Response to unsolicited offer

Harworth Group PLC

06 August 2026

 

Harworth Group plc

('Harworth' or the 'Group')

Response to unsolicited offer

The Board of Harworth Group plc ("Harworth" or the "Company") notes the announcement made this morning by Peel Pepper (UK) Limited ("Peel Pepper"), a company indirectly wholly owned by Peel Holdings Group Limited ("Peel"), regarding an unsolicited firm offer for Harworth (the "Offer").

The Board has had no substantive engagement with Peel Pepper or Peel about any offer before their announcement today.

The Board is reviewing the terms of the Offer with its advisers and a further announcement will be made as appropriate.

In the meantime, shareholders are strongly advised to take no action.

For further information

Harworth Group plc
Lynda Shillaw (Chief Executive) Kitty Patmore (Chief Financial Officer) Tom Loughran (Head of Investor Relations & Communications)	T: [phone] E: [e-mail]
FTI Consulting
Dido Laurimore Ed Knight Eve Kirmatzis	T: [phone] E: [e-mail]
Barclays
Bronson Albery Callum West Nicola Tennent	T: [phone]
Peel Hunt
Capel Irwin Michael Nicholson Chloe Ponsonby	T: [phone]

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP is acting as legal adviser to Harworth.

Disclaimer

Barclays, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting exclusively for Harworth and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Harworth for providing the protections afforded to clients of Barclays nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer any other matter referred to in this announcement.

Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, is acting exclusively for Harworth and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Harworth for providing the protections afforded to clients of Peel Hunt nor for providing advice in connection with the matters referred to herein. Neither Peel Hunt nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Peel Hunt in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Publication on a website

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available at www.harworthgroup.com/investors by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following the date of this announcement. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.

Disclosure requirements of the Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who at the relevant time is interested (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or any securities exchange offeror must make a public Opening Position Disclosure (i) after the commencement of an offer period; and (ii) if later, after the announcement that first identifies any securities exchange offeror. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is (or as a result of any dealing becomes) interested (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or any securities exchange offeror must make a public Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or any securities exchange offeror during an offer period. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

Where two or more persons act pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities, they will normally be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of this Rule 8.3 of the Code. Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Code).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone] if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Rule 2.9 information

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, Harworth confirms that as at the close of business on 5 August 2026 its issued share capital consisted of 326,956,352 ordinary shares of 10 pence each. The ordinary shares are admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the International Securities Identification Number GB00BYZJ7G42.

 

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