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P&O is planning to shed up to 62 of the 2,000 jobs at the Port of Dover, due to the effect of competition on its ferry service to Calais. 15-Oct-2008 P&O Ferries is planning to shed 43 of the 170 jobs at Dover Eastern Docks, in order to introduce more flexible working arrangements. 17-Jan-2008 P&O, the container ports and ferries group, has accepted a £3.3bn takeover offer from DP World of Dubai. 29-Nov-2005 P&O is to sell its cold logistics business, including storage and trucking operations in the US, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, to Versacold of Canada for £183m. 03-Nov-2005 P&O has secured conditional approval from the government to build a £1.4bn container terminal in Thurrock on the Thames Estuary by 2008, including a business park for logistics companies. 21-Jul-2005 P&O is looking to auction its Cold Logistics refrigerated warehousing division for about £200m, in order to reduce debt and invest in its main ports business. 18-Jul-2005 P&O is to shed up to 1,200 jobs at its ferry operations in Dover, Portsmouth and Calais, and four of the 13 routes will be closed. 27-Sep-2004 P&O is looking to sell La Manga, the Spanish luxury resort, for more than £100m. 16-Aug-2004 P&O is to axe its twice-daily ferry service from the Port of Mostyn to Dublin, due to dredging problems in the Dee Estuary. 03-Mar-2004 P&O is to sell its 50% stake in the P&O Nedlloyd container shipping joint venture to Royal Nedlloyd of the Netherlands for £150m, in order to increase investment in its ports. 03-Feb-2004 P&O Ferries is to employ up to 200 Portuguese workers for seasonal jobs on its Portsmouth-based ferries this year. 07-Jan-2004 P&O is planning to shed 96 head office jobs and 525 seasonal staff from its 8,600-strong workforce, following a fall in demand for its ferry services. 19-Nov-2003 P&O is considering plans to close its Dublin-Mostyn ferry service and offices in North Wales and Fleetwood with the loss of about 100 jobs, as part of an agreement with Stena to reorganise ferry services on the Irish Sea. 15-Oct-2003 P&O is to invest £800m expanding the port of Qingdao in China over the next six years, in partnership with Maersk and a number of local companies. 22-Jul-2003 P&O has raised £120m in a share placing to fund the acquisition of the Mundra International Container Port in India. 06-Jun-2003 P&O is to sell its routes and vessels at the ports of Liverpool, Fleetwood and Dublin to Stena Line, and its recently-opened terminal at the port of Mostyn will close with the loss of 26 jobs. 28-May-2003 P&O has sold its 50% stake in International Offshore Services to joint venture partner Farstad Shipping of Norway for £51m. 27-May-2003 Wincanton is to acquire the P&O Trans European logistics business, which employs 7,000 people, for £152m. 10-Dec-2002 P&O is forming a joint venture with CMA-CGM to acquire an 80% stake in Egis Ports, the French container terminal operator, for about £35m. 18-Nov-2002 P&O Ferries is to shed at least 120 jobs in Hull, having decided to base its administration in Dover. 31-Oct-2002 P&O is to acquire eight cold storage facilities in California and two in Texas for £45m, in order to become one of the leading operators of refrigerated warehouses in the US. 07-Oct-2002 P&O Nedlloyd has acquired a majority stake in Gilbert Companies, the US logistics company, for undisclosed terms. 11-Jul-2002 P&O is to close its North Sea Ferries operation at Felixstowe later this month, and the three vessels will be sold to Stena Line for £12m. 08-Jul-2002 P&O is said to be interested in selling its Trans European logistics business for up to £150m. 13-May-2002 P&O is to pay £150m for Stena Line's 40% share of their cross-Channel ferry joint venture, and will close routes from Dover to Zeebrugge and Felixstowe to Zeebrugge and Rotterdam with the loss of up to 100 shore-based jobs. 24-Apr-2002 P&O Cruises has confirmed plans to leave its London base and concentrate all operations in Southampton, which will involve the expansion of the Richmond House and Dukes Keep premises in Southampton. 05-Jul-2001 P&O North Sea Ferries is in discussions with the Numast union to try to save 120 jobs in Felixstowe, following a decision to scrap two ferry services to Europoort in the Netherlands. 24-May-2001 P&O is in negotiations to reverse its P&O Nedlloyd containers joint venture into its partner Royal Nedlloyd. 10-May-2001 P&O is planning to invest £1bn in its container ports business over the next five years, including projects in Europe, Asia and the US. 26-Apr-2001 P&O Cruises is to create a further 150 jobs at its call centre and customer service operation in Southampton. 05-Apr-2001 P&O has sold a 50% stake in Associated Bulk Carriers, which includes a fleet of 22 dry cargo vessels, to Eurotower Holdings for £68m in cash. 02-Jan-2001 P&O has won planning permission to set up a new ferry terminal at Liverpool docks. 24-Nov-2000 P&O is in discussions to sell off its remaining container and bulk shipping operations. 17-Nov-2000 P&O Cruises is to set up a call centre in Southampton in December with the creation of up to 100 jobs, and further departments will be moved from London next year. 13-Oct-2000 P&O is to acquire the refrigerated logistics business of Swift Armour in Argentina for £14m. 11-Oct-2000 P&O is set to create 100 jobs at Doncaster Railport by opening a new warehouse and office building next summer, in order to offer storage, packaging and distribution services from the site. 22-Sep-2000 P&O has announced plans for the development of a £100m container port at a former Shell refinery in Thurrock, Essex, which will create up to 10,000 jobs. 05-Sep-2000 P&O has abandoned plans to buy Festival Cruises for £266m, due to a fall in stock market valuations for cruise companies. 18-Jul-2000 P&O is considering plans to redevelop the 750-acre Shellhaven oil refinery site in Essex into a major new container port. 17-Jul-2000 P&O has sold Quantum Publishing to a management buy-out for £20m, and the business will be renamed Quantum Business Group. 11-Jul-2000 P&O is acquiring Festival Cruises, the operator of four cruise ships with a Europe-wide sales network, for £260m. 12-May-2000 P&O has announced plans to float Oslo-based Associated Bulk Carriers, after buying out joint venture partner Shougang Concord International Enterprises. 04-Apr-2000 P&O has ordered two new cruise ships from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a total £560m, as part of a strategy to double the capacity of its fleet and expand its US-based Princess brand into the Caribbean. 28-Feb-2000 P&O has sold the 17-acre Chelsea Harbour site in London to a consortium of Berkeley, Mansford, Compco and Chelsfield, for £59m. 15-Feb-2000 P&O is to seek a separate listing for its cruise business later this year, in order to secure a higher market capitalisation. 04-Feb-2000 P&O is planning to develop a new terminal and logistics centre at Duisburg in Germany, and has also announced the acquisition of the Seaport Terminal container and general cargo business in Antwerp, Belgium. 04-Feb-2000 P&O is planning to redevelop the Shell Haven refinery in Essex as one of the country's largest container terminals, with the creation of an unspecified number of jobs. 28-Jan-2000 P&O has agreed to sell 136 properties to a consortium of Green Property and the Whitehall Fund for about £400m, in order to focus on its shipping business. 21-Jan-2000 P&O is planning to invest £2.8bn to double its cruise capacity by 2004. 13-Jan-2000 P&O is planning a US stock market listing next year, in order to benefit from an increase in US investor interest. 11-Dec-1999 P&O European Ferries is to terminate its freight service between Larne and Ardrossan and start a new service from the port of Troon in 2001. 05-Nov-1999 P&O is selling its Bovis construction business to Lend Lease of Australia for £285m, having decided not to proceed with plans for a flotation. 05-Oct-1999 P&O has sold the Earl's Court and Olympia exhibition halls in London to the owners of the Business Design Centre and the Candover buy-out fund for £183m. 02-Oct-1999 P&O has sold its Australian services businesses to Eurest and Spotless Services for a total £120m, in order to focus on ports and ferries. 01-Oct-1999 P&O is investing £50m in a joint venture with Arkona Touristik to operate two German cruise ships, and an additional two ships will be ordered for delivery by 2003. 30-Sep-1999 P&O is to float its Bovis construction business next month, six months earlier than expected, and it is expected to be valued at up to £350m. 15-Sep-1999 P&O is selling Laing Property of Canada to Cambridge Shopping Centres for £206m, and is now looking to float its Bovis construction business and sell its Earl's Court Olympia exhibitions business. 20-Aug-1999 P&O is to switch 50 of its ships to the UK register following the government announcement of a new tax regime for the shipping industry. 13-Aug-1999 P&O is planning an international tender to sell its Australian support services business, as part of a strategy to focus on ports, ferries and cruises. 02-Jul-1999 P&O is acquiring International Terminal Operating, the US port services and stevedores business, for £50m, and will use it as a platform for further expansion in North America. 01-Jul-1999 P&O has ordered five cruise ships at a cost of £1.2bn, as part of a strategy to double its fleet and benefit from the strong growth in the cruise market. 23-Jun-1999 P&O has announced plans to sell its property and exhibition interests and float its Bovis construction division in order to raise up to £2bn and focus on ports, logistics, cruises and ferries. 24-Mar-1999 P&O North Sea Ferries has awarded a £180m contract to Fincantieri of Italy for the construction of two of the world's largest ferries for use on the Hull to Rotterdam route. 26-Jan-1999 P&O Stena Line has confirmed that it will close the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry service at the end of January with the loss of 148 jobs, but Hoverspeed is planning to launch a faster service on the route in April. 16-Jan-1999 P&O Stena Line is planning to close the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry service with the loss of up to 260 jobs, which could prompt Sea Containers to launch a fast ferry on the route. 01-Jan-1999 P&O has acquired a 32% stake in Porto Industriali di Cagliari, the Sardinian container port, and believes it has the potential to become the leading trans-shipment port in the central Mediterranean. 10-Nov-1998 P&O and Chelsfield are selling their US joint venture property assets, including office and industrial buildings in Washington DC, Atlanta and Charlotte, to TrizecHahn of Canada for $287m. 20-Oct-1998 P&O is said to be discussing the sale of its Bovis Construction business, thought to be worth about £350m, in order to focus on cruise holidays, investment and property. 15-Sep-1998 P&O is planning to open warehouses in three French ports to sell alcohol and tobacco at low French rates of duty, in order to minimise the impact of the loss of its duty-free business from next June. 09-Sep-1998 P&O is to form a joint venture with Shougang of Hong Kong to merge their bulk shipping businesses, and the new entity will be called ABC Bulk Carriers. 25-Apr-1998 P&O is to increase passenger prices on its Dover to Calais ferries by 6% this year, while freight rates are up 12%. 25-Mar-1998 Stena Line and P&O have won government approval for their planned link-up on the Dover-Calais ferry route, and a combined service will be launched on March 10. 28-Feb-1998 P&O Nedlloyd has bought the Blue Star Line container shipping company from the Vestey Group for £60m. 10-Feb-1998 P&O has ordered two new cruise ships for a total of £520m, and they will be used mainly in the Caribbean after delivery in 2001. 07-Jan-1998 P&O's Australian operation is selling a 37.5% stake in Terminales Rio de la Plata, the Argentine container terminal business, to an infrastructure fund controlled by GE Capital. 06-Jan-1998 P&O is raising £226m from the flotation of its Bovis Homes housebuilding business, which is less than the £250m originally hoped for, and the money will be used to reduce debt and finance the expansion of its international trading activities, such as cruises. 05-Dec-1997 P&O is creating a £350m joint venture with Shougang Group of China that will involve the merger of their bulk shipping businesses. 29-Nov-1997 P&O Ports, P&O's Australian subsidiary, is to acquire a 50% stake in Gruppo Investmenti Portuali, the Genoa-based port operator, for £12m in order to gain a role in a new container port in Sardinia. 27-Nov-1997 P&O has announced a 10% increase in freight rates for cross-Channel traffic, prompting calls from the Road Haulage Association for a review of the terms of its proposed merger with Stena. 27-Nov-1997 P&O and Stena Line have been given the go-ahead by the government and the European Commission to merge their Dover to Calais ferry services. 20-Nov-1997 P&O has confirmed plans to float Bovis Homes, its housebuilding subsidiary, in early December, as part of a plan to raise £1bn from the disposal of non-core businesses. 14-Oct-1997 P&O has announced a partnership with Farstad Shipping of Norway in which they will jointly operate their international offshore supply vessels. 08-Oct-1997 P&O is considering plans to float its P&O Nedlloyd container joint venture in two years time, and has also announced an intention to reduce its bulk shipping operations. 19-Sep-1997 P&O is planning to float its Bovis Homes housebuilding business in November, with a valuation expected to be around £250m. 08-Sep-1997 P&O is linking up with Kuoni Travel to prepare for the expected boom in tourist trips to Asia. 02-May-1997 P&O is negotiating a deal to take on two major port projects near Bombay in India, at a cost about $500m. 07-Feb-1997 The merger of P&O's container shipping interests with Nedlloyd has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission. 21-Dec-1996 James Fisher, the Barrow-based shipping concern, is acquiring P&O Tankships, the operator of 17 petroleum products tankers, for £39m. 05-Dec-1996 The proposed merger of the P&O and Stena Line ferry operators has been referred to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. 29-Nov-1996 P&O and Stena Lines plan to combine their cross-Channel ferry services in response to the price war that started with the opening of the Channel Tunnel. 04-Oct-1996 P&O of the UK and Royal Nedlloyd of the Netherlands are to merge their container activities to create a new company with 8,000 staff and 112 container ships. 10-Sep-1996 Royal Bank Development Capital has bought P&O Oilfield Services, the supplier of drilling equipment in the North Sea, from Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation for £37m. 04-Sep-1996 Stena Line has said it is not interested in merging with rival ferry operator P&O, but would be prepared to co-operate in order to fight off competition from the Channel Tunnel. 20-Aug-1996 The government has relaxed restrictions on the cross-channel ferry companies - P&O, Stena Line and Hoverspeed - which will enable them to align fares, pool their activities and even merge. 17-Jul-1996 Stena of Sweden has said it would not be interested in discussing a possible merger with P&O, following news that P&O wanted to look into merging their cross-channel ferry operations. 02-May-1996 P&O is asking the government to allow it to start merger discussions with Stena, the Swedish operator of cross-channel ferries, as they are suffering from competition from the channel tunnel. 01-May-1996 P&O plans to float Bovis Homes next year as part of a move to sell £1bn of assets to build up confidence in the City. 27-Mar-1996 Peninsular & Oriental hopes to raise £1bn in a major asset disposal programme, with property likely to be the main assets sold. 29-Jan-1996
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