Update on Disposal of Education & Care division

RNS Number : 8086G

Connect Group PLC

01 June 2017

 

1 June 2017

Connect Group PLC

('Connect Group' or 'the Company')

Update on the Proposed Disposal of Education & Care division to RM plc

On 7 February 2017, Connect Group PLC announced that it had signed an agreement with RM plc ("RM") to dispose of its Education & Care division (the "Transaction"), conditional on approval from each of RM's shareholders and by the Competition & Markets Authority.

The Company is pleased to note that the Competition & Markets Authority has earlier today announced that it has unconditionally cleared the Transaction, paving the way for the Transaction to proceed to completion.

Accordingly, the Company expects the Transaction to complete on or around 30 June 2017.

A further announcement will be made in due course.

Enquiries:

Connect Group PLC Mark Cashmore, Group Chief Executive David Bauernfeind, Chief Financial Officer	01793 563641
www.connectgroupplc.com
Buchanan Richard Oldworth / Jamie Hooper [e-mail] www.buchanan.uk.com	020 7466 5000

About Connect Group

Connect Group PLC is a leading specialist distributor operating in large and diverse markets. The Group has four separate divisions, connecting suppliers to customers in an efficient, knowledgeable and service oriented way:

·      Connect News & Media - Encompassing: Smiths News, Dawson Media Direct and Pass My Parcel. Smiths News is the UK's largest newspaper and magazine wholesaling business with an approximate 55 per cent. market share. It distributes newspapers and magazines on behalf of the majority of the major national publishers as well as a large number of regional publishers serving approximately 30,000 customers across England and Wales on a daily basis, including large general retailers as well as smaller independent newsagents with approximately 40 million newspapers supplied weekly; Dawson Media Direct is an international media direct business supplying newspapers, magazines and inflight entertainment technology and content to over 80 airlines in 50 countries. Pass My Parcel, a wholly-owned 'click and collect' delivery service, operated by the Smiths News business, has a network of over 3,000 parcel shops and clients which include Amazon and ASOS.

·      Connect Parcel Freight - Tuffnells is a leading provider of next-day B2B delivery of mixed parcel freight consignments, specialising in items of irregular dimension and weight ("IDW"), examples of which include bulky furnishings, building materials and automotive parts. Tuffnells offers distribution coverage throughout the UK through a network of 37 depots and operates a largely depot-to-depot operational model, delivering over 13 million consignments per annum, through a wide range of services to over 4,500 customers focusing on SMEs.

·      Connect Education & Care - An independent supplier of consumable products to the Education and Care markets through The Consortium and West Mercia Supplies. The division currently serves over 30,000 customers with an extensive range of over 40,000 products across a branded, own-brand and value range, including stationery, arts and craft and cleaning.

·      Connect Books - Combining a number of recognised brands in print and digital bookselling, including Bertrams, Dawson Books and Wordery. A leading distributor of printed and digital books, the division supplies a mix of traditional and online booksellers, academic and public libraries and direct to consumer through Wordery.

 

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