Symex Holdings Acquires Janola Brand

Symex Holdings Limited (Symex) today formally announced its acquisition of the Janola business in a move that will catapult the company into a forcible category contender in bleach, toilet and cleaning products in New Zealand.

The Janola business, which includes the White King brand in Australia, was purchased from the Sara Lee Corporation for approximately Euro 37.9 million (A$49.2 million) and will be run under Symex's wholly owned subsidiary, Pental Products Pty Ltd (Pental). Pental is a major marketer of leading New Zealand brands across the Personal Wash, Fabric and Home Care categories including Sunlight dishwashing liquid, Knight's Castile soaps & body washes and Huggie fabric care.

Greg Tremewen, Managing Director of Symex said that the acquisition of a major international brand was in line with the company's goal of continually growing the Pental Products division with quality brands.

"We believe our growth lies within our consumer goods business and a significant acquisition of this nature will only add to the business and further establish us as a major contender in this territory.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to add the iconic brands of Janola in New Zealand and White King in Australia to our existing stable. We have been producing a number of these products under license for Sara Lee for some time and this allows us to hit the ground running in terms of production and distribution.

"This is our first acquisition for the business in three and a half years as our core focus has been on consolidating and building the profitability of the company. Our significant presence in the laundry and home care areas will be totally complimented with Janola leading us into the additional product categories of bleach, toilet and cleaning products." Mr Tremewen added.

It is expected that in the first 12 months of the Janola and White King acquisition, earnings will be per share positive.

About Symex Holdings Limited and Pental Products Pty Ltd

Symex Holdings Limited, headquartered in Melbourne, is Australia and New Zealand's largest producer of Oleo products. A world-competitive manufacturer, Symex exports over 75 per cent of its products to over 40 countries, including the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe. With a site history beginning in 1856, Symex is renowned for its consistently high-quality products and outstanding customer service.

Symex's Pental Consumer Products Division is Australia and New Zealand's largest manufacturer of soap, supplying its own brands of Knight's Castile, Country Life, Natural Selections, Sunlight, Velvet, and Lux Flakes. The Pental portfolio also includes icon brands such as Softly premium wool wash, Huggie fabric softener, Country Homestead wool mix, Sureguard moth and silverfish repellent, Hi Speed iron cleaner and Close Up and Aim toothpastes. More information on Pental is available at: www.pental.com.au