Orkla Brands considers sale of Bakers

Orkla Brands is considering selling Norway's leading bakery company, Bakers. A sale process is now being initiated, with a view to having a new owner in place by the end of the first half of 2011. Bakers has undergone significant restructuring in the past few years and is now a highly competitive company. "Bakery goods must be fresh each day, which requires a different type of business and distribution system than for other grocery products. In this respect, Bakers differs from our other branded goods operations," says Torkild Nordberg, CEO of Orkla Brands. Bakers, which has been owned by Orkla since 1991, makes daily deliveries of bread, cakes and other bakery goods to grocery stores, petrol stations, kiosks and other customers. Its best known products include breads like Bakers Naturlig Sunt, Bakern's Ferske, Birkebeinerbrød and Ingers SuperRug. Over time, Bakers has developed a broad range of high-quality, fresh products, based on very high food safety standards. A total of 12 local bakeries serve all of southern and central Norway through a well-developed and efficient distribution system. The company's head office is located at Økern in Oslo. Bakers has approximately 880 employees and had operating revenues of around NOK 1.4 billion in 2009. Bakers is part of Orkla Foods Nordic, which is a business unit of Orkla Brands. For more information, please contact: Håkon Mageli, Director Corporate Affairs, Orkla Brands Mobile: +47 928 45 828 [HUG#1465730] This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Orkla ASA via Thomson Reuters ONE

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