Jason R. Downey

Heartland Advisors, Inc. is a mutual fund manager and SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm's predecessor was founded in 1983 as an investment advisory subsidiary of a regional brokerage firm, The Milwaukee Co., owned in part by William J. Nasgovitz. In 1984, Mr. Nasgovitz purchased a majority interest in the investment advisory subsidiary from his partners and started managing Heartland's first mutual fund, the Heartland Value Fund. In 1988, Mr. Nasgovitz and his partners sold The Milwaukee Co. to Dain Bosworth. In the same transaction, Mr. Nasgovitz acquired the remaining shares of the investment advisory subsidiary and changed its name to Heartland Advisors, Inc. In 2000, the firm was reorganized into a wholly owned subsidiary of Heartland Holdings, Inc., but it remains a 100% employee-owned independent firm. Heartland Advisors provides investment advice to individual and institutional clients.

Loomis, Sayles & Co. LP (Loomis Sayles) is a SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm was founded by Robert H. Loomis and Ralph T. Sayles in 1926. They are a direct subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers LLC, ultimately owned by BPCE SA in France. Loomis Sayles provides investment advisory or sub advisory services to institutional clients through separate account management services. In addition, the firm provides investment advisory or sub-advised services to various investment funds.

ProLogis provides distribution facilities and real investment trust services. It leases its industrial facilities to manufacturers, retailers and transportation companies. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Denver, CO.

Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. engages in long-term savings and retirement products. It develops and sells individual annuities, private and public sector group retirement plans, other investment products sold to institutions. It also provides life insurance and investment advisory services. The company was founded in November 1996 and is headquartered in Columbus, OH.

The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio) is a State-owned pension fund management firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The firm was founded in 1919 and manages pension assets for active, inactive and retired Ohio public educators. STRS Ohio operates under the guidelines of Chapter 3307 of the Ohio Revised Code as enacted by the Ohio General Assembly. They are legally separated from and fiscally independent of state and local governments.

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) is a state-owned pension fund manager headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1935, The OPERS Board of Trustees – the governing body of the system – is responsible for the administration and management of OPERS. They provide retirement, disability, and survivor benefit programs for Ohio’s active and retired public workers and their families throughout the state who are not covered by another state or local retirement system.

Avondale Partners LLC is an independent broker/dealer headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee with additional offices across the US. The firm was founded by Robert Shepherd and Philip Krebs in 2001. Avondale Partners provides financial advisory services as well as equity and fixed income underwriting and private placement services to public and private companies throughout the US, Canada and Europe. They focus on middle-market companies in the healthcare sector.

Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. (Diamond Hill) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The firm was founded in 2000 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: DHIL). Diamond Hill provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors through mutual funds and separate accounts. The firm also offers investment advisory services to the clients of wrap sponsors.

W.C. Wood Co. Ltd. manufactures and markets electrical farm equipment. Its products include chest & upright freezers, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers. The firm also manufactures & markets products under license for brands including Whirlpool, Maytag, and Amana. The company was founded in 1930 by Wilbert Copeland Wood and is headquartered in Guelph, Canada.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP provides legal services. It offers bankruptcy and restructuring, intellectual property services, employment law and commercial litigation services. The firm serves to construction, healthcare and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, gaming and media and entertainment industries. The company was founded by Judge William Worthington, Edward W. Strong and John L. Stettinius in 1885 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

Founded in 1975, Reliance Trust Co. is an investment advisor located in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm is a subsidiary of Reliance Financial Corp. and their ultimate parent is Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE: FIS). They provide investment, wealth management and financial services to individual, corporate and institutional clients worldwide. The firm offers a full array of services including: wealth management and personal advisory services, separate account management, money manager consulting, trust and fiduciary services, insurance, financial, estate and tax planning, retirement plans and investments, church and non-profit organization services and outsourcing services to financial intermediaries.

Part of TTM Technologies, Inc., Accutec is a company that manufactures metal enclosures. The company is based in Oak Creek, WI.

Global Factory, Inc. provides collaborative manufacturing execution systems. The firm's software gather, organize & analyze demand, production & quality data from various sources and monitor key indicators & execute business processes to control, manage & optimize distributed manufacturing operations. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.

Walker Magnetics Group, Inc. design and manufactures magnetic products for workholding, lifting, material handling, scrap magnets, and separation applications. The company was founded by Oakley S. Walker in 1896 and is headquartered in Worcester, MA.

The Columbus Association for The Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that provides performing arts and entertainment services. The private company is based in Columbus, OH.

JK North America, Inc. is an American company that manufactures and distributes tanning units.

LCG Associates, Inc. is a private company based in Atlanta, GA. LCG Associates provides services in the field of investment consulting. The company was founded in 1973 and the CEO is Edward F. Johnson.

Part of The Capital Group Cos., Inc., Capital Research Co. (California) is a company based in Los Angeles, CA. The company provides investment advice. Bradley Johnston Vogt has been the CEO of the company since 2009.

Dillon Capital Management LLC provides investment advice. It provides investment and wealth/asset management services for individual clients, pension plans, institutional separate accounts and insurance companies. The company was founded by George F. Foley in 2011 and is headquartered in Ambler, PA.

Make A Wish Foundation of Ohio Kentucky & Indiana is a non-profit organization that allows individuals to donate, volunteer, or refer a child. The private company is based in Columbus, OH.

Vesna Ventures is a startup studio and commercialization advisory firm based in the USA. The American company specializes in turning R & D into successful companies by utilizing a core team and centralized support services. The private company builds new companies to avoid common pitfalls in early-stage ventures and actively remove roadblocks along the way. Vesna Ventures also works with organizations to solve their commercialization problems, helping small companies build alternative revenue streams from their tech portfolio and providing go-to-market strategies for SBIR recipients. The company's commercialization services provide holistic support learned from on-ground experience.