Placing and Acquisition

Embargoed: 0700hrs 17 February 2005 Buckland Group plc ('Buckland' or 'the Group') Acquisition of the business and certain assets of Kigass Electronics Limited Placing of 214,000,000 New Ordinary Shares at 0.5p per share by Seymour Pierce to raise £1,070,000 The Board of Buckland is very pleased to announce that the Group has conditionally agreed to acquire the business and certain assets of Kigass Electronics Ltd ('Kigass') with the transaction expected to be completed tomorrow morning. Buckland is an industrial group with well-established, low cost production facilities in Bangkok, Thailand. It currently manufactures connectors for the consumer electronics industry and, under the Derlite name, spark ignition electrodes for use in domestic and commercial gas appliances. Kigass, based in the West Midlands, designs and manufactures spark ignition electrodes and spark generators for use in domestic gas cookers and boilers. In the year ended 30 June 2004 Kigass reported a pre-tax loss of £9,429, after administrative expenses of £758,292, on sales of £2,755,000. The assets being acquired are plant & equipment valued at £245,000, stocks of £445,000, and goodwill of £700,000. After taking into account certain trade creditor balances, the net consideration payable is £1,070,000 which is being satisfied by a placing by Seymour Pierce Ltd of 214,000,000 new ordinary shares at 0.5p each with institutional and other investors. Application has been made for admission of the new ordinary shares to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and dealings are expected to commence on 18 February 2005. Kigass' product range and customer base are highly complementary with Derlite's. Whilst 95% of Kigass' sales are in the UK, over 95% of Derlite's sales are currently in the rest of the EU and in USA/Mexico. Kigass' major customers include Stoves, the UK market leader for domestic cooking appliances, Electrolux and AGA Rangemaster. The combination of Derlite and Kigass gives the Group a significant presence as a supplier of ignition components to the domestic gas cooker markets in the USA/Mexico and the UK, with enhanced potential to strengthen its position both in these markets and in the rest of Europe. In particular, the Board believes that there is significant scope to cross sell Kigass' spark generation equipment to Derlite's customers. Patrick Rogers, Executive Chairman of Buckland, commented, 'Following the acquisition of Derlite in 2002, we have been able to grow its sales very rapidly by utilising our low cost production facilities in Thailand to win new business in North America and Europe. The acquisition of Kigass significantly strengthens our position as a manufacturer of gas ignition components, by giving us a range of spark generators, and offers us the opportunity to replicate Derlite's success by marketing Kigass' products more competitively in international markets.' For any further information please contact, Patrick Rogers, Executive Chairman Buckland Group plc Tel. 07711 420 702 John Depasquale Seymour Pierce Limited Tel: 020 7107 8010 Paul Foulger / Ben Simons Hansard Communications Tel. 020 7245 1100
UK 100

Latest directors dealings