Bunzl completes acquistion in France and announces further expansion in Australia and Brazil

Bunzl plc, the international distribution and outsourcing Group, today announces that the acquisition of Hedis, Comptoir de Bretagne and Générale Collectivités, that was announced on 20 July 2017, has been completed following clearance of the transaction by the French Competition Authority.

The Company has also recently acquired Interpath in Australia and entered into an agreement to acquire Talge in Brazil.

Interpath, which is based in Melbourne, is principally engaged in the distribution of a variety of laboratory and healthcare related consumable products to the pathology, medical research and life science end user markets in Australia.  Customers include public and private hospitals and other pathology and research laboratories. Revenue in the year ended June 2017 was A$22 million (c.£13 million).

Talge, which is based in Santa Catarina, is principally engaged in the sale of a variety of foodservice related products, mainly to redistributors in the southeast region of Brazil. Revenue in the year ended December 2016 was R$83 million (c.£20 million). Completion of the acquisition is subject to clearance of the transaction by the Brazilian competition authority.

Commenting on the acquisitions, Frank van Zanten, Chief Executive of Bunzl said:

“I am delighted that we have now completed the purchase of Hedis, Comptoir de Bretagne and Générale Collectivités.  Together these businesses further expand our existing cleaning & hygiene operations in France and extend our business there into the catering equipment sector for the first time.

The acquisition of Interpath has enhanced our healthcare business in Australia and extended our product offering into the pathology, medical research and life science markets there, while the proposed purchase of Talge will expand our operations into the foodservice sector in Brazil.”

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