Norwegian Disposal

Walker Greenbank PLC 22 June 2005 For immediate release 22 June 2005 WALKER GREENBANK PLC ('Walker Greenbank' or 'the Company') Sells Norwegian subsidiary for NOK 22.24 million Company to return to operating profit at half year Walker Greenbank plc (AIM: WGB), the wallpaper, textiles and furnishings business whose brands include Sanderson, Harlequin and Zoffany, is pleased to announce that it has exchanged contracts for the sale of its Norwegian subsidiary, Borge Holdings AS, to the Swedish company Eco-Borastapeter AB. The consideration of NOK 22.24 million (£1.85m) will be paid in cash on completion on 28 June 2005. Borge Holdings AS is the parent company of John O Borge AS, a distributor of wallcoverings and fabrics in Norway, and its sale is in line with the Company's stated strategy of disposing of non-core assets. The consideration received from the disposal, which marks another important step in the Company's turnaround, will provide additional working capital and be used to reduce Company debt. In the financial year ended 31 January 2005, Borge Holdings AS achieved a profit after tax of £288,000. The disposal will result in a surplus to net assets of £529,000 before writing off goodwill of £1.9 million previously written off to reserves. John Sach, Walker Greenbank's Chief Executive, said: 'This disposal is in line with the Company's strategy of focussing on the core brands of Sanderson, Harlequin and Zoffany. These brands are not distributed by the Norwegian business, making the business non-core.' With the half-year trading period end just six weeks away, Walker Greenbank's Board confirms that, following the profitable trading in the first quarter, the Company continues to perform in line with internal forecasts. The first-half results will show a significant improvement on the same period last year, returning the Company to an operating profit compared with an operating loss of £1.466 million. The Board is pleased to report that the recovery process of returning to profitability has gathered momentum during the past months. ENDS For further information: Walker Greenbank plc 01908 658078 Ian Kirkham, Chairman John Sach, Chief Executive Buchanan Communications 020 7466 5000 Mark Court/Suzanne Brocks/Elly Williamson This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
UK 100

Latest directors dealings