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ROC Rockpool Acquisitions Plc

4.50
0.00 (0.00%)
Last Updated: 00:00:00
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Rockpool Acquisitions Plc LSE:ROC London Ordinary Share GB00BF2MWC40 ORD GBP0.05
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  0.00 0.00% 4.50 - 0.00 00:00:00
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
Finance Services 0 -297k -0.0233 -1.93 572.63k
Rockpool Acquisitions Plc is listed in the Finance Services sector of the London Stock Exchange with ticker ROC. The last closing price for Rockpool Acquisitions was 4.50p. Over the last year, Rockpool Acquisitions shares have traded in a share price range of 0.00p to 0.00p.

Rockpool Acquisitions currently has 12,725,003 shares in issue. The market capitalisation of Rockpool Acquisitions is £572,625 . Rockpool Acquisitions has a price to earnings ratio (PE ratio) of -1.93.

Rockpool Acquisitions Share Discussion Threads

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DateSubjectAuthorDiscuss
04/2/2024
11:08
The story of Judges Capital (since renamed Judges Scientific) is a good lesson in how shells may take quite some time to make the right deal.

Judges Capital (JDG) floated as a shell in January 2003, raising £1.8M. net after costs at 95p per share, with a market cap. of £2M. at the placing price.

26/09/2003 08:00 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) Interim Results LSE:JDG Judges Capital Plc
"Chairman's Statement
I am pleased to report for the first time to our shareholders. Your Company was floated on AIM on 7th January 2003, after raising £2m, leaving £1.8m after costs. …"


But it only made its first acquisition of a company (Fire Testing Technology) in May 2005 (with a placing at £1 per share).

Then by mid 2023 JDG had surpassed 10,000p, making it a 100-bagger. Currently 9,480p, market cap. £627.17M.

The directors of JDG had a lot of their own money invested into JDG, making them at once very incentivised and very careful.


Judges Scientific (JDG):-




JDG is also a good lesson in what can be some desirable RTO traits: e.g. a niche business, exporting, that owns the intellectual property.

"Judges Scientific: the precision instrument maker that came about by chance

David Cicurel explains how he built a £100m scientific instrument group after stumbling across a sector boasting 2,000 UK companies

By Alistair Osborne, Business Editor

6:00AM GMT 17 Dec 2013

… He began examining different types of deals and, among the dozens that came his way, he found one particularly “puzzling. It had £3m turnover and £750,000 operating profit, with 19 staff. It looked too good to be true.” It was FTT.

He met the owners, “an engineer and a scientist, who were both looking to retire. They explained they had a dominating position in a tiny world niche and that the drivers of the business were regulation and globalisation.

“I thought that’s a really good business to have if you have little money, you can still be powerful,” he says. “It’s better to be in a little principality and you’re the prince than competing with big empires when you don’t have the wherewithal to do that.”

Cicurel, who owns 15.6pc of Judges, wondered if FTT was a “unique thing”. So he did his “homework and found there are 2,000 companies in that sector, just in the UK”. Not only that. They export almost four-fifths of what they make.

FTT became the first of 10 acquisitions in the sector, together costing just over £30m. They have seen Judges add businesses spanning the testing of fibre optics (PFO) and soil (Global Digital Systems) to one involved in neuroscience – Scientifica, the group’s biggest purchase so far, bought this year for up to £13m.

Customers range from universities to test houses and companies. Says Cicurel: “There are two things that drive our market generally. One is education. There has been a colossal increase in university education and you have to equip these universities. The other is the fact that the world is driven by perfection and measurement - optimisation. Everything people do they try to optimise and when you optimise, you want to measure.”

Judges’s soil testing company can help construct anything from office blocks to offshore wind farms. As Cicurel explains: “People built cathedrals that are still there 10 centuries later. But there was a lot of overkill in the foundation and weight of it all. Today you build something that is much lighter and has just the foundations you need. It took more than 100 years to build Notre Dame. Today you build it in a couple of years – not that it’s nicer.”

Judges’ strategy, he says simply, is “to find good companies, very nichy, and pay down the debt. We probably see about 50 deals a year and engage seriously with three to five. They are not family businesses. I think people start them at 40 and sell them at 60. We’re normally buying because the people are getting old and want to retire.”

He always looks for certain things: a manufacturer that “owns the intellectual property”, that sells instruments scientists buy and that has good profit margins and strong exports. “If you are not exporting a lot, you are not meaningful in a world niche,” he says.

Judges’ main rivals are far bigger companies - Spectris, valued at £2.7bn, Halma (£2.1bn) and Oxford Instruments (£925m). But Cicurel ensures he has enough cash on the balance sheet to move fast on a deal, topping up the funds in October via an £8.1m placing, following the Scientifica deal.

He points out too that his big three rivals have also “done very well. I shouldn’t say this but in our sector it’s not terribly difficult to do well – though it is easy to do badly. There’s a lot of rubbish out there, you have to be really selective.”

Smiling he adds: “It’s more like mining diamonds than extracting oil.” "

hedgehog 100
29/12/2023
09:12
29/12/2023 09:00 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Interim Report for period to 30th September 2023 LSE:ROC Rockpool Acquisitions Plc

"Interim Report for the period ended 30 September 2023

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc (AIM: ROC), the S pecial Purpose Acquisition Company ("SPAC") formed to undertake the acquisition of a company or business headquartered or materially based in Northern Ireland, announces its unaudited Interim Results for the six months ended 30 September 2023.

Overview

-- The Company's shares remained suspended following the announcement on 15 November 2022 of the signing by the Company of heads of terms to acquire the Amcomri Group Limited ("the Amcomri Group" or "Amcomri"), which is the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of companies in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

-- The Board had been hopeful that readmission would take place during the period under review, but the target group has made a number of acquisitions and they, combined with the time taken to undertake audits of the target group, caused delays to the production of the readmission prospectus and made that target unattainable. Readmission is now likely to be in the second half of 2024, but that is subject to reaching agreement on revised terms with the sellers of the Amcomri Group Limited.

-- Reported loss of GBP( 347,999 ) for the six-month period arising from the costs of the Amcomri acquisition and preparing for the resulting readmission, and from administrative expenses and loan interest payable.

Chairman's Statement

Throughout the period under review, the Company's shares remained suspended following the announcement on 15 November 2022 of the signing by the Company of heads of terms to acquire the Amcomri Group Limited, which is the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of companies in the engineering and manufacturing sectors. The board had been initially hopefully that the acquisition and the readmission of the Company's shares would be achievable during the period under review, if not by the end of March 2023. Unfortunately, more time than anticipated was taken to undertake audits of the historical financial information of the target group and further additions to that group meant that the timetable was unattainable. After the end of the period under review Amcomri requested that the timetable be extended to the second half of 2024.

The delays and the requested timetable extension mean that, without raising additional capital or receiving some form of support from the target company or its sellers, the Company is now likely to have difficulty in meeting the remaining costs anticipated to be incurred by it in relation to the acquisition of the target and readmission. Discussions are now under way about such support as well as revised terms for the acquisition. Those discussions also encompass the revised timetable, but it is unlikely that the acquisition will occur before the second half of 2024. Any such delay will, no doubt, be a source of frustration for some of our shareholders, as the Company's shares will remain suspended until that time, but the Board believes that the size and profitability of the target group will mean that the outcome for investors will be a positive one if the transaction can be completed.

In the half year to 30 September 2023 the Company made a loss of GBP347,999 (loss in the six months ended 30 September 2022: GBP77,746). The increase in the loss is mainly attributable to the professional costs of undertaking financial and legal due diligence on the target group, preparing and negotiating agreements for the Amcomri acquisition, and preparing a prospectus and other documentation for the resulting readmission. The remainder of the losses are a result of maintaining the company's listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, audit and legal expenses not related to the Amcomri acquisition, administrative expenses and loan interest payable.

Outlook

As noted above, progress towards completing the acquisition of the Amcomri group and readmission has been slower than had been anticipated and this has resulted in a greater than expected drain on the Company's cash reserves. As noted above, it is unlikely that the Company will be able to complete these goals without either raising additional funds or receiving financial support from the sellers of the Amcomri Group. Alternatively, or additionally, the negotiation of new terms with some or all of the Company's professional advisers may be required, which may involve them postponing payment of fees and/or taking shares in the Company in lieu of cash payments for fees in the event that the transactions did not complete in certain circumstances .

The Board would like to thank shareholders, advisers and others for their continued support and patience during the period under review .

Richard Beresford

Non-executive Chairman, 28 December 2023 ..."

hedgehog 100
04/12/2023
09:06
01/12/2023 15:17 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Expiry of Listing Rules Transitional Arrangements LSE:ROC Rockpool Acquisitions Plc

"The minimum market capitalisation of a company seeking admission to the Official List pursuant to Listing Rule 2.2.7R was increased from GBP700,000 to GBP30 million with effect from 2 December 2021, subject to certain transitional provisions that disapplied that increase to certain companies in certain circumstances. Those companies include shell companies that had a listing immediately before 3 December 2021 and that make a complete submission for eligibility review for listing and a prospectus review by 4pm on 1 December 2023 (the "SPAC Provisions"). The Company would meet the criteria for the application of the SPAC Provisions and so could be admitted to listing with a market capitalisation of GBP700,000 or more following a Reverse Take Over ("RTO") if it made the appropriate submissions to the FCA by 4pm today in respect of that particular RTO.

As announced on 15 November 2022, the Company is proposing to acquire the entire issued share capital of Amcomri Group Limited ("Amcomri") (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition, if completed, will constitute an RTO under the Listing Rules. Therefore, at the Company's request a suspension of its listing pending either the issue of an announcement giving further details of the RTO, the publication of a Prospectus, or an announcement that the RTO is no longer in contemplation was granted on 15 November 2022.

Since that time, the Company and Amcomri have been working together to prepare a prospectus, but it does not yet meet the "substantially complete" requirement for making the first submission to the FCA. As the Company will therefore not be making an application for prospectus review and eligibility review before the expiry of the SPAC Provisions, the minimum GBP30 million market capitalisation requirement will apply to any application for readmission whether following the Acquisition or any other RTO.

Amcomri has made a number of further acquisitions since 15 November 2022 and the Board now expects that the market capitalisation of the Company on readmission following a successful completion of the Acquisition will exceed the minimum requirement of GBP30 million. The Company now expects the Acquisition to complete and an application for readmission to be made in the second half of 2024.

The Company will make further announcements concerning the Acquisition and preparation of the prospectus at the appropriate time.

For further information please contact:

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc
Mike Irvine, Non-Executive Director mike@cordovancapital.com
www.rockpoolacquisitions.plc.uk
Abchurch (Financial PR)
Julian Bosdet Tel: +44 (0)20 4594 4070
julian.bosdet@abchurch-group.com

- Ends -

Notes:

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc, is a special purpose acquisition company formed to undertake the acquisition of a company or business headquartered or materially based in Northern Ireland or alternative transactions with suitable targets, including those that may not have a direct connection with Northern Ireland . On 15 November 2022, it entered into heads of terms relating to the proposed acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Amcomri Group Limited, the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of quality UK Engineering and Manufacturing businesses.

The target group consists of SMEs acquired over the past five years in those industrial sectors and has a wealth of experience in optimising business performance. The Group primarily provides a range of specialist engineering and equipment services to the power, rail, petrochemical, process and production electronics industries in the UK and Ireland. Within these sectors it offers a range of services and equipment to allow asset owners to extend the operating life of key high value critical assets or associated infrastructure. More recently it has established a second focus area in specialist printing in which it owns a further two operating companies.

- Ends -"

hedgehog 100
20/10/2023
15:51
20/10/2023 08:43 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Notice of AGM 17th November 2023 LSE:ROC Rockpool Acquisitions Plc

"Notice of Annual General Meeting

The 2023 annual general meeting ("Meeting") of Rockpool Acquisitions Plc will be held at The Merchant Room, Eagle Star House, 5-7 Upper Queen Street, Belfast, BT1 6FB on Friday 17 November 2023 at 10:00am.

The following documents have been made available to shareholders today:

a) Notice of Meeting;
b) Shareholder Proxy Form; and
c) A copy of the Company's annual report and accounts for the period ended 31 March 2023 ("2023 Annual Report & Accounts"), which were published on 31(st) July 2023.

The Notice of Meeting and 2023 Annual Report & Accounts are also available on the Company's website: www.rockpoolacquisitions.plc.uk/information-for-investors

In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.1, copies of the above documents have been uploaded to the National Storage Mechanism (NSM) and will be available for viewing shortly at: hxxps://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism

Ends -

For further information please contact:

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc
Mike Irvine, Non-Executive Director mike@cordovancapital.com
www.rockpoolacquisitions.plc.uk

Abchurch (Financial PR)
Julian Bosdet Tel: +44 (0)20 4594 4070
julian.bosdet@abchurch-group.com"

hedgehog 100
05/8/2023
20:27
Hilco has been mentioned in the news this week:-

"Wilko homeware chain on brink of collapse

2 days ago Comments

... It has already borrowed £40m from Hilco, a specialist retail investor and the owner of Homebase, and has even been exploring the potential sale of a stake in business, according to reports by Sky News. ..."

hedgehog 100
01/8/2023
17:01
Paul McGowan was born in Belfast, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Northern Ireland, so ROC looks to be an ideal shell for him to reverse his Amcomri Group into:-

"About Paul

Paul McGowan Executive Chairman and founding partner of UK-based Hilco Capital – a Hilco Global Company – and prominent financial investor and advisor. He leads much of the company’s work with stakeholders across a broad range of sectors to deliver optimal outcomes in transactions across the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.

Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Northern Ireland, Paul took up the post of Finance and Operations Director at Jacqmar plc in London before moving on to Leslie Fay (UK). He managed all aspects of finance, administration, supply chain, and retail operations in fashion businesses before becoming Chief Executive at Leslie Fay. He established Hilco UK in 2000 in a joint venture with Hilco Trading, the predecessor of Hilco Global."

hedgehog 100
01/8/2023
15:50
31/07/2023 17:51 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Final Results to 31 March 2023 LSE:ROC Rockpool Acquisitions Plc

"Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc announces its Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31(st) March 2023.

The Chairman's Statement and full Report and Financial Statements are attached.

"




"ROCKPOOL ACQUISITIONS PLC CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

I hereby present the annual report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023. During the year the Company reported a loss of £297,089 (2022 – profit £34,215). As 31 March 2023 the Company had £672,558 of cash and cash equivalents.

The most significant developments during the year were the announcement on 1st April 2022 of the termination of the option agreement to acquire Greenview Gas Limited and the subsequent identification by the board of alternative potential takeover targets followed by the eventual signing of a heads of terms on 15th November 2022 for the acquisition of the Amcomri Group Limited. The Amcomri group consists of a number of profitable companies involved in providing specialist engineering, equipment and printing and packaging services in the UK and Ireland and has been assembled under the aegis of and partly with funding from, Paul McGowan. Paul is perhaps best known for his role as the Chief Executive and then Executive Chairman of Hilco Capital Limited, a retail restructuring business which he established in May 2000 as a UK-based joint venture with Hilco Trading Inc, a Chicago-based investment business.

Whilst at Hilco, Paul has been involved in the purchase and restructuring of troubled businesses in the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia including some high-profile ones such as Homebase, the DIY and home retailer, Habitat, the furniture retailer, and HMV, the music and movie retailer. More recently, Hilco has been providing working capital facilities and other forms of finance to a number of businesses in the UK, Europe and Australia.

As is usual in the circumstances where a special purpose acquisition company such as Rockpool announces a prospective reverse takeover (“RTO”), the Company’s shares were suspended from the Official List and from trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on the making of the November 15th announcement. Following the announcement and suspension, work commenced with a view to closing the Amcomri acquisition and preparing a prospectus for the readmission of the Company’s shares to the Official List and to the Main Market which would be required following completion of the acquisition (completion of an RTO automatically leads to de listing). The initial work has included the extensive task of performing audits of the target group’s financial information and making that financial information compliant with UK-adopted IAS for the purposes of inclusion in the prospectus. Work continues in earnest and it is hoped to be able to publish the prospectus and complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of the year, if not before.

I would like to thank all those who have assisted the Company during the past number of years including advisers and creditors for whose support we remain grateful. I would also like to thank the shareholders for their patience during the very long period in which trading in the Company’s shares was initially suspended and ask for their continued patience during this latest period of suspension. The board believe that that patience will be amply rewarded in the not-too-distant future.

I look forward to a positive year ahead which will hopefully see the completion of the Amcomri acquisition, a return to trading of the Company’s shares and, with that, the completion of the first key period of the Company’s existence.

R A D Beresford
Non-Executive Chairman

31 July 2023"

hedgehog 100
29/6/2023
17:04
Following the acquisition of SpiralWeld Limited in April, Amcomri completed another acquisition earlier this month:-

"13 Jun 2023 Notification of Amcomri Group Limited as a person with significant control on 5 June 2023
View PDF"


"AMCOMRI GROUP ACQUIRES KESTREL VALVE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED"



So just one more to complete, and the RTO itself into ROC should complete.

For what is looking like a very attractive and exciting floatation.

hedgehog 100
28/5/2023
14:25
"LATEST NEWS"

"15th November, 2022

Amcomri Group has confirmed its intention to seek a public listing of its key specialist engineering and print services companies through a Reverse TakeOver (“RTO”) of Rockpool Acquisitions plc, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The RTO is expected to initially value Amcomri at around £22m subject to the addition of a number of new acquisitions which are currently being worked on by the Group.

The acquisition of SpiralWeld Limited, a company providing specialist services to the marine, power and nuclear sectors was completed during April 2023 and two more transactions are expected to complete before the planned completion of the RTO in July 2023."






The above article, dated 15.11.22, appears to have been updated since then with some positive news re the RTO into ROC.

And with apparently over a thousand employees, Amcomri looks to be quite a sizeable group, and with an attractive business model:-


"BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Through the application of our manufacturing and engineering knowledge, commercial expertise and investment capital, we aim to progressively develop the performance of each of our businesses.

Building profitability through process optimisation and investment.

Amcomri Group has grown through acquiring or investing in businesses in the specialist engineering services and classic automotive sectors and also in the consumer manufacturing area. The focus of the engineering division is in providing key specialist services into the infrastructure sectors which struggle to acquire the massive investment capital needed to replace operating assets. The repair and re-certification of those key assets is becoming more and more important as capital becomes less available and infrastructure companies seek to extend the useful life of their assets beyond original design periods.

A core feature of our approach post-acquisition is helping our businesses further improve their profitability and performance using systematic business process improvement techniques whilst encouraging our team leaders to interact with each other to create mutually profitable opportunities.

We have acquired or invested in businesses in financial distress as a result of difficult trading circumstances, or alternatively, ‘good businesses’ where a retirement objective exists but with some management transition risk. The Amcomri team brings extensive financial management, process optimisation and ‘common sense’ commercial skills to these situations, helping to provide a smooth and low risk transition to new ownership. Our team then work closely with the business to help further optimise performance and improve operating processes going forward."

hedgehog 100
28/12/2022
15:47
22/12/2022 17:08 UKREG Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Interim Results to 30th September 2022

"Interim Report for the period ended 30 September 2022

Rockpool Acquisitions Plc (AIM: ROC), the S pecial Purpose Acquisition Company ("SPAC") formed to undertake the acquisition of a company or business headquartered or materially based in Northern Ireland, announces its unaudited Interim Results for the six months ended 30 September 2022.

Overview

-- The Board has recently announced the signing of a heads of terms to acquire the Amcomri Group Limited, which is the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of companies in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

-- As a result of the announcement and as required by the Listing Rules, trading of the Company's shares was suspended pending completion of the acquisition and readmission of the shares to the Official List and the market.

-- The Board is hopeful that readmission will take place in the second quarter of 2023.

-- Reported loss of GBP(77,746) for the six-month period arising from accrued loan interest income, administrative expenses and accrued loan interest payable.

Chairman's Statement

Following termination of the of the proposed transaction with Greenview Gas, the Board, as announced on 21 January 2022 , decided to broaden the type of acquisition it will consider, to include businesses without any direct connection with Northern Ireland.

The Board considered a small number of acquisition candidates, before eventually entering into Heads of Terms with the owners of the Amcomri Group Limited, the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of quality UK Engineering and Manufacturing businesses. The Amcomri Group consists of nine SMEs acquired over the past five years in those industrial sectors, and has a wealth of experience in optimising business performance. The Amcomri Group primarily provides a range of specialist engineering and equipment services to the power, rail, petrochemical, process and production electronics industries in the UK and Ireland. Within these sectors it offers a range of services and equipment to allow asset owners to extend the operating life of key high value critical assets or associated infrastructure. More recently it has established a second focus area in specialist printing in which it owns a further two operating companies, its most recent acquisition in this sector being Bex Design & Print Limited, a 35-year-old specialist screen and digital print business supplying into the electronics and other industries.

The Heads provide that the transaction will be subject to a number of matters including the negotiation of a formal sale and purchase agreement. The consideration for the acquisition if it is concluded will be GBP22,340,625 (based on the forecast pro-forma aggregate EBITDA for FY2022 of GBP5.401m, an agreed EV to EBITDA multiple of 6.84 and net debt of GBP14.6m) to be satisfied by the issue at completion fully paid to the Sellers of 284,284,523 new ordinary shares of Rockpool (Ordinary Shares), or (in order to maintain sufficient Ordinary Shares in public hands) by the issue at completion of a combination of Ordinary Shares and, either, nil-coupon convertible loan notes, or non-voting convertible shares, which on conversion into Ordinary Shares would together equal 284,284,523 Ordinary Shares.

As a result of the announcement, and as required by the Listing Rules, trading of the Company's shares was suspended pending completion of the acquisition and readmission of the shares to the Official List and the market. The Board is mindful that the Company's shareholders have already endured an exceptionally long period during which trading in their shares was suspended (in relation to the potential Greenview Gas acquisition) and is seeking to minimise the period of suspension this time around. Unfortunately that will be partly dependent on matters outside its control, such as the time taken to complete audits of the target companies' accounts and the number of iterations that the prospectus (required for readmission to the market) undergoes with the FCA. Nevertheless, the Board is hopeful that readmission can be achieved by no later than 30 June 2023.

In the half year to 30 September 2022 the Company made a loss of GBP77,746 (loss in the six months ended 30 September 2021: GBP 13,004 ). The loss is attributable to the administrative and professional expenses of the Company, together with the costs associated with maintaining its Standard Listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Outlook

As I noted in my letter accompanying the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022, the termination of the relationship with Greenview Gas enabled the Company to receive a payment of GBP 1.2m from that company by way repayment of the Company's loan to it and interest thereon, together with a small premium. The receipt of that sum enabled the Company to settle all its own financial obligations and leave it with funds that are anticipated to be sufficient to cover the transaction costs of making of the acquisition of the Amcomri Group and leave it with some funds for working capital.

The Board would like to thank shareholders, advisers and others for their continued support and patience during 2022 and look forward to a positive and, in all sorts of ways, better year ahead when the Company will, finally, be able to come back to the market having made a substantial and exciting acquisition .

Richard Beresford

Non-executive Chairman, 22 December 2022 ..."

hedgehog 100
16/11/2022
21:28
Anyone kicking themselves at missing out on ROC could do worse than to take a look at ARA.

Currently 5.5p, market cap. £577.5K., a significant discount to its cash, and with low cash-burn.

13.4.22:-
"Withana describes Aura as a blank slate, one that makes one or several targets to become a substantial company. He says we’re talking “about 300, half a billion or higher in terms of size and market cap” and “our ambitions are to have a well traded, well covered and liquid stock.”"

hedgehog 100
16/11/2022
16:53
"Amcomri Group
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
London, England 261 followers
Quality British Specialist Engineering and Manufacturing companies

About us

Amcomri Group is a fast-growing, acquisitive group of quality British Engineering and Manufacturing businesses. Acquiring businesses through retirement or other SME disposals, the Amcomri Group team has a wealth of experience in optimising performance and enhancing synergies between businesses.

The engineering group is focused on infrastructure obsolescence and maintenance in the power generation, railway, water and petrochemical sectors whilst also providing capital equipment to manufacturers of printed circuit boards.

Our automotive division manufactures parts and provides restoration and all forms of mechanical, electrical and coachwork services for classic cars of any era.

Amcomri’s manufacturing division provides windows, doors and kitchens into the U.K. consumer and construction sectors. Our most recent acquisition added Premier Limpet, the UK’s largest manufacturer of printed adhesive tapes to the manufacturing division.

The acquisitions team has continued to execute on opportunities throughout the COVID period with four acquisitions completed in the first half of 2021 alone and has continued into the second half with another two transactions completed. 2022 has begun with two further acquisitions in our electronics division.

Website hxxp://www.amcomrigroup.com

Industries Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

Company size 1,001-5,000 employees

Headquarters London, England

Type Privately Held

Founded 2010

Specialties Automotive, Classic Cars, Engine Reconditioning, Rare Parts, Valve Reconditioning, PCB equipment, and Performance cars"

hedgehog 100
16/11/2022
16:40
So, a proposed ROC RTO at 7.86p: a 67.23% premium to the 4.7p suspension price.

If ROC hadn't been suspended yesterday, it would probably have been yesterday's second top riser (behind BSFA, another RTO, which more than doubled yesterday).

And Amcomri looks a great RTO: an exiting, fast-growing venture, with the sort of revenues and profitability that investors are currently prioritising, but still modestly valued.

It also looks like exactly the type of business that could really benefit from a stock market listing, leveraging its listed shares to further execute its 'buy-& build' strategy, taking advantage of the sort of depressed valuations that challenging times always throw up.

It certainly seems to have the potential to move up strongly from the 7.86p RTO price, both in the short term after intended completion, and in the medium and longer term after that too.

hedgehog 100
16/11/2022
14:32
15/11/2022 15:56 UKREG Rockpool Acquisitions PLC Potential Reverse Takeover & Suspension of Listing

"Rockpool Acquisitions Plc, the Special Purpose Acquisition Company ("SPAC") formed to undertake the acquisition of a company or business headquartered or materially based in Northern Ireland or alternative transactions with suitable targets, including those that may not have a direct connection with Northern Ireland , has entered into heads of terms ("Heads") relating to the proposed acquisition (the "Acquisition") of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Amcomri Group Limited ("Amcomri"), the holding company of a fast-growing, acquisitive group of quality UK Engineering and Manufacturing businesses.

The group consists of nine SMEs acquired over the past five years in those industrial sectors, and has a wealth of experience in optimising business performance.

The Group primarily provides a range of specialist engineering and equipment services to the power, rail, petrochemical, process and production electronics industries in the UK and Ireland. Within these sectors it offers a range of services and equipment to allow asset owners to extend the operating life of key high value critical assets or associated infrastructure.

More recently it has established a second focus area in specialist printing in which it owns a further two operating companies, its most recent acquisition in this sector being Bex Design & Print Limited, a 35-year-old specialist screen and digital print business supplying into the electronics and other industries.

The Heads provide that the transaction will be subject to a number of matters including the negotiation of a formal sale and purchase agreement. The consideration for the Acquisition if it is concluded ("the Price" ) will be GBP22,340,625 (based on the forecast pro-forma aggregate EBITDA for FY2022 of GBP5.401m, an agreed EV to EBITDA multiple of 6.84 and net debt of GBP14.6m) to be satisfied by the issue at completion fully paid to the Sellers of 284,284,523 new ordinary shares of Rockpool (Ordinary Shares), or (in order to maintain sufficient Ordinary Shares in public hands) by the issue at completion of a combination of Ordinary Shares and, either, nil-coupon convertible loan notes, or non-voting convertible shares, which on conversion into Ordinary Shares would together equal 284,284,523 Ordinary Shares. If all the consideration were to be paid in Ordinary Shares issued at completion then immediately following such issue the issued share capital of Rockpool would be held as follows:

Name of Shareholder Shares %

Amcomri Holdings Limited 229,374,978 77.23%
Stephill Investments Limited 35,180,207 11.84%
Other Target Shareholders 19,729,336 6.73%
Rockpool Shareholders 12,725,003 4.28%

The terms of the Acquisition value the existing issued share capital of Rockpool at GBP1m, or approximately GBP0.0786 per Ordinary Share.

In accordance with the intention set out in the Company's prospectus published at the time it came to the market in July 2017, the founders of the Company, Neil Adair, Mike Irvine and Richard Beresford, will be granted 5 year options to acquire 10% of the post-admission fully diluted (including by the exercise of those options) Ordinary Share capital at a price of GBP0.15 per Ordinary Share, representing a 90% premium to the price at which the Amcomri acquisition values the Ordinary Shares.

As mentioned above, as well as being subject to contract, the Acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including obtaining of a whitewash under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code, t here being no adverse change or deterioration in the business, assets, financial or trading position or prospects of Amcomri or its subsidiaries between the date of the Heads and completion which is in the reasonable opinion of the Rockpool Board, material and on due diligence. Under the Heads, Rockpool has agreed to indemnity Amcomri for up to GBP50,000 in relation to the costs of pursuing and negotiating the transaction should the transaction not complete in certain circumstances. Amcomri has also agreed to indemnify Rockpool in relation to its costs should the transaction not proceed to completion for certain reasons.

The Acquisition, if completed, will constitute a Reverse Take Over ("RTO") under the Listing Rules. Therefore, the Company has requested a suspension of its listing pending either the issue of an announcement giving further details of the RTO, the publication of a Prospectus, or an announcement that the RTO is no longer in contemplation. The suspension will take effect immediately.

Mike Irvine, co-founder and Non-Executive Director of Rockpool, said: "I am delighted that we are able to announce the potential acquisition of Amcomri which is intended to see Rockpool transform from a SPAC into a profitable trading enterprise. Amcomri's track record of successfully acquiring businesses and its wealth of experience in optimising business performance when combined with the opportunities for further acquisitions that a listing should provide, make the Acquisition a transaction that should create value for both the Rockpool and Amcomri shareholders.""

hedgehog 100
25/9/2022
14:24
The cash shell TMOR (a similar shell to ROC) announced great RTO news on Friday, and if it hadn't been suspended pre-opening, it would probably be top riser for the weekend: a proposed RTO at a share price of 2.25p, well over double the current share price of 0.95p:-


23/09/2022 07:45 UK Regulatory (RNS & others) More Acquisitions PLC Acquisition - Megasteel and Suspension of Trading LSE:TMOR More Acquisitions Plc

"Proposed Acquisition of Megasteel Limited and Suspension of Trading ...

-- Proposed Acquisition values the current issued share capital of More at GBP2.81 million (vs GBP1.19 million at closing on 22 September 2022) or over 2.3 times the Company's current net cash

Background

Megasteel (www.megasteel.co.uk ), has traded for more than 30 years in the United Kingdom, and is one of the largest stockholders and distributors of high-quality steel for the prestressing and post-tensioning of concretes in the UK. Prestressed concrete is a critical building product used in the UK construction market, from house floors to bridge beams and from railway sleepers to high rise buildings in the City of London. In its financial year ended 31 October 2021, Megasteel made audited pre-tax profits of GBP3m on turnover of GBP19.7m. ...

Nigel Roberts, CEO of Megasteel Ltd added:

"We have built Megasteel over the last 30 years to be one of the biggest suppliers in the UK of prestressing wire and strand, a product used in almost every construction project in the country, and we have been considering a listing of the business for many years. We are pleased to be working with More Acquisitions as the vehicle that will enable us to do this.

Over many years we have been able to grow our sales, generate revenues, make profits and turn those profits into cash which we have reinvested into the business to keep the cycle going. Applied over a long period of time these business methods have produced a profitable business that I am proud to have started. ...

We were attracted to More Acquisitions as our vehicle to list because we liked the simplicity and cost-effective way in which it had been set up with its 'one price for all', no advisory or broking fees, capped listing and on-going costs and no director salaries, the Company and its key stakeholders fitted very well with our views on how a business should be run!"

hedgehog 100
07/9/2022
16:20
Recent Share Trades for Rockpool Acqui (ROC)
Date Time Trade Prc Volume Buy/Sell Bid Ask Value
07-Sep-22 15:44:08 6.199 19,850 Buy* 5.00 6.50 1,231 O
07-Sep-22 14:07:22 6.199 15,955 Buy* 5.00 6.50 989.05 O
07-Sep-22 11:37:35 6.25 7,865 Buy* 5.00 6.50 491.56 O

A bit of ROC buying interest today, after yesterday's very encouraging RTO update, has moved its share price back up to 6p(+4.35%).

ROC is still trading at significantly below its net cash, despite its very low cash-burn, and excellent RTO prospects.

And I would full expect a RTO here to move ROC's share price into double figures.

hedgehog 100
07/9/2022
15:57
"ROCKPOOL ACQUISITIONS PLC CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

I hereby present the report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022. During the year the Company reported a profit of £56,654 (2021, loss of £36,077). As at the Statement of Financial Position date the Company had £1,206,254 of cash balances.

The most significant development during the year was the decision, announced on 11 January 2022, of the Board of Rockpool to abandon the proposed acquisition of Greenview Gas Limited (“Greenview”) which it had been contemplated would be made pursuant to the option agreement entered into in January 2019. As the Board had previously indicated to the market, the Company had wanted for some time to progress with the completion of the acquisition, but, for various reasons, including a lack of funds available to pay the associated costs, it had not been possible to do so. The Board eventually decided to abandon the acquisition of Greenview in favour of seeking an alternative transaction. That course was made feasible by Greenview finding a party to provide funding to Greenview in order to allow it to repay the debt it owed to Rockpool. That repayment (with a small premium coming to £1.2m in total) and the termination of the option agreement were announced just after the end of the financial year, on 1 April 2022.

The receipt of that sum settled all of Greenview's liabilities to the Company and enabled the Company to settle all its own financial obligations and leave it with funds that are anticipated to be sufficient to cover the transaction costs of making, in due course, an alternative acquisition (on the assumption that the consideration for such an alternative acquisition would consist wholly of new shares in the Company) and of the Company's subsequent readmission to the market, and leave it with funds for working capital.

Following the termination of the Greenview acquisition the Company applied to the FCA for the lifting of the suspension of the Listing of the Company’s shares, and that suspension was lifted on 27 May 2022. The Company is now actively engaged in seeking alternative acquisition targets and anticipates being able to make an announcement regarding its progress in that regard within the next few months.

I would like to thank all those who have assisted the Company during the past number of years including advisers and creditors for whose support we remain grateful. I would also like to thank the shareholders for their patience during the very long period in which trading in the Company’s shares was suspended.

I look forward to a positive year ahead which will hopefully see significant progress for the Company and, potentially, the completion of an acquisition.

R A D Beresford
Non-Executive Chairman

6th September 2022"


"Performance of the Business and Position at the End of the Year

The Company reported a profit of £34,215 for the year ended 31 March 2022 (2021 – loss of £36,077).

The Greenview loan and accrued interest were fully repaid during the year. Net assets as at the year-end were £909,264 (2021 - £875,049), with £1,206,254 in cash balances held at that date (2021 - £24,983).

Loans of £88,226 were outstanding at the year-and (2021 - £85,976)."

hedgehog 100
07/8/2022
12:44
"NIE Networks is Northern Ireland's number one company with £92.7m profit

Firm heads the list of the Belfast Telegraph’s 2021 Top 100 businesses in Northern Ireland

Margaret Canning

November 23 2021 06:00 AM

NIE Networks is at number one of the Belfast Telegraph Top 100 Companies 2021 in partnership with Grant Thornton after reporting pre-tax profits of £92.7m for 2020.

The Top 100 magazine, which is published today online and in print, ranks Northern Ireland-registered companies with major trading operations here in order of pre-tax profit.

This year’s Top 100, which is compiled by economist John Simpson, reflects the impact of the Covid-19 on the economy and some of our biggest businesses.

Richard Gillan, managing partner at Top 100 sponsor Grant Thornton Northern Ireland, said: “The Top 100 provides an insightful snapshot of the strength of our economy, along with the resilience, innovation and leadership excellence that has allowed businesses to thrive despite an often unpredictable and uncertain backdrop.

“It is heartening to see such a broad spectrum of companies, across all sectors and including family firms, large private enterprises, and multinational corporations, included in the 2021 Top 100 list, and I extend congratulations to all those featured,” Mr Gillan added.

... Moy Park follows at number two with pre-tax profits of £75.8m, followed by Almac Group with £63.6m, NI Water at £58.4m and Bank of Ireland with pre-tax profits of £57m. ..."

hedgehog 100
06/8/2022
18:48
"Why Northern Ireland?

Doing business with Northern Ireland can help your company grow. Northern Ireland is a great place to grow a business internationally thanks to its highly skilled talent, excellent infrastructure, competitive costs, and supportive, business-friendly environment. It is also home to world-class suppliers with global exporting experience that can fill gaps in your supply chain.

Following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), Northern Ireland continues to have access to the Great Britain (GB) and the EU markets for goods. This means that Northern Ireland is a gateway for the sale of goods to two of the world’s largest markets and the only place where businesses can operate free from customs declarations, rules of origin certificates and non-tariff barriers on the sale of goods to both GB and the EU."




"Northern Ireland: Market Access to Great Britain and the European Union

15 Feb, 2021

Following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) and ending of the transition period on 31 December 2020, Northern Ireland continues to have access to the Great Britain (GB) and the EU markets for goods.

This dual market access position means that Northern Ireland can become a gateway for the sale of goods to two of the world’s largest markets and the only place where businesses can operate free from customs declarations, rules of origin certificates and non-tariff barriers on the sale of goods to both GB and the EU.

This is a unique proposition for manufacturers based in Northern Ireland as well as those seeking a pivotal location from which to service GB and EU markets, recalibrate supply chains, or design, develop and sell products across key industries such as life & health sciences, aerospace, electronics & machinery, chemicals, consumer and agri-food goods.

These additional benefits further enhance Northern Ireland’s already strong proposition as a prime location to establish, or grow, a business, based on the skills of our labour pool, competitive operating costs and business-friendly environment."

hedgehog 100
01/8/2022
16:27
Share Price: 5.75 Bid: 5.00 Ask: 6.50 Change: 1.00 (21.05%)

An interesting late surge, of 21.05%, has taken ROC onto the top risers board again.

ROC's coming final results for their year end 31.3.22 should provide an update on the company's deal progress, I am optimistic of something really juicy in the pipeline.

There's very little ROC stock available, and the share is still valued at well below cash.

hedgehog 100
28/7/2022
16:47
There appear to be just three active N.I. businesses listed in London (UTV left the market in 2016, and ROC has no active business).

Considering this tiny number, it seems remarkable that they include a former 10-bagger and 150-bagger amongst them; and with even the third having more than doubled at one point, and still being well above its floatation price.

And it suggests that there could be an untapped pool of quality NI businesses ripe for a floatation, but overlooked by the London-centric investment hub.


I would think that any sensible investor would want a piece of this action, which makes ROC an almost heaven-sent opportunity.

And at it's current share price of just 4.75p, a massive discount to its cash, ROC could also be a way of getting into a future stellar growth stock at a quite massive discount.

RTOs are almost invariably priced at a significant premium to the shell's cash, so it's hard to see how a good RTO here soon would be priced at less than about 10p/share - and it could even be significantly higher than that.


Then if the RTO excites the interest of the wider market, it could start trading at a significant premium to the RTO price.

And with ongoing share price growth potential on top of that going forward.

hedgehog 100
28/7/2022
11:52
And the fourth NI company currently listed in London that I'm aware of is First Derivatives (FDP) - renamed FD Technologies last year, which has been another stunning IT stock success on the London stock market.

The stock more than 90-bagged from its 2002 IPO price of 50p, to its 2018 high of over 4600p.

In fact, the FDP share price actually more 150-bagged from low to high: from its brief 2002 low of below 30p, to its 2018 high of over 4600p.


"First Derivatives to float on AIM

08 February 2002

Northern Ireland-based banking software developers First Derivatives is looking to raise £2 million through a listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

The company is issuing four million new ordinary shares under the offer at a price of 50p per share, capitalising First Derivatives at £7 million. The issue will represent approximately 28.57% of the enlarged share capital of the company. Trading on AIM is expected to commence on 25 March 2002.

Brian Conlon, managing director, First Derivatives, and a former capital markets consultant for SunGard, says the AIM listing will enable the company to exploit opportunities for future development requiring capital investment and selective acquisitions which may arise. Opportunities for expansion outside the financial markets are also being pursued, he adds.

The company's client list currently includes US software houses and a number of large European investment banks."




"08/02/2002

Award winning Newry firm moves to issue shares

Newry-based software firm First Derivatives is set to float on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in order to raise necessary funds for further investment and acquisition.

The company, which designs software for the financial sector, will issue four million shares on AIM, the London Stock Exchange market which lists recently formed companies. The share release represents just under 30 per cent of the company's share capital, which means First Derivatives is valued at around £7 million.

First Derivatives can be considered one of the province's best-kept success stories in the IT sector, as the company has continued to increase its client lists despite the current downturn in both the software and hardware industries. The company's customer roster includes numerous European names as well as clients in the UK, who have helped Financial Derivatives increase its market share.

Speaking about the decision to offer shares, company MD Brian Conlon, said: "We believe the AIM listing will provide access to the financial markets which will enable the company to exploit opportunities or future development requiring capital investment and selective acquisition."

During 2001, First Derivative was awarded the number one position in the Deloitte and Touche Fast 50 listing after the IT firm revealed a growth rate of 891 per cent during the previous three years. (CL)"




FD Technologies (FDP):-

hedgehog 100
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