Interim Management Statement
Severfield-Rowen Plc, the market leading structural steel group, issues this Interim Management Statement covering the period from 1 January 2011 to 18 May 2011.
Current Trading
The Company's present view of the UK market is unchanged, in that demand remains at relatively low levels with little prospect of improvement in 2011. Prices are tight but have improved marginally compared to 2009.
A healthy workload is in place in all four of the Company's UK operating plants through until September, and in some cases beyond, derived from a virtually unchanged order book of £221m (£226m as at 22 March 2011).
The Company's trading performance and financial position for the year to date remain in line with management expectations. The Company's debt levels also remain in line with expectations.
Prospects for the remainder of this year and into 2012 are being seen in a number of sectors, but most notably in Industrial, Transportation, Waste to Energy and Commercial Office.
Notwithstanding these opportunities, the prevailing forecasts for the UK economy and construction sector, lend support to the Company's view that a broad recovery remains distant. The Company's focus remains on the sectors where activity and opportunity are being sustained.
JSW Severfield Structures Ltd
The service and value offering of JSSL in India is being increasingly recognised in the market, where demand is robust across all sectors.
Some of the initial projects won by JSSL have been subject to main contract programme slippage, resulting in below plan production output and income generation in the year to date, however, a very strong order book of £36m (£33m as at 22 March 2011), including some large individual orders, provides confidence that production volumes and revenues will be on, or ahead of, schedule during the second half of 2011. As a result, the Company intends to increase output in the production plant by adopting a three shift working pattern from the summer. JSSL work mix will predominantly be Industrial and Power related during the next 12 months, with a smaller, but growing proportion of Multi-storey Commercial and Residential buildings.
Company Secretary
Peter Davison stepped down from his role as Company Secretary at the end of April 2011. Jonathan Rhodes, Group Financial Controller for the Company, will assume Peter's responsibilities in addition to continuing his own.
Annual General Meeting
The Company will be holding its Annual General Meeting at 12 noon on Wednesday 8 June 2011 at Solberge Hall Hotel, Newby Wiske, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 9ER.
Outlook
Severfield-Rowen is maintaining its strong domestic market position and will continue its efforts to optimise UK performance in a very tough market.
The Company's experience and abilities are now being successfully focussed into international markets where opportunity remains strong.
For further information, please contact:
Severfield-Rowen Plc Toby Hayward 01845 577896
Chairman
Tom Haughey 01845 577896
Chief Executive Officer
Alan Dunsmore 01845 577896
Finance Director
RBS Hoare Govett Ltd John MacGowan 020 7678 8000
Stephen Bowler 020 7678 8000
Pelham Bell Pottinger Archie Berens 020 7861 3112
Zoe Sanders 020 7861 3887