Aureus Inc. (OTC: ARSN) Provides Shareholder Update on Key Accomplishments and Company Growth Plans

Rhea-AI Summary

Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) announced a significant shareholder update focusing on its Micro Markets rollout and the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand expansion. The company aims to establish over 30 Micro Markets by year-end 2020, leveraging a high-growth sector to boost revenues. The initial 20 locations will be installed in Atlanta, projecting a 56% gross profit margin. Furthermore, Yuengling's Ice Cream brand is expanding online and in new retail locations despite pandemic-related delays. Aureus is also focused on retiring debt and enhancing compliance with OTC regulations.

Positive

• Projected 56% gross profit margin from Micro Markets.
• Aiming for over 30 Micro Markets by year-end 2020.
• Initial 20 locations will be in Atlanta, tapping into a significant market presence.
• Expansion of Yuengling's Ice Cream into online sales, enhancing brand visibility.
• Retirement of over $500,000 in debt, improving financial health.

Negative

• Expansion of Yuengling's Ice Cream has been slowed by COVID-19 affecting manufacturing and sales.
• Uncertainty in projecting the ultimate size of the Micro Markets network.

Rollout of Mico-Markets and Expansion Plans, Yuengling's Ice Cream and Corporate Initiatives

ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 1, 2020 / Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) ("Aureus" or the "Company") (www.AureusNOW.com) an emerging leader in the food brand development industry, which owns the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand ("Yuengling's Ice Cream" or "Yuengling's") (www.yuenglingsicecream.com), is please to provide a Shareholder Update.

Dear Shareholders;

We announced earlier this week completion of an agreement with Healthy Smart Marts to rollout Micro Markets with a target of in excess of 30 locations before year end. I felt it important to provide additional information to fully understand the scope of the Micro Mart opportunity as well as provide updates on Yuengling's Ice Cream, recent accomplishments and our Company initiatives for the balance of 2020 and going into 1^st Quarter 2021.

Mico-Markets

It's difficult to fully express my excitement regarding the Mico Markets opportunity to quickly scale revenues and own retail locations, giving us the added benefit to launch new food brand products. This is a high growth sector, with low capital requirements, quick to deploy, with low employee count, all factors allowing rapid scaling. In fact the number of active Micro Market locations grew 574% from 2,642 locations in 2012 to 17,806 in 2016.

Micro Markets look and feel like modern convenience stores while functioning with the ease and efficiency of vending foodservice and refreshment services. They provide an improved customer experience and greater product variety, with a proven track record of increasing sales at a vending locations while keeping labor costs down and increasing operating efficiencies. They consist of an open rack display, reach in coolers or/and freezers and a self-checkout. I am sure many of you have seen Micro Marts in upscale hotels, airports and more recently larger corporation break rooms, typically companies with over 500 employees. We have identified a virtually untapped market in smaller business break and lunch rooms with 50 to 300 employees. These locations are still highly profitable where, a study conducted by Parlevel Systems showed locations with 125 employees generates on average over $1,000 per week.

We find many locations serviced by a vending machine providing up to 40 products. Our Micro markets provide a much wider selection of up to 150 to 400 products depending on the size of location, giving us the ability to customize product selection providing healthier alternatives, and catering to various diet restrictions such as gluten free, low carb and high protein selections. Our Micro Markets will utilize a proprietary online checkout app developed by Healthy Smart Mart for payment processing offering greater ease of purchase to our customers. The increased product variety, open flow and cashless payment options means that consumers spend less time in line fumbling with cash/change, b) purchase multiple items with one transaction and c) spending as much as four times per transaction then with cash transactions.

Our first installations will be 20 locations in Atlanta, GA. We have identified a total of 26,000 businesses within a 5-mile radius and over 750 locations that meet our specific target location criteria. We project a 56% Gross profit margin with average monthly gross sales of $4,000 to $8,000 per location. Our second market area will most likely be in Northern Philadelphia, PA taking advantage of our Yuengling Ice Cream team members.

Locations can be deployed in approximately 60-90 days and we look forward to growing our network nationally. We are an early adopter, targeting businesses under 300 employees and expect to scale quickly to take advantage of a current competitive advantage. While its too early to project the ultimate size of the network, we would expect to eventually grow to 1,200 to 2,500 locations nationally over time.

Yuengling's Ice Cream:

We last reported the expansion of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand with a high protein, light, product line. This rollout has been slowed by Covid, as it affected our manufacturing facility as well as independent sales representatives with state shutdowns. We have used this time progress new flavor development and expand on-line sales. We will also seek to include Yuengling's Ice Cream in appropriate Micro Mart locations. We expect to continue to grow on-line sales and expect additional retail distribution in the 1^st Quarter of 2021. Yuengling's is a 100 year established brand where we own 100% of the intellectual property for the Ice Cream rollout. This remains a flagship brand for the Company and has been completing the foundation work to accelerate sales growth in 2021.

Corporate Initiatives:

We have previously announced:

• Retirement of over $500,000 in debt.
• Addition of three Advisory Board members; Tom Carella, Hal Kravitz and Bill Hackett.
• Intention to complete work to be a fully reporting OTC compliant company.
• Engagement of our investment banking team Waterside Capital Advisors and Hannover International.

We are aggressively completing the necessary work to be a fully compliant OTC company, which will allow our investment banking team to proceed with additional capital to expand both the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand and our network of Micro Markets.

Our goal is to have this work completed by year-end to able to take full advantage to scale operations and grow revenue. We are well capitalized for all of our current initiatives and l look forward to reporting further progress in the near future, as we expand operations and create long-term shareholder value.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders for their continued support.

Sincerely,

Everett Dickson, CEO

About Aureus, Inc. The company focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry. Aureus owns the assets and trademarks of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand, and the exclusive right to market and sell the products of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers.

About Yuengling's Ice Cream

Developed by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. Yuengling's Ice Cream is a super-premium ice cream, which means it has a butterfat content of 14% or greater. In addition to having high butterfat, Yuengling's also has low overrun (or a lower amount of air). This makes the ice cream less whipped and much more dense. Yuengling's also is constantly working to keep its product as "clean" as possible, by using as few ingredients as necessary, and those that are used are of an extremely high quality. The brands Yuengling's is most similar to are Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's.

David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014 and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brands next stage of development, Yuengling's Ice Cream forged a partnership with YIC - Online Distributors, to distribute the iconic ice cream brand online, now via Aureus. Today, Yuengling's Ice Cream is delivered directly to the doorsteps of its consumers across the nation.

The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation, as it has been since 1935, is a separately owned and run company from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery.

About Healthy SmartMarts

Live Free LLC was founded by Bill Way, CEO, and owner, in October 2009. The Healthy Smart Mart™ brand was created in 2018 although the company has been assisting clients in setting up profitable vending machine operations since 1988 under its former name, Freedom Technology. The company was originally founded by Bill Way in March 1972 under the name Way & Associates Inc.

Bill Way is the best-selling author of Vending Success Secrets - How anyone can grow rich in America's Best Cash Business! In print since 1988 and now in its 3rd edition. His next book release coming in October 2020 is titled Micro Markets - New Opportunities with Vending Gone Wild!

Safe Harbor Statement

This communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of US Highland, Inc, and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based.

Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.

For More Information

Contact & Media Inquiries:
Aureus.now@gmail.com
404.885.6045
www.AureusNow.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ARSN_inc

SOURCE: Aureus Incorporated

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/608658/Aureus-Inc-OTC-ARSN-Provides-Shareholder-Update-on-Key-Accomplishments-and-Company-Growth-Plans

FAQ

What is the status of Aureus Inc.'s Micro Markets rollout as of October 2020?

Aureus aims to establish over 30 Micro Markets before year-end 2020, with initial locations in Atlanta.

What are the projected financials for the Micro Markets by Aureus Inc.?

The company projects a 56% gross profit margin with average monthly gross sales of $4,000 to $8,000 per location.

How has COVID-19 impacted Yuengling's Ice Cream expansion?

The expansion has been slowed due to manufacturing delays and state shutdowns affecting sales representatives.

What corporate initiatives has Aureus Inc. undertaken recently?

Aureus has retired over $500,000 in debt and is working towards becoming a fully compliant OTC company.