24th Jan 2007 07:01
Barr(A.G.) PLC24 January 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 24 JANUARY 2007 A.G.BARR p.l.c. Pre Close Trading update A.G.BARR p.l.c., the soft drinks group whose brands include Irn-Bru, Strathmore,Tizer and Orangina, is pleased to announce that trading has continued in linewith expectations and that, accordingly, results for the financial year ending27th January 2007 are expected to be in line with market expectations. This isdespite both the continued competitive nature of the market and the challengescaused by the substantial improvement the Company has made to its operatinginfrastructure over the course of the last twelve months. Specific improvements include: • The successful integration of Strathmore Mineral Water Company, a market leading producer of bottled water, following the £15 million acquisition in May 2006. • The completion of a major investment project to modernise the selling and supply chain in Scotland involving the closure and subsequent disposal of six sites and the construction of a £17 million sales and distribution centre at the existing Cumbernauld site. • The relocation of the Company head quarters to the Cumbernauld facilities. • The current installation of a new can line, a further £6.5 million investment, at the Cumbernauld factory. • The planning associated with the closure of the Atherton site scheduled for early in financial year 2007/08. It is anticipated that the Preliminary Results will be announced on 26th March2007. Roger White, Chief Executive, commented: "This has been a challenging year throughout the business with significantoperational improvements having been made at the same time as we haveaccelerated our top line sales performance. We are pleased with the progress wehave made this past financial year and believe it provides us with a strongplatform for further profitable growth." For further information, please contact: A.G.Barr Tel: 0141 554 1899Roger White, Chief Executive Buchanan Communications Tel: 020 7466 5000Tim Thompson / Nicola Cronk This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Barr (A.G.)