Southern Bear Share Discussion Threads

[pachandl] 16/4/2009 17:28

3 million trade at mid-price.

[pachandl] 15/4/2009 14:35

Jacob- 274k sell this morning. Yesterday's big trade strangely deleted.

[jacobpray6666] 15/4/2009 13:33

Dont normally pay too much attention to sells/buys but on the III website, it shows only six trades for not that many shares (

[pachandl] 15/4/2009 11:22

Anyone any idea why this is suddenly going up? A lot of large sells have gone through - was this a forced seller.

[rivaldo] 19/12/2008 14:31

I still have a small exploratory holding here and was also impressed with the results - time to consider increasing methinks.

A nice interview here:



"Bulls and bears: Southern Bear plc
Friday, December 19, 2008

Three years ago a small group of businessmen set about building an engineering, industrial and support services group with the aim of making a big impact on the UK market. With recent interim results showing a rapid rise in the fortunes of AIM listed Southern Bear plc, their original game-plan seems to be paying off.

Company secretary, acquisition specialist and City man, John Green, is confident about the group's prospects. Together with chairman and renowned business-builder John Green and then-FD and now executive director Neil McGowan, the team has already picked off a handful of businesses in its short life.

The group is now snapping at the heels of some of its larger rivals as its ambitious, two-pronged strategy of delivering organic growth alongside targeted acquisitions has put it in an impressive market position.

Bear market

After winning control of the original AIM-listed cash shell back in late 2005, Green and the team navigated around one or two near-misses before finally reversing-in Kent-based pipework installer Tarvail.

"Our game-plan was, and still is, to build up a small conglomerate under three headings: Tarvail-type businesses, support services and quasi-engineering and distribution," Green explains. "In engineering and distribution we made two or three small acquisitions in mid-2006 and then in September 2007 we acquired BGC, which was our first support services business."

Based in Stoke-on-Trent, BGC, like Tarvail, and had turned a profit of around £1m the previous year – fitting neatly with Southern Bear's acquisition criteria.

"We look for companies with good second tier management, which have a track record of profitability and ideally have some cash in them," Green says. "In truth, it is progressively getting easier to find those sorts of businesses. We strengthened our status having two reasonably profitable businesses and we were well on the way to achieving our objective."

Two more acquisitions followed this year, including Stoke-on-Trent electrical cabling business Phoenix Dynamics in January, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne support services operation Fenhams in August.

For Green, the customer make-up of Phoenix in particular, which works with US defence, the UK Ministry of Defence and has a key client that manufactures wind turbines, means the business is "as recession proof as anything is".

This careful approach to buying up businesses in an economic downturn meant this week the group was able to post a 132% rise in interim sales to £7.2m with pre-tax profits topping £1.0m. Its deals have all been funded partly through equity and partly through bank debt, with the company's core term loan borrowing standing at £4m.

Great opportunities

"Touch wood we have never failed to raise the money we want in order to complete these deals," Green says. "We are seriously acquisitive because we want to build up a quite sizable group as soon as possible and we believe in this current climate there are great opportunities provided you can fund them. We are looking at opportunities all the time – rejecting most of them and considering some of them. But there are a lot of businesses for sale."

Southern Bear's current focus is heavily weighted towards support services, although Green believes future acquisitions could well re-balance the group. The likes of BGC and Fenhams typically install plumbing and central heating systems in social housing developments where the customers are either housing associations or local housing departments – it's a market of particular interest to the Southern Bear team.

"The government is seriously committed to supporting those ventures and has allocated £800m per year under the Warm Front campaign to fund them," Green explains. "It has just approved another £70m-£80m for the current year, so there is big demand there."

Indeed, BGC, which is the largest independent support services company in Stoke, recently agreed a supply deal with Kier Stoke, which had secured a £400m 10-year deal to maintain the city council's 20,000 domestic and 500 commercial properties. BGC will initially provide central heating installation services and a landlord's service and gas safety inspection programme. Other work, such as bathroom replacements, kitchen replacements, mini-modernisations, electrical works and other maintenance services could also be on the cards.

"The relationship with Kier in Stoke is very good and I would hope to extend it elsewhere," Green says. "It is fair to say that we would also look to introduce Fenhams to Kier. But I think that it is no great secret that in the fullness of time we would hope to be large enough in our own right to be considered for some of these really large contracts, like the one which Stoke council gave to Kier. But your size is gauged on turnover even more than profitability."

It is a similar situation for Fenhams, which is one of the main contractors for residential energy group, Eaga. While Fenhams had been fairly dependent on Eaga for business it is now broadening its customer base and the ambitions of its parent group are likely to see that continue.

Future growth

Southern Bear's approach to building its business sees it insist on relative autonomy among the group companies. Not only does this reduce integration headaches but it also encourages them to retain individuality, particularly because their perception as local companies can be critical in winning work. This is particularly the case for businesses like Fenhams in Newcastle and BGC in Stoke.

As far as any future deals are concerned, Green won't be making acquisitions simply for the sake of it. "I think vendors, and their pricing, are influenced by the urgency or otherwise by the need to sell," he says. "But I think Southern Bear is becoming selective and certainly wouldn't chase any deal – we just spend out time looking for the right deal at the right price.

"We hope to grow partly organically. With Fenhams, for example, we initially paid £3.75m but the vendors can double that amount of money if they double their targets over the next two or three years. But we also want growth through acquisition. On just the support services side it makes sense to cover the whole of the country and if you were to look at a map of the UK and ask which one area we don't cover, it would have to be the south of England and the Home Counties. So we might be looking there.""

[pachandl] 17/12/2008 20:18

Yes indeed - it just shows how depressed the market is that the share price did not react that favourably. £1m profit for a tiddler and no-one seems to notice. I am hoping for a slow rise over the next month as these new figures sink in.

[montyhedge] 17/12/2008 13:00

Superb figures.

[montyhedge] 25/11/2008 13:40

37.5% spread on the shareprice no chance of making a profit here. lol

[henryatkin] 11/11/2008 17:05

I'm not a holder here so no axe to grind one way or another. I did know this company before it floated (based in Dartford). It built its business largely as a result of work it carried out for Glaxo (GSK). I have just heard on local radio that GSK is closing its Dartford works with a loss of 600 jobs. No idea how it will impact this company so DYOR.

[the_equaliser] 30/9/2008 20:54

TR-1: notification of major interests in shares


1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:
SOUTHERN BEAR PLC

2. Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes)



An acquisition or disposal of voting rights
√

An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached


An event changing the breakdown of voting rights


Other (please specify): __________________________________________


3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:
NIGEL WILLIAM WRAY

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):
PERSHING KEEN NOMINEES LIMITED




DAMOR INVESTMENTS LIMITED - W0576

5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different):
29 SEPTEMBER 2008

6. Date on which issuer notified:
29 SEPTEMBER 2008

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:
110,544,500 shares

18.38%

8. Notified details:
N/A

[the_equaliser] 29/9/2008 07:10

RNS Number : 4975E
Southern Bear PLC
29 September 2008



Southern Bear plc




Phoenix wins contract with US Department of Defense




Southern Bear plc ('Southern Bear') is pleased to announce that Phoenix Dynamics Limited ('Phoenix'), a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Bear, has signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to supply prime mover truck kits for medium tactical vehicles. This is the largest contract that Phoenix has been awarded by the US Department of Defence and is worth approximately $3.0 million (approximately £1.6 million) over the next fifteen months.




Graeme Boull, Managing Director of Phoenix, said 'I am delighted that Phoenix has been awarded this contract which is testament to the product quality and engineering skill at Phoenix. The US Department of Defense is a key client and their confidence in us is proven through this contract win.'




Jon Pither, Chairman of Southern Bear, said 'I want to congratulate Graeme and the team at Phoenix on this successful contract win. Their hard work has made Phoenix a tremendously successfully acquisition for Southern Bear as it has consistently traded above budget.'




For further information, please contact:

Southern Bear plc

Jon Pither, Chairman Tel: [phone]

[montyhedge] 09/9/2008 10:57

If SB get any of those Olympic contracts, shareprice will take off bigtime.

[argy2] 08/9/2008 22:11

Suspect that's what Wray and fellow cronies in MyHome thought too.It would appear crooks don't always prosper.

[montyhedge] 08/9/2008 19:07

Two shrewdies with a stake then, interesting.

[argy2] 06/9/2008 05:41

Mattock an old 'insider' pal of Wray when he ran Fleet Steet Letter and Penny Share Guide allegedly.

[montyhedge] 05/9/2008 17:04

Someone else gain a 3% stake, Clive Mattock, Nigel Wray 17.5% as well, this stock is going to take-off.

[the_equaliser] 05/9/2008 16:13

RNS Number : 8800C
Southern Bear PLC
05 September 2008
Form TR-1 with annex. FSA Version 2.1 updated April 2007
For filings with the FSA include the annex
For filings with issuer exclude the annex
TR-1: Notifications of Major Interests in Shares
1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:
Southern Bear Plc
2. Reason for notification (yes/no)
An acquisition or disposal of voting rights
Yes
An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached
No
An event changing the breakdown of voting rights
No
Other (please specify):_
No
3. Full name of person(s) subject to notification obligation:
John Clive Mattock
4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3):
5. Date of transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different):
29 August 2008
6. Date on which issuer notified:
05 September 2008
7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:
3%
8: Notified Details
A: Voting rights attached to shares
Class/type of shares
If possible use ISIN code
Ordinary Shares
GB00B1GHT75
Situation previous to the triggering transaction
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Number of shares
4,900,000
Number of voting rights
4,900,000
Number of shares
18,400,000
Number of voting rights
Percentage of voting rights
Direct
18,400,000
Indirect
Direct
3.06%
Indirect
B: Financial Instruments
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Type of financial instrument
Expiration date
Exercise/ conversion period/date
No. of voting rights that may be acquired (if the instrument exercised/converted)
Percentage of voting rights
Total (A+B)
Number of voting rights
Percentage of voting rights
18,400,000
3.06%

[montyhedge] 05/9/2008 07:43

Looks like Wray has backed a winner here, directors also bought, always a good sign, this stock looks very cheap to me.

[montyhedge] 03/9/2008 14:51

Nigel Wray, some same Buffett of the UK, ups his stake to 17.5%, this is going to fly.

[waywardlad] 03/9/2008 14:29

you will sell me 2 shares for 3p then?