MEXICAN TAKEOVER IS SET IN CONCRETE

Scunthorpe Telegraph 29th September 2004

Workers at a large cement factory are waiting to see the knock-on effects of a successful takeover bid by a major South American company.
High-level talks by bosses at RMC, who employ 165 people at their site in South Ferriby, have resulted in a £2.3-billion takeover deal by Mexico-based cement giant Cemex. The move by Cemex, which is the world's biggest supplier of ready-mixed concrete, has been interpreted by some as an effort to give the company a foothold in Europe and access new markets.
If that is the case, experts believe the takeover could serve to provide stability in terms of those employed at South Ferriby, and potentially even increase investment.
Cemex is currently the world's third largest cement producer, and the acquisition of RMC looks set to make the company the 'world superpower' of cement production.
A spokesman for RMC South Ferriby, said it was not for them to comment on which way Cemex would take the business forward.
"There is no overlap in trade, if you look at the situation geographically, apart from a small operation in Spain, Cemex has no commercial interests in Europe or the UK," he said.
"It would seem this acquisition is a strategic move to enter the UK and European market."
But Cemex executive vice-president Hector Medina created some uncertainty about jobs, and refused to say whether the RMC management would be retained.
And he also failed to give any guarantees as to whether there would be wider cutbacks.
"We can't rule out anything," he said.
Mr Medina said Cemex was aiming for savings of £110-million annually by 2007, and added a review of the British firm would need to be completed before the future shape and size was decided.
"No-one should expect any 'Mexicanisation' of the business because this company has a very multi-cultural management team," he said.
Cemex had been following the progress of RMC for some time and opened talks with directors two weeks ago.
But Mr Medina has denied Cemex was overpaying for the company. Instead he said it was a 'fair' price for shareholders of RMC and its new owner.
"Cemex would need to borrow 'just a few dollars' to fund the 5.8-billion enterprise value of the deal," he said.
Ian Cawsey, South Ferriby's MP, said: "The cement works has a long established reputation as a successful business and I hope the new owners will recognise that.
"I have always enjoyed good relationships with Rugby Cement and I hope that this will continue with the new management."
David Munro, RMC's chief executive, said shareholders were being offered the chance to cash in on the potential of the business.
The transaction took the City by surprise boosting shares in the British firm by 42 per cent to 850p, only 5p lower than the cash offer price. It also boosted the stock market value of other potential targets in the building materials sector.
Cemex itself saw its share price fall by five per cent. The Cemex transaction is the biggest launched by a Mexican company.
Cement has been produced at South Ferriby since 1938, using chalk and clay. The RMC site currently has a production capacity of 700,000 tonnes per annum.

RESTAURANT RATED AMONG COUNTRY'S TOP SIX

Scunthorpe Telegraph 21st September 2004

Winteringham Fields has once again been named as one of the country's best restaurants.
The restaurant has been awarded five AA Rosettes for the fourth consecutive year. It is one of only six establishments in the country to receive the top marks.
Winteringham Fields' excellence is being recognised in the AA Restaurant Guide 2005.
The authoritative guide features 1,800 eateries throughout the British Isles, all inspected and selected by the AA.
Restaurants are ranked from one to five rosettes, with the top award only going to the top establishments.
Germain and Annie Schwab, the owners of Winteringham Fields, in Winteringham, hailed the hard work of their staff.
"This is a tribute to the staff here at Winteringham Fields. They are dedicated and passionate about their profession and this comes through in the way they consistently work," Mrs Schwab said. "It is a big pat on the back for the whole team, especially when you consider there are literally thousands of restaurants in the country and here we are tucked away in a tiny village in North Lincolnshire and are listed in the top six, alongside people like Gordon Ramsey."
The AA guide also gave the thumbs up to the hotel facility at Winteringham Fields, hailing its 'outstanding levels of comfort, quality, cleanliness and customer care'. An AA spokesman said the five rosette award demonstrated 'breathtaking' food.
"It is the ultimate award to the finest restaurants in the British Isles, where the cooking stands in comparison with the best in the world," he said.
"These restaurants will have highly individual voices, exhibit breathtaking culinary skills and set the standards to which others aspire. Usually just half-a-dozen restaurants will be awarded the five AA rosettes."

TRY-ING HER BEST TO BEAT BULLIES

Scunthorpe Telegraph 17th September 2004

Rugby is often not a game for the faint hearted - but one small schoolgirl has put a different spin on the sport after taking it up to beat her shyness.
Leanne Jayne Cooney (10) has been nominated for a top bravery award after joining Scunthorpe RUFC's under 10s team, to build her confidence following bullying. The Winterton girl is now a regional finalist in the Jacob's Little Gems competition, which aims to reward the achievements of the countries bravest youngsters.
Now proudly taking her place in the scrum, the youngster got her love of rugby from dad Niall (38), who once played for the Scunthorpe Fifths.
Since starting playing she has been lining up on the pitch week after week and has become the only girl to stay with her team for the whole season.
Leanne was also nominated for the award for caring for her sister Samantha (six) who has epilepsy and is often in and out of hospital.
If she wins the title of North West Little Gem, she will be entered into a grand final to find a national winner later this year.
The rugby-mad youngster said she had absolutely loved playing for Scunthorpe.
She said: "It's my favourite sport and always has been. I've been at the rugby club for one year now and I'm really enjoying it."
Leanne said she enjoyed watching rugby with her Dad and had always wanted to try out the game herself.
Adding she eventually wanted to play in the tough hooker position on the pitch, Leanne said the game had given her a lot of confidence.
"It's always really fun to get on the pitch and play," she added.
Mum Tracey (33) said their whole family had always loved rugby and were really proud of Leanne's achievements in being nominated for the award.
She said: "She has done really well and we are all proud of her and really happy she has been nominated.
"She is a lot more outgoing now than she was before and a lot more confident. She has really come out of her shell."
Mrs Cooney said Leanne had been nominated by dad Niall for her hard work with the team and with Samantha, who she often helped.
"Leanne helps her in every way. Samantha is sometimes ill in hospital and Leanne always does her best to look after her and play with her." she added.
The proud mum said she was sure her daughter would continue in the family tradition and keep on playing for a few years yet.
She added: "She absolutely loves rugby and has since she was a child. I'm sure she'll be playing for a long time yet."
Jacqueline Taylor, headteacher at Winteringham Primary School, said Leanne had been a very pleasant pupil and she had been pleased to see her develop in confidence.
"Any sport or hobby which gives a child confidence is a good thing. Leanne has really come on and we hope she does well in the competition."

RATE RISE A THREAT TO TOP RESTAURANT

Scunthorpe Telegraph 16th September 2004

The doors of one of Britain's most prestigious restaurants may have to be closed after a 'slap in the face' rate rise.
The owners of Winteringham Fields claim the increase in business rates will mean their business is not viable, with the rates rocketing from £11,500 up to £39,500. Annie Schwab, who set up the restaurant with her husband Germaine more than 15-years-ago, said the almost four-fold increase was not acceptable.
"I could understand the rates going up, but this is a slap in the face really," she said.
"We might have to close our doors because we simply can not afford those rates."
Mrs Schwab said she disagreed with the rate increases on principle.
"It gives completely the wrong impression - these increases show the harder you work, the more you have to pay," she said.
The business rates are calculated by looking at the market value of the establishment, and Mrs Schwab said this penalised them for their success because she and her husband had worked so hard to build up the restaurant.
"We have really helped put North Lincolnshire on the map, and especially with people from London," she said.
Mrs Schwab today confirmed she was going to launch a legal challenge against the business rates hike.
"If the challenge fails then the business will shut - it is as simple as that," she said.
"We are not working 18 hours day for nothing."
Mrs Schwab said only earlier this week the restaurant had a helicopter land in its ground, bringing yet another wealthy food-lover from the south of England.
The restaurant has brought attention to North Lincolnshire from all over the world and currently employs more than 35 people, Mrs Schwab explained.
A spokeswoman for North Lincolnshire Council said the business rates were not calculated by the council.
They are worked out by the Inland Revenue and the council is only responsible for collecting the rates, she said.
A spokesman for the valuation office in the Inland Revenue, said the new rates had been sent out because the rates are re-valued every five years.
The business rates are based on the market value of the business and the new rates come into force in April.
Winteringham Fields, on Silver Street in the village, is known for its fine food, extensive Champagne list and high levels of service.
It has been feted far and wide and currently enjoys two Michelin stars - the only establishment in the North of England to be recognised as such.
Winteringham Fields was for sale more than a year ago, with an asking price of £1.3-million.
It was rumoured celebrity chef Anthony Worral Thompson wanted to buy the establishment but he eventually decided he had 'too much on his plate'.
Winteringham Fields is still open, trading normally, and continues to take reservations for both food and luxury accommodation.

TRYING THEIR HAND AT CREATIVE CRAFTS

Scunthorpe Telegraph 6th September 2004

Winteringham WI committee members got a chance to sit back and let the members organise their evening.
Yvonne Ogg chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone and asked them to stand for the singing of Jerusalem. Yvonne asked the president and secretary if there was any business to be brought to the attention of the members.
The president reported the WI's float, depicting the village cricket match, had gained second place in the adult section of Winterton Show.
Everyone who had ridden on the trailer or assisted with the float was thanked.
Mrs Bateman also gave a resume of the annual general meeting. Two of the resolutions had been passed. The main speaker at this meeting was Esther Rantzen.
Members were reminded their money for newsletters was due and the WI would be holding a cake stall at the village event on September 4. A sheet was passed round for 2005 calendar orders.
Yvonne then introduced the demonstrator, Carol, who runs creative craft classes in the village hall on Monday afternoons. These classes will start again on September 20.
The ladies were shown some of the greetings cards which Carol had created using scraps of material. They were invited to make their own choice of material from the samples provided and then created their own cards.
The ladies really enjoyed 'having a go' and some lovely examples of greeting cards were produced.
Josie Ogg gave a vote of thanks on behalf of all the ladies. A lovely supper was provided by the members.
The salads, flans and cold meats were followed by delicious sweets. Wine or a soft drink accompanied the meal.
The draw for numerous raffle prizes also took place.