June 29, 2022
Instar Partners with Leading Controlled Environment Agricultural Producer
Instar Asset Management Inc. (“Instar”) today announced it has partnered with management to invest in Greenwood Mushrooms Development Corp. (“Greenwood” or the “Company”), a premier controlled environment agricultural producer of mushrooms, previously a portfolio company of Canadian private equity firm Novacap.
June 08, 2021
PRT Growing Services Establishes Green Loan Financing
PRT Growing Services Ltd (“PRT” or the “Company”), the premier provider of critical growing services for container-grown forest seedlings in North America, and Instar Asset Management Inc. (“Instar”), an independent alternative management firm focused on middle-market investment opportunities primarily in North America, today announced the closing of $90 million in green loan facilities led by Royal Bank of Canada and HSBC Bank Canada to support the Company’s acquisition by Instar and future growth.
June 01, 2021
Instar Completes Sale of Okanagan Wind
Instar Asset Management (“Instar” or “the Company”), today announced the sale of its 100% interest in Okanagan Wind, two wind power facilities totaling 30 megawatts of installed renewable energy in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, to Canadian Power Holdings (“Canadian Power”), an Alberta-based firm with extensive experience managing energy generation in Canada. Financial terms were not disclosed.
May 26, 2021
Instar Expands Brand Footprint And Strategy
Instar Group Inc. (“Instar” or the “Company”), an independent alternative management firm focused on middle-market investment opportunities primarily in North America, today announced the rebranding of Instar Asset Management Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Instar, as manager of the InstarAGF Essential Infrastructure Fund I and II (together, the “InstarAGF Funds”).
April 01, 2021
InstarAGF Acquires PRT Growing Services from TriWest
InstarAGF Asset Management Inc. (“InstarAGF”) today announced it has acquired PRT Growing Services Ltd. (“PRT” or the “Company”), a leading reforestation logistics provider with operations across North America, from TriWest Capital Partners (“TriWest”).
April 01, 2021
InstarAGF Completes Acquisition of LS Networks
InstarAGF Asset Management Inc. (“InstarAGF”) today completed its previously announced acquisition of LS Networks (“the “Company”), a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider in the Pacific Northwest, from a collective of Oregon rural electric cooperatives.
Value creation takes centre stage
Infrastructure is entering a period of value investing, where governance, growth levers and operational enhancements are key, say Instar Asset Management’s Sarah Borg-Olivier, Minnie Chan and Cathy Xue.
Value investing for long-term impact
A Q&A with Instar's president and CEO Gregory Smith about infra's middle market.
From the top down
Governance is often overlooked when discussing a company's ESG strategy, but strong relationships and alignment at board and CEO level can mitigate against this, say Instar's George So and PRT Growing Services' Randy Fournier and Kim Stangeby.
Putting people at the heart of infrastructure
Infrastructure investors have the opportunity and responsibility to create long-term value by engaging with, and meeting the needs of, communities, according to Instar Asset Management's Gregory Smith.
The secret to ESG integration? Putting people first
As managers explore optimal ESG integration strategies, Instar's Sarah Borg-Olivier and George So argue the best integration efforts include a tailored, people-centric approach.
Growing impact and returns: The opportunity of agricultural infrastructure
How can investors drive substantial returns while prioritizing impact? According to these CEOs, there is a significant opportunity in agricultural infrastructure and businesses supporting the sustainable production and management of natural resources.
Resiliency and the opportunity of change
As changes and disruptions become the 'new normal', infrastructure investors have a responsibility to build adaptable, long-lasting solutions, writes Gregory Smith, president & CEO of Instar Asset Management.
Making ESG personal
Chase McWhorter, Institutional Real Estate, Inc.’s managing director, real estate & infrastructure, recently spoke with Sarah Borg-Olivier, COO and senior vice president, and George So, managing partner, at Instar Asset Management, about how businesses can make ESG considerations meaningful for employees, boards and communities.
Leading Diversity by Example
The movement for diversity and inclusion in the workplace has never been greater. Although we are making strides towards gender parity in many industries and institutions, there is still much to do, particularly in private markets where less than 10% of board positions with private companies in the U.S. are held by women.