rollout. The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, offering state-of-the-art courts, organized leagues, pro-level coaching, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all ages and skill levels. With over 500 locations in development across the U.S., Canada, Japan and elsewhere internationally, it's redefining how communities experience the sport. With a goal of opening 65 Picklr clubs across Canada by 2031, TPC will build on the franchise model that is already flourishing across the United States. The Canadian strategy emphasizes local sourcing of materials, unlimited membership and interclub access, tailored indoor programming, corporate events and partnerships with major commercial and industrial developers, with curated community experiences. Winnipeg is set to make history as the first Canadian city to welcome The Picklr in October 2025. The south Winnipeg Picklr will be located on Kenaston Boulevard at the crossroads of major retail, business and residential communities, bringing a world-class, purpose-built pickleball facility to the heart of the Prairies. With 10 courts, including 2 Championship courts, The Picklr is putting Winnipeg at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. This milestone includes the addition of new Canadian partners with proven track records in entrepreneurship, real estate development, marketing, technology, and professional and youth sports. Leading the equity round is Greg Fettes, a Winnipeg-based entrepreneur and founder of IntouchCX, a global customer experience and technology company with more than 25,000 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia. Fettes also serves as Chairman and Founder of Play Ventures, an investment vehicle focused on sports and community-driven experiences. Play Ventures' portfolio includes Play Hockey Inc., one of North America's largest youth hockey tournament organizers, and Play Pickle Inc., a company dedicated to growing the sport of pickleball in Canada. Fettes immediately joins TPC as Executive Chair. "I've become an enthusiastic supporter and pickleball player, and I see the massive opportunity available to The Picklr to empower Canadian entrepreneurs to bring this incredibly fun, fast-growing sport to communities from coast to coast," said Fettes. "With our first club opening in Q4 in my hometown of Winnipeg, I couldn't be more excited to help lead this expansion and build the pickleball community across Canada." Joining the executive team as President is Rob Lloyd, a fellow Winnipeg native who spent over two decades in senior roles at Cisco Systems in Canada, Europe, and Silicon Valley—most recently as President of Worldwide Sales and Engineering, leading a 40,000-person team. Lloyd also serves as Executive Chair of a professional sports organization managing a network of 24 franchised teams across North America. "Canada is ready for a premium, purpose-built, nation-wide pickleball experience," said Lloyd. "The Pickleball Canada team has the vision, experience, and energy to deliver it—and we're proud to start right here in Winnipeg, with other key markets already in development." The expanded TOC senior leadership team includes: - Mark Arndt, Chief Development Officer – 20+ years developing world-class indoor soccer and tennis facilities and operating an international professional tennis event - David Formal, Director of Franchise Sales, with 25+ years of franchise development experience - Mark Lloyd, Territory Sales Director – 5+ years managing franchise team relationships and national sponsorships across Canada and the U.S. - Troy Buchanan, Senior Vice president, Colliers, Canadian Master Broker The Picklr Canada - Daria Lukie, Associate, Colliers, Master Broker The Picklr Canada About TPC Development Corporation TPC Development Corporation is the exclusive Canadian Master Franchisor (excluding Quebec) for The Picklr, the premier indoor pickleball franchise in North America. TPC is focused on building a national network of high-quality indoor clubs, delivering exceptional franchise opportunities and community-first pickleball experiences across Canada. Founded in Utah, The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, with more than 500 clubs in development. The Picklr offers professional-grade courts, leagues, lessons, tournaments, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all levels.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TPC Development Corporation Announces Major Investment and Executive Expansion to Grow The Picklr Across Canada, Starting in Winnipeg
WINNIPEG, MB, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - TPC Development Corporation, the exclusive Canadian Master Franchisor of The Picklr (excluding Quebec), is proud to announce a significant expansion of its investor group and leadership team, alongside a multimillion-dollar infusion of growth capital to power its national rollout. The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, offering state-of-the-art courts, organized leagues, pro-level coaching, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all ages and skill levels. With over 500 locations in development across the U.S., Canada, Japan and elsewhere internationally, it's redefining how communities experience the sport. With a goal of opening 65 Picklr clubs across Canada by 2031, TPC will build on the franchise model that is already flourishing across the United States. The Canadian strategy emphasizes local sourcing of materials, unlimited membership and interclub access, tailored indoor programming, corporate events and partnerships with major commercial and industrial developers, with curated community experiences. Winnipeg is set to make history as the first Canadian city to welcome The Picklr in October 2025. The south Winnipeg Picklr will be located on Kenaston Boulevard at the crossroads of major retail, business and residential communities, bringing a world-class, purpose-built pickleball facility to the heart of the Prairies. With 10 courts, including 2 Championship courts, The Picklr is putting Winnipeg at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. This milestone includes the addition of new Canadian partners with proven track records in entrepreneurship, real estate development, marketing, technology, and professional and youth sports. Leading the equity round is Greg Fettes, a Winnipeg-based entrepreneur and founder of IntouchCX, a global customer experience and technology company with more than 25,000 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia. Fettes also serves as Chairman and Founder of Play Ventures, an investment vehicle focused on sports and community-driven experiences. Play Ventures' portfolio includes Play Hockey Inc., one of North America's largest youth hockey tournament organizers, and Play Pickle Inc., a company dedicated to growing the sport of pickleball in Canada. Fettes immediately joins TPC as Executive Chair. "I've become an enthusiastic supporter and pickleball player, and I see the massive opportunity available to The Picklr to empower Canadian entrepreneurs to bring this incredibly fun, fast-growing sport to communities from coast to coast," said Fettes. "With our first club opening in Q4 in my hometown of Winnipeg, I couldn't be more excited to help lead this expansion and build the pickleball community across Canada." Joining the executive team as President is Rob Lloyd, a fellow Winnipeg native who spent over two decades in senior roles at Cisco Systems in Canada, Europe, and Silicon Valley—most recently as President of Worldwide Sales and Engineering, leading a 40,000-person team. Lloyd also serves as Executive Chair of a professional sports organization managing a network of 24 franchised teams across North America. "Canada is ready for a premium, purpose-built, nation-wide pickleball experience," said Lloyd. "The Pickleball Canada team has the vision, experience, and energy to deliver it—and we're proud to start right here in Winnipeg, with other key markets already in development." The expanded TOC senior leadership team includes: - Mark Arndt, Chief Development Officer – 20+ years developing world-class indoor soccer and tennis facilities and operating an international professional tennis event - David Formal, Director of Franchise Sales, with 25+ years of franchise development experience - Mark Lloyd, Territory Sales Director – 5+ years managing franchise team relationships and national sponsorships across Canada and the U.S. - Troy Buchanan, Senior Vice president, Colliers, Canadian Master Broker The Picklr Canada - Daria Lukie, Associate, Colliers, Master Broker The Picklr Canada About TPC Development Corporation TPC Development Corporation is the exclusive Canadian Master Franchisor (excluding Quebec) for The Picklr, the premier indoor pickleball franchise in North America. TPC is focused on building a national network of high-quality indoor clubs, delivering exceptional franchise opportunities and community-first pickleball experiences across Canada. About The Picklr Founded in Utah, The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, with more than 500 clubs in development. The Picklr offers professional-grade courts, leagues, lessons, tournaments, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all levels. SOURCE The Picklr Canada View original content: Sign in to access your portfolio
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Blazing Willows weaving professional connections
Joanne Zuk is fired up. The Winnipeg-based business strategist and consultant is the founder of Blazing Willows, a curated community and event series where women and gender-diverse professionals can network and share ideas. Zuk was inspired by a trend she noticed in the organizations she's worked with over the last three years. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the professionals she encountered were feeling a sense of disconnection from their peers. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press BIZ - Blazing Willows Photo of Joanne Zuk, (shorter hair), a business strategist with clothing business owner The article is about Blazing Willows, a series of events where women and gender-diverse professionals who have often felt left out of traditional networks can get together. This is for a biz article that will appear in the paper later this week. Must Have Pockets because it's where the first Blazing Willows event was held. Story by Aaron June 11th, 2025 'We're really lacking meaningful opportunities to just connect without selling (and) just connect for the purpose of building community,' Zuk said. At the same time, as a self-employed consultant who works from home, Zuk was noticing a lack of connection in her own professional life. In January, she hosted the first Blazing Willows event at Must Have Pockets, a clothing store in south Winnipeg. She advertised it on LinkedIn as an opportunity for solo consultants to compare notes and the 20 tickets sold out in short order. Participants enjoyed wine, snacks and networking. Midway through the event, Must Have Pockets owner Leanne Ryan gave a short talk on how to optimize a capsule wardrobe to simplify one's life. The only rule for participants was the event remain pitch-free, so they could concentrate on relationships over sales and connection over business. Zuk donated event proceeds to the North Point Douglas Women's Centre. Meantime, 250 people joined the Blazing Willows mailing list, Zuk said, including CEOs, early-career professionals and retirees looking for a place to connect with younger generations and share wisdom. 'It was an interesting response,' Zuk said. She sent a survey to the mailing list, asking people why they had signed up and what they were looking for. Nearly 100 people responded and it became clear to Zuk people were looking for an inclusive, sales pitch-free space for real connection. Subsequent Blazing Willows events will be open to people from any profession. There's also a LinkedIn group people can join after they sign up for the mailing list at Zuk launched the initiative in January as Old Girls Club — a riff on the term 'old boys' club' and the idea networking and influence should be hoarded in back rooms by the same people who have always held power. After realizing the name didn't quite capture what she was trying to create, she changed it. She was inspired by a conversation she had with Paul Guimond, an elder in residence at Red River College Polytechnic. Guimond told her about how willow trees bend without breaking. Their roots stabilize landscapes and support entire ecosystems. The 'blazing' part of the name, according to Zuk, speaks to the fire and vision it takes to carve new paths forward. The new name aligns more fully with Zuk's vision of a community where people show up for one another with integrity, reciprocity and support. When Robyn Penner Thiessen heard about Blazing Willows on LinkedIn, the diversity, equity and inclusion consultant signed up immediately. 'As an entrepreneur running my own business, it is lonely because you're not part of (a) larger organization,' Penner Thiessen said. 'To be with other like-minded women who are working to create something that has impact … is something I was interested in.' Zuk is an authentic person and that's coming through in Blazing Willows, Penner Thiessen added. 'It's not just a surface-level group and she's not just a surface-level person.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Zuk is hosting the second Blazing Willows event Wednesday evening at a co-working space in Osborne Village, with proceeds benefiting Clan Mothers Healing Village. Tickets are sold out. Blazing Willows community members will dictate what future gatherings and endeavours look like, Zuk said. While she is hosting and supporting the initiative, it will evolve based on what participants care about. 'I always (used to feel) like I was in competition with the women around me and it wasn't really until the last couple of years of my career that I (realized) that is the dumbest, dumbest way of looking at things,' she said. 'There's opportunity for us to create something different if we work together (and) if we grow together.' Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Herald Scotland
14-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
As politicians bicker, Scotland faces losing Alexander Dennis
This is all the more so when it comes to manufacturing job losses in Scotland, perhaps because of the extent to which this sector has dwindled over the decades. The news that up to 400 jobs are at risk at Falkirk bus manufacturing firm Alexander Dennis is first and foremost a massive blow to the people directly affected. It means there is a very real prospect of hundreds more people joining the ranks of the unemployed in an area hit hard by the closure of Scotland's only oil refinery at Grangemouth, with the loss of around 400 job losses. It is always disheartening when concerns over widespread job cuts come a distant second in the minds of those seeking to score political points from corporate decisions taken to reduce workforces. Yet, coming so soon after further job cuts were announced by oil and gas giant Harbour Energy in Aberdeen, a move blamed by the company on the UK Government's energy profits levy, the proposed cuts at Alexander Dennis have led to an impression of decline in Scottish industry. Opponents of the Scottish Government have been quick to assert that events at Alexander Dennis are yet more evidence of the administration's flawed strategy and failure to protect industry and jobs. These critics repeatedly point to the delays and cost over-runs in the delivery by the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard of two ferries to serve the west coast and the time it has taken to find a buyer for Prestwick Airport, which was taken into state ownership in 2013, in justification of these claims (even though Prestwick is now regularly making profits and beginning to build a lucrative air freight operation). The Scottish Government has also come under for fire failing to deliver the amount of "green" jobs in the transition from oil and gas production to renewable energy that ministers forecast. Read more: But in the matter of Alexander Dennis, which has been part of NFI Group since the North American company acquired the firm for £320 million in 2019, any culpability on the part of the Scottish Government seems hard to discern. Winnipeg-based NFI, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, looks simply to have assessed its costs and concluded that it can save money by consolidating its UK bus body building operations into a single site. Unfortunately for Scotland, the site selected for this work is in Scarborough, not Falkirk. Euan Stainbank, the Scottish Labour MP for Falkirk, said the Scottish Government should have done more to support Alexander Dennis by ordering more buses from domestic manufacturers to serve local networks. He said Greater Manchester had bought more than five times the amount of buses from Alexander Dennis than had been purchased to serve the industry in Scotland. But ultimately in Scotland it is down to private bus companies to decide which manufacturers they wish to buy their vehicles from – not the Scottish Government. Naturally, those fighting to prevent the proposed cuts in Falkirk are urging Scottish ministers to do all they can to stop or limit the amount of redundancies during the consultation period that is now under way. Perhaps there is some financial incentive that can be offered to entice NFI to change its mind, but it is hard to be optimistic. Paul Davies, president and managing director of Alexander Dennis, hinted at the limitations of UK policy when the proposed cuts were announced on Wednesday. 'While stakeholders have been sympathetic of the situation, the stark reality is that current UK policy does not allow for the incentivisation or reward of local content, job retention and creation, nor does it encourage any domestic economic benefit,' he said. 'We have warned of the competitive imbalance for some time and would like to see policy and legislative changes that incentivise the delivery of local benefit where taxpayer money is invested. We strongly believe funding that supports public transport should lead to investment in local jobs, domestic supply chains, technology creation and a recurrent tax base.' There is a certain, painful irony to the situation too. While the Grangemouth refinery was declared by Petroineos to be no longer financially viable in the face of global competition and the drive to net zero, the Alexander Dennis site in Falkirk has been involved in the production of buses powered by electrical batteries and hydrogen, in other words at the cutting edge of modern transport technology. As veteran Scottish politician Kenny MacAskill, leader of the Alba Party, noted, it is 'perverse when Scotland is awash with renewable energy and is the base for the UK's green hydrogen that a company specialising in hydrogen buses is forced to relocate elsewhere'. Sadly, past experience in Scotland suggests that once a company decides to close operations, there is no going back. Petroineos could not be persuaded to change course at Grangemouth, and back in 2009 Diageo proceeded to shut down its Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock despite significant protests at the time. It looks for all the world that the proposed cuts at Alexander Dennis are destined to become another sad chapter in Scottish industrial history, and one that will be especially poignant given the company's proud and long manufacturing legacy.
The Herald Scotland
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Politics overshadow pain of cuts at Alexander Dennis
This is all the more so when it comes to manufacturing job losses in Scotland, perhaps because of the extent to which this sector has dwindled over the decades. The news that up to 400 jobs are at risk at Falkirk bus manufacturing firm Alexander Dennis is first and foremost a massive blow to the people directly affected. It means there is a very real prospect of hundreds more people joining the ranks of the unemployed in an area hit hard by the closure of Scotland's only oil refinery at Grangemouth, with the loss of around 400 job losses. It is always disheartening when concerns over widespread job cuts come a distant second in the minds of those seeking to score political points from corporate decisions taken to reduce workforces. Yet, coming so soon after further job cuts were announced by oil and gas giant Harbour Energy in Aberdeen, a move blamed by the company on the UK Government's energy profits levy, the proposed cuts at Alexander Dennis have led to an impression of decline in Scottish industry. Opponents of the Scottish Government have been quick to assert that events at Alexander Dennis are yet more evidence of the administration's flawed strategy and failure to protect industry and jobs. These critics repeatedly point to the delays and cost over-runs in the delivery by the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard of two ferries to serve the west coast and the time it has taken to find a buyer for Prestwick Airport, which was taken into state ownership in 2013, in justification of these claims (even though Prestwick is now regularly making profits and beginning to build a lucrative air freight operation). The Scottish Government has also come under for fire failing to deliver the amount of "green" jobs in the transition from oil and gas production to renewable energy that ministers forecast. Read more: But in the matter of Alexander Dennis, which has been part of NFI Group since the North American company acquired the firm for £320 million in 2019, any culpability on the part of the Scottish Government seems hard to discern. Winnipeg-based NFI, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, looks simply to have assessed its costs and concluded that it can save money by consolidating its UK bus body building operations into a single site. Unfortunately for Scotland, the site selected for this work is in Scarborough, not Falkirk. Euan Stainbank, the Scottish Labour MP for Falkirk, said the Scottish Government should have done more to support Alexander Dennis by ordering more buses from domestic manufacturers to serve local networks. He said Greater Manchester had bought more than five times the amount of buses from Alexander Dennis than had been purchased to serve the industry in Scotland. But ultimately in Scotland it is down to private bus companies to decide which manufacturers they wish to buy their vehicles from – not the Scottish Government. Naturally, those fighting to prevent the proposed cuts in Falkirk are urging Scottish ministers to do all they can to stop or limit the amount of redundancies during the consultation period that is now under way. Perhaps there is some financial incentive that can be offered to entice NFI to change its mind, but it is hard to be optimistic. Paul Davies, president and managing director of Alexander Dennis, hinted at the limitations of UK policy when the proposed cuts were announced on Wednesday. 'While stakeholders have been sympathetic of the situation, the stark reality is that current UK policy does not allow for the incentivisation or reward of local content, job retention and creation, nor does it encourage any domestic economic benefit,' he said. 'We have warned of the competitive imbalance for some time and would like to see policy and legislative changes that incentivise the delivery of local benefit where taxpayer money is invested. We strongly believe funding that supports public transport should lead to investment in local jobs, domestic supply chains, technology creation and a recurrent tax base.' There is a certain, painful irony to the situation too. While the Grangemouth refinery was declared by Petroineos to be no longer financially viable in the face of global competition and the drive to net zero, the Alexander Dennis site in Falkirk has been involved in the production of buses powered by electrical batteries and hydrogen, in other words at the cutting edge of modern transport technology. As veteran Scottish politician Kenny MacAskill, leader of the Alba Party, noted, it is 'perverse when Scotland is awash with renewable energy and is the base for the UK's green hydrogen that a company specialising in hydrogen buses is forced to relocate elsewhere'. Sadly, past experience in Scotland suggests that once a company decides to close operations, there is no going back. Petroineos could not be persuaded to change course at Grangemouth, and back in 2009 Diageo proceeded to shut down its Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock despite significant protests at the time. It looks for all the world that the proposed cuts at Alexander Dennis are destined to become another sad chapter in Scottish industrial history, and one that will be especially poignant given the company's proud and long manufacturing legacy.
