US expansion plans head south for Quebec鈥檚 Autobus Lion
In 2023, the Quebec electric vehicle maker Autobus Lion opened a $150 million truck manufacturing facility in Illinois, but its expansion into the United States has not gone according to plan. Much of its 900,000 square foot facility sits empty, and the company is sub-leasing the space. Now, the company is on the brink of bankruptcy and working with investors to determine if it can be salvaged.
Peer-to-peer lending platforms are a potential disruptor to a long-established industry
For small businesses 鈥� and aspiring businesspeople -- banks have been a financial gatekeeper. Without assets and a business credit profile, businesses are often out of luck. But peer-to-peer lending services are beginning to disrupt an industry that is very set in its ways. Fintech lending platforms like October assign businesses a credit score based on a company鈥檚 financial history, default probability, and projected profit margin.
Delve: How FinTech Lending to Small Businesses Opens the Door to Bank Loans, with Paul Beaumont
Bank loans are the typical first step for most small and medium-sized businesses, but another form of business lending has emerged: FinTech companies that use algorithms to determine whether a business is worth the risk.
A new act for Cirque du Soleil
At the end of 2020, a creditor consortium led by Catalyst Capital became the new owner of Cirque du Soleil only months after the famed circus producer made a failed bid for bankruptcy protection. While Catalyst Capital has been plagued by controversy in the past, according to a new investigative article from La Presse, it offered a way out for a company that has endured a catastrophic year.
Rogers purchases Shaw, erases competition
Following its $26 billion acquisition of Shaw, Rogers has been criticized for eliminating regional competition. If the sale is approved by the Trudeau government, the company would become the second-largest telecom provider in Canada.
Professor Paul Beaumont joins the conversation to discuss the continuing importance of keeping the telecom industry competitive.
