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| − | '''Associated British Foods plc''' is a British multinational food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £6.0 billion and over 75,000 employees in 46 countries. It is headquartered in London, England, and is a constituent of the [[FTSE 100]] index.
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| − | ==History==
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| − | The company was developed by Canadian businessman, [[W. Garfield Weston]], in tandem with his North American operations, [[George Weston Ltd.]]. ABF was incorporated in 1935. It was initially a bakery business, and it promoted the concept of selling sliced bread in the 1930s. The group's subsidiaries include [[British Sugar plc]] (bought in 1991), flour milling group Allied Mills, animal foodstuffs company Allied Grain and food ingredients company Abitec Corporation. It also owns a discount clothing retailer, [[Primark]] ([[Penneys]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]]). Current brands of ABF subsidiaries include Allison, Sunblest and Kingsmill bread, [[Silver Spoon]], [[Ovaltine]], [[Ryvita]], Mazola oil and [[Twinings]] tea.
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| − | Following the death of the founder in 1978, control of ABF was passed on to his son [[Garry Weston|Garry]], while the North American operations fell to his son [[Galen Weston|Galen]]. While Garry maintained the company's prominence in the European foods market, ABF's growth has been eclipsed by the phenomenal performance of [[George Weston Ltd.]]. [[George G. Weston]] of the British Westons became chief executive of ABF on [[1 April]] 2005, and [[Galen Weston]], the chief executive of George Weston Ltd, is a [[non-executive director]]. Garth Weston is Regional President of AB Mauri.
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| − | The company formerly owned the [[Burtons Biscuits]] brand which it sold in 2000 to a private equity firm and is now part of [[Burtons Foods]].
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| − | In 1997 ABF sold its retail operations in [[Northern Ireland]] and [[Republic of Ireland|the Republic]] to [[Tesco]]. These businesses were: [[Quinnsworth]] and [[Crazy Prices]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Stewarts Supermarkets|Stewarts Supermarkets Ltd]] and Crazy Prices in [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Stewarts Winebarrel]] off-licence chain, [[Lifestyle Sports|Lifestyle Sports & Leisure Ltd.]] (a retail sports and leisure business), Kingsway Fresh Foods (a meat processing facility) and Daily Wrap Produce (a fruit and vegetable packaging plant).
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| − | In May 2007 the group purchased [[Patak's]] Indian food business<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6700173.stm "AB Foods buys curry firm Patak's"] ''BBC News Online'' Tuesday, 29 May 2007</ref>.
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| − | == Contact Details ==
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| − | * Address: [[Associated British Foods plc]] , Weston Centre, 10 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4QY
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| − | * Tel: + 44 (0) 207 399 6500
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| − | * Website: http://www.abf.co.uk
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| − | == People ==
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| − | * [[Martin G Adamson]]
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| − | Non-executive director appointed a director on 11 Oct 1999 and Chairman on 5 Dec 2002.
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| − | He was a senior partner of [[KPMG]] and a member of that firm’s board until 1996.
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| − | * [[George G Weston]]
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| − | Executive director
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| − | George Weston is Chief Executive appointed April 2005.
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| − | He has been Managing Director of [[Westmill Foods]], [[Allied Bakeries]] and [[George Weston Foods Ltd]] (Australia) he has been a member of the ABF board since 1999.
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| − | * [[John G Bason]]
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| − | Executive director appointed Finance Director in May 1999
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| − | He was previously the finance director of [[Bunzl plc]].
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| − | * [[WG Galen Weston]] OC
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| − | Non-executive director since 1964.
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| − | He is chairman and president of [[George Weston Limited]], Canada. He is also chairman of [[Selfridges & Co. Limited]] and a non-executive director of [[Wittington Investments Limited]].
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| − | * [[Jeffery F Harris]]
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| − | Independent non-executive director appointed 21 May 2003.
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| − | Chairman of [[Filtrona plc]]. He was non-executive chairman of [[Alliance UniChem plc]] until April 2005, having previously held the positions of chief executive and finance director since joining the group in 1985. He is a non-executive director of [[Bunzl plc]] and [[Anzag AG]].
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| − | * [[Timothy Clarke]]
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| − | Independent non-executive director appointed a director on 3 November 2004.
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| − | He has been chief executive of [[Mitchells & Butlers plc]] since the demerger from [[Six Continents PLC]] in 2003. He joined [[Bass PLC]] in 1990 having previously been a partner of [[Panmure Gordon & Co]].
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| − | * [[Michael R Alexander]]
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| − | Independent non-executive director appointed 16 Jan 2002.
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| − | He spent his earlier career with [[BP plc]] and latterly as chief operating officer of [[Centrica plc]]. He is a former chief executive of [[British Energy Group plc]], a former non-executive director of [[The Energy Savings Trust]] and current chairman of [[GT Solar International Inc]].
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| − | * Rt. Hon. Lord [[MacGregor of Pulham Market]], OBE
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| − | Senior independent non-executive director since 1994
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| − | MP from 1974 to 2001, with 15 years in Government and nine in the Cabinet in five different posts, including Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. He is a director of Friends Provident plc, a non-executive member of the supervisory board of DAF Trucks N.V., and a Life Peer since 2001.
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| − | * Lord [[Jay of Ewelme]] GCMG
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| − | Independent non-executive director appointed 1 Nov 2006.
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| − | British Ambassador to France from 1996 to 2001, Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from 2002 to 2006, and the Prime Minister’s Personal Representative for the G8 Summits at Gleneagles and St Petersburg in 2005 and 2006. His early career included time at the World Bank in Washington and the British High Commission in New Delhi.
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| − | * [[Javier Ferrán]]
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| − | Independent non-executive director appointed 1 Nov 2006
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| − | He spent his earlier career with [[Bacardi Group]], his last position being president and chief executive officer. He is currently a partner at [[Lion Capital LLP]], a London-based private equity firm. He is a non-executive director of [[Abbot plc]] and vice-chairman of [[William Grant and Sons Limited]].
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| − | == Biofuels ==
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| − | In 2006, [[Associated British Foods]] plc (“ABF”), announced that it has reached agreement with [[BP]] and [[DuPont]] on an investment to build a world-scale biofuel plant in the UK. The joint venture not only built but then operated the business. ABF and [[BP]] each hold 45% of the joint venture and [[ DuPont]] hold the remaining 10%.
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| − | The plant will produce bioethanol from wheat and will be built at a cost of £200m at BP’s chemicals site at Saltend, Hull. Its capacity will be 420m litres (330,000 tonnes) of bioethanol per year and is planned to come on stream in late 2009. ABF expects a return on its investment ahead of its cost of capital in the first full year of operation.
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| − | The plant will initially produce bioethanol, but the partners will look at the feasibility of converting it to biobutanol once the technology is available. BP and DuPont intend to build a jointly funded biobutanol demonstration plant, which will run in parallel with the main plant, to support this objective.
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| − | It is expected that formal agreements will be entered into by the joint venture, after its formation, with other ABF businesses: Frontier Agriculture and AB Agri. The supply of locally grown wheat would be arranged by Frontier which is the UK’s leading grain marketer and supplier of agricultural inputs. The major co-product of bioethanol production, distillers’ grain, would be sold to AB Agri. It will use its highly specialised sales and marketing business, which sources and develops co-products from the food, drink and energy industries, to market the distillers’ grain as an alternative feed for livestock.
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| − | The announcement followed the previously announced investment by [[British Sugar]] in early 2006 to build the UK’s first bioethanol plant at Wissington, Norfolk. Its capacity will be 70m litres (55,000 tonnes) of bioethanol a year, using sugar beet as a feedstock, and the plant will start production next month.
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| − | [[The European Investment Bank]] finalised its approval for the provision of £120m of project financing for both of ABF's biofuel investments at attractive interest rates. This would be the first direct financing provided by the Bank for a biofuel project.
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| | ==Brands== | | ==Brands== |
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| | * [[Frontier Agriculture]] is the UK's leading grain marketer and supplier of agricultural inputs. It operates from 36 sites in the UK and has a revenue of £650m. Frontier was formed in 2005, through the merger of [[Allied Grain]] and [[Banks Cargill Agriculture]], and is owned in equal shares by ABF and Cargill. Frontier works closely with farmers to advise on crop selection and agronomy to manage for optimum yield and quality. It offers farmers a unique opportunity to grow for specific markets with contracts tailored to suit them. An understanding of the whole supply chain enables Frontier | | * [[Frontier Agriculture]] is the UK's leading grain marketer and supplier of agricultural inputs. It operates from 36 sites in the UK and has a revenue of £650m. Frontier was formed in 2005, through the merger of [[Allied Grain]] and [[Banks Cargill Agriculture]], and is owned in equal shares by ABF and Cargill. Frontier works closely with farmers to advise on crop selection and agronomy to manage for optimum yield and quality. It offers farmers a unique opportunity to grow for specific markets with contracts tailored to suit them. An understanding of the whole supply chain enables Frontier |
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| − | ==Affiliations==
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| − | *[[Food and Drink Federation]]
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| − | *[[British Nutrition Foundation]]<ref>
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| − | [http://www.spinwatch.org/content/view/1785/9/ Are we being fed big fat lies?], The Times, September 10, 2005 </ref>
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | *[http://www.abf.co.uk/ Official site]
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| − | *[http://www.findlaw.com.au/article/12632.htm ACCC v George Weston Foods Limited - Court Warns of Dangers of Not Having a Compliance Culture]
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | [[Category:Food and Agriculture Industry]]
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