AIM: AXS
NYSE Euronext Amsterdam: AXS
23 July 2013
ACCSYS TECHNOLOGIES PLC
("Accsys" or "the Company")
Accsys Employee Share Participation Plan and Directors' Interests
Accsys, the environmental science and wood technology company, previously announced on 1 August 2011 the establishment of an Employee Share Participation Plan (the "Plan") intended to promote the long term growth and profitability of Accsys by providing employees with an opportunity to acquire an ownership interest in new ordinary shares in the Company ("Shares") as an additional benefit of employment.
Under the terms of the Plan, the Company issues Shares to a trust for the benefit of the subscribing employees with the Shares to be released to employees after one year, together with an additional Share on a 1 for 1 matched basis provided the employee remains in the employment of Accsys at that point in time (the "Matching Shares"). The Plan is in line with industry approved employee share plans and is open for subscription by employees twice a year following release of annual and half yearly financial results.
As announced on 3 August 2012, a total of 415,332 Shares were issued on 7 September 2012 to this trust for the benefit of a number of employees under the terms of the Plan. Subject to all of these beneficiaries remaining employed by Accsys on 7 September 2013 and pursuant to the Plan, a further 415,332 Shares will (pending admission of the Shares to AIM and Euronext ("Admission") expected on 13 September 2013) be issued at nominal value of €0.01 each and released to the employees together with the Shares issued to the trust last year.
In addition, following the release of the Company's Preliminary Announcement of Results for the year ended 31 March 2013, Accsys announces that, through the Plan, various employees have subscribed for a total of 497,854 Shares at an acquisition price of €0.14 per Share (being the closing price of shares in the Company on 8 July on Euronext Amsterdam, the closing date for subscriptions of Shares under the Plan, the "July Subscription"). This includes subscriptions by Hans Pauli and William Rudge, executive directors of the Company, for 17,857 Shares each.
All Shares will be issued pursuant to the July Subscription pending Admission which is expected to take place following receipt of subscription monies, on or about 12 August 2013.
Following the issue of all the above Shares, the Company will have a total of 438,850,441 Shares in issue.
Further to Accsys' announcement on 5 July 2012, and in compliance with the AIM Rules all 3,926,666 ordinary shares in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") held by the Accsys Employee Benefit Trust ('EBT') (established in February 2011) vested on 1 July 2013 and have been released to the beneficiaries of the EBT, being certain employees and the executive directors of the Company (the "Beneficiaries"). Such Ordinary Shares were issued to the EBT in connection with employee remuneration and incentivisation arrangements. The market value of the Ordinary Shares at the date of vesting was €0.14 per Ordinary Share.
Certain beneficiaries subsequently elected to immediately sell a number of Ordinary Shares on the open market, including the executive directors whose names are set out below. These shares were sold at an average price of €0.136 per Ordinary Share between 1 July 2013 and 22 July 2013 for various personal reasons, including the funding of tax liabilities incurred upon vesting of the Ordinary Shares.
Name Number of Ordinary Number of Ordinary Direct and
Shares Vested Shares subsequently indirect interest
sold on open market after sale
Paul Clegg 1,500,000 1,500,000 2,641,310
Hans Pauli 666,666 330,000 1,478,566
William Rudge 200,000 119,686 682,666
Ends
For further information, please contact:
Accsys Technologies PLC |
Paul Clegg, CEO Hans Pauli, COO Will Rudge, FD
|
via Blythe Weigh Communications |
Numis Securities |
Nominated Adviser: Oliver Cardigan Corporate Broking: Christopher Wilkinson Ben Stoop |
+44 (0) 20 7260 1000
|
Blythe Weigh Communications |
Paul Weigh Tim Blythe
|
+44 (0) 20 7138 3204 +44 (0) 7989 129658 +44 (0) 7816 924626
|
Off the Grid (The Netherlands) |
Frank Neervoort Giedo Van Der Zwan |
+31 20 794 4700 +31 681 734 236 +31 624 212 238 |
Notes to editors:
Accsys Technologies PLC(www.accsysplc.com) is an environmental science and technology company whose primary focus is on the production of Accoya® wood and technology licensing via its subsidiary, Titan Wood Limited, which has manufacturing operations in Arnhem, the Netherlands (through its subsidiary Titan Wood B.V.), a European office in Windsor, United Kingdom, and an American office in Dallas, Texas (via its subsidiary Titan Wood, Inc). All group subsidiaries are ultimately 100% owned by Accsys and trade as Accsys Technologies. Any references in this announcement to agreements with Accsys shall mean agreements with either Accsys or its subsidiary entities unless otherwise specified. Accsys Technologies PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market and on Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext, under the symbols 'AXS'. Accsys' operations comprise three principal business units: (i) Accoya® wood production; (ii) technology development, focused on a programme of continuous development of and improvements to the process engineering and operating protocols for the acetylation of solid wood and the development of technology for the acetylation of wood elements; and (iii) the licensing of technology for the production of Accoya® wood and Tricoya® wood elements across the globe.
Accoya® wood (www.accoya.com) is produced using Accsys' proprietary patented acetylation technology, that effectively converts sustainably grown softwoods and non-durable hardwoods into what is best described as a "high technology wood". Distinguished by its durability, dimensional stability and, perhaps most importantly of all, its reliability (in terms of consistency of both supply and quality), Accoya® wood is particularly suited to exterior applications where performance and appearance are valued. Unlike most tropical and European hardwoods, its colour does not degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light. Moreover, the Accoya® wood production process does not compromise the wood's strength or machinability. The combination of UV resistance, dimensional stability, durability and retained strength means that Accoya® wood offers a wealth of new opportunities to architects, designers and specifiers. For marine uses where weight is also important, Accoya® wood for the first time provides boat builders with a wood that is strong, lightweight, durable and retains its natural beauty for far longer. For a full archive of Accoya® news, visit www.accoya.com/news.asp.
Tricoya® Wood Elements(www.tricoya.com) are produced using Accsys' proprietary technology for the acetylation of wood chips, and particles for use in the fabrication of wood based composites, including panel products. These composites demonstrate enhanced durability and dimensional stability which allow them to be used in a variety of applications that were once limited to solid wood or man-made products. Exploitation of Accsys' proprietary technology relating to Tricoya® Wood Elements is carried out through Tricoya Technologies Limited, a joint venture between Accsys and INEOS Industries Holdings Limited. Tricoya® Wood Elements are lauded as the first major innovation in the wood composites industry in more than 30 years.
Wood Acetylation is a process which increases the amount of 'acetyl' molecules in wood, thereby changing its physical properties. When carried out to a sufficient level throughout the wood, this process protects wood from rot by making it "inedible" to most micro-organisms and fungi, without - unlike conventional treatments - making it toxic. It also greatly reduces the wood's tendency to swell and shrink, making it less prone to cracking and ensuring that, when painted, it requires dramatically reduced maintenance.
Accsys Technologies is the trading name of Titan Wood Limited. ACCOYA®, TRICOYA® and the Trimarque Device are registered trademarks owned by Titan Wood Limited ("TWL"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Accsys Technologies PLC, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission from TWL, or in the case of the Tricoya® registered trademark, from Tricoya Technologies Limited, a joint venture between TWL and INEOS Industries Holdings Limited with exclusive rights to exploit the Tricoya® brand.