WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2001-- An
investment group led by Alfonso and J. Pepe Fanjul have agreed
to acquire Tate & Lyle North American Sugars Inc., the
producer of Domino brand sugar, from Tate & Lyle plc.
Domino will be combined with Refined Sugars Inc., the
Yonkers, New York refinery in which the Fanjuls have an
interest. The combined operation will be known as Domino
Sugar. Companies controlled by the Fanjuls will own 61% of
Domino Sugar and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
will own the remaining 39%.
The purchase price is $180 million in cash and up to $25
million payable over four years contingent on the performance
of the business.
Along with the Domino brand name, the acquisition includes
Domino's operations in Brooklyn, New York; Baltimore, Maryland
and Chalmette, Louisiana. The combined enterprise will produce
more than two million tons of refined sugar and specialty
products a year and have annual revenues in excess of $1
billion.
``Our family has been committed to the sugar industry for
150 years,'' said Alfonso Fanjul, chairman of privately held
Flo-Sun Inc. and chairman and chief executive officer of
Florida Crystals Corporation, the first vertically integrated
cane sugar company in the U.S. ``This deal will further
vertically integrate our business and ensure that our
customers have a reliable supply of refined sugar. Florida
Crystals and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative have always been
committed to providing quality products and service; we will
continue this tradition with Domino.''
J. Pepe Fanjul, vice chairman, president and chief
operating officer of Flo-Sun Inc. and Florida Crystals, cited
the value of the Domino brand name as a key building block
going forward. ``Domino has stood for quality sugar and
sugar-based products among consumers, industrial customers,
supermarket chain stores and foodservice operators for
decades,'' he said. ``Integrating the sugar farming,
processing, marketing and management expertise of Florida
Crystals, Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, and
Domino Sugar will help Domino become an even more important
brand name nationally in the years ahead.''
George H. Wedgworth, one of the founders, president and
chief executive officer of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of
Florida said, ``This is an exciting opportunity for the many
small- and medium-sized farmers who belong to the Cooperative.
By combining forces with Domino and RSI, we make our farmers
part of a large, robust organization.''
Rhone Group LLC is representing Florida Crystals in the
transaction.
About Flo-Sun Inc.
Flo-Sun is the parent of the Fanjul family corporate group,
including Florida Crystals. It is a privately held diversified
agricultural, real estate, resort and power generating company
with operations and holdings in the U.S., Dominican Republic
and Europe.
About Florida Crystals
The Fanjul family, now in its fifth generation and 150th
year in the sugar business, founded the Florida operations in
1960. Florida Crystals has expanded to become one of the
largest sugar producers in Florida, farming approximately
180,000 acres of sugar cane fields in Palm Beach County with
more than 3,000 employees. The company is also recognized as
the first fully integrated cane sugar company in the United
States with operations ranging from the planting and farming
of sugar cane to the milling and refining of sugar under the
Florida Crystals label. Florida Crystals is a privately held
company and a subsidiary of Flo-Sun, Inc., a privately held
diversified agricultural, real estate, resort and power
generating company.
About Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is comprised of
56 grower-members located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The
primary functions of the Cooperative are the harvesting
transportation and processing of the members' sugarcane and
the marketing of raw sugar. Last season, the Cooperative's
members produced 3.2 million tons of sugarcane grown on 73,000
acres yielding 374,000 tons of raw sugar.
About Refined Sugars Inc.
Refined Sugars Inc. is owned jointly by Florida Crystals
Corporation and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. RSI
is a significant refiner of raw cane sugar. The refinery
routinely processes up to four million pounds of sugar per
day. The sugar produced at RSI is delivered to a wide array of
customers in the foodservice, retail and industrial markets.
RSI's extensive and complete product line provides ingredients
to virtually all segments of the food and beverage industry
including: bakery, confectionery, dairy, processed foods and
canning. RSI's retail division proudly markets a complete line
of sugar products as well as a broad assortment of private
labels to many distinguished retailers.
About Tate & Lyle NA.
As part of the Tate & Lyle Group, a world leader in
carbohydrate processing and sweetener technologies, Tate &
Lyle North American Sugars processes cane and beet sugar in
the U.S. Products are marketed under the brand name of Domino
Sugar, a leading U.S. sugar brand. (This transaction does
not affect Tate & Lyle's ownership of Redpath Sugars,
Toronto, Canada.)
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Contact:
For Flo-Sun Inc.
Edelman Public Relations
Lisa Vance, 404/739-0223
lisa.vance@edelman.com |