Richardson announces plans to expand eight elevators in Canada on the CPKC network

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Jun 26, 2023, 09:00 ET

CALGARY, AB and WINNIPEG, MB, June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Richardson International Limited (Richardson) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) (CPKC) announced today that Richardson plans to expand eight CPKC-served elevators in western Canada, allowing future trains to be moved from these sites under CPKC's 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product (HEP) model. Work on the elevators in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta will start in the summer of 2023 and be complete by the end of 2024.

"Richardson is committed to Canadian farmers and providing growers with modern, high-efficiency facilities and services," said Darwin Sobkow, Richardson's President and Chief Operations Officer. "Expanding eight elevators will increase capacity and efficiency, enabling Richardson to further benefit from CPKC's single-line network reaching Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. We have strongly supported the CP-KCS combination throughout the process and look forward to working with CPKC on additional future opportunities for shared growth."

Richardson currently ships unit trains from 27 CPKC-served elevators in Canada and 1 in the northern U.S. The newest Richardson elevator at Carmichael, Sask., a greenfield grain elevator commissioned in early 2023, is their first 8,500-foot HEP site.

"CPKC is thrilled to have these Richardson elevators added to the growing list of already qualified 8,500-foot HEP sites across western Canada," said John Brooks, CPKC's Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer. "Richardson's supply chain and CPKC's operation will benefit from added efficiency, capacity and fluidity with this investment. Richardson's ability to run longer trains will mean more grain shipped per train, tighter cycles and more Richardson trains moving across our expanded, single-line network throughout the season."

In 2021, Richardson acquired Italgrani USA Inc., including the largest North American durum mill located in St. Louis, Mo. The CPKC single-line network creates a seamless pipeline to the Italgrani mill from the durum-rich areas in Saskatchewan, where Richardson elevators are well positioned. Furthermore, the combined network and markets in the southern U.S. and Mexico are opening new doors to Richardson for their grains, oilseeds and processed products.

Forward looking information

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws in both the U.S. and Canada. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions and statements about possible future events, conditions, and results of operations or performance. Forward-looking information may contain statements with words or headings such as "financial expectations", "key assumptions", "will", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "should", "commit", "outlook", "guidance" or similar words suggesting future outcomes.

This news release contains forward-looking information relating, but not limited, to, Richardson's plans to expand elevators on the CPKC network, the anticipated impacts of the planned elevator expansion on capacity and efficiency, the projected date of completion of the elevator expansion, and other related matters associated with providing an expanded, single-line network.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, having regard to CPKC's experience and its perception of historical trends, and includes, but is not limited to, expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions relating to: changes in business strategies; the fuel efficiency of railways and CPKC's operations; the impacts of existing and planned capital investments; North American and global economic growth; commodity demand growth; sustainable industrial and agricultural production; commodity prices and interest rates; performance of our assets and equipment; sufficiency of our budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out our business plan; geopolitical conditions; applicable laws, regulations and government policies; the availability and cost of labour services and infrastructure; the satisfaction by third parties of their obligations to CPKC; carbon markets, evolving sustainability strategies, and scientific or technological developments; and capital investments by third parties. Although CPKC believes the expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking information presented herein are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Current conditions, economic and otherwise, render assumptions, although reasonable when made, subject to greater uncertainty.

Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking information. By its nature, CPKC's forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward looking information, including, but not limited to, the following factors: changes in business strategies and strategic opportunities; general Canadian, U.S., Mexican and global social, economic, political, credit and business conditions; risks associated with agricultural production such as weather conditions and insect populations; the availability and price of energy commodities; the effects of competition and pricing pressures, including competition from other rail carriers, trucking companies and maritime shippers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; North American and global economic growth and conditions; industry capacity; shifts in market demand; changes in commodity prices and commodity demand; uncertainty surrounding timing and volumes of commodities being shipped via CPKC; inflation; geopolitical instability; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, including regulation of rates; changes in taxes and tax rates; potential increases in maintenance and operating costs; changes in fuel prices; disruption in fuel supplies; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; compliance with environmental regulations; labour disputes; changes in labour costs and labour difficulties; risks and liabilities arising from derailments; transportation of dangerous goods; timing of completion of capital and maintenance projects; sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out business plans; services and infrastructure; the satisfaction by third parties of their obligations; currency and interest rate fluctuations; exchange rates; effects of changes in market conditions and discount rates on the financial position of pension plans and investments; trade restrictions or other changes to international trade arrangements; the effects of current and future multinational trade agreements on the level of trade among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; climate change and the market and regulatory responses to climate change; anticipated in-service dates; success of hedging activities; operational performance and reliability; customer and other stakeholder approvals and support; regulatory and legislative decisions and actions; the adverse impact of any termination or revocation by the Mexican government of Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V.'s Concession; public opinion; various events that could disrupt operations, including severe weather, such as droughts, floods, avalanches and earthquakes, and cybersecurity attacks, as well as security threats and governmental response to them, and technological changes; acts of terrorism, war or other acts of violence or crime or risk of such activities; insurance coverage limitations; material adverse changes in economic and industry conditions, including the availability of short and long-term financing; the pandemic created by the outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants and resulting effects on economic conditions, the demand environment for logistics requirements and energy prices, restrictions imposed by public health authorities or governments, fiscal and monetary policy responses by governments and financial institutions, and disruptions to global supply chains; the realization of anticipated benefits and synergies of the CP-KCS transaction and the timing thereof; the satisfaction of the conditions imposed by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in its March 15, 2023 decision; the success of integration plans for KCS; the focus of management time and attention on the CP-KCS transaction and other disruptions arising from the CP-KCS integration; estimated future dividends; financial strength and flexibility; debt and equity market conditions, including the ability to access capital markets on favourable terms or at all; cost of debt and equity capital; improvement in data collection and measuring systems; industry-driven changes to methodologies; and the ability of the management of CPKC to execute key priorities, including those in connection with the CP-KCS transaction. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. These and other factors are detailed from time to time in reports filed by CPKC with securities regulators in Canada and the United States. Reference should be made to "Item 1A - Risk Factors" and "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Forward-Looking Statements" in CPKC's annual and interim reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q.

Any forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, CPKC undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information, or the foregoing assumptions and risks affecting such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Richardson International

Richardson International Limited is Canada's largest agribusiness and is recognized as a global leader in agriculture and food processing. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the company is a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds and a vertically-integrated processor and manufacturer of oats and canola-based products. Over the past two decades, Richardson has become a significant player in the global food business, producing a wide variety of food products and ingredients for the retail, food service, and industrial markets. One of Canada's Best Managed Companies, Richardson continues to grow, thanks to the dedication and innovative spirit of over 3,000 employees worldwide.

About CPKC

With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. CP-IR

SOURCE CPKC