Acquisition

CSS Stellar PLC 29 April 2002 Under embargo for 08.00am 29 April 2002 CSS Stellar plc: Acquisition of Craigie Taylor International, a UK based sports and leisure marketing agency Formation of GEM Europe The Board of CSS Stellar plc ('CSS Stellar' or the 'Company') is pleased to announce the acquisition of Craigie Taylor International ('Craigie Taylor' or 'CTI'), a specialist sports and leisure marketing agency for an initial consideration of £3.45 million and a maximum deferred consideration of up to £6.55 million, based on the achievement of certain performance targets for the years ending 31 December 2002 and 2003 (the 'Acquisition'). Following the Acquisition, Craigie Taylor will be renamed GEM Europe and will form the European arm of The GEM Group ('GEM'), the Atlanta based sports and consumer marketing consultancy acquired by CSS Stellar in July 2001. GEM Europe will act as the springboard for CSS Stellar's expansion into the wider European marketplace enabling it to capitalise on the considerable opportunities within sports and leisure marketing. The Board expects the Acquisition to be earnings enhancing in the year to 31 December 2002. About Craigie Taylor Craigie Taylor, formed in 1984, specialises in sponsorship implementation in the sports and leisure industry and currently employs forty-five people at its office in Guildford, Surrey. CTI provides sports marketing services to the football, motorsport, cricket, rugby, sailing and horse racing markets. CTI's management has been successful in building strong relationships with its clients, including its handling of Vodafone's sponsorship of English cricket for the last five years and negotiating the current four-year shirt sponsorship deal with Manchester United. CTI also brokered the sponsorship deal for US owned, TXU Energy, current sponsors of Ipswich Town Football Club. Craigie Taylor has over 20 other clients including The Times, UGC Cinemas and Crest Nicholson. Following the Acquisition, Kate Waterfall, Managing Director of CTI, will become Chief Operating Officer for GEM Europe and Marcus Robertson, who founded the Craigie Taylor business after starting his career at CSS International, will become Non-Executive Chairman of GEM Europe. Strategic rationale for the Acquisition The Acquisition delivers on the Company's strategy to develop a leading global sports and entertainment management and marketing business. The deal provides CSS Stellar's marketing consultancy division with a fully operational European head office. Most importantly, it will provide GEM with the capability to both service international clients in Europe and offer CTI's corporate clients consultancy services in North America for the first time. London-based employees of this division will relocate on completion of the Acquisition to CTI's offices to begin the integration process. Chris Carroll, Vice President Europe, will also be moving from GEM's Atlanta office to manage the Pan-European activities of the enlarged division. Financial information For the financial year to 31 December 2001, CTI recorded turnover of £3.7 million and made a profit before taxation of £310,000, having adjusted for non-recurring items. As at 31 December 2001, CTI had net assets of £117,000. In the previous financial year, CTI made an adjusted profit before taxation of £449,000 on turnover of £4.1 million. Consideration payable The initial consideration payable under the acquisition agreement is £3,450,403, of which £1,350,403 is to be satisfied in cash. The remaining £2,100,000 is to be satisfied by the issue of 840,000 new ordinary shares of 50p each in the capital of the Company at 250p per share (the 'Consideration Shares'). The deferred consideration payable of up to £6,550,000 is subject to CTI achieving profits before interest and taxation ('PBIT') of at least £1,065,000 and gross profits of £4,950,000 over the two years ending 31 December 2003, and will be paid in CSS Stellar shares on a multiple of between seven and ten times PBIT. The number of shares to be issued to satisfy any deferred consideration payable will be subject to a cap and collar arrangement of 70p above or below 250p, as the case may be. Lock-in Under the terms of the acquisition agreement the vendors of CTI have agreed not to sell any CSS Stellar shares received as part of the consideration for a minimum of one year following completion of the Acquisition. Commenting on the Acquisition, Julian Jakobi, CEO, said: 'Since we acquired GEM last Summer, we have been looking for a complementary business on which to build its European presence. CTI brings some blue-chip clients as well as an enthusiastic and committed team with whom we at CSS Stellar have worked for many years. I welcome them to the Group. 'Over the next four years, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the European Football Championships (Euro 2004) and the 2006 World Cup will all take place in Europe. GEM Europe will be well positioned to capitalise on these significant sporting events, as well as continuing to build on the activities currently undertaken by the Group.' Listing application Application has been made for the 840,000 Consideration Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. Admission of these shares is expected and dealings are expected to commence on 30 April 2002. Additional issue of equity Further to CSS Stellar's acquisition of The GEM Group in July 2001, part of the deferred consideration payable relating to the financial year ended 31 December 2001 has become due for payment following the publication of the results of the Company for that period. CSS Stellar will be issuing GEM employees with 109,903 new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company at 251.9p per share (being the average closing price of the Company's shares over the preceding 30 trading days immediately prior to 18 April 2002 as extracted from the Daily Official List). Application has been made for the 109,903 new ordinary shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. Admission of these shares is expected and dealings are expected to commence on 2 May 2002. Information on CSS Stellar At an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 17 April 2002, resolutions were passed which approved the placing and open offer to raise £9.4 million (net of expenses). The Annual General Meeting of CSS Stellar will be held on 17 May 2002, at which time it is expected that the Board will provide an update on current trading. - Ends - Enquiries: CSS Stellar plc 020 7078 1400 Julian Jakobi, Chief Executive Sean Kelly, Finance Director and Deputy Chief Executive Weber Shandwick Square Mile 020 7950 2800 Ben Padovan or Sally Lewis This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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