There, between a CNBC television set and the platform where Fortis president and CEO Barry Perry prepared to ring the opening bell Tuesday morning, there was a feeling of excitement.
Applause led into the bell ringing, followed by an eruption of cheering as the sound of the first bell rang out.
The merriment continued as Perry rejoined the group on the floor, even as the surrounding traders and analysts continued their work as usual.
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Hands were shaken vigorously, backs were slapped — the men and women at the helm of Fortis and its subsidiaries enjoyed the moment.
Earl Ludlow is responsible for Newfoundland Power as well as Fortis operations in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Turks and Caicos.
He started working with Newfoundland Power in Gander 40 years ago, when he was an engineering student, spending much of his time in the maintenance shop.
“This is a dream,” he said, following the opening.
Ludlow said he was filled with pride at seeing the Fortis name throughout the exchange and felt a wave of emotion at the sight of Fortis utility trucks and the Newfoundland and Labrador flag waving outside.
“It was emotional in many ways. It was emotional from where we’ve come from and also how we got here. Because it’s not just those who are here today in New York. It’s about the retirees, it’s about the employees that are on the ground working away. It’s about those that have gone before us and set the foundations and that’s where my heart goes. You know a lot of these people, I owe my entire career to and we owe our entire business to.”
Nora Duke, Fortis Inc. executive vice-president responsible for human resources and corporate services, has been with the corporation for 30 years, moving from Newfoundland Power to Fortis Properties to, now, parent company Fortis Inc.
“It’s so funny. When I think 30 years ago I joined Newfoundland Power, I said I’d check it out for a few years and see how it goes, and I’m so glad I stuck around for the journey. It’s been fantastic,” she said.
Duke said she was “beaming with pride” at the event.
While the time in New York was a chance for employees and executives to celebrate achievements and reflect on the past, and a media event, trading for FTS on the NYSE was at its core a strategic move.
Cross-listing on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE will raise Fortis’s profile, and open the company to more American investors, helping to cover the company’s latest utility acquisition and presenting additional opportunities for financing, whatever might come next.
There, between a CNBC television set and the platform where Fortis president and CEO Barry Perry prepared to ring the opening bell Tuesday morning, there was a feeling of excitement.
Applause led into the bell ringing, followed by an eruption of cheering as the sound of the first bell rang out.
The merriment continued as Perry rejoined the group on the floor, even as the surrounding traders and analysts continued their work as usual.
Related story:
Hands were shaken vigorously, backs were slapped — the men and women at the helm of Fortis and its subsidiaries enjoyed the moment.
Earl Ludlow is responsible for Newfoundland Power as well as Fortis operations in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Turks and Caicos.
He started working with Newfoundland Power in Gander 40 years ago, when he was an engineering student, spending much of his time in the maintenance shop.
“This is a dream,” he said, following the opening.
Ludlow said he was filled with pride at seeing the Fortis name throughout the exchange and felt a wave of emotion at the sight of Fortis utility trucks and the Newfoundland and Labrador flag waving outside.
“It was emotional in many ways. It was emotional from where we’ve come from and also how we got here. Because it’s not just those who are here today in New York. It’s about the retirees, it’s about the employees that are on the ground working away. It’s about those that have gone before us and set the foundations and that’s where my heart goes. You know a lot of these people, I owe my entire career to and we owe our entire business to.”
Nora Duke, Fortis Inc. executive vice-president responsible for human resources and corporate services, has been with the corporation for 30 years, moving from Newfoundland Power to Fortis Properties to, now, parent company Fortis Inc.
“It’s so funny. When I think 30 years ago I joined Newfoundland Power, I said I’d check it out for a few years and see how it goes, and I’m so glad I stuck around for the journey. It’s been fantastic,” she said.
Duke said she was “beaming with pride” at the event.
While the time in New York was a chance for employees and executives to celebrate achievements and reflect on the past, and a media event, trading for FTS on the NYSE was at its core a strategic move.
Cross-listing on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE will raise Fortis’s profile, and open the company to more American investors, helping to cover the company’s latest utility acquisition and presenting additional opportunities for financing, whatever might come next.
