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HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. currently operates under a master licensingagreement with Wal-Mart Canada Corp. which allows HearAtLast to open hearing-aid clinics within numerous Wal-Mart locations throughout Canada. McDonald'sof Canada Restaurants Ltd. signed an agreement with Wal-Mart Canada Corp. in1994 that was considered a milestone event by the company. Today McDonald'sCanada is the largest licensee of Wal-Mart Canada Corp. with 200 satelliterestaurants co-located within Wal-Mart stores throughout Canada.
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"Louie Mele brings with him a tremendous amount of knowledge andexperience from his tenure at the world's largest and perhaps most well-knownfast food restaurant. Louie has done a tremendous job with the growth ofMcDonald's on a national and international scale," stated Matteo Sacco, CEO ofHearAtLast. "We couldn't possibly be happier about him coming on board toassist us as we continue to implement the aggressive plan of expansion forHearAtLast. We are confident that Mr. Mele's expertise and relationship withWal-Mart Canada Corp. will prove invaluable to our company." added Mr. Sacco.
"In my role across Canada, I am often asked to provide my expertise inaccountability and transparency due to the structure of the company I lead --McDonald's Canada," commented Mr. Mele. "I have been interested in theHearAtLast business model since it was presented to me a while back and Icontinue my interest. Furthermore, I am impressed at the manner in whichHearAtLast has positioned itself for the future as a collaborative entityproviding health services to patients and assistive devices for patientsrequiring hearing enhancement. HearAtLast's confidence in me as a Board memberis equally returned through my confidence in the organization," added Mele.
The Company currently owns and operates 19 hearing clinics, 18 clinics areco-located in Wal-Mart Stores, Wal-Mart Supercenters, and Sam's Clubs inCanada and one free-standing clinic is located in the U.S. in The Villages,Florida.
About Louie Mele
Mr. Mele began his career at McDonald's as a crewmember in 1972. Throughan unrelenting sense of dedication and commitment, he advanced through variousmanagerial positions, eventually resulting in his appointment as OperationsManager in 1985. In 1987, Mr. Mele brought his experience in Canada overseeswhen he moved to Italy to assume the role of Director of Operations. In April1990, he was named President of McDonald's Italy. Mr. Mele moved to the UnitedStates in 1995 to serve as Senior Regional Manager, SE Division, in Norfolk,Virginia. Over the next five years, he continued his role as Regional Vice-President, SE Division, in both Norfolk and then in Tampa, Florida. In April2001, Mr. Mele returned to Canada as Executive Vice-President of McDonald'sRestaurants of Canada Limited, where he focused his energies on supporting thethree Canadian Regional Vice-Presidents in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.Mr. Mele also serves on the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald HouseCharities(R) of Canada.
Mr. Mele became Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer inAugust 2002 and was appointed to his current position as President in April2005.
About McDonald's(R) Canada
McDonald's(R) is the leading foodservice company in the world. McDonald'sRestaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operatemore than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 77,000 Canadians coast tocoast. Approximately 65 per cent of McDonald's Canadian restaurants arelocally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more informationabout Mc
