9 November 2015
Camellia Plc
(the "Company")
Sale of Loddon Engineering Limited ("Loddon Engineering")
The Company announces the disposal of the business and certain assets of Loddon Engineering to a subsidiary of the De Swart Group.
For the year ended 31 December 2014, Loddon Engineering's loss before taxation was approximately £0.3 million and is expected to be approximately £0.7 million for the year ending 31 December 2015.
Camellia Plc
Malcolm Perkins, Chairman 01622 746655
Tom Franks, Chief Executive Officer
Julia Morton, Company Secretary
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Nominated Adviser and Broker) 020 7886 2500
Russell Cook
James Greenwood
Notes for editors
Loddon Engineering employs 26 staff in Norfolk. It designs and manufacturers stables, internal loose boxes, external stable doors, horse exercisers, portable stables, lunge pens, barns, and dog and cat housing.
The De Swart Group is the parent company of Molenkoning BV which is a company based in the Netherlands which specialises in the design and manufacture of horse walkers and fencing.
Camellia Plc (CAM.L) is a global agriculture and horticulture group, whose activities also extend to engineering, food storage and distribution, banking and financial services. The Company employs approximately 75,000 people globally.
Camellia's agriculture and horticulture division is engaged in the production of tea, edible nuts (macadamias, pistachios and almonds), citrus fruits, avocado, rubber, forestry, viticulture, cattle, other horticultural produce and general farming (maize and soya). The Company is one of the largest private tea producers world-wide with a total of 65 tea estates and 60 tea factories. The Company's main tea operations are in India, Bangladesh, Malawi and Kenya, where the tea is grown and produced. It also has notable agricultural operations in Brazil, California, Kenya, South Africa and Malawi.
Camellia's engineering division is engaged in precision engineering, cutting and grinding, fabrication, heat treatment, galvanising, powder coating, etch inspection and catalysts. These businesses are predominantly UK based and serve customers in a number of sectors including the offshore oil and gas and aerospace sectors.
Camellia's food storage and distribution division is involved in frozen, chilled and ambient temperature food supply chain management providing cold storage, refrigerated transport and production support to several leading UK food manufacturers. It also specialises in frozen imports and distributes seafood products in Europe and supplies food service customers in the Netherlands with fish products.
Camellia's banking and financial services division comprises Duncan Lawrie, which provides an integrated suite of banking services, financial planning, investment management and trust and estate advice.