Bidder revealed

Press, 13 February 1982, Page 18

Bidder revealed

Brierley Investments, Ltd. officially announced that it is the party making a bid for a 24.9 per cent shareholding in Williamson Jeffery, Ltd. ; Jordan Sandman Smythe and Company the Auckland sharebrokers expect to have filled the order of a 20 per cent interest in Williamson Jeffery, Ltd, by the end of trading on Monday, said a partner, Mr T. K. de Castro, ytisterday. Half of the order for Brierley Investments, Ltd, had been satisfied by the close of trading on Thursday and the Auckland brokers had bought another 6 per cent yesterday, he said.

“We’re pretty gratified with the response in the last 24 hours, and we expect to complete the order on Monday” In a statement yesterday Mr D. W. Laidlaw the group

general manager of Williamson Jeffery said that Mr Bruce Hancox, Brierley’s general manager, made their intentions known before the bid. “He stated in discussions I had with him that Brierley Investments had no plans for a merger between Williamson Jeffery and Printing and Packaging Corporation and did not intend to increase their shareholding in Williamson Jeffery, Ltd, beyond, 23.9 per cent nor had they applied to the Examiner of Commercial Practices to do so. “I believe that the skills and expertise that Brierley Investments can bring to the Williamson Jeffery group will be of benefit to us, and neither I nor our chairman of directors Mr D. E. Smythe believes there should be any reason for concern amongst our staff,” Mr Laidlaw said.