Michael Kosowan

Sprott Global Resource Investments Ltd. (Sprott Global) is a SEC-registered broker-dealer headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The firm was founded in 1993 and they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprott, Inc. (TSE: SII) in Canada. Sprott Global offers full-service investment brokerage services including both secondary market and, for qualified investors, private placement products for retail and institutional investors. They focus on the natural resources sectors including precious metals, base metals, oil & gas, agriculture, water and alternative energy.

Founded in 1994 by Rick Rule, Global Resource Investments Ltd. (GRI) is a broker/dealer headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The firm is a full service brokerage firm that focuses on natural resource investments worldwide. They help high net-worth individuals, corporations and institutions to take advantage of global opportunities in the oil and gas, mining, alternative energy, agriculture, forestry, and water industries. GRI provides advisory and transactional services, including equity and debt trading capabilities on most international exchanges. A separate unit of the company raises equity capital for small corporations, primarily in the resource sector. They provide services to clients on both a domestic and international level. The firm also focuses on companies with a market capitalization below $250 million that does not attract research coverage from traditional brokerage firms. GRI employs fundamental analysis in their research efforts along with value-added in vesting, taking into consideration a company's existing net assets (assets less liabilities), along with their future cash flow potential.

Vale Inco Ltd. manufactures nickel materials for manufacturing stainless steel and batteries. It also mines and processes copper, gold, cobalt and platinum metals. The company also manufactures flakes and powders for use in catalysts, electronics and paints. Its mining and processing operations are in Canada, Indonesia and the UK. Vale Inco was founded in 1901 and is located in Toronto, Canada.

Atapa Minerals Ltd. explores for and mines gold. The private company is based in Etobicoke, Canada. and has subsidiaries in Canada.