U K
B U S I N E S S
P A R K
home page

The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
Click here for further details

Unigate Unigate is to change its name to Uniq, and is considering plans to demerge its Wincanton logistics business and possibly sell its Malton Foods pork processing business. 27-Jul-2000 Unigate is looking to spend up to £300m on acquisitions to expand its convenience foods and logistics business, and is considering plans to change its name following the recent sale of its dairy business. 06-Jun-2000 Unigate is to close its St Ivel chocolate desserts factory in Chichester next year with the loss of 182 jobs, as part of a £79m restructuring programme that will also involve the disposal of its French desserts operation. 29-Mar-2000 Unigate has acquired an organic dairy facility at Thornbury in South Gloucestershire, to produce organic milk for large retailers. 07-Mar-2000 Unigate, the chilled and convenience foods company, is said to be facing the prospect of a takeover bid from venture capital firm Candover. 24-Feb-2000 Unigate is planning to build a £3m blowmoulding facility and processing building at its milk depot in London's Shepherd's Bush. 24-Feb-2000 Unigate has closed a sauces factory in Bradford, and transferred production to a plant near Rochdale. 21-Feb-2000 Unigate has agreed to merge its dairy and cheese operations into Dairy Crest, leaving it free to focus on the expansion of its convenience foods business in Europe. 18-Feb-2000 Unigate is to close its Wincanton Logistics depot in Exeter with the loss of 117 jobs, in order to relocate its regional distribution base to Bristol. 10-Feb-2000 Unigate is to close its Malton Foods bacon slicing plant in Enniskillen. 31-Jan-2000 Unigate has acquired Broadlands Dairy, the small Hampshire-based dairy, for undisclosed terms. 05-Aug-1999 Unigate is cutting 95 jobs at its Ossett Foods meat processing factory in Yorkshire, due to the effect of cheap pork imports from Europe. 30-Jul-1999 Unigate is to cut 220 jobs at its St Ivel fresh foods business, in addition to the 350 jobs being lost by the closure of its Spalding pigmeat plant. 08-Jun-1999 Unigate is acquiring Generale Traiteur and Marie Surgeles France, two convenience food companies, from Danone of France for £144m. 01-Jun-1999 Unigate is planning a £2m expansion at its dairy in Totnes, including a larger milk cold store and a new administrative complex. 30-Apr-1999 Terranova, the manufacturer of chilled convenience foods, has recommended a revised £274m takeover bid from Unigate. 30-Apr-1999 Terranova, the manufacturer of chilled convenience foods, is seeking a friendly bidder to help it fight off a £229m approach from Unigate. 31-Mar-1999 Terranova, the chilled foods company, has rejected a £229m takeover approach from Unigate. 16-Mar-1999 Unigate is planning to acquire Wessex Dairies, the milk delivery business, for £7m, which should increase the number of households served by about 10%. 02-Feb-1999 Unigate is to acquire Fisher Quality Foods, the supplier of sauces and dressings, from Albert Fisher for £43m, and will combine the business with its fresh foods division. 20-Jan-1999 Unigate has bought the Roata group of companies, which run the Unipork pigmeat business in Northern Ireland, for £27m. 15-Sep-1998 Unigate says it is still interested in acquiring other food companies despite the collapse of its recent bid for Hillsdown. 09-Jun-1998 Unigate has withdrawn from negotiations to acquire Hillsdown, the food and housebuilding conglomerate, for £1.6bn, apparently due to doubts about Hillsdown's future prospects. 29-May-1998 Unigate is still interested in acquiring part or all of Hillsdown, the conglomerate that is planning a demerger, despite the rejection of its £1.5bn takeover offer. 19-May-1998 Scotia has reached agreement to supply its Olibra diet additive to Unigate, who will use it in a range of yoghurts and desserts that will be on sale within 18 months. 01-May-1998 Unigate is looking to acquire fresh food and distribution businesses in the UK and abroad, as it changes its focus away from its traditional dairy business where margins are tight. 10-Jun-1997 Unigate is to close its St Ivel factory in Devon in a rationalisation of its margarines and spreads production, but has not yet decided whether to transfer production to the former Kraft plant near Liverpool. 05-Mar-1997 Unigate, the dairy products company, has said it is still looking for food acquisitions, possibly in new areas, but has denied reports that it has considered a link with Northern Foods. 20-Nov-1996 Unigate has sold its remaining US restaurant businesses to CKE Restaurants for $42m. 29-Aug-1996 Unigate is buying Kraft Foods International's UK and Italian margarine business for £77m. 09-Jul-1996 Unigate is buying H Hargrave, the Lincolnshire-based pork processor, for £18m. 25-Jun-1996 Unigate is looking to expand into continental Europe by acquiring companies involved in foods and distribution, and aims to double the size of its Wincanton logistics business. 11-Jun-1996 Unigate is selling its Black-eye Pea restaurant business in the US to DenAmerica for $65m. 04-Jun-1996 Unigate is in discussions to buy Hillsdown's Harris pig meat operation for £11m. 28-Feb-1996 Unigate is said to be discussing the purchase of the Harris Pork and Bacon Group from Hillsdown. 03-Feb-1996 Unigate has acquired the Lovell bacon business from Booker for £20.2m. 03-Jan-1996 Unigate has sold off its 29% share in Nutricia for £299m. 08-Dec-1995 Unigate is making presentations to potential buyers of its 29% stake in Nutricia. 27-Nov-1995 Unigate is to sell its 29% stake in the Nutricia baby food group via a global book-building exercise. 16-Nov-1995 The information above comes from the UK Activity Report Copyright UK Business Park 1995-2007