Eddie Stobart

Stobart Widnes Vikings show a flesh approach to charity

2010-03-10

The Stobart Group-sponsored Widnes Vikings rugby league team are getting behind a campaign to tackle the problem of men’s cancers.

For their Co-operative Championship match against Halifax on Thursday 18 March, the Vikings will raise funds for men’s cancer charity Everyman by wearing a flesh-coloured kit. The club wants as many people to come to the game as possible to show their support and will be donating a portion of the gate money to Everyman.

Stobart Ports managing director and Widnes Vikings chairman Steve O’Connor said: “Nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer. Unfortunately, among men it is still a problem we don’t like to talk about. We want our support for Everyman to start the conversation – with men and their wives and girlfriends, and among their friends.

“We want to help raise awareness of the symptoms – and how to get help – and also help to raise money for such an important cause.

“We have chosen the Halifax game because we are expecting a big crowd so we can make a significant donation to Everyman – and also because it will be a great game for everyone to watch.”

The charity’s mission is to stamp out testicular and prostate cancer by making everyone recognise the tell-tale signs, and understand the importance of treating them. By increasing this awareness Everyman also hopes to raise money to fund its life-saving research.

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men, mostly between the ages of 15 and 44.

The majority of men with prostate cancer are aged over 60 with more than 35,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Possible risk factors include obesity, high fat consumption and low green vegetable consumption as well as exposure to radioactive substances.

Tickets are on sale now priced from £7 for children and £13 for adults when bought prior to the day of the game and can be bought from the O’Neills shop in Widnes town centre. Matchday tickets will be £2 dearer and will be sold from Stadium Fitness.

Donations can be made prior to the evening by going online to www.justgiving.com/widnesvikings ,or clicking on the EVERYMAN logo when it appears on the rotating partner board at the foot of the home page.

The replica shirt will be in stock from Wednesday 10 March but orders can be placed at the O’Neills shop. O’Neills will be making a £5 donation for each replica shirt sold, and the match shirts will be auctioned off after the match.

Stobart Group reaches the finals of PLC Awards

2010-03-08

08 March 2010

Stobart Group has been nominated for Best Investor Communications Award in the annual PLC Awards.

The Award, open by nomination only, acknowledges the achievements of outstanding publicly listed companies who have successfully communicated with both professional and private investors and potential shareholders. The winner will use a variety of communication tools to their advantage including the Annual Report, webcast presentations, participation at special investor forums and conferences, an investor relations website and electronic distribution of press releases.

The PLC Awards event was founded in 1987 to reward excellence in the smaller quoted company sector. Voted for by the top public and private sector leaders in the UK as well as votes cast by the general public via the website, it recognises the best of British business.

The awards which will be held at a ceremony in London this week, claim to be “the” City event of the year, attended by 1,500 guests, including quoted companies, investment banks, fund managers, investment analysts and corporate advisors.

“Just reaching the final shortlist for such a prestigious award is a great honour and really highlights the true quality of the Stobart business. We have only been a PLC for two years and are already being recognised for working and communicating well with investors, analysts and the financial community as a whole,” said Richard Butcher, Deputy CEO of Stobart Group.

For further information

Visit www.plc-awards.co.uk

Follow Stobart Group on Twitter www.twitter.com/stobartgroup

Stobart realises 61M from two asset disposals and secures long-term distribution contract with Tesco in the North

2010-03-01

Stobart Group ("Stobart" or "the Group"), the UK's leading provider of multimodal transport and logistics solutions, has agreed to dispose part of its Inland Ports asset to Legal & General Assurance (Pensions Management) Limited, for £61m rising to £62.5m on the satisfaction of further conditions. A key element of this sale is a new 528,000 square feet, state-of-the-art sustainable distribution centre developed by Stobart Group. This was recently announced as the new Northern distribution centre for Tesco's fresh operations. In addition, Stobart was confirmed as the transport contractor for Tesco from this distribution centre.

The asset disposal illustrates the fundamental strategy of the Stobart Group to invest in assets to develop existing and new customer relationships and then realise the value of the asset, at a profit, to reinvest elsewhere in the business. The disposal value will generate an initial return on investment in the region of 20% with the potential for further returns. This demonstrates the inherent value within the property assets held on the balance sheet of the Group. The ongoing pre-tax profit impact of the asset disposals is neutral.

The £61m is satisfied by a cash payment of which the majority will be used to repay existing borrowings with RBS and Barclays, significantly reducing the core debt in the balance sheet of the company at 28 February 2010 to around £45m. This will allow the Group flexibility in securing the optimum debt structure for future asset developments, including the commenced capital expenditure programme at London Southend Airport.

Stobart also expects to increase the throughput of the Inland Port terminal (currently only 50% utilised) when the site is fully operational and when the existing Valencia fresh produce rail service is extended to Widnes. This next phase of the pioneering Stobart Rail service will allow Tesco to transport its fresh produce from Southern Spain to Northern England by rail, delivering significant environmental benefits.

In addition to the disposal of the fresh produce distribution centre, the Stobart Ports division has entered into a 25 year sale and leaseback arrangement on the Inland Port terminal. Following this, the Group expects to develop further phases on the remaining 95 acres of the Inland Port in response to customer demand.

Andrew Tinkler, Chief Executive of Stobart Group, said:

"This asset disposal illustrates a fundamental strategy of our Group which is to invest in assets in order to develop existing and new customer relationships and then realise the value of the asset, at a profit, to reinvest elsewhere in the business. At Widnes this has enabled us to gain a long-term distribution contract for Tesco and to increase the utilisation and support development of the next phases of the inland port facility. The proceeds from this asset sale, will allow the Group flexibility in securing the optimum debt structure for future asset developments, including the expansion programme at London Southend Airport."

1 March 2010

ENQUIRIES

Further information:
Contact Bonnie Stephenson at Stobart Group on 01228 882300 or email stephensonb@eddiestobart.co.uk