NEW YORK CITY — Ready Capital Corp. (NYSE: RC) and Owens Realty Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: ORM) have officially completed their merger. As of March 29, ORM ceased to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The newly combined company will conduct business under the name Ready Capital Corp. and will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol RC. In addition, pursuant to the merger agreement, the size of Ready Capital’s board of directors has increased from six to seven members. Gilbert E. Nathan, an independent director of ORM, was appointed to Ready Capital’s board of directors. Ready Capital specializes in small- to medium-sized balance commercial loans. Maryland-based Owens Realty Mortgage is a specialty finance mortgage company that provides customized, short-term acquisition and transition capital to small balance and middle-market investors.
NATICK, MASS. — Online home goods retailer Wayfair Inc. has announced plans to open its first full-service store at the Natick Mall in Natick. At the Wayfair store, service and home-design experts will be available to consult shoppers on home décor, furniture and other products. Customers can purchase an assortment of home décor products, as well as place orders for home deliveries. The location, which is slated to open in the fall, will be 3,700 square feet. The Boston-based company generates roughly $7 billion in annual revenue from online purchases.
NEW YORK CITY —Tommy Hilfiger has closed its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and the apparel retailer also plans to shutter its store on Collins Avenue in Miami on April 28. These moves mark the closing of the only two full-price Tommy Hilfiger stores in North America. According to executives, the closures will enable the company to direct resources and capital toward experimentation with new retail concepts and experiences, with an emphasis on appealing to younger customers. The four-story flagship store originally opened in 2009. Tommy Hilfiger is the latest apparel retailer to shutter a store on Fifth Avenue, following the likes of Lord & Taylor, Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — LifeWay, a Christian bookseller based in Nashville, announced its plan to close all 170 of its physical bookstores. The bulk of the company’s stores are in the Southeastern United States, with a large concentration of locations in Texas and Ohio. A full list can be found here. LifeWay expects to close all of its physical locations by the end of the year, and the timing of store closings will vary depending on local circumstances. In January, the company announced it would reduce the number of its retail locations due to declining customer traffic and sales, but has since pivoted. “While we had hoped to keep some stores open, current market projections show this is no longer a viable option,” says Brad Waggoner, acting president and CEO of LifeWay following the retirement of Thom Rainer last month. “The decision to close our local stores is a difficult one. LifeWay has developed close connections with the communities where our stores are located, and we have been honored to serve those communities.” LifeWay is neither closing nor filing for bankruptcy, instead focusing on its digital platform, customer service center and its network of church partnerships. Details about the lease terms …
CHICAGO AND DALLAS — JLL (NYSE: JLL) and HFF (NYSE: HF) have entered into a definitive agreement for JLL to acquire all outstanding HFF shares in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2 billion. Chicago-based JLL, a giant in the commercial real estate industry with a total market cap of approximately $7.4 billion, is a professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. Dallas-based HFF is a full-service commercial real estate financial intermediary. Under the terms of the agreement, HFF shareholders will receive $24.63 in cash and 0.1505 JLL shares for each HFF share. Based on the closing price of JLL stock of $163.02 on March 18, the cash and stock consideration to be received by HFF shareholders at closing is valued at $49.16 per HFF share. When finalized, existing JLL shareholders are expected to represent 87 percent of shareholders, and existing HFF shareholders will make up the other 13 percent. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. Two years ago, JLL unveiled Beyond, its global strategic vision to drive long-term and sustainable growth. As …
NEW YORK CITY — Berkadia has acquired Central Park Capital Partners (CPCP), a boutique real estate capital advisory firm focused on arranging joint venture investments and structured capital from international and domestic sources. CPCP Managing Principal Noam Franklin and principals Chinmay Bhatt and Cody Kirkpatrick will launch Berkadia’s structured capital group to offer support and resources to Berkadia clients.
DALLAS — Bright Force Holding, an investment group led by executives of Dallas-based hotel developer NewCrestImage, has acquired American Bank, N.A., a community bank located with roughly $55 million in assets. American Bank was established in 1974 under a different name and currently operates a single location in north Dallas. NewCrestImage operates a portfolio of 28 hotel properties. The deal closed on Friday, March 8.
CHESAPEAKE, VA.— Variety store chain Family Dollar could close up to 390 stores in fiscal 2019 unless it obtains material rent concessions from landlords on underperforming stores. As part of its turnaround efforts, the retailer will also make changes at the stores it is keeping open. Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR), which purchased Family Dollar in 2015 for nearly $9 billion in cash and stock, plans to revitalize the brand with store closures and a rebranding of some locations to Dollar Tree. In addition, some locations will be renovated to include $1 Dollar Tree merchandise sections. The retailer also plans to offer adult beverages in approximately 1,000 Family Dollar stores and expand freezers and coolers in approximately 400 stores. Family Dollar sells a variety of items for under $10 at rural and urban locations. Dollar Tree sells all items in its stores for $1 in mostly suburban locations. At the close of the fourth quarter of 2018, the company operated 8,200 Family Dollar stores and 7,000 Dollar Tree stores. “We are confident we are taking the appropriate steps to reposition our Family Dollar brand,” said Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin in a news release Wednesday. On March 6, Dollar Tree …
NEW YORK CITY — RED Mortgage Capital has added a new multifamily affordable lending office in New York. Sean Cullen and Ronnie Gyani will lead the operations of the office. Previously, Cullen and Gyani worked together providing affordable housing services at RBC Capital Markets as well as ACRE Capital. Most recently they served at Barings Multifamily Capital originating affordable housing loan products, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD and balance sheet executions.
PHOENIX— Best Western Hotels & Resorts has acquired global hotel brand WorldHotels from Associated Luxury Hotels for an undisclosed price. The brand consists of approximately 300 specialty hotels and resorts around the world and 31 in the United States. WorldHotels will maintain its distinct personality while benefiting from Best Western’s e-commerce platform, partnerships, loyalty program and global distribution network. The acquisition marks another move by Best Western into soft-brand hotels, an affiliation in which a hotel relies primarily on its individual identity rather than that of the larger hotel chain. A number of global hotel chains have launched soft brands in recent years, including the Ascend Collection by Choice Hotels International and Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. Best Western isn’t the only hotelier that recently purchased a luxury brand. InterContinental Hotels Group acquired Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas for $300 million on Feb. 13. “There is tremendous synergy between Best Western and WorldHotels,” says David Kong, CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “By joining forces in this new partnership, we will create competitive advantages for both companies.” The acquisition of WorldHotels was completed last week. The move expands Best Western’s portfolio of offerings to include upscale and luxury segments. Phoenix-based Best Western Hotels & …